Deployment

The Details
Mike will be deploying to Ramstein AFB in Germany at the end of next month. According to his last email, he has to report to base on May 27th, but he has not received his official itinerary yet. What we do know is that his orders are for 179 days, which is about 6 months.

He has been in the Air Force for 6 years, and his current rank is Captain. His job in the military is as a critical care nurse, so during deployment, he will be taking care of the injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Once they are stable for transport, they either go back to war, or are transported to Washington, D.C.

How We Met
I've been friends with Mike's sister Lauren for a few years, from working together at MetLife. One Friday morning, 4 of us decided to have a girls' night out, and get some drinks at Nylo.

An hour before we left, Mike called Lauren, and wanted to meet up with her at the very spot where we planned our girls' night. When she asked us if he could tag along, we said yes.

Once inside, Mike and I were watching the Celtics game that was on, and ended up talking all night. With Lauren's permission, he friended me on Facebook the next day, and our first date was the following Thursday- June 4, 2009.

Staying Busy
As far as staying busy during deployment, I'm not concerned at all. Between my two jobs, I work 6 days a week, plus I'm a part-time student. I moved into Mike's house in December, and while I did live on my own for 3 years before we met, I had a very small apartment. Taking care of a house with a decent-sized yard is more than enough to keep me occupied. He is concerned about how I will do, which is valid- I will have my good nights and my bad nights.

We Are Family
I'm very lucky to have a close relationship with Mike's family, as well as my own. I feel comforted knowing I can call any one of his relatives, or mine, and get help or company whenever I need it. From Day 1, Mike's family has treated me as one of their own, and I am grateful beyond words for it.

The Road Ahead
At this point in our relationship, Mike and I are rock-solid. Yes, he will be gone for 6 months, but it's not like we met a few weeks ago. I truly feel like he is the one I am going to spend the rest of my life with, so in the grand scheme of things, 6 months isn't a long time. It will be difficult at times . . . I think people would be concerned if I seemed fine every day! I tell Mike every day how much I love him, but standing by him during deployment gives me the chance to really show him how commited I am to him. Without a doubt, this will be the toughest challenge for us as a couple.

Terrific Technology
Between phone calls, email, and Skype, I will get to communicate with Mike almost every day. During his time off, he will get to explore Germany and surrounding countries, so he also plans on posting his adventures on Facebook. Thank goodness for technology!

Snapple

Anyone who reads my Facebook from time to time knows that I love Snapple, and I love their "Real Facts." I'm not a Facebooker who gives a play-by-play of their daily activities . . . I prefer to fill up your news feed with random tidbits of information.

There's many, but I decided to share some of the ones that I found a little more interesting. Enjoy!

#908: In Athens Greece, a driver's license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either "unbathed" or "poorly dressed."

#833: Children have more taste buds than adults.

#831: Six year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

#701: It takes more water to fill a bathtub than it does to enjoy an average-length shower.

#705: Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees.

#719: A strawberry is not an actual berry, but a banana is.

#823: Sailors once thought wearing gold earrings improved eyesight.

#760: Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

#853: Hawaii has its own time zone.

#682: The giant panda can eat up to 83 lbs of bamboo a day.

#890: The number "1" or the word "one" appears on the dollar bill 16 times.

#839: A cucumber consists of 96% water.

#880: The Venus fly trap can eat a whole cheeseburger.

Get Carried Away

SATC 2: May 28, 2010

I own all six seasons of SATC and the first movie, so to say I'm excited for the sequel would be an understatement! There isn't much out yet, but I did find the following on the official SATC site:

"British beauty Alice Eve is one of the many new faces joining the "Sex and the City 2" fold, when the sequel hits theaters on May 28.

As Charlotte York's (Kristin Davis) gorgeous foreign nanny Erin in the series, Alice will reportedly be part of a story line that spices things up for the Fab Four.

While she couldn't say much about the script, Alice did reveal that watching life on set for her castmates was an experience.

"It was mayhem for them," Alice said, referring to Kristin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon. "Everywhere they went, everybody knew."

Her own scenes, however, were much more low key.

"My stuff was -- I didn't have that," she laughed. "I just kind of turned up and smiled, and was glad to be in the room."

While Alice didn't get the full "SATC 2" mania, she did actually pick up some tips from her co-stars.

"They were all there bouncing around in their heels all day, which was insane," Alice said. "I now wear heels, which I didn't do before, because I saw how they actually do it, for real. You know they wear them all day, so that was incredible."

Phone Call Can

One of my good friends and her boyfriend came up with an idea that is pure genius. Every time they . . . (use your imagination), they each put $1 in what they call a "Romance Can." Once it adds up, then they go out to a nice dinner.

With Mike spending more time in Germany this year than Rhode Island, I decided to make my own jar: the "Phone Call Can." Every time Mike calls from Germany (during his two weeks, and also deployment), I will put $1 in the can.

Once he comes home, I'll treat him with that money to a nice night out. When I told him this, his response was, "I'm calling you every hour, on the hour!"

First Blog's a Charm

I decided to catch up with 2010, and start a blog. Hopefully I get the hang of this fast, and don't bore anyone.

Currently in a good mood, despite the fact that my favorite person in the world is 3,260 miles away (the approximate distance from Warwick to Ramstein AFB in Germany . . . yes, I looked it up and yes, I'm a dork!). Mike is doing his two-week duty, and will be home on March 20th.

He will be deploying this year, but I'm fortunate in several ways. a) He's going to Germany, not Iraq like half his unit. b) He will be able to call and email every day. c) I can visit him! The thought of spending a week in Europe is beyond exciting. First thing on my to-do list: get a passport.

Highlight of the week: My accounting professor declaring his love of rap music. He says he plans to bring his iPod in to prove it.