Okay, so I just got back from my lunch trip to the dining facility (DFAC for short) and...how do I describe the weather here in Qatar? Imagine that you are standing at the gates of hell. In front of those gates is an industrial blower, hurling the unimaginable heat towards you at speeds of 35-43 miles per hour. (That's what it's blowing today) While that wind whips around you, you feel as if you should be cooled somehow, but no. The wind makes you hotter. Your mouth becomes parched, your face is as red as an heirloom tomato and caked with salt from the sweat that evaporated too fast to cool you, and your hair is stuck to your head when you take your hat off (which threatened to fly off a hundred times during your exposure to said hell gates). You are so pretty. We keep saying "how can the wind make it hotter?"
Man, it is REALLY, INCREDIBLY hot outside. I know I mentioned the heat a few weeks ago, but it is just nothing like I have ever ever imagined. We have reached highs so far of about 109, so about 10-15 degrees more to go until we reach our max. The sun rises each morning at around 0400, so by the time I am up and out on my way to work, it is already 90-some degrees. But that honestly feels like a crisp spring morning compared to what it gets to during the late morning/afternoon. I wonder if Hansel and Gretel felt like this when that old lady in the candy house threw them into her furnace. Bet they thought a time or two before straying from home again with their freakin' breadcrumbs.
So, there is a camel farm about 5 miles from here. And camels smell a lot like horses, except more...camel-y. When we wake up in the morning, there is a certain smell in the air...imagine that you are standing at the gates of hell, and in front of you is a pile of horse poo that is one mile high. And 10,000 horses. That's what it smells like in the morning here.
This place is a PARADISE people!!! COME ON!!!
Have I mentioned to you that I have left my shampoo, face wash, and body wash in the shower TWICE in the past week? It was all pilfered (the word of the day is pilfer) from the bathroom including my $21 bottle of Aveda face wash. So I went to the BX and bought more shampoo and body wash and brought my travel bottle of Aveda face wash to the shower while I await more from Aveda. That same day, I left them in the shower A-G-A-I-N!!!! So AGAIN I had to go back to the BX, buy more shampoo and body wash, and am still awaiting my bottle of face wash from Aveda. I am a real putz-enheimer, I tell you. This communal bathroom is for the birds. No, it's for the professional athletes. I swear when I get home I am going to just stand in the tub with no shoes on for, like, hours. And I am going to leave my stuff in there and I am going to put my towels on the floor and walk away. And I am going to go blowdry my hair with a hair dryer that does the job faster than air drying it. I swear, every time I blowdry my hair with these dryers, it gets WETTER. Is that even possible??? I think it is.
But it is still pretty freaking cool here. I woke up in the middle of the night last night and I could hear the Bombers taking off to go do their mission and I thought "go get 'em, y'all!" It was exciting. Well, I woke up in the middle of the night *because* the Bombers were taking off, but you know what I mean.
Most people in my squadron are getting ready to leave so we've been saying lots of goodbyes and BBQing and stuff like that. The nights are a bit steamier so I've been spending a bit less time outside under the Bra doing computer-y type stuff, but I'm spending more time in the gym so it's a good tradeoff.
I haven't taken a sleeping pill in 4 days now and have slept more than soundly every night. That's a record, considering that I've been a sleeping pill nightly for the past two years. Usually I just can't turn my brain off when I lay down. At this juncture I'm too tired to even think about thinking when I get in bed. I can barely lay down and read right now, I get all sleepy. I hope it continues once I am back at home. Thing is, though, my stress level is so low here. I am not constantly worried about stuff at work. When I'm not at work, I don't think about work. When I leave work, I leave work. It is so refreshing...I wish I could find that balance back at Andrews. It is virtually impossible, however.
Aaaaanyway, that's about it for today. No huge news. No gossip. Just the daily babble.
Holler if you hear me.
Love.
xo
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Doha Days
Well, yesterday was the most fun I have had in a loooooooooong time. It was downtown day, and we boogied all over Doha, to every inch of it, and back again.
We started out here at the office at 0830, because we had to sign off of base. That way if we turn up missing the next day, base leadership knows that we went downtown and how to find us. So we did that. I met the two guys I was going with, Leo and Willie. They were very sweet and up for anything. So we got in a truck and headed towards Doha.
It was about a 30 minute drive downtown. Not too much to see along the way, except for the palace just off of base that the Emir (kind of like the king of Qatar) is building for his daughter. Um, it is freaking huge. Once we got into Doha I was like a kid, all giggly and staring in a million different directions. What an interesting place. It is a fairly small city with two distinct sections...one is the more historical working-class side where all of the souqs and bus stations and slums are and one is full of many many high-rises which are all being built at the same time and Ferrari dealerships and shopping centers. In between them is a busy highway lined on one side by the Persian Gulf (the water here is a GORGEOUS color of teal-green) and boats and palm trees and beautiful flowers.
So we started off at the gold souq, which were mostly tiny jewelry stores (with hidden stashes of knock-off purses). We spent a couple of hours there, looking in each store for the best prices. I was looking for saltwater pearls and some funky gold jewelry (since I always wear silver). I found a pearl dealer that, after having looked at all of the other pearl dealers, seems to have the best quality for the best price. I will go back there on my next trip. I soon figured out I could not afford the gold jewelry, even the hoop earrings were out of my price range. Everything here is 21karat gold and one sweetheart of a guy in one of the nicer stores gently laughed at me when I told him what I was looking to spend in his store and said "let me walk you to a store that has items in your price range". He was a cutie in his dishdasha (robe) and I apologized to him for "being poor". He said "poor people are okay too, small money adds up to big money!"
So he walked me down to this guy named Jack (his real name is Hafit but he took the name Jack from "Titanic") who says "wasssssuuuuuuup" with this big beautiful smile when you walk in his store and all the Americans that walked by the door knew him and loved him and would say "wassssssssuuuuuuuup" back to him when they were walking by. So funny! Jack was a 30ish strikingly-handsome man who was actually really very cool. He said he just does that whole "wasssssuuuuup" routine so people will come in his store, and he knows it is totally gay. I spent a long time in his store talking to him and ended up buying a ring from him - a silver one, no less, but it is super cool. He laughed at me too when I offered him my price for a pair of gold earrings, so I think I won't be shopping for gold anymore. Could I afford what they are asking? Sure. But do I really want to pay that much for jewelry? Nah. Not at this juncture anyway. Jack's originally from Yemen (he asked me if I knew anything about Yemen, I said "ummmmmm, no."), he told me how beautiful I was about fifty times (he might have been lying but it's nice to hear anyway), and he gave me his e-mail address to make dinner plans which I promptly lost. ;-)
After doing that and buying a black-marketed DVDs in a really weird toy store, we went to lunch at the BAM (Big Ass Mall). It was a big ass mall. The souqs close between 1-4 so you have to find somewhere else to go in the meantime. In reality the mall was not much different than what you would see in the states. Same stores pretty much. Same restaurants. Mall. Blah.
But anyway, next we went to the souq Waqif (aka the "old souq"). This was my favorite part of town. It is where the people of Doha socialize, buy their spices, clothes, and home goods, enjoy dinner and smoke hookahs, etc. It was beautiful!! We walked through the markets and I kept walking in the spice stores because they smelled SO GOOD. Just these huge bins full of every spice you could think of and nuts and raisins and dried flowers...it was wonderful. We kind of strolled through and didn't stop too much until we got to a sidewalk cafe that Leo had been to before. We sat down in their comfy chairs, ordered glasses of fresh mango juice, and smoked hookahs packed with strawberry-flavored tobacco. It was so COOL!! The sunset prayer sounded off while we were sitting out there (I got a small video clip of the sound). At night, with the souqs all lit up and the vision of the huge mosque lit up, too, it was a beautiful vision. So many people out and walking around enjoying the evening... really really cool stuff.
Leo, one of the guys that I went with, was my saving grace. We really hit it off and stayed together the whole time. He was as excited to be there as I was and wanted to do all the same things I did. The best part of it was that he was very cautious of how men approached me in the markets and made sure I was close by wherever he was. The other guy we were with, Willie, could have given a crap if I was snatched up by a gaggle of men and introduced into their harems - he was always twenty feet in front of me. But it made me feel good to go into that situation with someone who cared about my safety and just treated me like a lady in general. Pulled out chairs for me when we sat down, made sure I was enjoying whatever drink we were having or that I was comfortable wherever we were. I tend to pay a lot of attention to whether others are comfortable, if they are safe, if they are happy - and it felt good to have someone looking out for me yesterday. Not knowing too many people here and spending so much time alone after work, you can feel sometimes that everybody's looking out for #1. I work with a great guy named Jason who takes good care of me and I take good care of him, but we work opposite schedules so I don't get to spend time with him. Anyway, I felt safe with Leo around. I am glad I met him and I think we'll be hanging out again before he heads back to Vegas in a month or so.
We headed back to base - literally hardly able to keep our eyes open. Once you get on base the security forces guys have to search your car (underneath and inside) and all of your belongings. So you go inside this big room with a bunch of other people who are waiting, too, and you sit for about 30 minutes while the SFS guys do their searches of all of the cars at once. When they are done, they set you free to go back on base. I hear they confiscate all kinds of weird stuff that people try to smuggle back on base when they search your car.
My head hit the pillow and I laid there thinking of how blessed I am to be having these experiences. I get lonely here a lot, but it will be worth it in the end if I can have the opportunity to fill some of my time with days like this. And I am sure that once the new rotation of people gets settled in I will have the opportunity to meet even more amazing people.
I'll post pics on FB sometime this week. Love you all.
xo
We started out here at the office at 0830, because we had to sign off of base. That way if we turn up missing the next day, base leadership knows that we went downtown and how to find us. So we did that. I met the two guys I was going with, Leo and Willie. They were very sweet and up for anything. So we got in a truck and headed towards Doha.
It was about a 30 minute drive downtown. Not too much to see along the way, except for the palace just off of base that the Emir (kind of like the king of Qatar) is building for his daughter. Um, it is freaking huge. Once we got into Doha I was like a kid, all giggly and staring in a million different directions. What an interesting place. It is a fairly small city with two distinct sections...one is the more historical working-class side where all of the souqs and bus stations and slums are and one is full of many many high-rises which are all being built at the same time and Ferrari dealerships and shopping centers. In between them is a busy highway lined on one side by the Persian Gulf (the water here is a GORGEOUS color of teal-green) and boats and palm trees and beautiful flowers.
So we started off at the gold souq, which were mostly tiny jewelry stores (with hidden stashes of knock-off purses). We spent a couple of hours there, looking in each store for the best prices. I was looking for saltwater pearls and some funky gold jewelry (since I always wear silver). I found a pearl dealer that, after having looked at all of the other pearl dealers, seems to have the best quality for the best price. I will go back there on my next trip. I soon figured out I could not afford the gold jewelry, even the hoop earrings were out of my price range. Everything here is 21karat gold and one sweetheart of a guy in one of the nicer stores gently laughed at me when I told him what I was looking to spend in his store and said "let me walk you to a store that has items in your price range". He was a cutie in his dishdasha (robe) and I apologized to him for "being poor". He said "poor people are okay too, small money adds up to big money!"
So he walked me down to this guy named Jack (his real name is Hafit but he took the name Jack from "Titanic") who says "wasssssuuuuuuup" with this big beautiful smile when you walk in his store and all the Americans that walked by the door knew him and loved him and would say "wassssssssuuuuuuuup" back to him when they were walking by. So funny! Jack was a 30ish strikingly-handsome man who was actually really very cool. He said he just does that whole "wasssssuuuuup" routine so people will come in his store, and he knows it is totally gay. I spent a long time in his store talking to him and ended up buying a ring from him - a silver one, no less, but it is super cool. He laughed at me too when I offered him my price for a pair of gold earrings, so I think I won't be shopping for gold anymore. Could I afford what they are asking? Sure. But do I really want to pay that much for jewelry? Nah. Not at this juncture anyway. Jack's originally from Yemen (he asked me if I knew anything about Yemen, I said "ummmmmm, no."), he told me how beautiful I was about fifty times (he might have been lying but it's nice to hear anyway), and he gave me his e-mail address to make dinner plans which I promptly lost. ;-)
After doing that and buying a black-marketed DVDs in a really weird toy store, we went to lunch at the BAM (Big Ass Mall). It was a big ass mall. The souqs close between 1-4 so you have to find somewhere else to go in the meantime. In reality the mall was not much different than what you would see in the states. Same stores pretty much. Same restaurants. Mall. Blah.
But anyway, next we went to the souq Waqif (aka the "old souq"). This was my favorite part of town. It is where the people of Doha socialize, buy their spices, clothes, and home goods, enjoy dinner and smoke hookahs, etc. It was beautiful!! We walked through the markets and I kept walking in the spice stores because they smelled SO GOOD. Just these huge bins full of every spice you could think of and nuts and raisins and dried flowers...it was wonderful. We kind of strolled through and didn't stop too much until we got to a sidewalk cafe that Leo had been to before. We sat down in their comfy chairs, ordered glasses of fresh mango juice, and smoked hookahs packed with strawberry-flavored tobacco. It was so COOL!! The sunset prayer sounded off while we were sitting out there (I got a small video clip of the sound). At night, with the souqs all lit up and the vision of the huge mosque lit up, too, it was a beautiful vision. So many people out and walking around enjoying the evening... really really cool stuff.
Leo, one of the guys that I went with, was my saving grace. We really hit it off and stayed together the whole time. He was as excited to be there as I was and wanted to do all the same things I did. The best part of it was that he was very cautious of how men approached me in the markets and made sure I was close by wherever he was. The other guy we were with, Willie, could have given a crap if I was snatched up by a gaggle of men and introduced into their harems - he was always twenty feet in front of me. But it made me feel good to go into that situation with someone who cared about my safety and just treated me like a lady in general. Pulled out chairs for me when we sat down, made sure I was enjoying whatever drink we were having or that I was comfortable wherever we were. I tend to pay a lot of attention to whether others are comfortable, if they are safe, if they are happy - and it felt good to have someone looking out for me yesterday. Not knowing too many people here and spending so much time alone after work, you can feel sometimes that everybody's looking out for #1. I work with a great guy named Jason who takes good care of me and I take good care of him, but we work opposite schedules so I don't get to spend time with him. Anyway, I felt safe with Leo around. I am glad I met him and I think we'll be hanging out again before he heads back to Vegas in a month or so.
We headed back to base - literally hardly able to keep our eyes open. Once you get on base the security forces guys have to search your car (underneath and inside) and all of your belongings. So you go inside this big room with a bunch of other people who are waiting, too, and you sit for about 30 minutes while the SFS guys do their searches of all of the cars at once. When they are done, they set you free to go back on base. I hear they confiscate all kinds of weird stuff that people try to smuggle back on base when they search your car.
My head hit the pillow and I laid there thinking of how blessed I am to be having these experiences. I get lonely here a lot, but it will be worth it in the end if I can have the opportunity to fill some of my time with days like this. And I am sure that once the new rotation of people gets settled in I will have the opportunity to meet even more amazing people.
I'll post pics on FB sometime this week. Love you all.
xo
Saturday, April 25, 2009
I have been here a MONTH!
Today has been a pretty great day here at The Deid. My day started off around 5:30 AM when I was picked up to go back out to the North Ramp to do another briefing for the KC135 maintainers. I love these guys. They work HARD and long hours in the blazing heat and they are all cranky and grumpy because of it but I get a kick out of them and enjoy every minute I get to spend with them. I can be as blunt and crass as I want and they eat it up. It's the only way you can communicate with them. There are rarely female maintainers, so it's always a bunch of smelly guys. But they are great. And many of them aren't bad to look at either... But I digress. I went out there this morning to do a briefing on TSP, which is the military/federal govt's version of a 401k. I had the chance to get to know a few of the guys when I was out there, and I always find out such interesting stuff. Wish I could share some of the stuff they tell me, but I shouldn't. Suffice it to say this base is the hub for so many of our wartime activities and we are doing things out there that just amaze me. And I got to drool over the planes again, so that was cool.
Back to the office again and then went back out there to do another briefing at 1:00. It was so fun! I love doing briefings and hope I can continue to spend time out in the "units" to continue spreading the importance of good financial management. These guys are so freakin' cool and they crack me up. They tell me their stories and I am hooked. I live for this stuff...I hope I get to spend more time out there.
It was 103 degrees here today and MAN is that hot. But I can't complain because, like I said before, it could be so much worse. I mean, I work indoors for goodness sakes! I am a lucky girl.
Every time I go to the gym I get a kick, because Army, Navy, and Air Force have physical training uniforms that they wear when they work out. But the Aussies and the Brits don't. So they always wear the weirdest stuff, like bathing suits with t-shirts and black socks with tennis shoes. And nothing EVER matches. There is this one guy that wears those really short short short running shorts with the slit up the side and he sweats like there's no tomorrow - it just really funny. They are, generally, a strangely dressed crowd. But it doesn't matter what the Brits are wearing or what they look like, as soon as they open their mouths and start talking I am captivated! What is it about a British accent that makes even the most gangly man suddenly attractive? Perhaps I am just deprived. I haven't had the chance to get to know any because they keep to themselves mostly, but I hope I am able to before I leave here. I really want to ask the Brits if it is true that they strongly dislike "Gingers" (redheads). This is something I must know.
I got to talk to Mollie and Jason Polito on facebook tonight. Jason and his new wife are preggers! So that's exciting. Mollie updated me on the dogs - Banjo and Bella have made their way to Mollie's bed each night and snuggle her to pieces. Banjo has befriended Mollies cat, Kodak, which is hysterical because he has been terrified of every cat he has ever met, so I can't wait to see pics of that. Mollie's roommate's dog had several puppies and they are all living there, and Bella hates them. She is really scared of them (wussy dog) so she runs from them when they charge her. Mollie said she spends a lot of time under her guest bed getting her "alone time" - but hopefully she'll toughen up. Get it together, Bella! But the pups move out in May and then it should be her terrain again. She uploaded some videos for me on Facebook of Banjo playing fetch and Bella running around sniffing things (she is so anticlimactic sometimes). They are super cute and I am so thankful she did that.
I can't believe I've been here a month. It's just crazy.
Brett (my lil bro) went down to Columbia and Charleston this weekend to play a benefit concert for a friend of his that was killed in a car accident last year. I got to see pics today (thanks Mom) and I am so sad that I missed it! I am sure the family is having a great time together this weekend...wish I could be there. It's his first time back to SC since he moved to NY last October, so I am sure he is thrilled to be there. He is still sick, going on 7 months now, and they can't figure out what's wrong with him. I wish there was anything I could do to make him feel better, I can't imagine feeling like that for that long. Love you, Brittlebones.
Update on the housing situation: I met a really cool guy at Andrews before I left and have kept in touch with him regularly since I've been here. His best friend is a real estate agent and he's going to refer me to him, so hopefully I will have someone to help me find a place now. So that's good, now I just need to find the place...
The breeze tonight is amazing and it feels so good to sit out here and catch up on my correspondence. I love hearing from you guys so keep those e-mails/letters coming.
Looking forward to my trip into Doha on Monday - have been e-mailing the guy I'm going with and it looks like we will be hitting up the "souqs" (markets) and then doing dinner and drinks downtown. Can't wait to see what this place really looks like.
OK, well it is 10:15 PM and I still haven't had dinner so I'm going to head back to the room and eat my salad and get ready for bed. Don't have to be at work until 1230 tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to sleeping in.
Love you all so much. Miss you more than you know.
Peace in the Middle East,
xo Kelly
Back to the office again and then went back out there to do another briefing at 1:00. It was so fun! I love doing briefings and hope I can continue to spend time out in the "units" to continue spreading the importance of good financial management. These guys are so freakin' cool and they crack me up. They tell me their stories and I am hooked. I live for this stuff...I hope I get to spend more time out there.
It was 103 degrees here today and MAN is that hot. But I can't complain because, like I said before, it could be so much worse. I mean, I work indoors for goodness sakes! I am a lucky girl.
Every time I go to the gym I get a kick, because Army, Navy, and Air Force have physical training uniforms that they wear when they work out. But the Aussies and the Brits don't. So they always wear the weirdest stuff, like bathing suits with t-shirts and black socks with tennis shoes. And nothing EVER matches. There is this one guy that wears those really short short short running shorts with the slit up the side and he sweats like there's no tomorrow - it just really funny. They are, generally, a strangely dressed crowd. But it doesn't matter what the Brits are wearing or what they look like, as soon as they open their mouths and start talking I am captivated! What is it about a British accent that makes even the most gangly man suddenly attractive? Perhaps I am just deprived. I haven't had the chance to get to know any because they keep to themselves mostly, but I hope I am able to before I leave here. I really want to ask the Brits if it is true that they strongly dislike "Gingers" (redheads). This is something I must know.
I got to talk to Mollie and Jason Polito on facebook tonight. Jason and his new wife are preggers! So that's exciting. Mollie updated me on the dogs - Banjo and Bella have made their way to Mollie's bed each night and snuggle her to pieces. Banjo has befriended Mollies cat, Kodak, which is hysterical because he has been terrified of every cat he has ever met, so I can't wait to see pics of that. Mollie's roommate's dog had several puppies and they are all living there, and Bella hates them. She is really scared of them (wussy dog) so she runs from them when they charge her. Mollie said she spends a lot of time under her guest bed getting her "alone time" - but hopefully she'll toughen up. Get it together, Bella! But the pups move out in May and then it should be her terrain again. She uploaded some videos for me on Facebook of Banjo playing fetch and Bella running around sniffing things (she is so anticlimactic sometimes). They are super cute and I am so thankful she did that.
I can't believe I've been here a month. It's just crazy.
Brett (my lil bro) went down to Columbia and Charleston this weekend to play a benefit concert for a friend of his that was killed in a car accident last year. I got to see pics today (thanks Mom) and I am so sad that I missed it! I am sure the family is having a great time together this weekend...wish I could be there. It's his first time back to SC since he moved to NY last October, so I am sure he is thrilled to be there. He is still sick, going on 7 months now, and they can't figure out what's wrong with him. I wish there was anything I could do to make him feel better, I can't imagine feeling like that for that long. Love you, Brittlebones.
Update on the housing situation: I met a really cool guy at Andrews before I left and have kept in touch with him regularly since I've been here. His best friend is a real estate agent and he's going to refer me to him, so hopefully I will have someone to help me find a place now. So that's good, now I just need to find the place...
The breeze tonight is amazing and it feels so good to sit out here and catch up on my correspondence. I love hearing from you guys so keep those e-mails/letters coming.
Looking forward to my trip into Doha on Monday - have been e-mailing the guy I'm going with and it looks like we will be hitting up the "souqs" (markets) and then doing dinner and drinks downtown. Can't wait to see what this place really looks like.
OK, well it is 10:15 PM and I still haven't had dinner so I'm going to head back to the room and eat my salad and get ready for bed. Don't have to be at work until 1230 tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to sleeping in.
Love you all so much. Miss you more than you know.
Peace in the Middle East,
xo Kelly
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
We Put Warheads on Foreheads
Okay, so I first must correct some information that I gave in a previous post. It was REALLY hot outside one day and I looked at the temperature on base and it said something like it was 83 degrees and I was freaking out because NO WAY it was 83 degrees and that HOT!! Well, turns out, it was not 83 degrees. It was 97 degrees - the temperature reflected here in base is the "wet globe" temperature, which takes into account many different factors and then compares it to the human body temperature blah blah blah. Anyway, so now I know. Today it is about 97 here, and when I walk to the chow hall and back my face gets so red and stays like that for about an hour afterwards. The high this weekend is going to be 103 (saturday). A-woo-hoo-hoo!!!
So, if a serving size of a crystal light drink mix meant for bottled water is 2/5th of a packet, why don't they just make the packets smaller? I don't get it. I always have open packets of crystal light and propel powder laying around because you have to pour some in, but not half, but not all, to get just the right taste. Why the hell are the packets so big??? Somebody research this and get back to me.
Well so far it has been another great week so far. I am sitting in my office listening to music and getting ready for the sun to set again. Life is good to me, I cannot deny. Despite the struggles that I have experienced since I have been here, they pale in comparison to the many blessings I am reminded of every day. And they also pale in comparison to the inconveniences that many of our military experience further down range than me. For instance, Marines stationed on the border of Syria go WEEKS without a shower or a hot meal, and forget about shelter. You get the picture.
So anyway, this has been an interesting week. We are starting to get busier as people start to trickle in on the new rotation, and we are enjoying the business. Well, most of it. Today I met a man who is on his way to Baghdad and stopped in here at AUAB for less than a day, only to discover that his brother has died. He was torn about whether to go home becasue by the time he is able to get back, the funeral will be long over - and so he was trying to contemplate just continuing on his tour since he knows that he will have to come back anyway. I haven't seen anyone that distrought in a long time and he didn't know which way was up. I cannot IMAGINE. I cannot imagine. I cannot.
I also saw a grown man fall to pieces a few days ago because his wife announced her infidelity and asked for a divorce, two months into his four month tour here, and he has no way to get home to deal with any of this. Just gotta keep working, keep getting up and being a good Airman, and deal with your personal issues when you get home. You can talk about it all you want and use your resources here, but you're not going home.
I met an Army man last night who was injured down range and was sent here for medical care before being sent back into battle, and who was so THANKFUL for every person who had taken care of him along the way. I can't imagine being injured like that, feeling so bad, and being so far away from everyone/thing I know.
I am planning on going down to Doha on Monday for the first time. I am excited! It will be my first trip off-base since getting here. I am going with a few people that I do not know from Adam - usually someone who is licensed to drive in the country will put out an announcement that they are going and then invite 3-4 people to go with. So who knows who I will end up with, but hopefully they will be cool. If not, who cares? I'm going to soak in the experience and have a blast. We will be spending most of the day in the city, not sure what part we'll be going to yet. I will definitely let you know how that goes!
Ok well that's it for now. Love you guys.
So, if a serving size of a crystal light drink mix meant for bottled water is 2/5th of a packet, why don't they just make the packets smaller? I don't get it. I always have open packets of crystal light and propel powder laying around because you have to pour some in, but not half, but not all, to get just the right taste. Why the hell are the packets so big??? Somebody research this and get back to me.
Well so far it has been another great week so far. I am sitting in my office listening to music and getting ready for the sun to set again. Life is good to me, I cannot deny. Despite the struggles that I have experienced since I have been here, they pale in comparison to the many blessings I am reminded of every day. And they also pale in comparison to the inconveniences that many of our military experience further down range than me. For instance, Marines stationed on the border of Syria go WEEKS without a shower or a hot meal, and forget about shelter. You get the picture.
So anyway, this has been an interesting week. We are starting to get busier as people start to trickle in on the new rotation, and we are enjoying the business. Well, most of it. Today I met a man who is on his way to Baghdad and stopped in here at AUAB for less than a day, only to discover that his brother has died. He was torn about whether to go home becasue by the time he is able to get back, the funeral will be long over - and so he was trying to contemplate just continuing on his tour since he knows that he will have to come back anyway. I haven't seen anyone that distrought in a long time and he didn't know which way was up. I cannot IMAGINE. I cannot imagine. I cannot.
I also saw a grown man fall to pieces a few days ago because his wife announced her infidelity and asked for a divorce, two months into his four month tour here, and he has no way to get home to deal with any of this. Just gotta keep working, keep getting up and being a good Airman, and deal with your personal issues when you get home. You can talk about it all you want and use your resources here, but you're not going home.
I met an Army man last night who was injured down range and was sent here for medical care before being sent back into battle, and who was so THANKFUL for every person who had taken care of him along the way. I can't imagine being injured like that, feeling so bad, and being so far away from everyone/thing I know.
I am planning on going down to Doha on Monday for the first time. I am excited! It will be my first trip off-base since getting here. I am going with a few people that I do not know from Adam - usually someone who is licensed to drive in the country will put out an announcement that they are going and then invite 3-4 people to go with. So who knows who I will end up with, but hopefully they will be cool. If not, who cares? I'm going to soak in the experience and have a blast. We will be spending most of the day in the city, not sure what part we'll be going to yet. I will definitely let you know how that goes!
Ok well that's it for now. Love you guys.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I'm Hungry
Today is a great day so far. We are getting busier and busier as the new surge gets ready to rotate in and our current people are rotating out. It is crazy how many more people you see on base each day and how focused all of the others are on getting home. So as more and more people arrive, we'll get busier and busier and busier. And by the time that rush is done, I'll be halfway through my rotation. I can't believe it's been three weeks so far!!! Almost a month under my belt!
And my love for bananas has grown - it is a true enjoyment now of every bite, as opposed to the variance I experienced before. I truly like my bananas. I don't think I'm ready to say love yet.
I can't believe the weekend's here! Not that it means that much when you are deployed - you rarely know what day it is, much less that it's the weekend - but the weekend means that in 2 days I get a day off! So woos for that.
Last night I went to the gym (I am becoming a regular gym junkie now!) and I did my 30 minutes of fast walking on the treadmill and then when my 30 minutes was up, I didn't want to get off! I was enjoying the exercise so much and was beeeeeeeeeboppin to the music and I wanted to keep going, so I restarted the treadmill for another 30 minutes and went to town! I have this playlist that I made last year called 10 minute mile and it has a lot of really fun songs on it that keep me moving - sometimes they are at a pace that are REALLY fast, and I try to speed up the treadmill so that my feet match the beat - I start moving all fast like I am on uppers! I can't run because it kills my knees, so I just walk really really fast and I'm sure that the people on the treadmills behind me laugh hysterically at me. I'm all smiling and moving my arms and punching the air and doing drum beats with my hands... MAN it's addicting! So anyway, I'm thankful for that and it has actually become the best part of my day. I get to the gym and I don't think about ANYTHING for an hour except whatever's in my ears and the exercise. I have
I have been thinking a lot about Tracy today - we found out yesterday that Goblin, my randy and bulletproof cat-nephew, has an inoperable tumor. Gobs has been in our life for 16 years, since my mother's friend rescued him as a teeny kitten from some kind of Halloween prank and my sister took him back to college and turned him into a feisty little thing. He has always been an outside cat, coming and going as he pleases, beating up other kitties and stealing their kitty girlfriends, and then returning home with some kind of battlescar. He's the neighborhood bully kitty, but also the neighborhood watch. Though I was somewhat at odds with Goblin during my high school days (especially after one particular event where he hung from my bare side with his claws and left lasting bruises), I had the opportunity to get to know him better when my sister and I lived together in Charleston. When she had to work nights, I would steal Goblin into my bed and snuggle with him all night long. We had a love/hate relationship - during the day he would swipe at my feet and make me bleed when I walked by, and at night he gave me that sweet kitty purring and snuggle lovin. I had to hold him down a few times when his fightin' wounds needed attention, and during those times I feared for my life. Once I got my dog (now dogs), Goblin and I grew apart. I think he resents me for having two dogs who are such wussies that they are scared of a defenseless cat. But they make life hard for him when they are around and so when he sees me now, he kind of tosses his head back in a maniacal laugh and then saunters past me, spitting on my shoe as he goes. I know that Goblin loves me, he just doesn't respect me anymore since I got those loser dogs, in his eyes. But I think he understands that I had to replace his loving once my sister went back to day shift and I knew I could never cuddle with him like I wanted to. Every once in a while, when I am in Charleston, I will catch his eye and he will be looking at me with this fire in his eyes...he remembers the love we had, and he forgives me. But showing it at this point would be unmanly, and Goblin will never be unmanly. So Gobs, if you are reading this, know that I will always love you, and I am sorry you feel bad, and I hope to give you some more sweet kitty kisses before you leave us to roam that big neighborhood in the sky. Your Mom and Dad and Maris are going to miss you terribly. You have given them such a sweet kitty with so much character to love and I am sure you will continue to bless them with that cranky old man attitude as long as you can. There will not be another like you.
Love!
And my love for bananas has grown - it is a true enjoyment now of every bite, as opposed to the variance I experienced before. I truly like my bananas. I don't think I'm ready to say love yet.
I can't believe the weekend's here! Not that it means that much when you are deployed - you rarely know what day it is, much less that it's the weekend - but the weekend means that in 2 days I get a day off! So woos for that.
Last night I went to the gym (I am becoming a regular gym junkie now!) and I did my 30 minutes of fast walking on the treadmill and then when my 30 minutes was up, I didn't want to get off! I was enjoying the exercise so much and was beeeeeeeeeboppin to the music and I wanted to keep going, so I restarted the treadmill for another 30 minutes and went to town! I have this playlist that I made last year called 10 minute mile and it has a lot of really fun songs on it that keep me moving - sometimes they are at a pace that are REALLY fast, and I try to speed up the treadmill so that my feet match the beat - I start moving all fast like I am on uppers! I can't run because it kills my knees, so I just walk really really fast and I'm sure that the people on the treadmills behind me laugh hysterically at me. I'm all smiling and moving my arms and punching the air and doing drum beats with my hands... MAN it's addicting! So anyway, I'm thankful for that and it has actually become the best part of my day. I get to the gym and I don't think about ANYTHING for an hour except whatever's in my ears and the exercise. I have
I have been thinking a lot about Tracy today - we found out yesterday that Goblin, my randy and bulletproof cat-nephew, has an inoperable tumor. Gobs has been in our life for 16 years, since my mother's friend rescued him as a teeny kitten from some kind of Halloween prank and my sister took him back to college and turned him into a feisty little thing. He has always been an outside cat, coming and going as he pleases, beating up other kitties and stealing their kitty girlfriends, and then returning home with some kind of battlescar. He's the neighborhood bully kitty, but also the neighborhood watch. Though I was somewhat at odds with Goblin during my high school days (especially after one particular event where he hung from my bare side with his claws and left lasting bruises), I had the opportunity to get to know him better when my sister and I lived together in Charleston. When she had to work nights, I would steal Goblin into my bed and snuggle with him all night long. We had a love/hate relationship - during the day he would swipe at my feet and make me bleed when I walked by, and at night he gave me that sweet kitty purring and snuggle lovin. I had to hold him down a few times when his fightin' wounds needed attention, and during those times I feared for my life. Once I got my dog (now dogs), Goblin and I grew apart. I think he resents me for having two dogs who are such wussies that they are scared of a defenseless cat. But they make life hard for him when they are around and so when he sees me now, he kind of tosses his head back in a maniacal laugh and then saunters past me, spitting on my shoe as he goes. I know that Goblin loves me, he just doesn't respect me anymore since I got those loser dogs, in his eyes. But I think he understands that I had to replace his loving once my sister went back to day shift and I knew I could never cuddle with him like I wanted to. Every once in a while, when I am in Charleston, I will catch his eye and he will be looking at me with this fire in his eyes...he remembers the love we had, and he forgives me. But showing it at this point would be unmanly, and Goblin will never be unmanly. So Gobs, if you are reading this, know that I will always love you, and I am sorry you feel bad, and I hope to give you some more sweet kitty kisses before you leave us to roam that big neighborhood in the sky. Your Mom and Dad and Maris are going to miss you terribly. You have given them such a sweet kitty with so much character to love and I am sure you will continue to bless them with that cranky old man attitude as long as you can. There will not be another like you.
Love!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Time to Make the Doughnuts...
Remember that commercial? Every morning when my alarm goes off, I say that in my head and sometimes out loud.
I got my first deployment paycheck today, and man has it made this all worthwhile. I am looking forward to using this money to pay off some debt and settle comfortably into a house of my own when I get home. It was an exciting day, for sure.
I got my first deployment paycheck today, and man has it made this all worthwhile. I am looking forward to using this money to pay off some debt and settle comfortably into a house of my own when I get home. It was an exciting day, for sure.
GO1B
Today has been such a weird day. It all started out last night - I couldn't sleep for some reason...despite the fact that I was desperately sleepy. I remember that I was still laying awake at 0230, and I started having these really sharp pains in my stomach and my mouth started watering...and I was thinking, "there is no bathroom close to me" and I was just praying that I wasn't going to get sick. Then I finally fell asleep and dreamed that I was getting sick, and then I woke up again around 0430, still with the sharp pains and watery mouth...and I laid there until my alarm went off at 0600. It still hurts tonight, even though I have eaten very mild foods today. I don't know what the heck is up, but I am looking forward to some sleep tonight!
Anyway, it has been SO BUSY today, which I love, because the day has flown by. And so here's the scoop: at some point this morning we got an e-mail that we were having a short notice "commander's call," which is basically a big meeting of our squadron. We all thought it was strange because we just had a commander's call last week and you usually don't attend one more than once a month. Everyone got suspicious - someone must be in trouble, something big must be going on. Then a few hours later we got an e-mail that the commander's call was cancelled. So we breathed a sigh of relief and figured whatever was up must have been resolved. A few minutes later our acting flight commander (next up in chain of command from me) came in and told us that our squadron commander is leaving "today."
Now, this is a woman who has been here for one YEAR, leading a huge squadron through some pretty incredible projects, and who is slated to return to the states in two weeks. She is done with her ONE YEAR tour in two weeks. Her going away party is planned. She gets to go home. And today, she is suddenly leaving two weeks ahead of schedule, with no goodbye or sendoff. And we are now hearing that our deputy squadron commander is stepping up as commander effective immediately. And that our sq. commander's next "assignment" will be in San Antonio, and if we see her, do not offer our congratulations on her next assignment. She will not want our congratulations, as this is not a "happy time for her". This can only mean one thing. Our commander has done something very very bad and is being sent home. And will face major disciplinary actions once she gets home; including, but not limited to, loss of rank and/or removal from the Air Force.
We suspect a GO1B violation. When you are deployed, there are a large handful of things that could cause you to be sent home unfavorably. Those things are usually covered in what is known on base as "General Order 1B". GO1B violations are non-negotiable. You break the rule, you go home. GO1B violations are things such as: going somewhere you aren't supposed to go, doing things you aren't supposed to do, possessing things you aren't supposed to possess, etc. There is a lot of speculation, we have no idea what is going on. But we do know that this is a huge deal, and that there is going to be some major damage control going on within the next few days. If our trusted commander isn't above committing a GO1B violation, why should a young airman avoid the same practice? Will be interesting to see how this all plays out...
In the meantime, it is a nice day outside and I am looking forward to a relaxing evening on the patio with my laptop and a cerveza or two and then sleepy, sleepy time.
OH! I almost forgot, we don't recycle here! I guess because we don't really have the resources to at this point. But pretty much all we drink is bottled water or sodas, and so there are 15,000+ water bottles going in the trash daily and thousands more cans. I told Megan about this, and she has suggested that I build a water bottle greenhouse. So I'm gonna get started on that. Going dumpster diving tonight for bottles. Hopefully I won't stumble across too many that are filled with pee (that is a problem around here...). Thanks for the heads up, Meggers.
Spirits are good today, not believing that I left Andrews THREE WEEKS ago today, and that on Friday it will mark the beginning of my 4th week here...time really does fly when you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of smelly strangers.
Love y'all!
xo
Anyway, it has been SO BUSY today, which I love, because the day has flown by. And so here's the scoop: at some point this morning we got an e-mail that we were having a short notice "commander's call," which is basically a big meeting of our squadron. We all thought it was strange because we just had a commander's call last week and you usually don't attend one more than once a month. Everyone got suspicious - someone must be in trouble, something big must be going on. Then a few hours later we got an e-mail that the commander's call was cancelled. So we breathed a sigh of relief and figured whatever was up must have been resolved. A few minutes later our acting flight commander (next up in chain of command from me) came in and told us that our squadron commander is leaving "today."
Now, this is a woman who has been here for one YEAR, leading a huge squadron through some pretty incredible projects, and who is slated to return to the states in two weeks. She is done with her ONE YEAR tour in two weeks. Her going away party is planned. She gets to go home. And today, she is suddenly leaving two weeks ahead of schedule, with no goodbye or sendoff. And we are now hearing that our deputy squadron commander is stepping up as commander effective immediately. And that our sq. commander's next "assignment" will be in San Antonio, and if we see her, do not offer our congratulations on her next assignment. She will not want our congratulations, as this is not a "happy time for her". This can only mean one thing. Our commander has done something very very bad and is being sent home. And will face major disciplinary actions once she gets home; including, but not limited to, loss of rank and/or removal from the Air Force.
We suspect a GO1B violation. When you are deployed, there are a large handful of things that could cause you to be sent home unfavorably. Those things are usually covered in what is known on base as "General Order 1B". GO1B violations are non-negotiable. You break the rule, you go home. GO1B violations are things such as: going somewhere you aren't supposed to go, doing things you aren't supposed to do, possessing things you aren't supposed to possess, etc. There is a lot of speculation, we have no idea what is going on. But we do know that this is a huge deal, and that there is going to be some major damage control going on within the next few days. If our trusted commander isn't above committing a GO1B violation, why should a young airman avoid the same practice? Will be interesting to see how this all plays out...
In the meantime, it is a nice day outside and I am looking forward to a relaxing evening on the patio with my laptop and a cerveza or two and then sleepy, sleepy time.
OH! I almost forgot, we don't recycle here! I guess because we don't really have the resources to at this point. But pretty much all we drink is bottled water or sodas, and so there are 15,000+ water bottles going in the trash daily and thousands more cans. I told Megan about this, and she has suggested that I build a water bottle greenhouse. So I'm gonna get started on that. Going dumpster diving tonight for bottles. Hopefully I won't stumble across too many that are filled with pee (that is a problem around here...). Thanks for the heads up, Meggers.
Spirits are good today, not believing that I left Andrews THREE WEEKS ago today, and that on Friday it will mark the beginning of my 4th week here...time really does fly when you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of smelly strangers.
Love y'all!
xo
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday
Tonight I am sitting out on the Bra and chatting online with Megan and Jamie. Such a treat. Today was my day off and I spent it catching up on some sleep, getting in a good day at the gym, cleaning my room, and getting my laundry all taken care of. I also read a lot of one of my books and a US Weekly (wow, I can't believe I used to subscribe to that). My days off are cherished time and I am so thankful for each one.
Can't believe Megan is going to be delivering my second neice in 90 days and that I get to meet her just two weeks later. This is definitely one of the most exciting things that has happened to our family in a long time and it is such a blessing. Though I won't be able to be there, I will have the pleasure of spending some uninterrupted time with mother and baby when I come down to C-town, and that means the world.
I have started thinking a lot this week about what I'm going to do when I get back - of course, every time I think about it I get a bit anxious so I'm trying not to think TOO much...but I think I will probably move into some sort of apartment complex that will allow me to live there short term while I look for a house. I won't even move my stuff out of storage - just air mattress it until then.
I have seen some cute places online that I am interested in, but I am still torn about a realtor. I can go with my old realtor, Boots, who helped me find a place when I first moved to Alex. But she is aging and I have this complex about making her work to hard - I know I will have to look at 1000 places before I decide on one. Then there is this realtor that was recommended to me by a guy I met, her name is Kath Quintar. But she is really opinionated and bulldogish and I think she might annoy me. So I have no realtor as of right now. I also still need to get preapproved for a loan, but I want to try to wait until I get closer to do so. So everything's up in the air right now.
Back to the grind tomorrow - I'll keep you posted.
Love you.
Kelly
Can't believe Megan is going to be delivering my second neice in 90 days and that I get to meet her just two weeks later. This is definitely one of the most exciting things that has happened to our family in a long time and it is such a blessing. Though I won't be able to be there, I will have the pleasure of spending some uninterrupted time with mother and baby when I come down to C-town, and that means the world.
I have started thinking a lot this week about what I'm going to do when I get back - of course, every time I think about it I get a bit anxious so I'm trying not to think TOO much...but I think I will probably move into some sort of apartment complex that will allow me to live there short term while I look for a house. I won't even move my stuff out of storage - just air mattress it until then.
I have seen some cute places online that I am interested in, but I am still torn about a realtor. I can go with my old realtor, Boots, who helped me find a place when I first moved to Alex. But she is aging and I have this complex about making her work to hard - I know I will have to look at 1000 places before I decide on one. Then there is this realtor that was recommended to me by a guy I met, her name is Kath Quintar. But she is really opinionated and bulldogish and I think she might annoy me. So I have no realtor as of right now. I also still need to get preapproved for a loan, but I want to try to wait until I get closer to do so. So everything's up in the air right now.
Back to the grind tomorrow - I'll keep you posted.
Love you.
Kelly
Sunday, April 12, 2009
They Actually Make Stress Balls Shaped Like Prostates
It is SO WINDY here this weekend. You can't walk anywhere without being practically blown over! We just finished up first thunderstorm for the day and awaiting the second, which are always nice because it kind of cools down a bit after that.
I am listening to some Amos Lee on my iPod in my office and a-tappin' my toes. Today is a good day. Sundays, as I have mentioned before, are typically our slow days. This morning I was laying in bed and trying to formulate what exactly I have done since I got here that is helping me accomplish my goals. And I couldn't think of much, besides reading a book that is helping me examine my life and where I want to be. So I went to work and said, "Jason, I'm going to be an hour late - I have to go to the gym right now." And he was really excited and so I went and got in a good workout before work today. I could easily waste this experience because it is easy to get in a routine and just sink back into that old rut that is so familiar. But I am not going to do that, I am going to do what I came here to do, which is push myself to my limits and come home better than I left. Everybody here is working towards some sort of personal goal, whether it is to reconnect with their spirituality, or finish their degree, or get back in shape, or whatever. So you really can soak up a lot of that energy if you seek it. I had to go get some new tennis shoes because my other ones are back in DC...the only ones they sell here are New Balances, and they are hell on my feet. But I figure I can deal with anything for 3.5 more months, so I'm just trying to keep going and meet those goals.
I can't remember if I have talked about this before, but one of the things I have struggled with the most is being around people all day, every day. I am in a "people profession" and so you can expect to be dealing with people most of the time, but 12 hours 6 days a week really takes a toll on a girl...all of those people constantly coming in and out and asking a million questions...it makes the nerves weary. So then when you leave work finally and you want to check your e-mail, you go to a place that is full of people. When you go eat, full of people. When you shower, when you pee, people. When you go to your room, there are people in rooms all around you and you hear them walking and talking and sitting and standing. Only when I sleep am I truly alone. For those who know me well, you know that this is my personal hell. I know that being exposed to this is good for me, because it is forcing me to be more tolerant and to give up a little of what I need for the greater good - but I would be lying if I said it wasn't the most difficult part of my time here. I long to be in a quiet room for about two days, with a private bathroom and a shower that I can use without wearing shoes. But let me stop complaining, it could be so so SO much worse.
I am determined to leave this Center better than when I found it, and so I have been doing a lot of brainstorming of ways to get people in our doors, new classes/trainings, new ways to market, and such. It is pretty encouraging that creativity is rewarded here and we can do what we need to make this place relevant and exciting. I find a lot of satisfaction through dreaming up bigger ways to meet the mission.
I think I have come up with a preliminary list, which I will post directly after this. There aren't too many things that I am wanting for right now, so it may grow as the time passes.
Love you all.
xoxo
I am listening to some Amos Lee on my iPod in my office and a-tappin' my toes. Today is a good day. Sundays, as I have mentioned before, are typically our slow days. This morning I was laying in bed and trying to formulate what exactly I have done since I got here that is helping me accomplish my goals. And I couldn't think of much, besides reading a book that is helping me examine my life and where I want to be. So I went to work and said, "Jason, I'm going to be an hour late - I have to go to the gym right now." And he was really excited and so I went and got in a good workout before work today. I could easily waste this experience because it is easy to get in a routine and just sink back into that old rut that is so familiar. But I am not going to do that, I am going to do what I came here to do, which is push myself to my limits and come home better than I left. Everybody here is working towards some sort of personal goal, whether it is to reconnect with their spirituality, or finish their degree, or get back in shape, or whatever. So you really can soak up a lot of that energy if you seek it. I had to go get some new tennis shoes because my other ones are back in DC...the only ones they sell here are New Balances, and they are hell on my feet. But I figure I can deal with anything for 3.5 more months, so I'm just trying to keep going and meet those goals.
I can't remember if I have talked about this before, but one of the things I have struggled with the most is being around people all day, every day. I am in a "people profession" and so you can expect to be dealing with people most of the time, but 12 hours 6 days a week really takes a toll on a girl...all of those people constantly coming in and out and asking a million questions...it makes the nerves weary. So then when you leave work finally and you want to check your e-mail, you go to a place that is full of people. When you go eat, full of people. When you shower, when you pee, people. When you go to your room, there are people in rooms all around you and you hear them walking and talking and sitting and standing. Only when I sleep am I truly alone. For those who know me well, you know that this is my personal hell. I know that being exposed to this is good for me, because it is forcing me to be more tolerant and to give up a little of what I need for the greater good - but I would be lying if I said it wasn't the most difficult part of my time here. I long to be in a quiet room for about two days, with a private bathroom and a shower that I can use without wearing shoes. But let me stop complaining, it could be so so SO much worse.
I am determined to leave this Center better than when I found it, and so I have been doing a lot of brainstorming of ways to get people in our doors, new classes/trainings, new ways to market, and such. It is pretty encouraging that creativity is rewarded here and we can do what we need to make this place relevant and exciting. I find a lot of satisfaction through dreaming up bigger ways to meet the mission.
I think I have come up with a preliminary list, which I will post directly after this. There aren't too many things that I am wanting for right now, so it may grow as the time passes.
Love you all.
xoxo
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Niiiiiiiiiiice
It has been a busy/exciting couple of days here at The Deid. Our DV visit went very well...it was Lt Gen Newton, who is a very important player in the Air Force world. While we prepped for two days for his visit and even did a dry run of the tour/briefing (which I was more nervous for than the real thing), he just came in and chit chatted with Kehinde and I about being deployed as civilians and was the biggest sweetheart. He gave us both a coin (which is an honor in the military world) and we giggled like schoolgirls. So that went well, and I think leadership was impressed with me at the end of it all. It is so hard to explain, but in the deployed location, every move you make is watched so much more than at home. The commanders are more scrutinizing, the processes are constantly watched and improved, the people are so much more focused. So you're always wondering "how am I doing??" Which, honestly, is how it should be back at home station, too, but it often isn't.
Anyway, so that was good. Last night I sat out under the Bra and had a couple of beers and got a chance to catch up with some friends and finally get pictures uploaded! I have been having the tougest time getting pics uploaded on this site, so I just put them on Facebook. After a couple of days, I will make that a private album (because I really shouldn't have those pictures on a public site) so if you get a chance, go take a look. I am still trying to work out the kinks with this site.
I taught my first financial class this morning and it felt good to be back behind the wheel of the subject I love most. Hopefully I will get a chance to do a lot more of those while I'm here. People can really accomplish so many of their financial goals while they are deployed because they are making a great deal of money, tax free, and nowhere to spend it. Hopefully with a little education and a lot of word-of-mouth, we can continue to expand the program until everyone takes advantage of our classes while they are here. I have big goals, but I am confident I can get close to them with a little bit of motivation and dedication.
It has been so refreshing to be in a position of authority here. It really suits me and I feel like I am a sensible and fair leader, who has her eyes on the situation as a whole as opposed to the details (although the details are important to me, too). I think it is going to be very hard for me to go back to being a pawn in someone else's game after this, knowing how much I am capable of and how successfully I have accomplished this mission. I struggle with this thought daily, and don't know what the future holds for me when I get home.
Only two days until my day off. Woo! It is amazing, one day here feels like two. Some evenings I will be like "I talked to him yesterday and he said..." and then someone will say "no that was this morning." Strange. But I have officially completed two weeks here as of 8:00 last night. So that's half a month. Only 7 more of those little buggers to go (half-months, that is). Somehow, two week time periods seem much less eternal than one week time periods.
The CENTAF band is playing tonight at the Bra. I am going to go check them out since I don't have to be in until later tonight. They are really good!
Our water is potable now on this side of the base! Yeah!!!
xoxox
Anyway, so that was good. Last night I sat out under the Bra and had a couple of beers and got a chance to catch up with some friends and finally get pictures uploaded! I have been having the tougest time getting pics uploaded on this site, so I just put them on Facebook. After a couple of days, I will make that a private album (because I really shouldn't have those pictures on a public site) so if you get a chance, go take a look. I am still trying to work out the kinks with this site.
I taught my first financial class this morning and it felt good to be back behind the wheel of the subject I love most. Hopefully I will get a chance to do a lot more of those while I'm here. People can really accomplish so many of their financial goals while they are deployed because they are making a great deal of money, tax free, and nowhere to spend it. Hopefully with a little education and a lot of word-of-mouth, we can continue to expand the program until everyone takes advantage of our classes while they are here. I have big goals, but I am confident I can get close to them with a little bit of motivation and dedication.
It has been so refreshing to be in a position of authority here. It really suits me and I feel like I am a sensible and fair leader, who has her eyes on the situation as a whole as opposed to the details (although the details are important to me, too). I think it is going to be very hard for me to go back to being a pawn in someone else's game after this, knowing how much I am capable of and how successfully I have accomplished this mission. I struggle with this thought daily, and don't know what the future holds for me when I get home.
Only two days until my day off. Woo! It is amazing, one day here feels like two. Some evenings I will be like "I talked to him yesterday and he said..." and then someone will say "no that was this morning." Strange. But I have officially completed two weeks here as of 8:00 last night. So that's half a month. Only 7 more of those little buggers to go (half-months, that is). Somehow, two week time periods seem much less eternal than one week time periods.
The CENTAF band is playing tonight at the Bra. I am going to go check them out since I don't have to be in until later tonight. They are really good!
Our water is potable now on this side of the base! Yeah!!!
xoxox
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Update on the Weather
This just in: It is only 83.8 degrees outside today. THERE IS NO FREAKING WAY!! We are just under 40 degrees from our annual maximum high. I am in some real trouble here, people.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
This Is Only a Test
We just finished up an exercise on base where we got to practice all of the things we would do if we were to come under attack. That means I got to don my oh-so-sexy gas mask with my optical inserts (read: black glasses strapped to my head with a black rubber band) and play war for a while. It was interesting and somewhat anticlimactic. Everybody has been preparing for it for days and stressing over it, so it was definitely tense around here as we anticipated the start.
We wore our gas masks for about 30 minutes and what I learned was that there is no limit to how bad I can look and no limit to how much my face can sweat. They are not the most comfortable things in the world and you have to breathe a little harder to get any return...so I was GLAD when we got to take them off!
Today it is exceptionally hot outside. What I predict is: when it gets to a certain point on the thermometer, I will stop eating altogether because all of the "free" eating establishments are quite a walk away. Walking home from lunch today I actually damned myself for having been hungry earlier and placing myself in the precarious situation of having to walk home from lunch on the surface of the sun. I sense a hunger strike soon.
My boss, Patricia, gave me these stretchy rubber frogs when I left to put on my desk here, since I have so many toys on my desk at Andrews to keep my clients entertained. There are about 10 of them. Every time I leave my office, my coworker Jason or occasionally a random customer in the building puts them in very socially inappropriate positions, sometimes one-on-one or in a group situation. Every now and then I will come back in my office not having noticed the menage-a-dix going on on the corner of my desk, and then I will be in the middle of a session with a client when I see it, and it is mortifying.
I have been wearing the N/S/E/W ring that Jessica gave me on my left ringfinger to keep the skeevies away. It works - most of the time.
I miss wearing flip flops.
We wore our gas masks for about 30 minutes and what I learned was that there is no limit to how bad I can look and no limit to how much my face can sweat. They are not the most comfortable things in the world and you have to breathe a little harder to get any return...so I was GLAD when we got to take them off!
Today it is exceptionally hot outside. What I predict is: when it gets to a certain point on the thermometer, I will stop eating altogether because all of the "free" eating establishments are quite a walk away. Walking home from lunch today I actually damned myself for having been hungry earlier and placing myself in the precarious situation of having to walk home from lunch on the surface of the sun. I sense a hunger strike soon.
My boss, Patricia, gave me these stretchy rubber frogs when I left to put on my desk here, since I have so many toys on my desk at Andrews to keep my clients entertained. There are about 10 of them. Every time I leave my office, my coworker Jason or occasionally a random customer in the building puts them in very socially inappropriate positions, sometimes one-on-one or in a group situation. Every now and then I will come back in my office not having noticed the menage-a-dix going on on the corner of my desk, and then I will be in the middle of a session with a client when I see it, and it is mortifying.
I have been wearing the N/S/E/W ring that Jessica gave me on my left ringfinger to keep the skeevies away. It works - most of the time.
I miss wearing flip flops.
Te quiero
I am sitting out under the Bra right now - it is cool and breezy outside and it must be mexicali madness night because they are playing only hispanic music. But hey, my foot's a-tappin.
Today was a good day, although I can definitely start to feel the effects of being around people all the time. I felt the uncontrollable need to run away today and just hide in a closet somewhere. I am sure that it is good for me to be forced out of my comfort zone, but it is difficult for sure to be unable to escape people everywhere! ;-) They are all nice people, though, so it's all going to be ok.
I got notified today that I will have my first "DV" visit. General Newton, a 3-star general, will be visiting my facility on Thursday for a tour and I will be lunching with him and a group of folks beforehand. I am a bit nervous and my leadership keeps letting me know very very nicely that this is a "very important visit" and, to not make an ass of myself. I know I will do well, but since it's my first I am sure I will be tied up in knots on Thursday trying to ensure that everything is perfect. How we do on Thursday will help to ensure that our program continues at Al Udeid (and hopefully in the rest of the AOR) in the future. Wish me luck.
I guess I don't have much to say today except I miss and love you all. Time for sleep.
Today was a good day, although I can definitely start to feel the effects of being around people all the time. I felt the uncontrollable need to run away today and just hide in a closet somewhere. I am sure that it is good for me to be forced out of my comfort zone, but it is difficult for sure to be unable to escape people everywhere! ;-) They are all nice people, though, so it's all going to be ok.
I got notified today that I will have my first "DV" visit. General Newton, a 3-star general, will be visiting my facility on Thursday for a tour and I will be lunching with him and a group of folks beforehand. I am a bit nervous and my leadership keeps letting me know very very nicely that this is a "very important visit" and, to not make an ass of myself. I know I will do well, but since it's my first I am sure I will be tied up in knots on Thursday trying to ensure that everything is perfect. How we do on Thursday will help to ensure that our program continues at Al Udeid (and hopefully in the rest of the AOR) in the future. Wish me luck.
I guess I don't have much to say today except I miss and love you all. Time for sleep.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Um, There are a LOT of Flies Out Here
Well, I've got all of my pictures ready and I'm trying to figure out how to upload them, but for some reason when I do my iPhotos don't show up. So I'm trying to work this silly roadblock.
Today is my first day off. I have spent most of it sleeping, reading, sleeping, and now playing on my laptop. I am going to my Commander's Call at 6:00 pm today and then am going to walk over to the big BX to get some new tennis shoes, hopefully. Don't be jealous, it's an exciting day at Al Udeid.
Last night, against my better judgment, I joined some friends for karaoke under the bra. It was actually kind of fun. More fun to be there than trying to tune it out in bed. The Army guys were hustling the mic, and some of them turned out to be pretty good, actually! I had a couple of beers and ran into a friend that I met while travelling with the Red Horse team - she actually helped me out and took me everywhere with her so I wouldn't miss any of our timelines. I was like a lost puppy and she showed me the deployment ropes. So anyway, it was great to see her. I hit the hay at about 1030 and slept for 12 hours. Apparently, I needed sleep.
Every Friday night they have something here called Fight Night and it draws a HUGE crowd! It is like a boxing match but the gloves are a lot bigger. Anyway, I saw it going on Friday night and was laughing because the announcer was trying to get some women to volunteer to fight and he said "come on ladies, I know there are a bunch of you out where with some pent up F'USTRATION, let's work it out in the ring." So last night my friends told me that someone actually got knocked out this past week during a match! These people take their fights seriously, apparently! Too funny. I wonder if leadership is going to let Fight Night continue...seems like he won't want too many people getting knocked out on his watch...so should be interesting.
The latest bit of excitement here is that the water in Coalition Compound (where I live) may be potable soon - which means that I won't have to brush teeth with bottled water or shower with fear that some of it will get in my mouth/eyes. Brushing teeth with bottled water isn't that bad, actually, until you get to the part where you have to rinse your toothbrush...not easy. So usually I run my toothbrush under the faucet to get the toothpaste out and then drizzle it with bottled water hoping that the "good bacteria" in the bottled water will kill the "bad bacteria" in the faucet water. It helps me sleep, yes. But soon that will no longer be a worry.
Livin the dream here at The Deid.
xo
Today is my first day off. I have spent most of it sleeping, reading, sleeping, and now playing on my laptop. I am going to my Commander's Call at 6:00 pm today and then am going to walk over to the big BX to get some new tennis shoes, hopefully. Don't be jealous, it's an exciting day at Al Udeid.
Last night, against my better judgment, I joined some friends for karaoke under the bra. It was actually kind of fun. More fun to be there than trying to tune it out in bed. The Army guys were hustling the mic, and some of them turned out to be pretty good, actually! I had a couple of beers and ran into a friend that I met while travelling with the Red Horse team - she actually helped me out and took me everywhere with her so I wouldn't miss any of our timelines. I was like a lost puppy and she showed me the deployment ropes. So anyway, it was great to see her. I hit the hay at about 1030 and slept for 12 hours. Apparently, I needed sleep.
Every Friday night they have something here called Fight Night and it draws a HUGE crowd! It is like a boxing match but the gloves are a lot bigger. Anyway, I saw it going on Friday night and was laughing because the announcer was trying to get some women to volunteer to fight and he said "come on ladies, I know there are a bunch of you out where with some pent up F'USTRATION, let's work it out in the ring." So last night my friends told me that someone actually got knocked out this past week during a match! These people take their fights seriously, apparently! Too funny. I wonder if leadership is going to let Fight Night continue...seems like he won't want too many people getting knocked out on his watch...so should be interesting.
The latest bit of excitement here is that the water in Coalition Compound (where I live) may be potable soon - which means that I won't have to brush teeth with bottled water or shower with fear that some of it will get in my mouth/eyes. Brushing teeth with bottled water isn't that bad, actually, until you get to the part where you have to rinse your toothbrush...not easy. So usually I run my toothbrush under the faucet to get the toothpaste out and then drizzle it with bottled water hoping that the "good bacteria" in the bottled water will kill the "bad bacteria" in the faucet water. It helps me sleep, yes. But soon that will no longer be a worry.
Livin the dream here at The Deid.
xo
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Kara-oh-no-ke Sunday (aka YOWZA this is painful!)
Um, did I mention that we have karaoke Sundays? Yeah, that just kicked off and our first contestant of the night will definitely not selected by this judge to return to next week's Al Udeid Idol stage. Holy smokes, if I have said it before I have said it 1000 times - "how ya' not know?!?!?!?!"
It really wouldn't be so bad if this train wreck wasn't taking place right outside of my office (and, soon, my bedroom) window. I know what I want my first care package ingredient to be: earplugs!
Yowza.
It really wouldn't be so bad if this train wreck wasn't taking place right outside of my office (and, soon, my bedroom) window. I know what I want my first care package ingredient to be: earplugs!
Yowza.
I Gotta Go See a Man About a Horse
Man, was I homesick yesterday. It was a struggle. But I woke up this morning feeling like a million bucks. I guess it's just gonna come and go, and that's ok. Thanks, Mom, for the pep talk yesterday; those are always good.
Yesterday was a beautiful day here at "The Deid", although hot. It was a busy day and we saw a lot of people come in and out of our doors. I was exhausted by the time I left, so I went and got two movies at the library and settled into my room for some mindless entertainment. I got Hotel Rwanda (which I haven't watched yet) and Ratatouille. The library here has thousands of movies, but it is pretty time consuming to go through them all, so I just stroll through and see if anything jumps out at me. I wanted to watch something uplifting yesterday because I was in a bit of a "mood", and Ratatouille was the closest thing I could find. Cute movie, great message.
Today is kind of a slow day - Sunday is the day that a lot of people have the day off and when people head "downtown". Kehinde went today and got some [really weird] gold jewelry. Usually somebody from our squadron (EFSS) goes on the weekend and whoever is driving invites people along to fill the seats. They will either go down to the market area or to one of the hotels in Doha where you can pay to use their pools/private beaches. Some people just go to get a meal and catch a movie or to hit the mall. I hope to get to go soon - I am going to hang low on my day off tomorrow and get caught up but perhaps in the next week or so, I'll be able to boogie on down and see the places everybody keeps talking about.
The sun sets here about 5:00, which is not bad because by the time I get off work it is cooler out. The nights are cool here, so it is always comforbale to sit outside. I feel lucky to have gotten the shift I did because I will get to miss most of the hottest part of the day while at work.
I haven't had the best access to Facebook, so sorry, Megan, that I have missed out on the past two weeks of "what food is Megan's baby today?" We have access to e-mail systems here in the office, but the only way to access FB is on the wireless in the Bra, and it is quite slow so it takes too long to load. I usually give up before it finishes loading. I am certainly not complaining, the connectivity here is awesome and I have so many opportunities to make contact with the people I care about...just will have to find another way to finish out Meg's pregnancy from all the way over here.
I got two pieces of mail today! A card from Tracy and a beautiful piece of artwork from Maris...that kid is a future picasso. I have a big bulletin board beside my desk, and they are displayed prominently. Thanks, girls. And yes, Tracy, I know how to get my mail now. ;-)
A lot of people have been asking me what kinds of things I am missing so they can stuff a care package, and right now I can't think of much but as I do I will write it down and try to post a list sometime in the next week or so. Thanks much for thinking of me and we appreciate everything that comes through our door (even those Girl Scout cookies, devilish as they are).
I miss NPR!!! I feel so out of the loop right now, not having my daily news programs to get me to/from work. We don't have any access to streaming media here (that's right, no Grey's Anatomy either) so I can't listen online. So I've been trying to read CNN daily but it's just not the same. At all. Thankfully I did download about 30 episodes of "This American Life" and "All Songs Considered" (as well as a bunch of New Yorker short stories and BBC radio documentaries) so I feel like I have a tiny bit of home with me, but I still miss my morning news.
xo
Yesterday was a beautiful day here at "The Deid", although hot. It was a busy day and we saw a lot of people come in and out of our doors. I was exhausted by the time I left, so I went and got two movies at the library and settled into my room for some mindless entertainment. I got Hotel Rwanda (which I haven't watched yet) and Ratatouille. The library here has thousands of movies, but it is pretty time consuming to go through them all, so I just stroll through and see if anything jumps out at me. I wanted to watch something uplifting yesterday because I was in a bit of a "mood", and Ratatouille was the closest thing I could find. Cute movie, great message.
Today is kind of a slow day - Sunday is the day that a lot of people have the day off and when people head "downtown". Kehinde went today and got some [really weird] gold jewelry. Usually somebody from our squadron (EFSS) goes on the weekend and whoever is driving invites people along to fill the seats. They will either go down to the market area or to one of the hotels in Doha where you can pay to use their pools/private beaches. Some people just go to get a meal and catch a movie or to hit the mall. I hope to get to go soon - I am going to hang low on my day off tomorrow and get caught up but perhaps in the next week or so, I'll be able to boogie on down and see the places everybody keeps talking about.
The sun sets here about 5:00, which is not bad because by the time I get off work it is cooler out. The nights are cool here, so it is always comforbale to sit outside. I feel lucky to have gotten the shift I did because I will get to miss most of the hottest part of the day while at work.
I haven't had the best access to Facebook, so sorry, Megan, that I have missed out on the past two weeks of "what food is Megan's baby today?" We have access to e-mail systems here in the office, but the only way to access FB is on the wireless in the Bra, and it is quite slow so it takes too long to load. I usually give up before it finishes loading. I am certainly not complaining, the connectivity here is awesome and I have so many opportunities to make contact with the people I care about...just will have to find another way to finish out Meg's pregnancy from all the way over here.
I got two pieces of mail today! A card from Tracy and a beautiful piece of artwork from Maris...that kid is a future picasso. I have a big bulletin board beside my desk, and they are displayed prominently. Thanks, girls. And yes, Tracy, I know how to get my mail now. ;-)
A lot of people have been asking me what kinds of things I am missing so they can stuff a care package, and right now I can't think of much but as I do I will write it down and try to post a list sometime in the next week or so. Thanks much for thinking of me and we appreciate everything that comes through our door (even those Girl Scout cookies, devilish as they are).
I miss NPR!!! I feel so out of the loop right now, not having my daily news programs to get me to/from work. We don't have any access to streaming media here (that's right, no Grey's Anatomy either) so I can't listen online. So I've been trying to read CNN daily but it's just not the same. At all. Thankfully I did download about 30 episodes of "This American Life" and "All Songs Considered" (as well as a bunch of New Yorker short stories and BBC radio documentaries) so I feel like I have a tiny bit of home with me, but I still miss my morning news.
xo
Saturday, April 4, 2009
A Love/Hate Relationship With Bananas
So, I have never liked bananananananananas. Don't like the texture or the flavor of them. But since I have gotten here, I have been craving them. And then I get one bite in, and I don't like it. But about 4 bites in, I like it. And then I don't like it again, and by the end I like it. Everytime I see one (which is daily), I want to eat it. I have never noticed a banananananana like I have noticed each and every one that has crossed my path in this country. What gives?
Just a FYI for anyone who plans to mail anything over here, do not put the words Qatar, Al Udeid, or Doha anywhere on the package. Only put the address I provided and your stateside mailing address. Otherwise it will be routed through the Qatari post office and will probably never get here.
It rained all day yesterday - I mean, it poured until it flooded. And this morning, let me tell you, it is HOT! And BRIGHT. This is one of those days that my friends warned me about, that if you go outside without your sunglasses, you could damage your corneas. Yeah, it is the first true Qatari weather day of my tour here and apparently this is a mild one. So far, I haven't had to roll up my sleeves on my uniform, and really haven't been uncomfortable at all. Today, I took one step outside, and had to mentally restrain myself from stripping to my nudies and prancing around the base, blinding the other prisoners further with my whiteness. "Don't look directly at it", they would say. You would see people standing around with cardboard boxes, looking at me through a tiny hole they cut in the bottom, like when an eclipse happened in high school. Anyway, it's hot.
I am here by myself this morning - it is Jason's day off and Kehinde doesn't come in until 1200, so it's been super busy. We have a lot of Army folks coming in, they have been here for 15 months and are on their way out tomorrow. I can't imagine being here for 15 months. Some of them have had two birthdays here. Insane.
We are overloaded with Girl Scout cookies! Boxes and boxes and boxes of them everywhere! I thought maybe the Girl Scouts were cleaning out their warehouses and sending last year's rejects here, but Tracy said that on every order form they ask people to buy boxes and donate them to the military. So that explains the cookiness that flows forth. Pretty cool, if you think about it.
I started missing the pups hardcore yesterday, but I know they are having such a good time with Mollie (and Maris this weekend) that it makes me feel better. Man, could I use a sweet snuggle and kiss from both of them right now, though. They are such sweeties!!!!
I really appreciate everything that friends and family did to help me get here - it was a lot of work but I am SO THANKFUL for each and every one of you.
xoxoxo
Love
Just a FYI for anyone who plans to mail anything over here, do not put the words Qatar, Al Udeid, or Doha anywhere on the package. Only put the address I provided and your stateside mailing address. Otherwise it will be routed through the Qatari post office and will probably never get here.
It rained all day yesterday - I mean, it poured until it flooded. And this morning, let me tell you, it is HOT! And BRIGHT. This is one of those days that my friends warned me about, that if you go outside without your sunglasses, you could damage your corneas. Yeah, it is the first true Qatari weather day of my tour here and apparently this is a mild one. So far, I haven't had to roll up my sleeves on my uniform, and really haven't been uncomfortable at all. Today, I took one step outside, and had to mentally restrain myself from stripping to my nudies and prancing around the base, blinding the other prisoners further with my whiteness. "Don't look directly at it", they would say. You would see people standing around with cardboard boxes, looking at me through a tiny hole they cut in the bottom, like when an eclipse happened in high school. Anyway, it's hot.
I am here by myself this morning - it is Jason's day off and Kehinde doesn't come in until 1200, so it's been super busy. We have a lot of Army folks coming in, they have been here for 15 months and are on their way out tomorrow. I can't imagine being here for 15 months. Some of them have had two birthdays here. Insane.
We are overloaded with Girl Scout cookies! Boxes and boxes and boxes of them everywhere! I thought maybe the Girl Scouts were cleaning out their warehouses and sending last year's rejects here, but Tracy said that on every order form they ask people to buy boxes and donate them to the military. So that explains the cookiness that flows forth. Pretty cool, if you think about it.
I started missing the pups hardcore yesterday, but I know they are having such a good time with Mollie (and Maris this weekend) that it makes me feel better. Man, could I use a sweet snuggle and kiss from both of them right now, though. They are such sweeties!!!!
I really appreciate everything that friends and family did to help me get here - it was a lot of work but I am SO THANKFUL for each and every one of you.
xoxoxo
Love
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A New Woman!
So, after a full day of rest/sleep yesterday, I am back today with a vengeance. I feel like a million bucks! Although, I did sneeze (once I actually started counting) 37 times in a row in the shower this morning. Someone actually came over and asked me if I was ok because I couldn't stop! I had one of those moments when I thought "what if I am becoming like one of those people who has the hiccups for 4 years straight?...except for instead of hiccups, I sneeze for 4 years straight?" Yeah, it was bizarre. I think my body is on strike. But I will persevere.
So, things are looking up - I have done several team building trainings this week and it has been really cool to get out to different parts of the base and meet people. I got to go to the North Ramp yesterday (twice), which is the flightline/runway/aircraft storage area. This is a very off-limits part of the base and I thought I was some tough shit being out there. It's pretty cool because on a normal Air Force Base, you don't see more than a handful of aircraft hanging out on deck, because the base usually doesn't own more than a handful. But HERE, there are SO many planes just sitting out at the ready and they all fly about at night (under the cover of darkness) to accomplish their mission over in Iraq. The area I was in yesterday was where they maintain the KC-135s (in-air refueling planes) and the B-1 Bombers. Seeing all of those aircraft in one place will make you dizzy - if you give a crap about that sort of thing, of course. I made friends with the guy who drove me around yesterday and he gave me some really interesting intel. It was an exciting day.
I blew up my hair dryer yesterday. See, I had it plugged into one of those voltage-conversion things (because there are no "normal" outlets here) and on the first day that I used it, I noticed that it was blowing my hair dry a LOT faster and hotter than usual. It was like being in a windstorm in HELL! But then I thought, maybe I'm just unaware of how awesome my hairdryer is, I haven't used it in a few days, so I didn't think anything about it. And then yesterday I used it again and thought "ok, I don't think it is supposed to be flashing like this inside" and then the next second a fireball came flying out! And then the hairdryer was dead. :-( I was sad because it was a gift from one of my girlfriends who has the most *awesome* hair, but I will just have to get another one. Until then I'll use the dopey ones in the bathroom, that take about three hours to dry just your bangs. Boo dopey hair dryers.
Remember how I said that people told me I was going to work harder here than I ever have in my whole life? Well, apparently those people have never been to Andrews AFB because I worked SO HARD while I was there and this is kind of like a little mini-vacation. Honestly, I am sure that things are going to pick up once the big rotation comes in May, but right now, it is refreshing to have a few moments to get my thoughts together. Love it.
I did manage to finally take some pics today and will hopefully get those uploaded to the computer tonight. I am usually really good about uploading and sharing pics but this has been quite a different experience entirely, so forgive me while I get my bearings.
xoxo
So, things are looking up - I have done several team building trainings this week and it has been really cool to get out to different parts of the base and meet people. I got to go to the North Ramp yesterday (twice), which is the flightline/runway/aircraft storage area. This is a very off-limits part of the base and I thought I was some tough shit being out there. It's pretty cool because on a normal Air Force Base, you don't see more than a handful of aircraft hanging out on deck, because the base usually doesn't own more than a handful. But HERE, there are SO many planes just sitting out at the ready and they all fly about at night (under the cover of darkness) to accomplish their mission over in Iraq. The area I was in yesterday was where they maintain the KC-135s (in-air refueling planes) and the B-1 Bombers. Seeing all of those aircraft in one place will make you dizzy - if you give a crap about that sort of thing, of course. I made friends with the guy who drove me around yesterday and he gave me some really interesting intel. It was an exciting day.
I blew up my hair dryer yesterday. See, I had it plugged into one of those voltage-conversion things (because there are no "normal" outlets here) and on the first day that I used it, I noticed that it was blowing my hair dry a LOT faster and hotter than usual. It was like being in a windstorm in HELL! But then I thought, maybe I'm just unaware of how awesome my hairdryer is, I haven't used it in a few days, so I didn't think anything about it. And then yesterday I used it again and thought "ok, I don't think it is supposed to be flashing like this inside" and then the next second a fireball came flying out! And then the hairdryer was dead. :-( I was sad because it was a gift from one of my girlfriends who has the most *awesome* hair, but I will just have to get another one. Until then I'll use the dopey ones in the bathroom, that take about three hours to dry just your bangs. Boo dopey hair dryers.
Remember how I said that people told me I was going to work harder here than I ever have in my whole life? Well, apparently those people have never been to Andrews AFB because I worked SO HARD while I was there and this is kind of like a little mini-vacation. Honestly, I am sure that things are going to pick up once the big rotation comes in May, but right now, it is refreshing to have a few moments to get my thoughts together. Love it.
I did manage to finally take some pics today and will hopefully get those uploaded to the computer tonight. I am usually really good about uploading and sharing pics but this has been quite a different experience entirely, so forgive me while I get my bearings.
xoxo
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