So at about 0750, the Chief of Staff comes running in and grabs a couple people, "Come with me!" He leads us to the roof, points at a lightbulb with a wire attached, running over the edge of the roof and down the side of the building and goes, "Look at that!" I said, "Damn, it's one of the new GEs, must be from Iran," sending most of the staff into fits of laughter. The Chief of Staff didn't think it was funny. 5 minutes later we determined that an Afghan was using it as a television antenna. Good times.

Oh the wonders of modern technology! You have to give he Afghans credit, they are pretty resourcefull when it comes to Jerry-rigging stuff up...

I especially like it when they cut the plug off the end of a drill or electric saw, then stuff the bare wires in an outlet because the plug on the power tool doesn't fit the outlet.

Still nothing from WW. Either she's waiting for me to call tomorrow, or... I don't know. Hopefully her mom and sister and putting some pressure on her to continue to work on the marriage.

Hey Gurka - I suspect that her mom and sister are putting pressure on your WW. And I suspect that you'll hear from her within the next day or so. When is she supposed to go back to Ft. Huachuca?

I just wanted to wish Mrs. Gerka a very happy 24th birthday.

I don't know her travel\leave dates, I asked but she didn't give them to me. I'm supposed to call her in the morning, I don't think she has her phone with her though.

Hey Gurka - Call her and leave a nice voice mail mssg wishing her a happy birthday, then maybe ask her how the wedding was and how her mom and dad are doing, then hang up.

I suspect that you'll hear back from her soon afterwards.

Hope you get some rest tonight! I won't be around much tomorrow.... I'll check back in with you later on tomorrow afternoon.

Semper Fi,

RIF

MIL just sent me a message on facebook:
Thanks GG, I just want to apologize that I don't communicate more. Besides being incredibly busy and not finding time....it's undeniably awkward with everything going on and I just don't feel comfortable meddling in any way with adult lives. I wish both of you the best and I do pray for a speedy and amicable resolution to all this.

Unfortuate that she doesn't wish to "meddle" but this is quite a different picture than the one your WW painted about how they felt about you, right?

I'm sorry, I didn't realize there was an adult involved in this?!? Certainly not by the way your WW is acting.

So sad, but typical, parents are more worried about being "friends" with their kids and avoiding conflict instead of actual parenting. That's why so many kids turn out screwed up and entitled. Oh well, I'm sure they are showing some disapproval of your WW's actions, even if they are just too chicken$hit to actually say anyting to her about it. And you wonder how she turned out the way she did.

Her parents are extremely "hands off" in their parenting. The end of her email leads me to believe that WW still wants a divorce though.

Don't worry, you already knew that. I'm sure she's going to broadcast to the world what a horrible husband you are and how you are getting divorced to save face and justify her actions until the point she doesn't want one anymore. Again, although my WW never filed, she told plenty of people we were getting a divorce. Just keep keeping on. Once the divorce gets dismissed, I'm sure she'll be in less of a hurry to move forward again now that OM is out of the picture and she's busy with her classes. Don't get discouraged. You are still very early into the process.

I'll need to decide by June 21st if I want to stay here another 6 months... I'd like to talk to WW about it early next month. I don't feel like there's any reason for me to go back to Fort Polk to live alone and do a job I don't like and possibly be forced into a divorce. The only EN she's allowing me to meet is financial, and I'm best able to meet that need from here. So I can stay here in my present job for another 6 months. Or I could go back for a month, get reassigned to another brigade and come back for a whole year. Obviously I would prefer to return to Fort Polk for good, live with my wife and work on our marriage while being in a good physical location and financial position to help her family during this difficult time.

That's basically how I intend to present it to her. The implicatoin is that she can either commit to the marriage, come live with me and try to work it out, or I can make a divorce take years (during which she would be forced to remain single or carry on in secrecy.)

"That's basically how I intend to present it to her."

Get back home and fight.

Even if I go back to Fort Polk, she's not there. And as far as I know, she's told me not to come see her, doesn't want to see me, etc. So there's no difference between being here and being @ Fort Polk, aside from I'd be in danger of having a divorce forced on me.

I agree with the Road. Get home and make a go of it. You can always volunteer to come back later. Heck, you will probably be deploying back fairly soon anyway.

Go home and fight for your marriage- if that is what you want. You will go nuts over there trying to wargame this from there.

Just called, went straight to voicemail as I guessed it would (she left her phone in AZ and the battery died.) Just left a short voicemail wishing her a happy birthday, asking how the wedding went, how her dad was doing and how her family was holding up. Ended up saying "Hope you're having a good birthday, I'll talk to you later."

So now I wait?

Jerka

"Even if I go back to Fort Polk, she's not there. And as far as I know, she's told me not to come see her, doesn't want to see me, etc. So there's no difference between being here and being @ Fort Polk, aside from I'd be in danger of having a divorce forced on me."

WW told you not to call or send her emails.

And what have you been doing? Contacting her.

It was a mistake to extend your stay. All you did was give your WW and OM more alone quality time.

Somehow you got that I extended my stay, but you missed that they live across the country from each other, with no ability to travel to see one another.

You can not verify that they are not meeting up from time to time.

There has to be contact WW's fog has not dissapted.