It will have been almost two years since I had seen family – mine or Caleb’s – so Ed’s free time from work will be more than welcome while he’s here for two weeks in April. Caleb and Ed will be on the same schedule (unlike when Ed works nights). Our first evening (Monday, the 19th) will start with an early dinner at Coronado Brewing – something close and full of carbs; then getting Ed some groceries for his room to get through his stay in an unusually hot room at NGIS (Navy Gateway Inn & Suites). The temperature doesn’t deter us from catching up till after 10pm.

TUESDAY, the 20th
I’ll drop Caleb off at work in the morning so I can pick up Ed for a meal at Breakfast Republic, somewhere with close parking and not too many dollar signs on the menu, so we can talk about things not related to their time on active duty. There’s nothing wrong with it, and I enjoy listening to the men talk, but I don’t have much to add about my short enlistment and definitely not about being in charge of people – whether they be idiots or go on to do great things in and out of the military.

Caleb and I will grab some leftovers from the fridge to tote to the room so that we don’t impose on the roommates or have to worry about conversation topics in front of the kids. This leads us into talking about families, raising kids, freedoms, marriages, and whether we would make some of the same decisions again. I’m sure had I gotten pregnant, I would’ve had a love/hate relationship with my children – loving their absence and hating when they disagree with me, don’t like a place we’re at, or beat me to a hangry state.

THURSDAY, the 22nd
Up to Ed’s room for breakfast, which for him must consist of a meat, so that means more for the guys. I’ll leave them to manage without me while I go to my periodontist, someone I haven’t seen in five years, so she felt the need to tell me that my mouth is falling apart and I should schedule expensive surgery ($6,000) and a deep cleaning (teeth roots included). Her next available appointment was at least a month out, which would give me time to call Dad, call a new dentist, and get a phone consultation set up with a university in Los Angeles.

This will give us something to talk about as we go to dinner at Salud! and stop for drinks and cookies on the way back to the room. This procedure is common, but usually presents with pain, bleeding, loose teeth, etc. We’ll leave early so I can buy another over-the-counter mouthguard to prevent me from grinding and clenching my molars to pieces until I can finally get a prescription one — not that there’s a waiting list, but they’re expensive, and I feel like the $30 vs $600 does the same job, just doesn’t last as long. Caleb will have a pot ready for me to boil the mouthpiece in when I return, but I’m able to microwave it in the case, so I do that instead.

FRIDAY, the 23rd
We’ll take our time and go for our morning walk, and then get something to eat before picking up Ed so that we can enjoy the beautiful drive to Julian for lunch. I saw goats, cows, horses, and squirrels. We usually go for pie, so of course we each order a slice, but pass by a window with apple dumplings (an apple baked in pie crust) in it and have to take those with us. We’ll stop by Desert View Tower on the way back since Caleb has never been to see the vista and feel the strong winds in his hair.

Plus, we all appreciate the smaller roads for the calmness and beauty they bring versus the hectic rush and traffic of California highways. We’ll stop by the house for a salad bowl so that Ed can make us dinner in the room while we go for a walk around the hotel, alternating between the three floors available instead of walking the perimeter of the gusty golf course. As we’re leaving for the night, Ed lets us know that he wants tomorrow to himself, so (on Saturday) I’ll bicycle and puzzle while Caleb works in the garage.

SUNDAY, the 25th
I’ll eat doughnuts (that Ryan brought home) the next morning (after our walk) while Caleb helps take apart the kids’ Geo Dome Climber so that someone else can use it. We invite Ed to Border Field State Park, and though the usual entrance is closed to cars, we find a path that lets us spend the afternoon in the sun, surrounded by so many colorful flowers, with some big yurts at a new campground, but no beach access. The three of us will have a late lunch at Burger Lounge and then rest in the room until Caleb suggests he go back to work in the garage while I hang out with Fallon and Melissa.

*written five years later…

TUESDAY, the 27th and THURSDAY, the 29th
We spent a few hours in Ed’s room and returned on Thursday for pizza.

FRIDAY, the 30th
Pick Caleb up and then Ed, go to San Vicente Reservoir, then Lakeside Park, followed by lunch at Mary’s Donuts & Coffee. I’m able to eat a quarter of a super cinnamon twist and half an egg salad sandwich. We drive around Otay Lake before going to Ed’s room after picking up some snacks at the commissary. I was warm and tired in the room, so we moved outside, where I sat scrunched in an uncomfy wooden chair, and we dealt with bright headlights blinding us.

MAY 1st
We head to Ed’s for our picnic lunch in Balboa Park. We walk around the fountain, by the newly named Museum of Us, and over the bridge. We go back to the room for a couple of hours before dinner at Spiro’s Greek restaurant. I have the lentil stew and hummus. Ed sends us home with the unused vegetables and condiments from our afternoon outing.

JUNE 15th
Caleb and I park at J and 17th, walk to the Gaslamp Hilton, and escort Uncle Ed to dinner at Bub’s. We have a nice walk around the area before returning to the room.

WEDNESDAY, the 16th
I drop Caleb off at work and have breakfast with Ed at Lucky’s Lunch Counter. I take half of my burrito to go, and pay for two hours of parking when enforcement starts at 10 am.

THURSDAY, the 17th
I hung out with Ed earlier in the day and then dropped my phone off the back of the car and onto the road to get run over repeatedly before I wondered where it was and turned around. My replacement is the same phone that Caleb has.

FRIDAY, the 18th
Caleb and I will go on an eight-mile hike and then join Ed for dinner at American Junkie.

SATURDAY, the 19th
We get a late start (whatever that means) and drive to Julian for apple dumplings. We have a late night at the house playing Farkle, a fast-paced dice game.

SUNDAY, the 20th
Another breakfast at Lucky’s, and we drop Ed off for a few hours. I pick him up again and sit with him while he does laundry. We pick up corn, potato salad, and steak for dinner at the house.

FRIDAY, the 25th
We walk along North Island in the afternoon, waiting for Ed, and meet him at the airport terminal on base. I get sunburned while we hang out, and he says bye hours later, so we can go home and eat while he waits with the guys.