Time Flies...Like a Penguin

Hey, ladies! So, it occurred to me that I will be seeing my sailor graduate exactly three weeks from today. I am consciously choosing to see that at as a reasonable amount of time, as opposed to an insurmountable, vortex of long-term despair. For all of you ladies who are counting down the seconds until your love returns, I would like to share some of my mental techniques for making the time go by. I find I have to trick myself into believing that his return is not so far off, lest I abandon all of hope of happiness and staple a picture of his face to a body pillow. (For the record, that is not one of my techniques. It is weird. Very weird. Please, don't.)

-Keep busy. For great advice on this, refer to the first post of this blog. Seriously, this whole blog is gold. Don't just read one post. You know, what? Go and read that first post now. I'll wait.........

-Use milestones to keep sane. Find something that is only a week or two away that you're really looking forward to, then don't think about your man's return date. If your must, create something fun, like a shopping trip or a movie date with friends. Focus on the excitement close at hand. Once that day comes and goes, pick something else a week or so away. Repeat until the big day is so close you can taste it. If you're unsure, it tastes like victory...which tastes a lot like cheese.

-Change your calendar to the month of his return and convince yourself that you're just in a very long month. If you make a comment about it being March and someone tries to correct you and tell you it's only February, give them a good, hard slap and tell them to let you have your feelings. Follow that with some tears and a dramatic exit. That will teach them not to interfere with your coping techniques.

-Get cryogenically frozen until he gets back.

-Go to the grocery store. Pick up a dozen frozen turkeys and the fixings with which to cook them if you do not already have them. While you're there, get some Nyquil. When you return home, prepare and eat all twelve turkeys, chasing each bite with Nyquil, until your arm can no longer lift the turkey to your face. Hibernate.

As a bonus, in the time it took you to read this post, whole minutes have been shaved off the time until you see your sailor again. To continue getting all that time out of the way, feel free to read this post repeatedly. Come back soon to waste more time...I mean, get advice and laugh a little. Hang in there, friends!

One Valentine's Down...

Hey, ladies! So, we all survived another Valentine's day! Yay! This sentiment does not apply to those who are currently not separated from their man, and if that's the case, quit reading and go spend precious time with your sailor. If you were apart from your love on Valentine's, I'm sure it was about as much fun as sitting alone in your fat pants, eating an entire pizza, while watching The Notebook. Yup. I'm sure that's exactly how it felt.

It seems like in many ways, being in a military relationship, we get the raw end of the deal. We spend the nights alone, yet don't enjoy the perks of single life. It is perfectly acceptable for a single woman to hit the bars on Valentine's and dance with whoever looks good enough to dance with after a few cocktails. We, on the other hand, get to sit at home, pining for our men, reading on facebook about all the glamorous dates your coupled friends went out on. Not everyone can be so lucky as to go to Taco Bell and a dollar theater movie on February 14th.

Well, yes. This year is over, but if I'm alone next year on V-Day, I'm not going to wear out my Nicolas Sparks book collection. I am going to have some good, clean fun, while still faithfully supporting my sailor. Feel free to also use my suggestions for a happy Valentine's Day.

-Go to the store and buy yourself a bouquet of flowers. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to have them, even if your man can't get them to you. If you're embarrassed to buy yourself flowers, just lie to the cashier and tell them they're for your grandmother, who recently broke her hip. Then squeeze out a fake tear or two. There will be no further questions from the cashier.

-Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes. Nothing says, "Happy Valentine's Day to me," like a pair of patent, 5" heels. If you can't walk in 5" inch heels, invest in some new fuzzy slippers...still sexy.

-Say, "Damn the diet," and hit up your favorite fast food joint. That way, you don't have to cook, but you also don't have to see happy couples out on their Valentine's dates. And if you see couple's spending that special evening at a fast food place, don't worry. They're not happy.

-Rent a movie where everybody dies.

-Put on that shirt you have of your man's that still smells like him, don your finest pair of tube socks, and dance around the house to anything by Beyonce, Rhianna, or the Jackson 5. Hello, catharsis and calorie burn.

Also, and this is very important, make sure to hit all the after V-Day candy sales. Chocolate is good for the soul...and it helps curb the crazy. Happy late Valentine's to you all and here's to a safe return of all of our men...after we've burned off the extra fat from all the after Valentine's candy.