It's been a little over two months since I wrote my last post, and it's kind of amazing how much has changed. The move to Washington really went very smoothly, thanks in no small part to my tireless and devoted Mama who came to Hawai'i to help me take care of last-minute packing and shipping, and to help me wrangle Finnian and Niamh during our flight to the mainland. Alaska Airlines charges the same amount whether you stow animals in cargo or keep them under the seat, and I judged it best that we travel with them in the cabin so we could monitor them. Getting half a Benadryl down each of their gullets (to subdue them a bit) proved to be the Battle of the Century, but we managed in the end.
We left the apartment (good riddance to my awful landlord there) in the wee hours of a Monday morning in mid-February with our luggage and the two cat carriers, drove the rental car to the airport, and got through security and to our gate with relatively little fuss. The flight was uneventful, though the cats started up a chorus of dejected meowing about an hour before landing; the part that was awesome was when Eamon actually met us at the airport! The crazy thing about this whole operation was that the submarine had actually come back from deployment earlier than scheduled, which kind of threw all of my careful planning out the window, but hey, I wasn't complaining about getting bonus time with my hubby! What was even crazier was that when they did arrive, Eamon had no idea what to expect - he didn't know if I had a job, if I was moving here, or was just going to be visiting, or what! We had left things very much up in the air when the submarine deployed in November; my job situation was tenuous at best and I still hadn't decided whether to stay in Hawai'i through May or move in February. Wives were allowed to send 10 messages of no more than 50 words each throughout the deployment, and I kept track religiously and took a great deal of care to use my full quota to convey only the most crucial information. I told Eamon about the change in my job situation, my successful search for a house, and my arrival date. Oh, and PS, this was just a one-way system; the sailors weren't able to send anything back. Well, the person who was asked to make sure that these messages got sent to the boat completely dropped the ball, and Eamon knew something was up when he stopped getting messages from me - I had been so consistent that I couldn't possibly have just stopped sending them! So obviously, Eamon had a lot of information to process all at once. He had his wife back, not just for a week or two, but for good, and a house to live in with her and their kitties!
We started settling into our house, which we are renting from a very sweet couple who live next door (this town is really a village - everyone knows everyone and looks out for everyone). We had not one, but two moving trucks to wait at home for; the stuff from Hawai'i, AND the stuff that we had packed up when we both left Boston and which had been shipped across the country to a storage unit near my mom's house in L.A. (did I mention my mom has been awesome through all of this??) Both trucks arrived, with our many boxes as well as some hand-me-down furniture, and we began the arduous task of unpacking and deciding where everything should go. We also bought a bunch of furniture, since I sold everything that was mine in the Hawai'i apartment, and the house came completely bare. Some of this could only be done on evenings and weekends, when we could both be home, but poor Eamon - he'd work 12- or 14-hour days and then come home wanting to do nothing but relax, and there'd be furniture to build or boxes to unpack. But the most important thing is that we got to just hang out together again, and we didn't feel like we had to frantically fit in all the things we wanted to do because one of us would have to dash off to the airport again in a matter of days. There will be lots of deployments this year and next, but the time in between is our time again, and that means a lot to us.
Now it's just me again, and a 3-bedroom house is a lot more space to have to myself than a 1-bedroom apartment. I haven't managed to land a job yet (not for lack of trying), but there is more than enough to keep me busy here at home. I am really trying to do one big task a day (or several little tasks) so that the house is less cluttered and more comfortable and livable for when Eamon gets back. He won't be back for long, but I think it will be less overwhelming for the time he will have here if he feels like he can relax a bit.
Rehearsals are well underway for "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Kitsap Forest Theater down in Bremerton. In case you missed this news, I'm playing Tzeitel, the eldest daughter of Tevye and Golde. This is my first lead role in a community theater production, so I'm really excited! I auditioned about 10 days after moving here and was thrilled to be cast, let alone as a principal. It's humbling and yet validating at the same time. Is that even possible?? Most of the cast and production folks live in Seattle, and a few of us live on the peninsula. We actually rehearse in Seattle during the week and then at the theater on weekends, so everyone has to do some commuting across the Puget Sound in some capacity. We had the first Kitsap rehearsal this past Saturday, and the theater space is so beautiful; check it out here. It's a completely outdoor amphitheater and stage - no curtains, no lights! It looks like the forest keeps trying to reclaim the structures that have been built as wings and sets - everything's all mossy and green. They do all of their shows at 2:00 in the afternoon to take advantage of the natural daylight. It was pretty cold in the morning, but then the sun came out and it actually got quite nice. The forecast for this weekend is rainy, though, so I'll be praying to the weather gods to spare us. Cold and rainy is not a fun combination, and the theater has a tradition of never canceling a rehearsal (or show, for that matter) on account of rain. So I guess I'd better suck it up!
Well, that just about covers everything so far! In spite of having to give up that balmy Hawaiian weather, I really am happier to be here. I lucked into a great neighborhood, wonderful landlords, and gorgeous scenery. Boy, when it's clear and you can see the Olympic mountain range, it's quite breathtaking. And when the submarine's in port, being able to give Eamon a hug and a kiss and make him tea when he gets home from work, or knowing that he'll be here when I get back from rehearsal...those are the little things that I missed the most when we were living apart.
Lots of love,
Sarah
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