we have a house.

It's not a house we own, but it's a house. While we were on emergency leave, someone from Garrison Command called me about the issues I was having with my apartment complex. They had talked to my apartment manager who said I could go to a month-to-month lease. Here's the thing though, I had already paid March rent since we wouldn't be here as we were on emergency leave. With a month-to-month lease, the rent goes up $100. She told them that if I didn't get them the $100 by the end of the business day on March 3rd, we would be locked out of our apartment. Um, hello!? Our emergency leave was not over until MARCH 4TH! And mind you, this call came while we were at the hospital visiting Chris's grandpa. So here I am, sitting in a hospital on the verge of tears thinking I will be locked out of my home when I return to El Paso. So what I did was write my 30 day notice via e-mail. I also wrote one on paper and mailed it, along with a $100 cashier's check, to this stupid manager. I made sure to priority mail it along with getting a delivery confirmation so she couldn't say I never sent it. That was taken care of. But then that leaves me with the question - where are we going to live in 30 days? This is a lovely thing to have to deal with while I am on EMERGENCY LEAVE. Ugh.

Back on the phone I go. I called up the Housing Office on Fort Bliss. I explained to the lady my situation. As she was telling me that I was still #56 on the waiting list, I said (as calmly as I could) 'I KNOW you can have a house available for me. I have been here for a year, have been on the waiting list since we got paper orders the day he graduated OSUT at Fort Benning, and I've known people with less rank and time in than we have who come into this office and get a house that day. So since you are already altering the rules, what can you do for me and my family?'. She told me she would see what she could do and would call me back. Not even an hour later, she called and said there was a house available but I would have to accept it in March in order to get it, or be back on the list. I accepted the house and we chose our date to sign the lease. So March 18th we will be signing that and moving in on the 19th.

There is so much to do in these next two weeks. I just hope I can keep my head on straight. Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat over and over. I need a break from life. Just 5 minutes. If only.

Love, Me.