The Legal One
The legal one is getting ready to leave again to play with the big boys in the sandbox. None of us are particularly excited about this development, but at the same time, none of us are surprised. There is talk that he won't really be needed where the majority is going so he might be transfered somewhere else. I, though, won't be monitoring the news on the War on Terror because after 6 deployments, I know that the MSM generally gets this wrong. It actually makes me question their integrity about other things but when I can get multiple sources of confirmation, I take the story with the grain of salt.
Before he leaves, he has to go and see the oral surgeon again. Today is not going to be fun for that appointment... let me amend that... it isn't going to be fun for me, but he's going to have a blast. The Legal One is going to be sedated through an IV and the oral surgeon is going to flush out a ton of stuff from where his mandible articulates with his maxilla joint. For those of you who are not forensic anthropologists, where his lower jaw meets his upper jaw. For the past 5 months, he's had issues with TMJ. I wouldn't call it TMJ as that suggests a muscular issue and this is anything but muscular. He's not grinding his jaw. He's stressed but he's not clenching or anything like that. In fact the muscles there are just fine, nice and loose. They are not sure how this has happened but the Air Force oral surgeon has finally decided to do something about it. The army oral surgeon wanted to wait until after he returned from the sandbox before doing this. The army oral surgeon suggested that he get a guard to stop him from grinding his teeth which is why he had to see the air force surgeon (because the army clinic was horribly behind schedule-imagine that!) The air force guy was like "You've been dealing with this for how long?? They haven't done this yet?? They want you to do wear a what???"
So this afternoon, the legal one will be legally high, and I will be the one to deal with him. One of two things happen when he's legally high- he's either very sleepy and generally docile or he gets pissed off with everyone, interspersed with giggling. I'm really hoping for the first option.
On Sunday, he leaves for the sandbox. The last few deployments, he has gone as a single soldier, being assigned to a unit that is already there. This time he's going with his actual unit. This should be interesting. The problem: many are going for their first deployment and so the unit is doing everything they can to "transition" family. And by transition, I think they mean prep... So when all the soldiers leave, they are having a big "Lets see them off" toohoodoo. Yeah, I am so NOT going. I deal with the leaving. I don't like it. And I like it even less when I am in a crowd. And a crowd of military spouses who are more into being a military spouse than being just a spouse. There is a reason why I don't live near the base. There is a reason why I don't attend many functions. And its not just because I'm in a poly relationship. Its not because I'm an affirmed atheist. Its not because I'm politically centered and pretty much hate both political parties right now. It is because I can't deal with the drama.
I've been told recently that I should be more involved with the spouses because, well, I have the most experience as a "deployed" spouse. The problem is that I expect others to act as I do which means finding some bootstraps and picking themselves up. I can't do it. And I can't listen to the whole "Well, you've been through it before, this is new to me". Guess what--I didn't have anyone when he deployed the first time and I still had to do it all by myself. I figured out how to change a battery, before I had the internet to look it up on. There is a reason why I find a good mechanic, a good restaurant that delivers, and make friends that are not involved in the military whatsoever.
Fortunately, a very good friend of mine, Gun Nut, is going to drop The Legal One off for the Dog and Pony Show that is the leaving for the sandbox. I can't thank him enough...
Before he leaves, he has to go and see the oral surgeon again. Today is not going to be fun for that appointment... let me amend that... it isn't going to be fun for me, but he's going to have a blast. The Legal One is going to be sedated through an IV and the oral surgeon is going to flush out a ton of stuff from where his mandible articulates with his maxilla joint. For those of you who are not forensic anthropologists, where his lower jaw meets his upper jaw. For the past 5 months, he's had issues with TMJ. I wouldn't call it TMJ as that suggests a muscular issue and this is anything but muscular. He's not grinding his jaw. He's stressed but he's not clenching or anything like that. In fact the muscles there are just fine, nice and loose. They are not sure how this has happened but the Air Force oral surgeon has finally decided to do something about it. The army oral surgeon wanted to wait until after he returned from the sandbox before doing this. The army oral surgeon suggested that he get a guard to stop him from grinding his teeth which is why he had to see the air force surgeon (because the army clinic was horribly behind schedule-imagine that!) The air force guy was like "You've been dealing with this for how long?? They haven't done this yet?? They want you to do wear a what???"
So this afternoon, the legal one will be legally high, and I will be the one to deal with him. One of two things happen when he's legally high- he's either very sleepy and generally docile or he gets pissed off with everyone, interspersed with giggling. I'm really hoping for the first option.
On Sunday, he leaves for the sandbox. The last few deployments, he has gone as a single soldier, being assigned to a unit that is already there. This time he's going with his actual unit. This should be interesting. The problem: many are going for their first deployment and so the unit is doing everything they can to "transition" family. And by transition, I think they mean prep... So when all the soldiers leave, they are having a big "Lets see them off" toohoodoo. Yeah, I am so NOT going. I deal with the leaving. I don't like it. And I like it even less when I am in a crowd. And a crowd of military spouses who are more into being a military spouse than being just a spouse. There is a reason why I don't live near the base. There is a reason why I don't attend many functions. And its not just because I'm in a poly relationship. Its not because I'm an affirmed atheist. Its not because I'm politically centered and pretty much hate both political parties right now. It is because I can't deal with the drama.
I've been told recently that I should be more involved with the spouses because, well, I have the most experience as a "deployed" spouse. The problem is that I expect others to act as I do which means finding some bootstraps and picking themselves up. I can't do it. And I can't listen to the whole "Well, you've been through it before, this is new to me". Guess what--I didn't have anyone when he deployed the first time and I still had to do it all by myself. I figured out how to change a battery, before I had the internet to look it up on. There is a reason why I find a good mechanic, a good restaurant that delivers, and make friends that are not involved in the military whatsoever.
Fortunately, a very good friend of mine, Gun Nut, is going to drop The Legal One off for the Dog and Pony Show that is the leaving for the sandbox. I can't thank him enough...