Boys!

Home alone always sounds better than it ends up being....not that it's not fun to have the run of the house.  It's just that alone is...well, lonely....a bit, anyway.

Around 3PM I decided to head upstairs to read and rest a bit...didn't really take a nap but sort of rested.  Took the phone with me just in case - I always hope for a call from B. .

There was a letter today!  I think the mail is slow 'cuz of the weather back east - it was postmarked March 4th but we just received it today.  He told us that a week ago Wednesday or Thursday (so the end of February), the Drill Sergeant called off 10 RN's (Roster Numbers) and asked if those 10 were interested in Ranger Assessment & Selection Program!  B. was one of them and was thrilled!  He's been improving his PT (Physical Test) every week and is very close to the score needed.  The letter sounded like it was pretty much a 'done deal'....I was so excited!  He has worked so, so hard for this - and getting a RASP contract out of Basic was his dream.  The original dream was to go into Basic with a RASP contract - but for so many reasons, that didn't happen for B..  He's never given up on that goal and has obviously worked diligently towards that goal.  He's doing so great!  So happy.

And then, at 4:30 - after I came back downstairs - the phone rang and it was B.!  OMG - I was so excited.  He immediately asked if I could put Dad on the speaker phone and I had to remind him that Dad was in Visalia this weekend.  He had 10 minutes - which is the longest call we've had so far.  He sounded good - though at first, I wasn't sure.  He's still really congested - he says he feels fine but when I said 'you still sound really stuffy', he said 'I don't really know how I sound anymore'.  Moist Georgia air, I think.

It was great to talk to him - and he will have a 36 hour pass next weekend - all day Saturday and part of Sunday.  He thinks they will have access to their cell phones so he can call and talk as long as we want.  I asked him how this week's PT test went - and he moved up 7 points - still has 5 to go.  His last PT is the Tuesday after his 36 hour break (3/19).  He said it's about a 50/50 chance - I said 'so if you hit the score, it's not guaranteed?'.  It's not - it will depend on how many openings they have for this group.

If he gets RASP, he won't come home after graduation - he will head straight to Airborne there at Ft. Benning.  If he doesn't get RASP, he will get seven to ten days off between Basic and going into the infantry battalion he's been assigned to.  He says if RASP doesn't happen out of basic, he will sign up when he's in the battalion and he feels confident he will still get in.

It's so hard to wait....I can't imagine how hard it is for him - but he said 'I'm going great and I'm happy' - so that's an awesome attitude.  He has worked really hard....

I called J. as soon as I hung up from B. - felt so bad that he missed the call.  Then H. arrived - he had apparently come over when I was upstairs...I thought I heard a door but I always hear things when J. isn't around and I've learned to ignore them....but it was him.  So he came back when I was up...and we went over his budget.  He is doing OK but still struggles with monitoring how much he's spending.

We went over the budget we've put together for him - and this week, I resorted to the budgeting method I used when I was his age - in college, living with my brother and not working.  I made H. envelopes:  Gas, Discretionary and Groceries.  I put his weekly budgeted amount for each in cash in the envelopes.  I told him 'you shouldn't even use your debit card - you have no $ in your checking account and now, all the money you need for the week is in these envelopes.  When the money is gone, it's gone.  If you blow your entire discretionary budget in two days on the weekend, that's it.  You have nothing left for the week...so don't do that!'.  I hope this works.  I offered to get cash for him every week when I get our weekly cash - maybe going to cash basis is best for him for now.  He will get paid next Friday.

I've talked to J. a couple times today - just quick touch base calls.  He played golf with his brother this morning.  He should be home by early afternoon tomorrow -

Time for working on taxes; finishing up laundry; and other stuff before bed.