OPSEC and the Donut of Misery

Okay ladies, how many of you have ever heard of the Donut of Misery?  No? Well let me break it down for you. It's an excel program where you plug in the date your loved one left and the date your loved one is anticipated to return. It will tick the time down with a percentage of how much you are gone. I never even bother looking at the damn thing until it passes the 50% mark. It's just depressing if you do.
  While many military wives have been briefed on the importance of not sharing dates and times of troop movements lest they violate OPSEC (operation security for those who get confused by acronyms) and inadvertently place their loved one in danger, the topic of the Donut of Misery and sharing it's percentages has become a hot button topic on many of the Support Pages all over facebook.  They believe that as it is only percentages, it can't violate anything, after all, how can you tell any kind of date by math?
Well that depends. If you're verbally saying to a friend, "hey, I've got 38% left!" then really you can't. However, if you're posting it on a social media platform such as facebook or twitter which use datestamps, that creates a different scenario all together.  All you need is two such postings, no matter how far apart, and you will be able to use simple mathematics to figure it out from there. I truly understand the desire to share your excitement as time ticks down, but just as you wouldn't tell anybody the date of his return, neither should you share your DOM percentages on public media platforms.

To further clarify, I'm going to take a quote from OPSECprofessionals.org.

Q: Is DOM (donut of misery) against OPSEC? (Christa H., USA)

A: Essentially, when you ask if something is "against" OPSEC, the question is really whether or not it can serve as an OPSEC "indicator". In other words, can it serve as a piece of the puzzle that would allow an adversary to gain sensitive of critical information. In this case, the DOM is one of many things that could -potentially- give away more information that would be intended, in the same vein as a countdown timer. To break it down, let's assume that the critical information is the redeployment schedule of a unit. If I'm the "bad guy", I might want to know when a unit will be ready to cycle out, when the new unit will be in, and when I may expect to see complacency being an issue. There's several ways that the DOM could reveal this information; for one, by calculating the rate of change over a short period of time, it's possible to extrapolate the timeframes represented. Another way is by making a realistic assumption based on historical data. For example, if I already know that a particular branch and installation deploys for one year, I could assume that the 50% mark would be approximately six months. So, long answer short, the DOM could very easily give additional information to enemy forces, even if the specific dates aren't displayed. And we know that the enemy is watching, as well. According to a captured Al Qaeda document (referred to as the "Manchester Document"), they expect to be able to obtain no less than 80% of actionable intelligence from public sources, including blogs and personal webpages. Having a countdown timer is a great idea, and can help pass the time, but posting it online may be more risk than its worth.  

And really, isn't that the point? Why take the chance? Why risk it at all? Why get yourself so worked up you're practically drooling on yourself defending a Donut of Misery if there's even the smallest chance you could put your loved ones in danger? Remember the old adage... Loose Lips Sink Ships.

Mondays, Blah.

I have such a horrible case of the mondays. It doesn't help that my husband is home either. I don't know about you, but I have a terrible time getting motivated to clean house when my husband is home. When we were first married he would follow behind me correcting everything I did or pointing out how it could be improved. Eventually I got so angry I threw the broom at him and left the house. When I returned, I told him as nicely as I could (and by that I mean yelling at the top of my lungs) that if he was not satisfied with my cleaning, he was more than welcome to do it himself. That stopped that nonsense quickly but either way here we are ten years later and the habit is formed. If B is home, I'm not cleaning willingly (you know, because I'm so joyful about it the rest of the time).

In addition to my procrastination regarding housework, I *should* have had three more meals by now and have already hammered out my depletion workout, and done up the passport applications. You see, I'm certifiably insane. I've chosen to train for my next figure competition (in other words diet and train hard for twelve weeks so I can paint myself dayglo orange and parade around in a sparkly bathing suit and lucite stripper heels so my body can be judged. Told you I was nuts) all while B is prepping for a TDY and we are ALL prepping for an OCONUS move.  I'm certain it's mainly been the stress the past few weeks but today when I didn't feel motivated I gave into it. Not that B can complain much, he's been playing darksiders all day long.

Instead I downloaded the new beta for photoshop CS6 and updated my blog look (notice the crisp new design.) and played with my Jack Russel Terrier puppy Trouble all day. It's been a welcome break. I did do some laundry so I guess I haven't been entirely lazy, and I have my favorite lazy day food in the crock pot (Beef Pot Roast) but still. Now the guilt is creeping in.  All of those things I should have accomplished and didn't. An entire day wasted. Well not an entire day, it's only 17:30 after all. Guess I ought to throw down some food and hit the gym anyway. It's a depletion day and I've got to earn those refeeds.  I'll make sure to log back in tomorrow and explain a little bit about my carb cycling and how it works for me. In the meantime, hope everyone has an amazing  (and far more productive than mine) day!

Checking in!

So far I've been doing quite well. I implemented the new sheet folding system and I'm ashamed to admit, I take a peek in my linen closet every time I pass it now. It's so pretty and neat, and my weekly home blessings fly by when I can just grab the sets I need without digging, hunting, or weeping when I can't find the right pillowcase. My sink is shining like a diamond and I get a kick out of waking up every morning and seeing the clean kitchen. It starts my day off in a positive mood and not feeling quite so overwhelmed.

In a nutshell, the fly lady has got me well on my way to a gleaming house once again. I'm awful about habits. I have to keep them up or I'll forget, get distracted, be too lazy, etc, etc, etc. When my house starts getting icky again my husband always asks me, "what ever happened to that fly lady thing...". So far the only day I spend most of the day cleaning is Mondays. And that has more to do with trying to coral children while I'm doing it. Mondays are the day I do my weekly home blessing.

*Change sheets
*sweep
*mop
*Vacuum
*clean mirrors/front entry door
*take out all garbage
*Clean the kitty litter box.

Doesn't seem like a lot, but after a long weekend of everyone trampling my house, vacuumed carpets, clean mirrors, and a fresh set of sheets to climb into at bedtime does me a world of good. The rest of the week it's just about maintaining my routines. Before bed and good morning to tell you the truth are the biggest ones for me. Why? Because they involve dishes.

Dishes are the bane of my existence. Have been my whole life. From the age of 6 it was my responsibility to wash the dishes. This of course would have been difficult enough except for two small issues. The first being that we had no dishwasher. So I had a great many dishes to wash by hand as my dad always managed to dirty every dish in the kitchen over the course of the day. Scraping food off the plates was rarely done either so it was always stuck on and had to be soaked in hot water that hurt my delicate skin to use. The second being that we didn't have non stick pans or even regular pots and pans. My parents are strong believers in cast iron. Only I didn't learn about how to properly care for cast iron until I was 25 and my husband showed me how to keep them oiled, how to clean them properly etc.

Back to the story at hand, I'm sure you dear reader can see why I so dislike dishes. Even when I moved into military housing and got a dishwasher, I still despise dishes. In Germany you always had to remember to add the salt, the pull out the filters and wash them ,etc. In our current house, you can't pull anything out. You have to reach in the back of the dishwasher and scoop up anything that may have made it into the dishwasher and pull it out. *shudders* I'm also lazy at night. So doing the dishes before bed gets on my nerves, I like to put everything off, and then in the morning it just seems overwhelming o I put it off some more, until suddenly we have no dishes and I have to spend the better part of the day washing them. Fly lady is breaking that habit.

My before bed routine involves beyond my own personal hygiene stuff, picking up stray toys and putting them back in the box, washing the dishes, wiping down counters, taking the garbage out and wiping down the dining room table. Laying out my clothes for the morning, checking my schedule, etc. The morning you guessed it, involves emptying the dishwasher. And to keep my sink shiny and get that visual reminder that I am doing good, i have to put the dirty dishes in the empty dishwasher. Seems quite simple to a born organized person, or those with any sort of natural housekeeping skill, to me it was a revelation. Who would have thought you could see hope in the reflection of your sink?

Wow, it's been a while!

I apologize profusely for the lapse in posts. It's been a rough couple of months. Hubby's schedule picked up, he got picked up for his E6 (grats baby!), the holidays kicked my rear end, and I got addicted to World of Warcraft. Now let me warn you, if you have nothing but time on your hands, warcraft is awesome. I love games that make you focus on what you are doing, are social and goal/event oriented. However, if you have any semblence of a life, it's a bad idea.

We just returned from a two week jaunt around the country with all of our children in tow and it gave me a time to clear my head and really understand what my issue is. Time Management. I have absolutely no time management skills right now. Or the ones that I did have I utterly forgot. So since tomorrow is officially our first day back on the job (or in my case, back in the SAHM saddle) it's a fresh start.

First things first, I'll be restarting my flylady babysteps. Years ago when I was fresh out of the military, working full time and supporting my two oldest babies all by myself, the flylady saved me. My mother is not a born organized person and I didn't learn a whole lot of homemaking skills at her side. Don't get me wrong, my mother is awesome. She may not bake the worlds best pie, or know how to keep a house sparkling like Martha Stewart, but she always had time for me, always had a smile on her face and is even now, my best friend. My goal is to balance what my mother was with my desire for a clean, well run household. Hell, right now I'd settle for a clean house..haha! Anyway, back on subject, Flylady is a system created by Marla Cilley based on the SHE (sidetracked Home Executive) system by pam and peggy jones. It's not a checklist, it's not a how to. What it is is a system to help you develop habits to manage your time better. And given that she's worked for me beautifully in the past, I have faith she can again.

Her website is www.flylady.net and is an invaluable tool for anyone really. Her mantra, you can do anything in 15 minutes, helps soldiers, actors, moms and kids alike. Letting go of perfectionism is a hard step, but she makes it seem simple. Plus, she's really really nice.
I'll also be participating in the beachbody slim in six system. I'm an all or nothing type of gal but that is part of what has led to my downfall. A simple six week system to ease me back into my fitness life is just what the doctor ordered. I've put on 20 lbs in six months being stuck on my but gaming, and I'd like to get rid of my gamer but as soon as possible.

This is of course not to say I'm deserting my dear Night Elf Druid, but I am prioritizing a bit better. She's a lvl 80 and my guild, There and Back Again of Fizzcrank seems to be in a bit of transition so I have no problems sticking to scheduled guild raids and maybe rewarding myself with a bit off questing or alt lvling after I've completed my tasks for the day. Perhaps it's good enough to kick my butt into gear and help me start feeling a bit more like myself.

The Great Flea War

You read that right. Your very own Homefront Honey is engaged in a battle of her own. WW3 to be exact. It’s me vs. the fleas. And until today, the fleas were winning. We quickly progressed from one or two fleas on my beloved terrier, to a full on civilization. I’m pretty sure it’s their military force and colonozation department that have been giving me the most trouble. Flea baths were just.not.cutting.it. Funny enough, my cat doesn’t have any. I guess she just looks mean because they leave her alone entirely.

Today I commensed Operation Kill them All. First off was a direct assualt. A Flea Dip. Apparently this pissed the fleas off so badly that my puppy was laying on the floor twitching and spinning on his side like those cartoons. Okay, so maybe it was hilarious, but still. I followed this up with a flea collar to keep them under control some more. I’m on a limited budget at the moment so K9 Advantix or frontline isn’t in the budget, and the Hartz version isn’t worth squat. Then I began the direct assualt. I treated the carpets and the furniture with a spray guaranteed to kill the little buggers. Now my house reeks of that heavy floral scent they throw in there to mask the smell of death, but hopefully, the fleas are dead now. I’m sure whatever survivors there are of my chemical warfare will scream whenever they smell potpourri and flee my house immediately. Of course, there’s no way to tell if the fleas are in full retreat, or just regrouping for an even bigger assualt. Only time will tell.