Financial Roadshow Dates

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Via Military OneSource:

Honoring Rachel

All of us know of a milspouse who is dealing with a critically ill child.  It's an incredibly exhausting time.  It's made even worse because we are probably new to the area, don't have friends around us that we went to kindergarten with and, the biggest blow of all, we are not in the bosom of our family.  It's true that we have our military family, but even this connection seems to be less stable as so many are dealing with their own serious issues.

Those who are dealing with a serious illness of their children are truly amazing, those who are dealing with this well are awe-inspiring.  I'd like to highlight some of these moms over the next few months.  Perhaps there are those of you out there who could give help, support, comfort or empathy....

Rachel's son, Nathan (5) has been dealing with Stage IV Neuroblastoma for 2 1/2 years now!  He's an amazing story of perseverance and faith.  His mother is a super hero!

Don't Tell Me You're Here

I'm beginning to think that it is a carefully crafted plan to make family members glad to see their loved ones leave.  Honestly, thinking back, I don't think that my husband has ever left for a deployment on time.  There's always some sort of delay, maybe a couple of hours or maybe a couple of days.  Sometimes you get a phone call the night before, "The ship's (insert some random part here) is broken and we can't pull out tomorrow."  Sometimes it is only after you've been sitting (insert location here) for hours and the announcement is made:  "Okay, folks.  The plane is in (insert some other location here) and it won't be here until (insert some time in the future.) "

The end result is usually the same.  The kids' emotions are worn out from the changes.  The spouses have now taken four days off work for the big good-bye.  Parents who flew in have already turned around and gone home.  The mood in the (insert goodbye location here) has changed from sad and gloomy to a bit humorous and anticipatory.  And as they get on the (insert form of transportation here), at least one spouse says:  "I don't care where you go, just don't call and tell me that you're still here."

Hello, House? He's Not Gone Yet!

You know about deployment gremlins?  Those things that happen when your spouse is deployed, the things that make you crazy?  Since we've been doing this for a few years, I've come to expect the unexpected after my husband deploys.  I figure that we'll have an emergency room visit, a household disaster, or a major car malfunction.  Maybe all three if we're lucky.

What I didn't expect was to hear a persistent drip, drip, drip in my house yesterday.  I mean, he's home on predeployment leave, but he's not gone yet.  Apparently my house didn't get his travel schedule.  It decided that the drain line from my kitchen sink was going to burst without waiting for him to leave.

Despite the fact that my guest bedroom no longer has a ceiling, and I can't do dishes, and the floor might be wrecked, I can't get past chuckling that my husband was here to experience all the fun.  It's just so improbable.

Maybe this means that the actual deployment will be without excitement.

Nah, probably not.

What Are You Watching?

We were iced in today.  This is something I'm still getting used to, after more than five years on the East Coast. 

The kids and I retreated into what we normally do whenever we're stuck in the house or we need to retreat from the world for a bit - we watched movies all day.

Of course, the movies we watch depend on our situation, and we have several family "classics."

Hampton Roads, Here We Come....

We had a blast at Hampton Roads last year. Area milspouses were robbed because Hurricane Hannah decided to visit the same day of our LIVE event. Even with the high winds and torrential rain, 80 out of 700 registrants decided to show up. Some driving as much as 200 miles to attend. Now that's  dedication.

On April 4, 2009, we're making Hampton Roads our first stop on the 2009 SpouseBUZZ LIVE tour. We're hoping for better weather this time.... Mark your calendars, more information will follow in the next couple of weeks.

Not Relaxing

My husband is on block leave right now.  At first we planned to visit family, but who wants to drive towards bad weather in January?  We decided to wait for spring or summer.  Then we thought we might use the time to go visit friends, but we realized that this would've put us traveling into D.C. on Inauguration Day.  Bad idea.  Eventually we just decided to stay home.

My husband and I are both homebodies.  We don't particularly like to travel, or go to the movies, or go out to restaurants.  We both like being at home.  And after deployment, we both thought that what my husband needed was relaxation.  No stress of driving 18 hours to get to his parents' house.  No exhausting vacation plans.  Just him, a few beers, and the TV remote.

What I didn't count on was how much time that would leave him to think...

The January Challenge: You Took It

Thanks to everyone who decided to participate in the 2009 SpouseBUZZ Challenge. January's challenge is over, and kudos to those of you who participated. Several of you took the challenge, but didn't send in photos. You need to send at least one photo in each month per the rules.

I received a lot of email from milspouses vowing to start the challenge in February and that's great because if you missed January's challenge, it's not too late to climb on board. Should one of these ladies skip a month or two, it's anyone's game. Someone is going to walk away with a boatload of prizes. February's challenge will be posted the first week of February, so stay tuned...

If you want to be placed on a mailing list alerting you when new challenges are posted, send me an email and put "2009 Challenge" in the subject line.

For newcomers, click here to read the rules.

Meet January's participants: 

Did You Know?

2009 Fitness Guide
Avoid Excess PCS Costs
DeCA Launches 'Everday is Mom's Day'
Free Anti-Virus Software Available
Online Class for Caregivers of Military Vets
Operation Healing Angel Seeks Volunteers
Scholarship for Military Woman
Psychological Heath Center Opens
TRICARE Reserve Select Premiums Reduced
2008 Taxes

Milspouse Seeks Advice

I noted a comment left yesterday on this post. I'm sure some of you may have encountered the same issue before. 

My husband just deployed to Iraq again for 8 months; only this time we have 11 week old twin boys.  If anyone has twins or children close in age; how do you handle the crying at the same time and trying to figure out why they are crying without getting frustrated; if all the obvious things are taken care of?  Also how do you equally divide attention to them without feeling like one is getting more than the other?  Of course, with being military [we] don't have family close by.  I do have neighbors and co-workers that will help out if needed, but when I need the help is in the middle of the night or in the evenings when they are spending time with family. So essentially I am all by myself.

Any advice for Vina?

Good Cop, Bad Cop?

Last Friday I was thrilled, and was singing my famous "it is Friday" song in my head all day.  Until I went to pick up my Son from school, and was told by another parent that "the teacher wants to see you". 

ughhhh.....

It's Going to Be One of Those Weeks

When I tried to get dressed today, every single pair of jeans I tried on was worn out in an unmentionable place.

Every.  Single.  Pair. 

Following on the heels of the discontinuing of "my" lotion, that's a blow.  But it also makes me quite curious.

Bust-A-Move: It's Time to Topple the Air Force!

Remember our Service Wars Bust-A-Move contest? The first round went, hands down, to the Air Force. This Army wife is very, very disappointed to find that once again, the Air Force dudes are showcasing some moves, humor and creativity and so far, to her knowledge, her beloved Army is not even in the game.

It's downright embarrassing to be upstaged by the Air Force. Heh...

Time for another Service War contest. If you find good video from any branch, send it to me and we'll host another Service Wars: Bust-A-Move Edition. Now, If you'll excuse me, I'm outta here in search of some cool Army video because the Air Force MUST be stopped....

Thanks to DT for the link.

I just don't understand boys

Just before I wrote the title of this post, I had a funny memory pop into my head, so I must share.

You know the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"?  Well, when DH and I were still sorta newlyweds, I was going through a tough time and he gave me a sweet card that said "When life gives you lemons...

Minor Gripes

SpouseBUZZ is a great place for a pick-me-up.  We all love the military lifestyle and try to find the good in every situation.  If need be, we embrace the suck.  But sometimes you just have those little gripes about day-to-day military life, not major problems but little annoyances that make you shake your head.  I hate to complain too much about them, but sometimes I just need to say, "Holy cow, it makes no sense why I just had to do that!"

Today I had to pick up two prescriptions.  One was a new one and one was a refill.  The new one had to be picked up at the on-post hospital, and the refill could only be picked up at one of the satellite clinics.  Yep, I had to go to two different pharmacies and stand in two different lines to get my meds.  I even called ahead, but there was no way to pick up the two at the same place.  Why not?  I just don't get it.

What are your minor military gripes these days?

The End of an Era

I ran out of my usual winter lotion a week ago, and managed to make it to Bath and Body Works on Sunday to grab a few more bottles of their signature Peach.

When I walked into the store, I received a huge shock.

They have discontinued my lotion.

Psychological Health Update

TBI Outreach Center Opens

DoD recently opened a 24-hour outreach center to provide information and referrals to military servicemembers, veterans, their families and others with questions about psychological health and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Pimp Your Stuff: The 2009 Edition

My New Year's resolution - Pimp once per month. I let it get away from me last year during the move, but "Pimp Your Stuff" is back by popular demand. Click here to read the rules and find out how to pimp your stuff in February's edition. Lots of stuff in this edition, so grab your favorite beverage and dive in.

And here we go:

I'm a casting producer for a new documentary series coming soon to ABC.  The series, which is untitled at this time, will focus on stories of separation .... whether it be through adoption, geographical location, war times, or some other means.

Really, we are looking for stories of all sorts that involve the separation of family or friends, where there is a desire for one or more person(s) to re-connect with the person(s) they have lost track of.

ARE YOU TRYING TO FIND YOUR FAMILY?  LOCATE A WAR BUDDY OR OTHER FRIEND?
SHARE YOUR STORY ON NEW TV SHOW FROM THE CREATORS OF "EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" AND "SECRET MILLIONAIRE."

Were you adopted?  Did you make the difficult decision to give a child up for adoption?  Have you been searching for a parent, child, or sibling and exhausted your resources?  Did you lose track of someone you fought alongside with? If so, award-winning documentary producers want to hear about your experiences for a new network television program - and help.

The show will explore the profound issues involved when families separate and the lengths some go to reunite, find answers, and discover lost family. Are you searching for a loved one? Do you know someone who is? If you or someone you know is seeking answers, please consider sharing your story with millions who might benefit. We can make a difference. Contact missingfamily@gmail.com to share your story!

Wounded Warriors hosted at Texas Dude Ranch

We spent a few days over Christmas at an amazing ranch resort in Graham Texas - Wildcatter Ranch.  It was a bustling place. Great times were had by all!  We went horseback riding, skeet shooting, canoeing, shot arrows, sang songs around the campfire with "Big Al" while making s'mores, fed the longhorns and horses.....the list goes on!  But I learned that this particular group of Texans truly has a heart as big as Texas when it comes to the military and, in particular, the wounded troops. 

Girl Scout Cookie Time in the Military

I don't live near any family.  My husband is currently doing training outside his regular  office (although for once he still gets to come home at night).

Because of those two background facts, my girls are the only Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts who are not able to pre-sell any cookies, and don't qualify for any of the neat-o cheapie prizes that more geographically stable families are able to latch onto for their kids.

I'd love to hear from other military families on how they approach Girl Scout Cookie time and Boy Scout Popcorn time (and Swim Team Swim-a-Thon time, as we have that next week).  

Do You Want to Cook with Emeril Lagasse?

You just might get the chance. Matt sent word to SpouseBUZZ that Emeril is looking for military personnel to come on the show and cook with him. Although the casting call says they are looking for "current or retired military personnel," I did email the show to inform them that military spouses face some unique cooking challenges. I think we could all benefit from some creative ideas that help us deal with these challenges. 

There's cooking for kids, which isn't as easy as one might think, huh?

There's cooking for one.

There's cooking or eating the same thing(s) over and over again.

We could go on and on (and we have), but one thing's certain - cooking during a deployment cycle is not always easy. It's not just about cooking for one, or cooking while Dad is gone, it's really an emotional issue as much as it is a practical one. I want to see a military spouse on Emeril's show. C'mon ladies, respond to the casting call. We want to see you on TV explaining our dilemmas to Emeril. If you're selected, please let us know so that we can tune in.

Casting call is after the jump.

Did You Know?

Disney Offers Affordable Vacations for Troops
FRA Launches Quality-of-Life Survey
Life Changes and TRICARE
Metabolic Syndrome a Risk for Vets with PTSD
Monthly Benefit Show Launched
Reservists Live Longer than Active Duty
TRICARE Guidelines for Traveling
TRICARE Payments to Change
'Wounded Warrior Diaries' Launched
Monthly Benefit Show Launched

For Good

Angie wrote a very sweet post about the changes in their household that her husband will encounter when he comes home from Iraq soon.  And then she wrote this:

We cannot wait to have him home 'for good', if that's even a term we can use in the Army. We already know when the next deployment should be so that makes it really hard for me to say to the boys, "Daddy is coming home, for good this time" I'm not so sure I'll ever be able to say that to them. I don't even think they even understand it since he has come and gone so many times in the past 10 months. For now it's sorta like a temporary, 'for good'.

I too have been struggling with defining "for good" lately.

Life Alert: It's Not Just for Seniors Anymore...

Have you seen those commercials where "seniors" are trapped in a burning house, or have fallen and they can't get up, but then they have this device around their necks so they just push a button and "help is on the way?" Think that's just for old people? Think again.

I have an umbilical hernia. It was diagnosed at the same time my husband's hernia was diagnosed. There is a pecking order however, so my husband has been hernia-free for a couple of years while my hernia has been comfortably tucked inside my body. On Saturday, for some odd reason, my hernia turned on me and decided to implement its emergency evacuation plan.

New Family Retreats from NMFA

You may have heard about the National Military Family Association (NMFA) Operation Purple Camps.  This year, they are trying a new program:  Operation Purple Family Retreats.  From the website: 

It is difficult on the entire family when a loved one is deployed, but the time after that father, mother, husband, or wife returns  home is often the most challenging of all. Recognizing this, the National Military Family Association is piloting two Operation Purple® Family Retreats. These free, four-day retreats are set in a National Park using nature’s classroom, where families will have opportunities to strengthen and renew relationships, explore their natural surroundings, and participate in fun family-focused activities.

The camps are designed for families who have had a service member return from deployment within the last twelve months.  The camps are being held in March in two locations, California and Washington state, and they are free!  If you live near either of the locations, and you have a recently returned family member, you might want to check it out.  It sounds like a great way to have some affordable family time.

For Better or Worse, In Sickness and in Health and No Matter What Uncle Sam Does

I love to hear stories about how milspouses met their husbands and wives. The military is so culturally diverse. It's one of the things that makes the military experience so rich. One reason for the diversity is that  service members often meet their mates in areas where they were stationed, but not where they grew up.

I've heard some great proposal stories. One of the soldiers in my husband's old unit proposed to his wife in the gym where everyone was gathered after the guys returned from NTC training. Another soldier and his girlfriend snuck onto the towers at a not-to-be named post. With a full moon as the backdrop, he repelled the engagement ring and proposal letter down to her. But, I have to say, and trust me here, this takes the cake. Love it!

I've heard some great wedding stories, too. Planning a military wedding means crossing your fingers and hoping Uncle Sam doesn't decide to get involved. But he often does, doesn't he?

It is "Pathetic," but it's Kinda Funny, Too...

CopingArmyWife is a new poster around here (welcome!). I've been reading her comments. One of them was a perfect reminder that during a deployment, it's often the little things that get you down. Because, as we know, the little things are always connected to the big thing.... Although her comment on this post wasn't meant to be funny, it made me laugh.

My husband just deployed last week and I know I haven't been eating well. Its my first deployment but its his 4th. Finding something to eat everyday has been the biggest challenge for me. I moved in with him 2 months ago and just got used to cooking dinner for 2 people..I bought cook books and found recipes online. Now im down to cooking for 1 person. I will definitely go to the store to find a smaller baking pan and go to sams club for the single wrapped items. I tried to cook chicken yesterday in my 9x13 pan and it looked so pathetic. One single chicken breast in a gigantic pan. I felt so sad and defeated when I saw that.  

Heh.

And yes, it is "pathetic," but the mental picture of this tiny piece of chicken floating around in a big baking pan cracked me up because I've been there, done that. During one deployment, it was Progresso soup that finally "defeated" me. Night after night after night of soup. Truthfully, all you really need is this. I think it'll get anyone through a deployment just fine. The bonus is that nothing gets lost in the "pan." My thighs are so happy I didn't know about that while my husband was deployed. Otherwise, it would have been dinner four nights a week. Waaayyyy better than soup....

CopingArmyWife, welcome to SpouseBUZZ. We hope your time here helps make the deployment a tad easier.

2009: The Year of "Change"

Time to get a few housekeeping matters out of the way. Here's some of what you can expect to see at SpouseBUZZ in 2009:

LIVE Events (We're a Comin'):

We'll host three LIVE events in 2009. Our tentative plan is to hit the east coast, the middle of the country and the west coast. More to follow soon. 

Tee-Vee (Wonder if it Really Adds 10 Pounds):

This year, we're looking at incorporating video reports here at the blog. This feature will be called, "On Assignment." It looks like some of us will have the opportunity to do a little traveling to events that are of interest to military spouses later in the year. We'll also have the opportunity to interview some very cool people, so look for some video around these parts.

Pimp It (Don't Be Shy):

Back by popular demand is Pimp Your Stuff. I totally dropped the ball last year after the PCS threw me into a tizzy that I never seemed to recover from (but that's another story). Even so, I was surprised by the amount of email we continued to receive from people pimpin' their stuff, so it's coming back. I've already started working on the January edition.

My New Family Rule

I have made a unilateral decision that no one in my family is allowed to change their cell phone numbers.  Ever. 

It's not like they need to - you can take your number with you anywhere.  And I have a good reason for this. 

Now I'm Scared

It takes a lot to scare me.  I mean, I go through life like anyone else.  Like most military spouses, I just don't have the time to let my emotions do what they've been urging me to do.  There's just too much to do.

But this morning I woke up, and I still can't shake the odd feeling that something is just not right.

It all started with my kids...

Part IV of the Continuing Saga of My Bar Pan

It started with a post about going through deployment alone, with no pets or kids.  I baked one biscuit on a small bar pan so often while my husband was gone that it permanently stained the pan.  It was my badge of independence...until my husband broke the pan.  But Homefront Six kindly sent me a new one right before I started deployment again.  I wanted to get to work on a new biscuit ring.

Apparently my eating and baking habits have branched out a bit in the past four years.

Did You Know?

"Dog Tags" Help Wounded Warriors
2009 Thunderbirds Show Schedule
Army Program AfterDeployment.org
Free Tax Services Available
Free SAT-ACT Prep Software
Military Health System Survey
Navy Tests Home-based Work
New Logo for Army Approved Items
Survey for Marines, Families
TRICARE Global Remote Emergency Care

Military OneUpMan-ship

I was raised a miltary brat.  Which is to say that I was raised in..."Dignified Poverty".  After all, that was the era of white glove inspections and tea parties for the wives clubs (and they were wives clubs back in the very old and not so good days!).  At any rate, this is the tale of the military brat (specifically my sister) all grown up!

My sister lives in a suburb of Dallas. One day she was having luncheon with a few of her friends - none of whom grew up military. They were exchanging stories of their growing up years and the neighborhoods in which they grew up. The conversation spiraled into a cycle of "I lived better than you", typical female stuff, but all in a good-natured way. As only my sister can do, she had the best one-up line ever.  As they all talked about their posh neighborhoods and gated communities, she came up with, "When I grew up, I lived in a gated community too....but our gate guards carried M16's and had close air support back-up if necessary!"

Who'd have thought that growing up in the Air Force would have put one in such an exclusive neighborhood!?!?!?  What are your funny memories of military childhood, if you were fortunate enough to have been raised in the service?  What do you think your kids will talk about when asked about their neighborhoods growing up?

Preparing For Deployment: Their List, and Ours

A soldier offers his "How to Prepare for Deployment" list. What about the homefront? Well, we need to get ready, too. If you want to prepare for a deployment, really, really prepare, there are a few things you can do to get ready.

1.  Drop your spouse off and have an emotional good-bye. Have him call you an hour later to tell you to come pick him back up. Repeat four times.

2.  Have someone disconnect a few wires under the hood. Slashing a tire would be a great touch, too. Make sure that it's very late at night for maximum effect.

3.  Take a chainsaw to the hot water heater. It'll prepare you for things to come. Trust me. 

4.  Call someone in a remote village buried deeply in a country 15,000 miles away and try to carry on a conversation with them through the crackling phone line.

5.  If there's someone you would love to get a call from, make arrangements for them to call. They should absolutely, positively make sure the call comes the one time you leave the phone in the car. Because it will happen.

6.  Release one or more bats, rats, or other unattractive creatures in the house.

And Where is my Mixer?

Normally I pride myself on my unpacking time, but because we moved into a house that we had to renovate as we went along this time, it has taken something more than a week to get things in place.

In fact, several things still aren't in place.

Like my mixer.  Which has been missing for two months.

One "Dear John Doe" Letter, and Three G's

This is the tale of the General, the Gold Star Wife and the Girlfriend of a soldier.

The first time I spoke to a Gold Star Wife, I was extremely nervous. This lady and I had emailed back and forth several times before agreeing to talk. I had actually rehearsed my opening line a million times. I was worried I would say something stupid or insensitive. Once we got on the phone (my heart racing) I knew what I had to do. I had to can the script and tell the truth.

I'm not very good at this. I'm so sorry for your loss and I just don't really know what to say.

She thanked me for that, then went on to explain that she realizes it's hard for others for exactly the same reason - they're afraid they're going to say the wrong thing. Later, I was able to meet this fantastic lady in person. So did over 300 spouses who attended SpouseBUZZ LIVE in San Diego. On the panel, Shelly discussed this very issue - how best to approach, communicate with and support the spouses of fallen heroes (she's not crazy about the term "widow"). It was a hard conversation. The tears were flowing.  

You may have heard about the error that occurred when families of our fallen soldiers received "Dear John Doe" letters from the Army. The letter offered names of organizations who were there to assist the families. Yesterday afternoon, some bloggers had the opportunity to question Brig. Gen. Reuben Jones about the incident. I sat in on the call because I was interested in how the families were reacting to the situation.

Duh, They're Not Deployed Anymore

My friend and I discovered that we were both displaying the same strain of crazy, and I wonder if any of you have done this too.

Both of our husbands recently returned from deployment.  And we sent both of them home to visit their families alone.  When we were talking the other day, we laughed that we had both forgotten that our husbands weren't deployed.  I was having an emotional day and had a chip to cash, and I was sitting with the phone in my hand, wondering who I could call who would listen to me.  And then it dawned on me: my husband was only in a different state, not deployed!  I could just call him!  What a novel idea.  My friend said she had done something really similar, that she had grabbed a pen and started writing a list of things to tell her husband when he called home.  But he was only in a neighboring state, and she could've just called him to tell him anything she wanted.

It takes a while to get out of the deployment mindframe.

She Wins

We've heard many crazy stories about homecoming, from AirForceWife tripping and falling as she ran to her husband to some saucy stories told at SpouseBUZZ Lives about interesting undergarments (or lack thereof).  But I have never heard of a wife nearly getting arrested for disorderly conduct on the way to her husband's homecoming...until now.

Glad that all worked out for you, Sara.  And enjoy your time with your husband!

So, Sarah....

.... did the pup greet the husband like this?

Humor In Uniform

My husband recently came home from deployment, and we families were told that they'd be working half days until block leave.  But mostly he's been working from 9:00-4:00.  I quipped that only the Army would consider seven hours a half day!  But the real joke came on Monday when I wisecracked, "You went to work at 6 AM and got home at 6 PM; I suppose that technically is half of a day."  Oh Army, you crack me up.

It's Come to This...

As we all know, in the military, separations are pretty common. Outsiders tend to think in terms of deployments to Iraq, but our spouses deploy to other areas, too. Plus, they're frequently away due to training and TDY assignments. Sometimes, the bottom line for us is simply this - gone is gone.

If the house floods, or your daughter has her first recital or you have to pack the house up all by yourself, it doesn't really matter where your spouse is. The fact is they're not there to help, or share in a special moment with the family. It's not that we're damsels-in-distress and can't handle a separation, or even a tough spot. We can, and do. Pretty darn well, too. It's just that we know gone is gone, and we're accustomed to everything that goes along with our spouses coming and going so often. 

So, imagine my surprise when my husband morphed into a civilian recently. I love civilians, but hey - when you're in the military, you aren't a civilian, and you can't play one on TV. I don't care if you did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

It all started when....

Wondering About 2008 Tax Statements?

When can you expect your 2008 Military Tax Statements to be available?

According to myPay you can expect the following online availability dates:

Virtual Parents: Oh, the Possibilities....

Well, this is something. I could envision a scenario where the conversation could be manipulated somewhat, though. It really could go south quite rapidly. 

Kid: Daddy, I love you and I miss you.

Virtual Daddy: I miss and love you, too. Are you being good for mom?

Kid: Yes, I am. Daddy, can I have a puppy? Oh, and, um, I mean, and, can I give mom a kiss for you?

Virtual Daddy: Of course, please do. 

Kid flies out of the room screaming, Mom, mom, mom. Guess what? Daddy said I could get a puppy.

Mom then runs into the room and throws her shoes at Virtual Daddy, reducing his virtualness into a cloud of smoke and rubble.

Heh...

H/T: Computer World, where someone wonders when they'll build "virtual politicians." 

Spousal Preference Success

You may have heard about the Spousal Preference Program, but have you heard of success stories using this program?!?!?  I'm here as a living testimony that the program can work.  Last month I started back to work for the federal government and was hired under the spousal preference program.

Did You Know?

2009 Tuition Assistance Payment Rates
Determining Estimated Tax Payments
Disability Eval System Pilot Expanded
DoL Final Rule on Training, Employment
Infant Vaccine Shortage in Military Clinics
Kansas Vets Hunt and Fish for Free
More Servicemembers Eligible for TSGLI
Tax Statements are Coming

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

2008 was the year of weird TDY trips. First there was this, then just before Christmas came another bizarre incident. Bizarre might not be the right word, humorous is more like it. Only it would be my husband, not me, who got the last laugh this time around.

My husband went on a TDY assignment in late-November and called me that evening when he got to his hotel room. He was grumbling about the fact that he had left an essential item at home.

Free Antibiotics!

My kids have been sick a lot already this winter.  So have I.  Which is why I was so excited to hear about the many grocery store chains that are offering free antibiotics (and prenatal vitamins, but I better not be needing them!)  If you don't live near a military pharmacy, this is a great way to spend a little less on antibiotics this winter.  The list is at The Paycheck Chronicles, and be sure to add your store if you know of one that isn't listed.  Gotta save some money where ever we can!

The January Challenge: This December WILL be Better than the Last One

Our first challenge begins now. For background and rules, see here.

We've just wrapped up the holiday season, so now's the time to get that holiday stuff organized and ready for December, 2009. Yeah, I know, you don't even want to look at another Christmas box right now, and some of you may have already taken down your stuff and packed it away, but wait - you're not done yet. Let's suck it up and make this coming December easier than last.

Your tasks (and prize package) are below:

The 2009 SpouseBUZZ Challenge

It seems whether we're reading a book, knitting a project for charity or trying to get fit, we seem do it better as a group. When you're accountable to someone else, the motivation doesn't fade as fast. Plus, we learn great tips from one another in the process. That's why we're starting the 2009 SpouseBUZZ Challenge.

Each month, we'll tackle a new task (or series of tasks) that will focus on making our lives easier and more organized for the long-term. If we do it right, I'll bet we'll end up saving some money in the process, too. The task(s) will be posted at the beginning of the month, and at the end of the month, you'll report on your progress. By tackling small tasks once per month, getting organized and setting up a more efficient household is less overwhelming. 

Here's the best part of the challenge - one lucky person will win a grand prize next January. And by "grand," I do mean GRAND, as in 12 separate prize packages that correspond with each month's task(s). No guessing involved, either. Posted along with the challenge will be a photo of that month's prize(s), so you'll know exactly what you'll be winning if you're chosen the winner. The prize(s) may not always seem grand when looked at individually, but when you add up the collective goodies, our winner will have a great prize package at the end of the year, as he/she will win all 12 monthly prizes.

Contest rules are posted after the jump.

Seriously? Aren't We One of Your Target Markets?

(not verbatim, but you'll get the gist:)

UA Guy:  Hello, thank you for calling Under Armour customer service, this is Joe speaking.

Me:  Hi, Joe, I'm hoping that you can help me.  My husband got a bunch of your t shirts for Christmas, and they're not the right color that he needs to wear.  Can you help me find the right color?