Day 52

I woke up. I brewed my Italian espresso with the pot Dorothy sent me. I had a bowl of cereal and 2 hard-boiled eggs. I went to the office. I ate some Twizzlers. I made up another chilled bottle of Starbucks Iced Via. I spent a few hours catching up on e-mails. I crammed down a less-than-enjoyable lunch. I chatted online with a good friend who is also serving in another part of the world. I went to a meeting. I received a few care packages. (THANK YOU!!!!) I headed back to my room around 5pm. Sorry, but that was my day and I'm not happy!

OK, so I am way more in the dumps today than I was yesterday but I will shine the light on one very bright spot. I got to talk to both Tin Man and Scarecrow before they got on the bus this morning. I was chatting with them online and told them I'd call as soon as they were ready to board the bus. They got ready in record time! So, I got some "alone time" with them both and it was GREAT. Scarecrow has really been in the dumps lately so I hoped she would be happy this time. The first thing was to tell her to go somewhere where Tin Man would leave her alone so we could talk. It was priceless time.  The second time I smiled was when good friend who is also serving in a different part of the world posted something really funny online and it made me laugh out loud. I told her that if she keeps that up, SHE is going to be due a hug when I get home! Smiles are important over here! They are not easy to come by!

So there you have it...the shortest post in 52 days. I'm so glad May is over now. Now to crank out 30 days in June. One request: please go faster than May.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 51

Memorial Day 2011...it was a day that started so-so but ended fabulous. This morning, I awoke to hear that my 7am flight was being delayed. The destination airport at Theme Park #1 was closed for a Ramp Ceremony. That's code for someone died and ceremonies were taking place on the flight line to send their body or bodies home. I had heard about this suicide bomber attack a few days back and this was the result of that. So, I headed out and laid in the sun for nearly 3 hours with a few soldiers from Finland nearby. While out there, I thought that some Zac Brown Band sounded really good so I turned some on. Right around the third song, it stopped. I looked down and here's what I saw (see right). So, for all you iPhone owners out there, it IS possible to overheat your iPhone! HA! Anyway, 3 different helicopters came and went before we caught the 4th one. We had to wait because a big Army unit had priority. Eventually...about 4 hours later, we hopped on the helo and headed on back. Once back, we scrambled back to the German dining facility for a quick lunch. I had serbian meat rice. It was really good! The Germans know how to run a international dining facility. I was eating with Hungarians, Croatians, Americans, and Germans. Flags from these countries and about 10 others stretched across the room. Here, you couldn't tell it was Memorial Day...they had no clue. So far, nothing felt like Memorial Day, yet. Back home, everyone still slept.

I got back to the terminal and boarded a tiny, TINY jet to head back to WDW where my room, gear, and office awaited. I have to say....I am very thankful for the connectivity I have back at WDW. I am fortunate that much of my time is behind a computer with reliable internet access. Being on the road...or in the air...or in the sand where the infrastructure simply doesn't exist, made me really appreciate what I have back here. The flight was uneventful except for our approach into WDW. That was the scariest descent ever and the smallest plane I'd ever been on. That plane was rarely straight ahead...even as we began to touch down. I was so happy to finally have that over with. Luckily, the little bear was with me. Here it is, high over the mountains. :-) Still hasn't left my side...and won't!

After landing, I heard music playing nearby and sure enough, an Army band (picture a barbershop quartet lineup and sound) was playing patriotic tunes next door at the USO and they were grilling brats, chicken and serving some wanna-be beer. I tried the German variety...not so bad! I hung out for about 45min to an hour and just relaxed. The band was excellent and it was great to see folks having a good time on this day. After that, I hauled all of my gear several blocks back to the office. Drenched in sweat by the time I got there, I crashed in my chair and of course, immediately started uploading photos!  I started the upload then zipped over to the laundry drop-off to pick up my laundry from last week. I was totally out of anything clean so this was a priority. Once back in the office, I got all of my photos uploaded, a video of the band on YouTube, and headed on back to my room. Been there ever since!

Back at home today was our small town parade. My home town has less than 8,000 people in it and this parade brings out the most people each year and the forecast was fantastic. Throughout the parade, I had multiple people, including Dorothy, sending me photos. It was almost like I was there!  My parents own a local business and they decorated his truck in red/white/blue and the whole family threw candy throughout the parade. The best part? They put a banner alongside the bed of the truck honoring all veterans and naming me and that I was serving in "Oz." They won first place!!!!  I have to say...they really did awesome and it meant the world to me. If you're friends with me on our favorite social network, you've gotta check out my Memorial Day 2011 album. They did such a super job! The album is a collection of all the photos they were texting me during the parade. Thanks to you all!!!!

My girls also got their 2nd set of DVDs, courtesy of the United through Reading program and the USO. I hope they like their new books. Have you picked up yet how often I benefit, courtesy of the USO? They are such a great organization who does so much for our troops. If you ever have the chance to support them, please do! Today, them and Dorothy are at Dorothy's parents' home for a cookout. Yesterday, the cookout was at my parents' home.

So while you all are at the lake, having a cookout, or just chillaxing at home, it's bedtime here. Back to the grind tomorrow. Here's to the end of May and the beginning of June in another day or so. One month closer to home. One thing I can say after my trip to three different "theme parks"...I'm perfectly fine never leaving WDW again until it's time to hop back on the Yellow Brick Road. It may get a bit monotonous here but I do feel safer here. I'm not sure if I'll be able to avoid future travel but I certainly won't be seeking it out.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 50

50 days done! Another milestone, I suppose. But, let me set the stage for you so you can try and picture from where I'm typing tonight.  I'm in a plywood cubby hole. This cubby hole is about one of twenty in a small tent where the air conditioning is struggling to blow warm air. I'm hot, I'm exhausted, and sweat is dripping down my chest and back, from within my 2 layers of uniform. The girl next to me is clearly trying to Skype with her parents but due to the large quantity of people in this tent and the fact we are in the middle of nowhere, all I hear is: "Hello? Hello? Mom! Hello? Hello? Dad!"  Anyway, it took nearly 10 minutes JUST to log into Blogger and I have a 30min limit on this machine so here's to blazing fast fingers tonight.  So here it goes...and it needs to be fast because I am a bit cranky...and tired. :-)

First off, let's back up to last night when I said "Goodnight." I headed on back to that partially full 500-man tent. That tent was jam-packed now. Turns out, 150 soldiers showed up yesterday and a lot of their gear was on my rack. I made my presence known...quietly...and went to take a shower and when I returned...it was gone. To the showers...there were 10 conex boxes (metal rectagular boxes like you see on semi's) that inside, are toilets, sinks, and showers. That's totally normal over here and where I'll shower in a bit tonight. Well, with this huge influx of soldiers, the base executed poor-planning 101 and 7 of the 10 were out of order and/or water. Not good. So, I stood outside for a shower and when I did get one, it was a nasty mess in there. I got my shower done as quick as possible and returned to my rack. Outside, obviously someone ticked off the Sergeant Major because about 10 soldiers were doing pushups in their body armor in the black of night. Anyway, I finally got situated and somehow fell asleep...those soldiers still had the lights on and were being...well...you 18-19 year-old soldiers. I started counting down from 100.....about 10 times....

Good morning! We had to get up around 5am because at 6, we needed to head back out to the flight line. Yep, another flight. This time, we were heading west in Oz to Theme Park #2...via helicopter this time. Canada runs flights called "Molson Air" so that was our ride. About 15min later, we touched down in Theme Park #2. It was around this time that some disturbing texts started coming in to my phone. I hadn't seen the news but apparently, some suicide bomber hit again and my family was worried. I hadn't heard about it so I had no idea. I sent a text to Dorothy to let everyone know I was fine and had arrived at my next destination. The morning was filled with a lot of education about the whole operation in this part of the country. I was amazed at what I did NOT know. It was very eye-opening. After a few briefs, we were taken out and shown the very new "theme park."  I won't bore you with the rest of the day here. Mid-afternoon, we took another Molson Air flight to "theme park #3" where I'm at now. This place is tiny...super tiny. Maybe a mile around. It's paired up next door to the "Oz National Army."  (hehehehe) On the way in, right after I hopped off the helicopter, I stopped for a quick photo op with a very young soldier. It will probably be one of my best photos of my entire deployment because of what it represents. We, as a united fighting force here in Oz, are going through great lengths to build a relationship with this Army, train them up, and turn the security of their country back over to them. Standing side by side one of them was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  If you're on Facebook, I hope to have this photo up in about 24 hours. Of course, it won't be here since then, I wouldn't be anonymous, now would I?!?! Anyway, I stopped and talked to the soldiers standing the gate watch then I made my way into the base.  After getting situated, we made our way over to the bazaar where shockingly, they were selling rugs! Go figure! I did walk in one vendor who was selling paintings. I was tempted, I must admit. There was this one watercolor on canvas that looked just like those mountains outside my main base. He wanted 80 dollars...I passed. "I'm going to keep looking," I decided.

Dinner..editing photos from today on my computer where they are trapped...and now I'm here...talking to you. Back in Kansas, everyone is showing up at my parents for the pre-Memorial Day cookout. Oh, how I wish I was home with everyone. I am finding now...for sure...Sundays are my hardest days. Sundays are typically slower than others and it's the day back home where we lazily wake up, lazily have breakfast, go to church together, and just spend quality time with each other. Dorothy and I never work Sundays so it's always ours. So, my mind goes there in a major way and at times, I get pretty down-in-the-dumps...I won't lie. I really, really, REALLY miss them.  No doubt, today is the toughest day of the week.  Luckily, my girls' bear still sits all snuggled up in my pocket.  I still am carrying it and will NOT stop. I don't know how some people do so many deployments. I also don't understand how some people don't communicate with home hardly at all when they can. For me, when I get to each "theme park," one of my top unspoken priorities is to know where the tent is that has the computers in it. Other folks...well, they couldn't care less.

To you all, please have a wonderful Memorial Day. If you have a flag pole, proper etiquette on this day is to lower it to half-staff at sunrise, then raise it to full staff at Noon. Tomorrow is the day we honor those who have left us and have served our country. Honor them. Better yet, be different and fly your flag 365 days a year. Every time you look at it, you'll be reminded of those serving while you rest in freedom.  I will never look at freedom the same way again after being over here.  I cherish it so much and will never, ever take for granted what I have...because so many others...thousands upon thousands...have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Goodnight, everyone, and Happy Memorial Day.

Day 49

Yea, I think I got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night. Why? Well, I had a 2:30am wake-up call and had to be at the PAX Terminal on base (the "airport" here) by 3:45am for a 6:45am (local) flight to my first "theme park"! Don't you love how you find out about these things AFTER they happen?! Well, I was up on schedule, my body armor ready for the trip and little else in my flight bag. For some reason, they insist we get to the terminal 3 hours before flight time which is ridiculous. They call the 3:45am time "Show Time." Yea...show up and wait is more like it. Anyway, my flight was uneventful but beautiful, too. We flew over mountain peaks that were 12,000 feet high and at the closest point, were only 2,000 feet above the highest peak...according to the pilot. Snowcapped and jagged are perfect ways to describe it. As I snapped multitudes of pics, we eventually came across the northern ridge and everything turned to desert and zero color. Below were "houses"...over here in Oz, they have nothing and their houses are made from dirt and mud. What an amazing view to see it from above. Not a lick of green anywhere to be seen. It is extremely arid here and very little grows at all. No electricity, no running water...nothing. Oz is a very poor country.

After we landed, we quickly learned that at this particular "theme park," the Germans own it. When the U.S. first entered this country, the Germans took this part and we sign agreements with them to use it. There is a German side to it and a U.S. side to it. Hands down, the German side is much nicer. They have decent housing, a local bazaar, a super nice dining facility, and asphalt roads. The U.S. part? Well, lots of gravel and dust and nothing but tents. In fact, I'm sleeping in a tent with about 500 other soldiers tonight. Not exactly my private accommodations like back at WDW! That's OK...it's good for me to see how others are living out here on the outskirts. It's a soft bed, I brought my sleeping bag, and the USO here on this installation is providing some free internet...thus the way I am blogging this evening. THANK YOU, USO!!!!

So today, we sat down and met with key leadership who are running the northern part of the country in terms of vehicle maintenance/repair, supply logistics, and construction. I am involved in all of those areas in some way and/or can help them when the pipeline gets clogged and they need assistance. In the end, it's all about building relationships, putting a face to an e-mail, and seeing how I can help them. One person was kind enough to take us on a round-about tour of the entire compound. It really was great and much appreciated.

Tonight, my two colleagues and I headed back over to the German side for some German pizza.  It was awesome...so very good to get some home-cooked food. Relaxed and very clean atmosphere and sharing the space with our German counterparts. Pretty darn cool. While I was waiting for the pizza to be done, I went rooftop and caught a photo of the range at sunset. Those tents you see are where everyone sleeps. Not a whole lot of color in the photo but nice, regardless.

Back here at the USO, I'm writing to you then heading on back to my tent, getting a shower then getting some shuteye. My eyes are burning from so little sleep last night.

I miss you all. Memorial Day is always a fun weekend of cookouts, friends, family, and my town's Memorial Day parade. I am really missing it!

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 48

48. I can't wait until I have 48 hours to leave Oz. Anyway...   :-)

Back home, I think I would've cut the grass today, I would've planned to not shave for 3 days, and I would've made sure the flag pole was ready to fly half-staff on Monday, Memorial Day. Today, though? It was like any other day but I spent most of it outside the office. After a morning brief I had to give my boss, myself and a few others headed to the other side the of base to meet with the commander of the support brigade here. They manage millions and millions of dollars worth of U.S. assets here. Just think armored vehicles and everything that goes into maintaining them. From a machine shop, painting, rebuilding them, testing them, crafting new parts from sheets of steel...just about anything, they can do it. We were briefed at their headquarters then got a personal tour from the commander himself. That was impressive! Oh, how I wish I could take pictures and show and tell you everything I saw and learned. Let's just say that the U.S. government has gone through HUGE strides to protect our warfighters and coalition partners from the enemy, namely from their most favorite weapons...RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) and roadside IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Amazing. After a lightning fast lunch that did nothing more for me than cure my hunger, I headed to another part of the base to talk about their relocation. This compound is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the first visit. Battle-damaged stuff comes here.  It's chopped up with plasma torches and sold as bulk metal to the local population by the pound...or kilogram. One thing shook me, though. While walking through their "junk" yard, there were several vehicles that were clearly hit by rockets or roadside bombs. Burnt...badly. It shook me because I know that fellow service-members were in them. I thought about it the rest of the day and into tonight. Ironically, it's Memorial Day weekend when we honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Once we got back, it was already approaching dinner time and we had barely enough time to brief our boss on the meeting and return some urgent e-mails.  For dinner? Some too-freakin'-spicy shrimp and rice.  Oh my...why can't they just cook it?! Mixed veggies and mashed potatoes rounded it out.

OK, I was thinking today about things that I've grown used to over here and thought I'd share them...thought you might be amused a bit. We'll see...

- Carrying a loaded weapon at all times except for sleeping and exercising.
- Sleeping one foot from that weapon...just in case
- Poking an 1/8" hole in the top of a 200ml carton of milk and gently squeezing it out into my Special K with dried berries every morning...often squirting myself and/or the table with said milk.
- Missing all of my favorite shows because all of the streaming websites (ie: NBC, Fox, Hulu) won't allow viewing outside the United States
- A horrible internet connection...but functional.
- Drinking about 6 bottled waters per day and knowing that around every turn, there are going to be stacked pallets of them for the taking...for free. I wonder if they'll notice at the store when I return home, walk in, and take one then walk out without paying. Don't they know I need to hydrate?
- Back to the water...dumping a Starbucks Iced Via packet in a nicely chilled one...nearly my favorite iced coffee from back home...minus the ice cubes and cinnamon dulce syrup. :-)
- Daily texts from some of my very best friends and family members
- Wearing the same thing for at least 14 hours per day, 7 days per week
- Not wearing any civilian clothes....ever.
- Waking up to head in each day while family/friends at home aren't in bed yet the night before
- Watching people wake up and "check in" on Facebook while my day is mid-afternoon
- Realizing my fast-paced walk is slow compared to the local "Oz" population
- The sun rising by 4am and setting before 7:30pm
- F-16s roaring to life EVERY night after sunset...parallel to where I sleep (good thing I'm a heavy sleeper)
- Enemy rocket attacks against the base after sunset (won't ever get used to this)
- Blogging every night without fail

Three things I'll never get used to: hearing the voice of Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow over the phone. That still gets me every time...especially when the girls speak those so very simple words to me: "Hi, Daddy."

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 47

Two weeks ago tonight, I landed in Oz aboard a giant C-17. Has it gone by fast? Uh...no. Definitely not. Has it been miserable? No, definitely not. I am making the very best of it so far but also take every imaginable opportunity to connect with home. We're all becoming a stronger family because of this, you know?

I think today really is going to be short...I've thought that many times and the opposite happened. I'm just absolutely pooped...less than 5hrs of sleep last night did me in. Thank goodness my care package from home showed up and I could brew my prized espresso this morning. Fresh Lavazza espresso...in the middle of Oz...who would've thought?! "Very thankful for that, My Love! Thank you!" I received a third care package today, too. This one from my youngest brother's family. Artwork from my niece and nephew, a LOT of red Twizzlers, some Tazo Passion tea, and a few other goodies...like more Starbucks VIA! At the office today, it was slow. It is very clear that our connection back in the States knows a 3-day weekend approaches as the e-mail inbox was not very populated at all this morning. Tomorrow should be even worse...or better, depending on how you look at it. I did show the new guy around a bit. He wanted to see the movies they sell for $3.00. You know that when something hits the screens in the U.S., it is sitting here for $3? Pirates of the Caribbean opened last Friday, right? It was there for 3 bucks. Pirated, I'm sure, but over here...no problemo! That's not even half the admission to a movie!

This evening, I hit the road. The wind really died down so my goal was to run the inside perimeter of the base. Great run, tonight! 9 miles in the bag and 17.1 since last night. It's about time I put some mileage in the books. Speaking of mileage, one of my most favorite 50K (31.2 miles) trail races back home which takes place in September has agreed to let me run it here and be considered an official finisher. It starts at 8am back in Kansas and I'll start here at 4:30pm...8 1/2 hour time change. Then, using my iPhone running app, I'll prove that I did the whole 31.2 miles. Pretty cool, eh? THANK YOU to my good friends/race directors for allowing this. I am most grateful! There is another one in July which was my first 50K about 4 years ago but I'm not sure I'll be ready yet...so it's penciled in. The race director also extended the same thing...official entry and finisher if I do it. I must have goals so this is awesome.

I'm going to close tonight with a short video. There is a program out there called "Operation Proper Exit." It takes soldiers who were badly injured in Iraq back to the exact spot where it happened...to tell their story and get closure on that event. Please take a moment to watch this...it's not long.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 46

It's hard to believe we're coming up on Day 50...only a few days away. Today was a back-flip from yesterday. Yesterday = crud. Today = pretty good. No overnight "alarm clocks"....ie: rocket attacks, so that's good. Got about 6 1/2 hours of sleep. Going to be a lot less tonight...about 5, but it's worth it. Again...gotta write!

The office was busy today. A new Air Force officer showed up who is relieving the other Air Force officer I've been writing about. The new one is a fitness freak...big into CrossFit. I've been thinking about CrossFit for quite a long time and am considering getting schooled by this guy a bit. However, my running is coming back to me finally which is my passion...not necessarily working out in a gym. I just like to run. We'll see how things progress. I had a good pile of e-mails to work on right away. My counterparts back in the States who work while we sleep are very good at sending us work which waits for us in the morning. Definitely makes it more difficult to communicate timely so shifting my work hours in the future is a possibility...but working 14-16 hours is not something I am wanting to do. Boundaries...remember? I have also learned that this "erector set" project is not necessarily a full time commitment. I already have a great handle on it and have made some great improvements. But, another sailor in our office is getting ready to depart and his relief just got canceled which creates a void in the office. His job is largely administrative. It involves a daily accounting of all personnel in the region, planning travel in/out of country and between "theme parks," handling everything "office" like our computer systems, etc. It is not an officer's job but I can take on the job and do my other function in parallel. I love to multi-task and love a challenge.  I expect this will be somewhat temporary until someone else shows up and I'll be pushed into another area of responsibility. That's good...anything that makes the days go by faster is good by me.

I also got to chat with Tin Man this afternoon online. She's a great typer so it was great to "talk" to her for a bit before she headed to school. I also checked in with Dorothy...Scarecrow was home sick again today. She couldn't even stay awake today...totally wiped out.

After about 11 hours in the office, I headed on back to my CHU and grabbed some dinner with my boss. Always great to have some alone time with him and chat about stuff. He's a seasoned, senior Army officer so it's a totally different perspective than what I'm used to in the Navy and I like to bounce ideas off of him and get some wisdom and guidance from him to make me better. Afterwards, some time watching some tube to let the food settle then it was treadmill time.

Treadmill...or dreadmill as I often say, is not my first choice...it's definitely my last choice. But, something is starting here in Oz which is called the "120 Days of Wind." It starts right around now. Wind, wind, wind and rarely a drop of rain...even though we can see the rain falling over the mountains...it's just so dry here it doesn't hit the ground. With all the dust and sand here, the wind churns it all up and running outside on a night like tonight...well, my lungs would be caked with that crud. No thanks. So, I put on my Vibram FiveFingers, grabbed my jukebox (my iPhone) and headed to the gym. Why didn't someone tell me to cover up the screen so I can't see the distance tick away at .01 mile at a time? SO much better when that's not in front of me. What IS in front of me is a beige-painted wall...about 3 feet in front of me. Great, huh? So, it was time for a mental invasion...I was going on a trail run...on one of my favorite sections of trail. Pine Lane Trailhead to Boston Store and back...

"I headed out from Pine Lane and down the gradual downhill and under the umbrella of pines which are there year-round. Gorgeous out, Spring springing and mud...lots of mud. The rain has been relentless. Down the stairs I went and curved to the right which led to a fast downhill and ducking under a fallen tree. I made the horseshoe turn to the left then followed the trail along the creek . Down and a quick up right before the always-covered mossy logs. Great picture spot any time of year. With all the rain, those logs were a bright green. Just past that was the water crossing. Oh yea...the ice water felt GREAT! Up over my ankles today with all the rain. Following the trail from the creek bed led me to the biggest climb on this section. I love taking pictures here in all seasons and today was no different. This climb is a great lung-burner. Once to the top, I headed on up to the short asphalt section to further connect to the trail. This section here is pretty easy as I approach the reason for the name...Pine Lane. At about 2 miles in, I took a sharp left in to the row of Pines and punishing roots. Punishing, that is, if you don't pick your feet up. This is a great section to eat root if you're not careful. After passing through, I headed down the steep hill and climbed over the guardrail then hung a left over the Turnpike. As I always do, I did my best to get a semi-driver to blast his horn at me...success!!! After the bridge, I ducked back down to the trail which gets super twisty from here on out. The challenging section is over but the trail remains gorgeous. At around a mile out from Boston Store, there are a series of switchbacks which lead down to a short bridge before heading right back up again. Once at the top, a beautiful view of the Valley over the Turnpike. After a quick pause to soak in the scenery, I headed on down the trail, eventually to a rapid descent and off the main trail. Some crushed limestone led me the final 1/2 mile to Boston Store where I got some water. 4.05 miles done. I turned around and headed on back. It was like running a different trail going back...always looks different from the other direction! At the end, it was a wrap at 8.1 miles for the day. Man, I love this trail. Fresh air, dirt/mud beneath my feet, cold water streams, birds singing, and the sun shining. It really doesn't get any better than this."

Yea, I was in la-la land on the treadmill...visualizing every step just like I wrote. The time flew by and great music helped. What is it about 80's hair band? Anyway, I ran my longest ever barefoot/Vibram FiveFingers at 8.1 miles in about 1hr, 13min, all at 1% incline. Great end to a pretty decent day. It's 12:15am here so time to call it a night.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 45

Not every day is a good one. Today is one of those days. It started off pretty good but after a 10am meeting that was completely worthless, I headed to lunch that was the worst lunch to date in my 45 days. Remember my MREs from back at combat training...remember "lean up against a rock or 'something?" I'd rather eat one of those pre-made meals then the garbage I had at lunch. I could hardly even see it because it was so dark in there. Perhaps, that wasn't on accident. After lunch, I got sucked into a 1pm meeting I didn't know about which lasted almost 2 1/2 hours. The good thing about this meeting is that I had the opportunity to stand up in front of a bunch of senior Army officers and state the shortcomings I found out about yesterday. They were like "deer in the headlights"...like they had no idea. So, I lifted the rock, showed what's underneath it, and now it's time to sit back and see what comes from it. What needs to be done is far higher than what my paygrade allows. :-)

After the meeting, I went and called Tin Man and Scarecrow. It had been too long since we last talked. They both are doing well, we talked about the DVD's I sent home for them and how they took "Flat Daddy" to school. Flat Daddy is the life-size, waist-up version of me in my Navy uniform...on cork board. From the pictures I've seen, it looked like fun. I asked Scarecrow about it and one thing was on her mind...and it was upsetting her...kids kept hitting it at school. That made me livid in a matter of seconds. Not that I care about the literal hitting, but I could hear the hurt in her voice. That was a big deal to take "me" to school that day. Well, that won't be happening again. "Flat Daddy, you stay home! You've done your time. Time for you to stay indoors and keep the family...and the cats company.  Afterwards, I stopped by the mail pickup and my day was made whole again. A care package waiting for me from Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow and it took only 5 days! Amazing! A couple of great things inside, one of which was my portable espresso pot. Back home, I brew Italian stovetop espresso every morning. Now, thanks to Dorothy, I can brew my Italian espresso again. Also, some running magazines, my Consumer Reports, some drawings from Tin Man and Scarecrow, deodorant, and something that is really special to me.

OK, it doesn't have to make sense to anyone but them...and me. They put this little bear in there. If you saw my girls at bedtime, you'd see lots of bears like this. They are special to them. On the shirt of this bear is an angel. I remember when this angel showed up at our house one day right before I left. It was given to them as a gift along with a note of encouragement about me leaving. Now, they sent that angel here...attached to a bear that I "know" means something to them. It's that...that conscious decision by them to send this bear to me which reaches in and grabs my heart. I hope they don't mind, but thanks to the Army providing me with big, fat pockets on my pants, this bear is going for a ride. Dorothy, please show Tin Man and Scarecrow today's post and this message: "Tin Man and Scarecrow, I promise to you both to carry this bear with me everywhere I go from now until I walk off the plane in Kansas. Ask me then and only then will I bring it back out. Until then, it is going with me as a reminder of you both. I love you and miss you both more than you know!"

In the evening and after another mediocre meal, I spent much of the evening in front of the computer reading about news back in Kansas where my community has turned it's back on the community by deciding yet again not support our school system. Prior to my journey here to Oz, I was heavily involved in that levy campaign so this official news that so much is being cut this fall is really tough to hear. Dorothy and I now have some tough decisions to make and once again, the "military spouse" is to be burdened more as I can only do so much from here. This is a prime example of feeling helpless to her back home and I hate it. Yea, hate is bad but it's how I feel. Dorothy is doing so much more than me. She really is. I have always said...always, that my service takes two people and I am but 50% of that singular service. She is doing it and doing it well. This is yet another thing that influences my constant thoughts about my future in the Navy after my deployment ends. I am not wired to be away from her like this. Back in my 20s, it was easier for some reason. No kids, she was in college...it was just different. There are people out here...voluntarily...on their FIFTH deployment and they're married. I just don't get it.  But Dorothy, she's rock hard, doing great and I'm proud of her. She knows this is temporary and is doing what needs to be done. She also has great support from family and friends and we are both very grateful for it all. We just need to buckle down and "git 'er done!"

Goodnight, everyone. I think I need to cuddle up with that bear. Today isn't ending so well and perhaps the bear will save the day.

Day 44

Still not used to waking up here and seeing people back home who still haven't gone to bed the night before. Gotta love the time difference. It'll get worse later this year when we fall back an hour in Kansas because here in Oz, there is no daylight savings time. I still look forward mid-afternoon when Dorothy tells me good morning. Daily contact, if even a two-word text, is super appreciated.

It was a pretty productive day today and started with the MOAC...Mother of all Coffees. 4 shots of espresso and their house blend coffee...in a 24oz cup. I kid you not...I broke out in a sweat after drinking that. Zing! Afterwards, I spent more time knocking on doors and asking lots of questions about the process used to order these "erector sets" from us. I picked up on a few things and am now on the hunt. I don't believe the proper vetting is being done and accountability measures are in place for some of our contractors here. More oversight is needed and I'm going to chase this to the ground. I enjoy all of it, I must admit. It's like unlocking door after door and learning something new each time which makes the picture on the puzzle all make sense. Tomorrow, much of what I did today should rise to the top and as always, more meetings to attend.

Monday is pizza day, too, at one of the dining facilities. Homemade dough the night before and awesome toppings today. Wow, I was impressed! Most food is far from impressive here but this pizza was awesome. I am trying to wrap my head around how these dining facilities operate. They have specials on different days of the week and aren't consistent among themselves. Luckily, those in my office have it down pat. For dinner, I stuck to hot mixed veggies, a salad, and a container of cranberry juice.

I did get out for 7 1/2 dusty miles tonight. So dang dusty. I feel I am finally getting my running legs back. I used to run 50-60 miles a week but over the past year, I've really fallen off the running-wagon and legs have fallen out of shape along with the rest of me. But, if I can continue this running regimen out here, I can get back on track. The dust is nauseating, though. One thing that did kick me out the door tonight was my Amphipod iPhone arm carrier showing up from Seattle, WA. It didn't shake, it didn't slip, and I was able to play my music through the iPhone speakers and could hear it loud and clear. It's forbidden to wear headphones and run here so this was awesome! Great run with Casting Crowns tonight! I was also able to use MapMyRun to track the run and mileage. You gotta love a phone that can use its internal GPS to do this stuff.

My first care package showed up today, too!!!  Surprisingly fast, too. It was mailed from Kansas back on May 16th so it only took one week to get here...much better than the 2 weeks told to me earlier. Lots of goodies inside including microwave popcorn. I could not wait to pop that tonight. I have been craving it so much! It was perfect, too...light butter and salt. So good to eat that just a few minutes ago. There were also lots of other things in there like Lifesavers Gummies which are currently screaming my name...I am very afraid of opening them because I lose my self control at the point. They are just way too good. Thanks to "J" and "M" for the package...so very appreciated! I'm thinking a few more are on the way from Kansas. :-)

Goodnight, everyone. (I'm opening the gummies...I just can't wait anymore.)

Day 43

10 hours of sleep? That's almost unbelievable but it's true. The true blessing of being told "we don't come in until Noon on Sunday" made my day. I woke up several times starting at 5:30am but forced myself back to sleep and didn't get up until 9am. I then took a shower and got back in bed and watched "We Were Soldiers." I will admit...I saw that movie through very different eyes now that I've been through Army combat training and work with overwhelmingly Army folks. It made much more sense to me. I've seen the movie twice before but it felt totally different this time around. The scenes where Mel Gibson's wife would receive telegrams of soldiers' deaths were tough, the prayer bedside with his kids right before he deployed to Vietnam felt awfully familiar. The homecoming at the end...oh yes, the homecoming. THAT, I cannot wait for.

At work, I dropped in an iced Starbucks VIA packet to a cold bottled water for my first java of the day. I still didn't make it to Green Beans for my MOAC. Perhaps tomorrow? We shall see. I have to get there early because no way am I going to take in that much espresso during the second half of the day. I do want to sleep at night. The Lieutenant Colonel (pronounced "kernel" for you non-military types) and I got together first thing to review the main spreadsheet I am using to track all "erector sets" from start to finish. I understood his vision for it and got to work. I really like working for him. We're a good match. Good thing, too, because he got here only 3 or so weeks ago which means our deployments nearly parallel each other. By 5:30pm, we were heading out, door locked behind us.

Before heading to dinner, another person in my office, an Air Force officer, said there was an area near our CHU's which gave a pretty good view of the mountains surrounding the base. Most views around the base are hindered by structures of some sort. It was a quick walk and the sun was starting to set behind the western mountainside. As it set, the breeze kicked up and it turned into a nice evening. I snapped photos ... many of them throughout our short stay out there. Amazing how gorgeous those mountains can be but at the same time, be the refuge for the insurgents who have sworn America as their enemy. One part of me wants to get outside the barbed wire and hike to the summit while the common-sense side knows I'd be shot on sight. Mr. High-n-Tight white American male doesn't exactly blend in out here. Still, they're beautiful to look at.

Some great conversation, too. Eventually, the conversation turned to money, finances, and then Dave Ramsey. Those who know my identity know my story..or might know my story with debt, our debt paydown, and becoming financially free. My peeps back in Kansas who I always talk to about this stuff aren't along for my little journey so it was good to talk money and finances again...especially with someone who gets it. Dorothy and I have ambitious goals for my deployment and we are 100% on track so far. I've always been the finance guy in the house so she had to step up and take it over while I'm gone. She's doing a fantastic job.

One thing I found I needed here was a way to protect my iPhone and carry it while I run, whether outside or on the treadmill. Amphipod, a company that a lot of runners know about that makes hydration systems also has some items for carrying things like iPhones whether on the waist or on the arm. I had one of those moments..."darn, I wish I would've thought of that before I left!" I really like taking my iPhone out on a run for a few reasons...if needed in an emergency, for photos if the opportunity presents itself, and for the MapMyRun app. Using GPS, it tracks my entire run with a laundry list of stats. I love it. So, I contacted Amphipod and they charge the same $4.95 shipping they would inside the U.S. to military members stationed ANYWHERE in the world. Plus, they give a 20% discount. No tax, either. Seriously, how can you beat that?! Plus, I love to patronize companies who support the military. Perhaps you would, too? Here what I ordered and should be arriving in about a week: ArmPod Smartview. For you local to where I live, a place with the initials "VR" carries them. :-)

Dang, I did so little today yet found a way to say so much. How does that always happen?! I thought today would be two short paragraphs and done. "Thank you, Diary, for listening to my thoughts today."

Busy week ahead! I taped months to each side of my monitor at the office today. From now on, I'm "X-ing" every day off as it passes. I want to see my "going home" date approach.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 42

Good news. No 3:30am wake-up calls last night. I did delay going to bed though which cost me sleep so I only ended up with 5 hours. More news, though, throughout Oz today in the Stars and Stripes newspaper.  You need not look further than the front page to get an idea of things going on. Click here to check it out briefly just for a summary. The "fighting season" is clearly in full gear.

Saturday, yes, but a work day nonetheless. After a busy morning in the office, I spent the afternoon feeling like a salesman. Armed with new "business cards," I started making my way around the base and meeting many of the players involved in my "erector sets." I am most interested in what happens when all the pieces/parts show up here at WDW. I have good tracking visibility but unsure about accountability of the material when it arrives. Millions of dollars worth of items need full accountability from start to finish. It helps when it's my tax dollars, too, paying for all this stuff. You can learn a whole lot more about the process by getting out, walking around, asking questions, and shaking hands vs. sitting behind a computer. Good time spent.

Dinner later...no workout...just chilling in my CHU. I did get good news from home today. I've been wanting to talk about this for the past two weeks but didn't want to spoil the surprise for Tin Man and Scarecrow. The USO has a program (see link on sidebar) on many programs called United through Reading. Basically, I was able to pick any new book off of their shelf that I think my girls would like. They are sold at a discount from the publishers and funded by non-profit organizations. Then, I went in a room alone and behind a camcorder. I read the first chapter in the book to them then took a few minutes to talk to them about whatever. That DVD is then sent home to Kansas along with the book. It's an awesome program and one that hardly anyone uses. Most have never heard of it but I'm spreading the word! I will try and do more of these. Today, the package arrived and the girls watched them...big hit! Thanks, USO!!!

It was a quiet Armed Forces Day. Another day, another day closer to home.  Bonus tomorrow...work day doesn't start until noon. I think it's time for my MOAC...Mother of all Coffees, from Green Beans.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 41

It was 3:30am. Back home in Kansas, I often got up at this time to brew my stovetop espresso, read e-mail, do the budget, then run from 4:30am to 5:30am. Here at WDW, I normally don't wake up until 5:30ish. Last night, though, I woke up at 3:30am and soon was sitting on my floor...waiting. More on that later.

After I got back to sleep around 4am, I got another hour and a half of sleep which capped off my longest night of sleep in a long time. Guess what? I was IN bed, TV off, lights out at 10pm last night! I had to make a real effort to do that and even better was that I got that run in, too. Great night sleep except for the one interruption. Overall, the day was good. My commander returned from his multi-"theme park" tour and landed mid-morning here at WDW. I could have really gotten a bad apple in a commander but I didn't. We hit it off from the beginning and I am looking forward to working with him. My sense is that he will task me and give me increasing responsibilities then stand back. He does not appear to be a micro-manager at all. He's the kind of leader that will hand me the rope and I can either climb it or hang myself. My choice. I plan to climb, by the way. :-) All in all, though, it was a quiet day. I see that Fridays are going to be this way. Hopefully, Saturdays are, too. However, should the need present itself, I'll work as long as I'm needed, no matter not. I'm not exactly an hourly worker, you know!

Tonight after dinner, I put on my Vibram FiveFingers again and headed on down to the (d)readmill.  I despise the dreadmill so I had to spice it up tonight. Sorry, Pastor Bill, no sermons tonight. I needed some driving music to get me through a challenging workout:

Mile 1: 9 min/mi @ 1% grade
Mile 2: 1st half mi 9min to 7min/mi, 2nd half mi 7min/mi at 2.5% grade
Mile 3: 1st/3rd qtr mi 15% grade, 3.7mph, 2nd/4th qtr mi 7.5% grade, 4mph
Mile 4: 8min/mi 2% grade
Mile 5 and 6: 8:30/mi at 2% grade

Max Heartrate achieved at 15% grade = 170bpm 

Afterwards, I did some lunges then headed out to the front picnic benches and Skyped with some friends and my parents. Cool, dry breeze tonight...felt good after a challenging workout.

Back to last night's "interruption": due to security concerns, I cannot talk about it even in extreme generalities. I will say this...I sat on my floor in my civilian t-shirt and shorts that I sleep in, but in my body armor and helmet. When things happen anywhere in Oz, different sirens sound and different announcements made. We follow those directions. It is NOT secret to say that Spring is the beginning of fighting season in Oz and it grows into Summer before dying off into the Fall. It is also not secret to say that the fight happens after the sun sets each day. All public knowledge. With that being said, the enemy is a very basic and cowardly one. They hide, they sneak, and they use primitive technology and old weapons. But, they can be effective. Things like washing machine timers are used to set bombs and rockets to go off at predetermined times as they flee to the hills and mountainside. They don't use laser-guided bombs...they simply aim in the general direction and let it go. Often, they fail. Sometimes, they succeed. When any kind of attempt is made whether successful or not, sirens sound and orders given. 'nuf said.

Many have heard the following Children's Prayer: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; if I die before I wake, I pray for Lord my soul to take." Or, a more recent variant: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; Guide and guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning's light." Millions of children say this prayer every evening as routine but rarely is there a fear of it coming true.

"Lord, please protect me. Lord, please protect those who surround me...both Americans and coalition partners alike. Make the enemy's weapons fail. Make them fall short. Make them malfunction. Lord, protect my brothers and sisters outside these concrete walls, give them peace, give them endurance, give them strength to stand up again an enemy who dares not show their face. May they succeed in their mission. May they return home soon. Lord, please put a hedge of protection around them and their families thousands of miles away and give them the same peace. Lord, please reveal yourself to me and to everyone in Oz who is putting their country ahead of themselves and Lord, please remind that country of its brothers and sisters who are doing so. Amen."

Goodnight, everyone. Don't forget, tomorrow is Armed Forces Day.

Day 40

Feels sorta like a milestone, I suppose. Four Zero Days Done. Today was also the 1 week mark since I arrived here via C-17. It feels way longer than that. I can't believe it's only been a week. Easily, it feels like 2-3 weeks done. 40 days down, "X" to go.

Not too bad of a day today. I did set some boundaries and as the clock approached 10 hours worked, I decided to cut loose since all the work I intended to get done was done. All in all, a very productive day and pushed the go button on a couple of major projects to go forward. It felt good doing that. I plan to get out a bit more tomorrow and shake more hands, bridge some relationships, and do some more local shopping!  I've got my eye on a camel blanket. It's made of camel hair, from right here in Oz. It's pretty big and looks very comfy for the wintertime. Dorothy gave me the green light so I'm thinking about going back and doing some negotiating. I also want to try this drink at Green Beans Coffee. It's called the MOAC...or "Mother of all Coffees." It's a giant 24oz cup, FOUR shots of espresso, and filled to the rim with their house blend coffee. Best to drink in the morning or just after lunch...but NOT before bed!  Holy moly, that will be like hooking up jumper cables to my nervous system.

After I called it a day, I decided to get a workout in. After I ran the half marathon a few days ago, I was coated head to toe in dust. It's very, very dry here so when you run outside, you don't get wet but you still sweat. As the clothing passes that sweat through, it captures all the dust in the air and by the time I finished that run, a nasty coating of dried dust was on every part of me. My shoes still have no color. So, I opted for the dreadmill but wore my Vibram FiveFingers tonight. A few songs, the Mother's Day sermon from my home church via Podcast, and 5 miles and I called it a night. The plan was to pump some iron but the gym was overpopulated so I showered up and headed to dinner. On the way back to my room, though, a group of local nationals were standing there and you should've seen the look on their faces as they stared at my feet. It's best to not engage them in conversation...they will NEVER understand!

At dinner, there was a cake being cut as if it were someone's birthday. As I drew closer, I read the sign explaining why the cake was there. One year ago today, this very base was attacked. The man killed that day worked in that very dining facility. He was heading out to the gate to escort workers in to the base for the dining facility. Of course, that attacker died at the same moment but still took a life. Since then, there hasn't been a direct attack on this base. There are the occasional "Incoming!" sirens but nothing ever comes from it. The cake was a somber reminder of where I am. As I ate, I read the military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, and caught up on local news. Local news is NOTHING like local news back in Kansas. It's about bombings, it's about death, it's about coalition forces' successes in the region, and in the back, some news from back home. It also has a section where it lists every single member who has given their life in the last week in Oz. Their name, command, hometown, and how they were killed. Today alone, four were listed. I'll be honest, it infuriates me to know that hardly anyone back home will ever know their names. Today's newspaper, the cake...it's real, folks. I am safe behind a 1' concrete wall that surrounds this base. Safe because soldiers are standing guard 24/7. Out there...far out there...in the mountains, my brothers and sisters and living upon the ground, taking showers with bottled water, and surely can't blog everyday. I don't EVER forget that...ever. I just keep reminding myself that I am serving them and that's enough motivation to get my job done.  Our nation's sons and daughters...fighting a world away and desperately wanting to come home. Remember them in your prayers tonight, will ya?  Thanks.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 39

Routine is good sometimes and other times, not so good. Last night, I should have been in bed by 10pm and gotten my first decent amount of sleep. However, the routine set over the past week since arriving in Oz kept me up until midnight, watching movies. Another 5 1/2 hours of sleep...let's see if we can change that tonight.

Today was a day of meetings. 8am, 9am, 10am and another one at 5pm with out partners back in the states. The 8 1/2 hour time change makes these conference calls a challenge. We're nearing "tracer burnout" and they're having their second cup of morning coffee. You military folks should get that "tracer burnout" comment. A senior Army officer said that in a meeting yesterday and it stuck...love it! Another one of my favorite Army quotes I've heard over the past week? "The juice isn't worth the squeeze."  In other words, is it really worth it? Love it. Nearly all of my meetings are with a round-table of senior Army and Air Force officers. Very, very rarely is there a Navy officer anywhere in the vicinity. Very rarely. I'm looking forward to tomorrow...only one meeting and for that one, I'm going to dial in to instead of attending. I'm quickly learning which meetings are worth attending, which ones I'll go to every once in awhile, and ones that are worthless to me. One thing I've learned is the very complex network of "theme parks" in Oz. I am blown away by how many are scattered out there. However, it's not all U.S. forces. There are many who are part of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) who include Romania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, South Korea, Turkey, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, and most members of the European Union and NATO also including Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Singapore. Amazing, huh? Sure, none have a presence like us but all have some stake in it...some more than others. Anyway, I wish I could take what I see and learn and spread it to the news media, friends, and family. Honestly, people have NO CLUE about what's going on. But how would they? Nothing is ever covered in the media unless something big happens. The complexity of our presence in Oz and what we're doing, in my opinion, is 99% unknown by the American public. Heck, most people think Oz is in the Middle East...it is not! Anyway...

After lunch, I swung by the embroidery shop where I ordered my "Don't Tread on Me" velcro flag to put on my uniform. The Army folks have command and combat patches but the Navy does not. The "Don't Tread on Me" has a deep history in the Navy and since 9/11, every Navy ship underway has it hoisted in the air. So finally, I got my flag and put it in the authorized location, right below my IR (infrared) flag on my right shoulder.

Later in the afternoon, I had my 5pm meeting which was another good exposure to learning about all the details of "erector sets" and the parties involved. I'm amazed at the coordination it takes to get these things produced and shipped internationally. By air, by sea (container ships), and by trucks in-country. The challenge to get things to Oz, a land-locked country, is immense and it takes international cooperation to make it all work. I'm certainly gaining confidence in my function here and am looking forward to being a catalyst for positive change going forward.

The best part of the day? I had a great, 20-30min call with Dorothy. If I closed my eyes, I could almost forget I was in Oz...just talking to her takes me home...if only for a few moments. I love you, Babe!!!

Don't forget! THIS Saturday is Armed Forces Day 2011! Need to find your flag, replace your flag, or get one for the first time? Now's the time! Memorial Day and Independence Day are just around the corner, too!

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 38

Short and simple today. Nothing at all happened that warrants much conversation. No phone calls home. No "firsts." It was a typical day here. I suppose the weather was a bit different.  The wind kicked up which made the mountains that surround us invisible because the wind brings all the sand into the air and reduces visibility to nothing. Bad taste in your mouth, too. Later in the day, we took a long walk to a bazaar on the outskirts of base to check out the offerings. Scarfs, wood carvings, local crafts...pretty nice stuff to start and learn about. Too bad the language barrier is strong. I think I need to learn some basic communication words like "Hello," "Goodbye," "Thank You, "Have a nice day," etc. I picked up a few small items for Tin Man and Scarecrow. I'm sure they'll like them.

I'll leave it at that for today. Here is a photo of a big clock on the wall in my office. I look at it...say...50 times a day? I only look at two times most often: "Oz" time and Eastern time where Kansas is. When I get to work, family back home is in bed or heading to bed and as my day progresses, they sleep...and I think about them all day. I wait anxiously for the 5 o'clock hour when Dorothy normally sends me a text that says "Good Morning!" That's the highlight of my day!

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 37

Could we have another day of firsts? I have a few. Guess what? It was hot. It was sunny. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Those things don't seem to change here. I did, though, see a lot of foreign soldiers around the air base today. I'd seen them before but never been saluted by them before. As an officer, I'm saluted no less than 25 times every time I walk outside my building because we're situated along the main artery of the base where everyone is walking to and fro. But, it is very rare, if ever, to be saluted by a soldier not being an American. Another first...a whole bunch of Korean enlisted soldiers passed me this afternoon and all saluted. They probably know or have been trained by their leadership about how to identify U.S. military officers and to render the proper salutes. Totally surprised but totally cool. Of course, I returned the salute. I'll tell you who is easy to pick out of a crowd...the French. Those guys and their bright red berets. They look like exactly what you'd expect...a bunch of pretty boys!  Some of you ladies would love 'em with their accents and all. There are also Egyptian, Polish, and some other countries represented. We are all part of the NATO force here, working together to defeat the enemy.

In the office, it was a day of meetings...too long of meetings. I'm quickly learning which meetings I will go to in the future and which ones I will not. Still trying to learn about Erector Sets as best and as quickly as I can. I have a feeling I'll be traveling to some Theme Parks in the not-so-distant future. I'm looking forward to seeing other parts of Oz...in full body armor, of course. After work...another first. There are a wide variety of galleys/chow halls/dining halls all over the base and serving basically the same thing each meal with some variations. There is, however, a dining hall nestled away in the corner of the base, run by the U.A.E., aka: United Arab Emirates. Ever heard of Dubai? Anyway, it's near Kuwait...south of Iraq, and a very wealthy Middle Eastern country. I actually visited there in the mid to late 1990s. Anyway, for a change of scenery and food, I was invited to go along and check it out. As soon as we walked up to the gate, we knew we were early and had to wait but were offered hot tea by the gate guard. Over here in the Oz region, tea is a major cornerstone in society and often the catalyst by which their culture reaches out in kindness and friendship to others. Even if you don't like tea, it is advisable to never reject the offer of it as it would be seen as an insult. So of course, we accepted and tried to engage the UAE soldier in conversation but he didn't understand any English. We thanked him and enjoyed our tea. A bit later, the dining hall opened and secretly, I was praying for hummus. Oh how I would love some of that! No hummus but they did serve beef kafka, a slaw of sorts, some funky lookin' rice, and some other Middle-Eastern-lookin' things that I have no idea of their names. I grabbed a few tortillas and using the beef kafka and their bean dish, made a most excellent tortilla. Certainly not called a tortilla by them but you get the point, right?! They also served bottles of grape juice from Lebanon in a bottle that looked like a beer...but juice. Only "grape juice" and "made and bottled in Lebanon" were in English. The rest was in Arabic. I would've snapped a pic but that would've been one very good way to lose my iPhone. No deal! Afterwards, I enjoyed a wonderful Chai tea. Afterwards, we had to go back to the office for a few minutes since our counterparts back in the States were now at work and a few things had to be done, phone calls made, etc. I think I worked 13 or 14 hours today.  The good part...or justifiable part of those hours is the mission. My "erector set" mission is something that directly impacts our soldiers and allies. They are directly a tool to build bridges with the people and military of Oz. It will help build the infrastructure that they so desperately need. It is then that we can bring our sons and daughters home. I now understand the great importance of my job here and the small part I can play in the overall big picture and goal. Finish the job. Bring them all home.


I am quickly learning a few other things. One is that I have got to set some boundaries or I am going to be in that office from 7am to 7pm every day. I need to establish a routine to better manage my time or I am going to burn myself out, plain and simple, and won't be of much use to anyone. Another thing is that even though I know I'll look back on this and think: "Wow, that went fast," it is NOT feeling that way. I miss Dorothy a lot and am constantly thinking about home. I hope that once I really get in the groove that it'll make things more distracting and move this thing along. For now, though, it's a struggle. I will admit, though, I enjoy coming back to my CHU each night to talk to you all! :-) I know many of you read this but most importantly, Dorothy reads it so it's a very cool way that we can stay connected and she knows what is going on over here. Thanks to Amber for sharing this video at just the right time. Enjoy.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 36

For many, the day of rest. For others, they ran 100 miles today in the mountains of Virginia. For others at home, they ran a marathon or 1/2 marathon today. For me, I still worked but let's not talk about that today. For me, it was also a day of firsts. Let's sum them up and we'll call it a day here on the journal. Nothing happened that was very exciting at work today.

1. The first woman from Ohio ever to finish the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 in Virginia. Here "handle" is Kimba and she did it in fine fashion!! Also, congrats to first-time MMT finisher, Brandon and Paul L.!!! AWESOME!!! The MMT is considered the toughest 100 miler on the east coast. Also kudos to Gombu, Slim, Dave P and Roy for their repeated finishes! You all are amazing and inspirational!!!

2. For the first time ever as I walked along the road here at WDW, I looked at a pile of rubble along the road and thought: "I wonder if an IED is buried there." Remember back in combat training how wee were trained on IEDs? Often, a pile of rocks along the road in Oz either is concealing an IED or acting as a marker showing that one is near. No chance of them on WDW but my brain is essentially on a swivel 24/7 and I'm questioning everything I see. I don't think I'll ever look at a pile of rocks the same.

3. I went to bootcamp in late 1991. Within the first 24 hours, they shaved my head. Since then, I vowed to never get that haircut again. Well, here in Oz it is very warm and I am often walking the streets in my moisture-holding uniform. I wanted a clean/tight haircut to simplify my life a bit. So, I headed to the barber this evening and my barber was from Kyrgyzstan, which was part of the former Soviet Union. She spoke Russian and struggled with English. Under a magazine on her counter, there was a book she's obviously been reading about learning our language. One thing she did understand was "high and tight?" So, I didn't get my head shaved 100% but quite a bit of it. I doubt many who know me will care for it much but that's OK. I like it. It was also the first time I've received any haircut while wearing a loaded weapon. :-)

4. While eating lunch today, I shared the dining facility with soldiers from Korea, France, and Egypt. Very different uniforms but all here as part of the joint NATO force. Another first!

5. I drove a diesel power Toyota SUV, stick shift. Yea, no biggie. Just another first.

6. I had chicken empanadas for dinner. Definitely a first and no, they weren't very good. The sweet and sour sauce helped.

7. An order to all U.S. service-members in Oz is no alcohol. In a sort of humorous twist, in my opinion, is that they serve Germany's Beck non-alcoholic "beer" in the dining facility. Just for giggles, I had one at lunch. It tasted like a cheap beer I'd never drink back in Kansas. I drank half, poured the other half out, and recycled the can. First and last time for a Beck.

8. I talked on the phone to Tin Man and Scarecrow for the first time since I left the United States today!!!  WOO HOO!!!! Certainly the highlight of my day. I just hope they like my haircut when they see it. :-) I LOVED hearing their voices on something other than a video-conference. Totally different...and priceless.

9. Josh Gracin. Remember him? Country singer that was on American Idol and former active duty Marine. I ran across this song of his today and video. Couldn't help but post this today. It's called "The Other Little Soldier." The last of today's "firsts." Please watch.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 35

I felt much better this morning. I still only got about 5 or so hours of sleep but waking up at 5:20am felt "normal" at last. A few more days and I should be golden. I have the option of going in late tomorrow morning so I may just skip setting the alarm when I eventually get to bed. It's already 11:50pm as I start this post...I sacrifice sleep to write this every day!  That's ok, though...I enjoy it and I think it's turned into somewhat of an outlet for me.

So, I've been brainstorming and talking to Dorothy about how to continue this anonymous blog now that I've arrived in Oz. Here's what we came up with: My particular location in Oz will now be known as Walt Disney World, or WDW for short. Surrounding WDW and scattered throughout the country are smaller bases called Forward Operating Bases...sorta like tentacles off of the main base where I'm at. They all have names but to keep it all secret, we'll call those Theme Parks, just like at Disney. As I visit different ones in the course of my deployment, they will be numbered...ie: Theme Park #1. Then, my job...or my job description/mission while here will be my Erector Set. Betcha wonder where that came from, eh?! Well, in an erector set, you have to take all different pieces/parts, bring them all together, and build a functional item. That's sort of what I'll be working on. Here, these "sets" have a name, of course, to remain anonymous, and they could be to build a building, an aircraft hangar, a galley, or anything needed when building the infrastructure at a location. These are critical to the warfight and are high priority and high visibility all throughout Oz. Got it? OK. Well, the agency I am here for is the conduit from which all parts flow. We take the order, we get bids for parts or whatever, we write the contracts, and we ship the items worldwide wherever our military needs them. There are MANY hands in this process with Erector Sets. Way too many and they all are speaking a different language. Not literally, but in the way they do things. My job will be to identify problems in the process, go and meet with the applicable players, and help make it better. Heavy on relationships, heavy on Excel and communication, and heavy on multi-tasking as these Erector Set requests flow in daily. Honestly, I love it. I had a one-on-one chat today with my boss...a senior Army officer. We really hit it off. Sometimes, senior Army officers don't look too kindly at junior Navy officers...especially reservists but I must have made a great first impression because we totally saw eye to eye on what my mission is to be. Once I get the wheels turning, I will travel a bit with him to different Theme Parks where the most Erector Sets are being requested to see them face to face. Keep in mind, Erector Sets are ultimately there to support the warfighter. That's the whole reason I'm here. I really feel this is an area that I can make a difference and excel in. He also wants to move me into operations/leadership as I get this Erector Set thing under control. For now, it is the number one priority.  So there you have it....make sense? I hope so! If not, leave a comment and I'll try again.

Around 5pm today, we had a Hail and Farewell for another officer within the agency who has completed his tour and is heading home in a few days. Some Pizza Hut pizza (can't believe they have that here!), Cokes and waters, and a small award ceremony for him. Afterwards, I headed on back to my CHU.  I then quickly got downstairs for a quick Facetime with Dorothy and the girls. The place was packed so I had a horrible connection and eventually lost them.  That's OK, though...I actually called and talked to Dorothy today...that was AWESOME!!! First time on the phone in a week.

Unwinding, I decided a run was in order. Mr. Moon and the stars were out so I decided to run the perimeter of WDW. As night falls, as it already had, the warfight begins. Our advantage lies at night as we can fly and fight in total darkness while the enemy cannot...thus the reason I keep hearing F-16s taking off I as I type this. Throughout the run, I was passed by up-armor humvees and other top end armored vehicles. At one point, I froze...two F-16s were taking off right over my head...and definitely NOT smooth on their bellies, if you know what I mean. All you could see were their afterburners and then they disappeared into the night. So awesome and the sound/sight of FREEDOM!!! Go Air Force! Eventually, I rounded up my run to an even 1/2 marathon, 13.1 miles. I did it to honor Dorothy who is running yet another 1/2 marathon tomorrow. It was sorta like doing it with her. So glad I did that tonight.

So there you have it...another day, another day closer to home.  Goodnight, everyone!

Day 34

Guess what...after a day like yesterday, it's a bit tough to fall asleep. Add in F-16 fighter jets taking off, landing, and someone testing these engines, seemingly on my doorstep, you can just forget about falling asleep. 2am...yep, I was awake to see that time and yet, I had to meet others at 6:45am. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep after a crazy day and week prior. It's all good, though...so the day began.

This is the part of my journal that is going to get tricky. I have kept this blog very security conscious up until now and have maintained the secrecy of all details, places, names, and upcoming timelines. How do I now talk about my daily grind without detail about what I'm doing? I suppose I could come up with more code names...perhaps using Disney as a reference? That's a possibility. I'm going to dwell upon this for a bit and will get back with you. For now, though, I'll just give you the highlights of today...generally.

The first pretty cool thing? I am in an office with an Army officer, an Air Force officer, and me...a Navy officer. Also a Navy enlisted guy. Across the hall and part of the team is a civilian with the Agency I am here for who is a retired Navy guy. A lot of times in the service, you stay within your service and the opportunity to work joint...like this...is a great opportunity to work together, learn about each other's differences, likenesses, and develop some great friendships. I hit it off pretty good with everyone.

Most of the day was spent walking around the near vicinity of my office location and meet/greeting with different people in the different facets of the operation here. All pieces of the pie and all folks I need to know and build relationships with. Some civilian...some military...but all on the same "team." As the day wore on, I grew really, really tired. The lack of sleep and the greatly increased elevation were taking their toll on me. After securing my access badges for my building and computer accesses, I headed on back to relax, grab a latte, and pay for a month of internet in my room. It's flippin' expensive...$70 a month!  That's insane but the connection with Kansas is priceless. Here's the thing, though...a short walk is free internet and I lose the convenience of in-room internet. After this month, I will decide whether or not to continue this railroading price of internet for this "convenience." I do not feel good about getting it even though Dorothy supported it. We'll see. The rest of the evening was spent responding to an e-mail that Tin Man sent me, Skyping with my dad, a little bit with Dorothy, and watching a movie in my room.  I guess I'm as settled as I'm going to get. Since I have a microwave in my room, I need to pick up some popcorn.  That sounds sooooo good right now. Light salt, lightly buttered, please.

We need goals. We all need goals. Tin Man asked me in her e-mail today about when I'm coming home from Oz and I gave her some hints to break down the time between now and then. Little interim goals to break it up..sorta makes it go faster. Hopefully that helps her. Plus, her soccer season will be coming up which will speed it along. Dang, I'm going to miss being at those games.  For me, my goal is simple: do my job to the best of my ability, stay busy, and stay positive. By staying busy, time moves quicker and my ultimate goal is achieved faster....going HOME. I really feel that this tour will define my future in the Navy. Do I stay in? Do I get out? When I get home, I'll have over 14 years and can retire at 20. But, would I want to leave Kansas again? Would I REALLY? I never WANT to leave but would I be willing to do it all over again. I will propose this question at different times in the future and give you my answer. Today? Undecided. I can't say yes...or no. I just don't know. On the outside, I show no emotion. Inside, I miss them desperately. I am so thankful for technology and seeing them but seeing Dorothy today....dang, I miss her. She IS the other 1/2 of me.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 33 - Arrival in Oz

It has been a long journey and thousands of miles have been covered, lots of bullets shot, and gallons of sweat poured out, but I have finally arrived in Oz. Honestly, today feels like I lost a whole day of my life with yet another timezone shift. Here's how today went...

The day started hot again where it had since Sunday. Breakfast, caught up on some e-mail, then I headed on back to finish packing for yet another journey. Where we started at a few hundred for Army training, this group numbered under 20. We loaded yet another bus (horrible A/C, by the way) and headed to the airport where they put us in a tent...or like I like to say..incubator. Just by walking in the room, the sweat literally started pouring out. It was a train wreck. Plus, there were a LOT of Army folks already in there, adding to the moisture content in the air. We spent about an hour there then had a brief outside to go over our timeline then back to waiting. About 1/2 hour later, we lined up alphabetically, but now with about 100 Army soldiers, and boarded yet another bus for the flight line. At the line waited our "chariot"...an Air Force C-17. No flight attendants, no peanuts, and no TSA doing a body scan of us all. The photo here is a stock photo so for any of you thinking I am revealing private info, simple Google C-17 and there is a plethora of info about it.

We were simply cargo on this jet and not one seat was spared. Sardine can and about 3 air pallets loaded down with all of our gear (remember those 4 seabags? they are still with me). We sat there for over an hour while the aircraft was loaded and engines fired up. That alone was a 20 minute evolution. Taking off was like any other jet except it felt like I was on an elephant lifting off the ground. Once at cruising altitude, I was the first one to pop up and go sneak a peak out the tiny little hole they call a window. I didn't snap a photo like my other flights because I really didn't want my iPhone confiscated. We're kinda in love with each other. :-) Once we were up there, it cooled off considerably which was a nice change from the 105F heat. I slept for some, read a magazine, played a few games, and before I knew it, the announcement came "We're now flying over Oz." Shortly thereafter, we made a rapid decent and landed not on sand, but on concrete!! After seeing nothing but desert for days, I was very happy to set foot on a concrete slab. I also felt a nice, cool breeze blowing. Reminded me of a Spring night back in Kansas.  After landing, I sent a quick text off to Dorothy to let her know I arrived safely and included the comment "So this is really happening." Yep...it sure is.

Immediately upon landing in Oz, the local Navy representation greeted us and gave us a 30min brief. After that, my contact here was waiting! Talk about curbside service!  We shook hands (trying to make a great first impression...only one chance!) and he helped carry my gear to our office's vehicle..a Toyota SUV. We weren't 50 yards off on the road and the conversation quickly turned to my job and what my mission will be. Yes, it was immediately obvious that they've been waiting for me. Before we even got in the SUV, though, he said he had some news for me. To be honest, I had but one wish...put me in my CHU (container housing unit) sooner than later. The CHU is like a baby apartment with a shared shower/toilet with one other person. I expected to live in a B-Hut for awhile (plywood wall room...no privacy) for two weeks. Well, that's EXACTLY what he said. My CHU was ready! We bee-lined straight there and even a TV/DVD was there. Not too shabby. I'll post some pics of it later. We then grabbed a bite to eat since I hadn't eaten since breakfast....just a cold-cut sandwich. Talk continued about the job. After a bite, I got a 30sec tour of the recreation facility just steps from my CHU where I am sitting now. Free WiFi, a gym, some pool tables, and that's about it. Internet in my room comes at a cost..I will look into that ASAP. For now, though, I'll take what I can get. It's not too slow, either.

So there you have it. I expect tomorrow will be a "fire hose" delivery of admin stuff, welcome aboard stuff, and base orientation. I don't expect much compassion (nor do I want any) for adjustment time. I expect the work to begin immediately. 7 days a week, too.

I thank you ALL for your prayers and support. It is time NOW to do what I was sent here to do...to support our country's warfighters...to keep them supplied, to be their advocate, to serve THEM as they serve US and keep us all FREE. I may lay my head down in a CHU tonight but many of them are out in the middle of nowhere in a tent, on a mountainside, trying to get some shut-eye. At least Mr. Moon is shining bright here tonight to keep us ALL company.

Goodnight, friends. It is way past my bedtime!

Day 32

105F...again. 82F, though, at 5:45am local time when I went for a run, my first run ever in the desert. It was strange...my clothes never even got sweaty through 6 miles due to the rock-bottom humidity. I felt totally parched, though. It was a great run followed by a pretty good breakfast.  Later on after lunch, I Skyped with a good friend who runs the morning program on a local radio station back in Kansas.  However, it wasn't the average Skype...I was on the air! That was pretty cool.  He had interviewed my family and me about my deployment before I left so this was like an update for his listeners. Afterwards, I said good morning to my girls and to Dorothy via video yet again. Technology is great!

I'm going to keep it simple for you today...today was the day of laziness. I reorganized and packed some of my gear, did my laundry, picked up a few necessities at the exchange (retail store terminology), and even tried to take a nap..unsuccessfully, by the way. Late afternoon, the Navy folks who are stationed here briefed everyone on our next travel itineraries. This is the time where the majority of the group who went through combat training together is split in multiple directions. Everyone has their unique mission and ultimate "Oz" as do I, and this is where we reach our final destination. So yea..I now know the future plans, timeline, etc. Better yet, the folks expecting me have let me know they'll be there waiting for me...I bet!! My immediate senior said that he's been working on a project for the past three weeks and "can't wait for me to get there" so he can turn it over to me. The way I see it...the busier I am and more production I am, the faster time will go and the sooner I'll be heading home to Kansas. Yea, it's only Day 32 but I missed home 31 days ago.

I did well in the food category today. Came in under my calorie goal. I'm loving that new iPhone app and website. Very easy to use and a great tool to track how I'm doing throughout the day. I may not be able to send texts and make calls out here, but that iPhone is still in contant use. It's been priceless in its ability to Skype and FaceTime. So much easier than lugging a computer around.

That's it, folks. Yep, the shortest post in 32 days!

Side note: sunsets and sunrises here are so blah...no color, no anything. I really miss the beautiful ones on a daily basis from back home in Kansas. I also miss the feeling of carpet between my toes. The little things, I suppose.

Goodnight, everyone.