Milspouse Friday Fill-in: Revisions Edition

I am busy working on publication revisions. I swear it's all I do. My 6 page paper has become a 27 pg paper +figures and tables. The good news is that I think the end is in sight.

I am taking a break from checking to make sure all of my in-text citations match with references in the reference list.

The job is going well. I can't complain. I am doing a lot of writing there as well, so I feel like all I do is write.

As always, my break is Milspouse Friday Fill-in provided by Wife of a Sailor:

1. My plans for this weekend include doing revisions for my publication_, but what I’d really like to do is swim. There is a Clostoridium outbreak being transmitted through local pools, so I will skip it. Sigh.
   Instead, I am going to go meet my friend's horses.
   
2. I consider the Labor Day holiday to be a real treat. I get the day off work and the students leave town in droves, which means I can work on my research in peace and quiet.
   
3. My favorite meal for cookouts is Mojito Steak, but my idk, vegan friends wouldn’t agree. I'm reaching here. Everyone loves local grass-fed organic marinated Mojito steak.
   
4. So far, my favorite part of summer has been spending more time with my friend Dirty D. She's awesome. She made me breakfast on Sunday.
   Other than that, the heat and my work schedule has sucked away the summer without anything really good happening. Where did my summer go?
   
5. When it comes to deployments, my philosophy is big girl panties are highly over-rated.
   Look. You do have to find a way to function, but the whole "big girl panties" phrase is overused and implies that one is being childish if they aren't able to cope well. This both serves to devalue spouses who struggle and alienate them from the community. As a result, spouses who need help may be less likely to seek the help they need for fear of being alienated further at a time when they need help.
   
   
   I believe that you need to find positive ways to cope and use every resource at your disposal. On the most minimal level, for me, this means doing something little for myself everyday. Yesterday, to celebrate finishing a draft of my paper, I bought myself a new tinted lip balm. I thoroughly enjoyed wearing it today (so this was a multi-day treat). Hanging with friends helps, but may not be enough. If you are feeling overwhelmed, get help...early. Seeing a therapist doesn't mean you're nuts or unable to cope. It means you realize you need a venue to help you discuss and gain insight into how to best approach the situation you're in. That's a HEALTHY move.
   
   
   Finally, as I told my friend whose husband deployed this week. If you must go with the whole "big girl panties" analogy, at least pull out your big girl bikinis. If nothing else goes right, at least your ass will look hot. That might be enough of a bonus to get you through the day.