Saddest Day of My Life in a Long Time

Now that the hubster is home, the rest of the world can fall spectacularly apart.  And, true to form - it does happen.
Billy and I took Kozmo to the vet last night to have him euthanized. There was nothing that could have been done to save him.  Kozmo bit both of the two people that he has been protecting for the last ten years. First he bit Sarah but didn't draw blood.  It was more like he snapped at her and scared the crap out of her.
With Mimi, he bit and drew blood.  Not a ton, but there was enough that I had to make the hardest decision.
Once Mikey, Billy and I were in the room, the vet injected the pentobarbital.  It took less than two minutes for his heart to stop and to leave this world.  I wanted it to be easier than it was.  Now that it's done, everything reminds me of him and there is still a crapload of dog hair that I need to vacuum.
This is depressing.  Sad and I just want it to be over.

Slowing Down

Now that Mr. Y is at home and is more or less adjusted to Daylight Savings Time, we are starting to adjust to each other and the routine we had when he left.  Maybe I should say that I'm adjusting to him being home.  He, however, is now learning what routine Bunny has; where she needs to be dropped off and picked up; what days she has ballet, and when to order hot lunch for the following weeks.
Life is all about the details isn't it?
I got the cast off yesterday.  Feels good to be able to move the foot and wash it.  It's still really swollen, but I'm able to begin weight bearing now.  I have to retrain it to learn to walk on it. I can't wait to get out of the boot.  I know - I said the same thing about the cast.   :)
I haven't broken out in the moon walk just yet, but sometimes I can feel it twitching in the boot to some unheard tune.
Maybe there will be some dancing in my future....
For now we are adjusting to the routines and the presence of each other.
See you on the 26th for the party!  I promise to post pictures we take!
Take care!

Hanging Paintings and Listening to Stories

Today there will be more than one blog posted.
Right now I'm at my mother-in-law's place while my Dad hangs paintings for her.  She had trouble with the drawers of the file cabinet and he fixed it.
Think back about 12months ago...  My husband was getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan and Abuelita's home was full of boxes because she had just moved into her new house and was beginning her new life in Oregon.  The house only had aisles to walk between the boxes and some of the kitchen was together and some of the bedroom.  Her bed was built, her dresser was placed where she wanted it, and the rest of the house was filled with all of her furniture.  Trying to move a four-bedroom house in the tropics to a two-bedroom house in Oregon was more of a challenge than you might think.  Her whole world existed there. 
Little by little, the boxes were moved and unpacked.  Dad moved some, the landscape boys moved some and the rest were un-boxed and articles unpacked and placed in their new location.  Now the whole house (with the exception of a few boxes of clothing in the garage) are unboxed and it looks like a real family lives here.  It's a warm and inviting house.
While my Dad was hanging pictures, I was listening to the stories of where the painting were purchased or (in some cases) commissioned. I love the ones that are of Puerto Rico.  They remind me of the tropics.  I miss the sun and the warm wind and the humidity.  The way the storms would roll over the island was amazing.  We were at the beach in Isle Verde and we could see the storm coming and within a few minutes - it passed.
With Christopher's return, hanging the pictures will again become his responsibility.  Chris and Sarah will come over during the weekend and he will fix stuff that needs to be fixed, move what needs to be moved, and translate what she needs translated.  It is a comfortable routine for both of them.  I look forward to the return of this routine.

Call From Manas

The phone rang this morning and it was a "morale call" from the hubster.  He is in Manas.  He has been there for less than a day (I think) and he was able to have a beer. This was the first beer in months.  In Manas you can have 2 beers per day.  He just wanted some dinner and sleep.  He told me he hadn't slept in two days because of the travel issues he was having (beer + exhaustion = sleep).  Glad he is on the road.
I received a box from Afghanistan yesterday.  He mailed it about 2 weeks ago.  It just seems funny that I would get a box from Afghanistan and he's already gone from there.  Funny that people can move faster than cargo.
The box contains the wireless router he was using, his cards and letters we (the entire family including others in Police Bureau) had mailed to him.  It's hard to believe how much crap he had accumulated while living in a Connex box in the middle of no where.

Coming home for a few hours before he has to drive right back is tough.  Sarah needs to see her Daddy.  I think that he needs to see her just as much as she needs to see him.  Everyday she is asking when Daddy will be home.  Since she has no understanding about linear time, or spatial awareness, this is a really tough concept for her.  A lot of the questions she asks are "will I see Daddy after this bedtime?", or "After this bedtime is it tomorrow?".  The only way I can answer these questions is to try and put myself into her shoes.  Try to understand it from her point of view.
Sorry - ADD again.
He (when I say he, it just means we) will drive home after he arrives at SeaTac.  Since his flight arrives late in the evening; we have to get his bags and drive back home.  It will be early Sunday morning when we get here.  There is no way that Bunny will let him sleep after he's been gone for so long.  She wants to show him her loose teeth, the ones that she lost, and the new ones that have come in to take it's place (along with so many other things!  That's fine.  They can nap together.  He will drive back to the base either late that night or early in the morning for his debriefing.  But - He's in the local area, and we can drive up or he can drive home for weekends.  The call is in the same time zone.  Skype will work better (faster connections speed) and he can call every night.
Better - Almost.

The long journey home

This is the beginning of Mr. Y's journey home.  Chris is scheduled to leave Kabul today.  Wether or not he does has nothing to do with how much he actually wants to come home.   His journey is full of unknowns. Will he get on the flight he was scheduled for?  We hope so.
Unfortunately I will still be in a cast for his return.  He is scheduled to leave Kabul today, which is tomorrow for him.  From there it's my understanding that he will be going to Germany on xx.  His flight from Frankfurt arrives at Sea-Tac on the xx of March at xxxx.  I will be there - cast be damned.