So here's what's going on:
We checked in yesterday to our new base, high in the mountains of California. Burrrr!! It's cold! It's about 45 degrees, but I'm pretty sure the wind chill factor is taking it down into the 30's. We're staying in the hotel on base for now, which isn't so bad, but it's still not home. We called the base earlier, just to confirm our base housing application. For anyone who's not familiar with base housing, it rocks because: you're close to or on the actual base, which means short drives for your errands; your utilities are included in the housing allowance you're stipend every month, which means I can blast the air conditioner all summer long (and heater all winter long) and never see a high electricity bill; when you have only one car (like us) it allows your husband to ride his bicycle to work rather than you having to wake up at the ungodly hour of four a.m. to get him to his unit formations.
Anyhoo, since Jason is due to pick up his next rank, they were planning on putting us into senior enlisted housing which puts us on a three to six month wait list. We're only for sure out here for ten months while Jason is in school. A six month wait list is basically telling us we have to get an apartment out in town. Which wouldn't be so bad, except that the only town with apartments in it is thirty minutes from base. So, if Jason has to be at work at 5:30 in the morning, that means leaving by (at the very latest) 4:45 to account for any traffic (and driving in an area called "the kill zone" at least twice a day--so called for all the fatal accidents that occur there).
So, slightly freaked out by this thought (as I'm not even factoring in what happens if and/or when I get my own job), I asked that instead we be put into housing based on his current rank, which is carrying a zero to three month wait list. (happy sigh) Much better.
However, as of right now, we still have to wait until tomorrow to find where we fall on that wait list. So as of Tuesday, I have no idea where we're living. I could so be losing it right now...
We checked in yesterday to our new base, high in the mountains of California. Burrrr!! It's cold! It's about 45 degrees, but I'm pretty sure the wind chill factor is taking it down into the 30's. We're staying in the hotel on base for now, which isn't so bad, but it's still not home. We called the base earlier, just to confirm our base housing application. For anyone who's not familiar with base housing, it rocks because: you're close to or on the actual base, which means short drives for your errands; your utilities are included in the housing allowance you're stipend every month, which means I can blast the air conditioner all summer long (and heater all winter long) and never see a high electricity bill; when you have only one car (like us) it allows your husband to ride his bicycle to work rather than you having to wake up at the ungodly hour of four a.m. to get him to his unit formations.
Anyhoo, since Jason is due to pick up his next rank, they were planning on putting us into senior enlisted housing which puts us on a three to six month wait list. We're only for sure out here for ten months while Jason is in school. A six month wait list is basically telling us we have to get an apartment out in town. Which wouldn't be so bad, except that the only town with apartments in it is thirty minutes from base. So, if Jason has to be at work at 5:30 in the morning, that means leaving by (at the very latest) 4:45 to account for any traffic (and driving in an area called "the kill zone" at least twice a day--so called for all the fatal accidents that occur there).
So, slightly freaked out by this thought (as I'm not even factoring in what happens if and/or when I get my own job), I asked that instead we be put into housing based on his current rank, which is carrying a zero to three month wait list. (happy sigh) Much better.
However, as of right now, we still have to wait until tomorrow to find where we fall on that wait list. So as of Tuesday, I have no idea where we're living. I could so be losing it right now...
does a better rank mean a better house?
ReplyDeleteElise: It can be. Right now we're at a point where if we're put into housing based on his current rank, we'd still be in nice housing. The differences come when you're in junior enlisted housing (usually tiny apartments) and officer's housing (usually veeerry nice). The mid- to senior-enlisted housing is about the same.
ReplyDeleteWow! Being up in the air about housing is nerve-wracking!
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to be there for only 10 months, are you going to store a lot of your stuff and live as minimally as possible?
You could do thrift shop and yard sale finds and decorate retro!!
Roxanne
Roxanne: The plan is to sell a lot of our stuff and downsize as much as possible (starting with our huge bedroom set). We fully plan to do a lot of thrifting for some cool retro decor!!
ReplyDeletewhat rank will he be, if that is not rude to ask ( I should have checked my amy vanderbilt etiquette book before I asked).
ReplyDelete50s Gal: He'll be a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps, which is an E6. Not rude at all.
ReplyDelete