Once we get there...

Once we get there, we'll pick up the truck from the port (hopefully it'll get there before us - Darrell is driving it to St Louis in late January) and drive to the hotel.  We've reserved two rooms with a shared door - THANK GOODNESS - and we'll be there until we get a house.  We're hoping to live on post, and there's absolutely no way to know how long it'll take.

Darrell will sign in from the airport (required) and I have no idea how quickly he'll go through in-processing.

The hotel is zoned for the same schools as the housing area we want, so the boys will start school within a few days of our arrival.  I think we're good to go on paperwork and immunizations and such.

The dogs will have arrived before we left Pennsylvania and will remain at a kennel until we get a house.  We'll visit often and hope we get a house quickly.  They won't have to stay in quarantine since we've already worked through that process - they'll be released to a pet mover company we've hired to pick them up from the airport and take them to the kennel.

My car should arrive a few weeks after we do.  Our household goods could take as long as two months.  If we're lucky enough to get a house before our stuff gets to the island, Army Community Service has "aloha furniture" we'll borrow in the meantime.  Basic beds, table, couch, dishes - you get the idea.

I've been applying to jobs for weeks now.  I've had one interview so far, but have heard nothing about that position, nor any others I've applied for.  Once we're about 30 days before arrival, I can apply for participation in the Spouse Priority Placement Program (info here).  Hopefully, I won't be too long without a job.

Upcoming move...

We're still waiting for the Army to purchase our tickets from California to Hawaii.  Until that happens, we can't finalize the plan.  For now, though, the draft plan is as follows:

Departure Day-4 - packers box up our stuff
DD-3 - movers pick up our stuff
DD-2 - my last day at work, Darrell cleans the house
DD-1 - the boys' last day at school, Darrell takes the dogs to the airport (not sure which one yet), I observe the packers taking the stuff we're sending to storage, the carpet cleaners take over in the afternoon, and we pass the keys back to the landlord (we're sleeping at a hotel)
DD! - 11 hour drive (not including stops) to St Louis, hoping to get there in time for Pantera's Pizza!
DD+1 - stay the day visiting with family
DD+2 - lunch at HuHot on the way out of town, a six hour drive to Manhattan, and La Fiesta for dinner!
DD+3 - eight hour drive to Colorado Springs
DD+4 - stay the day visiting with family, Elephant Bar for lunch?
DD+5 - 10 hour drive to Salt Lake City
DD+6 - 12 hour drive to Petaluma
DD+7 - stay the day in Petaluma, drive to Suisun City
DD+8 - stay the day in Suisun City, drive to Santa Cruz
DD+9 - stay the day in Santa Cruz, drive to Aromas
DD+10 - drive to OAK, rent a car, drop the Rav4 at the dock, drive back to Aromas
DD+11 - drive to OAK, drop off rental, fly to LAX, fly to Honolulu

The Army won't fly us straight from OAK to HNL, but we sure as heck don't want to drive down to LA after already driving across the country.  So, we'll fly from OAK to LAX on our dime.  Whatever...

It's exhausting just thinking about it.  I'm very much looking forward to visiting with family and friends I haven't seen in a LONG time, but dreading all the miles and hours and sibling bickering, and road food, and unpacking and repacking the car, and....  *sigh*

But then?  We'll be in Hawaii.  Could be worse....

Tank update

Tank has lost a lot of weight. He started looking like a beer barrel with legs - no hips, no waist, no shoulders... He's down at least 15 pounds, with probably another 10 or so to go. He's our laid back dog. A bit pushy when his dog-brother is getting attention, but otherwise he's as easy as it gets.

Our next duty station

Since Darrell was promoted, he couldn't stay in the position for which we came to Pennsylvania.  Months later, we're on orders to Hawaii.  We leave soon.  Lots left to do, and a long trip ahead of us - but who's complaining?

We're now doing a snow dance.  Last winter was rather disappointing, nothing like we were expecting moving to the snow belt.  Since this will be our last true winter for several years, bring on the snow!!

A two dog family...

On February 25th, we welcomed our latest canine friend into the family.  His name is Dozer and he had a rough life before he came to live with us.

Almost ten months later, he is no longer afraid and hasn't had an accident in the house in about a month.  He's learned how to get our attention to let him out and we've learned to crate him while we're gone.  Fortunately, he enjoys his crate, as he goes in there to lay down even when the door is wide open.

He's awesome.  Still has some issues with jealousy (when petting Tank) and food nabbing (don't leave ANYTHING w/in reach!), but we'll keep working on those.

Our boxer boy, Dozer:

July 1st!!

Quick update

Oh my gosh, it's been forever.  So, I got the job I wanted and I LOVE it (actually, I was offered both and accepted the one I really wanted.  Yay me!)  I am very much happier at work.  It's amazing how much of a difference it makes, spending your day at a job that's fulfilling and meaningful.

We're still waiting for the Army to move down the promotion list and pick D's number.  They only chose three to promote in May.  It's taking longer than we hoped, but at least we know it will happen some time this year.

Also expected some time this year - our next PCS.  It might be to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  Still working the plan, but there's nothing they can set into place until after D's replacement arrives.  So, we wait.  If all goes well, D will be working for his previous CSM, a man he respects greatly and enjoyed working for.  And the fact that it would be in Hawaii?  Double bonus.

If it happens, I'll be sharing some major concerns with you as we go through the process.  We've PCSed many times, but never over an ocean.  That minor fact makes things much more complicated!  *laugh*

Job update

Job 1: The One I Want.  Big raise, more responsibility, super busy.  Made it to round two, interviewing Monday morning.  The way they've explained it, the top three have made it this far.  Hoping for a decision made by Friday.

Job 2: Better Than Now.  No raise, extremely busy.  Had my interview last week.  Decision to be made in mid-February or later.

More details to follow, depending on what happens.

Job prospects...

I'm on the referral list for two positions right now.  I have an interview on Friday for the one I prefer.  Haven't heard yet if I'll get an interview for the other.

I'll give more information if/when I get the job.  For now, though, I'm super excited but not all that hopeful about the one I prefer.  And much more hopeful but not all that excited about the other.

But, either would be better than what I'm doing now.  I was hired as an intermittent secretary.  Intermittents are used to fill temporary positions - someone is out on maternity or military leave, or someone was promoted and they haven't hired a new person yet, that sort of thing.  I'm not guaranteed full time hours, although so far I've worked 40 hours/week.  I don't get paid for federal holidays or earn vacation or sick leave.  I've already worked at IT, Fiscal, and Facilities Management.  I never know when I'll be moved.  No fun...

Our new dog, Tank

Riley passed away a few days before Christmas.  He lasted about three weeks after his cancer diagnosis.  He was such an awesome dog, and I'm really disappointed that we didn't get many happy years with him.

Because of some frustration with the rescue organization we'd been working with, we changed gears and adopted a lab rather than another boxer.  They called him Brooklyn, but we changed it to Tank.  We picked him up this past Saturday and brought him in for his first vet visit yesterday.  He's 93 pounds and needs to lose about 20 of it.  Other than that, he pulls more than he should on the leash (and with that much weight, he has a lot of pulling power) and he's very interested in the cat.  His house manners are fabulous and he learns fairly quickly, so we have high hopes that we can train him to be just the dog we're hoping for.