The return of the son...

Andreas has been gone for 3 weeks now. It is strange not to have him around - I often think of something I want to tell him, and then I remember, that he is in Høvelte.

I buy a lot less food, and I have quite a lot less to wash, when he is not here. One adult less in the household - that shows.

...I have to admit that I miss him a bit. I know it's silly, and I always swore NOT to be that sentimental mother whining over her children growing up and moving out. Part of me finds it very nice - not because I particularly want him out of here, but because it is the natural way - a sign, that he has come succesfully out of childhood and is now a functioning adult.

I picked up him and Kristina at the train station yesterday. Kristina has a good friend - Lykke - who is dating Kristian, one of Andreas' best friends. Kristian is also at the queens guard at the moment.

This is NOT a coincidence - Lykke successfully hooked up Andreas and Kristina!

So Kristina got a ride with Lykke to the train station, where they were to pick up their soldier boys. I met the girls on the platform, and we hadn't waited for many minutes before the train arrived - on time!

The boys have now shown, that they can carry their uniform, and is allowed to wear it on leave.
I hardly recognized the lad, he did look snappy....



And yes - the picture tells the truth, he is tired. It's rough in there. You have to get up early, figure out a complex system, and listen avertly. He says, that if you listen well, and take things face value - never just guesses that its probably like this or that, but always asks for permission - then it's not that difficult.

Unfortunately not all of his comrades have figured this out, and the use collective punishment a lot, so they have had a lot of extra room controls etc.

Swapping of equipment is planned elaborately - so it's not in a central depot, but a lot of different places they have to go. And the place where they swap their laundry for clean clothes is only open ½ hour early in the morning, where they also have to clean up their room and eat breakfast. This means that he doesn't always get around to getting clean clothes, but relies on his mothers good will on the weekend! I can't believe, I am doing laundry for the Queen - I ought to bill her!



My clothesline does look a bit green...

By the way, he was actually quite lucky this week. A bunch of guys decided to hit the bars on thursday night, but Andreas decided to stay home. Lucky for him! The other guys got in a huge fight with some immigrants, and one guy was kicked and beat really badly - his front teeth are history along with his spleen, and he is now hospitalized.
Almost all the Guards were involved in the fight - even Kristian got a blow from someone.

All in all he is in good spirits, though. But he thinks it is nice to be home on the weekend. His mother cooks with REAL VEGGIES - not the frozen kind, boilt to death. He claims to be in a state of malnourishment after 5 days over there :-)

He is looking forward to the Rex exercise. It is the final trial, that they go on, and after that they get a Rex-badge and go on Guard Duty.

And I get to go take pictures of my son wearing blue and a bearskin hat.
THAT will be something!!!