Normal time wake-up today so I could get into the office, get what I needed to get done, and get out. Many of my friends were heading into the night on their 100-mile trail race back home, too, so I was searching for updates constantly. Once I finished what I needed to today, I headed over to another part of the base for a going-away cookout for a fellow sailor of mine who is from my reserve unit back in "Kansas." She just found out she was picked for Chief Petty Officer which is a HUGE deal for enlisted folks in the Navy. Once I go home and start drilling again, we'll both be in the same unit again. So, it was certainly a priority for me to head over and send her off. They had quite the setup, too. They were roasting potatoes on the grill, had AWESOME barbecued chicken, and the Afghans who work there made Afghan bread (naan), homemade curry (they were cooking it over a fire right there) and homemade salsa. Both that salsa and curry sure did have some heat! A little much for me so thank goodness I had some naan to take the heat away. The whole cookout was a huge mental load lifted for me. Being around a bunch of sailors certainly has its perks when I'm never around them. It was great, too, just to get out of the office and relax.
After the cookout, I headed back to my room where I was glued to the refresh button on my computer as I anxiously waited for my good friends back home to finish their 100 miles. The race back home has a 30 hour time limit and dawn was breaking around this time back there so they were starting to come in. Once dinner time rolled around, I went and made up a to-go box and brought it back and put it in the fridge. This was much easier to do rather than get cleaned up after my run to go eat. So once most of my friends had finished, I laced up my absolutely destroyed shoes and hit the road for 10 miles around the base...stopping 4 miles in to call Dorothy who was en route back from the beaches of North Carolina...her yearly trip with her best friends from that area.
Back in my room, I continued on my monitoring of my friends back home and ate my dinner. One thing I thought as soon as I returned from my run tonight was that I really didn't remember much of it at all. I was mentally not there...my mind was consumed by everything back home...not just my friends and the race but Dorothy and the girls, too. I also ran all 10 miles tonight to a collage of Casting Crowns songs from 3 different albums. It was great to run to them, exclusively. I'll have to do that again sometime.
Well, I am pooped and ready to hit the sack. If you are reader of this blog and were involved in the race this weekend either by running it or volunteering, I hope it was all I remember it to be. It is an amazing event and life-changing to those who immerse themselves in it. I will be there next year, either running or volunteering from beginning to end.
Goodnight, everyone.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Day 112
And so today marks 16 weeks since I hugged my family goodbye. Luckily, it won't be 16 weeks until I see them. Yep...we're in double digits, folks...countdown, that is. Just barely, though. Today was a mixed bag so let's get the ugliness out of the way first.
It wasn't even mid-morning when the enlisted guy in my office got up, walked out and shut the door behind him. I knew what was up immediately. The senior officers clearly orchestrated this and wanted to have a private chat with me. I'm not going into the details but to say it was 2 against 1...me. It got me really upset and luckily, we were interrupted after about 15 minutes in. It was a losing conversation from the word "go." Have I mentioned I hate it here? Today, that fits. Enough of this tonight..it just gets me upset.
As lunch arrived, we had all pitched in for some Pizza Hut to say goodbye to one of our civilians across the hall. After lunch was our weekly staff meeting and then I headed out. No need to stay around an office when my work is complete. Running away from the problem? You better believe it. If confronting it would help, I would. It's a losing game all the way around.
Back in my room, I was feverishly following my hometown 100-mile race. So many friends in it and volunteering, I really wanted to be there. Even now as I type, it's mid-afternoon and many of my friends are approaching the 50-mile mark and I'm sitting here, ready for bed and writing 7000 miles away. I belong on those trails today, that's for sure. A few days back, the owner of the specialty running store in "Kansas" asked me if I'd like to record a secret message and he'd play it just before the start..not even the race director would know. I'm a finisher of this race and deeply involved in the local running community. So, I wrote down what I'd like to say yesterday and recorded it with my iPhone and sent it to him. It was that easy. If you're friends with me on Facebook, it's posted there. I can't post it here because once again, it would make this blog non-anonymous. Wish I could... but I can't.
As the evening approached, I grabbed a shuttle bus and headed back over to the other side of the base where I got in line to meet some celebrities as part of the USO Summer Troop Visit. After waiting in line for 2 hours, I shook hands, got my photo taken, and got autographs from Jon Stewart, 6'9" retired NBA star Karl Malone, and illusionist David Blaine. I'll tell ya what...Jon Stewart is both hilarious and short! 5'6" is tiny next to Karl Malone. Whether you like or dislike Jon Stewart (you probably love 'em or hate 'em), he's over here supporting and thanking the troops so I'll give him props for that. His way of pumping up the troops was awesome, too. Since I keep my blog kid-friendly, I can't share! :-)
Afterwards, I walked out of the huge tent to catch the bus back. Windy as heck out tonight! So as festivities were going on inside, outside was quite the different event going on...another fallen comrade and another casket rolling to the flight line for the long trip to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, en route to HOME. Ugh...it never gets easier, in case you're wondering. I'm so sick of fellow countrymen dying over here...and most Americans don't even know. I knew about this one earlier today because a sergeant I work with on my projects had to cancel our meeting because he was going to be involved in everything regarding this soldier's death, including the loading of the remains this evening onto the C-17, bound for Dover.
Well, tomorrow is Sunday, the day of the double-edged sword. Time off and too much time in my head. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully a good day...I could use one.
Goodnight, everyone.
It wasn't even mid-morning when the enlisted guy in my office got up, walked out and shut the door behind him. I knew what was up immediately. The senior officers clearly orchestrated this and wanted to have a private chat with me. I'm not going into the details but to say it was 2 against 1...me. It got me really upset and luckily, we were interrupted after about 15 minutes in. It was a losing conversation from the word "go." Have I mentioned I hate it here? Today, that fits. Enough of this tonight..it just gets me upset.
As lunch arrived, we had all pitched in for some Pizza Hut to say goodbye to one of our civilians across the hall. After lunch was our weekly staff meeting and then I headed out. No need to stay around an office when my work is complete. Running away from the problem? You better believe it. If confronting it would help, I would. It's a losing game all the way around.
Back in my room, I was feverishly following my hometown 100-mile race. So many friends in it and volunteering, I really wanted to be there. Even now as I type, it's mid-afternoon and many of my friends are approaching the 50-mile mark and I'm sitting here, ready for bed and writing 7000 miles away. I belong on those trails today, that's for sure. A few days back, the owner of the specialty running store in "Kansas" asked me if I'd like to record a secret message and he'd play it just before the start..not even the race director would know. I'm a finisher of this race and deeply involved in the local running community. So, I wrote down what I'd like to say yesterday and recorded it with my iPhone and sent it to him. It was that easy. If you're friends with me on Facebook, it's posted there. I can't post it here because once again, it would make this blog non-anonymous. Wish I could... but I can't.
Afterwards, I walked out of the huge tent to catch the bus back. Windy as heck out tonight! So as festivities were going on inside, outside was quite the different event going on...another fallen comrade and another casket rolling to the flight line for the long trip to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, en route to HOME. Ugh...it never gets easier, in case you're wondering. I'm so sick of fellow countrymen dying over here...and most Americans don't even know. I knew about this one earlier today because a sergeant I work with on my projects had to cancel our meeting because he was going to be involved in everything regarding this soldier's death, including the loading of the remains this evening onto the C-17, bound for Dover.
Well, tomorrow is Sunday, the day of the double-edged sword. Time off and too much time in my head. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully a good day...I could use one.
Goodnight, everyone.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Day 111
Today was a very blah day and besides the two wonderful care packages I received, there isn't much to share today. Friction ramped right back up again in the office so mostly, I just kept my mouth shut today. I'm finding it more difficult to get through the days and maintain my sanity. The details, though...really don't want to go into it tonight.
Anyway, many thanks to you who sent care packages my way...they hit the spot and are so very appreciated. That's really all I want to talk about today. Have a great weekend!
Goodnight, everyone.
Anyway, many thanks to you who sent care packages my way...they hit the spot and are so very appreciated. That's really all I want to talk about today. Have a great weekend!
Goodnight, everyone.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 110
Day One-Hundred and Ten. Hmmm... It's very, very close to the time when I may be starting the countdown. I've said before that I'm not doing a one-year deployment nor a 6-month deployment but in between. Because I can't elude to a return date for security reasons, I'll clue you in relatively soon to my commencement of my double-digit countdown. Still triple-digits today but double is around the corner. :-)
Again, nothing much to talk about from the office today. You know by now that my days are not very exciting. I have work to do and meetings to attend, but it's just not worthy of writing about. In the middle of it all, I jumped online to wish good luck to many, many of my friends back in "Kansas" who are running our hometown 100-mile trail race. It's one that I finished in 2009 but have been involved in, in some way since it's inception in 2007. This is the first year I won't be there. I'm doing my best to be there virtually, though. I'm even going to write an article for the next trail-running newsletter that I started and was editor of up until this deployment. Looking back, I could have remained the editor while deployed but the girl who took over is doing a great job. I do miss it, though.
I filled in for my boss first thing this morning at the morning brief with the colonel. This is the brief where you find out about anything that happened overnight, war-related. If it happened, it'll be briefed here. No military personnel were killed but there was one injured who is on the way back and will be awarded the Purple Heart. There was another incident that involved very foolish Afghans. I'd love to give details but even being anonymous, I just can't talk about that stuff...those are reserved for talks around the dinner table with friends and family back home. Let's just say that when American forces fire warning shots to stop your charging and accelerating vehicle, you'd better stop. No? Well, that's just foolish. Filling up old vehicles with bombs and driving them into people and buildings is very common so no chances can be taken.
Everyone has heard of Converse shoes but have you heard about customizing them? On their website, you can customize a pair of their classic sneakers. The side panels, the tongue, the laces, the eyelets, the colored piping around the rubber sole, and even put a name or initials on the heel. Colors, patterns, you name it. Well, "Dorothy" and I talked after I built some designs and I'd say that Tin Man and Scarecrow are going to be very happy with their Back-to-School shoes this year. :-) I can't wait for them to get there...3-4 weeks which is perfect...just in time. Even a little bit of patriotism woven into the design.
Well, it's about that time again and time to hang it up for the night. We were in the office tonight until past 8pm so it's already almost 10pm and I'm in great need of some classical music to put me to sleep. While my girls are at horseback riding camp, Dorothy is at the beach, I am heading to bed.
Goodnight, everyone.
Again, nothing much to talk about from the office today. You know by now that my days are not very exciting. I have work to do and meetings to attend, but it's just not worthy of writing about. In the middle of it all, I jumped online to wish good luck to many, many of my friends back in "Kansas" who are running our hometown 100-mile trail race. It's one that I finished in 2009 but have been involved in, in some way since it's inception in 2007. This is the first year I won't be there. I'm doing my best to be there virtually, though. I'm even going to write an article for the next trail-running newsletter that I started and was editor of up until this deployment. Looking back, I could have remained the editor while deployed but the girl who took over is doing a great job. I do miss it, though.
I filled in for my boss first thing this morning at the morning brief with the colonel. This is the brief where you find out about anything that happened overnight, war-related. If it happened, it'll be briefed here. No military personnel were killed but there was one injured who is on the way back and will be awarded the Purple Heart. There was another incident that involved very foolish Afghans. I'd love to give details but even being anonymous, I just can't talk about that stuff...those are reserved for talks around the dinner table with friends and family back home. Let's just say that when American forces fire warning shots to stop your charging and accelerating vehicle, you'd better stop. No? Well, that's just foolish. Filling up old vehicles with bombs and driving them into people and buildings is very common so no chances can be taken.
Everyone has heard of Converse shoes but have you heard about customizing them? On their website, you can customize a pair of their classic sneakers. The side panels, the tongue, the laces, the eyelets, the colored piping around the rubber sole, and even put a name or initials on the heel. Colors, patterns, you name it. Well, "Dorothy" and I talked after I built some designs and I'd say that Tin Man and Scarecrow are going to be very happy with their Back-to-School shoes this year. :-) I can't wait for them to get there...3-4 weeks which is perfect...just in time. Even a little bit of patriotism woven into the design.
Well, it's about that time again and time to hang it up for the night. We were in the office tonight until past 8pm so it's already almost 10pm and I'm in great need of some classical music to put me to sleep. While my girls are at horseback riding camp, Dorothy is at the beach, I am heading to bed.
Goodnight, everyone.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day 109
Have I mentioned Ramadan yet? I believe I have meant to but have not. Ramadan is the holiest of all times for Muslims and it starts this Monday. For months now, we've been preparing as things are expected to greatly slow down during this time as many Afghans/Muslims will work much less or not at all during this time. This impacts fuel delivery, construction, and many of the service-driven jobs as many Afghans are doing them in partnership with NATO. The length of Ramadan varies by the solar calendar but this year starts on August 1st and goes a few days into September. It is marked by much fasting, prayer, and complete reading of the Qur'an. It's also a time of great giving and charity. Some equate it to our Christmas season but I have a hard time with that. Our Christmas, to Christians at least is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ but so much of Christmas anymore is about materialism, marketing, profits, etc. Over here, from what I can gather, they are truly, truly giving and expect nothing in return. To Afghans, year-round, relationships are everything. That is a huge priority for Coalition Forces here and it's a very big deal if someone does something to harm years of building those bonds. In fact, the very security of my base is strengthened by maintaining bonds with the farmers that surround us so that they tip us off when the Taliban is planning something. So, I suppose Ramadan is similar in that it's religious like Christmas but I don't see many other similarities. Anyway, with it so close, I wanted to mention it. Ramadan is global, too...so pay attention where you live, work, travel, and play. You'll probably observe something...somewhere if you pay attention.
Today was better than yesterday. It was kicked off in the best way possible, that's for sure. I was in bed at 9pm and got up early again and headed on down to Facetime with Dorothy. There were so few people in the WiFi area that we had a flawless connection with little or no hesitation and crisp audio. She showed me around the backyard, her flowers, and even a magnificent sunset...those don't exist here with that kind of beauty. She even let me pick out a pair of used running shoes out of the garage that she will ship to me to replace the beyond-nasty ones I have here. The filth here has taken a dreadful toll on my running shoes and MUST find the trashcan soon. After we said goodbye, I commenced my morning routine and went about my day.
I did ask others to leave the room mid-morning so that I could talk to my boss about a few things...to clear the air, so to speak. It was a good talk and no topic went unspoken. It was time to make sure we're on the same page and he was very easy to speak to and offered good counsel. I was nervous, of course, just to breach the conversation as I could tell by his body language that he wasn't sure what I was about to say but once I sat down and projected a relaxed stance, he backed down and all was well. I felt MUCH better after our talk. Details will remain between us.
The rest of the day was mostly the same old stuff with not much to speak of. The occasional chatting with friends and family online broke the day up and made it better. Around dinner time, I caught the shuttle to the other side of the base, grabbed my laundry, had some homemade pizza in the galley, and called it a night. It's just past 9 now so I think it's time to head to bed. I'm a growing fan of going to bed earlier than later...more sleep and another day done...I'd say it's win-win.
Goodnight, everyone.
Today was better than yesterday. It was kicked off in the best way possible, that's for sure. I was in bed at 9pm and got up early again and headed on down to Facetime with Dorothy. There were so few people in the WiFi area that we had a flawless connection with little or no hesitation and crisp audio. She showed me around the backyard, her flowers, and even a magnificent sunset...those don't exist here with that kind of beauty. She even let me pick out a pair of used running shoes out of the garage that she will ship to me to replace the beyond-nasty ones I have here. The filth here has taken a dreadful toll on my running shoes and MUST find the trashcan soon. After we said goodbye, I commenced my morning routine and went about my day.
I did ask others to leave the room mid-morning so that I could talk to my boss about a few things...to clear the air, so to speak. It was a good talk and no topic went unspoken. It was time to make sure we're on the same page and he was very easy to speak to and offered good counsel. I was nervous, of course, just to breach the conversation as I could tell by his body language that he wasn't sure what I was about to say but once I sat down and projected a relaxed stance, he backed down and all was well. I felt MUCH better after our talk. Details will remain between us.
The rest of the day was mostly the same old stuff with not much to speak of. The occasional chatting with friends and family online broke the day up and made it better. Around dinner time, I caught the shuttle to the other side of the base, grabbed my laundry, had some homemade pizza in the galley, and called it a night. It's just past 9 now so I think it's time to head to bed. I'm a growing fan of going to bed earlier than later...more sleep and another day done...I'd say it's win-win.
Goodnight, everyone.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Day 108
8 hours of sleep...EXTREMELY rare...but that's what happens when I go to bed at 8pm. 4am, wide awake, but refreshed. I've heard that folks can wake up "on the wrong side of the bed" and end up having a bad day. For me...it was opposite that and looked forward to a good day. Espresso, my cereal, and on my way.
Turns out, the day held something much different than good. Every once in awhile, I have..."a day"...you know what I mean, right? Everyone has them. For me, I grew extremely depressed and just sat there...staring out the window for awhile, then staring at the computer screen, then back out the window....mixing work in there as needed. Why? I just missed home...bad. Let me explain something very clearly...I am not feeling sorry for myself...I have it much better than many troops over here...I signed up for this. OK? I'm still human, though. It's days like this that drive me heavily towards resigning my commission once I return home...simply to prevent them (Uncle Sam) from ever deploying me again. I know I never want to return...that I am sure of. As the day wore on, I looked for reasons to get out of the office and eat lunch alone. What I REALLY wanted was to talk to "Dorothy." No one else. She'd understand and since there isn't a soul in this country who I trust enough to "spill the beans," she is the one...the only one. I sent her a message and just asked her for 5 minutes when she wakes up.
Eventually, just before 5am east coast time, she woke up and sent me a message to call. We talked for awhile and I definitely felt better afterwards...but still faced reality. I'm here...she's there...and everyone surrounding me is out for themselves. It sucks to feel like everyone around you views you like the dirt on the bottom of their shoes. It also is important that I remember this feeling so I don't do it to others....here, and when I return home to Kansas. I will not lower myself to treat others that way but that doesn't make it any easier now for me. One thing was the epitome of irony today...I am in an Army uniform...in a war zone...serving my country...and I felt incredibly un-patriotic. Why? Because all I wanted to do was to run home to my family. I'm not even quite sure if Dorothy 100% understood my feelings but she understood enough to be there for me. I'm so very thankful I'm able to call her when I need to.
So that's enough for today...I'm heading to bed early again...once asleep, this day is done and gone and it needs to be. Besides, I'd like to get up early and Facetime with Dorothy before I head in and it's still a decent hour Stateside. For anyone who doesn't care for the pity-party today...this blog will never be artificial or fake...it's raw and true and will never stray. Most days are OK...this just wasn't one of those days.
Goodnight, everyone.
Turns out, the day held something much different than good. Every once in awhile, I have..."a day"...you know what I mean, right? Everyone has them. For me, I grew extremely depressed and just sat there...staring out the window for awhile, then staring at the computer screen, then back out the window....mixing work in there as needed. Why? I just missed home...bad. Let me explain something very clearly...I am not feeling sorry for myself...I have it much better than many troops over here...I signed up for this. OK? I'm still human, though. It's days like this that drive me heavily towards resigning my commission once I return home...simply to prevent them (Uncle Sam) from ever deploying me again. I know I never want to return...that I am sure of. As the day wore on, I looked for reasons to get out of the office and eat lunch alone. What I REALLY wanted was to talk to "Dorothy." No one else. She'd understand and since there isn't a soul in this country who I trust enough to "spill the beans," she is the one...the only one. I sent her a message and just asked her for 5 minutes when she wakes up.
Eventually, just before 5am east coast time, she woke up and sent me a message to call. We talked for awhile and I definitely felt better afterwards...but still faced reality. I'm here...she's there...and everyone surrounding me is out for themselves. It sucks to feel like everyone around you views you like the dirt on the bottom of their shoes. It also is important that I remember this feeling so I don't do it to others....here, and when I return home to Kansas. I will not lower myself to treat others that way but that doesn't make it any easier now for me. One thing was the epitome of irony today...I am in an Army uniform...in a war zone...serving my country...and I felt incredibly un-patriotic. Why? Because all I wanted to do was to run home to my family. I'm not even quite sure if Dorothy 100% understood my feelings but she understood enough to be there for me. I'm so very thankful I'm able to call her when I need to.
So that's enough for today...I'm heading to bed early again...once asleep, this day is done and gone and it needs to be. Besides, I'd like to get up early and Facetime with Dorothy before I head in and it's still a decent hour Stateside. For anyone who doesn't care for the pity-party today...this blog will never be artificial or fake...it's raw and true and will never stray. Most days are OK...this just wasn't one of those days.
Goodnight, everyone.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Day 107
I made the mistake of getting up at 3:30am today. Back home in Kansas, that's actually the normal wake-up time, then run at 4:30am. Today, I was running at 4am...the perimeter yet again around the base. The air was totally different at this hour, the moon was out, I watched the sunrise over the Hindu Kush mountains and the temperature was 72F vice 94F. Without the intense sun, the sweat didn't vaporize immediately and by the time the loop was done, I was soaked. Still, I got it done. I did stop at the office on the way around to give my parents a phone call to wish them Happy 40th Anniversary. I wasn't able to call yesterday so I gave it a shot and luckily, I got them. It was still early evening Sunday night so it worked well. I tried Dorothy but with no luck.
The day in the office couldn't have been slower. Like every Monday here, it's like a Sunday because I don't have meetings and the east coast folks still haven't come to work. That being said...not much else to say about the day. I did play a few matches of Scrabble on my iPad and beat the computer twice. Woot!
Back in my room, I spent a good deal of time exchanging e-mails and messages with family/friends back home and started a download of some more classics...this time the orchestral power of Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bare Mountain. Dragging from the early rise this morning, it's 8pm and I'm going to bed. I just can't find any justifiable reason to stay awake one more moment.
Goodnight, everyone.
The day in the office couldn't have been slower. Like every Monday here, it's like a Sunday because I don't have meetings and the east coast folks still haven't come to work. That being said...not much else to say about the day. I did play a few matches of Scrabble on my iPad and beat the computer twice. Woot!
Back in my room, I spent a good deal of time exchanging e-mails and messages with family/friends back home and started a download of some more classics...this time the orchestral power of Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bare Mountain. Dragging from the early rise this morning, it's 8pm and I'm going to bed. I just can't find any justifiable reason to stay awake one more moment.
Goodnight, everyone.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Day 106
If you recall from yesterday, I had but a few goals today...be out of the office by Noon, get an afternoon nap in, and possibly get a haircut. I'm happy to report I achieved all 3...even watched a movie. So I went in at normal time and had the office to myself. The boss is out of "town," too so that helps. I did some house cleaning, got some work done, helped out a medical officer who has been tasked with doing supply stuff (that's the Army for ya!), and as lunch approached, I got the heck out of Dodge.
Today is also my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. I still haven't spoken to them as I type this because the last time I was by a phone, it was 2am, east coast time. I may try to call them (and end up waking them up) when I head in on Monday morning (their late Sunday evening). Had I been home, I would've planned something big and had lots of folks come into town but Uncle Sam called instead. I know it's a big milestone and just hope they enjoy their day! I'm sure ice cream will be involved as they own an ice cream shop.
On the way back to my room, I stopped by the Afghan video shop near the main gate. The guy in there sells new movies for $2 a piece. Yea, they're burned copies and often recorded within a movie theater. I grabbed a few and watched Paul Giamatti's new flick, "Win Win." I think it was only in the artsy theaters but I'm a big fan of his movies so I was glad to see it...very good! I also picked up Battle: LA, and the new Transformers. Those wouldn't play on my laptop so we'll wait and see if they'll play on my new MacBook Pro. :-) My DVD player in my room is cooked, too, so no-go on that. I also headed out in the heat of the day and thought I'd try the perimeter again. Unfortunately, I find it difficult to go 8 short miles midday. It was 92F and under 10% humidity. One might think that is perfect but at 5000' up (very intense sun), and such low humidity, rapid dehydration is an understatement. I suffer pretty bad in these conditions and just can't keep up with it. I ended up with 5 miles and totally cooked. The cool thing? At the exact same time, Dorothy and two good friends of hers were cranking out 5 early morning miles of their own! After the run and a shower, I crawled into bed and took a 2 1/2 hour nap...falling asleep to Brahms that I downloaded last night...I just love that album...fine, fine choice! Around 8pm, I headed back over to the barber from two weeks ago tonight. If you recall, they understand enough English to do it right and not screw it up. I got the same lady again and she did pretty good. Afterwards, I grabbed some dinner (baked chicken breast and a salad) and headed on back to my room.
Well, it's Sunday and by now, you know it's the day I crawl into my head a bit too much. Missing home and wanting to go there usually dominate my thoughts. One thing I realized today which has always been obvious but I never owned as reality is that not one person in this country really gives a crap about me. Sounds harsh and I'm sure caused a few rolling eyes when I typed it but it's true. The majority of deployed troops here come to this country as a team...a big group. They've trained together and know each other well. For me, I'm an "IA"...an individual augmentee. No one is with me and there never will be. I have people I work with but we're all in the same boat. One thing my immediate superior has said more than once is that he doesn't care about relationships and getting along with others because after this tour, he'll never see them again. Nice way to live, eh?! Looking out for #1 and no one else. When I know that's how someone views me, and others for that matter...and no one else really else gives a hoot...it's easy to veer towards crawling into a shell. It also creates an interesting office dynamic which just plain stinks. It also doesn't help that rank matters WAY too much. I'm an officer, but not a senior officer and there is a huge divide. In the Navy and in my particular community, it's not like that. Senior officers are very mentor-like to the junior officers. Not so, here...and it's crystal-clear. Even though I KNOW what I'm talking about and have way more skills to offer, they want nothing to do with any of it and prefer I just keep my mouth shut. It doesn't help that I'm in the Navy, either. I belong on a ship, right? Well yea, but I'm not ON a ship, now am I? I didn't think so. I'm wearing an Army uniform, for cryin' out loud.
So I focused more on what matters: Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. I wrote my girls a few e-mails this morning and hope they'll write me back. They have another busy week coming up with a first...horseback riding camp. I hope they enjoy it. Recently, they mailed paper hearts to me which I've placed below this paragraph. They are hanging from the light fixture in my room. They serve as my constant reminder while I'm in my room since I have the bear to do that when I'm on the move. The "LUMU" means "Love You, Miss You." I came up with that a few months ago and it stuck. It's our "thing" and we never finish a letter or phone conversation without saying it. "LUMU!!!" So with that...Day 106 comes to a close and another week and the end of July beckons.
Today is also my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. I still haven't spoken to them as I type this because the last time I was by a phone, it was 2am, east coast time. I may try to call them (and end up waking them up) when I head in on Monday morning (their late Sunday evening). Had I been home, I would've planned something big and had lots of folks come into town but Uncle Sam called instead. I know it's a big milestone and just hope they enjoy their day! I'm sure ice cream will be involved as they own an ice cream shop.
On the way back to my room, I stopped by the Afghan video shop near the main gate. The guy in there sells new movies for $2 a piece. Yea, they're burned copies and often recorded within a movie theater. I grabbed a few and watched Paul Giamatti's new flick, "Win Win." I think it was only in the artsy theaters but I'm a big fan of his movies so I was glad to see it...very good! I also picked up Battle: LA, and the new Transformers. Those wouldn't play on my laptop so we'll wait and see if they'll play on my new MacBook Pro. :-) My DVD player in my room is cooked, too, so no-go on that. I also headed out in the heat of the day and thought I'd try the perimeter again. Unfortunately, I find it difficult to go 8 short miles midday. It was 92F and under 10% humidity. One might think that is perfect but at 5000' up (very intense sun), and such low humidity, rapid dehydration is an understatement. I suffer pretty bad in these conditions and just can't keep up with it. I ended up with 5 miles and totally cooked. The cool thing? At the exact same time, Dorothy and two good friends of hers were cranking out 5 early morning miles of their own! After the run and a shower, I crawled into bed and took a 2 1/2 hour nap...falling asleep to Brahms that I downloaded last night...I just love that album...fine, fine choice! Around 8pm, I headed back over to the barber from two weeks ago tonight. If you recall, they understand enough English to do it right and not screw it up. I got the same lady again and she did pretty good. Afterwards, I grabbed some dinner (baked chicken breast and a salad) and headed on back to my room.
Well, it's Sunday and by now, you know it's the day I crawl into my head a bit too much. Missing home and wanting to go there usually dominate my thoughts. One thing I realized today which has always been obvious but I never owned as reality is that not one person in this country really gives a crap about me. Sounds harsh and I'm sure caused a few rolling eyes when I typed it but it's true. The majority of deployed troops here come to this country as a team...a big group. They've trained together and know each other well. For me, I'm an "IA"...an individual augmentee. No one is with me and there never will be. I have people I work with but we're all in the same boat. One thing my immediate superior has said more than once is that he doesn't care about relationships and getting along with others because after this tour, he'll never see them again. Nice way to live, eh?! Looking out for #1 and no one else. When I know that's how someone views me, and others for that matter...and no one else really else gives a hoot...it's easy to veer towards crawling into a shell. It also creates an interesting office dynamic which just plain stinks. It also doesn't help that rank matters WAY too much. I'm an officer, but not a senior officer and there is a huge divide. In the Navy and in my particular community, it's not like that. Senior officers are very mentor-like to the junior officers. Not so, here...and it's crystal-clear. Even though I KNOW what I'm talking about and have way more skills to offer, they want nothing to do with any of it and prefer I just keep my mouth shut. It doesn't help that I'm in the Navy, either. I belong on a ship, right? Well yea, but I'm not ON a ship, now am I? I didn't think so. I'm wearing an Army uniform, for cryin' out loud.
So I focused more on what matters: Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. I wrote my girls a few e-mails this morning and hope they'll write me back. They have another busy week coming up with a first...horseback riding camp. I hope they enjoy it. Recently, they mailed paper hearts to me which I've placed below this paragraph. They are hanging from the light fixture in my room. They serve as my constant reminder while I'm in my room since I have the bear to do that when I'm on the move. The "LUMU" means "Love You, Miss You." I came up with that a few months ago and it stuck. It's our "thing" and we never finish a letter or phone conversation without saying it. "LUMU!!!" So with that...Day 106 comes to a close and another week and the end of July beckons.
Goodnight, everyone.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Day 105
And so ends the last full week of July. I know these things because taped to my computer monitor at the office is a Julian Date calendar and I Sharpie it every day with an X to mark the days off. I'm pretty happy about July nearing the end because it'll also be time to move to the right hand side of the monitor which contains the month where I go home. Any little mental advantage I can find...I shall take it! Oh yea, did I mention it? I passed my halfway point a few days back. Hmmm....I wonder how that slipped my mind. :-)
Today was a miserably slow day...much of what I needed to get done was done before lunch and I essentially stayed in the office to wait on all 3 of my girls to wake up so I could call them. Once that was done (most excellent, I must say!), I headed on out of there. Back in my room, I began researching some classical music that I wanted to download to my iPhone. With the help of some friends, I'm currently downloading Brahm's German Requiem. Those songs are MUCH larger than the typical download, that's for sure. It's moving at a snail's pace but it is moving. After doing some research earlier, I hit the road for a perimeter run around the base. Pretty great run tonight. It was breezy but I had the glasses on. I should have worn the neck gaiter, though, to keep the dust from getting inside me. Next time...
Once I got back, I ate some dinner that I grabbed before my run and popped some popcorn. That's really about it. Oh yea..the classic "Great Balls of Fire" is on the MGM Channel right now...classic! I'd watch it but sleep is more important. Tomorrow, I'm working 5 hours and calling it a day. My priority? A mid-afternoon nap...and perhaps a haircut. Time to fall asleep to some Brahms.... ;-)
Goodnight, everyone.
Today was a miserably slow day...much of what I needed to get done was done before lunch and I essentially stayed in the office to wait on all 3 of my girls to wake up so I could call them. Once that was done (most excellent, I must say!), I headed on out of there. Back in my room, I began researching some classical music that I wanted to download to my iPhone. With the help of some friends, I'm currently downloading Brahm's German Requiem. Those songs are MUCH larger than the typical download, that's for sure. It's moving at a snail's pace but it is moving. After doing some research earlier, I hit the road for a perimeter run around the base. Pretty great run tonight. It was breezy but I had the glasses on. I should have worn the neck gaiter, though, to keep the dust from getting inside me. Next time...
Once I got back, I ate some dinner that I grabbed before my run and popped some popcorn. That's really about it. Oh yea..the classic "Great Balls of Fire" is on the MGM Channel right now...classic! I'd watch it but sleep is more important. Tomorrow, I'm working 5 hours and calling it a day. My priority? A mid-afternoon nap...and perhaps a haircut. Time to fall asleep to some Brahms.... ;-)
Goodnight, everyone.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Day 104
I finally got a large box all packed up for Dorothy and the girls. I've been accumulating things for quite awhile and I acquired the last few things I needed on my trip up north so the box was ready to go. Once I got that finished, I actually cleaned my room again including Swiffering the floor on my hands and knees before my day really even started. Most have a completely cluttered room but again, Dorothy would be proud...my room is organized and clean and only a "few" piles! I keep trying to keep my room 30min away from being able to leave. No real reason for that but it keeps it from getting out of control. With so many great friends and care packages received, it could get out of control! At least my wall is COVERED in kids' art. It's awesome and I look at every single piece every single day.
The day was fairly typical. After an early meeting and frustrating trip to the post office (they pulled everything out of my carefully packed box for customs' inspection), the day basically cruised by with nothing out of the ordinary. I did get another free Green Beans Coffee today and quickly used it...but this time, instead of an Iced Espresso Chai Latte, I got an Espresso Chai Mocha Frappe. Wowsers, that was good! Later on as the East Coast woke up, I talked to Dorothy and eventually Scarecrow who just finished Week #2 of summer camp...basically fried to a crisp. Always great to hear her voice...so precious. Sounds like it was a great week. Tin Man finishes camp right about now as I type this. She did the overnight version again and Dorothy is picking her up right now. For dinner, it's Friday again so I had a lobster tail and some crab cakes. Not too shabby, either. From there, we called it a night and headed on back.
Today, they put up current photos of the 3 fallen soldiers from Monday in our building's lobby. We have a wall of the fallen and they were added. I made sure to step up to them and try to remember their faces and wondered how their families are doing. Right about now is the time when the funerals should be taking place. It also sounds like our memorial service for them is still a go next week.
Back in my room tonight, I spent a good bit of time shopping for some Apple stuff and ended up chatting via Skype with an Apple Mac Expert...I had no idea I could Skype via 800 or 877 number for free...audio call, only. I just dial it and it works! You have to pay for regular numbers, though. Finding this out, I tried to think of numbers I knew to call of friends or family with an 800 number. My work back in "Kansas!" I found out today that one of the two jobs I applied for I did not get so I figured I'd call in and talk to someone back there. I had a great conversation with them and it ended with me singing Happy Birthday to one of my co-workers whose birthday is tomorrow. Of course, I was on speakerphone for everyone to hear! That was a lot of fun and good to hear so many of my friends in the background. I never thought I'd say I can't wait to get back to work...but I can't. I appreciate that job so much more now.
Well, friends...that's really about it. It's approaching 11pm here and my eyes are heavy...but my floor is clean!!! :-) Time to hit the sack. Another weekend is upon me...and closer to another month ending. July is nearly history.
Goodnight, everyone.
The day was fairly typical. After an early meeting and frustrating trip to the post office (they pulled everything out of my carefully packed box for customs' inspection), the day basically cruised by with nothing out of the ordinary. I did get another free Green Beans Coffee today and quickly used it...but this time, instead of an Iced Espresso Chai Latte, I got an Espresso Chai Mocha Frappe. Wowsers, that was good! Later on as the East Coast woke up, I talked to Dorothy and eventually Scarecrow who just finished Week #2 of summer camp...basically fried to a crisp. Always great to hear her voice...so precious. Sounds like it was a great week. Tin Man finishes camp right about now as I type this. She did the overnight version again and Dorothy is picking her up right now. For dinner, it's Friday again so I had a lobster tail and some crab cakes. Not too shabby, either. From there, we called it a night and headed on back.
Today, they put up current photos of the 3 fallen soldiers from Monday in our building's lobby. We have a wall of the fallen and they were added. I made sure to step up to them and try to remember their faces and wondered how their families are doing. Right about now is the time when the funerals should be taking place. It also sounds like our memorial service for them is still a go next week.
Back in my room tonight, I spent a good bit of time shopping for some Apple stuff and ended up chatting via Skype with an Apple Mac Expert...I had no idea I could Skype via 800 or 877 number for free...audio call, only. I just dial it and it works! You have to pay for regular numbers, though. Finding this out, I tried to think of numbers I knew to call of friends or family with an 800 number. My work back in "Kansas!" I found out today that one of the two jobs I applied for I did not get so I figured I'd call in and talk to someone back there. I had a great conversation with them and it ended with me singing Happy Birthday to one of my co-workers whose birthday is tomorrow. Of course, I was on speakerphone for everyone to hear! That was a lot of fun and good to hear so many of my friends in the background. I never thought I'd say I can't wait to get back to work...but I can't. I appreciate that job so much more now.
Well, friends...that's really about it. It's approaching 11pm here and my eyes are heavy...but my floor is clean!!! :-) Time to hit the sack. Another weekend is upon me...and closer to another month ending. July is nearly history.
Goodnight, everyone.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Day 103
Three days ago, four lives were lost that I did not know, but knew immediately after they had passed as the command where we have our office is the parent command of all four. Today, my day was simply busy and not much to talk about. I just played catch-up all day from being out of the office for a few days. Instead, I'd like to honor those fallen soldiers..at least 3 of them. I don't know the identity of the soldier who took his own life.
Tonight after I returned to my room, the movie Taking Chance was on. If you haven't seen it, go find it and watch it. It stars Kevin Bacon and tells the true story of a Marine officer who escorted a fallen Marine home after being killed in Iraq in 2004. I have seen it no less than 5 times and am deeply moved every single time I see it. After seeing it again tonight, I just feel like I want to honor these three fallen comrades. Below is a photo of Sgt Edward Koehler being carried off of the C-17 that arrived at Dover Air Force Base yesterday. Their journey home started at my home base here in Oz. Here is the full story in the local newspaper from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Again, please take a moment to read the article here to read more about these heroes. They are real people...National Guard folks who have civilian jobs and put that and their families aside to go serve their country. Please take a moment to honor them and remember them. Even better, think of them as you fly Old Glory at your house and the sacrifice they made to keep her flying.
Tonight after I returned to my room, the movie Taking Chance was on. If you haven't seen it, go find it and watch it. It stars Kevin Bacon and tells the true story of a Marine officer who escorted a fallen Marine home after being killed in Iraq in 2004. I have seen it no less than 5 times and am deeply moved every single time I see it. After seeing it again tonight, I just feel like I want to honor these three fallen comrades. Below is a photo of Sgt Edward Koehler being carried off of the C-17 that arrived at Dover Air Force Base yesterday. Their journey home started at my home base here in Oz. Here is the full story in the local newspaper from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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| Sgt Edward Koehler, 47, of Georgia but originally from Pennsylvania. Father of two children and one stepdaughter. RIP and Semper Fi! |
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| Sgt Brian Mowery, 49, and father of four. He had just returned back to Afghanistan after enjoying R&R leave back home earlier this month. |
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| Staff Sgt. Kenneth VanGiesen, 30, from Erie, PA. |
Next week, we will be having a memorial service here to honor these men.
Goodnight, everyone.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 102
My journey concluded today with my trip to the northern part of the country. Many hours were spent in the terminal waiting for a flight inbound that was delayed multiple times. But first, another breakfast at the German dining facility…it was great, again. Many hours past and mid-afternoon, we finally headed up and over the Hindu Kush mountains for about an hour then landed back at my home base. Below is my favorite photo from this short trip over the mountains. Besides some rough turbulence after takeoff, it was a good flight.
Back on my side of the base for the evening, I had some dinner then called it a night. I had lots and lots of e-mails to work on and I’m still not done…but I can’t keep my eyes open anymore so I’ve got to hit the sack. I’m very thankful to the many of you who have sent texts and e-mails while I was traveling. I really, really do appreciate your support! I leave you tonight with a photo I snapped of this old man riding his bicycle near a base I was at yesterday. I just thought it was a great pic and tells you a bit about the culture over here. Oh yea...remember the bear? The one that I promised my girls that would stay with me 24/7 until my return? They sent it to me in the first care package. Well...more proof on the right, here, that it continues its travels right alongside me.
Back at the base, I got a ride back to the office and sure enough, my personal and work e-mail had exploded. I started to pick at the list but it was overwhelming. Plus, my neck was killing me and is even worse tonight as I type. It hurts to even turn it a single inch in either direction. I have no doubt it’s stress. This same thing happened back home and it was stress. The thing is…even removing the stress causes this to linger. It lasted for a long time back pre-deployment and luckily, I hadn’t seen it yet…until yesterday. Now it’s on me with a vengeance.
Back on my side of the base for the evening, I had some dinner then called it a night. I had lots and lots of e-mails to work on and I’m still not done…but I can’t keep my eyes open anymore so I’ve got to hit the sack. I’m very thankful to the many of you who have sent texts and e-mails while I was traveling. I really, really do appreciate your support! I leave you tonight with a photo I snapped of this old man riding his bicycle near a base I was at yesterday. I just thought it was a great pic and tells you a bit about the culture over here. Oh yea...remember the bear? The one that I promised my girls that would stay with me 24/7 until my return? They sent it to me in the first care package. Well...more proof on the right, here, that it continues its travels right alongside me.
Goodnight, everyone.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Day 101
Well, the clock on my screen reads 16 minutes and is counting down. I'm at a USO tonight, using their free computer which I had to wait 1/2 hour to use so tonight's post has to be short. Yesterday's post was exhausting so I'll keep it short and sweet and write more about my trip once I return to my home base.
The brief to all of the combat engineers went very well this morning. This was a trip I'd identified as being crucial for the north so I was very happy that it came to fruition and I believe the audience was deeply appreciative. One thing was evident...my name and reputation preceded me. It's all good! Great to see accomplishments from my work that directly benefit the warfighter...kinda makes all of this worth it.
Afterwards, I had lunch with some soldiers at an authentic Afghan restaurant. I can't really begin to tell you what I had...or spell it, but it was very good. The flat bread, or "naan" was REALLY good. I could've just eaten that straight and been happy. Afterwards, I did some shopping for Tin Man and Scarecrow then headed out to catch the helo back to the German base where I started this morning.
The rest of the day was spent, for the most part, sitting at the airstrip terminal, waiting for future flight times to be posted for the following days...extreme boredom, that's for sure, but some great conversation with those around me. I even shared some of my dad's beef jerky with some soldiers who were passing by. "Thanks, Dad!!! Of course, they loved it! They all do!" Later on in the evening, we headed to the German pizza shop for some homemade pizza and non-alcoholic brew...I got a calzone. It was so nice just to relax and enjoy some good quality food and a beverage...even as fake as it may be. :-)
So there you have it...Day 101...probably the fastest-typed post yet...less than 7min until I'm expired!!! So tired, too...those 4 hours have certainly caught up with me....was very hot all day and flew twice. Thank you ALL for your support and your messages. I really do appreciate them all!!!
Goodnight, everyone.
The brief to all of the combat engineers went very well this morning. This was a trip I'd identified as being crucial for the north so I was very happy that it came to fruition and I believe the audience was deeply appreciative. One thing was evident...my name and reputation preceded me. It's all good! Great to see accomplishments from my work that directly benefit the warfighter...kinda makes all of this worth it.
Afterwards, I had lunch with some soldiers at an authentic Afghan restaurant. I can't really begin to tell you what I had...or spell it, but it was very good. The flat bread, or "naan" was REALLY good. I could've just eaten that straight and been happy. Afterwards, I did some shopping for Tin Man and Scarecrow then headed out to catch the helo back to the German base where I started this morning.
The rest of the day was spent, for the most part, sitting at the airstrip terminal, waiting for future flight times to be posted for the following days...extreme boredom, that's for sure, but some great conversation with those around me. I even shared some of my dad's beef jerky with some soldiers who were passing by. "Thanks, Dad!!! Of course, they loved it! They all do!" Later on in the evening, we headed to the German pizza shop for some homemade pizza and non-alcoholic brew...I got a calzone. It was so nice just to relax and enjoy some good quality food and a beverage...even as fake as it may be. :-)
So there you have it...Day 101...probably the fastest-typed post yet...less than 7min until I'm expired!!! So tired, too...those 4 hours have certainly caught up with me....was very hot all day and flew twice. Thank you ALL for your support and your messages. I really do appreciate them all!!!
Goodnight, everyone.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Day 100
Wow. That is one word that describes Day 100 and it means so much. In interest of full disclosure, I am typing this on Day 101...just after 8am "Oz" time. It's the first time I've been able to get to a computer in the past 18 hours. So let's start back at Day 100 and bring you full circle. I'm tight on time here so I'll try to type quick...much to say. (shocking, I know!)
Day 100 started like any other except that I was trying to fly out again..back to "Theme Park #1"...if you recall from Memorial Day weekend. Back up north to the half-German/half-American base. I got booked on the 7:45am flight then kicked off so back to the office I went and sadly turned off the out-of-office on my e-mail. Dangit! The next flight wasn't until a "showtime" of 6:30pm. Showtime is when you show up to get manifested on a flight and normally precedes the actual flight time by 1, 2, or 3 hours. In interest of security, I'll leave it at that. That being said, it was back to the grind of a typical Monday in the office.
It wasn't long before the day turned not-so-normal. The brigade headquarters where my office sits got some bad news. Mid-morning, 3 members of the brigade were hit with a roadside bomb and lost their lives. Many of us were amazed because the MRAP vehicle they were in is one of our most safe and secure. This immediately told me the poundage of this bomb had to be big which is what the enemy has been doing. As we increase the strength of our armor, they make their IEDs/roadside bombs stronger and more destructive. Not everyone lost their lives in that vehicle and there were other injuries. As expected, the hallways and mood within my building turned very somber and sorrowful immediately. As the day wore on, not much more news came forth which was expected as next of kin notification has priority. All I could think about all day was the two uniformed soldiers showing up in a government vehicle at three different homes, in the three different parts of the country, knocking on three different front doors, but all delivering the same message...which all started with "On behalf of a grateful nation, we are sorry to inform you...." I think you get the idea. My heart...my soul...every fiber of my being was pouring out to the families...the moms, the dads, the children, the friends, and the brothers and sisters of the fallen. Their lives are all forever changed and this is only the beginning. Soon, their heroes will be coming home. Grateful nation...is it a grateful nation? I believe that in so many ways it is, but there is still so many stories to be told to the masses. America needs to know about their brothers and sisters in Harms Way who are giving their lives for the blanket of freedom they sleep beneath. For all of you who are reading this, you get it...you really do. Help me spread the word and live by example.
OK...the day wasn't over yet. Nope. It was mid-afternoon and word came in again...this time from a base that is less than a half mile from where I type right now...a soldier took his own life. I won't go into a dissertation here about what I think about suicide and the ripple effect it will have on that soldier's family's loved ones, but that soldier was ALSO attached to the place where I work. That's four losses within a span of about 5 hours. The details of this death is very troubling, too, but that...even on my anonymous blog, is too much to share. After I found out about this news, I had but one gut feeling...I will see this flag-draped casket...for where I am flying is the path it will take back to my home base as all fallen comrades come there for their final trip home. I'd soon find out.
Later that evening, I spent a few hours at the terminal waiting for my flight north and ended up for the first time on a C-130 cargo plane..run by the Alaska Air National Guard. First time on this tin can but it was a great flight. I just immersed myself in Passion 2010's live album. With the kind of day it had been so far, praise and worship is all I wanted in my head. I still had a gut feeling of what waited at the northern German base. A C-130, afterall, is the kind of plane what would transport the fallen...and this was the only flight north today. After a 45min flight north, we landed. Something wasn't quite right with the flight crew...they seem agitated...on edge...snapping at each other. Turns out, I was right. This flight crew had a very different payload as they were about to return to the home base after dropping us off.
After a very delayed departure from the aircraft, we boarded a shuttle bus and were immediately briefed by the flight crew that a fallen comrade was on the flight line and if we could remain silent as we passed by. As the C-130 disappeared behind us, a group of vehicles sat ahead...one caught my eye, though. As we turned the corner, the familiar looking rectangular box jutted out the back of a humvee truck, mostly covered. It was out enough, though to see the red and white stripes of Old Glory. Therein lied the fallen soldier who I had expected to see all day....speechless...numb....staring. We didn't stop and kept on rolling past but I stretched my neck as far as I could to try to remember this moment. I was only passing by but I didn't want to forget the image of what I saw...let it never be forgotten...let me never grow complacent...let me never forget. While this soldier took his own life and we'll never know his story, he served his country and died while protecting it.
A short while later, I was in a room within a compound filled with Germans. I heard about an internet cafe down the sidewalk and quickly found when I got there that it cost a lot of money and I couldn't read one lick of what was on the screen...even the keyboard was in German. I quickly left the cafe and used the only lifeline I had left to reach out to Dorothy...an emergency phone I carry on me. I called her and luckily got her at work just to tell her I'm OK, I've arrived and that I love her more than anything. We said goodnight and "I love you" many times and I headed on back to my room for a quick shower and into bed.
Rising early this morning, myself and those traveling with me grabbed a quick German breakfast and caught a helicopter to my current location where I'll brief the engineers in about an hour. Later this afternoon after an Afghan lunch here on this tiny outpost, I'll head back to the German base for the night and hopefully, get Day 101 written for you.
So there you have it, friends and family...Day 100 in the books and one never, ever to be forgotten. Since I'm not saying goodnight as I normally would...I'll simply say goodbye and I'll catch you again at Day 101.
Day 100 started like any other except that I was trying to fly out again..back to "Theme Park #1"...if you recall from Memorial Day weekend. Back up north to the half-German/half-American base. I got booked on the 7:45am flight then kicked off so back to the office I went and sadly turned off the out-of-office on my e-mail. Dangit! The next flight wasn't until a "showtime" of 6:30pm. Showtime is when you show up to get manifested on a flight and normally precedes the actual flight time by 1, 2, or 3 hours. In interest of security, I'll leave it at that. That being said, it was back to the grind of a typical Monday in the office.
It wasn't long before the day turned not-so-normal. The brigade headquarters where my office sits got some bad news. Mid-morning, 3 members of the brigade were hit with a roadside bomb and lost their lives. Many of us were amazed because the MRAP vehicle they were in is one of our most safe and secure. This immediately told me the poundage of this bomb had to be big which is what the enemy has been doing. As we increase the strength of our armor, they make their IEDs/roadside bombs stronger and more destructive. Not everyone lost their lives in that vehicle and there were other injuries. As expected, the hallways and mood within my building turned very somber and sorrowful immediately. As the day wore on, not much more news came forth which was expected as next of kin notification has priority. All I could think about all day was the two uniformed soldiers showing up in a government vehicle at three different homes, in the three different parts of the country, knocking on three different front doors, but all delivering the same message...which all started with "On behalf of a grateful nation, we are sorry to inform you...." I think you get the idea. My heart...my soul...every fiber of my being was pouring out to the families...the moms, the dads, the children, the friends, and the brothers and sisters of the fallen. Their lives are all forever changed and this is only the beginning. Soon, their heroes will be coming home. Grateful nation...is it a grateful nation? I believe that in so many ways it is, but there is still so many stories to be told to the masses. America needs to know about their brothers and sisters in Harms Way who are giving their lives for the blanket of freedom they sleep beneath. For all of you who are reading this, you get it...you really do. Help me spread the word and live by example.
OK...the day wasn't over yet. Nope. It was mid-afternoon and word came in again...this time from a base that is less than a half mile from where I type right now...a soldier took his own life. I won't go into a dissertation here about what I think about suicide and the ripple effect it will have on that soldier's family's loved ones, but that soldier was ALSO attached to the place where I work. That's four losses within a span of about 5 hours. The details of this death is very troubling, too, but that...even on my anonymous blog, is too much to share. After I found out about this news, I had but one gut feeling...I will see this flag-draped casket...for where I am flying is the path it will take back to my home base as all fallen comrades come there for their final trip home. I'd soon find out.
Later that evening, I spent a few hours at the terminal waiting for my flight north and ended up for the first time on a C-130 cargo plane..run by the Alaska Air National Guard. First time on this tin can but it was a great flight. I just immersed myself in Passion 2010's live album. With the kind of day it had been so far, praise and worship is all I wanted in my head. I still had a gut feeling of what waited at the northern German base. A C-130, afterall, is the kind of plane what would transport the fallen...and this was the only flight north today. After a 45min flight north, we landed. Something wasn't quite right with the flight crew...they seem agitated...on edge...snapping at each other. Turns out, I was right. This flight crew had a very different payload as they were about to return to the home base after dropping us off.
After a very delayed departure from the aircraft, we boarded a shuttle bus and were immediately briefed by the flight crew that a fallen comrade was on the flight line and if we could remain silent as we passed by. As the C-130 disappeared behind us, a group of vehicles sat ahead...one caught my eye, though. As we turned the corner, the familiar looking rectangular box jutted out the back of a humvee truck, mostly covered. It was out enough, though to see the red and white stripes of Old Glory. Therein lied the fallen soldier who I had expected to see all day....speechless...numb....staring. We didn't stop and kept on rolling past but I stretched my neck as far as I could to try to remember this moment. I was only passing by but I didn't want to forget the image of what I saw...let it never be forgotten...let me never grow complacent...let me never forget. While this soldier took his own life and we'll never know his story, he served his country and died while protecting it.
A short while later, I was in a room within a compound filled with Germans. I heard about an internet cafe down the sidewalk and quickly found when I got there that it cost a lot of money and I couldn't read one lick of what was on the screen...even the keyboard was in German. I quickly left the cafe and used the only lifeline I had left to reach out to Dorothy...an emergency phone I carry on me. I called her and luckily got her at work just to tell her I'm OK, I've arrived and that I love her more than anything. We said goodnight and "I love you" many times and I headed on back to my room for a quick shower and into bed.
Rising early this morning, myself and those traveling with me grabbed a quick German breakfast and caught a helicopter to my current location where I'll brief the engineers in about an hour. Later this afternoon after an Afghan lunch here on this tiny outpost, I'll head back to the German base for the night and hopefully, get Day 101 written for you.
So there you have it, friends and family...Day 100 in the books and one never, ever to be forgotten. Since I'm not saying goodnight as I normally would...I'll simply say goodbye and I'll catch you again at Day 101.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Day 99
Ahhh...the last 2-digit day. It's about time. Halfway point closing in, too. Today was pretty typical for a Sunday. I went in early today like I planned and worked on a point paper to route up the chain of command. I identified some real problems and a point paper pretty much states the problem in detail and offers a solution in no more than 2 pages. I wrote it because my very rough write-up from before got a lot of attention way up the chain and in the States. I decided to refine it, remove personal references from before and to build an accompanying spreadsheet to go with my suggestions. I'll be curious to see where it leads. Perhaps nowhere but the issue is too hot of a topic in this country to be ignored and the system as it is remains broken. The main problem? The folks in the States do not have situational awareness of what's going on out here. Not one of them has deployed so they try to manage the war from their cubicle and that just doesn't work. Never does! Anyway, time will tell.
After lunch, I grabbed the shuttle back to my room via the airfield to drop off a few things for a friend. On Sundays, I usually do some organization in my room. I always try to keep it in a state of being able to be packed and ready to go within 30 minutes if I needed to. That may not make much sense but it does keep the clutter down...Dorothy would be so proud! Once I was happy with it, I jumped in bed and took a two hour nap. Basically, I just wanted to get through the day quick. I could already feel the emotion of missing home growing so keeping distracted...or asleep!...helps. Plus, I wanted to run the 8 mile perimeter around the base again and stop to call home to Dorothy and the girls. I did just that. It was good to talk to Dorothy, Tin Man and Scarecrow again. Tin Man and Scarecrow are heading back to camp again this week. The first week was such a hit, they asked to go back. After talking to everyone, I got back on the road and finished my 8 mile loop. One really cool thing about running at night is that there's a good chance that when I get near the end of the runway, F-15s or F-16s will take off at some point. Tonight, it was the F-15s...the one I sat in. So awesome watching them bullet into the sky under the thrust of their glowing afterburners...and so loud and thunderous I can feel it in my chest.
Back in my room, I grabbed my iPad and zipped on down to the wifi area to try and Facetime with the girls. Yea, I had just talked to them but I really, really wanted to see them...and I did. Mostly, I saw Dorothy whose hair is incredibly blonde right now...she's really looking great! I also got the walking tour around my house, not that I really need that, but it was a visual reminder of home and that all is normal back there. Weird, huh? Yea...but it made me smile ear to ear and I even got to see our two Siamese cats being their typical selves. Then, the wifi signal got really bad and we couldn't maintain the connection. That's OK, though..it was great while it lasted. Afterwards, I watched some TV and even some live NASCAR. Dinner was furnished via care packages! Well...that's pretty much it for double-digit days. I'm getting pretty close to that tipping point to the downhill slide...can...not...wait!!!
Goodnight, everyone.
After lunch, I grabbed the shuttle back to my room via the airfield to drop off a few things for a friend. On Sundays, I usually do some organization in my room. I always try to keep it in a state of being able to be packed and ready to go within 30 minutes if I needed to. That may not make much sense but it does keep the clutter down...Dorothy would be so proud! Once I was happy with it, I jumped in bed and took a two hour nap. Basically, I just wanted to get through the day quick. I could already feel the emotion of missing home growing so keeping distracted...or asleep!...helps. Plus, I wanted to run the 8 mile perimeter around the base again and stop to call home to Dorothy and the girls. I did just that. It was good to talk to Dorothy, Tin Man and Scarecrow again. Tin Man and Scarecrow are heading back to camp again this week. The first week was such a hit, they asked to go back. After talking to everyone, I got back on the road and finished my 8 mile loop. One really cool thing about running at night is that there's a good chance that when I get near the end of the runway, F-15s or F-16s will take off at some point. Tonight, it was the F-15s...the one I sat in. So awesome watching them bullet into the sky under the thrust of their glowing afterburners...and so loud and thunderous I can feel it in my chest.
Back in my room, I grabbed my iPad and zipped on down to the wifi area to try and Facetime with the girls. Yea, I had just talked to them but I really, really wanted to see them...and I did. Mostly, I saw Dorothy whose hair is incredibly blonde right now...she's really looking great! I also got the walking tour around my house, not that I really need that, but it was a visual reminder of home and that all is normal back there. Weird, huh? Yea...but it made me smile ear to ear and I even got to see our two Siamese cats being their typical selves. Then, the wifi signal got really bad and we couldn't maintain the connection. That's OK, though..it was great while it lasted. Afterwards, I watched some TV and even some live NASCAR. Dinner was furnished via care packages! Well...that's pretty much it for double-digit days. I'm getting pretty close to that tipping point to the downhill slide...can...not...wait!!!
Goodnight, everyone.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Day 98
I typically don't struggle with what to write here. Normally, I just sit down and the words just kinda pour onto the screen each night. Tonight...hmmm, it's just not happening. Today was pretty much a dud for excitement. I was plenty busy today, kept to myself pretty heavily, and prepared for upcoming travel. I'll be briefing many engineers very soon in the northern part of the country and taking a team with me. Everyone's presentations had to be pulled together, reviewed by my boss, and travel solidified. I've got the lead on this trip so I'm trying not to forget anything. I hope this trip is the last one while I'm here. While I don't mind leaving the comforts of this base, living out of a backpack gets old pretty quick. Heck, just finding an internet connection and posting on this blog becomes a challenge.
One care package did arrive today and was a total surprise...homemade beef jerky from my dad. Ironically, just a day or so ago, I was chatting with my mom and told her that my dad's homemade jerky is really all I wanted. She didn't let on at all that it was about to arrive. It was a GREAT surprise...and one package is gone already. Thanks, Dad!!!
Getting back to my room a little earlier tonight, I spent a lot of time behind the computer "watching" many of my friends running the most popular 50K trail race back home. No doubt about it...I'm missing my trails and friends A LOT today. It looks like they had the typical hot/humid/dry day on the trails. With that said, it's a wrap. Another Saturday done...and "lonely Sunday" looms. I'm going to go in early tomorrow instead of later...I seemed to like that a lot more last week when I did it instead of heading in at noon.
Goodnight, everyone.
One care package did arrive today and was a total surprise...homemade beef jerky from my dad. Ironically, just a day or so ago, I was chatting with my mom and told her that my dad's homemade jerky is really all I wanted. She didn't let on at all that it was about to arrive. It was a GREAT surprise...and one package is gone already. Thanks, Dad!!!
Getting back to my room a little earlier tonight, I spent a lot of time behind the computer "watching" many of my friends running the most popular 50K trail race back home. No doubt about it...I'm missing my trails and friends A LOT today. It looks like they had the typical hot/humid/dry day on the trails. With that said, it's a wrap. Another Saturday done...and "lonely Sunday" looms. I'm going to go in early tomorrow instead of later...I seemed to like that a lot more last week when I did it instead of heading in at noon.
Goodnight, everyone.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Day 97
I'm getting to this blog entry much later in the day than normal but better late than not at all! It was a busy, busy day. Our guests remained so we continued to share our space in our office but I spent most of the morning on the move. First was my every-Friday meeting that deals with all construction projects going on here on my base. A few of the priorities are being driven by what I provide in supply and most often, that's what they're waiting for. Unfortunately, no one told me it was canceled! The on-base command group just turned over so it wasn't a big surprise.
On the way back to the office, I began my hunt. Over the past few weeks, about $75,000+ of material could not be located that was shipped here. Most of the supply orders I handle are between $500,000 and $1.5M. This was small and part of a bigger order. It was hundreds of electrical breakers and switches...actually, a hot commodity out here and in high demand. All indicators were that they were stolen and the customer of this material was about to start an investigation. I asked they hold off and let me beat down some doors first and see what I could find. Attempts by the customer to locate that material had failed so far. Normally, we don't require and line by line confirmation of receipt but when the order comes straight from the vendor to the customer (vendor was in Europe), we MUST have confirmation. DHL was the company who received it and I had all the tracking info and who signed for it. After I visited them (I think they were all Korean, Japanese, or Chinese...not sure), they pointed me to our on-base warehouse. I dropped in there and after an initial attempt to push me aside and shift the blame, I forced my hand to see all of their in-house receipts. Why? Because their employee's name is the one who signed for the stuff. Turns out, no receipt of receiving it and giving it out to customer. Hmmmm.... Back to DHL... gotta see that signature and have the warehouse compare it to actual and see who is lying to me. As I get back to DHL and we're digging up the signatures, I continue to rattle off the contents of what I'm looking for and who they should've called when it arrived (there should have been signs on that pallet telling them that). All of sudden, something I'm saying "jogs" the memory of one of the workers. "Come with me! I have this stuff!" Walking outside to the corner of their lot, under a bunch of trash, tarps, and plastic...all covered in dust, of course, is boxes just thrown around. On the ground underneath is the paper/placard that was attached to it all with the contact info here on base. Found it! Basically, it was just thrown in the corner and left...for the past 6 weeks. Turns out, the lady who signed for it ended up rejecting it back to DHL then DHL just threw it in a corner and forgot about it. Not good for the taxpayer, eh?! I took some photos, made some phonecalls, and directed the customer to come pick up their stuff. Back in the office, I put the photos together, drafted the experience from start to finish via 2-page PowerPoint and explained how I was going to change the process to prevent it from happening again. Done. In the end, I was pretty happy...this was a situation about to be blown out of control and now it's been solved. Glad I could be the one finish it.
The rest of the day was busier than normal but I also realized that for some reason, most of my counterparts were taking Friday off...again! Geez... Life is certainly grand back in the States! So, I expect my Saturday morning e-mail to be very light. Our "guests" remained and I saw the writing on the wall...I saw another night where they were going to want to watch a movie or something again in the office. There was no way I was sticking around like last night! I had to get out of there and fast. Leaving early, though, would cost me the Friday lobster tail but that's OK. I grabbed my care package from Dorothy (fresh, clean sheets! finally!), my laundry and headed to the bus stop to wait. After the ride back, I grabbed some so-so dinner, then headed on back to my room.
The rest of the night was spent texting Dorothy back and forth over and over and a few phone calls. I won't go into the details, but she was out of town and while in her hotel, someone stole $400 cash from her purse while she was at the pool. Money for groceries she had just withdrew...several weeks worth. After a LOT of drama, reading the door scanner at her room, calling the police, etc., they gave her the $400 back and fired the guy who was confirmed to had broken in. I guess if you're going to steal $400 and the "do not disturb" sign is on the door, you should put the sign back on like you found it or it'll be known someone was in there and those little swipe cards can be tracked to the user. Dorothy did great...she really did. My call to the front desk probably didn't help much (I was a tad bit fired up with a worker who couldn't care less and only wanted to put me in management's voicemail) but Dorothy held it together and got it done. Good ending to a very stressful situation for her and the girls. Talk about feeling helpless on the other side of the world! Plus, my internet kept going in and out so I couldn't respond to her texts timely...horrendous winds here. Well, that's the day! Day 97 done. Day 98 on deck.
Goodnight, everyone.
On the way back to the office, I began my hunt. Over the past few weeks, about $75,000+ of material could not be located that was shipped here. Most of the supply orders I handle are between $500,000 and $1.5M. This was small and part of a bigger order. It was hundreds of electrical breakers and switches...actually, a hot commodity out here and in high demand. All indicators were that they were stolen and the customer of this material was about to start an investigation. I asked they hold off and let me beat down some doors first and see what I could find. Attempts by the customer to locate that material had failed so far. Normally, we don't require and line by line confirmation of receipt but when the order comes straight from the vendor to the customer (vendor was in Europe), we MUST have confirmation. DHL was the company who received it and I had all the tracking info and who signed for it. After I visited them (I think they were all Korean, Japanese, or Chinese...not sure), they pointed me to our on-base warehouse. I dropped in there and after an initial attempt to push me aside and shift the blame, I forced my hand to see all of their in-house receipts. Why? Because their employee's name is the one who signed for the stuff. Turns out, no receipt of receiving it and giving it out to customer. Hmmmm.... Back to DHL... gotta see that signature and have the warehouse compare it to actual and see who is lying to me. As I get back to DHL and we're digging up the signatures, I continue to rattle off the contents of what I'm looking for and who they should've called when it arrived (there should have been signs on that pallet telling them that). All of sudden, something I'm saying "jogs" the memory of one of the workers. "Come with me! I have this stuff!" Walking outside to the corner of their lot, under a bunch of trash, tarps, and plastic...all covered in dust, of course, is boxes just thrown around. On the ground underneath is the paper/placard that was attached to it all with the contact info here on base. Found it! Basically, it was just thrown in the corner and left...for the past 6 weeks. Turns out, the lady who signed for it ended up rejecting it back to DHL then DHL just threw it in a corner and forgot about it. Not good for the taxpayer, eh?! I took some photos, made some phonecalls, and directed the customer to come pick up their stuff. Back in the office, I put the photos together, drafted the experience from start to finish via 2-page PowerPoint and explained how I was going to change the process to prevent it from happening again. Done. In the end, I was pretty happy...this was a situation about to be blown out of control and now it's been solved. Glad I could be the one finish it.
The rest of the day was busier than normal but I also realized that for some reason, most of my counterparts were taking Friday off...again! Geez... Life is certainly grand back in the States! So, I expect my Saturday morning e-mail to be very light. Our "guests" remained and I saw the writing on the wall...I saw another night where they were going to want to watch a movie or something again in the office. There was no way I was sticking around like last night! I had to get out of there and fast. Leaving early, though, would cost me the Friday lobster tail but that's OK. I grabbed my care package from Dorothy (fresh, clean sheets! finally!), my laundry and headed to the bus stop to wait. After the ride back, I grabbed some so-so dinner, then headed on back to my room.
The rest of the night was spent texting Dorothy back and forth over and over and a few phone calls. I won't go into the details, but she was out of town and while in her hotel, someone stole $400 cash from her purse while she was at the pool. Money for groceries she had just withdrew...several weeks worth. After a LOT of drama, reading the door scanner at her room, calling the police, etc., they gave her the $400 back and fired the guy who was confirmed to had broken in. I guess if you're going to steal $400 and the "do not disturb" sign is on the door, you should put the sign back on like you found it or it'll be known someone was in there and those little swipe cards can be tracked to the user. Dorothy did great...she really did. My call to the front desk probably didn't help much (I was a tad bit fired up with a worker who couldn't care less and only wanted to put me in management's voicemail) but Dorothy held it together and got it done. Good ending to a very stressful situation for her and the girls. Talk about feeling helpless on the other side of the world! Plus, my internet kept going in and out so I couldn't respond to her texts timely...horrendous winds here. Well, that's the day! Day 97 done. Day 98 on deck.
Goodnight, everyone.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Day 96
Well, this is a first. It’s approaching 10pm here and I’m ... wait for it ... in my office. I arrived here shortly after 7am this morning. This is nuts! Anyway, in the interest of sleep whenever I get that opportunity, I’m drafting this post now so my head-bob later doesn't prevent a hiccup in my daily posting. But am I working ... that’s the question ... no, not really. Instead, I’m stuck here because our bosses from another base are visiting and want to watch a movie across the hall here. So here I am ... doing a small bit of work, talking to my mobilization specialist back in the States (talking about my going-home orders), and writing to you.
The day started like any other except that I almost slept in. A more rapid brewing of the espresso and consumption of cereal. The bad part about rushing? I dropped the top of my espresso pot and cracked it. DANGIT! Luckily, it doesn’t impact the ability to brew…but it still stinks. I love that thing. It essentially is the giver of my Caffeine-IV drip every day. Once in the office, our guests were here not even an hour later which made our office instantly crowded. A few hours in, a fellow soldier here on base walked in…she’s going home in two days.
Let’s call her “Jo.” Jo and I have been working together a lot as her task force here handles everything base-related…especially construction and major maintenance and I get much of that stuff for her. They are a National Guard group. Anyway, most of them have gone home and she’s one of the last to go. A few days back, I received an “out-of-office” message from her saying she had to head out on an emergency mission. Today, she walked in to say goodbye and shook my hand. I asked about the mission and it turns out, it truly was an emergency. A fellow soldier on his final mission before heading home to his wife and family was shot point-blank by an Afghan soldier imposter as they stopped to help him along the road...supposedly to help with a flat tire…a tire that wasn’t flat at all. This soldier was a personal friend of hers. A lot of National Guard folks have been together for years and are like family. As she told me the story and her mission which was to gather up all of his belongings to be shipped home to his family, her eyes welled up and she fought back the tears. I tried to deflect the conversation a bit to avoid her breaking down which worked but she was clearly rocked by this. I felt for her…I really did. I just couldn’t imagine having to go do that for a friend. This conversation really brought it home again…which I’m thankful for. It’s so easy to get complacent in a 7-day work-week and let your guard down. This is proof that we all must keep our head on a swivel and trust no one. Where I live, there are HUNDREDS of local-nationals on base. Many of them are standing on the serving line at the chow hall serving me my mashed potatoes. Most are good people but there are plenty of bad folks out there who are waving money in front of them to turn them. We are fighting a very unconventional enemy so we have to think the same way. I think tomorrow is a good day to clean my weapon…it’s been awhile. If you want to read about this soldier, it has been made public online in his local newspaper. I always prefer to read the local paper instead of the Associated Press. It’s much more personal and talks about the fallen’s family. I am asking that you take a few moments and read it after today’s post. Here is the link: http://thegazette.com/2011/07/
The rest of the day was just the same ‘ol, same ‘ol. As the night wore on, I saw the writing on the wall and just knew I wouldn’t be going back to my room anytime soon. Calls to Dorothy and my girls and a failed attempt for my dad and now here..drafting my blog to you. It’s now 10pm and I think I’ll pause and cross my fingers that soon, it’ll be time to leave.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Well, I’m back at my room now. It’s 11:55pm. To end today, I thought I’d share a video which is 18 years old and by Billy Ray Cyrus. It was shared earlier with me from a friend. I think it’s perfect and fitting to end today’s post. For those of you reading this via e-mail, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Goodnight, everyone.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Day 95
95? Oh, that's easy. That's the average temp here every day with humidity under 10%. Also the main artery from Washington D.C. to our beloved Virginia that Dorothy and I love so much. We lived there for many years and still have many close friends.
OK...this can't be a long post...I am wiped out and am falling asleep already. It's almost 11pm here and I just got back to my room...for the first time today. 15+ hour day...yea, that takes the record for longest day worked in the first 95 days. I just love when a high level teleconference call/meeting is ordered at 8:30pm at night. Way too many high-ranking folks present for me to duck out and good thing I was there, too. I was called upon a few times for input among the 9 stations country-wide dialed in. One thing is for sure...think, re-think, then think again before you speak among this kind of crowd. It helps I know my stuff, too! Other than that, it was typical mid-week "stuff" all day long. Busy, busy, busy.
I did have a few highlights, though...Dorothy got up in the middle of the night...terrible headache, and we exchanged some messages then pinky-swore to talk later...which we did. I love hearing her voice. When I returned for the late meeting tonight, after dinner, I also called and talked to Tin Man and Scarecrow at the same time...again, their voices just bring peace to me. We talked about the waterpark coming up in the next few days and trip #2 to camp next week. They sounded really good and happy. So great to talk to them. After the meeting, I gave Dorothy one last quick call just to tell her I love her and see how her day was going.
So there you have it...exciting, eh?! At least Day 95 went fast. I also renewed my internet again for the bargain 70 bucks...(insert sarcasm)...which of course, means another month DONE! Didn't think I'd continue this fleecing after buying it the first month but I'm truly addicted to having it bedside and being able to blog like this. And with that and heavy eyes, I bid you all a farewell.
Goodnight, everyone.
OK...this can't be a long post...I am wiped out and am falling asleep already. It's almost 11pm here and I just got back to my room...for the first time today. 15+ hour day...yea, that takes the record for longest day worked in the first 95 days. I just love when a high level teleconference call/meeting is ordered at 8:30pm at night. Way too many high-ranking folks present for me to duck out and good thing I was there, too. I was called upon a few times for input among the 9 stations country-wide dialed in. One thing is for sure...think, re-think, then think again before you speak among this kind of crowd. It helps I know my stuff, too! Other than that, it was typical mid-week "stuff" all day long. Busy, busy, busy.
I did have a few highlights, though...Dorothy got up in the middle of the night...terrible headache, and we exchanged some messages then pinky-swore to talk later...which we did. I love hearing her voice. When I returned for the late meeting tonight, after dinner, I also called and talked to Tin Man and Scarecrow at the same time...again, their voices just bring peace to me. We talked about the waterpark coming up in the next few days and trip #2 to camp next week. They sounded really good and happy. So great to talk to them. After the meeting, I gave Dorothy one last quick call just to tell her I love her and see how her day was going.
So there you have it...exciting, eh?! At least Day 95 went fast. I also renewed my internet again for the bargain 70 bucks...(insert sarcasm)...which of course, means another month DONE! Didn't think I'd continue this fleecing after buying it the first month but I'm truly addicted to having it bedside and being able to blog like this. And with that and heavy eyes, I bid you all a farewell.
Goodnight, everyone.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Day 94
94.1...Armed Forces Radio...the ONLY station in this country. Yes, the ONLY one. It's run by Army guys a few buildings from mine. They broadcast throughout the country. Basically, they play everything and every genre. I actually won an old DVD from them a few weeks back for answering a question on their Facebook page. Pretty cool folks over there. That's about all 94 drummed up in my head tonight.
Today? Crud. That's putting it nicely. It just started bad and stayed that way. It was one thing after another. It started with flights being canceled for that lady who threw up on herself the day before followed by another surprise arrival we knew nothing about. The bad thing about being at a central air hub is that everyone passes through and often, we have to drop everything we're doing to cater to them. They need the help and we're "happy" to provide the service but it wrecks the routine which often involves meetings and deadlines. After driving 15mph around this 8 mile perimeter base in lots of traffic, I finally made it into the office, only to dive into meetings. As the day progressed, conflicts arose with other personnel that I share the uniform with but honestly, I don't have the desire to write the details here. Let's just say I was greatly disappointed in this person and if only I had one more rank on my chest... If only...
As the day wore on, other issues very high up on the food chain were rising quickly and although I wasn't directly involved, others in my office were so the stress level and volume just kept increasing with everyone. Then the east coast folks showed up to work and they starting shooting off their problems at me. I wish I could just pluck each one of them out of their cubicle and transport them here for one week. I think they'd see things a lot differently and be a LOT easier to work with. People who have never set foot in this country simply don't get it...even though they directly impact operations here. It amazes me how many people try to manage the war from their cozy armchair Stateside...especially if they've never left that chair to set foot in the sand. It is days like this where I just want to throw my hands in the air and disappear for days on end. Unfortunately, there really isn't anywhere to disappear to. Eventually as the night approached 8pm, we slammed the door behind us and got the heck out of the there. It was Mongolian BBQ night at one of the dining facilities so we headed on down. After a 1/2 hour wait, we chose our ingredients and watched it get grilled. For me? Noodles covered with grilled shrimp, mushrooms, chicken, onions, green peppers, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Honestly...it was the bomb. Very good. Afterwards, we headed on back, cranked up some tunes on the way back and called it a night. Now...just sitting here watching "The Fighter" on the Armed Forces Network yet again.
We all have a bad day. Today was just one of mine. I don't expect anyone to understand and don't care to explain it or drum it up ever again. Tomorrow is a new day and this day will just get flushed right where it needs to. There were also other compounding things from back home that added to it all that made my blood boil but honestly, anonymous or not, I'm not writing about it. Some things are for me and me alone. Nothing regarding Dorothy and my girls...they are doing great...so no worries there. One thing about home is that I need to really start thinking about going there and how I'll communicate with people. I really think saying less or nothing to the majority will be best. The thought that people will understand the stories or be able to relate is far-fetched at best. No fault of theirs, though. Before I came here, there's no way I'd understand no matter how many ways it could be explained...I just wouldn't comprehend unless I was actually here. Anyway...I could ramble on forever. Best to just say...
Goodnight, everyone.
Today? Crud. That's putting it nicely. It just started bad and stayed that way. It was one thing after another. It started with flights being canceled for that lady who threw up on herself the day before followed by another surprise arrival we knew nothing about. The bad thing about being at a central air hub is that everyone passes through and often, we have to drop everything we're doing to cater to them. They need the help and we're "happy" to provide the service but it wrecks the routine which often involves meetings and deadlines. After driving 15mph around this 8 mile perimeter base in lots of traffic, I finally made it into the office, only to dive into meetings. As the day progressed, conflicts arose with other personnel that I share the uniform with but honestly, I don't have the desire to write the details here. Let's just say I was greatly disappointed in this person and if only I had one more rank on my chest... If only...
As the day wore on, other issues very high up on the food chain were rising quickly and although I wasn't directly involved, others in my office were so the stress level and volume just kept increasing with everyone. Then the east coast folks showed up to work and they starting shooting off their problems at me. I wish I could just pluck each one of them out of their cubicle and transport them here for one week. I think they'd see things a lot differently and be a LOT easier to work with. People who have never set foot in this country simply don't get it...even though they directly impact operations here. It amazes me how many people try to manage the war from their cozy armchair Stateside...especially if they've never left that chair to set foot in the sand. It is days like this where I just want to throw my hands in the air and disappear for days on end. Unfortunately, there really isn't anywhere to disappear to. Eventually as the night approached 8pm, we slammed the door behind us and got the heck out of the there. It was Mongolian BBQ night at one of the dining facilities so we headed on down. After a 1/2 hour wait, we chose our ingredients and watched it get grilled. For me? Noodles covered with grilled shrimp, mushrooms, chicken, onions, green peppers, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Honestly...it was the bomb. Very good. Afterwards, we headed on back, cranked up some tunes on the way back and called it a night. Now...just sitting here watching "The Fighter" on the Armed Forces Network yet again.
We all have a bad day. Today was just one of mine. I don't expect anyone to understand and don't care to explain it or drum it up ever again. Tomorrow is a new day and this day will just get flushed right where it needs to. There were also other compounding things from back home that added to it all that made my blood boil but honestly, anonymous or not, I'm not writing about it. Some things are for me and me alone. Nothing regarding Dorothy and my girls...they are doing great...so no worries there. One thing about home is that I need to really start thinking about going there and how I'll communicate with people. I really think saying less or nothing to the majority will be best. The thought that people will understand the stories or be able to relate is far-fetched at best. No fault of theirs, though. Before I came here, there's no way I'd understand no matter how many ways it could be explained...I just wouldn't comprehend unless I was actually here. Anyway...I could ramble on forever. Best to just say...
Goodnight, everyone.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 93
Flight 93...September 11, 2001. That's the only thing front and center in my mind tonight when I say Day 93. Not too far from my home in "Kansas" is the spot where Flight 93 went down but not before the famous phrase "Let's Roll!" May they, the victims at the Pentagon, and the victims of the World Trade Center never be forgotten. I just realized, too, that I'll be here on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. Ironic, I'd say since if it wasn't for that attack, I wouldn't be here.
This day started out normal but quickly turned different. About 1/2 hour before our intended carpool time, I got a call saying we need to leave immediately...one of our peeps is at the hospital's ER and we need to pick them up. I laced up my boots and got downstairs quick. Upon entering the hospital, it was basically a maze with no really helpful signs. On the way to the ER, I passed a lady sleeping in her chair in the hallway. I paid no attention. Once I got to the ER, they told me our employee was checked out at 5am...2 1/2 hours ago. Turns out, that lady in the hallway is the civilian employee of our agency that had a pretty rough ride in from Kuwait. My location isn't her final destination but instead of continuing on, she chose the path of throwing up inside of her jacket and getting an IV for the night. So by the time I got her, she was a complete wreck...looked like it, and smelled like it. She still felt horrible. I got her to our office and arranged a room for her for the day and night and got her over there as quick as I could. Man, she looked bad. Once I got back to the office, I finally got to work and the rest of the day was a typical Monday as the East Coast is still asleep. One cool thing was that I got to head into the Special Forces area of the base to have dinner...only because I know someone who knows someone who works there. No other way behind that gate! Inside this compound, the food was far, far better and the folks inside here look like....well, the tough guys who hunt down and get the bad guys. I know I stood out like a sore thumb. It was cool, nonetheless. Other than that today, it was business as usual and also planned some future travel to "Theme Park #1 and #2" that I traveled to before. Of course, I can't say when but it's coming up. This trip will be my opportunity to reach out to the northern part of the country and help them build their "erector sets" that I've been working with them on. The north compared to the east is in its infancy stage and continue to build and grow. It should be a great trip.
Back in the room tonight around 8pm, I booked a vacation for Dorothy and I in the summer of 2012...a cruise to Bermuda. This has got to be one of the most simplistic cruises ever. Most have several ports of call but not this one. The departure port is within driving distance...saves a bunch on airfare...and it has one port...Bermuda. We spend nearly 3 days there but still get over 2 days of cruising. Dorothy would be perfectly happy if she lives right on the beach itself so pink sand beaches for a few days is right up her alley. Far into the future but that's OK. I also found out tonight that I made the initial cut for the two jobs I applied for back in "Kansas." They are both promotions and just because I'm deployed doesn't mean I can't apply for things...in fact, a senior supervisor encouraged me to do so. So that was great news! Now, they'll look at each one that was screened and passed through, speak to supervisors, and make a decision. Wouldn't that be great if I got promoted while in Oz?! Yea..that would be great! Well...that's about it for Day 93. Less than a week to the big 100!
Goodnight, everyone.
This day started out normal but quickly turned different. About 1/2 hour before our intended carpool time, I got a call saying we need to leave immediately...one of our peeps is at the hospital's ER and we need to pick them up. I laced up my boots and got downstairs quick. Upon entering the hospital, it was basically a maze with no really helpful signs. On the way to the ER, I passed a lady sleeping in her chair in the hallway. I paid no attention. Once I got to the ER, they told me our employee was checked out at 5am...2 1/2 hours ago. Turns out, that lady in the hallway is the civilian employee of our agency that had a pretty rough ride in from Kuwait. My location isn't her final destination but instead of continuing on, she chose the path of throwing up inside of her jacket and getting an IV for the night. So by the time I got her, she was a complete wreck...looked like it, and smelled like it. She still felt horrible. I got her to our office and arranged a room for her for the day and night and got her over there as quick as I could. Man, she looked bad. Once I got back to the office, I finally got to work and the rest of the day was a typical Monday as the East Coast is still asleep. One cool thing was that I got to head into the Special Forces area of the base to have dinner...only because I know someone who knows someone who works there. No other way behind that gate! Inside this compound, the food was far, far better and the folks inside here look like....well, the tough guys who hunt down and get the bad guys. I know I stood out like a sore thumb. It was cool, nonetheless. Other than that today, it was business as usual and also planned some future travel to "Theme Park #1 and #2" that I traveled to before. Of course, I can't say when but it's coming up. This trip will be my opportunity to reach out to the northern part of the country and help them build their "erector sets" that I've been working with them on. The north compared to the east is in its infancy stage and continue to build and grow. It should be a great trip.
Back in the room tonight around 8pm, I booked a vacation for Dorothy and I in the summer of 2012...a cruise to Bermuda. This has got to be one of the most simplistic cruises ever. Most have several ports of call but not this one. The departure port is within driving distance...saves a bunch on airfare...and it has one port...Bermuda. We spend nearly 3 days there but still get over 2 days of cruising. Dorothy would be perfectly happy if she lives right on the beach itself so pink sand beaches for a few days is right up her alley. Far into the future but that's OK. I also found out tonight that I made the initial cut for the two jobs I applied for back in "Kansas." They are both promotions and just because I'm deployed doesn't mean I can't apply for things...in fact, a senior supervisor encouraged me to do so. So that was great news! Now, they'll look at each one that was screened and passed through, speak to supervisors, and make a decision. Wouldn't that be great if I got promoted while in Oz?! Yea..that would be great! Well...that's about it for Day 93. Less than a week to the big 100!
Goodnight, everyone.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 92
I won't lie...today was a relaxing today, for the most part. With the boss away, the Air Force guy and I split the day. I'm a morning guy and he had a 5pm teleconference so I headed in at 7am then headed back and swapped out the truck and then he headed in around lunch. That worked quite well. Before that, though, I was pleased to wake up to a nighttime NASCAR race in Kentucky...just in time for the final 50 or so laps. Espresso, Clif Bar, then off I went to the office. After that morning was wrapped up, I headed on back to trade out the truck and headed out for a haircut. Yep..another couple weeks gone! The last two times, I got it cut on my side of the base where I work. That shop is manned by either Afghan or Indian workers. They can't understand a lick of English, don't appear to really care about their work, and finish in under 5 minutes. So, I headed back to the first place I went when I got here. Remember that high and tight cut that Dorothy did NOT like? If you recall, it was cut by a lady from Kyrgyzstan, one of the 6 Turkic states north of Afghanistan...part of the former Soviet Union. So, Russian is their language. Well, this whole barber shop is from there and they do understand more English, appear to actually care and take their time, and smile! Wow, what a concept! So today, when I said to use "thinning shears" on the top (my hair grows fast and thick), she understood. No doubt about it...I am not going anywhere else from now on. I am super happy with the cut. While over there, I grabbed some lunch then took the 15min walk back to my room.
Before Dorothy went to bed last night, we quickly text each other and I told her I'd try to call. Well, that would be around 4pm my time so I got some stuff done in my room after lunch then headed out on another perimeter run, only to take an intermission break back at my office where I could call her. 4 1/2 miles there and 4 1/2 miles back. The only thing about today? 98F, sub-10% humidity, 5000 feet up. You don't even sweat in these conditions. The moisture gets sucked out so fast and it's tough to keep going. I was carrying Gatorade today and couldn't keep up. So, the respite halfway through my run to talk to Dorothy was perfect...in air conditioning. We probably talked nearly an hour and it was awesome. It had been too long since we last talked. We even planned our 2012 summer vacation! I found a cruise that leaves about 6 hours from our home, sails to Bermuda then comes back. It's still a week long but 2 full days of Bermuda is in the middle...pink sand beaches, great food, and did I say, beach?! Dorothy was born to be on the beach so this will be perfect. Of course, we like to cruise, too, so the rest of the time will be spent cruising...and eating!
After a tough run back, it was dinner time (absolutely HORRIBLE!!!!) followed by a scoop of praline ice cream. The food...oh my...just so bad. It was even worse because I really needed a good meal post-run. Oh well...at least I had some light popcorn a bit ago. So that's pretty much a wrap, everyone. Back home, it's family reunion time on Dorothy's side of the family...always a good time. Sorry to be missing it!
Goodnight, everyone.
Before Dorothy went to bed last night, we quickly text each other and I told her I'd try to call. Well, that would be around 4pm my time so I got some stuff done in my room after lunch then headed out on another perimeter run, only to take an intermission break back at my office where I could call her. 4 1/2 miles there and 4 1/2 miles back. The only thing about today? 98F, sub-10% humidity, 5000 feet up. You don't even sweat in these conditions. The moisture gets sucked out so fast and it's tough to keep going. I was carrying Gatorade today and couldn't keep up. So, the respite halfway through my run to talk to Dorothy was perfect...in air conditioning. We probably talked nearly an hour and it was awesome. It had been too long since we last talked. We even planned our 2012 summer vacation! I found a cruise that leaves about 6 hours from our home, sails to Bermuda then comes back. It's still a week long but 2 full days of Bermuda is in the middle...pink sand beaches, great food, and did I say, beach?! Dorothy was born to be on the beach so this will be perfect. Of course, we like to cruise, too, so the rest of the time will be spent cruising...and eating!
After a tough run back, it was dinner time (absolutely HORRIBLE!!!!) followed by a scoop of praline ice cream. The food...oh my...just so bad. It was even worse because I really needed a good meal post-run. Oh well...at least I had some light popcorn a bit ago. So that's pretty much a wrap, everyone. Back home, it's family reunion time on Dorothy's side of the family...always a good time. Sorry to be missing it!
Goodnight, everyone.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Day 91
June '91: graduated high school. August '91: joined the Navy and went to boot-camp. Christmas Eve '91: Dorothy and I were sitting on Santa's Lap and I slid off and down to one knee and proposed to her. Thankfully, she said yes or there wouldn't be a Tin Man or Scarecrow nearly 19 years later! So Day 91...just conjured up some memories as I thought about it and thought I'd share.
As the boss is away right now, it was another quiet but busy day today. The first half of Saturdays are always jam-packed as I do my weekly update to all of my "customers" who have massive orders in the system. I receive transportation updates overnight and I add those in to a tracking system I manage then push that out country-wide. Everyone who is waiting on material counts on this each Saturday and I have yet to let them down. The afternoon really slowed down and involved a trip to Green Beans Coffee again with my Air Force office-mate. It was in the mid-90s today so the iced espresso chai latte hit the spot. Only a few bucks left on my coffee card! I've been nursing that thing for quite awhile now along with a free $2.00 credit every couple of days from anonymous donors. Today, I got another one of those. She lives in Buffalo, NY, is married, is an ER nurse, and a runner! Dorothy is also an ER nurse. I enjoy conversing in pen-pal fashion with a good deal of the donors who give me coffee. Not all write back, but I always thank every one personally. Pretty cool.
Around 5pm tonight, I had but one duty. An Air Force officer that is the same rank as me is heading HOME tonight...actually, she's probably airborne by now. She finished 6 months here and is heading home. All of her teammates have already left so she was left alone here. I was asked to help her with her several hundred pounds of gear and truck her to the terminal since we pretty much adopted her and her team. She's not part of the agency I'm here with but they shared office space with us. I was very happy to help...to take someone to the terminal where they will lift off from this country for good is cool to be a part of. And oh my...there were a LOT of people leaving tonight. An entire task force here on the base just turned over and they are leaving in waves. There were hundreds of seabags stacked up everywhere, their weapons zip-tied for the flight out of the country and grins everywhere. Ahhh...so much to look forward to. Every time I drive to that terminal, I think about that very day.
Once I got back, I laced up my running shoes (which I can't wait to trash...they are disgusting...so filled with the dust and filth from this place and the cushion is totally SHOT) and hit the road for another 8 mile perimeter run. It was a pretty good run filled with songs from the Passion 2011 event. Great running tunes. Once back, I ate some food from my many care packages and popped some popcorn. I also found out tonight that the Pandora Internet Music app that I just updated yesterday on my iPhone lifted the international restriction that was there before. Before, it "knew" I wasn't stateside and wouldn't stream music. Well, since I have set up my own WiFi hotspot in my room, I thought I'd try it again and BAM! It works! So awesome! I'd rather listen to music than watch repeats of the same movies on the Armed Forces Network.
So the photos...I had mentioned I went out and took some. I'm including a few of my favorites here tonight. I have a SmugMug account but if I linked it, this blog wouldn't be anonymous anymore so you'll have to settle for only these. Also, the Air Force guy in my office does Cross Fit a few times a week. Those work outs are very intense and involve rapid and forceful movements. I asked if he'd mind if I photographed him and the Army guy he works out with so I can practice shooting in bright daylight with fast motion and see if I get the kind of photos I'm "shooting" for...hehehehehe. Plus, if I get good ones, they both will have great shots to share with family back home! So I'll be trying that in a few days when they work out again. So to the photos from a few nights ago...
Goodnight, everyone.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Day 90
A nice round number, eh? I'll like 100 even more. It'll be here soon as will the halfway point. I did learn today that the halfway point is really more of an estimate. I have a feeling that my actual departure date from this not-to-be-missed-one-bit country isn't set in stone...it's approximate but will NOT go past a certain point. It's far enough out now not to concern myself with it and it'll solidify as I get closer to it and the Navy cuts me official orders to "re-deploy" as they call it. But enough talk about leaving...I think about it all day, every day but that's too far into the future to say much more.
My boss headed out today. Nice trip for him as his wife is conveniently deployed as well...in the same location of this conference....hmmmm....he couldn't stop smiling as he walked into the terminal this morning. Lucky, LUCKY guy! Shared room, a week away...dang. Anyway, with the boss away, the phone rang 1/10 as much and it was very quiet. My normal 9:30am Friday meeting today followed by some Green Beans Coffee. Today, I had one of their small Mocha Frappes. Very, VERY good..especially if you like chocolate. Perfect for the 94F outside. Also at the coffee shop were coffee mugs. These are VERY rare. I've been watching for them for the past two months. I grabbed one for 5 bucks (dirt cheap for a heavy, quality mug).
My boss headed out today. Nice trip for him as his wife is conveniently deployed as well...in the same location of this conference....hmmmm....he couldn't stop smiling as he walked into the terminal this morning. Lucky, LUCKY guy! Shared room, a week away...dang. Anyway, with the boss away, the phone rang 1/10 as much and it was very quiet. My normal 9:30am Friday meeting today followed by some Green Beans Coffee. Today, I had one of their small Mocha Frappes. Very, VERY good..especially if you like chocolate. Perfect for the 94F outside. Also at the coffee shop were coffee mugs. These are VERY rare. I've been watching for them for the past two months. I grabbed one for 5 bucks (dirt cheap for a heavy, quality mug).
Didn't you meet my zebra and beaver yet? Yes, they are on my desk at all times and keep me company. Both arrived in care packages so putting them away, out of site just isn't an option. Inside the fine coffee mug? Mint tea, courtesy of Dorothy's brother and sister-in-law via care package. Great stuff.
After the normal grind, dinner time approached and since it's Friday night, it's Surf-n-Turf night. I had myself another lobster tail and crab cake. Very good but two weeks ago was the best when they loaded me up with two tails..and they were the best I have had so far. Tonight was OK but better than any other meal. Afterwards, the Air Force guy I was with wanted a Green Beans Coffee so we swung by there..none for me. Guess what, though...those coffee mugs were already sold out. I knew it!!! "Winning!" For breakfast today, I had the last of my cereal. I have REALLY appreciated the Kashi cereal that I received from home. I am going to revert back to Clif Bars for breakfast now as I really don't want to go to the dining facility in the morning. I treasure my private time to brew my espresso and check in with all my friends and family online when I wake up each day. No biggee...I've got plenty of those bars to work through. It takes a dedicated effort to work through all of these care packages!!! :-)
After dinner, we headed back to the office for a bit. E-mails were continuing to pour in as the States were working through everything I had sent them...already the weekend again for them now! Dang!!! Back in my room, another 30 minutes were spent on lock-down as the enemy launched another rocket attack at us. I'll have no idea about the damage/injury/etc. until tomorrow. I heard it was over on my side of the base where I work but I really have no idea. I'll read the whole intel brief tomorrow. Well, that's about it from here tonight.
Goodnight, everyone.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Day 89
Besides talking to Tin Man and Scarecrow, there's not much else to tell you about today. We didn't have much to talk about but just the small talk was good enough for me. That and 13 hours in the office pretty much wraps up the day.
Goodnight, everyone.
Goodnight, everyone.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Day 88
I gotta tell ya...this long, long weekend for the States has been drawn out long enough! The people I need to keep the ship moving were for the most part, gone since last Thursday...and with the time difference, didn't come back to work until this late afternoon as yesterday was a federal holiday. While I'm sure they sent plenty of work my way so far today, I wasn't about to sit around all night and wait for it. 5:30pm came around and I decided I just needed to get out of there. It was a decent day up until then and I stayed busy but I was ready to leave.
I got back to my room and immediately dropped off my clean laundry in my room and headed out to where the flag flies that you see on this blog background. I had been out there once before (which is where this background came from) but with my new camera, I wanted to head back out. By time the night ended, I had taken photos of that flag (recently replaced and no longer tattered), barbed wire, mountains, weeds, blowing grass, kiwis, oranges, bullets, and eyes! Yep...quite the mix. Unfortunately, with the super slow internet in my room, those pics remain on the memory card for now. We'll see how they look tomorrow on my work computer.
So there you go. I've got nothing else for you today. No phone calls and not much of any communication with the outside world at all so it's a wrap for today. You all deserve a short post every now and then, right?! You know what? Day 100 is really not that far away. The halfway point isn't too much further, either. :-)
Goodnight, everyone.
I got back to my room and immediately dropped off my clean laundry in my room and headed out to where the flag flies that you see on this blog background. I had been out there once before (which is where this background came from) but with my new camera, I wanted to head back out. By time the night ended, I had taken photos of that flag (recently replaced and no longer tattered), barbed wire, mountains, weeds, blowing grass, kiwis, oranges, bullets, and eyes! Yep...quite the mix. Unfortunately, with the super slow internet in my room, those pics remain on the memory card for now. We'll see how they look tomorrow on my work computer.
So there you go. I've got nothing else for you today. No phone calls and not much of any communication with the outside world at all so it's a wrap for today. You all deserve a short post every now and then, right?! You know what? Day 100 is really not that far away. The halfway point isn't too much further, either. :-)
Goodnight, everyone.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Day 87
It was probably around 6pm on the east coast of the United States and 3am-ish here this morning and there we went again. Over the speakers throughout the base was announced yet another rocket attack. Turns out, this one was so lazily launched, it didn't even get close to the wall. Not knowing if more were to come, all personnel sought cover and a full accounting was conducted. That's standard practice whenever these things happen here. We all have our contact person who collects the thumbs up from everyone then calls it in. Then go figure...my piece of garbage Afghan phone wouldn't dial or text. Eventually, the guy got a hold of me..he lives just one door down from me. You may wonder why I didn't just walk down there. That's a big no-no. They announce "shelter in place" which means stay right where you are. If you're out and about, there are concrete bunkers everywhere so you just run to one of them and stay put until the all-clear is given. About 20-25min into it, the all-clear was given and I headed back to bed. That's certainly an alarm clock I won't miss when I go HOME. So that's how my Tuesday started! And yours? :-)
It was yet another slow one..federal holiday back home but business as usual here. There were a few shining lights today. One was another care package from Dorothy's brother's family out west. GREAT art...I mean REALLY good. It's bright, it's patriotic, it's colorful, and it's full of love from my niece. I LOVE it! Of course, I had to share it with you.
Also today came my new Nikon camera so as soon as I could get that battery charged, I was playing around. LOVIN' it so far! I was a total goof...trying to find any little thing at my desk to take a photo of. It's going to be a lot of fun...that's for sure. For the rest of the night, I had a difficult-to-call-a-dinner dinner then relaxing in my room and enjoying some popcorn. They were playing "A Capitol Fourth" and the Boston Pops Fourth of July Celebration on Armed Forces Network tonight so that was great to watch. I always watch both of these back home so I guess better late than never, eh?!
Goodnight, everyone.
It was yet another slow one..federal holiday back home but business as usual here. There were a few shining lights today. One was another care package from Dorothy's brother's family out west. GREAT art...I mean REALLY good. It's bright, it's patriotic, it's colorful, and it's full of love from my niece. I LOVE it! Of course, I had to share it with you.
Also today came my new Nikon camera so as soon as I could get that battery charged, I was playing around. LOVIN' it so far! I was a total goof...trying to find any little thing at my desk to take a photo of. It's going to be a lot of fun...that's for sure. For the rest of the night, I had a difficult-to-call-a-dinner dinner then relaxing in my room and enjoying some popcorn. They were playing "A Capitol Fourth" and the Boston Pops Fourth of July Celebration on Armed Forces Network tonight so that was great to watch. I always watch both of these back home so I guess better late than never, eh?!
Goodnight, everyone.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Day 86
I made my way back to the office just a few blocks away and answered a few e-mails, had an iced lemonade (thanks, Sir Charles!), and uploaded my photos. Once that was done, I loaded up box of care package things and headed on back to my room, picking up about 4 soldiers on the way. Anytime I have an empty vehicle, I try to pick soldiers up. This group hailed from Fort Carson, Colorado. Not much was said in the short trip except for a hearty "Happy 4th" and "Be safe!" as I dropped them off. Back at the room, I cleaned up and headed back to the office. Once lunchtime rolled around, I headed to the flightline to find out who the mystery guests were.
Today marks the 235th anniversary of our nation and going with that theme, 235 soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen were going to re-enlist or reaffirm their oath. (cake at right was at front of room and was HUGE!!!) To lead them in this was THE boss here in Afghanistan...General David Petraeus! HIs time is very limited as commander as he is about to retire and take over the CIA Director job. Along with him, three senators showed up, Senator John McCain (a retired 23 year Navy veteran/pilot/Vietnam POW), Senator Joe Lieberman, and Senator Lindsey Graham. It was pretty clear from the get-go that Senator McCain was the lead senator. He had a seat on the stage with the General and the others were in the front row on the floor. The ceremony had the national anthem, a salute to every state (even 50 flags were along the side of the room), the re-enlistment, and songs played for every service. The 1st Calvary orchestra provided all the music. Also, both General Petraeus and Senator McCain spoke to the troops. Below is Senator McCain while he was talking to the troops. All in all, it was a great afternoon. Only one regret...I wish I would've shoved myself towards the senator and shook his hand and had a photo op. Oh well, I did sit in a F-15E Strike Eagle a few days ago. :-) |
| Senator John McCain and General David Petraeus |
Back in my room, I continued my addiction to Adorama TV. Adorama is a photography retailer in New York City. Basically, Adorama TV has many, many 3 to 11min videos that go over how to do different things with DSLR cameras like the one that should be here any day. I watched the ones about shooting lightning, fireworks, about viewing angle and my favorite, "street photography." Street photography is almost more relational and social than the technical side of photography. It's about taking those closeups of complete strangers you meet on the street. I think I'd love to gain some confidence and do this. I really can't wait to start putting into practice all I'm learning through these videos. I take notes during each one so I can put into practice the suggestions when the time comes. The more I learn about photography and the different styles, the more excited I get about diving head first into this.
I was thinking...I can't wait to get home and reveal everything anonymous. The day I can introduce you to Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow will be cool day. Looking forward to it! For now, Day 87 beckons and my eyelids can barely stay upright. Time for bed!
Goodnight, everyone!
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