Lost in Translation...again

Well, today I had to prepare a briefing for a Brigadier (General, that is...the Brits call them Brigadiers)...sounds easy, right?  Well, this briefing is for the guy that I advise from the Iraqi Army.  But there's a twist (there's always a twist).  My Brigadier wanted to see what I was going to brief him first.  It seems as though I have a rather high visibility job.  We had a jolly-good (another Brit term I picked up from my NATO friends) time trying to take the guidance we got from our IA Brigadier and create some advice for him and then translate both the intent and wording so that our Brigadier (the American) could under- GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! stand it (Sorry, was watching the US Soccer team, and, since there is very little excitement during a soccer game, I had to generate a little excitement when we got the equalizer).  Where was I?  And if that wasn't difficult enough, I had to originally send it to my COL to review and make him understand it.  Lots of perspective.  It took myself, a small army of contractors, several Rip-Its (have you ever tried that stuff?  It is pretty good, and I am not just saying that because they give them to us for free...they are actually pretty good.  I like the calorie free one, but the other 2 are good as well) and 12000 re-writes, and a good 2 hrs to get the words right...and I still don't think that we are translating the intent to our Brigadier right.  I mean, I understand it, and my IA Brigadier will understand it, isn't that enough?

I have gone at least 4 days without the B-R evil in my body.  Don't know what to think...am I sick of it, or am I really trying to lose some poundage?  I don't think that I could EVER get sick of it, so it must be the latter.  Or, the third option, I am just to darned lazy to get up and get it...or fourth, I am too full to eat any?  Who knows, but I do miss it.

Sunday I am going to try and play a little touch rugby here on Taji with the boys.  Seems we have a little touch rugby club here.  Should be good to toss the ball around once a week.  No grass, but that's ok.  Just to get my hands on a ball will make me feel right again.  Just hope I have time to get there on Sunday.

I am sure most of you have question about conditions here, or whatever.  Feel free to ask by commenting to these posts...I will feel free to answer or not answer, based upon whether or not it will result in me getting killed or such.

Later

P.S.  Huntsville "Wild Turkey" Rugby Rules...Gobble, Gobble, GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! (Yes, USA Soccer scored again in the middle of a [sort of] sentence).