Notes of a Newlywed

I am married to the most patient and incredible man in the world.

I have been suspecting that, but last night proved it.

Last night was one of those nights that is funny today, but we weren't laughing last night.

In case you haven't figured out the G.I. Joe reference, my husband is in the Army. He is a Second Lieutenant. He has been commissioned for a year now, so we are Army babies.

Last night, we had our first FRG meeting.

FRG = Family Readiness Group

The FRG is what keeps family informed about what is going on with their soldiers,

especially during deployment.

Our first FRG meeting was a picnic on post. The FRG leaders split up some of the food items as potluck. I was supposed to bring a side. So I made a watermelon basket.

I am actually pretty proud of it, just don't look to closely...

We had a lot of fun. I got to meet a lot of G.I. Joe's soldiers and commanding officers and their families.

Things were great until the picnic ended.

G.I. Joe was put in charge of taking the giant grill to get rinsed out, and to count and put up all the chairs. I had to drive separately to the picnic because G.I. Joe came straight from work.

So we had two cars there.

Being the adoring wife that I am, I didn't want to go home while G.I. Joe had to run around post cleaning off the grill and putting up chairs. I wanted to go with him. Mistake #1.

Since we are Army babies, we still have a hard time finding our way around post. The picnic was at a park just inside Gate 6. (There are a lot of gates to get onto an Army post) So we left my car at the park, and I hopped into G.I. Joe's truck with just my phone and keys.

G.I. Joe decided that he would go out of Gate 6 and head up the road to the next gate because he was familiar with that particular gate. Mistake #2.

As we were pulling up to the next gate, G.I. Joe says, "Do you have your ID?"

Okay, for those of you who know less about the Army than I do, let me stop and explain something.

Everyone who is in the Army or an Army spouse must get a military ID card. Not only does the military ID card get you lots of great discounts in stores and the movies, it also is a requirement to get onto an Army post. No exceptions.

When G.I. Joe asked, I realized my ID was in my wallet, in my purse, in the floor of the back of my car. On post. I was off post. Are you understanding the problem? Mistake #3.

So G.I. Joe turned around to go back to get it. Further complication. We can't even get back through Gate 6 without the card.

Dangit.

G.I. Joe had another guy waiting to help him count and put up the chairs, so we didn't have a whole lot of time. So G.I. Joe said, "I'll just leave you at Wal-Mart, take these chairs, get your ID, then come pick you up."

Great plan.

Except for I brought my keys into Wal-Mart with me.

Mistake #4.

After an hour of shopping at Wal-Mart (most of which I enjoyed by walking around and talking to my mom on the phone), G.I. Joe came back.

We went to Gate 6, but it was closed. Certain Gates close at certain times.

So we went to the 24 hour Gate. I had to wait inside the Guard Shack so G.I. Joe could go onto post, get my ID, and bring it back, so that he could then bring me onto post, and I could drive my car home.

I walk into the Guard Shack and sit down. And guess what I am still holding.

Yes.

My keys.

Mistake #5.

I called G.I. Joe, and he answered by saying, "I know, the keys." He came back, I gave him the keys, and he left again. When he drove off the second time, I realized something else.

The whole reason that we had driven off-post in the first place was because we didn't know how to get from Gate 6 to anywhere else. Now G.I. Joe had to find Gate 6 in the dark, drive back to the Gate I was waiting at, and then Find Gate 6 again with me.

Oh, and the truck has no gas during this entire adventure. Just to make things more exciting.

Anyway, he finds Gate 6, gets my ID, comes back to get me, takes me back to Gate 6 to get both cars, and we started home.

As I am following him, the grill starts spitting out hot coals.

I took a picture.

(Don't think about the complications of my driving and taking pictures at the same time)

The arrow is pointing to the hot coals that had just fallen out of the grill. I quickly braked to miss them, so that is why everything is a little blurry.

Anyway, we finally got home. I kept waiting for G.I. Joe to explode at me for

1) insisting on going with him,

2) forgetting my ID,

3) taking my keys in Wal-Mart

4) taking my keys in the Guard Shack

5) just for being dumb,

but he didn't. We got home, and he kissed me and said, "I love you," with a smile on his face.

I said, "I wouldn't have blamed you for leaving me at the Guard Shack all night."

He pulled me really close, hugged me, kissed the top of my head, and laughed.

"I wouldn't do that."

He is incredible. Sometimes it takes that kind of night to appreciate what you have.