Since he left...

The past weeks have been quite crazy for me... With the exception of the scheduled post "The Goodbye," most of my posts were pretty short/random and almost all of the Monday: Pick-Me-Ups were scheduled due to pre-deployment and after-he-left-insanity. Then, my scheduled ones ran out and you get me just now realizing that there weren't any for the past two Mondays, I apologize! If I've learned anything that I can pass along to other (newer) milSpouses:

Do not under any circumstances think that traveling a mere three days after your husband deploys is a good idea.

It wasn't for me at least... d-day I did nothing but lay on the couch watching netflix movies. The second day I had to get my butt in gear to begin my laundry so I could pack and start cleaning the house before my trip. The day before my flight I was so overwhelmed emotionally with way too much left on my pre-trip "to-do" list that I stayed up into the early morning hours trying to get it all done... then I managed to have a complete breakdown in the waiting area at the airport complete with never-ending tears and a phone call to my dad. I arrived at my parents with no toiletries except deodorant & make-up, I managed to forget all closed-toed shoes except my purple & hot-pink Nikes and my blue TOMS, my books are still on my nightstand at home, and the kitchen counter is holding my dad's favorite Hawaiian treat (Caramacs) until my return. Talk about hot-mess.

Luckily my sister is nice and is letting me share her shampoo, conditioner, body-wash, and toothpaste. I bought a $1 loofah then decided with the cold temperatures (yes, it gets cold in Arizona) and all the rain in the forecast that I needed a pair of boots since my running shoes won't quite cut it for everyday wear or matching the wardrobe, not that I don't love purple & pink... and the TOMS aren't the greatest in the rain.

As for the deployment... my hubby's team got sent to a very remote location and is gone for days at a time. They don't have phones available to them and their internet is very spotty. I've skyped with him once before it froze their internet, tried it again a second time with just the voice, and since then it's just been the text-messenger. It's so weird only being able to essentially "text" with him once every 4-10 days. I am not a fan. My husband's job is why he is where he is, but I am trying so hard not to be jealous of the other wives/my friends in the detachment whose husband's got sent to the nicer sites with full wi-fi... the facebook status updates that say "got to skype with my hubby for 3hrs tonight" make me a little green with envy. It wouldn't be so bad if it were an occasional thing, but they are getting to do this nightly. All I get to see is an "I love you" pop-up in a little window on my computer, usually followed by "I've only got 5min." I apologize though, enough of my pity party... I know others who go months without a word...

I've been staying really busy with family/friends... decorating the Christmas tree, attending a Christmas boat parade, jogging, my sister's college graduation, my mom's women's group white elephant party, walking the dogs, my grandparents coming into town, a girl's night with my best friend, and much more. It's nice being here in a house that is bursting with life and emotions. It makes me weary thinking of my big 'ole empty house that I will return to shortly after the holidays. I feel like emotionally I am doing alright, the hardest thing for me is actually getting to sleep... 1, 2, 3am are becoming a regular "bedtime" and I know this isn't healthy. It partly has to do with the anxiety issue, partly the time zone change, and partly because I am a night owl.

Any bedtime routine advice?