JRTC really stands for Joint Readiness Training Center - and it is located at Ft. Polk, LA (yuck) and is a place many soldiers attend before a deployment to take classes and training to help them prepare. The down side to this training is that it is usually right before the scheduled deployment time. Now, while this might make sense as far as training goes - allowing the soldiers to be the most prepared - it really stinks having them gone for a month, knowing that soon after they return, they will be gone for 9ish months. In our last few months together, one of them is spent apart. Congratulations. You've been Armied.
Of course one could argue that JRTC is not just a great training time for those deploying, but also for those of us that are staying at home, doing the sometimes harder job of waiting and worrying. Now I dont know many people that are excited to "practice" being apart from one another, and most everyone would agree that it does not help prepare you for the lonely nights that are yet to come -but it has shed a little insight as to what positive things I(we) have to look forward too! There are certain times when that is all you can do. Focus on the positive to get you though. As for deployment, so far the things I have come up with are:
1) More money. - Would I choose for my husband to be in harms way just to have money? NO. But, since he is deploying, the extra pay is a nice touch.
2) I dont have to shave my legs as often. I mean, lets face it ladies - its nice to be able to take a break every once in a while, instead of the usually daily routine.
3) Less laundry! No Pt's to wash, no uniforms with annoying velcro, and the few times he does get to wear regular clothes, well, none of those either! Just what I wear - meaning laundry is cut to about half. :)
4) I spend less money on food. It takes a lot to feed my husband! He is a bottomless pit, and I love him for it because we NEVER have to throw away left overs...but its nice to go to the commissary and spend half as much :) (although I will admit that money saved on food may or may not be used on a little retail therapy!)
5) I dont have to cook every night! A. I have left overs from when I do cook. B. I am perfectly content "grazing" a few random items until i've had enough to be called "dinner". A few crackers , half an apple, maybe a few bites of yogurt...ok. dinner is done!
Now dont get me wrong, i LOVE to cook! Love to bake, love to cook, love to eat! BUT it is no where near worth the energy and time spent in planning the meals, doing the shopping, prepping the food, cooking, and then clean up - just for little ol' me, when I am perfectly happy with a peanut butter an jelly.
I hate cooking for myself. There. I said it.
Like I said, this isnt much to hold on to - but it is the "training" that I am getting from our JRTC experience and hopefully will help me when the real deal is here in just a few months! I mean, if you cant make lemonade out of lemons, then you're screwed.
(*side note, you would think I would have learned these things during our first deployment...but somewhere between newlywed bliss, devastation that my husband was gone, and stress from a boss who the movie "horrible bosses" was based on....I lost track of
Ok, Dinner suggestion: ....uhh.... PB&J!
Nothing organic, nothing all natural. Just good ol' fashion yumminess!
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| (No, this picture is not mine, but honestly, when is the last time you took a picture of one of your sandwiches?) |
As for directions - all I have is this: If you spread your jelly first, on one piece of bread, you can then
use the other piece of bread to wipe off any excess jelly off of the knife, before you spread your peanut butter, so you do NOT get jelly in the PB jar! ~ a personal pet peeve of mine.
Bon Appetit!
~ the Army Wife
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