(Details have been changed to protect the innocent. And because I can't remember details well anymore.)
Well, we are now 12 days into our three year, government paid European vacation and it has been fun interesting so far. At this base, there is a six day orientation course that everyone attends when they arrive. While not the point of the orientation (and heck, not even encouraged in any way), you do get to know some other new people as you sit through various briefs and slog your way through paperwork together. As happens when you get a bunch of military people together, the stories come out pretty quickly.
As a few women and I sat together, waiting our time to turn in yet another packet of paperwork to a single representative who was surprised by the 80 people in our group, we got talking about how quickly we had tired of the clothes that we packed, and what we failed to pack, and what we packed but would clearly never use.
One new friend was the obvious winner of this round of Military Spouse Poker. As we shared when we'd packed out, and where we'd been in the meantime, she offered, "I've been wearing the same five outfits since April 21st." She told us about all the places she'd been in the previous 8 weeks, during their cross-country drive and visits home, and now living here at the hotel. And she related a conversation that she had prior to the trip:
"My friend asked me, 'what are you going to wear when you go out in Las Vegas?' The green and blue dress. 'And what about when you (insert something special here)?' The green and blue dress. 'And your nephew's graduation?' Um, the green and blue dress?"
We've all been there, and it is always nice to know that no one is going to laugh when you show up in the same outfit for the eighth time since you've met.
