Thursday, August 26, 2010

Tiffany's Q's...food allowance, preschool, base services

The food allowance each month is for the military member only. Ours is about $250 so no it doesn't cover our family's food needs for a month. When moving you receive per diem for food each day of travel and that amount of money exceeds what you'll actually spend on food for your family unless you eat at Cheesecake Factory for all 3 meals! (Mmmm, I love Cheesecake!)

As far as restaurants on base, there are only fast food type places to eat on base. Some bases don't have any restaurants or places to eat at all. We are located at a training base with thousands of airmen so they need to have eating facilities on base for them. There are cafeteria's for the trainee's but we are not allowed to eat there, too bad b/c it would be cheap. ;)

As far as preschool goes there isn't anything at our base that is free. They have organized playgroups and day care options but at our base there is no preschool program. However, the elementary on base offers free Pre-K 4 but that is ran through the state. I hope this info helps!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Colonel's Wife

The head boss of the JAG office on base is the SJA (Staff Judge Advocate). Ours is a Colonel and his wife is, well, unique. Some people don't know how to read her because she's a self proclaimed anti-social lady. I happen to go to the same church as her too. We share a passion though and that is we both love to be active. We even did an adventure race together a couple months ago. We biked, canoed, and ran together. It was a blast!! We're doing a bike race this Saturday morning too. Anyways, she doesn't throw parties or do get togethers like apparently quite a few SJA wives do but she is GREAT. Why you may ask? Because she watched my kids for a night while Top Gun and I escaped for 24 hours. It was just what we needed! See, I told you she is the best. Who needs monthly socials when she'll watch my kids for an overnighter?!?! Generous lady indeed.

Speaking of the need for our escape, Top Gun has been working crazy hours lately. Whenever they are set to go to trial or have a court martial be prepared for your spouse to work big firm hours. He would come home for dinner and then leave around 9:00p.m. and not get home til the wee hours of the morning. One night he got home at 6:45a.m. the following day and left for work at 7:25 a.m. He has lost weight b/c he hasn't even stopped to take his lunch break and as mentioned isn't getting enough sleep. In the past year this is the first time it has been this bad. Normally when he has courts it doesn't take so much out of him for so long. The late hours normally only last a week at most. But this case kept dragging. A lot of it has to do with his perfectionist attitude too if you ask me. But we got away and it was what both of us needed. At our hotel while we were swimming a stranger asked us if we were on our honeymoon...hah....we've been married for 8 years. It was a compliment b/c we felt like we were on our honeymoon!!

Friday, August 6, 2010

www.ahrn.com / Military only housing search website

Congrats to Amy and Tiffany for getting their assignments this week! I remember looking on the Internet for days trying to find out all the information I could on our current city. Each base has their own official military website. Essentially it's the name of the base followed by .af.mil/

Tiffany here is Kirtland's

Amy here is Offutt's

Also, if you are contemplating living off base there is a GREAT website only available to military families to search for housing. You have to register but then you'll be able to search homes for rent/sale in your new area. The website is www.ahrn.com Remember all homes listed are also owned by military members.

****Another website from a reader is http://MilitaryForSalebyOwner.net