Whole lotta nothing going on
Well, that pretty much sums it up lately. But I know people are wondering, so I figured I’d update.
Still haven’t been able to locate the missing paycheck. Payroll dept. says they sent it to the Training dept. at IAH, and they (training) either have it or mailed it. Training dept. has no idea what the Payroll dept. is talking about. But we are expecting trips to both IAH and ONT in the next 1.5 weeks, so we’ll get it figured out eventually. Lord knows where the one due to be issued tomorrow will end up.
A is still on paid vacation at home awaiting his IOE. I think we are in week 4 now. He got a call from scheduling today to report to Newark tomorrow for it, but he had to remind them that he had not yet done his LOFT flight yet and that had to be done first. So they said they would schedule that and call him back “in a few days”. He still hasn’t been out to IAH to pick up his uniform yet either, but that’s his own fault. Once he’s done with IOE, we’ll know when he has to report out to ONT.
We did have a pleasant trip non-reving out to OKC last weekend. There were a few kinks to be worked out by the ticket/gate agents, but overall it was nice. I didn’t mind the kinks as a non-rev, but as a paying passenger I would have been a little suprised. Flight crew we had on the way out was top notch. Flight crews for the return trip were ok- one was perfunctory and one was new. But it all could have been a lot worse, so I can’t complain.
Sent Kidzilla out to CA for a week to visit family after the trip. It’s so nice to have a week alone with just me and A. We’ve been out to dinner, to the movies and just hung out. He’ll be traveling out to ONT to get him at the beginning of next week.
A and I have been dealing with our impending separation differently. He’s become more clingy and wants to spend as much time as possible with me. I’ve been pulling away from him to avoid missing him too much when he leaves. It’s interesting what we notice in each other and how we cope.
I’ve been thinking lately about military wives and how they cope. When A is gone, I always think to myself- well at least he’s only gone for a week, he could be military and gone for months. But then I realized that while that may be true, there is also quite a bit of support for miliatry wives that isn’t there for pilot wives. In the military, you are surrounded by other families who are going through the same thing. There is base daycare and activities, a family support office and just a general sense of community. As a pilot’s wife, the only other wife friends I have are part of a virtual community. I don’t know, in person, a single other wife who’s husband is based across the country and only comes home on select weekends. It’s kind of like comparing apples to oranges, but still I feel in some respects they do have it easier. Although I don’t envy the constant worry of whether my husband will return home that they must undergo.
Thanks to all of the people who publicly and privately supported me after seeing the negative comment that got posted. I appreciate what you said. The poster used an obviously fake email address when leaving their comment. My feeling is that if are going to critizize someone then you should at least have the balls to leave your real name. So I don’t take what they had to say very seriously. Yes, my pilot does read this blog; he’s actually been asking me when I was going to post again. And every relationship is different.
Here’s to a hopefully happy and fun filled, adults only weekend for me!
9 Comments
- kristen replied:
“I feel in some respects they do have it easier.”
I say this not to be difficult, and not to be negative, but because I really think it would give you some insight there’s no way you could otherwise have:
go here: www.kristentsetsi.com/6.html. Order the book & give it a read. It’s not one of those “chicken soup for the military wives soul” books - it’s literary fiction told from the point of view of a woman in love with a guy who gets deployed.
I think you’ll change your mind.
Support or no support, having the person you love go to war is NOTHING like being married to a pilot. Not remotely.
(I hope you do read it - it’s informative. And entertaining!
)June 14th, 2007 at 6:19 pm. Permalink.
- kristen replied:
On the other hand, if you’re talking about a non war-time situation, you’re probably right.
However - there is always the chance they (the military members) will be sent to war, so all that support is a little more necessary. I think Ian being a pilot (once out of the Army) is great and all, but he’s not necessarily offering himself up for warfare at the same time. As a result, all of those great benefits and support systems offered by the military don’t really end up being so crucial.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:26 pm. Permalink.
- Confused2 replied:
Our lives are not even close to that of a military wife and shouldn’t be compared as such. Perhaps the day to day “benefits” are better, but I would trade one for the other knowing that my husband is safe and I can reach out to him anytime I want. Our periodic loneliness should be bearable knowing that ours isn’t getting shot at, kidnapped or worst of all killed.
I choose to remain anonymous to you as I do not care for a banter, I just wanted to give my opinion of this topic. Your headline indicates that of a pilot’s wife, but you post as though you are living his life with an occasional hint of you.
June 15th, 2007 at 5:52 am. Permalink.
- someday replied:
Kristin- thanks for the info. I should have let the comparison coalesce a bit more before I tried to write it down. I think what I’m trying to get across is a sense of community- knowing that your neighbor and also the person 3 houses down is having a similar experience as you. Military communities were the first that sprang to mind, because they DO support families as well. I think that because of the current situation, it’s assumed that being in the military equals going to war. But in the larget scope, there has been more time at peace than at war and being in the military hasn’t always meant that you are away in a dangerous situation. And those same supports are still in place for families.
I forget that it’s too much to ask mega-employers to support their workers and families despite research showing higher productivity to those that do…
When your book arrives at our local library, I’ll make sure to read it.June 15th, 2007 at 11:50 am. Permalink.
- someday replied:
Confused- I think you missed the point of comparison. I wasn’t comparing the benefits, I was comparing the sense of community and the feeling that someone else you know is going through the same thing as you.
This blog is at an aviation related site, hence I only post about the parts of my life that are effected by aviation. You can rest assured that I do have a very full life, even if I don’t post how I work a full time job, volunteer at my son’s school, participate in dance troop, take classes and belong to several social groups.
If you don’t care for a banter, don’t post a comment. If you don’t like my blog, then don’t read it. That seems simple to me.
June 15th, 2007 at 11:59 am. Permalink.
- kristen replied:
“When your book arrives at our local library, I’ll make sure to read it.”
When my book arrives in a local library, I’ll be drunk and celebrating.
(It’s an “online only” sort of thing. Ah, well. If ever you’re curious about the position, it’ll be around.)
“I think that because of the current situation, it’s assumed that being in the military equals going to war. But in the larget scope, there has been more time at peace than at war and being in the military hasn’t always meant that you are away in a dangerous situation.”
Very true - however, joining the military is still voluteering yourself for possible war, and since that could happen any time, that support is still necessary.
I agree with you, though, that American corporations - while claiming to be “family friendly” - usually aren’t. Very few provide daycare, paid leave for fathers in case they have sick kids, etc.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:06 pm. Permalink.
- emily replied:
I agree with you about a lack of a sense of community. Also, when you are a pilot’s wife complaining about being away from your husband, “you knew what you were getting into” I have yet to hear a military wife get the same respose.
June 15th, 2007 at 3:32 pm. Permalink.
- pam replied:
I can relate to what you are saying about the lack of a sense of community. My husband is a FO w XJT based in EWR (just hit his 1 year anniv last month) and the closest thing I have found to support for the craziness which has infiltrated our lives in the last year is the wife of a chef. He works, like my dh, just about every holiday, weekend and other important day, but at least he comes home every night. Aside from just plain tired of being lonely, I have to help our 4yo b/g twins cope with this incredible change in our lives. Nice to know I’m not truly alone !!
June 17th, 2007 at 3:55 pm. Permalink.
- ~Keri Ann~ replied:
Hi,
I like your blog and I am both a Military Wife and (I guess) a non-commercial Pilot’s Wife (he-he), he has his private and is working towards his Commercial. I took no offense to your comment what so ever! Anytime away from a spouse is a tough one, IMO. Bottom line, they are away!What I do not know is how this whole thing works?!? So that is why I look for a new entry all the time!! It scares me to death having no clue as to what to expect!! The military I can handle, this pilot thing…eek!!!
Feel free to lead the way, so ta speak!! I welcome your knowledge!!
Smiles!!!
June 18th, 2007 at 2:55 pm. Permalink.