Number Crunching

As we near a close to this chapter in Kodiak, my beloved and I are crunching numbers for a variety of reasons. First, he is my numbers geek. He loves digits, spreadsheets, and math problems. I don’t even balance my own checkbook. Second, as humans, we use numbers as a way to measure just about anything.

We crunched numbers to determine what were our monthly household costs so that we could accurately cite that on our disclosure form. We crunched numbers to assess fair market value of our home with the upgrades we made. We crunched numbers to see if we would make a profit (after all was said in done, we walked away with $250). We measured that we increased our credit ratings, even if we did just “pay rent” for two years.

We crunch numbers to see what we were willing to spend on another home in our new “home town” for the next two years. I crunched numbers as I totaled how much I spent in gas driving back to back weekends looking for our next casa. We crunched numbers to see what would be our offer and if we could accept the counter offer (we did!).

And then there was the big number cruncher. This one was for fun at first, and then it gave us a reality check. Upon returning from the patrol on which he is currently, my man in blue and I have inhabited the Emerald Isle for 20 months, approximately, 600 days. Of that, he has been underway for 352 days. Of the 248 days he was home, my business travel had me absent for about 1/3 of the time. In total, we have spent less than a 1/3 of this assignment together, physically.

Despite some of the heartbreak that that reality shoulders onto my already full plate, I don’t regret it. This assignment made him a better Coastie, a better husband (he’s was pretty good to start out with), and a better fisherman. He is happy, and his career is headed in the right direction. Whatever path you may be on, at some point, each has to “pay their dues.” And our ticket was due. I know that future assignments may lend us the same timetables, but at least I know I can whether the storm having survived this assignment—still smiling, still crunching numbers, still thankful for this family and our memories made here in Kodiak.