It was a tough weekend. I don't even know where to start. I guess I'll get out the little information first and work up to the big stuff.

We've been having plumbing problems. The toilet overflowed in the middle of the night after one flush, and the washing machine leaked all over the laundry room. Then our hot water pipes froze somewhere...but we've gotten that all taken care of. Now I have to finish washing all the wet towels.

Upsetting yes, but in retrospect not all that big of a deal. More of a pain in the butt.

But in reality that's all small peanuts compared to what else is going on.

Hubby's brother (you know, the one that trains Air Force Special Forces and who specializes in anti-terrorism) has been deployed and they can't tell us where or how long he'll be away.

Am I worried? Of course I'm worried. He's gone frequently and this isn't the first time that he hasn't been able to tell us where he's going. He's told us before that he's with the best guys and they all watch out for each other.

What I am really worried about is the fact that we got a call from a very close friend, and he's being deployed on March 3rd to the Iraqui/Kuwaiti border and will be sure to see some action. When the 1st Marine Div (out of Camp LeJeune, NC) goes in to take Baghdad, he's going to be right there in the front.

He's going to be gone for a year.

I can't even wrap my mind around a 6 month float. My friend is going to be gone for a freaking year!

He has two little kids, the oldest is almost three and the youngest was born in August. He and his wife are some of my best friends.

I'm proud of him, but I'm also just terrified to the bottom of my heart and soul. He's a fantastic Marine and an even better Sergeant, but...it just hurts. It hurts my head. To try to think about that.

This is the guy that made it "okay" for me to get a tattoo. Then I got two. I've always been totally scared of needles. He's a wonderfully talented artist and has this great sense of humor. He's bright and is a wonderful daddy and husband.

And he's going to be gone for a year. Away from his family and friends.

I remember him and my husband and another friend raiding the fridge over at their house and throwing eggs off their balcony just because they could. And us wives never figured out what was going on. This is the guy that tortured his wife into actually believing that he wanted to name their first-born son Bocaephus.

A freaking year. The whole thing is making my head and heart hurt.

Update:
This is why I'm worried.