Long Day...

Long Day today. I had to do my OER Support form, so I got up at 0300 to take a shower and write the thing. Of course, at 0330 it is rather easy to knock out something like that so I was done by about 0400. Watched TV, cleaned up some mud...and found myself with a gaping hole in my early morning...I just had to break down and go to breakfast. This is only like the third time I have eaten Breakfast since arriving at Taji, and my first time on the US side. The place is empty which leads me to believe that I am not the only one who thinks that getting up early is just not worth it. Who knew?

I got to accompany my Brigadier as we made the rounds about Taji. First we had a Basic Training graduation. I should have some video up here soon that shows them marching around. Interesting. See those hands swing...at least they don't goose step around. Next we had two Major Generals come visit our school. Nothing like an impromptu visit by a couple of MGs to get a battle simulation up and running. We gave them the Full Monty and showed a battle in Baghdad on the simulation. Next we went to the Training Center commanders office (a full Colonel) for some Chai, then to their dining facility where we all ate around a big table. After that we went and visited one of his Habibis (friends) that commands one of the Brigades here on Taji. We had more Chai, and then some more Chai. Needless to say I was ready to burst, so by the time I got back to our school, I barely made it to the latrine.

I then spent the rest of the day trying to explain in my situation report what happened while we doing all of that stuff, and then try to figure out what its significance was. Not an easy task some times, but today was a good day, so it was easy.

Attended the first Passover Seder here on Taji. It was, well, interesting. Lots of wine, though! We had some COSTCO Sized cans of Matzah Ball Soups sent to us, and several huge cans of other traditional fish stuffs that I dare not spell. Lots of Matzah and plenty of macaroons and candy. Did I mention the wine?

Anyway, I need to get to bed, I am getting use to getting up at 0300 to shower and get ready for the day.

Later all, and Happy Passover and Easter

Not sure what this movie is...

I am not sure what this movie is, but wanted to try and figure out how to post a movie to my Blog. Let me know how it looks.

Later...

Welcome to the Real World, Iraq...

Well, today was, indeed, a busy day.  Got a lot of questions answered, meetings taken care of, and then more meetings taken care of.  The mud is kind of drying up, but it is sticky mud, kinda like cement without any structure...but in some cases, there at one time, gravel was placed on the road.  That gives it structure, and it hardens quickly like quick drying concrete.  The stuff sticks to you, too.  Really sticks to you, like you have to wash it off by layer, sticky!

Tonight was supposed to be Rugby night, so I really wasn't paying attention to what we were going to be having at the DFAC (I mean Mess Hall - For you Mark) for dinner.  On Sundays we usually play touch rugby until about 2000 and then not even go to dinner.  Remember the sticky mud?  The normal field we play on was reduced to a mud producing shoe size increasing machine.  It would seem that theis mud can take many properties.  When you try and stop on it, slicker than snot on a doorknob...but then when you try and get it off of your shoes, stickier than crazy glue with an epoxy-like property.  You try and take it off your shoes with your hand, it sticks to your hand.  You try and remove it from your hand with the other hand and it is now stuck to both...I think that the mud actually reproduces and replicates.  But where was I?  Oh yes, the DFAC!  So I went to dinner tonight and it is Soul Food night.  Not sure whose soul, but it was chock full of fried catfish, BBQ Chicken, BBQ Turkey Wings, and BBQ Ribs.  They had collard greens, potatoes and corn.  So I got some ribs and corn and Mac and Cheese and head over to what has become one of my favorite stations, the vegetable bar.  There it was, an unlimited supply of asparagus.  Yummy!  So I get to eating all this yummy goodness and I pry the top of my Diet Pepsi.  I finish up and grab a couple more Diet Pepsi's and head for the door to throw away my plate and stuff.  I hadn't completely finished my first Diet Pepsi yet, so I was busy doing that as I left...you aren't allowed to carry out 3 drinks.  So I didn't notice this significant advancement in Iraqi technology.  Maybe you noticed it in the picture.  Yes, they now have pop-tops on the cans.  This is definitely a major leap forward into the 20th Century for them.  When did we get these in the States?  Like 1977 or something?  Anyway, welcome to the Real World, Iraq!

The Great Satellite Caper of 2010 is still not complete, but it seems like I can watch all of the scrambled channels...for about anywhere from 3-15 minutes at a time.  Then I have to turn off my box and turn it back on again.  Luckily there is only a 2-3 second turn-around.  It is something that I had to get used...still getting used to it.  But I was able to watch Liverpool beat Sunderland without much grief.  Excellent win for the Reds!

I must get going, have to get some work done.  Have a great Sunday everyone.

Later

The Return of the Mud People...

I am not sure that I adequately described my new living conditions before.  There is a lot of dirt everywhere.  So when it rains, it gets muddy.  And the mud seems to have a migratory pattern all its own, that literally leads to everyones door.  The picture to the left is the mud that I have to cross to get to the latrine.  It is not kind to shoes, boots, flip flops, or, in my case, Crocs.  I am not sure what it is, but muddy streets kind-of make me not want to walk to the dining facility.  I will post some other fine pictures of the fine mud that we have here.  The Crocs are muddy from AFTER my shower last night, and they are AFTER I cleaned the mud off of the top of them...I got mud in between my toes and up to my ankles!

I had a rather good day today, not much happened.  We got our storage room cleaned out, I found some Business Card stock (so I can print some business cards), and the great Satellite Caper of 2010 took a major turn for the better.  Seem like I get all of the channels now, they just go in and out because we don't have a very good base for the Dish to sit on.  It seems like the digital signal that "Authorizes" the scrambled channels needs to be damn close to perfect or it loses the ability to unscramble -- that, or they constantly send out a signal to screw with me so I have to turn my box off and back on.  Probably the latter.

Not sure yet what I am going to do tomorrow, just know that I have to fill out my OER Support form.  For those of you that don't know what that is, the OER is the Officer Evaluation Report.  The support form is the thing that you counsel the officer(s) that you rate.  The officer is responsible for filling out his own form.  It is one of those pain-in-the-ass things that you just gotta do.  So I have to knock that out tomorrow.  It also helps those that you rate write their own when they have your's...I just received my boss' support form, so I can finally do mine.  Then I can give mine to my XO so he can do his...he is a pretty squared away guy, so I am sure that he already has his done.  I am such a procrastinator.

Anyway, happy Saturday night to everyone, and I hope that it is a good one.  Please drink a beer for me...if all of my followers (14) have one for me, I will be pretty vicariously drunk!

Later all!

The wine tastes better when you have a good day!

The Huntsville Rugby Club's Founder and first coach used to say, "The Beer Tastes Better When you Win!"  I had to adapt that to hear, mainly because I am not playing in any game that I can win, and, because the only thing I can get my hands on was the Friday night religious wine...But it tasted good!  Mainly because I had a good day.  I had most of the day off, so that may have had something to do with it.  I woke up at 5 am, completely rested.  So I watched some television and got ready to meet one of my wife's friends, who is in town here at Taji for a few days, for coffee.  Turns out she is here helping a guy from my old unit, so I was able to see someone else that I knew.

It almost didn't matter that my thingy so I get free channels still isn't working right.  It does get the fashion Channel...so I get to watch hot models walk down the runway all day long...which is nice!

Had seafood for dinner, lots of deep-fried shrimp and scallops, and lobster-butts, too!  Felt kind of weird going from eating Lobster Butts to Friday night services, but its Iraq...I almost forgot it was Friday...it just felt like Ground Hog Day again to me.   Yogi Berra would love this place...Its deja vu all over again, every day!

Plus, I topped the evening off with a Strawberry Banana Smoothie...Went in for a Triple White Chocolate Mocha, but since it was a little hot, I went for the smoothie.  Good call, it cooled me right off.  Now I sit here--typing to no one in particular, yet updating everyone.  I hope I have some readers.

I can't wait for the baseball season to get here.  I am running checks on MLB.TV to make sure it will work...haven't got it to run yet, but hopeful.  I must watch my CUBS!  The Lou will make this The Year!

I must get some needed TV time!

Later all...