Ingredients
1 ½ lbs Ground Sirloin (Beef)
1 ½ lbs Ground Veal
1 ½ lbs Ground Pork
1 ½ cups Fresh Breadcrumbs
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 – Eggs
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Salt
Parsley

Directions
Mix all together in large bowl. Shape into whatever size meatballs you would like and place on platter. In large frying pan brown meatballs use 2 forks to rotate them with. If they stick just add a little water to the frying pan it will help. Once they are brown add to sauce and continued to cook on low for at least 1 ½ hrs. Shut off heat and let sit. Once sauce is cooled cover and put in refrigerator. Sauce is best after it sits for at least 2-3 days.

These make great “Italian Meatball Subs” !

Slice Sub Buns and cut meatballs in half, layer them inside add a little pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese or provolone. Place on cookie sheet and put under broiler for just a few minutes to melt cheese and warm bread. Be careful they can burn very quick! You can also put in oven and bake them at 400* this will take longer. You want to serve immediately or bread will get hard.

Tomato and Basil Bruchetta

Ingredients
1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large French baguettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese , sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.
On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.
Place bruschetta on decorative platter and garnish with basil leaves.

Yeilds 36 pieces Bruschetta

Mama Maria’s Traditional Meat Sauce

Ingredients
1-lb Ground Pork
1-lb Ground Veal
1-lb Ground Sirloin
Olive Oil
4-5 Cloves Garlic (crushed) use garlic press
5-6 Small Cans Contadina Tomato Paste (6oz)
7 – Large Cans Tomato Sauce (28oz) – (Contadina brand if possible)
4 – Tbs. Sugar
½ cup Basil
Lawry’s Seasoning Sauce
Garlic Salt

Directions
Mix beef, pork and veal together in cook in frying pan until brown. Drain in strainer and set aside. This will be the last ingredient you add to sauce.

In LARGE Pot cover bottom with olive oil, just enough to cover bottom of pot and sauté garlic on low heat (until light brown). Add tomato paste and stir to break down, use one can of hot water per can, simmer. Next add tomato sauce, sugar, Lawry’s salt & garlic salt (just enough to cover top of sauce), basil and parmesan cheese (optional). Drain ground meat (do not add grease) put in sauce and simmer on low for a few hours. You need to keep stirring so it does not stick. Shut off remove from heat, cover once cooled refrigerate for at least 2 days (up to 1 week). The longer it marinates the better it tastes.

For Pasta & Lasagna
Options: Add Meatballs, Italian Sausage, Pork Spare Ribs, or Bruciolone – if adding any other meats, brown meat prior to adding into the sauce.

Notes: Freeze for additional meals:
You can use zip lock freezer bags (double them) and layer in freezer this takes up less space. Use as needed.

Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pistachios
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the pistachios on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
In an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the pistachios until evenly distributed.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12 inches long by 1-inch high. Place the logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 12 1-inch thick pieces. Put the cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake 5 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the other side for another 5 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Be sure to use a serrated knife to cut them after the first baking because they can crumble quite easily.

Try almond extract — It brings out the pistachio flavor better or after baking, you can drizzle dark chocolate over them.

As a company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division, I would have to take my boots off to use my toes in order to count the number of times that I have received a phone call from a wife of one of my Soldiers asking about their rights, payments, or entitlements that they did not know about or problems they didn’t realize how to fix. Many wives do not know the rights and power they have over their husband’s success and the amount of respect that they command from the leaders of the Army. I will be the first to admit that a few Soldiers out in the force do not treat their wife with the love and respect that they deserve as a partner in the household. So, now more than ever, Army wives need to know the rights and protections that Army regulations afford them.

Spouses Have The Rights To Government Quarters
The other week, one of my Soldiers got into an argument with his wife and threw her out of the house. She had to go and sleep on her neighbor’s couch down the street. Little did she know that by Army regulations, the spouse and civilian family members have the right to occupy the family’s government quarters. That wife had every right to call myself or my First Sergeant and demand that we remove the Soldier, her husband, from their government provided house on post and reinstate her there. Soldiers can move into the barracks at any time of the command’s choosing. It is a privilege for the Soldier to live in on post housing, not a right. Government quarters are for the Soldier’s family members pure and simple. That is another reason why the basic allowance for housing (BAH) is awarded to the spouse in a divorce or separation in most cases.

A General Power Of Attorney Is Not Good Enough
You would think that a document that said your wife had complete control over your life, decision making, and could act on your behalf in all functions would be taken seriously and honored as such. The problem is that since September 11th, Soldiers have irresponsibly given such an awesome power to some of the most undeserving people that they barely knew. Those irresponsible Soldiers have ruined the entire concept of a general power of attorney for everyone else. In fact, the general power of attorney is now essentially worthless. No one accepts it these days. Almost every entity and office on post requires a specific or special power of attorney specifying the exact legal action your spouse can take on your husband’s behalf. Even most banks have gotten into the act now and require special powers of attorney to be filed with them separately, some on their own forms, if a spouse wants to conduct any business for her husband. As painful as the process is, it pays to have a million special powers of attorney covering topics such as the selling of cars, banking, accepting household goods, enrolling family members in DEERS, filing taxes, etc.

There Are No Guarantees in Divorce Unless It’s in the Decree
An ex-wife must have been married to a Soldier for ten years or more in order to be eligibility to receive a portion of their ex-husband’s retirement pay. The ten years of marriage is a requirement under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (USFSPA) and cannot be waived by either party. Many military divorces are not cut and dry after the magic ten year mark either, and ex-military wife should retain a divorce lawyer who is well versed in military divorces to ensure that she is not missing out on any potential entitlements such as SBP, Tricare, child support, and an adequate calculation of the retirement years and subsequent retirement pay. Ensure that every entitlement is included in your divorce decree to ensure that the court’s order is honored by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). For example, a former spouse needs to ensure that her court order directs the Soldier to enroll in the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).

These are just three often forgotten situations where Army wives are potentially at a disadvantage if they are not knowledgeable about the Army’s rules and regulations. There are many more. Army wives are offered many protections and rights that are different than their Soldier that some spouses might not be aware of.

Work-from-home positions garner transient career possibilities to military spouses, caregivers, and war-wounded. Unfortunately, not all careers can be applied virtually, and not all spouses can serve as good virtual workers.

Such jobs take extreme discipline, require higher results to account for actual work, and provide minimal training, making it detrimental that the employee applies with experience and logistic requirements already in place.

Work-from-home employees and Independent Contractors must conform to regular work rules. They need to be ready to work at the agreed time with all distractions removed from their work area, including children, dogs, televisions, and visitors. Special consideration should be given to all possible distractions that may be heard by a customer if the job requires phone communication. For example, if you have a dog that does the “happy dance” when the doorbell rings, tape a note over your doorbell for couriers and other unexpected guests to see telling them not to ring the doorbell while you’re working.

The work area becomes the responsibility of the employee and they must provide proper ergonomics, current software and computer hardware, including phone systems and connections. Such employer requirements should be discussed prior to job acceptance. While the best work-from-home jobs should not require extensive out of pocket expenses for the employee, it may be necessary to spend money on meeting minimal requirements to perform tasks.

Employers rely on their virtual employees to be trustworthy and can only implement electronic systems to monitor productivity. Quotas, written updates, and timesheets measure output and it is wrong for a virtual employee to exaggerate their results. Not only is it unethical, but it will also be found out.

With a few guidelines and boundary rules agreed on from the start, a virtual office position can be a wonderful solution to keeping a career over military moves and circumstances. The guidelines should be instituted as a way of control over your day in your home office. Don’t fall into the multi-tasking trap when operating a family and business under the same roof. Multi-tasking should be utilized as a way accomplishing your multiple tasks that do NOT require a great deal of thought or follow through. Your job NEEDS your focus and peak performance abilities. Don’t go half-way with your job focus. Give your job 100% of your time, talents and performance ability, during the designated hours you place into your billed hours to your employer.

Top Five Steps to Ensure Ethical Standards As A Virtual Office Professional:

1. Completely prepare your family for your new job boundaries. Designate hours during the day you’re not going to be available to your family. Too often, VO professionals are way too distracted to fully concentrate on the duty at hand regarding their responsibilities to their employers.

2. Learn to focus on priority items first. As simple as this sounds, juggling a home office and the needs of your family – under the same roof – takes a great deal of focus and priority setting / NOT multi-tasking.

3. Train yourself not to multi-task in your VO job. Multi-tasking is a practice used to perform repeated simple tasks at one time. For instance: folding laundry while cooking dinner and holding your toddler, is considered multi-tasking. Do NOT apply this type of tasking towards your work performance standards. Changing a diaper and talking to a CEO’s Administrative Assistant for an appointment for your boss, doesn’t’ bode well in the business world.

4. Bill your employers (if an Independent Contractor) for ACTUAL hours worked. Employers who’ve made the decision to hire you as an Independent Contractor in a Virtual Office setting, know that you have the IRS right to work other non competing jobs while in their employ. This is the reason measurement of your results is crucial to your success. Reporting what you do and when you do it and the results you’ve had while doing it – is CRUCIAL to your pay raises, evaluations and promotions – and most importantly – the continuation of your contract.

5. Go to the IRS website (www.IRS.gov) for rules regarding your Independent Contractor’s guidelines regarding your tax ID number via a business license to operate as an Independent Contractor. Become completely familiar with the “IRS 20 Point Test” for the federal and state laws you must follow as an Independent Contractor.

Allow me to blunt: Treat your home office environment in a business-like fashion. Never inappropriately bill your employer for hours you didn’t work during the day. Once the trust of your billing life is gone as an Independent Contractor, nothing (and I mean nothing) brings the trust back. Employers talk to one another constantly.

Your social security number follows your career during a lifetime and employers can plug into DOL and IRS agencies to perform background checks, previous employer complaints, criminal activity, lawsuits, credit checks and all other employer related information.

As an employer, I carry a federal tax ID number which affords me legal rights in the workplace. Rights that protect the interest of my organization, including intellectual property, marketing lists, bank accounts and all other entities that help maintain the integrity of my business success.

When Independent Contractors or employees turn an unsavory corner – it’s documented and circulated.

MSCCN wants ONLY the best for our military spouse applicants. You are the BEST workforce on the planet. We mention the above information only as a precaution.

Cardio with a lower body injury:
If you’ve got a lower body injury (or are pregnant) and want a safe cardio exercise, try the arm spinner. There are many names for it including the “arm wheel” and “upper body ergometer.” This looks like a padded seat with a back, with a bike wheel at shoulder level. The “pedals” are actually handles. You can sit and spin in an easy resistance and go fast for intense cardio, or add resistance to get your toning and cardio at once. There’s also the seated cross-trainers that look like half of a Nordic Track. You sit to stabilize your lower body, and use pulleys to twist at your middle and pull the arms with resistance.

Toning with lower body injury:
Seated upper body workout machines are ideal if you’re a beginner or in rehab, otherwise I prefer to have healthy clients workout out while standing, lunging, balancing on one leg, standing on a BoSu ball or seated on a stability ball. The good thing about seated machines is that they isolate the area you’re working, leaving the rest of your body at rest. A good circuit is a shoulder press, upper back seated pulley, assisted chin-ups, reclined chest press, lat pull down machine, seated barbell bicep curls and a triceps barbell overhead French press. You can also invest in tubing for about $10 and find exercises online, including hooking tubing to a door or chair and increasing resistance by color-coded tubes.

Cardio and toning with an upper body injury:
Of course with an arm or shoulder problem, you use the treadmill, the elliptical, the stair stepper or a stationary bike. Other options for toning without jarring and painful movements can include the leg press for quads and glutes, the hamstring curl, and seated inner and outer thigh (abductors and adductor) machines. Don’t forget to do calf raises with a machine or freestyle. Standing squats and lunges may be OK as long as you are not in pain, and be sure to use a wall or something stable to hold onto.

Core work with a lower body injury:
If you just have an issue with putting weight on your leg, use a chair. You can hang from the seat and use your elbows to stabilize yourself. Lift the knees or leg with your abdominals without having to hook your feet under anything. Another great machine is the ab trainer where your head and hands rest in the machine so that only your core works. Legs can be on he floor or braced on the machine depending on the size and style. Additionally, if you have an upper body injury you still may be able to do crunches by simply folding the arms across the chest and crunching on the floor or hooking legs under an incline bench.

Warm-up and stretch:
A good way to avoid further injury is to warm up for 5 minutes before a workout. Warm-ups include easy, slow cardio with no incline or resistance on the machines listed above, or rhythmic limbering — mimicking the toning moves you’re going to do later, but without weights and with music. Stretch each muscle group you worked for 20-30 seconds after your workout.

Resources:
Ask your gym sales rep, manager or personal trainer for recommendations or machines specific to your location, or use the tubing and free weights at home to isolate areas safely. Moves from my multitasking fitness DVDs can also be broken down so you perform just the arms or just the legs parts of the routine. Physical therapists are also great resources. They’ll typically nurse your injury back to health but they can also give tips on keeping your healthy muscles toned without damaging the area you are taking care of. Always consult your doctor before starting a workout routine, whether you’re injured or not.

The gym can still be your playground to keep you sane, happy and healthy while you heal.
Fitness – fit it in! Nikki

San Marcos, Texas, located between San Antonio and Austin in Central Texas, boosts an annual average temperature of 68.8 degrees with over 300 days of sunshine a year. The San Marcos River offers your family an array of outdoor activities from tubing to kayaking and is the perfect place to bid adieu to the summer. There is great access to the San Marcos River and all the supplies you will need for your water sport of choice at the City Park. We also recommend the glass bottom boat rides at the Aquarena Center at Texas State University. A fantastic outing for families with kids of all ages; this 30 minute tour is operated year round, rain or shine. Visit www.aquarena.txstate.edu for more details and for an online coupon.

On our trip to San Marcos, we stayed at the Comfort Suites. Comfort Suites offers a year round special rate for the military and stays true to its name in providing comfort. Traveling for a living, I often stay at expensive hotels with poor bedding and wonder what could possibly be more important that a comfy bed? The all suite hotel was a great experience in hospitality from their friendly staff, spacious rooms, military discount, soft bedding and cleanliness. I would recommend it highly to anyone visiting the area.

In addition to the San Marcos River and all of the natural beauty of the community, San Marcos offers shopping that is second to none in the state and delectable food that will leave you coming back for more.

Tanger Outlet Center, Prime Outlets-San Marcos and the San Marcos Historic Business District offer everything you would want in a shopping excursion. You can find everything you need to send the kids back to school and much more, and if the major discounts offered by the outlet stores are not enough, VIP coupon books are available to active duty military year round by showing your military ID at their customer service centers. Check with the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau (www.toursanmarcos.com) for more details.

To truly experience San Marcos, you have to visit Centerpoint Station. This staple of central Texas is a must-visit offering both shopping and culinary fun! Their café offers a family-friendly menu with tasty hamburgers and some local twists (I recommend the frickles – deep fried pickles served with ranch dressing dipping sauce) and the boutique store inside is bound to be a traveler’s favorite rest stop with an eclectic assortment to new and antique products. I can’t imagine ever visiting San Marcos and not stopping by Centerpoint Station. It has now become a family favorite. Don’t leave without trying the fudge!

I can’t talk about this next restaurant without my mouth watering. While in San Marcos, we stopped to pay homage to the Saltgrass Steakhouse. Known for its incredible steaks and ribs, the restaurant boasts a Texas-sized menu you could only find in the Lone Star state! There is definitely something for everyone. We tried the steaks, ribs and chicken and everyone went back to the hotel raving about their meal and asking if we could go back the next day (I’m not ashamed to say we did!). Don’t forget to go out back and soak your feet in the river after your meal.

We get to visit a lot of places throughout the U.S. here at Guide to Military Travel, and I’m proud to say San Marcos has made itself at home on our list of favorite places to visit. Despite having a schedule jam packed with travel, we can’t wait to go back and enjoy everything San Marcos, Texas has to offer!

This month I promised to continue our discussion about fostering relationships with our spouse and children. I want to focus this segment on our children and something big that is happening right now for most of them – Back to school! Before we dive in, I would like to remind all our AWN fans that you can send any questions you may have to me at janet@armywifenetwork.com. This month we are going to discuss preparing our children for heading back to school and how to keep our routines simple and organized. The first thing we should do to prepare our children for heading back to school is to get them back on a nightly routine. Normally during the summer, we allow our children to stay up later and enjoy the longer days of summer. Well now that school is upon us again we should get our kids back into the habit of a bed-time routine and going to sleep at a decent time again. Kids need plenty of sleep to help them be more successful in school.

Another time saver to help make your mornings run smoother is to prepare for your morning the night before. You should prepare lunches while you are preparing dinner the evening before. That way in the morning lunches are all ready to be picked up. Set the table in the evening for breakfast the next morning. This will save you valuable minutes in the morning because the table will already be prepared to sit down and eat at. You should also maintain a space next to the front door for coats, shoes, and backpacks. Have a hook in place for these important items, that way you do not have to hear the dreaded, “Mom, I can’t find my shoes”.

Another great tip to make mornings run smoother, and this is perfect for younger children, is to create a small checklist that can be hung up in your child’s room that shows them each of the things they need to get done in the morning, such as brush your teeth, wash your face, get dressed. This helps younger children stay on track in the mornings and gets them out the door on time. Reward your children for following their checklist all week. This really is a great tool to motivate your child in the morning.

Some things you should do before your child heads back to school is maintain a to-do list of what needs to be done to before school starts. Forms may need to be filled out and after school care may need to be set-up. Keep a list of everything that needs to get done so nothing gets forgotten.

Decide ahead of time how involved you want to be this school year and how much time you are willing to devote to such things as volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, and the like. Have a calendar ready for the school year and use colors to identify certain dates. An example would be to use purple for appointments, green for activities and events, and red for your appointments and such. This enables you to keep track of all the kids and your activities at a glance.

Make sure you create a homework space in your house. This should be the area where your child will complete their homework. It should be a quite area with as few distractions as possible. Keep this area stocked with paper, pens, pencils, and other school supplies so your child has everything they need to complete their homework. Make homework time important. I typically allow my daughter about 30 minutes after she gets home to unwind, get a snack, watch a couple minutes of television or the like and then it is time to buckle down and get homework done. Once your child’s homework is complete look it over and have your child immediately place it in their book bag and have them hang their book bag on their hook by the front door. This helps prevent children from leaving their work at home and not having it to turn into school.

When your child returns from school in the afternoons, have a bin or such at your desk (in my house we call these bins their mailboxes) that they can place all their papers from school in. While your child is working on homework go through each child’s bin and sign papers and go through graded ones. Put papers that need to be returned right into your child’s book bag.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to be involved in your child’s education. Make sure to talk to your child about their school day. If you notice your child struggling in a certain subject, be sure to contact your child’s teacher and come up with an action plan to help your child such as tutoring and the like. There are also some great online programs, such as homeworkhelp.com and homeworkspot.com, that can help your child with homework as well.

Well that is all the time we have for tonight. Join me again for next month’s HH6 segment where we will continue to talk about our relationships and will discuss our personal relationships with our spouse and our teenagers!! I will have some excellent tips on how to make these relationships stronger than ever!

You can also check out the Loving A Soldier blog at www.lovingasoldier.com for more tips and tricks on managing your relationships. Don’t forget, if you have any questions contact me at janet@armywifenetwork.com.

A: First of all, thank you both for your service. With women making up about 11 percent of deployed servicememebers, you’re not alone. Here are a few ideas that may help.

■Don’t fill your e-mails or phone calls with complaints or tell her about problems she can’t do anything to resolve. You’ll just frustrate her. But don’t paint an overly rosy picture either—she’ll get suspicious that you’re covering something up.

■Care packages—treats, reading material, and drawings from the kid—are great. Include a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger before he got fat and became governor of California, but Photoshop your face on to Arnold’s neck.

■I hate to bring up gender stereotypes, but men often do have a harder time asking for help than women. Get over it. Spouses who stay informed and have a solid support network cope better than those who don’t. The base Family Readiness Group (FRG)/Key Volunteer Network/Ombudsman program/Key Spouse program will have workshops on various deployment-related issues, and social activities for parents and kids. It won’t be easy getting welcomed into the network of military wives, but don’t give up. You’ll eventually be adopted by a group of women, many of whom will insist on mothering you. Enjoy it, but not too much. If you’re near Fort Bragg, NC, check out a group called Rear D Dads, a volunteer-run organization designed to help guys with deployed wives. And while you’re reversing stereotypes, bake some cookies for your spouses’ group.

■Keep handy contact names and phone numbers for the family support group and your wife’s unit’s rear deployment people. Also have a hard copy of her deployment orders and most recent leave and earnings statement (LES).

■Kids crave routines, so help them—and yourself—by getting on a schedule. Tuesday night is Vietnamese takeout, Friday, it’s pizza and a movie, Saturdays are field trips to museums, parks, zoos, etc. Sunday nights you get a sitter and go hang with your buddies.
■Volunteer at the family support group. Helping other at-home dads will do you and them a world of good. You may also get a line on some terrific babysitters.

■Help her celebrate. There’s an excellent chance that your wife’s going to miss some major holidays. So as the big days approach, grab your camera. Take pictures of the kids’ special school projects. If you’re making something at home, film that too. If possible, include the finished product in your next care package along with any holiday-related paraphernalia you can stuff in—a mini Christmas tree, Hanukkah candles, a Halloween costume, or whatever.

■In 2008, when Air Force doctor Ginger Bohl’s son was six months old, she was deployed to Afghanistan. Not one to let little things like war, 8,000 miles, and ten time zones get in her way, Ginger took along a breast pump, and every other week couriered home 30-40 pounds of frozen breastmilk. Bohl’s husband then filled the cooler up with goodies and sent it back. The customs guys in New York initially thought the Bohls were running some kind of elaborate smuggling ring. Clearly, this approach isn’t for everyone, but it just goes to show how far people will go to stay connected with their family.

Personal:
1. Representatives Name: Monica Blumberg
2. Experience in Military: Wife of CPT Blumberg (4yrs) FRSA 63D Explosive Ordnance Disposal (2yrs)
3. Their Home State: Florida (GO GATORS!)
4. Other locations they’ve lived: Camp Walker, South Korea Fort Gordon, Ga and now Fort Drum, NY
Civilian areas; San Fransisco, Charleston, Flagstaff, Gainesville, Ft. Lauderdale, and Panama Central America

General:
1. Post Name: Fort Drum
2. Post Location: Upstate NY
3. Major Units/What Post is “known for” (ie basic training, AIT, MP Headquarters etc): Light Infantry
4. Name of Surrounding Cities: Watertown
5. Closest MAJOR City: Syracuse, Lake Placid, Kingston Canada
6. How long have you been there? 1yr
7. What is housing like – on post/off post? (tell us about rental conditions, buying/selling, privatized or DoD housing – interesting policies etc): Most housing on post is new, but there are plenty of older homes. The wait is 12-18 months for on-post housing,which forces people to look out side of post for rentals and homes for sale. Both off post homes and rental leave a lot to be desired. Many homes are 70-100 years old. There is plenty of charm, but a lot of issues.
8. Rate the PX: 9
9. Rate the Commissary: 9
10. Rate MWR/ACS: 7
11. Active Spouse Club? The Enlisted Spouse club is very effective at recruits, but after emailing the Officer Spouse club several times when we first arrived, and not being contacted back I can tell they need some work.

Surrounding Area:
Note: In the following three please list annual events as well as things going on now…
1. Things to do ON POST: Gym, crafts, bowling, fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, dog parks, water play park, snow shoe, cross country ski, and snowmobile
2. Things to do in CITY AROUND POST: movies, putt putt, go karts, golf, beaches (lakes), comedy night in Sackets Harbor, bars, restaurants, snow board, hike, kayak, white water rafting, and wine tasting.
3. Things to do in MAJOR CITY OUTSIDE OF POST: Syracuse – huge mall, food, shop, bars, concerts, college basketball and airport
Kingston- historic sites, shopping, food, concerts, and bars
4. Major SPORTING, THEATRE, or CONCERT activities? University of Syracuse as a lot of sporting events. Concerts are always happening in Cuse or in Canada. New York City is 6 hrs away

Education/Out and About:
1. School System (how many districts, DOD schools, what are they like etc): We have several schools in the area Carthage, Blackriver, Philidelphia, and Watertown. I do not have children, but have hear that Blackriver and Carthage have the best schools in the area.
2. Area Colleges? Jefferson County Community College in Watertown.
3. Favorite Restaurants: Ruyi Japanese Steak House in Watertown
Stephano’s Pizzeria in Carthage
Tin Pan Galley in Sackets Harbor
4. Favorite Shopping (note: lack of shopping) The local Salmon Run Mall leaves a lot to be desired; however, Carousel Mall in Syracuse offers several stories of shopping include Pottery Barn, J Crew, Coach, Banana Republic, and Macy’s
5. Job Market Slim to none. This is an area that is strapped for cash. The Miilitary post is the only money pumper, so be prepared to compete with the locals for jobs.

Other Information:
1. Best aspect of the post (of the city surrounding?) There are a lot of wineries. If you like the outdoors, this is the post for you. it’s beautiful in spring and summer. Perfect temps, beautiful flowers, lots to do.
2. Worst aspect? Winter! 5 months of hell! It’s no fun having to shovel snow 3x a day.
3. Local websites – post website or MWR website post website or MWR website drum.army.mil
4. Weather: Spring and summer are awesome. Fall offers gorgeous leaf changing. Winter starts in October with temps in the 50-40′s. January-March is the worst of it.

There are signs.

Sign #1: You just don’t feel the love from your chain of command, whether they wear uniforms or suits. No matter how long you work with an organization, you never tire of feeling that you are a valued employee. You want to be appreciated for your hard work whether you are a lowly minion, a leader of the universe or breathe air somewhere in between.

When those who rate you no longer seem to be that into you, it should be major wake up call. Investigate the situation.

If you screwed up, admit it and atone for your sins.

If you’re being railroaded for some reason, confront the source and work towards conflict resolution.

In the course of repairs, keep your integrity about you at all times. It may be the parting impression you leave if the situation turns out to be professionally damning on a monumental scale and you need to move on to greener pastures.

Sign # 2: Going to work is starting to feel a lot like going to the Marathon Man dentist for a root canal sans painkillers.

Unlike Dustin Hoffman in the 1976 classic drama about a graduate history student caught in the middle of an international conspiracy, you know the answer to the question “is it safe?”

The answer is no. It is not safe. It is not safe coming to work day in and day out when you don’t like your job or the people with whom you work. It is unhealthy emotionally, physically and mentally. If no amount of brushing or flossing can help alleviate the pain, it might be time for you to move on to greener pastures.

Sign #3: There is nowhere else to go within the organization. Perhaps you have climbed the highest peak of that proverbial mountain range or the mountain range turned out to be a bare, dry, rattlesnake infested desert instead. Either way, you can’t move up because up simply doesn’t exist. The next stripe, bar or star is unattainable. Like it or not, up is your destination. Now may be time for you to move on to greener pastures.

Sign #4: You don’t believe in the basic mission anymore.

Life is too short to spend it doing something that doesn’t matter to you. Put it on a t-shirt or a post-it note on your desk. It’s true and it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of it occasionally.

It’s bad enough that a significant portion of your life is spent slaving away for a paycheck and dreaming of an eventual retirement. Your working hours, for better or worse, should matter to you. When you no longer buy into your organization’s basic mission on some personal or professional level, it may be time to move on to greener pastures.

Sign #5: You don’t have a choice in the matter. The powers to be in your military life have told you the jig is up and there are no other uniformed options for whatever reason. What matters most now is what you do next as you seek greener pastures.

Sign #6: You’ve done it all. Twice. You might love your job and know it inside, outside and upside down. You may be the ultimate go-to guy with all the answers to any question imaginable. If spinning the same wheels over and over again works for you, great. Keep at it Sparky. The world needs guys like you, too. If you are tired of feeling like a competent hamster, however, it might be time for you to move on to greener pastures.

Sign #7: Your gut is telling you to do it. There’s no denying the gut. If it is telling you to move on to greener pastures, on you must go as gracefully as possible. Reasons why are unimportant.