For those not intimately familiar with military vernacular, that’s Permanent Change of Station, and I’m in the throes of one as I type. I’m not sure how many jobs entail packing up your family and moving every couple of years, but I can honestly say that it is always an adventure.
I received orders informing me of our impending permanent change of station a few months ago, but things don’t really start to get interesting until the final three weeks before the move.
Last week we held the requisite yard sale where everything must go! And the buyer knows it. Suffice to say I lost my shirt. After several trips to the dump getting rid of whatever didn’t sell at the ridiculously cheap yard sale, the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook announced that we need to clean everything before the movers come to pack us out.
Hook: blink, blink, blink
TLATADRSMH: (hands on shapely hips) Well, we don’t want to unpack a bunch of dusty stuff.
Hook: We don’t?
So, we’ve spent several days preparing our home to be packed out by the movers, and I’m glad that we did because I found my Leatherman! It was behind the sofa for who knows how long.
At the dinner table the other day, I asked my merry band of pirates if they were excited about moving or not, and why.
Renegade Ryan (age 13): I’m looking forward to having four seasons and I hope they have the Young Marines there.
Andrew the Adventurous (age 8 ): blink, blink, blink
Typhoon Tyler of Trieste (age 11): I hate it here, I can’t wait to move.
AA: blink, blink, blink
Castaway Conner (age 4): Yeah! Room service!
Hook: Andrew, how do you feel about moving?
AA: I want to go back to Hawaii.
CC: Andrew! Andrew! Andrew! We get room service when we move! Aren’t you happy about that?
AA: What about the tornadoes? (too much FoxNews coverage of tornadoes lately).
Hook: Don’t worry about tornadoes guys, first of all, we aren’t moving to an area that gets a lot of tornadoes, and daddy just happens to be a tornado slayer.
RR, TTT, AA, CC: blink, blink, blink
So, holes in walls have been patched, spots have been spot painted, the oven cleaned, the sills dusted, windows washed, floors polished, and stuff organized. We are PCS ready. During a brief down moment I remarked to the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook, “do you realize that Castaway Conner will have lived in 4 different states in his first 4 years of life?”
TLATADRSMH: blink, blink, blink
Hook: I’m gonna start on the garage.
TLATADRSMH: Don’t you find it sad that he equates moving with “room service?”
(Typically we stay the last two days in a hotel as it takes the movers that long to pack us out)
Hook: blink, blink, blink
While working in the garage, stacking boxes, organizing tools and toys, Andrew the Adventurous pops in.
AA: Dad, are we moving because of your promotion to Command Sergeant Major?
Hook: Well, yes, I guess that’s correct.
AA: OK dad, can you retire then after we move?
Hook: blink, blink, blink
AA: Dad?
Hook: Do you want me to retire?
AA: Yes.
Hook: Why? Are you tired of moving?
AA: No, its not that, I just don’t want you to go to war again.
Hook: blink, blink, blink
Stay tuned for my next installment of the PCS move. Sgt Hook out.
Posted by Hook @ 0357 zulu | | Permalink
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Sgt Hook is PCSing
