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.