Sometimes you just gotta drop off the face of the planet... part 4

So what did I do while I was at home, home?

Mostly, nothing of important/significance.

And it was deeeelightful.

I knew since I was a surprise that no one had cleared their schedule for me, which was perfectly fine.

Teh Granny and I went out on a date to Olive Garden since I had a $10 off coupon from going there on Veteran's Day with Teh Bear.
I went shopping with Teh BFF.
I made dinner one night for the fam.
I made breakfast Christmas Eve morning.  Yay for super easy french toast bake.  I got up at 5am to have that sucker made before the Stepmom even got up to get ready for work.  The consensus was that it was delicious.
I made dinner again a different night.
I went on a mission to find quinoa in podunk/home, home (which I found, at Wal-mart....).
I made some experimental quinoa for Teh Sister who is vegetarian.
I made Teh Dad try avocados, which he "didn't like" but had never tried them, then he said they weren't that bad.  I made him try something else too, which he also found tolerable.
I went after Cmas shopping with Teh BFF/Teh Sister (more Teh BFF since Teh Sister got a head start on us), a few days later I went after Cmas shopping with Teh Mom.
Teh Mom and I worked out one day.
Teh BFF and I got hair cuts.  Yes, I had more hair to cut off.  Short is never a problem for this girl.

I slept on an air mattress in the living room floor, so I was up at least until the last person finally went to bed, and I was awake (usually) with the first person who had to go to work (this most difficult part of being home).  Teh Dad's household runs on completely ridiculous hours.  Usually not going to bed till midnight or later (my bedtime was generally 2-3am), and depending on the day, someone was usually up by 7am, if not earlier (work schedule depending), which meant that I, too, was awake whenever they were rustling around in the kitchen to prepare the lunch for the day or departing.  My 2-3am bedtime for a week and a half has sufficiently messed up my normal MD routine where I had usually been in bed by 10pm.  No jk, like a Granny.

I didn't miss work in the ways that I thought I would.  Maybe it is because I'd only been "working" for 2ish weeks when I started leave?  Eh.  I remember missing reading out imagery when I took leave when Teh Bear came to Bahrain.  I missed those crappy image challenges.  Hell, at this point, with no imagery since the beginning of October in my life, I even miss dhows.  Never thought I'd say that.

Since joining the Navy, I'd only been home for short stints of time.  A week tops.  Generally it was broken up by a trip somewhere, which gave it some variety.  Pretty sure this was the longest consecutive time I spent at home, home since I joined.  Gentle Reader, you do not know the delight of coming home to your own apartment to sleep in your own bed till you have experienced sleeping in the living room of a household that is usually only quiet for 5ish hours a night.  Not that I don't love those guys, but holy crap.  Next time, pretty sure its a bedroom somewhere for this girl.

My worst day at home, home?  Christmas Day.  It was horrible.  I was empty of estrogen, so the PMS was on high.  I'd been kept up late and woken up super early several days in a row, so I was super tired.  I was irritable because the day didn't seem to be panning out right at all.  First World Problem: Christmas day being on a Sunday which is also church day.  Meaning you have to get up suuupper, super early to open up Cmas presents, or you have to wait.  Well, since I'd been up till 3am with Teh Mom, there was no getting up early, period.  It was get up, go to church then go to Teh Dad's for breakfast/presents, then return back to Teh Mom's to have dinner/presents, then break for the night.  I actually ended up going over to Teh BFF's for a while to exchange presents there.

I know Teh Dad reads Teh Blog regularly, so I know that he will see this eventually, but I'll go ahead and put it out there anyways.  The most difficult part of the worst day?  After church Teh Sister and I had returned to Teh Dad's.  We were waiting on everyone to come home.  The Stepsister spent the night at her dad's, Teh Dad and Stepmom had went to church.  Finally, the latter came home.  They weren't going to fix food, but my general level of starvation (from not eating breakfast due to church being early (and being Catholic)) urged them in the safer direction, to fix breakfast.  I knew Stepmom had been planning on it, but since we had all stayed in a different location the night before, I guess the plans had changed.

When foods started being prepared, I tried to take a nap because I was:

I was grouchy, and I knew it.  While cooking was happening, but before a few moments of sleep, the Stepmom was telling Teh Sister and I about how the Stepsister had stayed with her Dad for Cmas Eve.  She hadn't been planning on it, but when she went over for a visit, she found that her dad had cleaned out her bedroom (which had been being used for stuffs), washed her sheets... essentially made the room back into her bedroom.  And the only thing I could think after the story was finished was, "it would be nice if I had a room."  I blame it on the "hangry" talking, but I knew that wasn't necessarily the truth.  I know that it was a selfish thought.  There is no reason for a parent to buy a house with enough bedrooms for all the kids, when all the kids don't live there anymore...

Between the PMS, the "hangry", the depression at not having my own room (and slight jealousy at the effort of her dad, which were completely unfounded because Teh Dad let me borrow his car the entire time I was at home, home), the beginnings of a headache, and a game of musical chairs where no one that lives at Teh Dad's house actually has their own "claimed", permanent seat.. but everyone seemed to "always sit" at each place that I would choose, there were tears.  Frustrated,-PMS-y,-silly,-Teh-Megan-finally-had-a-break-down tears.

I was a nicer person after having eaten foods, that much was true, but the gloom just wouldn't shake for the rest of the day..  and for a few days after that.  I switched from being in at home, home mode, to ready to go home mode.

Time was over at home, home before I knew it.  Although, I was definitely ready to go home.

The night before I was supposed to leave, Teh Mom and Teh Granny told me to check to see if my flight was delayed due to weather.  I didn't, because well, I had faith the flight was going to go off without a hitch.  When Teh Granny asked me what would happen if it snowed during the night, I told her it was good she had 4-wheel drive.  She didn't really have a come back to that one.

Teh Granny took me to the airport (meaning I drove to the airport and she just had to make it back home with the help of her friend that had ridden with us), and this time there were no gun pulling incidents.  (When Teh Granny (and her same friend) dropped me off at the airport to fly to Norfolk (on my way to Bahrain), we witnessed a driver reach into his glove box and pull out a gun and point it at the guy who had brake checked him a few minutes prior.  The guy who had brake checked swerved into the emergency lane, SLAMMED on his breaks, put his car in reverse, and pulled off on the exit that we had just passed.  CRAZY ya'll.)

As expected, the flight was not delayed.  A delightful human being decided that the Charlotte USO should be placed after security, so I went there and enjoyed cushy chairs, a peanut butter and jelly sammich, a water, a honey bun, and snatched a Cheerwine for later.  The Charlotte USO is probably the best USO I've ever been in.  I have limited USO experience, but most are before security (after checking in), which means that you still have to take the time to go through security if you decide to wait at the USO, and that just sucks.  But the CLT USO is just good.  It is after security, they have a kids area which is sectioned off, so you don't necessarily have to hear the kids, they have computers, snacky snacks, showers/etc, a library, recliners, tables, plenty of electrical outlets, a big screen tv, microwave, coffee.  Maybe I'm biased cause I'm from NC?  Nahhh..

The plane did actually take a more direct route than I-85.

Then it was to DC for the very last leg of the surprise adventure!