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The Green and Blue Dress

(Details have been changed to protect the innocent.  And because I can’t remember details well anymore.)


Well, we are now 12 days into our three year, government paid European vacation and it has been fun interesting so far.  At this base, there is a six day orientation course that everyone attends when they arrive.  While not the point of the orientation (and heck, not even encouraged in any way), you do get to know some other new people as you sit through various briefs and slog your way through paperwork together.  As happens when you get a bunch of military people together, the stories come out pretty quickly.

As a few women and I sat together, waiting our time to turn in yet another packet of paperwork to a single representative who was surprised by the 80 people in our group, we got talking about how quickly we had tired of the clothes that we packed, and what we failed to pack, and what we packed but would clearly never use.

One new friend was the obvious winner of this round of Military Spouse Poker.  As we shared when we’d packed out, and where we’d been in the meantime, she offered, “I’ve been wearing the same five outfits since April 21st.”  She told us about all the places she’d been in the previous 8 weeks, during their cross-country drive and visits home, and now living here at the hotel.  And she related a conversation that she had prior to the trip:


“My friend asked me, ‘what are you going to wear when you go out in Las Vegas?’  The green and blue dress.  ‘And what about when you (insert something special here)?’  The green and blue dress.  ‘And your nephew’s graduation?’  Um, the green and blue dress?”


We’ve all been there, and it is always nice to know that no one is going to laugh when you show up in the same outfit for the eighth time since you’ve met. 

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About She of the Sea

Oh dear - SpouseBUZZ wants a bio from me. I hate writing bios! What do you want to know? I'm a Navy wife and have been for something less than 20 years. I have four daughters who are approaching the teenage years faster than I can drink a Diet Coke. I love writing for SpouseBUZZ because I know that someone out there understands whatever it is I am saying. I also write about money at The Paycheck Chronicles and I am studying for the Certified Financial Planner exam. This year, I have managed to avoid most of my usual volunteer responsibilities (Girl Scouts, PTO, church, etc.) so that I can focus on helping out at the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. It also allows me to make decent but unappreciated dinners and keep relatively up on the laundry.

Still haven't learned to get Christmas cards out on time, though.

Comments

  1. Sarah says:

    When we moved back to the US from Germany, our HHG were delayed. I eventually went shopping at Goodwill to get by because I was tired of wearing the same things!

  2. Hah! We've been here 12 days and I've already been to the thrift store twice (once I got a puzzle for entertainment, but the second time I picked up some kitchen goods that our Navy Lodge room is lacking, plus some random clothes to fill out my wardrobe. And I've bought a pair of pants, a dress, a shirt and a pair of workout pants at the NEX. Mostly due to the 20 lbs. I've gained back over this move.