From Flintstone Flats to Five-Star Fab.

Skype has saved my life! I've thought a lot about how my grandparents made it through years of war without seeing their loved ones and were only able to communicate through letters weeks or months at a time. Technology and a fairly quick USPS service has allowed me to
send care packages, letters, emails, and have Skype dates with my husband while he's halfway across the world, and it has been what's made this experience much easier to handle.


One of the nice things about Skype is that Mason and I can "share" each others computer screens so he can let me view his computer and show me a slide show of pictures that he's taken while he's been out of town. Which leads me to the message of this post. For awhile now Mason has been living in Flintstone houses with three other guys. Nicer than a tent, but not quite base housing standards. Alas, there is a common living room area, two bedrooms (2 guys to a room), 1 bathroom (yuck), kitchen, and laundry room. Pretty decent accommodations all things considered. Mason wasn't a huge fan of having a roommate, especially one who was on a different work schedule at times, but who could blame him when his roommate at home is pretty much perfection. ;) At times it was funny talking to Mason because they keep the windows closed and sometimes boarded up for various weather drills, so it sometimes felt like he was talking from inside a shower curtain or something.

Recently, they were relocated to downtown.  Let's just say a five-stars downtown is quite a step-up from Flintstone Flats. Mason said the hotel room (which he has to himself) reminds him of our Japan trip, there's even a bidet in the bathroom. We got to Skype for a long time yesterday (after they finally got internet in their rooms) in which I made several jokes about five-star hotel living...unfortunately my attempts at sarcasm were not challenged. For instance,
Me: Oh, you probably have a phone in your bathroom...
Mason: "Well, actually there is." and
Me: Why aren't you sitting out on your balcony
Mason: I wouldn't be able to hear you out there.
Me: Oh, there's really a balcony...

It's not like I'm a little jealous or anything. :) I'm glad he is getting to enjoy a different part of town, a room to himself, balcony with an ocean view, oh yeah and maid service (although they did have this in Flintstone Flats too). He seems to be enjoying daily Thai food versus chow hall fare, but I'm sure he's yearning for our nice Louisiana view, or am I just making that up?