Christmas/ moving/ and Cuba

I have been at Taji now for 2 weeks. I think I am going to like it. The real mission or work starts tonight when we finally open the prison. We opened the clinic 2 days ago. There wasn't a lot of fan fare just one day we are open for business. We have had customers but no waiting in line and no big emergencies. I know that is good when you run a hospital/clinic but you hope everyone comes. This week we had several people come by to check us out and inspect us. I guess we are doing stuff right since no one said "shut them down."

I finally got all my mail from Camp Cropper delivered here. I had 10 boxes of Christmas stuff from my friends and family. I appreciate all of you sending me stuff and I am getting a note out to everyone individually or calling you via SKYPE. I got a little bit of everything. Or as my Mom said when she saw all the boxes in my room, "Santa found you over there in Iraq." She is right. Even one of the kids from my neighborhood who wrote me reminded me to take off my camouflage paint so Santa could find me. <--that was pretty funny. Let's see I got movies, a bible, old SATX and New Jersey newspapers (which I love reading), so many sweets, more Christmas decorations, potato chips, board games, and t-shirts. I even got a guitar. It is a good thing I don't have any neighbors because I am strumming and playing my ass off. LOLOLOL.

It is almost 2009. I will be heading back to my old place sometime this week. I need to pack everything up and then catch a ride back up here with the "movers" with the machine gun on top of the moving van. I will fly back to Cropper which I am not thrilled about then convoy back up here which is even less thrilling. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me in the next 2 weeks or so.

Helicopters flying low over head today...rattling the building. I think the pilots are having a little fun this Sunday afternoon. <--bastards. It makes it harder for me to concentrate when I am reading and typing.

Something big did happen to me this week though. I got notified that I was selected to be on the military commission for the trials at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I assume I would have to be on the jury for all the prisoners there as they go through their trials. I want to go but I am here in lovely Iraq so I had to write them asking to be excused from the best jury duty there is (smile). These are the Nuremberg trials of my times. I also have never been to Cuba so that would have been fun to say I was there.

Merry Christmas

Hey everyone. Today is Christmas. Let me be the person farthest away to say , "Merry Chrismas." I would never have guessed last Christmas I would be in Iraq going for a run. I went on a 9 mile run here at my new post. I think it was closer to 8.5 but that is close enough for government work. It took me 1:26 minutes to get it done. I got to see the post a little better and got to know where to go to yell at the guys about my cable not working. I think it worked.

Next Christmas when I am eating turkey and opening presents I will have to remember the sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement and the Iraqis learning to fly helicopters overhead. I think when Bobbi and I run a Christmas "Jingle Bell Run" next year I will have a better view (smile) although, not a more unique one.

Thanks to everyone for all the emails. I am having my mail forwarded from my previous post so I can't wait to see what is in all the boxes. Thanks everyone for doing your part to make this deployment better for me.

Enjoy your families and friends. They are truly what is important in life.

It is working again

The BLOG is back I think??

7 MONTHS!!

Today is my 7 months in Iraq mark. I left Texas 8 months ago. 1 month of training in lovely Lousiana and then here to Iraq. I wish I could say the time has gone really fast but it hasn't really. The days are long but the weeks go quickly. <---strange thing to say, I know. The new place is bringing some new challenges. That will help past the time too. I stated the new place has nicer living areas. Can you believe I will actually have a flushing toilet? It is still outside of my room, kind of like outhouse living. I know this is not a big deal for most of you but it is a pretty big deal for me since I have been using a port-a-potty for the last 7 months. The showers are bigger and newer so that is nice and because there are not alot of people on this side of the FOB (forward operating base) the water is always hot. You have to get used to them shooting cannons. It shakes the ground like you wouldn't believe. The first time I heard them was about 2 months ago when I was here and the firing happened I thought I should grab my helmet and head to the bunker. The ground shook, things fell over in the building I was in like a mimi earthquake. The other people never moved. They explained what was going on..."outgoing fire." Since my stay this time, I have heard the cannons twice and I must admit the first day I was still a little shaken when I heard the first boom and felt the ground shake. Now it is easier to deal with having heard them several times. The key is to listen for the whistle. Incoming rounds make the whistle noise. Pics soon for you to get a good visual. For now, later. I gotta go find a good run route - treadmill running is so boring. Well, time to go shower and get my day started. Adios.

ok I was wrong

I do have internet access in my room here at TAJI. I have a ton of photos from my ride up here. I will post the pictures in about a week because I forgot to bring the cable to get pictures from my camera to the computer. You have to see the new room. It is much bigger and I get a full size bed but it is still Iraq, proven by the sheets I got. You have to see the sheets you will laugh. I can't explain how bad they are and look. I have the new mailing address too and I wil get that out soonest. So keep writing I am still here. Okay I am off to shop for a higher thread countsheets, mattress pad , and pillows. I am starting all over on the room so I get to play Martha Stewart all over again.

later

Out of touch for a bit

I am convoying (driving with a group) up to Taji today. Yeah I know, not the safest way to travel here in Iraq. I get to ride in an MRAP vehicle which is the new military vehicle that won't blow apart when roadside bombs go off( I took a picture with it in an earlier post) . It has saved so many lives. Personally, I am hoping to not to test the vehicle on my trip today.

I will be there later this morning and move into my new place. I don't know what is going on with the internet connections there so I may be w/o the internet for a week maybe? I am coming back here after a week but I hope to fly back (smile).

Well, I will write when I can until then be safe. Enjoy your families.

More packages

So after the big package parade I got 3 more this week. I will use this forum to give shouts out to "The Buzz", my cousin Twanda, and Royce. The Buzz came through in classic fashion. They decided to do a 12 days of Christmas box to me. I get to open 1 package a day until Christmas. No, I did not cheat. I am opening 1 at a time. So far two great movies and some stuff I had to throw away. The rules here are pretty restrictive and a few of their gifts violated the rules but thanks for thinking of me. I am still kicking all of your butts when I return. My cousin Twanda got me one of the Obama t-shirts so many people are wearing Stateside. Thanks cuz! I am big into t-shirts. Royce and I work together at PASBA and he sent cookies and movies. I shared some of the cookies but his wife is a chef and they are too good to give them all up. A big thanks to you all. It all helps to remember there is a better place than here.


I emailed with some friends in San Diego this week. That jet plane that crashed landed about 3 miles form their house. I just wanted to check on them. It helped to remind me you don't need to be in Iraq to be thankful for being alive. I feel bad for the 3 people that died.


I am going to take a moment to step on my soap box and say, remember to live life happy because it is too short. As the song says, "Tomorrow. Forget about tomorrow. You better live your life today, for tomorrow very well may be to late."

Goodbye for now.

my 1st flat

This one is for all my cycle friends. When I rode this weekend I got my first flat over here. For thise of you who arent cyclists. We all know it is not a matter of if you will get a flat but when. I was changing it and just looked up to see where I was and I was a few hundred yards from one of the exits into the red zone. red zone = unsafe area out side of the US control. I/we always ride our bikes and you can see the walls keeping them out and us in but actually standing there changing my tire made me think how many times have I changed my tire on those roads in Texas. I never worried about being near the unsafe zone. Except when hunting season opens up and all those people are out there in their outfits and shotguns as we ride past (smile).

You will all be happy to know it was a quick change and I was back on the road again in no time. Christmas is coming. I am happy for the season but I am happy also because it means the time is going by and I will be home before you know it.

"Sir, you should grab a dolly"

This is what the mail clerk said to me yesterday at about 3pm. We can't get mail usually until 5pm. He needed me to come early because I had overcrowded the mail room. Yesterday, I received 15 boxes in the mail! No exaggeration, 15 boxes! My friends from the cycle crew had a party a couple of Saturdays ago and part of the party was to put together packages for me. I was overwhelmed and laughing my butt off. There was so much stuff to share with the Soldiers (after I took all the stuff I wasn't willing to share (smile). I also got a package from my friend Kerri who lives in Florida. That package had a Florida feel to it. There were key lime pie treats everywhere. Thanks guys/ladies for all the good stuff and I loved being able to play Santa Claus to everyone. I kept the cigars in case you were wondering. I will share those too but only a little at a time. <---thanks Jim. The packages had a ton of Christmas decorations too! We have 1 Soldier that all she wants to do is decorate. So I will take a picture of the office once all the decorations are up. I even have some for my room.


Truth is I would rather be home. However, thanks to my friends they have made it better for me over here and for that I am truly thankful.

Christmas

I must get my Christmas shopping done!! HELP!! The weather has cooled off. I am flying up to my new place on the 15th. I will be there for about a week. I will begin moving into my new trailer. I guess I will live out of both for awhile. Wish me luck. How is everyone else's holiday season going?