I saw my first Iraqi SunRISE last night. I was here until nearly 0430
working on some slides for someone (I would use choice words.....but I'm
not sure who is reading this) and when I got here this morning (an hour
early) to help them FINISH them with the final touch's....I was told the
were NOT EVEN GOING TO USE THE SLIDES I SLAVED OVER......grrrrrrr......
so needless to say I am working on NOT MUCH SLEEP only to find out that
all my hard work over the stupid slide wasn't even worth
is.....again...stupid pills...

My friend AB told me before I left that I should be prepared to deal
with STUPID PEOPLE when I get the Middle East.....MAN was he on the ball
with that comment. I think people have been leaving their brains at
customs an taking a few too many stupid pills....

this is me in Iraq last Suday...

When I was little Apryl and I used to watch Sesame Street and one of our
favorite episodes was when Bert and Ernie went fishing. They would sit
in the boat without fishing poles and yell for the fish..."Here fishy
fishy fiishy" and after a while they would jump in the boat...well today
on my walk into work I saw a fish jump STRAIGHT Out of the water. It
made me laugh out loud because it made me think of that Sesame Street
episode....

I have experienced my first sand storm....its weird because it just
looks like it is a brown fog....so far.

INFO about the MAIL....I was told today that there is NO USE in anyone
sending packages by Express ANYTHING. When mails comes over here there
is no such thing as 'EXPRESS' or 'Next Day' Since I have an APO address.
All the mail for ANYONE here goes to one central place and then it is
distributed from there. That one place can be the hold up. So if you are
sending anything. Send it REGULAR MAIL....DON'T PAY TO SEND ANYTHING BY
EXPRESS!! JUST SAVE YOUR MONEY! The time of delivery will also vary...if
could be 3 days or 3 weeks. So don't send anything that will melt.
Thanks!!

Today has been the slowest day yet...not sure why. But the day has been
dragging...I think it is because it is my FIRST weekend that it really
feels like a weekend...I have been working for the past 8 days
straight...and no break...but that is NOTHING compared to what the rest
of this 'tour' will be like. Tomorrow I will be going to the BA'ath
House on a tour with some other people here. It is ON BASE...don't
worry. It is in the middle of one of the lakes here. It was bombed out
but they give tours of it. That will be tomorrow before work. I will
post photos tomorrow night....

Tonight on the way to midnight chow a group of us were walking on the
sidewalk next to one of the canals, shining our flashlight across the
path and low and be hold the sidewalk was FULL of Iraqi
Cockroaches......they were everywhere.....

Well I have been in country one week as of today. The time has gone fast
so far. I just hope it keeps going this fast. The fact that I don't get
a weekend off hasn't hit me yet. It's just the same day in and day out.
We get the news on the big screen TVs here at work but there is no sound
so I feel like I'm really out of touch with the outside world. Friday is
Steak and Seafood night at chow...the Steak was dry, crab legs were dry
but the NO FAIL Fried Shrimp (JUMBO might I add) were G-R-E-A-T!! So
yes...food has been the highlight of my day today...

My work schedule has been changed again. I am now working 2pm-2am. So
its even CLOSER to home hours. The base has man-made lakes and ponds all
over the place. One of the sidewalks we walk on to work and chow is
along side one of the canals. Well today there were some guys sitting
and smoking and FEEDING these half ell half cat fish THINGS.....they
were about a foot long, slimy, black and swarming around the food that
they guys were dropping in the water. It was SO GROSS...there were about
30 of them...There are also coyotes on base too! I haven't see any yet,
but I was told they are afraid of us, so not to worry.

For those of you who don't know I cut my left index finger the day
before I left. Bad enough to have to get stitches. So Today was
"take-out-day". I just got back from Sick Call where they took them out
and I am not the proud owner of one Edward Scissor Hands scar!!

Gray Water VS. Black Water:

Apparently there is a difference here between Gray Water and Black
Water. First you are NOT allowed to drink any water that isn't from a
plastic bottle. Second, there are these big tanks around that either
have stenciled on the side "GRAY WATER" or "BLACK WATER". So yesterday I
asked the question...same one you are asking right now...what is the
difference...Gray Water is the RECYCLED shower water...once you shower,
the water goes into these tanks and they spray it on the sand to keep
the dust down....Black Water is toilet water...NOT recycled (THANK GOD!)

Well I tried to view my blog this morning and it is a blocked website
now at work. Weird because yesterday I made all kinds of changes to it
and now nothing. Grrrrr. Last night after work I went to the gym (as
schedule), showered and then got online with NO ISSUES!! At 0200 I was
able to conduct a conference call with Andy and Apryl and upload my
Nike+ miles, plus look at my email and change my blog around...so
apparently the wireless internet is good at 0200 in the morning. The
problem is that I'm mega tired now and I think I pissed off my roommate
since I was talking until 0300 this morning and she gets up at 0600. BUT
this is a two sided coin...sure she gets up at 0600 but she also leaves
her FLORESCENT light on WHILE she leaves and goes to the shower....plus
she slams the door. This is a daily thing, not just last night...Oh
yeah...keep in mind that I have a desk lamp near my bed that I use and I
don't have it on all the time when I am on the computer (why? The screen
gives off enough light). Plus unless I am talking QUIETLY (Apryl can
contest to that since she couldn't hear me because I was talking to
low). And keep in mind its not like our bed are RIGHT next to each
other. There is a WALL that separates us. So it's a big room cut in half
by a wall. SO when you walk in the door you either go left or right. But
when you are standing in the doorway you can see both sides. So when my
lights on she only sees it at the end of her room. That is the light
that is bouncing into her area. Its NOT directly on/in her room!

So I slept last night from 0330-0615. Then from 0700 (when she went to
work) to 1100. Not too bad. I am tired and I didn't go to chow yet. So
that is my plan here in a few minutes. Besides the cranky roommate, I
slept decently last night.

I went to the BX today...that is the base story for those non-military
people...and they had a plethora of fast food joints: Burger King, Taco
Bell, Cinnabun, Subway, Popeye's, even a Coffee place from Seattle. So I
got a Whopper meal from BK....it doesn't taste the same....must be
mystery meat...either way I will still have to run an extra mile or two
for the next week just to burn this off now! :)

This is the view from my trailer...yuo can see the palace at the end with the dome on top of it.