Jeremy is gone.

Warning...this isn't my peppiest post ever.



As of this morning, Jeremy has officially left for his deployment to Iraq. It feels like this has been the longest day of my life and it is only 2:25 PM.

I suppose I should start off by telling you about our weekend. We didn't do too much, though we did have some friends over on Saturday evening. At the time I made the plans it seemed like a good idea, but as we approached their arrival time I started regretting my decision -- I really didn't want to share Jeremy. However, we had a lovely evening and for 3 or more hours Jeremy & I enjoyed their company and stopped thinking about what today was holding for us. It was a wonderful relief from the constant stress and worry that had been hanging on us all week. So, for that break, I am very thankful to our friends.

On Sunday Jeremy set-up the Christmas tree with the boys. Now, usually our rule is no Christmas anything until after Thanksgiving. However, we made an exception this year. The setting up of the tree is Jeremy's job and I didn't want anyone else doing it. It only has lights, but it would need to be that way anyway. I'll probably get the tree skirt and topper out after Thanksgiving, but won't put any ornaments up until the last minute (due to my nosy toddler and cat).

Last night I made one of Jeremy's favorite meals -- meatloaf made from the Cap City Diner recipe (Cap City Diner was one of our favorite restaurants in Columbus and the restaurant had the recipe published on its website). Now, meatloaf sounds simple enough, right? Nope -- not this kind. First off, the meatloaf is more complicated than the ordinary variety -- it has three kinds of ground meat in it and requires pre-cooking the mushrooms and onions. You have to make the homemade bbq sauce to put on it. And you have to make the homemade onion straws that garnish it (which are soooo good, by the way). It gets served in a big pile -- texas toast on the bottom, then meatloaf, then bbq sauce, then buttermilk mashed potatoes and then the onion straws. It was so good and Jeremy really enjoyed it. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he ate two full servings and gave himself a stomach ache. Silly guy...

Lucy and I went with Jeremy to work this morning, leaving the house just a bit before 6:00. He had a few last tasks to take care of, but most of the morning was standing around and waiting -- waiting for a bus and for our little world to fall apart. John & Betty brought the boys with them for the ceremony that was mid-morning. It was a very short ceremony, but I really can't tell you what was said. My mind was elsewhere. They played the national anthem, and for the first time that I can remember, it didn't send shivers of excitement down my spine. It simply left a dull achy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

After the ceremony there was more standing around. Lots of soldiers came out to bid farewell to their unit. Ross found the whole thing confusing and at one point ran up behind a soldier (a colonel, none the less) and grabbed him by the leg shouting "daddy". They do all kind of look the same from the back...

And now we're back home. The boys are sleeping and Lucy is down the street at Grandma & Grandpa's (hopefully sleeping as well). I ran the elliptical and did crunches, push-ups and tricep-dips until I can hardly move. Hopefully this will help me fall asleep tonight -- I figure the more physically exhausted I am the better. And now I simply need to find things to keep myself busy. That's what everyone tells me you have to do -- keep busy. Wish me luck.