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.

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.

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.

Day 86

I just love how on holidays, I set the alarm 1 1/2 to 2 hours EARLIER when I could sleep in. Such is the life of a runner. Always worth it, though. Today, the sister event to the Peachtree 10K kicked off at 6am but as before, I live on the other side of the base so up early enough to have a bite to eat and to run to the other side. Once I got there, it was crawling with runners and reps from Harley Davidson and FedEx, the two main corporate sponsors of the race. I picked up my number and listened to the pre-race announcements and guidance that around noon today, we should head to the flightline for some special guests on base and a mass re-enlistment by "someone."

At 6am, we were off! Luckily, the wind was practically non-existent...very rare for this base. No blowing crud in my eyes or anything. We headed out and in true "me" fashion, stopped to take a few pics here and there. I wanted to capture how different it is here to show folks back home. I gotta say...I'm really looking forward to running races again minus the barbed wire and T-Walls (shown left to right in this photo). Gotta love the t-walls, though...those rockets the Taliban fire at our base won't go through those. Some have even bounced off of them. So back to the race...I certainly didn't run it like a race. I was all about enjoying the running 'company', snapping a few pics, and making it last. I did about 9min miles and finished around 53 minutes. I quickly made it over to the t-shirts and picked mine up. After that, I signed the race banner which ended getting strung up on the deck (see below). I dedicated the race to all of my trail running friends back in "Kansas" and wrote that on the banner. Great way to kick off the 4th! (still weird that back home, it was still Sunday night!)

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

I swung by the Exchange afterwards where they've been building that deck. The word was that there would be plenty of festivities going on. It was a dud...nothing....nada. I asked someone who would know, and nothing along the lines of a musical act was coming in tonight. I headed on back to the office and uploaded some more photos and ended up not leaving the office until after 7pm. It was very good time spent as I talked to Dorothy, Tin Man and Scarecrow, both of my brothers and their wives.. It was great. I figured my late return to my room was no big deal if I could have some good calls with my brothers.

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!

Day 85

Ahhh, Sundays. They always start off good because I have to force myself to fall back asleep when I awake pre-5am. That's been the trend lately...waking up before 5am even though my alarm is never set earlier than 5:20am. I wonder if God is nudging me to get up and run while the wind is light? Perhaps. That would be great since my running has fallen off the map for the past few weeks. That's going to change a bit tomorrow as I'll be running in the sister event, Peachtree 10K. Looking forward to it!

I took my morning time before heading in at noon to get some things ready to ship home. I've accumulated a few things that will be heavy/bulky for my future trip home and I know I don't want to pack them so I'm going to ship them home. I'm still waiting on a few more items that need to go so that box will wait a few more weeks. I also got some more light cleaning done. Oh yea...there were 6 laps to go at the race at Daytona...perfect timing! The best part of all NASCAR races!!!

I also took the quiet time to write a few handwritten letters home. One thing Tin Man and Scarecrow appreciate is handwritten letters from me. What really touches MY heart and I doubt Dorothy or the girls realize it, but in every picture I see, they are wearing the dog tags I sent home. I think I've referred to these before but let me explain. Dog Tags For Kids is a non-profit that provides great quality, metal dog tags for deployed service-members. Corresponding colors and words depending on mom or dad and in English or Spanish. Here is a sample. For my girls, it says Afghanistan 2011 instead of Iraq. They come with a chain, too. I found this site and ordered them for me and those in my command who wanted them. They were shipped to us for free and then I taped them inside a letter to each of them. Well, since they arrived, they wear them 24/7. Not only do they wear them, they wear them on the outside of their shirts to show everyone...like it's a badge of strength or something. It's simple...it isn't much...but it means so much to me because it tells me where their hearts are. It's pure, raw love and I am truly blessed...I really am.

After a few hours in the office and a talk about vacation-planning with Dorothy over the phone, :-), I headed out to this month's Hail and Farewell...remember? We do this each month to welcome those newly reported folks and goodbye to those heading HOME. Pizza Hut pizza, great laughs, and a chance to recognize those who are leaving with gifts and awards and give some background on those newly reported...both civilians and military. I really do enjoy these! Looking forward to MY farewell some day! Day by day, it's getting closer!

So the rest of evening was just me in my CHU relaxing. Lots of reading online from my fellow trail-runners back home, viewing of photos from those runs, and some writing myself to those who have reached out to me. I need to be up early tomorrow morning for the 10K so I'm trying to move towards an earlier descent into bed...not sure it's going to happen. I always have good intentions, though. Oh yes...I almost forgot...two more care packages today! My dad sent me LOTS of nuts...seriously, there are a lot of nuts on my desk in the office. I will have to share...I just won't have a choice! I also received one from my mentor back at my civilian job in "Kansas" who just retired. She sent some newspaper clippings for me to to read, a handwritten note, and some Crazy Monkey Baking granola!!!  Oh yea, baby! That stuff is addicting!! I found it at a trail marathon a few years back when they sponsored it and have always enjoyed it. She knows me well!!!!

So here is yet another holiday. The 4th of July, or actually...Independence Day. Freedom...independence...it's an important American ideal, isn't it? As I type and head to bed, the cookouts continue back home and into tonight. Many people will attend fireworks tonight and set some off of their own. They'll ooh, ahhh, and adore what they see in the sky. Under that same sky a half world away is 100,000 of your fellow brothers and sisters...most of which are barely old enough to be a college graduate. Won't you lift them up in your thoughts and prayers? Better yet...resolve to keep doing it on July 5th, 6th, and so on. Look at the flag differently and realize that it flies everywhere over here and stands for so much...independence being but one thing but a very significant one.

*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆ ★ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
╔╗╔╦══╦═╦═╦╗╔╗ ★ ★ ★
║╚╝║══║═║═║╚╝║ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
║╔╗║╔╗║╔╣╔╩╗╔╝ ★ 4th of July !!!!!
╚╝╚╩╝╚╩╝╚╝═╚╝ ♥￥☆★☆★☆￥♥ ★☆

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 84

Right place, right time...certainly today's theme. But more on that in a bit. Today, we bumped our trip in a whole whoppin' 1/2 hour to 7:30am from 7am. Only a few e-mails waited as expected...hardly anyone in the States worked yesterday. Still, though, was busy throughout the morning with lots of people in-country who needed help. After lunch, I headed over to the video shop to try and get the new Transformers but he didn't have it yet...rats! He said it'll be a few more weeks. I'll be back for sure. On the long walk back to the office, I stopped into Green Beans again for a new drink...the mocha frappe. Pretty good!  I also noticed a bit of construction happening in the parking lot...apparently, for the July 4th festivities. I must find out more about this! All I know for sure is the 10K run on Monday morning.  Just before I left for the day around 5pm, I went down to the conference room where I had some privacy and recorded a 5min 4th of July greeting for my church back home. My pastor asked if I'd do this so he could show it in the service on Sunday morning. It actually turned out pretty good. I uploaded it to my private side of YouTube so he could show it on Sunday but still not be open to the public.

So, now for the "right place, right time." I needed to stop by the flightline again tonight. I mentioned this before and didn't say why and the same thing applies tonight...not gonna say! This is one of those things you'll have to tune into at the very end of this deployment. Anyway, while I was there, another guy was there with a friend who works at the flightline and was asking if they could take some pics out by a F-15E Strike Eagle. Well, my escort on the flightline was a pilot and was going to give the quick tour.....so.....I tagged along! This is something that doesn't happen EVER to a Navy Reservist from "Kansas." A F-15E fighter jet? The same one that often rattles my walls when I'm trying to sleep? Yep, I'll take that quick tour! Well, it turned into a lot more than a quick tour. We probably spent at least an hour out there. Lots of photos, learning about the 2000lb bomb on the belly, the 500lb laser-guided bombs under the wings, the sidewinder air-to-air missiles at the tips of the wings, and the infrared/camera system...learned about it all. This photo at the right is one of the only that I thought appropriate for my "anonymous" blog. There are about 28 others on my Facebook page if you're on there. They are very worth looking up! The best one? That's easy. As I was standing there talking to the airmen, one pulls out a Sharpie pen and says: "Here, Sir. Go ahead and sign the bomb!" Say what? Which bomb? "The 2000lb one. Just don't write on the smooth part." Alrighty! So what in the world do I write on a bomb that will fall on the Taliban?! Hmmm... I wrote "From 'Kansas', with love." Then, I wrote my initials and "USN" for U.S. Navy. Perfect. I snapped a photo then the airman snapped a photo with me in it. The photo from a long time ago with me and a young Afghan soldier was priceless, but this one is pretty dang priceless, too. Some things I'll never forget...this is one of them! So it's not done there. Then, I was ushered up the stairs and into the cockpit! I must be dreaming, I though. I honestly never thought I'd sit in a real, operable fighter jet that goes up and fights the fight every single day. It was great. After this, we all climbed back to the tail of the aircraft and took some more photos...some even of the sunset. Those were awesome. Climbing down afterwards, I was grinning ear to ear. I was trying not to miss a thing...this was something I'd never revisit. One and done! I took a few more photos from the rear of the aircraft then we all headed back in. The pilot who escorted me in and showed me the F-15 escorted me back out. A handshake, thank you, and wishes to stay safe were extended and I headed on back to my room.

That's really about it for today. A lot of tonight was spent uploading my photos and chatting online with friends and family. Today back home...about right now, everyone is coming over my house for a cookout, some cornhole, and just some good time together and to let the cousins all play together. I am definitely missing this...Dorothy is always a great host and her food never disappoints. Plus, beating up on family members in cornhole is always fun. So while they play and eat together...it's bedtime for me.

Goodnight, everyone.

Day 83

I tried something new last night, not that I have trouble falling asleep ever...those F-16s and F-15s don't phase me one bit anymore. Now I understand how some people live by railroad tracks. But last night, I turned on my iPod and listened to my most recent download of Passion 2011 and I didn't even make it through the first track. Out like a light. It was nice to fall asleep like that...repeat tonight but a different track...since I only get a few minutes. :-) I do sleep pretty well, now. Those jets still shake my walls but I don't even notice.

Since I was in the office so late last night, I delayed my start today a bit. Still, though, I was awake at 5am and shot off a "Good evening!" to Dorothy. Shockingly, she was headed to the drive-in movie theater to see the new Transformers. Yes, we have one of the last, classic drive-ins back home in Kansas. Plus, she's not a sci-fi kind of girl, but she was with friends and ended up having a good time. Me, on the other hand, am a HUGE fan of Transformers. I'm going to head over to the video shop tomorrow where they sell the movies for 2 bucks. Don't ask. Let's just say there are no laws over here covering piracy. They're everywhere and you never pay more than $2-$5 a flick...sometimes before they even hit the theater. I spent my extra time this morning cleaning my CHU. A friend sent me the Swiffer wand and some wipes so I swept up then Swiffer'd the room. That and some baby wipes over some horizontal surfaces and I called my room clean. I am quite sure my CHU is immaculate compared to others. Dorothy would be so proud...there aren't even piles everywhere...well, maybe a few.

In the office, I suppose I could have stayed until midnight last night and been busy because they did a great job filling my e-mail while I slept. That kept me busy pretty much the entire day. I did stop by for another Green Beans Coffee on the long walk back from a meeting. Get this, though...while there, I noticed they built a huge deck in the middle of the parking lot...about 6ft off of the ground and cleared the whole lot. It looks like a gigantic square deck with rails..floating in the middle of the lot. Hmmmm.... July 4th is just around the corner...and that could easily double as a stage and the space around it for us troops. I have my suspicions...we'll see if I'm right. One thing is for sure...if anyone notable ever visits, it's NEVER publicized for security reasons.  That spot is also where the "Peachtree 10K" starts on Monday morning at 6am...9:30pm east coast time on Sunday night. By the way, they built that stage...I mean deck, overnight. Hmmmm....

In the mail today came two care packages. One was from good friends in Virginia that we met while I was on active duty in the 90s. The other was care package #3 from friends of mine. #3!!! I was absolutely surprised by both of these today...thank you all so much!!! The day in the office wrapped up with a teleconference call with folks in the central and southern part of the country, folks in Philly, folks in Florida, and folks in Virginia. Technology is amazing, I have to say. How'd this big meeting come about? If you recall, I wrote up a 2-page paper about a week ago about a problem I saw and what I recommended as a solution. Remember? Well, that made it's way around and stirred the pot enough to get everyone together. I said my bit and listened to the suggestions of others. One thing never changes...people are resistant to change, even when it makes sense. Not a single soul will say I'm wrong or challenge any of my recommendations, but they don't admit it's the best way ahead, either. They just sit there...like mannequins. We'll see where it leads...I have the support and backing of some pretty senior leadership. In the end, it directly benefits the warfighter...and that's why I'm here, right? Right. This problem isn't even my main line of work, but I see a great need and how my position can play a big and beneficial part.

We headed out just after 7pm for surf-n-turf night. I had a small lobster tail, a crab cake, and some shrimp. It was great, again! Just like last Friday night. A bunch more shop-talk then back to the CHU for the night. E-mail, internet, some tube, a shower and here I am. Back home, I can see online that everyone is gearing up for their long holiday weekend. We have some family traditions this weekend, one of which is a parade in a nearby town we always go to. It's the longest parade ever! Lots of great entries and a TON of patriotism. We all love it each year. Dorothy and girls are going again so hopefully some pics will make it to me. Lots of great trail-running by my friends all weekend, too. All great things....back HOME. I wish you all a very happy July 4th weekend. Pace here will slow to a creep and I expect lots of rest and running.

Goodnight, everyone.