Your questions answered.

Here we go. My responses. Hopefully, they are somewhat interesting!

1. Why do you call your husband CPT Dick? You mean, besides the fact that he is so good at being one? Or are you hoping that it's because he's gifted in the down there department? (And I'm not telling on that one). Really, it's just one of those stories. A few years ago, we went to a wedding. The groom's drunk uncle, for whatever reason, was convinced that my husband's name was Dick. And he kept seeking him out and saying, "You know, Dick..." and spouting off his opinions of the administration and the war. It just became funny. And when we went out other places later, I'd just start walking up to him and saying, "You know, Dick..." and we'd laugh. When I started to think about what to call him on this site, that story just came to mind. And, oh, I have to say, I find it so much funnier with the CPT in front of it (but not quite as funny as I'll find it when he makes MAJ).
2. Where do you live? Germany. We've been stationed over here, at different kasernes, for several years.
3. Are you really a writer? I guess so. That is how I'm making my living these days. But I don't blame you for doubting me. I find it kind of funny myself.
4. You mentioned in an earlier post your former life as a grad student. What did you study? And, what was your concentration? I studied neuroscience and cognitive science. I concentrated in human/computer interaction. I never finished my PhD, though. After a few years in, I realized that though I love learning, academia is not the place for me long-term.
5. How did you become a freelance writer and how does that work for you? What do you write about? Getting to writing for an actual living was kind of a fluke. After I turned down a job opportunity over here because of my pregnancy, I was feeling a little lost. I'd never not worked before (at least not by my own choice) and I was getting more than a little stir-crazy. I generally journal during those kind of manic times and thought that there might be some essay fodder in there. The fabulous Jody Mace, the kind of writer I'd like to be when I grow up, kindly shared the name of an editor for a small paper in the South that published essays. I sent them one. They accepted it. And it was never that easy again. But I kept at it. I didn't think it would be a full-time gig but I did enjoy writing essays. So, I tried to learn everything I could about the business by getting involved with freelance writing groups, services and forums and reading fabulous books like The Renegade Writer and Six Figure Freelancing. As for how it works for me, it's just about perfect for my life right now. It's a job where I can be creative, work from home and technically be a stay-at-home Mom and still feel like I'm contributing to the Gross National Product. I generally cover parenting, healthcare and neuroscience topics. And then, of course, when I can think of something brilliant, I write personal essays in the creative non-fiction vein.
6. Does your husband know about your blog? Yes, he does. He's never really read it except once when I had a draft post open and he saw that I referred to him as CPT Dick. He suggested another name that sat better with him - Conan the Love Warrior. He then wanted to switch it up to Conan the Love God. I tried to accomodate his request but just couldn't do it. So, the short answer is that yes, he knows and isn't really interested in hearing me talk crazy on the Internet. After all, he gets to hear me talk crazy every single day.
7. Do any wives from your unit know about your blog? Yes and no. Some of them know that I do blog anonymously. I highly recommend it as a venting tool. But most of them aren't all that computer savvy (at least that they've admitted) and none of them have been interested enough to ask for the URL.
8. How do you deal with the FRG? Honestly? Some days I really do wonder. But what I try to do is be honest with people about what I can and cannot do and what is important to me. And my son's care and my work is important to me. And then I put in time where it fits. Like, I may not be your bake sale girl unless you want burned brownies but I can design and print you out some flyers for the event right quick. Computer stuff is easy for me and easy to fit in to my schedule. And that is what works without driving me crazy. As for dealing with the FRG during deployment, I guess you need to remember that you get what you give. The FRG is going to be much more adept at helping you if you hit some problem if they know who you are. Offering to help in little ways -- making some phone calls, doing those flyers, proofreading the newsletter -- might not take as much time as you think and can help get you in the know. And believe me, when your husband is gone and you haven't heard dick in three weeks, you are going to want to be in the know when you can be.
9. How do you feel about the way congress is handling spending appropriations for the troops? In particular, spending with a hard withdrawal date? Well, honestly, I don't blame Congress for trying. They are dealing with an executive that doesn't want to budge and are using the means that they have at their disposal to represent their constituents' interests. With that being said, I don't think it's the best option. The message I'd send to both the Bush Administration and the Democrats fighting so hard for a time limit is that military leadership should be making the military decisions in a war. But neither of them would listen to me anyway.
10. Did you ever read the Sunday List of Dreams? No. I'll have to check it out!
11. And, for the clincher, where did your friends buy the 24-inch black rubber dildo that you mentioned on SpouseBUZZ? At a store in Atlanta called Inserection. My friend went in there to buy some penis ice cube trays and party hats and walked out with a horse dildo. Just goes to show you never can tell what you might find on sale.