Buying Uniforms for COT and Christmas (before a big move)

Here are some things I picked up on while hubs and I were shopping for his uniforms last week. He begins Commissioned Officer Training (COT) soon and then he's off to JASOC. We've been in prep mode so there hasn't been much time to blog. I'm also including some gift ideas if you're looking to have some COT friendly gifts as part of your holiday, give a send-off gift, pack something in the suitcase as a nice surprise or mail a care package later on.

Our tree.

We live about 2 and a half hours from Maxwell and decided to make a day trip to buy uniforms before COT. The Exchange that has the uniforms is actually a block or two behind the main base exchange (the big one is a lot like a small Target and the smaller only has uniforms). There was also another store where items could be purchased but they were closed for the holiday. The store that was open had 95% of what he needed so there are only a few things left to pick up. He may even wait until the first day of COT. We were actually able to get almost everything from the COT uniform list but items like the flashlights need to be picked up at the other store. Yay!

We were told the PT uniforms sold at Maxwell and required for COT are different than the ones sold at most other bases. We thought we'd pick those up and anything else we could and pick up the rest at Dobbins or Robbins. We lucked out and got almost everything he needed.


Tips: 

What I learned: Green goes with green, blue goes with blue, BLACK GOES WITH EVERYTHING!

• The PT shirts are huge, so go down a size. They're also 85% polyester and I kept shocking myself so I'm sending hubs to COT with Static Guard.

• We were the only ones in the store when we got there and the associate went through the list with a fine tooth comb. She provided a lot of information. She was so amazing I'm going to send her a thank you card. Her name is Julie and if you're within driving distance of Maxwell it's totally worth a day trip (that you can write off your taxes in 2012 BTW.) We were there for almost three hours. She even knew how the shoes were supposed to fit. 

• They chalk your uniforms while you're there and they go straight to alterations along with the ABU shirts to have the velcro sewn on for the name tapes and such.

• We were told they don't give you a chance to try on if you buy the first day of COT. She said they just hand it to you based on what size you think you are. Oy! She said lots of people come back through to get a better size shoe.

• Julie said that good socks are key since they will spend so much time on their feet and marching is a lot harder than walking. Leave the Gold Toe or Calvin Klein socks at home and invest in the Under Armour and the Thorlo boot socks. If you're heel is slipping in the low quarter (black oxford shoes for the blues) you should get the thick socks they sell there and consider the gel inserts. We ended up spending close to $70 on socks. 

• Mess jackets run small in men's, not sure about women. We didn't get his mess jacket since he was between sizes and the woman who does the complicated alterations wasn't in. They advised us to come back after the holiday so she could be there to get him fitted.

• We grabbed an extra ABU uniform and extra PT uniform just so hubs wouldn't be on the same laundry schedule as everyone else/

• They'll keep your ABU shirts to sew velcro on them. They'll place orders for your blue name tags and name tapes for the ABUs. You aren't allowed to wear the JAG pin until you complete JASOC so you start with just your name and the Air Force tape on the front of the ABU. 

• If you're buying at a different base, make sure you tell them that you're a 1st LT and make sure they get the right rank. Most people starting off as officers are 2nd Lieutenants. They grabbed the wrong rank at first but as soon as I said he was a lawyer she knew he was a 1st Lieutenant and got us straightened out.

• I'm glad I took some time to read through parts of the AFI before going shopping. I started reading up when I was trying to shop for Christmas. With a 1,000 mile move I wanted to buy things that could be used at COT or JASOC (Read: I don't want to pack it while he's gone). We were also pretty good about buying smaller things this year. I wanted everything to fit inside a shoe box.

Here are a list of gifts that could be used at COT:

Last minute Christmas ideas or send off presents...

Remember: Green goes with green, blue goes with blue, BLACK GOES WITH EVERYTHING!


Black gloves (no logos). These can be worn with ABUs or the service blues. Grab a pair (or three) so he can wear them for PT as well. It actually gets cold in Maxwell in the winter, no snow, but cold enough to suck if you don't have gloves. Obviously, go with machine washable. He has a pair of Nike running gloves that he can use for PT but I'll have to kill the logo with a black sharpie.

Black watch cap. Like the black gloves these can be worn with any of their uniform combinations in cold weather. It's just the plain black knit hat that you can find for $2-$5 most anywhere. It appears as if polar fleece hats are also acceptable.

Ear muffs: Navy or black, over the head or behind the head. (Ross has the behind the head ones for $3.99). Again, blue can only go with the blue uniforms but black can go with anything.

Ipod or MP3: Yeah, I know you have one but unless it's black, dark blue or silver you'll need another one. My hubs had a bright blue iPod (I don't think they've ever released a dark blue one) that wasn't regulation according to the AFI. I opted for silver since much of their PT will happen in the early morning when it's still very dark. If he drops it at night it should be easy to find.

MP3 Player armbands have to be black too, no bedazzled armbands.

Watches:  Have to be black, silver or gold and trend neutral. I think it looks more professional to check your watch for the time instead of fishing out your cell phone. Hubs is definitely taking a watch. I'm not sure if they can even have cell phones with them during the day and while in class.

Thermal Underwear: Must be cream to wear under the ABU

T-shirts: Must be the sand color (for ABU) or white V-neck for the blues

Socks: Sage green boot socks for the boots and black for the low quarters. We went with a thicker black sock sold there but will look for a black hiking sock at REI. Invest in the good hiking socks that provide lots of support.

Shoe strings. The shoe strings for the black shoes and boots seemed a little on the thin side to me. I suspect a broken shoe string could spell extra stress so I'm going to look into picking up a spare set for the shoes and the boots. They don't take up much room and if you need them, you REALLY need them. Besides, he'll use them eventually.

Military IDs and prepping for COT

Last week the hubs took a long lunch and we drove to Dobbins to get his ID so we could get his uniforms before COT. I'm glad he was able to take a long lunch because the process took closer to two hours with the drive.

There were lots of retirees and people in uniform getting their new cards and several children in the waiting area.

Once our name was called it was a pretty quick process. We were only expecting to get his ID but she asked if I had two IDs and the marriage license. We did so I got one too!

My ID is red and I have no idea what access I am allowed with it. Hubs was listed as a reservist and I think they will issue a card of a different color after the start of COT. Not 100% sure.

(I'll post about buying his uniforms in my next blog.)

I've been picking up a few toiletry items each time I go to the store and I think I've got him stocked for the duration of COT and JASOC. He'll probably need to buy contact solution and deodorant before it's over but he won't need it for several weeks.  I like that he'll be able to focus on school and not worry about running to the store for a basic need item.

When he had his internship I bought him the LL Bean hanging toiletry bag. It will be perfect for COT and JASOC. It holds full size items so he'll be set for a while. We're also sending along his smaller toiletry bag since his class will be making a trip to DC and Florida and he'll need smaller travel sizes for those trips. I blogged about the LL Bean toiletry bag here.

I decided to send him with Tide PODs. It will be easier to take a few PODS to the laundry room instead of lugging around a bottle. I may scoop Oxyclean into ziplock snack bags but I suspect he's about to put his foot down before requiring the need of a pack mule to move in.

I'm also packing a snack box for him. The measurements for the approved seal-able container are the size of a shoe box and I was able to find him one at Target. I've read that meal times are pretty hectic and they sometimes only have 7 minutes to shovel food in their mouths and drink three glasses of water. I don't want him starving while he's trying to study so I'm sending along some healthy snacks with good calorie sources for his dorm room. In addition to granola bars I am sending along fruit leathers. I thought it would be nice to have something sweet available without sending straight up junk.

I got this kind from Trader Joe's and a few other flavors from Whole Foods. They only cost $ .55 each and there are a number of flavors available. They're also very small and are about 60 calories each.

Some other items going in the snack box:

Gatorade drink mix packets
Country Time lemonade drink packets
Beef Jerky
Various granola bars
Gu or other sports gel (in case he is able to squeeze in a long run on the weekends)
Chex Mix or other snack
Fruit cups

Vegetarian Corn Chowder

It was a cold and rainy election day. Since I voted last week I spent time cooking up a pot of a smokey vegetarian corn chowder. By adding smoked paprika and chipotle powder it adds a nice smokey flavor to replace the popular bacon.

Corn Chowder

1 T EVOO
1 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 can creamed corn
2 cans corn, drained*
1 can or box of Cream of Mushroom soup concentrate (I used Pacific Natural Foods organic)
5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and chopped**
1 box vegetable broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 pinch of celery seed
1 pinch of cayenne or to taste

Add EVOO and butter to a soup pot over medium heat, add onions, salt  and carrots and cook until onions are clear. Add corn, soup and broth and stir well to combine. Bring to boil. Add potatoes and spices and cook for 30 minutes. You can cook it longer but 30 minutes will get the potatoes cooked.

Remove the bay leaves.

Use a cup or ladle to move about half of the soup to a blender. Leave vent on blender top open to avoid steam build up and blend to chowderize. Pour the blended back into the pot of unblended soup. I used an immersion blender and ran it through the pot to blend about half of it. Add half and half and let heat through for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with oyster crackers and a splash of your favorite hot sauce. I added Cholula because it adds even more smokey flavor. 

*This is a great way to use any frozen corn you have in the freezer. 

** I like to peel my potatoes for soups. I don't like the bite of the peel and there always seems to be bits of peel floating around. If you like peel or if you're in a big hurry, don't peel them. It's just my preference. You can also use frozen potatoes if you're in a pinch.

JAG, the Bar Exam, the Waiting Game and Mama Drama...

We found out a week ago Friday that hubs passed the Bar. That information was forwarded on to his AF contact along with his official results. Now, we wait.

I have no idea how long it takes them to decide on a base assignment.

I'm excited and anxious and frustrated. I'm ready to get this show on the road. Hubs leaves in two months. There's an awful lot of honey-do lists to knock out in two months. :) I can handle it alone but it's nice to have an extra set of hands when you're cleaning out storage rooms, de-junking and trying to sort what stays or goes to charity.

Oh, and it's not just one move...it's actually more like three moves.

Indulge me one long paragraph of back story and venting: One of the bases I'd like to avoid like the plague is the one closest (as in the same town) as my mother and many old friends. I went to high school there and have many close ties to the town. I just never want to live there again. My mom is in deteriorating health and really shouldn't live alone anymore. Before you call me a rotten daughter you must understand that my brother and I have planned for months to move my mother to New Jersey to live with him. My sister-in-law is an excellent care giver and doesn't get sucked into my mother's drama and manipulations as her children are prone to do. If there was even an inkling that I'd be moving near her she wouldn't move and would plant her co-dependent self in my guest bedroom and accuse me of not loving her when I had to leave for work or couldn't give her my undivided attention.

So back to moving. I have logistical issues to sort through with parental road blocks tossed in to make it interesting.

Before we move to parts unknown with our PCS I have to move some things from a storage building near our old house (3 1/2 hours away). I'm hoping I can give some of the furniture to a friend moving to the area and donate the rest. There are only two dressers and a bed frame that I want to bring home.

I also have some things at my mother's house (4 1/2 hours away) that I need to move back to our condo. She has two dressers that go in my guest bedroom and she won't have room for them in New Jersey. There are also some photos, oil paintings and miscellaneous items that will require a small truck to bring back.

The ideal situation would be getting one truck, loading it with anything to be donated from storage and dropping it off. After that, I would load the few things I'm bringing home, swing by my mother's and load the items from her house and then come home. It would make sense to only rent one truck and knock it all out.

My move will look nothing like this fake pretty family and neatly labeled boxes.

There's still the trick of moving my mother to New Jersey.

Oh, then there's Thanksgiving and Christmas and visiting family.

And then I have to move to who knows where. At least the heavy lifting is handled by Uncle Sam. I just have to get organized.

And I need to be supportive of my husband as he is finally starting a job that he has wanted badly for a long time.

 I think I'm going to find a beer and cry in it. Just because de-junking and mama drama give me a headache.

Yep, that's what I'll do.

I've graduated from to do lists to moving spreadsheets with timelines 

But getting our base assignment will make me happy. It will be nice to have an idea of the end-game. Maybe some things will fall into place. It will definitely be easier to plan. Somethings may just not be in my power to do before we leave and will get scratched off the list. I'm going to have to say no to some things this holiday season. There may be less time visiting friends as we focus on family time. Then again, they may move us an hour south and all this fretting is a total waste of time.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a beer and twelve to-do lists waiting for me.

Favorite Fall Foods + Bleu Cheese = Bestest Fall Foods

I love pumpkin pie and a good pumpkin cheese cake. I like pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookies. I really really love a pumpkin black bean soup my friend Mel introduced me to. She found it on Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meal" recipes on the Food Network site. 

Here it is. Until I made it I had never tried a savory pumpkin recipe. It has become a comfort food staple in my house. I encourage you to give it a go. I really like that it's fast and easy. Love that Rachel chick.

I tried something new with the recipe today. I'm so glad I did because it really cranks up the flavor.

I added a big teaspoonful of bleu cheese crumbles to the top of my soup and zapped it for a few seconds in the microwave. Oh...wow.

Let's back up.

Last year I was determined to like sweet potatoes. I decided I wouldn't turn down a single sample of sweet potatoes and I would try it prepared in as many ways as I could.

I hated all of them. 

Why do people add marshmallows to a vegetable? Bleck!

And maple syrup or brown sugar? 

It was just too sweet. 

And nasty.

So I started tossing some toppings on my sweet potatoes and I found that a little bit of butter, bleu cheese crumbles and salt and pepper work really well together. I also like the Morning Star faux bacon crumbled on top.

It seems I like my sweeter vegetables balanced out with more savory toppings.

I may start adding bleu cheese crumbles to everything.

I'll save the marshmallows for my hot cocoa. 

Oh, my poor car...

After seven days of traveling all over Georgia for work my car is a complete disaster area. I knew it was bad but realized I crossed a new threshold for messiness when I reached into my backseat to find my charger and couldn't fit my hand enough to reach the seat back pockets. 

By my calculations I was traveling with at least fifteen complete outfits, twelve pairs of shoes (boots, heels and athletic), three winter coats along with scarves and hats, two backpacks, two tote bags, makeup bags, hair supply bags and at least one cell phone charger that I haven't seen in weeks. I also suspect there are at least seven or eight water bottles and a couple of Tervis Tumblers. Oh, I think there are two coolers in there too. 

The car smells like gas from the seven gas cans I hauled in the trunk on Sunday night. Which also explains why everything is heaped into the back seat. 

I tried to get dressed yesterday and I realized all of my jeans were in the car. I couldn't find a sweater to wear and just finding my makeup will be a scavenger hunt. 

Until I can tackle the disaster which is the car I'll be rocking this lovely ensemble. 

Uggs and fuzzy pajamas pants.

No makeup.

And a Motley Crue concert t-shirt.

Please don't throw spare change in my coffee cup.

 

JAG and Military Life Questions...Your Comments and Wisdom are Appreciated

There is a tremendous amount of information on the internet about somethings and a lack of information about other things. I thought I'd toss these questions out there in case someone happened to know. Any advice you have can be left in the comments. Lay it on me!

Help me, Yoda...show me the force.

1. When do we move?  He won't get orders until November and we'll meet with the travel office after that. Just looking for educated guesses as I know it can vary. I'm just trying prepare myself. AF Jag used to have two weeks between COT and JASOC but it looks like hubs will finish COT on a Friday and report to JASOC on the following Monday in Feb. I know people have blogged about moving during this two week window. I've also heard of people moving before COT begins and others while the spouse was away. I would appreciate a ballpark idea as well as what your timeline experience was with this.

2. Do lots of people move while the spouse is away at COT and JASOC? I suspect it will be more difficult in some ways but easier in other ways. I'm pretty independent and self-sufficient so it will work out either way.

3. What did you find yourself lugging around that you wish you'd donated? Just wondering if it's on my "OMG...can't forget to pack that" list.

4. Will they let me pack my opened spices if I vacuum seal them and then store them in a seal-able container? I'm very attached.

5. If we find out we're staying CONUS I want an SUV with ample cargo room. Good plan? Will it make moving me and the dogs easier? We live in an area with minimal (less than 1 inch) of snowfall each year. All wheel drive is very appealing since there will be traveling done over the next several years. 

6. How much food should I send with him to COT? Any thing you or your spouse wish you had while there? How about supplies or comfort items?

7. Base housing? We think immersing ourselves in the culture will be a good experience. We'd like to do base housing. What was your timeline and experience getting into it.

8. We've been married for almost ten years. We've got stuff for days and a house full of furniture...and three chihuahuas. I'd like to hang on to a respectable amount and donate or sell the rest. From your experience in base housing, will a 0-2 with a wife and no kids get a two or three bedroom? Is there a long wait?

9. Did you inventory your house? Is there a good way to do it? It seems a lot like climbing Mt. Everest to me. (And I wouldn't climb Mt. Everest if it were made of chocolate and cash.)

10. I'm thinking about ditching the older mattresses and getting new once we move. No sense moving old mattresses around. The cost of moving the weight vs. the actual value of the mattress or taking something I'd rather have. We'll really have to reduce our household goods to get below the weight. Happy anniversary to me! (He'll be gone for our 10th anniversary. I want a nice present...something sparkly.) Good idea or am I over-thinking it (the mattress, not the present)?

Thank you for reading this and sharing your wisdom!

L