stuff I see daily

<-- Here is my office. I sit in the back and my desk has two computers on it because I am special. When people come into the facility to be seen this is what they see. The stuff on the walls is our board to tell who is on the wards. Amazing with the technology we have it takes stubby pencil or in this case dry erase markers to keep track of the patients in a big format so anyone walking in could see it. Yeah we keep track on the computer too but it is not displayed on the wall. Which I am thinking is not so much a good thing in the States but here in the war zone it is good to see it right away.

<--here is another picture of the same thing. see my place in the back?

The two shots above are of the dining facility here at Camp Stryker. I tried to get shots to show you the vastness of the place. It really is the size of a football field. In the bottom shot you can see how long it is and then in the top shot you can see how wide. The two nuts in the middle are the Lieutenant Colonels that live in the trailers next to me. That is John and Lou. As you can see it is huge. I think they feed about 8000 at each meal. Maybe more?

lots to write and share today

lets start here!!

Current Conditions At
BAGHDAD INTL AIRPORT

5 Day Forecast

SAT 28 JUN Clear High 119°F/48°C Low91°F/33°C

SUN 29 JUN Clear High 118°F/48°C Low90°F/32°C
MON 30 JUN Clear High 114°F/46°C Low89°F/32°C
TUE 01 JUL Clear High 111°F/44°C Low88°F/31°C
WED 02 JUL Clear High 112°F/44°C Low83°F/28°C

This is the weather forecast for the next 5 days. I am right next to the airport. It is “my” running distance from where I live and work. I am convinced that the gates of hell open up right here. My clothes felt like they were going to catch on fire. Seriously, someone look it up and tell me what these fools are fighting for. I get it, Holy Land Gods chosen people and all but who could humanly want to live here? There is nothing beautiful about it.

Well 1 of my soldiers has the possibility to be the first fog of war for the hospital. FOG of War = little shit that happens that causes a unit to lose a soldier. i.e. – gets pregnant, twists a knee, breaks a bone, psychological problems. She decides the rules about male and female contact are targeting her specifically. She can’t live with them and it places her under too much stress. So she goes to the ER and says…wait for it…”The rules make me want to shoot the 1SG.” For my nonmilitary friends the 1SG stands for First Sergeant which is the top sergeant in the unit. He leads the enlisted in their daily work performance. He is their Daddy in the unit. So they confiscate her weapon and she does the whole tears thing and shaking violently in the ER. They call the psychiatrist who is still evaluating but it appears she may be headed back to the States. Cynical Chris says, she is crazy like a fox. She just wants to go back so she can get her freak on without all the confines of the war zone. Where everyone knows who’s sleeping with who. She is walking around here crying all the time now. I want to just stop her and say out loud to everyone, “..and the winner for the best performance to get her freaky ass home so she can get herself slammed up under some man, the award goes to XXXXXXXX.”

What is this bullshit about quick showers?

Groundhog day continues…just back from work this Sunday or is it Monday? Just kidding I know it is Sunday. So in our shower trailers there are signs telling us to conserve water…imagine that? In the desert and we have to conserve water. They ask us to take combat showers. Which means – turn the water on get wet, turn the water off, lather up, turn water on and rinse, repeat as few times as possible. So send me to the desert and I can’t even get a good shower? WTF? This has been like this since my arrival but I just decided to BLOG it today. Someone please remind me again why they fight over this land?

2 more suicide attempts recently. I wanna go home too but not that bad or on those terms. They are all so young too. When did it become cool to wanna kill yourself? Bunch of dumbasses if you ask me. I say we do like the Chinese and cane their asses in the center of town until they realize they are idiots.

Great care packages recently – Thanks Mandy, and the ladies from my office. I have enough books to last awhile. The Wheat Thins are good too. The chili you ladies sent me was given away…thank you very much…I am never telling stories again about food I hate.

Well enough for now. Hey I am 30 + days in only 14 more months left. I will be back in SATX stinking up the golf courses before you know it.

Love, Peace, and Hair Grease,

me

Finding stuff to do

So in the gym they have a 300 club. Which I thought was for guys who weighed 300 lbs. I felt I could eat my way in. Little did I know it was for guys (and I guess gals) who lifted 300 lbs in weights. Well, once I found out we weren't there to eat to get bigger I felt trapped and decided to bench press the 300 lbs. I get my photo on the wall at the gym. They have a 400 lb club too but now that I know what it means I am staying the hell away from them!!! L8TR

another day down

<--sign I pass everyday to and from work.

Another day down, and I am getting closer to leaving (ok not really). I have been occupying my time with work and pretty much nothing else. Well I am running and lifting weights but nothing outside of that yet. Classes start up in a few so that will be a good diversion. It is fun watching the soldiers get better at their jobs. Of the 8 people, who work for me only 1 came from a hospital or clinic. So the experience level is low but they are motivated. This has been a rough couple of days with the patients. There has been 2 overdoses in the last 2 days. Both of them were soldiers and women. Kinda sad, both are so young(ER team saved them both). Rumor was man trouble for both. What would make a 20 something year old want to end it all?? Crazy.

Well everyone knows my favorite show on TV is The Amazing Race. I have been watching season 7 on DVD and really enjoying that. I am attempting to join the volleyball team but practices are at 8pm and I don’t get off work until 7:30 or later. So running home, to my trailer, then back to practice hasn’t been happening. Maybe Saturday? Wish me luck. I hope everyone is enjoying the blog.

L8tr

Stranger day

Tough day. It was strange because of the cases the hospital saw. There was a soldier shot in the head by a stray bullet. He was in the shower and a bullet came through the wall and hit him in the head. He is okay and was in good spirits but what a strange case. The other, a Pilipino contract worker got hurt at work and he came to us and is now brain dead. I had to notify his boss who had no clue the guy was essentially dead. The boss called the family and will have to call them back and say their husband/Dad/Son/Brother is dead. Tough day. You really never know when it is your time. Better party like a Rockstar today.

Who's your buddy? Who's your pal?

This is my friend Mandy. She's a bull rider...er...no she is a boxer...er...no, that's not it. This is her commercial to tell you to wear your bike helmet. She is a superior athlete who had a little tumble. She sent me the pic and I told her I had to post it because it will remind my cycling friends to wear thier helmets.

Can you believe she is already back in the saddle riding? She is my hero.

How you living?

So many of you want to know more about what I see daily. Here are some more pictures to show you how I am living.

Pic #1 is the front door to my trailer. The big cement bricks in front are to protect me from mortar rounds when/if they hit our trailer area. See the window AC unit? Say it with me, "Ghetto fabulous." You canalso see the gravel I have to walk on which is everywhere.

Pic #2 is the alley way I walk out each day all the trailers are protected by the cement walls called T walls

Pic #3 is right up next to the trailers. Each AC unit you see represents someone's little box space like mine

Pic #4 is my bed with the lovely SPAM blanket from the folks in WV VA.


I hope this helps you get a better picture of my temporary housing. My spirits are still good.

The temperature is WHAT???

Okay so today it was 122 degrees. I have never felt heat like this. Remind me again why they fight over this land? I complain but I work in AC. I think about the boys kicking in doors and remember how fortunate I am. I changed the BLOG a little. Your comments will not show immediately. Just administrative issues for me. All is well, the job is still interesting. L8TR