Day 248 Jun.22 2011

117 days left.  It seems like an eternity.  On day 117, the deployment still felt new - like we had just started the whole process.  In reading back to that week, I still felt like I was dragging my feet through molasses.  At times I seemed to get a grasp of the concept of living alone, but more often than not, I couldn’t hold my grasp through the whole day.  Now with 117 days left, I have kind of the same feeling, but on the opposite end of the spectrum.  Does everyone remember door beads?  The very hippie decoration (I had them in college-big surprise I know).  I spent the first half of the deployment  trying to wrap my arms around all the beads, but it wasn’t just one doors worth of beads, it was 365 doors wide.  I struggled and struggled, I seemed to try everything without any success.  And then one day I figured out something that worked!  The satisfaction of holding all of those beads tight and contained in my arms was gratifying.  Now my arms are tired.  One or two of the strands slips out now and then, so far I’ve been able to wrangle it back in without losing the whole group…
I have found that losing myself in Caitlin is a really great way to pass the time.  Seeing her Dad in everything she does is so enthralling that I forget that my arms are shaky, and before I realize it, a good chunk of time has already passed :)