Mountains

Joe was officially passed to Mountain Phase today. Thank the Lord. Although I'm very paranoid that he was going to get recycled for getting back almost late after his pass was over. He had five minutes to spare, but they make the rules up as they go. You don't want to stand out as the guy who got back last. I was pretty pissed that he wasn't ready to go earlier than he was, but I can understand why he wouldn't be so eager to return. Still, don't press your luck.

It's been a long day. I got to Camp Rogers a little before 9AM only to find that the guys wouldn't be released until close to 12PM. Suck. I couldn't go home in case they got released early. My drive time would cut into pass time, so I had to stay close. I ended up tailgating (sort of) with some other wives waiting. We sat in a parking lot that faced a high metal fence with barbed wire at the top and all the barracks on the other side of it. There was very little movement between the barracks buildings; it was like staring at a ghost town. Any guy we saw we would watch intently first to see if it was a husband and then to see if it was at least someone who could provide information. But really there was no one. So there we stood, talking, sharing horror stories. Man, if there was a place for us all to be understood it was in that parking lot.

Amongst our chatter, I heard my name called. The building closest to us on the other side of the fence had an open window - the kind that pushes outward to open from the bottom, so you never get a full view. Being unable to see whoever said my name, confused, I yelled back, "Joe?" Sure enough. I ran up to the fence, close enough to see part of his face through the window. His smile was so big, but still I had to ask if he'd passed. He had. I quickly asked how he was and then started asking the other wives for their husband's names and companies. We had an information chain going - wives would holler to me - then me to Joe - and then get a thumbs up or down. It was pretty sweet, and the other wives were thankful. I tell ya every wife thinks their husband is the best, but mine is pretty great. Even the other wives noticed, as Joe sent word to a Marine there (who then popped up in the window) that his wife was outside, even though he hadn't expected her to be able to come. (The wife wanted Joe to let the Marine know, so the dude wouldn't leave in a cab instead of with her.) But yeah. My man. I swear, if there's a way, he will find me. And he sure did. He later told me it was the barracks bathroom window he was talking to me through, and as I gave him names he repeated them to all the guys in the stalls doing their business for feedback. Goes to show that you never really know just how close to shit you are.

The pass was the fastest 8 hours of my life. Gah. It was nice, though, and Joe kept telling me how much he was going to miss me. I swear he must have Stockholm Syndrome, because he probably shouldn't like me as much as he does. I've always been told I'm kinda bitchy and to "be nice to that boy." :-) He was teary on the car ride back (which means I couldn't be). When I see him cry, my tears shut off and I go into protector mode. It got worse when I was helping him get his bags on to run in with. I grabbed him and gave him one last squeeze, told him everything would be fine, and then told him to RUN! Agghhh. It just so draining to cram so much emotion into such a small time. Then you see your dude sad to part from you, knowing he's about to go into the super suck. Of course I came home and cried. Luckily, I got three letters from Joe in the mail today, which I'm hoarding. I will open one tonight and the rest over the next several days. Now if we can go straight through this so I can see him again in six weeks!!!