Hello All ~ sorry its been a while ~
First, when I mentioned "passed tape" in the last blog, I wanted to clarify what that meant.
There are 2 ways the military gages what weight is acceptable to be at; one is by what the scale says and one is what the measuring tape says. Jim has never passed weight by what the scale says as per military standards however when they do the various body measurements via a measuring tape, his measurements meet the acceptable standards of body scale. In other words, at his last weigh in, he was still too heavy but when they did the body measurements, he met those without any problems. Although I am sure at this point, he has lost some additional weight.
Anyway, I am happy to say Jim's been in touch via letters; pages and pages of letter. When he left he thought he'd only be able to write about one page a week but thankfully that hasn't been the case :-)
He seems to be keeping up physically with the program but its been tough watching others in his company not handle the experience as well; he writes that a few men and women have broken under the pressure and one young man has gone as far as trying to remove himself from the program entirely. In all Jim mostly writes on how much he misses The Boy and I and that that wasn't part of the journey he was planning on.
The Boy and I write to Jim every night about our day and mail the whole package out on Mondays. The first packet I included wedding anniversary cards to him; we've been married 19 years this past month. My next packet included Valentine Day cards to him; we actually had our first real date on Valentine's Day 1988.
I've been reading the base's website and it appears that Jim's company will be graduating April 3rd and on April 4th he should be shipping to Texas. I've already made arrangements to be there for Family Day on the 2nd, stay for graduation on the 3rd, and then coming home on the 4th. The Boy will miss some school but its important to Jim that we be there for him.
I'll update soon; until then, enjoy the days as they get longer and warmer :-)
The Wife
3 comments:
There's always something you didn't expect that gets you in these situations. You plan for some things, but there are others you hadn't anticipated.
It sounds like Jim was so focused on getting ready for the military side of things that he forgot he'd miss life with you and The Boy. Your support means a lot to him and helps tremendously.
As for the other people in his company, everyone comes in with different expectations and preparation -- not to mention varying levels of physical and mental toughness. The military offers wonderful opportunities, but it isn't for everyone. Basic Training is the best time to find that out. It gets harder later.
Thanks for the update. Hang in there.
I'm so glad that Jim is doing well and you are all keeping in touch. I'm sure he misses you both terribly and will be very happy to see you.
My ex was in the military and he could never make weight by the scales, either. The tape tells the real tale, though. It measures the body fat percentage and is a much better way to see whether or not someone is overweight. Some people have dense bones and muscles. BTW, both of those things are indicators of good, solid health. Always a good thing.
Tell Jim his blog buddies are cheering for him, ok?
:-)
I'm sitting here, waiting for Da Boyfriend to get done with Day #1 of MEPS. He's going officer in Active Army.
I read the last year and a half of Jim's blog, and it was awesome. And very much appreciated!
Boy didn't make weight, so they are making him do an ARMS test. Do I'm on pins and needles.
As The Wife, how are YOU doing? How's Boy? I'm very proud of your husband, and grateful for his commitment. Please include stuff about how you two are fairing. It's so interesting to me.
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