Sunday, January 30, 2011

1st FTX

The Army LOVES to abbreviate everything!! So, I will fill you in on what it means. ;) I believe FTX means, Field Training eXercise, I'll have to check with Mat on that. It started on Wednesday and ends...who knows, the training schedule isn't very clear on it.

So, how did it go, you wonder?? HORRIBLE!!! :(

1st: I was NOT ok being alone!!! Now I am used to being by myself at nights, Mat just got off graveyards at the SO, so I was doing 3-4 overnights by myself, so why did I have such a rough time?? Well, I'm in a new town, new house, with all it's new noises, and it's a condo, so if the neighbor makes noise, it sounds like it's coming from your house!!! The 3rd night, I'm positive someone banged on our door about 10p!! It was a very unnerving 4 nights, to say the least.

2nd: At the beginning of the week, I was told it would only be 2 overnights, on Wednesday it became 3 nights, and by Thursday, it became 4 nights!!! WHAAAAA????? I was only mentally prepared for 2, so 4 nights just pushed me over the edge. :( Thank God for Mom's and cell phones!!!! I spent a lot of the last 5 days talking to my mom, she's the best!! :D

3rd: Saturday was a, I'm not going to nap, day for Gavin. By 3:30p I decided we'd go for a drive and get Gavin to nap. We stopped at Wendy's for a snack and I just started driving. Now, this is only my 2nd time ever driving in Saint Robert and get lost VERY easily, so glad we own a GPS!! Well, I'm on this road, no idea where I'm at, so I'm driving just under the speed limit, surveying the area. I found a HUGE park, by the way!! :D Well, I'm driving along and of course everyone else is going over the speed limit and passing me. Well, this truck goes around me and ALMOST sideswipes me!!!! :O I quickly took in the vehicle placements, thinking he was trying to avoid someone, and realized he hadn't, so I did what anyone else, like me, would do and I honked my horn at him!! What was his response?? I'm pretty sure I got the 'finger' and lots of cursing and shaking of his fist and just all out PISSED at me!?!? That did not help my nerves or overall well being, so I decided to go back home, it would be the safest option. :/

3rd: I just found out that Gavin is going through a sleep strike for, possibly, the next 4-6 weeks!!! Which means, he will only take about three-45 min naps, and between the night hours of 8p-7a, he will get up every 1.5-2 hrs and nurse for about 30 min each time. What does this produce?? An EXTREME state of exhaustion.......

4th: I was just looking at Mat's training schedule and am pretty sure, military time is still slightly confusing, and it looks like he has ANOTHER night training on Tuesday!!!! :O I'm soooo tempted to get a hotel room, which feels safe, is WARM (that's a whole nother story), has a real bed, a pool, and the best part...CABLE TV!!!!! :D

Well, there you have it, my 1st FTX experience and I am so ready to put the whole situation/memory behind me!!

But....this isn't the last you'll hear about this, he has 2 more FTX's. One is only 2 nights, and the last one, right before graduation, is..........

wait for it...........

7 days and 6 nights!!!!!! :O

Who wants to come visit for a whole week???? ;)

1 comment:

  1. Hey Karen! This is Amber from MOPS in MT. :) I created a new blog, so I thought I'd look to see if a fwe friends of mine had a blog, too, and was delighted to see you do! Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry it's rough for you right now. I can't imagine living in a little condo with 3 kids, with your husband gone a lot, and in a town you aren't familiar with. I hope it gets better soon. By the way...are you guys buried in snow?

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