Early morning Sunday phone calls!

It looks as though Austin will be able to call from now on on Sunday mornings!

...at 6:30 am Central Time...

Oh well. I will take what I can get and go back to bed after :)

In the meantime here are his updates from this last Sunday:

He is doing well, happy to be where he is. He really likes his new DI -- as much as you can like someone who calls you a scumbag in every other breath. But, he says that his DI gives some really inspirational speeches on loyalty and service that keep the whole class going. Apparently this last week was all about time management. He wrote about 75 pages in essays this week alone.

He was pretty excited because they were getting Memorial Day off. They got to watch a movie, eat pizza and drink soda for the first time since he has been there. Hopefully I will hear from him again on Sunday!

He is officially in class 18-08 for mailing now, FYI. But, if you are going to send a package, send it to H class if you can remember...they don't make him do push ups to pick up a package over there :)

I miss him...

Ok, so looking back it has been 25 days since Austin left.

and today it really hit me...I miss him. I miss having my best friend to share my thoughts with. I miss his crazy perspectives about my complaints. I miss dancing in inappropriate places. I miss laughing with him and I miss cuddling with him while he complains about various body parts falling asleep. I hate that I can't just call him.

ugh. I just needed to get that out.

I need orientations to start NOW...then I will be super busy and won't have time to let my thoughts wander like they did today.

The good news is that I will be able to duck out early Friday and go spend time with my family this weekend at the cottage...and next week will start the crazy fun times at UW with New Student Leader Trainings and SOARs (orientation sessions) I do love it here in Madison, so I know it will help me to be here while he is away :)

Having Fun?

Austin managed to call again yesterday!

He successfully made it through week one (round two) and described his last few days as "fun"

...

seriously?

He then clarified by saying that he realized the ridiculous situation that he is in on Friday when the entire regiment was outside, crawling around and doing push ups in the pouring down rain, covered from head to toe in mud and yuck, being yelled at by Drill Instructors. Definitely a humorous scene, though I don't think I would have that perspective in the moment! Luckily he managed to check his amusement and keep it all inside so as not to get in more trouble for "enjoying" himself.

Updates on me...I got a haircut, headed to Madison yesterday and started my internship today! Pictures soon coming as I am IN LOVE with Madison. (Fitting that I was born here) Such a cool city.

I did a low ropes course today with my new coworkers and had an entertaining moment where I was looking up a climbing wall and wondering if Austin was doing the same thing :)

More to come...11 weeks to go!

"I get by with a little help from my friends"

As I was making my last cross country trek for (hopefully) a little while, the Beatles came on and this verse stood out to me..

"What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
How do I feel by the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you're on your own?)

No, I get by with a little help from my friends."

So I would just like to take a minute to truly thank everyone for all of the thoughtfulness that they have shown both Austin and I over the last few weeks and for the continuing months...we both feel very blessed for the friends and family in our lives.

Update on Austin: today he rolls over to "in class" I just spoke to him for about 6 minutes before he was yelled at to get off of the phone. He let me know that he was introduced to his new DI already...which he is not very happy about because now the DI knows his name. He was not sure when they would roll him over today, probably during dinner, so this will be the last I talk to him in a while via phone.

As far as the address is concerned, keep sending to H class until I hear otherwise, he assures me that they will forward it onto him, and he will need mail now more than ever!

I sent him a disposable camera yesterday which he is able to take pictures with and then mail back to me to have developed, so I will be sure to post the best pictures of bald headed Austin as soon as I get them :)

Headed out myself...

I am currently taking a break from packing up our house! I am getting a little teary about being away from my little home this summer, especially since I will be detached from my little family as well...

I am excited about heading to Madison for the summer though in spite of all the missing everyone, including my awesome cohort-mates ;) I know Haley and Justin will take awesome care of Bings and the Navy has Austin under control...so I can't do much but concentrate on my life and writing letters!

Spoke to Austin tonight...he seems to be just trying to get things done while he can. Word on the street is that he is getting the meanest DI ever in his new class (woo hoo!) so we will see how that works out. He got to talk to all of his family this week though, so that's great!

In other updates though, apparently supply school will be a blast. What a change! I will be stressed out about school and Austin will be having fun...oh wait, that's just like this year! :)

He has requested news stories if you are mailing anything to him, clippings, etc. from the election news and just world happenings...I guess there is no time for leisure activities like reading the paper at OCS, haha. If something intrigues you, send it to him!

The next update won't be coming for a while as I will be all over the country this week, but I will update when I can!

but in good spirits!

I feel that I should add that I am more angry about this situation than he is...

He seems to be in really great spirits, still confident and determined...apparently this happens to everyone.

He said that the class that is about to graduate only has two of the original people that started in it graduating on time...everyone else was held over from an earlier class...so Iguess that this is the expectation and that we should be grateful he is able to go right into the next class without too much delay! :)

Well, he's delayed.

So, I just got a phone call from Austin...he is being delayed on graduation by two weeks because of an injury...

BECAUSE HIS D.I. STABBED HIM WITH A PAIR OF SCISSORS!!!!!

i mean seriously??? apparently it was an accident. and it is not that bad...but then he had to do push ups for 2 1/2 hours...

He says that he will be fine and will just go along with the next class to come through, along with about 15 other people who were put into the holding class from his class already (in 4 days mind you) and that one guy already dropped out all together...

So...yeah.

UGH I am so MAD at that guy!!! Who stabs someone?!?

In the mean time, if you are going to write him, substitute "Class 17-08" with "Class H", in a week and a couple of days he will be in "Class 18-08"

His new graduation date is my birthday August 2.

More to come.