Weekends are MY time.

Published on August 27, 2007 By dharmagrl In Blogging

D moved units late last year. His current unit claims to be more 'family' oriented, but what they really are, imo, is more 'party' oriented.

They never miss an opportunity to have a barbecue or a get together. For instance, in the past 2 weeks there have been 4 events that have included getting together and drinking beer. Whilst none of them have been mandatory, it's been highly recommended that people show up – those of you who are prior or current military will know what that means.

I'm sick of it. It's getting to be so that my weekends aren't my own anymore, and I don't like that. I work and have school during the week – and whilst I may not work full-time, I can guarantee that I do things in the course of my job that would make most of D's co- workers cringe, if not run screaming. I work hard for my money, I study hard for my classes, and I like to be able to do what I want to do on my down time. I don't like being dictated to – and the quickest way to make me NOT do something on my free time is to tell me that I HAVE to do it. THAT makes me dig my heels in and be stubborn for stubborn's sake.

The nest get together is at a town 35+ miles from here. It's in the early afternoon, and I have to work that morning. If we (D and I; Friday is a 'Family Day') are going to attend, I'll have to race home from work, change clothes (won't have time for a shower) and then hit the road. The kids will come home to an empty house (which happens when I'm in class twice a week, but I'm home within an hour of them being home from school) and I'm not prepared to leave them alone all evening, so we'll have to turn around an hour after we get there and come home.

Fuck that. It's going to be a big waste of gasoline and time, so I'm not going to go.

This is getting tiresome.

Comments

OckhamsRazor

on Aug 27, 2007

Long time, no speak, Dharma.

Yes, I know what you mean. "Mandatory fun" we call it, and it always sucks balls. You're right not to go. Have a great weekend.

ParaTed2k

on Aug 27, 2007

and people doubt me when I say that the spouse is just a "in" as the servicemember! I swear, the onlly difference is the job description and pay.

BlueDev

on Aug 27, 2007

I hear you Dharma. That family time is so precious. You have to guard it sometimes.

dynamaso

on Aug 28, 2007

When I was in the services and worked with the USAF, I could not believe how many of the mandatory occasions came along. Thankfully, I did not have the same obligation to attend these events as my American counterparts. Even wives weren't safe from these.

dharmagrl

on Aug 28, 2007

Long time, no speak, Dharma.

Yeah, I know! Good to see you.... and how the hell are you, anyway?

"Mandatory fun" we call it, and it always sucks balls.

Yes, it does. It's the same people time after time, drinking beer and talking about the same stuff.

I think that part of my problem is that I don't fit in with the other wives. They're nice enough girls, but they're all Bunko playing blondes, if you know what I mean - and I am SO not like that. Saturday night, for example, we went to someone's house to watch the UFC fights. All of the wives stayed upstairs and played cards, whilst the guys went down to the basement to drink beer and watch the fights.

Guess where I was.

It's not that I don't like the wives; they're ok people.....I just don't have anything in common with them. I get along better with their husbands than I do them, and I can't quite figure out why that is.

and people doubt me when I say that the spouse is just a "in" as the servicemember! I swear, the onlly difference is the job description and pay.

At the banquet I attended the week before last, the General who was the guest of honor made all the spouses stand up so he could thank each of us for the sacrifices we make and the things we do so our men can go do their job. It was the first time that I felt like I was genuinely being thanked - a lot of guys flap their gums about spouses but you can tell that they're not really meaning what they're saying.

I hear you Dharma. That familyBlueDev time is so precious. You have to guard it sometimes.

Yep, you do!

When I was in the services and worked with the USAF, I could not believe how many of the mandatory occasions came along.

This unit that D's in now has more 'occasions' than you can shake a stick at. It's getting so that they'll throw a party for ANYthing. 'So and so cleaned his desk! Let's have a get-together and celebrate it!' or 'Sgt F's wife got into college! We should throw her a party!'.

It's getting ridiculous.

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