All I do is Bake and Shop

Seriously, that's all I do.  Bake and Shop.  It's pathetic actually.

Dave has been gone for 8, going on 9 days now... and no, I haven't been able to talk to him.  Not even once. I haven't going this long without talking to him since the first deployment, back in 2007-2008. Even during deployment #2 in 08-09 I never went more than 3-4 days without hearing from him. It's rediculous.  The guys in his battalion were told they couldn't bring their cell phones... yet his chain of command (his bosses) are all calling their wives regularly.  My FRG point of contact called to introduce herself to me yesterday and I asked her about how often they were going to be allowed to call home and she said she'd ask her husband (Dave's platoon sergeant) about it when he called that night.  Like he calls every night.  And... my FRG leader talks to her husband regularly also.  I don't get it.  If you're in charge,  you get to bring your phone?  Seriously... it just makes me upset that they have a rule but don't enforce it with  EVERYONE.  If you're higher ranking, you don't have to follow the rules. But if you're just an E-5 and new to the unit, you're fucked.  Don't get me wrong... I understand why they did it... preparing the guys and the families for what deployment is going to be like, blah blah blah.  But seriously, I've never gone this long without talking to my husband through two deployments.  This is not reality.  It's stupidity.

Ok.  Enough of that rant.

So... back to the baking and shopping.  Since I have no real friends here  (other than Brittnay, but I can't count her because she's moving back home during deployment in July), I really have nothing to do.  Yes, I know what you're all going to say... I have to reach out, find things to do.... yeah yeah yeah.  But it's not like those things are happening in 10 minutes. A lot of things are down the road and yes... I plan to participate.  But for right now... there is nothing.  So... in the last week, I've baked twice.  Two dozen cupcakes and two dozen cookies.  And they're all sitting on my counter with no one to eat them.  Granted, I did give some away... but really, they're still a bunch that'll probably get tossed out.

But, I'm okay with that.  Why?  Because baking seems to be the only thing that can sufficiently make me feel like I'm back home.  Like I'm myself in this life of mine that has been completely torn apart.

Speaking of back home.  I really miss my cupcake family there.  I've been following along on Facebook and Twitter and blogs about all the amazing things that have been going on and are coming up and it really breaks my heart to know I'm missing them all. Really, I'm so sad about it.  Tears coming down my cheek right now sad.  It sucks. I wish I could have gone to the CakeSpy/Bake It In a Cake Bake Sale, I wish I could goto Cupcake Camp Seattle... I wish. I wish. I wish! I knew it'd be hard to be away from all of that... but I didn't realize until I was here how much I really enjoyed and loved that community of friends that I had built around my blog.  My little cupcake heart is literally crumbling because of how much I miss that.  Ladies back in the Pacific Northwest.... don't take for granted what you have there.  Enjoy every minute of it.  You are all special women and I miss you terribly.

I only hope to one day, have a community of bakers and cupcake lovers here in Germany and Europe that can maybe be the same kind of family I had in Seattle.  Maybe someday.

Baking and Shopping.  That's the theme here, right?  So... I've baked my heart out... but I've also shopped.  A lot.  I've bought more junk I don't need because I have nothing else to do.  I've found a bunch of local shops... seriously, they have a EURO STORE here.  You know... like a Dollar Store.  OMG.  It's amazing! Well, besides the 19% sales tax. That is not amazing.  But, whatever.  I'll pay it because I really needed that seagull and light house for my bathroom.   And I really needed another wooden spoon set.  And I really, really reallllly needed mixing bowls for baking.  

My future plans.... a lot of them revolve shopping.  I have plans to go next week to Weiden, a town about 25 mins away, that has a store like Wal-Mart and an H&M and lots of other shopping.  Big stores.  Stores that I recognize.  Stores that are like ones from back home.  Can't. Wait.  So. Excited!  

So... baking and shopping.  These next two weeks better go buy quick.  I don't know how much longer my bank account can keep up with this. haha

4 comments:

Amanda said...
March 31, 2011 at 3:12 PM

Betsy you will soon be smiling again & have a new support system. First moves are always so hard & when your husband must go train so soon it seems down right miserable.In a few months you will look back on this post & smile because you will know your way around ,have friends to eat all your treats, & not be the new girl anymore!
Also know that at times I have gone a month without talking with Paul when he is training & on both deployment #1 & #2- so it is at times a reality. I was already told by my husband that this Deployment #4 I my hear from him twice a week- YUCK! We in all honesty just got super spoiled the on the last Deployment & I told several people NOT to get use to it. Higher ups have always had a different set of rules to an extent- they earned that privilege & one day Dave will be that person as well.
So hang on tight to what seems like the end of your rope-it's really not. It's just a new phase in the chapter book of your Army life- my motto even when it doesn't feel like it is " I've got this!". Tell yourself that enough & it comes true.

**hugs**
Amanda

Amanda said...
March 31, 2011 at 3:17 PM

Betsy I know right now it may seem like you are all alone & first moves are so hard. But in a couple months you will NOT be the new girl in town , you will have someone to eat those treats, & you will have your new support system in place- so hang on!
Also remember me saying that all the talking & skyping with the guys on the last deployment was unusual?? That everyone was getting spoiled-LOL I was NOT kidding! On both deployment #1 & #2 I went months at a time with no word from my soldier. So it is reality at times & it STINKS! Remember that those higher up do to an extent have a different set of rules to live by but they earned them, Eventually your husband will be that guy & have those some privileges. My motto always is " I got this!"- even when I don't feel like it. Because if you say it enough you eventually do fine.

**hugs**

Amanda

Mrs. Black said...
April 1, 2011 at 2:41 AM

hey betsy,

at first: sorry for my really, really bad english.

I hope it's ok for you, if I "follow your blog?"

I think it's a really exciting experience for you to live here in germany. How long will you stay here?

I am originally from Bavaria (Ansbach near Nuremberg) and I'm living near Stuttgart now.

I hope you feel "at home" here soon.

If you got questions about german tradition, the language, shops or anything else, just let me know!

Greetings (<- I don't know if I say it like that :D)

Sandra

Blogging at Tiffany's said...
April 1, 2011 at 7:25 AM

19% sales tax? Yuuuuck! And the fact that the US dollar is worth about 68 cents over there. Double yuck! Good luck finding stuff to do!! just give it some time!

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