Time passes...

I know it has been a while (ok, a month) since I have written anything. And, some of you have e-mailed to ask if I am ok. Which, of course, is a loaded question. There are some who would question whether I have ever been "ok". But that's another blog all together...



The answer is yes, I am ok. Just lazy. I did spend a few days at FOB Dagger (the other side of Tikrit) doing some training and traveled there by convoy, which was interesting. I do have pictures and a blog to write about that. I'll work to get that done soon.

I am not quite at 1/2 way point now but this is the tough time. Like the movie Groundhog Day, every day feels like the previous day. The daily grind of doing the exact same things tends to wear on your psyche more than you would expect. It makes you miss and long for the joys of home. I do miss my family and I miss tucking my girls in at night. I miss being able to drive somewhere and see different scenery. I miss being able to have a choice for what to eat for lunch or dinner.

The one saving grace here has been the team. Overall, it is a good team and we have done some groundbreaking stuff, which has made this trip feel more rewarding than in the past. Mike Iacobacci is leaving on Saturday and that will be a bittersweet time. I am happy that he will be going home to his wife and 2-year-old daughter, but he has turned out to be a good friend. We laugh and cut up alot and it has really helped make the time go by faster. I know I will miss having him around.

His replacement is Alan Carrico, someone I know fairly well. Alan and I worked together in the Air National Guard and have known eachother for a while. I worked to get him brought on and he has really taken ahold of the CPOF system. I know he is going to do well and he and I get along well so that will make the transition better. The team that is here now is largely the same team that will be here for the majority of my time, with the exception of Clarence who leaves in about a month.

Yesterday was Ronald's (the Ugandan security guard at our office) birthday. I went out to Cinnabon to buy him a birthday cinnamon roll. (No, I didn't get one for me. lol) Someone asked me why it was such a big deal, and I think the reason is just because it makes you feel normal to celebrate a birthday. Know what I mean? (If not, just pretend you do!)

So Tuesday, Mike and Chris stop by my room to let me know that Chris was being summoned up north (Marez) to fix a problem with their Sharepoint and Exchange systems. The unit commander was sending his personal helicopter to pick him up. Anyway, when they were at my door I asked Chris if he needed to borrow my sleeping bag or bug-out bag. When I picked it up to move it, my roommate the lizard came running out. I was sure he had vacated the room. Turns out he was hiding in or around my bug-out bag. (Probably thinking they call it a bug-out bag because it contains bugs. Boy, I bet he was disappointed! lol)

Also, on Tuesday Mike found a big black scorpion in the old shower basin of our house. The scorpion was dead, though we have no idea what killed it. It has been a while because bugs (ants, presumably) had eaten the inside and just the "shell" was left. But we all took advantage of the opportunity to take some pictures. I'll put some on my photobucket site in a day or two.

Other than that, nothing new and exciting going on here. It's almost July, it's hot and it seems like every couple of days we have a major sandstorm. I don't remember this many when I was here in Tikrit in 2005 and certainly not when I was in Fallujah. While the wind and sand keeps things a little cooler, it makes it more difficult to breathe when outside. I guess there's always a downside, huh?

Well, it's nearly time to make my daily trip to the showers. I really will try harder to keep this more current (like you haven't heard that one before, right)?

Have a good week everyone!