https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife I'm in my mid twenties, I'm happily married, and have three beautiful boy-cats. I love my husband with all my heart, and I miss him. This blog will be a sort of... answer to his blog on here (jerseydanielgriffin) about life in Iraq. Some of this will be fiction, as I'm a pretty private person and don't like to share the exacts of what goes on in my life, and some of it will be fact. Some of it is fiction simply because of OPSEC (www.ioss.gov) guidelines. en 2005-2012 shakespearesmonekys@gmail.com 42.65593 -71.33391 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:46:19 GMT yacs http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 70 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6725-reception-perceptions https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6725-reception-perceptions "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys A couple events lead me to want to document the following. I co-moderate an online community for significant others of military service members. The bulk of the active participants (there are over 700 members) are wives or girlfriends, with a few scattered soldiers (who are either girlfriends or boyfriends of other service members) and a husband here and there. A recent new member asked how to "not think about the fact that they might not come home" and was smacked with the response that if you were to actually say that to the face of any military spouse they would surely punch you out, or harshly correct your statement. They WILL come home. You don't for a second ever think they won't. Because they will. That's just the way it is. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:43:07 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 12 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6725 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6725 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6725 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-7502-safe-and-sound https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-7502-safe-and-sound Jerrad is home, for now caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:57:21 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 0 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/7502 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/7502 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A7502 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-7200-got-my-butt-kicked-by-a-marine-. https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-7200-got-my-butt-kicked-by-a-marine-. "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   My quest for physical health stops short after about 5 or 6 weeks of working out. In October I decided that if I did that again I would get a gym membership, and if it wasn't too awfully expensive a personal trainer as well.   Well guess what? I haven't worked out properly in almost 2 months, so I went on Monday and signed up at a gym, and I am the proud owner of a new shiny personal trainer. He also happens to be a former Marine. I had my first session with The Marine today. I am so glad that I went to the gym on my own on Tuesday and Wednesday (swam 625 yards on Tues, ran a mile, did chest presses and swam 250 yards on Wed) in preparation for today. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:45:43 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 6 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/7200 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/7200 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A7200 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-7177-sometimes-i-hate-this-life. https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-7177-sometimes-i-hate-this-life. "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys  Some days are worse than others. Those days where you accidentally hear something you shouldn't have, and it stays with you for an agonizing amount of time... I find the hardest times during a deployment to be the final month of something. The final few weeks until he comes home for R&R, where I get my husband back for a few weeks only to have to send him back to That Place, or when there are only a few weeks left until that magical redeployment date arrives. It's also the scariest time. I am much more emotional than usual, even if I don't show it, and my whole being becomes hyper-sensitive. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:08:51 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 4 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/7177 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/7177 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A7177 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6997-so-it-is-so-shall-it-be-. https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6997-so-it-is-so-shall-it-be-. "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   I feel like Murphy's Law applies tenfold to the military. At very least to the Army. Maybe I'm being biased, I probably am, maybe the Cloud of Murphy(tm) just follows me around, raining on me every once in a while. If so, I most definitely must be a Washington State Soul(tm) because it seems to rain an awful lot in my world. The bumps are bigger than the plateaus, and quite frankly I'm getting sick of it. There is this running list in my head of everything I need to "fix" right now, from the brakes in my car to my hair, to my job, and it seems as if every attempt I make to better these situations only make things worse. Or just frustrate me because they stay the same. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:46:07 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 3 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6997 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6997 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6997 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6627-no-moaning https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6627-no-moaning "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   People have told me for years that I have a lot of patience. I don't know that I necessarily ever agreed with them before. Before what? Before becoming married to the military. I have grown a lot in that department, I feel, in the last few years, being quite attached to my husband before and since we were married just a little over a year ago. I had an almost 24 hour delay getting home from my in laws, and I wasn't upset about it. I mean, sure it was tiring, and a bit frustrating, but I wasn't angry or pissed off or even really upset. I just kind of went with the flow, and made sure to thank the very nice people at Chicago O'Hare airport for their hard work. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:06:23 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 3 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6627 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6627 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6627 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6515-the-silent-rank https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6515-the-silent-rank "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   I'm posting this here, because my husband mentioned it in one of his latest blogs (over at jerseydanielgriffin's space). The Silent Ranks Author: Unknown I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens But I am in the Army in the ranks rarely seen I have no rank upon my shoulders - salutes I do not give But the military world is the place where I live I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:47:19 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 1 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6515 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6515 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6515 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6481-fear https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6481-fear "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys There are times where I am afraid. And I don't mean of the normal things you might think of. I don't really have much fear in my life. I've conquered all of them but one (the fear of falling, which I plan on knocking out with some rock climbing lessons next Spring). No. I'm afraid of loving too much. I'm afraid sometimes that my love for my husband will consume me, and swallow me whole. Compact that with him being away in a war and sometimes the feeling is smothering.   ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:25:37 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 0 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6481 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6481 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6481 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6081-those-phone-calls https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6081-those-phone-calls "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys This evening I received a phonecall. The key caller, assigned to me through the Family Readiness Group associated with my husband's Troop called me. I thought it odd in the seconds before answering th call that she was calling, as we had already spoken once this month. Passing the thought off, I answered.   She had a strained tone to her voice, and told me she had a script to read to me. My heart dropped, because I knew it meant someone had died. At least the Department of Defense realizes the most important thing to put at the top of these briefs is "Your soldier is OKAY," before going into the details of what happened. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:25:19 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 3 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6081 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6081 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6081 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6077-crunch-time https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6077-crunch-time "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys The best advice I can give to people who ask me how to "survive" deployment from home is simple. I tell them to just stay as busy as you can - get a hobby, go to school, get a job, a second job, volunteer, etc. Some days this is harder than it seems. Some days going for a walk in the park to clear your head just makes you cry into the forest, or doing whatever hobby it is you've picked up, or doing anything at all just reminds you of how lonely you really are. But for the most part this trick works out rather well. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:45:22 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 1 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6077 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6077 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6077 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6061-of-all-things https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6061-of-all-things "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   Some days I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe without feeling a pain, a lump, a knot inside my lungs beneath my ribs near to my heart. There is a hole in my chest where my heart should reside but it lives there no more. That beating beast is clenched-tight within the fist of a man at war. I gave it up to him, in hopes that it would keep him company, find it's way into his dreams and keep the nightmares at bay. Shield him from bullets (as I'd gladly take them for him) and keep his thoughts in bright places more than dark. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:59:49 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 6 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6061 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6061 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6061 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6067-holidays-a-conversational-piece https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6067-holidays-a-conversational-piece (a sort of conversational response BLOG to the lovely husband's BLOG on holidays spent in Iraq) caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:03:31 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 1 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6067 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6067 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6067 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6038-rolling-with-punches https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-6038-rolling-with-punches "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys It's not always easy to roll with the punches thrown. Everybody (hopefully) knows that the DoD screws up paychecks now and again. On deployment there is an even higher chance of this happening.   But when it happens to you, it's always at the worst possible time. Tuition for school is due in two weeks, you have no food, the car needs major maintenance - you're counting on that extra income. Let's face it, that extra income, the deployment pay, is the only "good" thing about deployment. Not that it's enough compensation in the least, but at least it's something! ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Mon, 19 Nov 2007 02:57:04 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 1 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/6038 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/6038 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A6038 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-5954-life-goes-on https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-5954-life-goes-on "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   When he's gone, life still goes on. So when you drive 10 hours across 3 states to move back to where you have the most support from your wonderful friends (because you absolutely hated the town your husband was stationed in) only to move into a house that ends up caving in, the stress starts to creep in a little bit. When the cats get sick, it's just you to take care of them, to clean up the vomit and take them to the vets. To worry about them. There's no one to snuggle up to in bed at night and talk about your fears to. The irony is your fears grow exponentially because he is gone. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:32:48 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 3 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/5954 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/5954 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A5954 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-5978-the-worry https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/article-5978-the-worry "" -- Caelanwolf - griffey chriss - Shakespeare's Monkeys   Your worst fears are things you shove to the back of your mind. They are things you do not think about, do not write about, do not commiserate about with friends, family, other military wives. You know they are there, but you don't acknowledge them. Don't ask me what I'm afraid of, it's a pointless question.   Every now and again you have one of those fears shoved in your face via some medium or another. It could be a movie, or sitting at the airport with CNN blaring on the terminal televisions. It could be the people in front of you in line at the grocery store talking about the latest blather on FOX News, or a debate in a class at college. Or you could have to drive through a band of protesters who insist your husband is a terrorist and a baby killer. ... more caelanwolf Diary of a military wife Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:31:37 GMT /section-470-diary-of-a-military-wife#comments 2 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/post.php/article/5978 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/comments/feed.php/article/5978 https://dev.shakespearesmonkeys.com/links/trackback.php?anchor=article%3A5978