...and then life throws ya a curve ball ...

I didn't even get my bags unpacked from my first trip to California, when I get a call from a brother that my mother has fallen and opened her forehead. Oh crap.  Do I need to turn around and go back to California? No, not yet ... she'll be in the hospital a week; wait till she gets out. Okay. Breathe ...

That was Sunday. On Monday, I get THE phone call.  It's headquarters.  My heart sinks. Yep ... I came up on orders! The timing was simply exquisite. What to do ... if I decline, I run the risk of a mandatory resignation or, at the very least, a deferral that requires acceptance of the next available duty location. Could be anywhere ... Adak, Alaska? Diego Garcia? Antarctica? Well, we have no stations there, but you get my drift.

I can put them on hold ... I have a week.  Which is good because now I have to fly back to California to pack up as many of my mother's clothes and chachkas that will fit into a 750 square foot apartment - assisted living from now on. Eight days later, after eight nights of wrapping treasures and schlepping boxes up and down stairs for 6 hours a night, and after three awesome brothers convince me to accept .... I call headquarters and "agree" to go.  To Korea! In June! For three years!

I don't know how I feel about it yet.  I have mixed feelings.  Not being in a place where I can still work in the field of my passion (wounded warriors) is balanced by the thought that, when I return, I will be completely debt free ... to include my truck.  But then, really ... it doesn't matter what I feel because I don't much cotton to resigning ... yet.

Three options of work that would keep me in my field of passion are on hold ... hiring freeze, budget arguments, political jockeying, all of the above ... ?


*Sigh*  In any case, I need to put on my big girl pants and better stop whining and start sorting.

여보세요 한국!