Reason #492 why I love my job

At work this afternoon:

In case you can't tell, the fine print on the "Goodie Two Shoes Punch" card reads "(not spiked)." The fine print on the "Rebel Punch" card reads "(spiked)."

Two calls in one day!

I promise the post about yesterday is coming, but not tonight. I'm still getting settled in from my week with K in Louisiana.

I got back to my apartment a little before 7:30 last night. I immediately started unpacking, and ER was here soon with some taco soup and extra arms to help me unload while our dinner heated up. I told her about my week and especially the events of the day. I cried through a lot of it. She even teared up as I told her about when K left. I was really glad to have her there with me to have someone to talk to. I can't imagine how it would've been to have the whole evening to myself.

I unpacked my things as I'd planned, and I even managed to find places for several of the things K has me storing while he's gone. By the time I'd showered, changed my sheets and climbed into bed, it was 1:30 a.m. I'm pretty sure I was asleep by 1:32.

I was awakened at 6 a.m. by my cellphone. K had told me before he left that he was going to call me, so I went from being dead asleep to completely excited and awake the second I heard my phone ring. He was in Germany after an eight-hour flight from Atlanta. He was about to fly another six hours to Kuwait.

We only talked about 10 or 15 minutes, but it was just great to hear his voice. Knowing it'll be months and months before I see him again makes me miss him even more than I usually would.

Once I got to work, I noticed I was being really quiet. Honestly, for most of the morning, I just didn't feel like talking to anyone. I found myself avoiding people by focusing my attention on Piper as I walked through the halls at work. I wasn't trying to be rude, I was just afraid if I talked to people, they'd ask me about my week or about K. Part of the week's events would come up, and I was worried I'd start crying. Even though I'd packed makeup for touchups just in case, I didn't really want to spend my day crying.

All of that made me feel a little like a zombie during a few parts of the day, since I was left to think about the next 15 months and the deployment in those times to myself. When people did ask me about the week or about K being gone, I surprised myself when I was able to tell the stories without crying. I teared up, but I didn't cry. Sometimes, the people asking me about it did. I noticed they seemed to choose their words carefully, and a lot of my co-workers had cautious looks on their faces when they asked me about it, as though if they weren't careful, I'd break. Maybe that's part of the reason I felt like avoiding people.

I realized that even though it's just a year ago tomorrow that K got back from Afghanistan, it feels like I'm dealing with this for the first time. I find myself thinking, "How does/did [insert m!litary w!fe friend here] do this?" But I've been through this once before. It was just four months, but still -- that's four months! That's longer than most "civilian" (I put that in quotes because I think it's a military word rather than one I use, but it's the best word for what I need) couples ever have to go without seeing each other.

Tonight, I was pleasantly surprised when my phone rang a bit before 9. It was K again. This time, he was calling from Kuwait. It was early tomorrow morning there, and he'd only been there for about three hours. We got to talk a little longer than this morning, but the phone signal wasn't always steady. He thought it might have been just a heavy call center time, since so many soldiers were using the phone then.

I should hear from him again tomorrow, he said. I know this is just the early stages, since more guys are traveling there through the week. I won't get to talk to him this often the entire time, obviously. But I'm definitely enjoying it now.

15 months is a REALLY long time

but at least my countdown has started. K left today for Iraq. It took me about 45 minutes to unload my car (with ER helping!), which was absolutely crammed with K's things.

I'll try to post about the past week soon. For now, though, I'm emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted -- pretty much drained. I've got unpacking to do, a flag to hang and a shower to take. With any luck, I might be in bed by midnight.

For now, please please please keep K and his fellow soldiers in your prayers. Every little bit helps!

I thought it was Thanksgiving

First LSU lost. Then Oregon lost too.

As if that wasn't enough, we pretty much killed Okl@homa St@te!

For Sooner fans, it's almost like Christmas!

Call me a sore loser

... but this is just too funny not to share. And it just so happens that I didn't find out about it until we played Tex@s Tech last weekend.



(For the record, that drive in the fourth quarter did result in a touchdown. It's just a shame the refs were blind and didn't correct that call after the review.)
__________________________________

Guess who was distracted when she wrote this post, so she didn't completely finish it?

Here are the rest of my thoughts (which are duplicated in my comment to Jef):
Tex@s Tech is a team I don't mind losing to. Tec.h is a team that can always sneak up when you don't expect them to. They definitely played better than us on Saturday. Even if that touchdown had been called a touchdown, I know the remainder of the game would have changed. Who knows what would have happened?

Either way, by the way both teams played the game, Tex@s Tech deserved to come out on top. Good win, Red Raiders.

Can I be me again?

In the post I wrote just last night, I was talking about how surprised I was that last weekend wasn't emotional. I thought maybe I'd just kicked into survival mode or something. Well, I went to sleep last night in survival mode and woke up in a completely irrational mode.

I didn't realize it for a long time. I really wanted to go back to sleep when my alarm went off, but after two late nights in a row (I was up until 1:30 last night), that was expected. I got up and started my daily routine, which had an some added chores of loading my car with a ton of things. I had to pack all Piper's toys and food for a week. I packed my clothes for a week, which wound up being more than usual because Mother Nature thinks it's summer the next couple days, and then it'll become fall and winter in one day.

K requested I make my cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Since all of his and his roommate's things are in storage, that means I had to pack absolutely everything I'd need to prepare it -- even spoons for mixing.

I packed some champagne and some wine we bought a couple months back so we could enjoy it this weekend -- I won't drink it if I'm alone, and we bought it to drink together. There were some other things, things I can't even remember right now, but my trunk is pretty loaded.

I busied myself with that this morning, and when I was finished, it was time to take Piper for a walk. This is usually a pretty frustrating time for me, since I usually feel more like the one who's being walked than the one who's doing the walking, but today was worse. And the thing is, Piper wasn't really doing anything that abnormal. I could feel myself growing more and more frustrated at her, and it was like an out-of-body experience. It was like I was watching myself and thinking, "This really isn't a big deal. It's nothing to get worked up over." But then I'd watch myself just walk right on passed a sensible level of frustration and snap at her. I didn't hit her or anything, but it was frustrating to see myself getting so worked up over a puppy who, really, is just being a puppy.

I had tried to call K several times to ask him if I needed to pack the forementioned wine and champagne. Of course, by the time I got in touch with him, I was in my car, ready to back out and head to work. And of course he told me to go ahead and bring the bottles. Which meant I had to go back inside to get them and put them in a cooler. It would be easier to bring Piper with me, rather than leave her to possibly get wet paw prints all over the seats of my car. As I climbed the stairs to my apartment, still on the phone with K, he pointed out that she was just being a puppy. "It's usually me who gets frustrated with her," he said. He pointed out that she wasn't doing anything that bad -- and I knew that.

It was then that it finally registered what the problem was.

I had loaded my car for the trip to Louisiana. The last such trip I'll be taking for 15 months. Because when I come home, it'll be because K is on his way to Ir@q.

I'm stressed, and I'm sad.

In a way, I'm really just ready for him to go. Once he's on his way, I can start figuring out my routine again -- a routine that doesn't involve fun visits on weekends. I can begin my mental to-do list (It includes such exciting things as ridding my wardrobe of things I don't wear, shredding files and getting rid of things I don't need anymore so there's less to move once K gets back. And looking into some kind of photography class. I think I'm even going to run -- and train for -- a half-marathon.).

And instead of my life being a countdown to when K leaves, it'll be a countdown to when he comes home.

A countdown to when we can finally live in the same place as husband and wife. Those are countdowns that are much more fun (and positive). I could really use something like that right now.

Our last weekend in Dallas in 2007

I was at work late Friday night. By the time I got home, I had just enough time to rush through dinner and then finish getting ready for K's arrival in Dallas. Since he won't be here for Christmas, we celebrated Friday night.

I was excited for the gifts I'd gotten K. I'd had one for a few weeks, and the other I knew K would love. I wanted to make sure his gifts were things that he could use in while he's deployed -- things that would even make the time go by faster for him.

Being the gadget guy he is, I decided on a game for his Pl@ystat!on Port@ble (Yes, he has one. Answer to your next question: He's 29. [I know, I know. But trust me, it's kind of endearing.]). And with K being the big J@mes Bond fan he is, I decided on the 007 game.

The bigger gift was the one I was most excited about. I got K a webcam. I'd done my research, and I felt like I'd found the perfect one for K: It had a five-star rating from people who'd bought it, the quality of the audio and video was supposed to be really good, and the people at the electronics store said it was a great webcam. That tiny electronic would help us to stay in touch in a way that would make us feel a little closer together.

I rushed to put up Christmas decorations around my apartment. By the time K got here around 11, I had lights up and on outside on my balcony, and my Christmas tree was up in my living room. I had left the ornaments off so K and I could put them on together. I even had awesome pine-scented candles in my living room and kitchen.

K always goes overboard for Christmas, and this was definitely no different. He had a small pile of gifts, but they were all small, so I hoped that meant he hadn't spent a fortune. He opened his first gift. I had him open his PSP game. Then, he chose my first gift to open. I tore open the paper, and a mix of emotions flooded over me when I saw what was inside: a webcam.

It was funny that we'd gotten each other the same thing, but it was disappointing too. Here I'd had this great idea, and K thought of the exact same gift. "I thought it would be good because we could use them while I'm gone," he said.

"Yeah, it's a really great idea," I said. And I handed him his second gift. He laughed when he opened up his webcam. I was a little more disappointed by the whole thing than he was, since that was supposed to be his big gift.

Next, K had me open a gift in a small bag. It was an envelope with a spa emblem on the front. When I opened it, I immediately started crying as I read what K had written on the gift certificate: "For those times every month when you need to relax." K had gotten me a package at a spa near my apartment. I can choose between three different spa treatments -- a Swedish massage, a facial, or an aromatherapy pedicure and spa manicure -- every month for the next year. There were a few things about last week that made me realize how stressed out I'm feeling about this whole deployment, so the fact that K had thought to do something to relieve that stress while he's gone really meant a lot.

I was also worried about how much it had cost. I could only imagine what 12 sessions at a spa could cost. I know you're not supposed to think about things like that when people give you gifts, but so far K had duplicated my big gift for him and gotten me a year at a spa. And I still had a handful of gifts sitting next to me!

I was overwhelmed for a little while, but K dismissed the multitude of gifts by telling me that it'll be hard for him to send me things while he's gone. I'll be sending him care packages, which will include many, many movies that will come out while he's gone. Care package costs add up a lot faster than you'd think. Since we won't be going out to eat or to movies, K explained that the spa is nothing per month. He wanted to be able to do something nice for me to still take care of me even though he won't be here to do it himself.

So the insane gift-giving continued. The next gift was one I actually had suspected K would get me (I just had figured it would be the biggest gift): an iPhone. He had wanted to get me one for a while, but I kept telling him there was no need for me to have such an expensive cell phone. Then one day at the gym, I was thinking about how I was about to have to have my cell phone with me everywhere I go. When K was in Afghanistan, I didn't have an iPod, so I just took my phone with me to the gym. If it rang, I could hear it fine.

Now, though, there's an iPod in the mix. And since my gym plays the worst music ever to work out to (think Jackson 5, Boy George and little teenyboppers like Jesse McCartney singing about how he wants my "beautiful soul" -- I could throw up just thinking about it), my iPod isn't going anywhere. I realized if I had the iPhone, I would be able to listen to my music on it. That way, if K called from Iraq, I wouldn't miss it.

K told me that as soon as I told him I could actually justify it, it was done. He'd planned on the iPhone anyway, but he knew then that I wouldn't be so opposed to it.

The other gifts were some iPhone accessories -- a car charger and a case for the phone.

Of course, we spent most of Saturday playing with the iPhone. We went over to Jeremy's to watch the OU-Tech game. That was a disappointment. We didn't play well at all. I can't help but wonder how different the game would have been had our quarterback not gotten a concussion. Our backup was really disappointing. And we also a touchdown in the 4th quarter that wasn't called a touchdown. The same thing happened the last time we played at Tech, so a lot of Sooner fans are discussing that. I missed the game two years ago, so I don't know what they're talking about. But I do know our guy caught the ball and had full possession of it when his foot landed in the end zone. That was clear. But any Sooner fan knows we always get screwed over in reviews (Side story: A funny memory from an OU game last year is when the officials announced a time out for a review. The entire stadium simultaneously started booing so loud. It was awesome. We hate reviews.).

Sunday was a relaxing day. We both hooked up our webcams and relaxed. The weekend went better for me than I'd expected. I figured I'd be a bit emotional, considering it's our last weekend together in Dallas for a long time. It could be 2009 before K comes here again.

K didn't leave here until 9 last night, which meant I was up late waiting to go to bed until he was safe at home. With everything I had to do tonight, it's another late night and an exhausted me. Here's hoping the next week goes slowly!

I'm still here

... just busy, that's all. Last weekend was, as I predicted, crazy. It managed to be even more hectic than I thought. Because it was a week ago, here's a quick rundown:

• thursday: Work. I left for Louisiana just after 6, so I got there just before 11 because I only stopped once for dinner, gas and a quick bathroom break. I had enough time to lay around and delay the inevitable getting-ready-for-bed process. I finally got in the shower and after spending some time with K, was asleep just before 1.
• friday: Woke up at 5 to leave with K by 5:30 for his run. Sat in parking lot for 30 minutes waiting for the time to line up with people from his battery. Cheered him on, but didn't have enough hands to wave, take pictures and hold up the three awesome signs I made Wednesday night.
  
• After run, met K at the end and headed with him to get my military ID. Took worst photo in the history of the world and was informed by evil woman (who was FRIENDS with K!!!) that "all military ID photos are bad. Get over it."
  
• Attempted to get vehicle registered for post, only to learn in my great organizing efforts a couple weeks ago, I filed away my updated registration papers and left my expired ones in my car (Doh!).
  
• Went to lunch with K and the guys, and proceeded to spontaneously start crying over the realization that I will be saying goodbye to all of them (who have become good friends) for 15 months.
  
• Went to deployment ceremony, where I managed to get K to crack a smile when he was supposed to be stern and at attention (He can't resist me!).
  
• Headed to post-ceremony reception, where I told K's roommate and his fiance that I was going to be a good Army wife and meet him at the door with a beer, since I thought he would like that. They looked at my like I was insane, so I decided not tot. I told K about that when he arrived a few minutes later. He would have liked it. That's the last time I listen to his roommate and his fiance.
• Went to BBQ at our friends' house. Had delicious food and some good girl time while the guys all played Gu!tar Hero. Learned friend's husband makes awesome strawberry daiquiris, so enjoyed several of those. Met a guy friend's new fiance and decided she sucks. Fell asleep on couch at 11:30 after a LONG day.
• saturday: Woke at 7 a.m. to begin getting K's things ready for the movers. Packers arrived at 9 and finished by 11 (they were fast!). Waited for movers. And waited. They arrived after 1. I left just after 2 so I could pick Piper up in Dallas (we boarded her for the busy weekend). Arrived in Dallas right around 7. Had just enough time to get K's Christmas present before he got here. Started dinner. Ate dinner. Crashed.
• sunday: Got up at 8:30ish and gave Piper a bath. Got ready for church. Church from 11 to noon, then marriage counseling with the pastor for the Dallas wedding from 1:30 to 2:30. Just before 3:30, left for OK to take K's ginormous TV to my dad rather than leave it in storage for 15 months (especially when K is going to want a new one when he gets back). Had steak dinner with Dad, his girlfriend & my grandparents. Headed home late that night.
• monday: Worked from home. Thank goodness, since it was such a late night Sunday.

This week at work has been crazy hectic. I've been really tired lately, and I'm finally realizing it's because I'm stressed. This deployment has me all jumbled up.

For the most part, I'm good, but everyone once in a while, I just start tearing up seemingly out of nowhere. The thing is, it's kind of all I can think about. Fifteen months is a long time. And the truth is, I don't even think K is going to be gone that long. I think it'll be close to a year (probably right around there), but 15 months? With the election coming and the Ir@qi troops gradually taking more control, it seems like things are winding down. At the same time, I'd rather them just keep sticking it out rather than rush to finish the job before it's done.

K has a "definite" (like anything's ever definite in the m!litary until it's done!) departure date now. I'm not supposed to share it until he's gone, but there is a date. He's coming here this weekend, which is good. I'll go to Louisiana for Thanksgiving, which will be spent with all the guys there. I've already told K to be prepared -- I'm sure I'll randomly start crying about 50 gazillion times.

This whole deployment thing is so much easier when you only have 10 days' notice.

Busy day tomorrow!

Today's been an unexpectedly slow day, which worked perfectly to my advantage, giving me plenty of time to celebrate a co-worker's birthday with her. Last night was a busy night for me. I'm off work tomorrow because I'm headed to Louisiana tonight. K has a brigade run tomorrow, and they're making it a big deal, with friends and family to cheer them on as they go. Then, tomorrow afternoon, K has a predeployment ceremony. I have no idea what to expect for either.
I made three signs last night -- one for me and two for others who didn't make any. I'll have to leave K's place at about 5:15ish (a.m.!!!) to get a pass to get on post and have plenty of time to find where the wives from his battery are standing. Should be interesting, since I don't know my way around post, and I know one whole wife who will be there -- and she's short, so she'll be harder to find.

After we cheer everyone on during the four-mile run, I'm off to get my military ID. That should be interesting. Then, battling the crowd again to get to the deployment ceremony. It'll be a busy day, but not as busy as the weekend.

The movers are coming to load up K's things and put them in storage on Saturday. K doesn't want his awesome mattress and TV sitting and collecting dust for 15+ months, so I'm taking his mattress and mine is going in storage. My dad is getting the TV because it's 60 inches, so it would take up my whole living room. That means K and I will be delivering the TV to OK. We're hoping we can get that done on Saturday. That way, we can have my dad's delicious steak and stay for the night, then get up early Sunday morning to make it back in time for church at 11. Immediately after church, we have a marriage counseling appointment. I'm looking forward to it.

And Sunday afternoon? No plans. Finally. We're gonna need it.

So now I'm off to Louisiana. It's going to be a long night, a long day tomorrow, and one crazy weekend.

Stop rushing November!

For months now, my co-workers have been talking about holiday parties. One of my co-workers evidently throws this big, really cool party with his neighbor each year in their downtown lofts. Given that we now find ourselves approaching the middle of November, talk of the holiday parties has increased.

Our work party and the forementioned holiday party both take place the first weekend of December. I've been asked if I've bought a dress for the party, and at least every other day the party-thrower swings by my area to share a new recipe he's found for his smorgasboard for the guests.

Just minutes ago, I got an office-wide invite to a potluck the week after Thanksgiving. It's even during office hours, which means pretty much no work will get done that day.

Everyone seems to get more and more excited as yet another day of November is under our belts. Their chatter gets quicker and more productive as their discussions move from ideas to plans. They're excited about an excuse to shop for nice new clothes, which party they'll go to first that weekend of December, and what they'll do for Christmas.

For me, though, each time I glance at the calendar to realize another November day has passed, it gets harder and harder to hold back the tears.

That exciting first weekend of December -- that weekend of parties, food and new dresses -- marks the first of a long, long string of weekends without K. It's the beginning of that stressful routine of trying to avoid the news day in and day out; of 15 months of knowing if I want to just give K a quick call or send him a text message, I'm out of luck; of having my phone by my side every.where. I. go. until K is back here, next to me. It's the beginning of a life where an email or a phone call means so much more than I ever could have imagined, and where missing a phone call could ruin my entire week.

It's the beginning of 15 months of my life that I hope go just as quickly as these November days are flying by.

Impatiently waiting

Dear DMV,

I visited you two weeks ago today to get a shiny new driver's license with my new married name, and you told me it would take "about two weeks" before I'd get it in the mail.

I know I was apprehensive about the whole name-change thing after I visited the Social Security office. It was just a big change. I don't know if you're trying to give me more time to adjust to my new name, but if that's the case, I don't need it.

I already explained that I felt much better about the whole thing by the end of the very day I'd made the change. So much better, in fact, that I had made peace with it -- I was done with my old name and ready to embrace the new one. I'm loving my Social Security card and the debit card with my fabulous new name on them. (Don't tell anyone this, but sometimes, I even pull them out just to look at my new name, all neatly printed on them. That's how much I like it.)

The Social Security office had told me it would take "about two weeks" to get my updated card from them, but do you know how long it really took? A week. Maybe. So I got my hopes up that "about two weeks" meant the same thing to you.

But it doesn't.

Go figure, since the license is what I'm most excited about. I mean, it has my picture next to it so it's absolutely clear that I am the owner of that fabulous new name. Plus, I go places where people will want to see it.

And who knows? I could even be more photogenic as a Mrs. than in my driver's license pictures as a Ms!

Not that you're in any hurry to put an end to my wait. So I'm going to rush to my mailbox yet again today, and I'll be really disappointed if I don't have any mail from you. Please don't keep me waiting any longer.

Sincerely,
Mrs. K

Totally kicking myself for not going to this game!

This halftime show was originally intended for the OU-texas game, but due to some copyright delays, it was put off until last week's game against Tex@s A&M. I knew this, but I stayed home.

After watching this video, I am SO wishing I'd gone to the game (and that I was still in the band!)!

Piper: Making Slow Work Days Fun Since August 2007

This is what you have to resort to when your dog chews through not one, but two leashes while you're trying to be a productive employee on a Friday (like that isn't hard enough to begin with!):



















Don't be deceived by the hateful look in this picture. I'm pretty sure she likes her hair like this.



















OK, this one, she might not be enjoying as much. But I only made her sport the combover for this picture.

Nightmare in a song

I love Carrie Underwood. Love her. She's adorable, she has a great voice, she's wholesome and she's classy. And she's an Okie. What's not to love?

Her new CD came out a week ago, and I bought it off iTunes last night. Her first CD rocked, so I was excited to see what the new one had in store. ER and I hung out last night watching Private Practice when I started downloading the album. "I just want to listen to every single song at once!" I said as I listened to a little clip of each song on the album.

After ER left, I listened to the CD. I was really enjoying it. Then the fourth song, "Just a Dream," came on. The first few lines really caught my attention:

It was two weeks after the day she turned 18
All dressed in white
Going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat
Sixpence in a shoe, something barrowed, something blue
And when the church doors opened up wide
She put her veil down

I thought it was going to be a song I could really connect to (minus the age 18 part, but still). I was excited to hear the rest of the song, and I was a little confused by the next lines:

Trying to hide the tears
Oh, she just couldn't believe it

She heard the trumpets from the military band
And the flowers fell out of her hand

I a bit distracted doing other things, so the chorus made me think she'd been left at the altar:

Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

I started really listening to the lyrics to hear the rest of the story:

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard

The next line completely cleared up all my confusion:

Then they handed her a folded up flag ...

I was listening to my worst nightmare in a song:

And she held on to all she had left of him
Oh, and what could have been
And then the guards rang one last shot
And it felt like a bullet in her heart

At the flag line, I was left bawling at my computer. It was a beautiful melody, and Carrie sang it well, but I was so frustrated by the lyrics.

Who would write a song like that? Who could put something like that on paper and pass it on to someone to sing? I was really disappointed that it was on the album, and I'm praying it's not one of the songs that is chosen to be released.

The thing is, any song that praises the military or humanizes the soldiers is usually a hit. And it's a nice thought, I guess, that people want to show support like that, but this song is just not the same. I think that was the intention, but I'm pretty sure the writer of the song (it wasn't Carrie) had no idea what he or she was doing.

When I talked to K last night, I had him look up the lyrics online. "That's morbid," was his response. He was frustrated by it too. "Like they need to make it any harder for us to leave," he said.

I looked up reviews for the album, and what's sad is this seems to be one of the standouts for her fans. I'm betting none of those people praising the song have any idea what it's like to avoid the news for months on end, to have to get signed onto your new husband's will and decide who you want with you for support and help planning a funeral just in case, or to get a phone call like this:

Friend/family member/acquaintance/coworker/near stranger who has nothing better to do than try to freak me out: Hey! How are you?
Me: Good. Just working.
Caller: Yeah? ... Cool ...
Me: ... ... Yup. Pretty cool. [waiting] So, what are you doing?
Caller: Oh, nothing. Just thought I'd call and see if you're having a good day.
Me: Yup. Preeeetty standard.
Caller: Cool, cool. ... ... [clearing throat] So ... have you heard from K lately?
Me: Not lately lately. I talked to him a few days ago, and he told me he was going to call me last night, but since I didn't hear from him, I'm sure he's on a convoy or he was just exausted or something. I'm sure I'll hear from him tonight.
Caller: Yeah. ... ... Have you seen the news?

(The thing is, when K was in Afghanistan, I worked for the media. I had always seen the news. It was my job. And even though I knew that no news was good news -- that if anything happened, I'd know immediately -- it was not comforting or helpful at all to get phone calls like that. But still those calls came. They came as if I didn't know [x] number of troops were killed in [this] part of Afghanistan.)

It's hard enough to get through the days with your own worries at a time like that, so it's really uncool to have other people add a little more to your plate.

And it's really disappointing to think that my absolutely worst nightmare ever could be torturing me over and over on radio stations all over the country because some writer who clearly doesn't understand this is someone's horrible reality wanted to capitalize on the times.