february:
02nd
MOM's b-day
03rd
LLOYD's b-day
07th
GABRIELLE's b-day
10th
YELIN's b-day
14th
valentine's day
CHETTE's b-day
20th
EDITH's b-day
21st
STEPHANIE's b-day
JEAN's b-day
25th
CURTIS' b-day
26th
DENISE's b-day
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WEDNESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2007
4:53-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of GOD."
-- 01 PETER 02 : 16
I've finally figured out how to add a Q&A page to my site. I started working on it about a week before heading to this part of the world. It frustrated me so I stopped, but had found a method and script I thought would be easy enough to play with once I was forward. Anyway, since I wasn't sleeping, I decided to tinker with it this morning. It took about an hour but it's up and running. It's not precisely the way I want it, but so far so good. It was divine to see the page refresh and see that the change I made fixed the problem. And eventually I refreshed the page and it looked as it does now. So if your curious feel free to click on the "answering" link and ask away.
Now it's time to get some good PT in. I'll get down on the floor and do some sets of pushups. I'm not sure if I'll get motivated enough to head to the gym and jump on a treadmil. Maybe. And if someone gets up and wants to go, I'll head over there with them. I was never a gym person. I'd like to become one (01) though. I'm more comfy though exercising a little closer to home. Hopefully I'll be able to "turn it up" as far as my workout regiment goes. I want to be stronger and in great shape when I rotate back to the States. I have plenty of free time in order to get more than one (01) workout a day in. There's no excuse not to get myself in tiptop shape. Well time isn't a problem anyway.
The guys say they can hear my typing. Ha. I hope I'm not disturbing them now so early in the morning. Ha! I'm usually wearing my headphones and listening to music so it's not as loud to me. But I suppose the clicking carries considering the walls in our "house" are plywood and don't quite reach the ceiling. Ha! Yeah, all kinds of sounds carry.
Well, it's time to hit the floor. I have these nifty pushup handles. They're circular and rotate. The rotating hand grips allow your arms to rotate during a pushup the same way they naturally twist when you throw a punch or press up a dumb bell. This works more muscles and reduces strain on your joints therefore maximizing your workout. I ordered them before I left and packed them in my duffle bag. PINKY just so happens to have them too. They were the first things I saw when I entered her trailer the other day. She even has the instructional poster up. Ha! Crazy. It's weird how things like that happen. We bought the same product. Weird. Well, it's time to make use of them.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 2007
11:33-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "STAND"-REBECCA st james Transform
"He who belongs to GOD hears what GOD says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to GOD."
-- JOHN 08 : 47
Well, I'm in my room. Yup, I'm not at the shop. The night shift was nixed since we now have the ability to run both the shelter we're using for production control (our office) and the truck we use to work on equipment simultaneously. So the three (03) of us on night shift went in and hooked it all up before heading back. We'll all go into work tomorrow at 9:00. I don't really understand why SSG Richardson wants to do away with the night shift. I've always liked working during "off peak" hours. Now every little thing is going to interrupt those of us who are working in the truck. But whatever, he's running the show. So be it. It'll work out okay I'm sure. I'm sure it'll be comical for me though. Some of these guys don't get along so well so I'll probably be entertained since after everyone goes on leave and such we'll all be together working during the days. Ha! I don't see it staying like that until we leave. I see night shift happening in months to come.
I'm not a bit sleepy. I doubt I'll turn in before 1:00 tomorrow morning. It's practially March. And March is the third month of the first quarter of the year. Crazy! But it doesn't really seem like the year really gets started until about May anyway. And things really seem to slow down from during the "-ber" (September - December) months. Once again I'm still not entirely sure when our departure date will be. Yesterday SGT Fraiser mentioned it might be August or September. Who knows. Well someone does, or at least should, but I don't. No worries though, I came expecting to stay into September so it's all good for me. And a single day into a new month means getting tax-free entitlements for the entire month. So a day into August or September is okay by me.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 2007
11:03-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
-- JOHN 12 : 25
So I'm back. Well, I'm updating again I suppose. I was never really "gone". Occassionally I get wrapped up in other things and don't exactly finish an entry. Between my internet connection problems and SSG Alamo letting me borrow the first five (05) seasons of the police drama "The Shield" I've been away from the online world for a while.
The three (03) of us on night shift worked a little later into the morning. By the time I crawled into bed from my shower it was 3:00 in the morning. We're doing approximately sixty (60) items between the three (03) of us each night. What takes the most time however isn't the actual calibration or repair of the pieces but the paperwork associated with processing the piece of equipment. Once an item is calibrated a label has to be filled out and affixed to the piece reflecting when it was calibrated, when it's due for it's next calibration, and the technician who calibrated the item. So if fifty (50) or sixty (60) easy calibrations are completed it'll take double the amount of time to get the paperwork completed, pieces sorted, and put away to await pickup.
SGT Fraiser and I headed to midnight chow at the dining facility. It wasn't as great as last time but I was just as hungry so I was more than happy to pile pancakes on my tray. They were actually very good. I kind of expected them to be just okay, but they were fluffy and light. I trayed up a burger and a piece of chocolate cheesecake for later on in the day. I just ate it too. Good stuffage.
Apparently an NCO who works here is going to start coming in in the evenings to help out. SSG Richardson, SGT Frasier, and SGT Adams are all going on leave at some point or another in the next month and a half or so. So he'll be coming in to help out when there are only two (02) of us in the evenings and night. He's a calibrator who was an instructor at the schoolhouse at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama before deploying. I'm not sure what he does exactly, I think it has something to do with tracking down the parts we and the other teams order. Whatever. But he should be more tuned into the more difficult work to do than I am. I'm on my way out by means of getting out of the Army in 2009 or getting out of the MOS as soon as possible. So if I stay in or get out, I expect to be leaving this MOS as soon as I'm able. I have a couple of plans I'm researching but nothing definite. I think he'll be joining us this coming Monday. I've met him but I don't "know him". He seems like a pretty quiet guy who will just stick his head in a piece of equipment for hours until it's time to punch out for the evening. But if he can tackle some of the bigger pieces I can work the smaller jobs and get the number of pieces down. No problem.
February is almost over. Crazy. Granted it was a short month but even so, time is rolling along quite quickly. It's nice to be in the swing of things here and in a routine. I'm still not sure when I'll be headed back. I've heard July but I've also heard August or September. Who knows. I'm just going to keep doing my thing, but if I get anything "official" (And I'm still not sure if there is such a thing as "official" in the Army when it comes to getting definitive news.) I'll mention it here.
It's time to do a little PT and then hit the showers. I'm enjoying the night shift. I like having the day to myself while the majority of personnel on the camp are going about their work schedules. I have to be up around 7:00 though on the first of March. PINKY gets pinned 1st Lieutenant; I can't miss that or I'll never, ever hear the end of it from her. Never.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2007
8:42-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "SACRIFICE"-Tree63 Tree63
"The LORD GOD formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
-- Genesis 02 : 07
"CURTIS, ...
... happy birthday big brother. I trust all is well and you have plans to celebrate instead of work. Take a break, you deserve one (01) every so often, especially on your day. Enjoy! I hope everything is working itself out. Don't stress, you are a year older after all, you're getting to old to get all worked up about anything and everything. Have a good one (01) CURTIS! ... And eat some cake for me."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2007
1:51-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "HERO"-KIRK franklin Hero
"Unless the LORD had given me help, I'd soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' Your love supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."
-- Psalm 94 : 17 & 19
A couple of years ago back at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama:
TUESDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2005
7:44-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "BE NEAR"-SHANE barnard & SHANE everett Carry Away
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
-- 01 PETER 05 : 07
I'm "on call." CSM Lunn said to expect a call with instructions to escort a visiting Sergeant Major tomorrow morning. So I have his cottage number here on post and am awaiting further instructions. He said if he didn't call by 10:00 to give him a call to inquire. So by 10:00 I'll know if I need to head to work and switch my baby out for the van. I thought about driving the van back from work instead of my baby. But hey, I wouldn't want to leave her stranded way out there if I didn't have to. Last time I was supposed to escort this Sergeant Major he called ahead to let us know he'd have his own rental and didn't want an escort. Hey, that is fine by me, so I'm kind of hoping I won't be on escort duty tomorrow.
Today was good. I was extra antsy though so I wasn't about to just stay put in my chair. I ran as many errands as I could, even leaving to fill up the van on a whim. Yeah, it wasn't a stay-seated day at all.
CSM Lunn mentioned me not leaving here until January. Now since I have been in the Army longer than a day I know that nothing is a sure thing until after it's happened and you are sitting around telling stories about it, ... as far as the Army is concerned, much changes. But I'm pretty confident CSM Lunn can keep me until January if he so desires. And since 95th Maintenance Company is going away in a few months, I'll have to get back to the unit to be present soon after the integration. But all that integration is just a whole mess of changes and stuffage I don't feel like going into right now. In any case, he has intentions to keep me here until the beginning of next year. I have no complaints.
So as it is now (if I do in fact stay until January) I'll have only two (02) months up at Fort Drum. And those months will not be spent really working, but clearing the installation and preparing to leave the Army. In fact, they may be spent on terminal leave, not even at Fort Drum. Of course if I get my board in April for promotion to Staff Sergeant and extend for four (04) months to meet the twelve (12) month requirement as a Staff Sergeant I'll be looking at spending six (06) months up at Fort Drum.
Of course there are a bunch of little variables in those two (02) scenarios. But that's what they would both boil down to regarding time frame and such. So I'm just going to go with the flow and trust that everything will work out for the very best. And anyway the flow here is not too bad. I think I can survive an additional six (06) months. But it would be nice to get a definite this or that regarding where I'll be in the next year or so.
I just know CSM Lunn is going to call around 10:00 and I'll have to go swap vehicles. It will be a last second thing when I have just about given up on tomorrow's op. But no biggie, so far it is just going to be a pick up in the morning and a drop off a couple of buildings away from work (same complex) and a drop off in the afternoon. No big deal at all. I suspect it will involve a ride to the airport when his trip is all said and done as well. And since I'm not sure when he is to depart, this could be the trend for tomorrow and Friday as well.
But, as always, you are never sure if something is going to happen until you are sitting around swapping stories about it. We shall see. We shall see.
Well first off I didn't end up staying in Alabama until the new year, but I didn't head back to Fort Drum either. Nope. I ended up heading to a two (02) and a half month long school after I was promoted and reenlisting as well. January found me three (03) months into a year long tour in Korea. And boy was it a headache and a half.
Currently I'm a little more than two (02) years away from the date I'm due out of the Army. After I was promoted to staff sergeant in June of 2005 I reenlisted the very next day for four (04) more years, some of which was absorbed by the time I had in my current enlistment. So I'm now in until June of 2009. And at the moment I'm doing more work to figure out what I want to do next in the Army rather than what I want to do next out of the Army. Ha! Go figure! My few years in the Army have been full of surprises to say the very least. This day two (02) years ago I was also looking to put in to be a drill sergeant. That has changed too due to the changes in policies and regulations which would govern how I trained Soldiers.
Now I'm in Iraq putting money back and working on future plans. I'm a bit antsy and puzzled as to my future, but all in all I haven't done anything to totally ruin it. Ha! I have a lot of options and still have time to get things going in a better direction (read: stop being so lazy) in the months to come. My reenlistment window will open (it does twenty-four (24) months from the end of an enlistment) up while I'm out here so once I get back to Fort Riley I'll be eligible to reenlist and am certain will have interviews and sit downs with reenlistment personnel who will ask what options I'm looking for and what I might be eligible for should I reenlist.
My time in Alabama was the best in the Army so far which is ironic since I struggled so much the first time I was in Alabama for advanced individual training following basic combat training. Who knows where I'll be two (02) years from now; I might still be at Fort Riley, I might be over here again or in Afghanistan or, if I reenlist and reclass, I could be in training somewhere. I guess I would have never figured I'd head to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama to work directly under a Command Sergeant Major two (02)years prior; and while in Alabama I never figured I'd be in Iraq two (02) years afterwards. So I doubt I'll be anywhere predictable in two (02) years. Only time will tell.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2007
3:42-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night."
-- Psalm 01 : 01 & 02
Well this time my "error connecting" message doesn't have to do with my username or password; this morning it's an error 800. For some reason it's unable to establish the VPN connection. Um, yeah, whatever. I hope that after tomorrow morning, once I bring it in a second time to the computer place I won't be having these problems any longer.
Anyway, it's almost time to head to the gym. I'm not exhausted but I know when I finish my workout and take a shower I'll crash for a few hours. I figure I'll get up around 10:00 to go to the shop with my gear and be the bearer of bad news. I really don't think he'll take it well, but hopefully I'm wrong about that.
It's time to get ready to head for the gym. She'd better show up too. Last night she said she was there in the morning so she should be. I just have to remember to get an alarm clock in order to make it each morning. I guess she gets an early start to the day, I didn't ask her why she frequents the gym at such an hour.
Man, I wish my internet was working so I'd be able to get this up. Bummer.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2007
10:31-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of GOD lives forever."
-- 01 JOHN 02 : 17
"EDITH, ...
... happy birthday to you! How's China treating you? I hope you're having a blast. Imagine, you can now tell everyone that you had a birthday in China. Yup. Hopefully you're celebrating your birthday and CNY responsibly. I was so excited to learn that you were headed to South Korea to work. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up somewhere, my schedule was rather hectic all the time.
I look forward to seeing you again when we're both in the U.S. little sister. We'll have to have dinner and swap stories. You have a happy birthday, and again, don't party to hard, ... you're getting old after all. Er, I mean older. Older. Ha! Keep in touch and let me know when you're returning and where you'll end up. Okay? Okay! Have a good one (01) EDITH! *squeeze* Happy birthday!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2007
10:17-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Help us, O GOD out Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive us our sins for Your name's sake."
-- Psalm 79 : 09
I hope my laptop makes it. It's been a real trooper so far. I purchased it from Averatec back before I left for Korea. And while in Korea it proved it's worth many, many times over. I don't know how I felt complete without a laptop in the past. Ha! I carried it with me in a large black backpack pretty much everyday as a Squad Leader. And when I became the platoon sergeant I carried it with me everyday I worked along with about fifty (50) additional pounds. So it was getting pressed on in there and knocked around when I'm hoist it off and on my shoulders.
Wow! I was just going to get to the fact that it's stayed in one (01) piece this long except for the touchpad having gone out a couple of weeks ago, but I touched it just now and it works. How freaky! I figured it got packed and stacked one (01) time too many in transit from Kuwait to Iraq. All of a sudden it just stopped working; I've been using my external, USB mouse since arriving at Camp Liberty. So now I suppose I have no complaints at all about the machine and nothing adverse to say about my Averatec laptop. And this is not a rugged machine made to be carried all the time in a bag and treated roughly and while I don't throw it around on purpose, it has been through it's share of collisions. And here it will probably always stay covered in a light coating of dust. If it lasts through this deployment I think I'll write to the company and thank them for making such a dependable and inexpensive machine. In fact I might do it while I'm out here, I have some extra time on my hands after all. A wee bit. Ha!
I've been remembering my dreams like crazy. It's really weird. I know I've written about a couple in the past few days but there have probably been three (03) times that many that I remember bits and pieces of. I'm tempted to start a "dreaming" section where I'll write about them in as much detail as possible. But they've been fun. For the most part my dreams are like movies where I'll be an observer. Occasionally I'll be a participate and about half the time those perspectives will switch once or a few times throughout the dream. Yeah, I always have wild rides when my subconscious takes the wheel.
Well I'm calling it a day. I need to see if I can try and wake up at 4:00 on my own and try to make it to the gym. If not I'll probably look into getting an alarm clock tomorrow. I really would like to be able to make it to the gym to work out with PINKY. I think she'd be a good gym partner. I'm not looking to get huge like SSG Hayse talks about, just nicely toned and stronger. And of course I love to work my abdominals.
So, it's goodnight for now. Tomorrow I'll head to the shop in the afternoon and check out the two (02) Sergeants and their night shift operation. So I suppose tomorrow will be my first day of work. And in fact it's my first day of any kind of work since I was out processing Camp Humphreys back at the end of September. So yeah, with leave back home in Texas, sitting around waiting to deploy in Kansas, and all the waiting in Kuwait and Iraq, my four (04) and a half months of downtime has come to an end. I'm still going to take it pretty easy while I'm here. With SSG Richardson taking care of things I'm pretty much going to shadow him for a while and get to know the guys on the team and keep things tight on the morale side of the house. So far it's been pretty easy getting along with these guys. SGT Fraiser and I will get along great and PFC Smith says he does some writing so we've talked about that. Al in all they seem like good guys. I just hope some good guys arrive in Kansas in the next few months. I think I'm going to email my platoon sergeant over here and the acting First Sergeant back at Fort Riley so I can get word as soon as a calibrator (94H) hits Fort Riley. Who knows, maybe it'll be newly promoted SSG Diongon. Ha! That would be something else alright.
It's so odd using my touchpad now. Now if only my internet connection was up and running. It's been down for the last few hours now. Weird. Well, I'm about to close the peepers and get some rest.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2007
2:31-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble."
-- Psalm 41 : 01
I went to the shop today with SSG Richardson. He showed me our setup. It's not too bad, we're in a large bay next to another electronics maintenance section, but we work out of out truck, and our office is right behind it. Not too bad really. It's a nice little walk from where we live but it's nothing different than the walks I've had to make regularly in the past. And all of the walking will add to my workouts too. Speaking of which, I'm not sure if I'll make it up at 4:00 in the mornings to meet up with PINKY at the gym, but we'll see. I may do it on Sundays since it's our down day unless customers set up prior arrangements. And even then SSG Richardson or I will only go in to take care of the customer and then leave. So I might get up, head to the gym to workout with her, get back here to shower and such and then head to breakfast before starting my down day.
SSG Richardson thanked me again for not having a problem with letting him continue to do his thing. I'm just kind of here to help out and observe until we get back. I had more questions for him about how things were back at Fort Riley than about things here. They've been here for months already so everything here is just going to flow like business as usual. I basically asked about any major problems he foresees down the road. But other than that I expect things will run smoothly. He'll go on leave next month but until then I'll be on the night shift with two (02) of the guys. They do all the calibrating then. I'm better suited for a night shift anyway. But when he goes on leave I'll switch to days so I can run things and take care of questions and concerns from customers. I expect I'll be going in about 3:00 in the afternoon until he leaves though so I can catch a couple hours of the day shift to get more information on normal operating procedures before working through the evening and night. So my hours will most likely be something like 3:00 in the afternoon until 1:00 the next morning. And if I can link up with PINKY around 4:30 for PT I'll try to fit that in, plus another PT session before lunch. So yeah, I plan to be keeping busy while I'm here so the time will just truck on by. I'm definitely going to need an alarm clock though if I'm going to do a schedule like that. Once he gets back from leave I'll most likely then switch to going exclusively in the evenings or exclusively during the day to work. And I guess that'll depend on what's going on from day to day.
I just discovered that BRIAN diongon made cutoff for Staff Sergeant. I guess he's still in Korea. I know he had gone back and was there while I was there last year, but I didn't bump into him since he was at a different camp. But yeah, I guess he's still over there. I worked with him when I was in Korea back in 2002 and then we both ended up at Fort Drum. I think he had reenlisted to head back to Korea again; I suppose he extended too. I guess I should send him a congratulatory email and see what he's up to these days.
I'm trying to think of things to be included in any care packages anyone might be preparing to send me. I'm really bad at things like that. I don't have much here at all but I'm okay. I've become very much of a minimalist, but that's certainly okay by me. I used to be an impulse buyer so minimalism is definitely a good thing these days. Now a hobby of mine is finding a bunch of stuffage I want on Amazon or other websites and filling up my shopping cart. Then I'll proceed until the final confirmation, but I won't confirm it. Instead I'll just cancel the order and leave the site. I guess it's like window shopping or something. But it calms the craving I suppose. Ha! And during the whole process I'll try to justify "needing" everything I'm clicking on. I'll probably spend much less than USD$500.00 on myself (apart from necessities) while I'm here. There's just no real reason to spend much. I have work to go to, a bed, free food. It's not to shabby. I am paying a monthly internet fee however, but that's almost a necessity. Ha! And besides, I have to keep current here.
So far so good. Once I get into a routine and flow of things I'll get in touch with PINKY and get a good peek at what she's up to as an officer. She said she makes her 1st Lieutenant soon so I have to be there for that. I'd never, ever hear the end of it if I missed it. I need to shoot her an email and explain to her that I'm getting settled into the swing of things here and will be working evenings and nights. We'll probably look towards coordinating out lunch and dinners. And I haven't caught up with SSG Alamo. He gave me the POD number he stays at but I don't have a map of this place or anything so he could have just told me he's in Iraq and it'd pretty much mean the same to me at the moment. But I have to get in touch with my buddy from my days in the 5-2-0. Ha! Plus he's supply. It's always good to make friends with supply people. Supply, cooks, military police, and making friends with a few warrant officers and officers here and there is great.
Well, tomorrow's the day off. We work Monday to Saturday with Sunday off unless customers let us know they are coming in. So SSG Richardson or myself will be heading in to take care of them if need be, and then we'll just lock things up again.
I have my address. I'll probably post it a little later, but if I receive emails concerning it, I'll be more than happy to reply with my contact information.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 2007
1:01-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"'Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.'"
-- MATTHEW 12 : 33
Apparently SSG Richardson had been afraid of me coming in here and changing things and just taking over. Of course it's my prerogative to do since I out rank him by time in grade. I've been a Staff Sergeant since June of 2005 and he has been a Staff Sergeant since maybe the middle of last year. I have seniority. But we talked about it and he wants to continue running the team until we get back to Fort Riley. I didn't have a problem with that at all so I agreed to allow him to remain in his position for the remainder of the deployment.
I didn't mind for a few reasons, the most obvious being that he's been here already for a few months and has made contacts and learned who is going to be counted on for help and such. Everyone knows his name if not his face and it's just going to be a lot easier keeping him in place without having to get past the whole, "what happened to the guy who used to be in charge," and "well let me just talk to him" kind of comments. The second reason is that he knows these guys and they've set up a pretty comfortable flow here. Another reason is that I've been away from the MOS for two (02) years having worked with CSM Lunn at Redstone for a year and then served as a Squad Leader and platoon sergeant in Korea. So he's the better person for the job at the moment until I get reacquainted with the managerial side of the house. And he'll be getting out soon after we get back; having run a team in a forward area and worked a rank above his own will look great to employers since he wants to keep calibrating when he gets out there around Huntsville, Alabama and most of the guys he'd be interviewing with and networking with will be old Army calibrators.
So no worries here, I don't need it while we're here. He's made it pretty clear that this is a dream come true for him. And it'd be a different story if it was my dream too or if I was a sergeant first class or something. But come the summer of 2009 I'll either be leaving the Army or will have changed jobs and will be doing something else for the Army. So my ambitions don't lie in running a calibration team. Of course when we get back I'll be signing for the team and will be in charge and in a Sergeant First Class position. Again, I'm in no hurry so I see no reason why he shouldn't remain in place here; and he did all the work to bring the team over, I feel I'm being courteous in letting him bring the team back.
Of course we also made it clear that he won't be "bossing me around" so to speak since I've extended him this courtesy. But we won't have any problems. He's been pretty cordial to me so far and these guys seem pretty easy going and relaxed. But yeah, four (04) of them will be getting out within three (03) or four (04) months of when we return to Fort Riley and one (01) will be leaving Fort Riley around November or December. Hopefully Soldiers will arrive there while we're away. And hopefully some experienced Soldiers will arrive and not just brand new Soldiers from the school house. I can only think of about two (02) Sergeants First Class I'd be comfortable working under, but it's not very likely that will happen. But I'm ready to take charge if I'm needed to do so. No problem there. But I have let my platoon sergeant know I'm looking for transitional opportunities and that will go into full swing once we get back because I'll enter my reenlistment window this coming July. I have a couple of ideas but nothing I'm comfortable enough with to "put in stone". I'm doing my research.
My living conditions here leave things to be desired but they're not horrible. Camp Liberty had trailers and staff sergeants were afforded their own trailer. Here I'm living with my section in a large room sectioned off with sheets of plywood as interior walls. The sand and dirt is everywhere and it's frequently very muddy. The latrines are outside and portable at the end of the building and the shower is a dinky little room full of shower cells. Camp Liberty's living was a lot better than here, but once I get into a routine it won't bother me. And it really doesn't bother me too much here. I've grown very flexible and my ability to adapt has grown by leaps and bounds in the past couple of years. And besides these guys have been doing it for months before me; I can stick it out a few more with them. We all might be heading back as early as the end of July.
I know I mentioned September, but I was told they left in July so I might be back then. No problem. I'm anxious to get back and work on finding a place to live in Manhattan. I'm looking forward to finally having my own apartment and oven and, hopefully, in-apartment washer and dry hookups. That will be heaven. And I'm sorely missing high speed internet access as well. Ha! Not that I'm complaining about it here. I mean it's better than nothing and it's better than Camp Liberty's speed so far, but high speed and more reliable are things I'll never take for granted. Ha! Right now my biggest problem is with all the mud. When it rains the place just turns into a soupy, muddy mess. But my spirits are high and this is what I wanted. No regrets so far and I'm very confident this will be another good deployment.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 2007
10:41-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I'm poor and needy."
-- Psalm 86 : 01
"Time Takes It's Toll On Us"
BEBO norman
Have I become a soul so numb
All too familiar
Words of gold have all grown cold
Over and over
I need to see You in the sunrise
Time takes its toll on us
And it tries its best just to steal our love
And we bend and we break but we don’t give up
Time takes its toll on us
From the start You touched my heart
And turned it in to something more
Beautiful, You’re beautiful
So why does it have to be so hard
To see You in the sunrise
Time takes its toll on us
And it tries its best just to steal our love
And we bend and we break but we don’t give up
Time takes its toll on us
Time takes, time takes away
Love remains, love remains
Time takes its toll on us
And it tries its best just to steal our love
And we bend and we break but we don’t give up
Time takes its toll on us
Time takes its toll on us
And it tries its best just to steal our love
And we bend and we break but we don’t give up
Time takes its toll on us
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2007
4:24-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART"-MICHAEL W smith Worship
"A friend loves at all times, ..."
-- Proverbs 17 : 17
Well, I finally made it out of Camp Liberty. I woke up around 6:00 yesterday morning in anticipation of leaving. My platoon sergeant said I'd leave in the afternoon, but I was all packed and ready to leave well before noon. My video gaming was interrupted by a knock on the door. Since I don't have a watch, there's a funny story behind that, I didn't realize it was time to head to the meet to link up with the convoy.
We arrived at the yard and there was no convoy in site. And the personnel in the office wasn't sure when one (01) was due to arrive. I wasn't too surprised since my platoon sergeant just had the name of a point of contact who apparently was the convoy commander. He just said "evening" when I asked what time I'd be leaving. So we headed to the dining facility to eat. Upon returning to the yard there still was no sign of the convoy. A different shift had arrived and they seemed to recognize the convoy in question but were pretty sure they hadn't been through yet. Okay, more waiting. Much more waiting. We talked about this and that and shared Army stories in the truck while we waited, ... and waited. Finally at just after midnight trucks began to pull into the yard. And sure enough, it was the convoy I was to head out with. They said they were probably going to leave around 2:00 because they had flatbeds to load and the like. I stuffed my bags into the back of an M1117 armored security vehicle and crawled into the side to my seat behind and to the right of the gunners rotating turret.
It didn't take long to reach Camp Taji. I spent the ride listening to all the extra chatter on the radio. There was a lot of cracking jokes and such. It wasn't a bad ride really. I would have like to be in the "Ma Duce" turret spinning around. The Ma Duce is the M2 .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine gun. Yeah, it's a beast! I was dropped off at the battalion headquarters. I, along with the five (05) other guys in my section, are attached to the 512th Maintenance Company up here at Camp Taji. Yeah, I'm still in the 1st Maintenance Company out of Fort Riley, Kansas, but until we get back to Camp Liberty on the way home, for most purposes here on Camp Taji I'll be considered attached to 512th Maintenance. My address will also reflect an attached affiliation with 512th Maintenance as well.
The guys all woke up and greeted me when I stepped in the door. I forget what time it was, probably about 4:00 in the morning. Actually the platoon sergeant who gave me a ride to the building busted in yelling for SSG Richardson. So yeah, everyone pretty much heard the bellowing. SGT Frasier greeted me with a sheet set which I later just used as a pillow and to cover my feet. I pretty much crashed after a half hour of chit-chat.
The most surreal thing happened when we hit the dining facility. SGT Frasier took me around today to show me where things were. He was pretty Anyway, as I was about to pass the identification card checker at the gate I saw a Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) whose name was familiar. So I called to him after he'd passed me. It was an old calibrator who had gone to warrant school. While I was in BNCOC a classmate of mine mentioned him. I never met him but since our MOS is so small, I'd known him by name and worked with some Soldiers who had known him. Anyway, I told him I was a calibrator. He'd heard of me too so we talked a bit. It turned out he had gone to 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta selection. So we talked briefly about that; he said he'd share some information with me about it.
So I'll be shooting him an email for that and just to get to know him, he seems like a good guy. I met back up with SGT Frasier and told him how I "knew" the chief as we walked towards the dining facility. When we sat down I mentioned that I knew a 2nd Lieutenant who also used to be in my MOS. I described PINKY to him and unbeknownst to me he starting searching the dining facility with his eyes. He asked me if a girl was her and I turned and let him know that it wasn't. The second time he did it I turned again and was about to let him know that he probably wouldn't spot her. But there she was filling a to-go tray. I walked up behind her and gave her a little "how ya' doin' ma'am." PINKY almost dropped her tray. We hugged and she sat down with us to talk. Yeah, it's a very small Army indeed, especially when most of it's deployed forward. So that was weird, bumping into those two (02) like that when I'd only been on Taji for mere hours. And PINKY was such a nice surprise because it was just as she was getting food to take out.
She said she goes to the gym at 4:30 in the morning. I don't know if I'll be waking up that early, but after I get settled and into a routine I'll definitely have to track her down so we can hang out and catch up on things. I told her that I had a ton of stories for her from Korea and I'm definitely looking forward to picking her brain concerning her experiences as an officer now. I'm so very proud of her. Since we met at Fort Drum roughly three (03) and a half years ago she's been like my big sister. I guess I'd call SHAMAL my big brother too, militarily speaking. They are two (02) of my very good friends I've made since joining the military. And I haven't made many. But I'm beginning to make more and more, but her and SHAMAL and JAMES, MARCO, BRIAN, TRACIE, MARTIN, GREG, LESLIE, AGNES, and a few others will always remain very special to me.
I imagine I'll have to hoist myself out of bed to get to the gym that early a couple of times. I need a gym routine after all.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2007
7:38-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"We didn't follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
-- 02 PETER 01 : 16
I can only remember the tail end of a dream I had last night, but wow, what a dream. I wish I could remember more of it but as far as I know, there wasn't anymore to it than I can remember now. I've been having weird, silly, crazy, and downright cool dreams since I arrived here. And I'm usually able to remember most of them or at least some vague recollection of some odd dream. Last night was no exception.
Apparently I was some kind of Soldier or something. No surprise since I spent so many hours playing the role of a covert undercover National Security Agency operator in a video game. I don't remember what I did for the government, or whatever entity I worked for, and I didn't perform any missions in the dream. This was to be the end of my ride though. I was to slide down a long rope. Apparently I had done this maneuver many times before. It was the method I used to get into the hideout or something for instructions or maybe my living quarters where I'd rest up, train and prepare for upcoming missions. Whatever the destination the ride seemed familiar. That only in a dream familiarity. But this time was different; I had an ally who wanted to help me escape my life of whatever it is that I did. There was something different about me at the time but I can't quite remember now and I don't think I could quite place it in my dream either. I was either blind or deaf or something I don't know. Neither of those two (02) options make sense now that I know the events after that point, but then again, sense isn't exactly defined in the dream world as it is in reality. Nope.
So okay I took off on the rope, zipping through the air towards wherever it is it led. But this time he headed down the rope right behind me. Both of us were zipping down the rope towards the "I don't know" when suddenly he gained speed and came up right behind me. The weight of the two (02) of us brought the zip line down and he quickly disengaged both of us. He spoke quickly instructing me to keep low and head in the direction he pointed out. He said I'd be hunted very soon, so it was important I head out quickly. It turned out I was following a train track. I had to get off the track and crouch down low as I moved to avoid being seen by a patrol vehicle a few times. I got back on the tracks just as I remember he had told me to continue on towards the north pole. Yup, I was headed for the north pole. I don't remember it being excruciatingly cold. I guess my north pole isn't cold. I reached the "north pole" soon enough and laid down to survey the little town in front of me. I people walking around. They looked like a cross between monks and black hooded Klu Klux Klan members by the way they moved and their pointy hats. Somehow my surveillance deemed the little town safe. Go figure. But I suppose I trusted my contact back at the end of the zip line.
And what do you know, when I arrived it was the camp I should be at. Yup, I was meeting up with my section there apparently. I think this was one (01) of those dream shifts where everything just changes without warning. I don't know, maybe I rolled over in my sleep or something. There was nobody in the front area of a building I entered. It kind of resembled a daycare center of kindergarten wing of a school. I can't really remember anything which hinted to school children but the colors and the brightness and warmth in the room probably produced this sensation. I saw a piece of mail addressed to me, but wouldn't you know I don't remember the address so I still don't know what my address will be once I leave Camp Liberty. Then another shift in my dream occurred when I bumped into something, looked down and saw that I had dropped a wooden plaque on a little, bald old man. Yes, I guess this was the part where the north pole became Santa's workshop. Ha! Crazy. I remember apologizing and helping the little man up.
Oh, I forgot, while I was checking the town out I remember knowing, or being told by dream narration, that the inhabitants of the north pole were little people. Apparently they couldn't leave and go into America. Yes, the opposite direction, where I'd come from was America, where humans could fly. Yes, good ol' spoiled Americans apparently could fly. Ha! Anyway, it was some sort of pause in evolution or something which stunted their growth and made them small and kept them at the north pole. I don't know. It all made perfect sense in the dream. Ha!
After picking the small guy up I headed down the hall and was greeted by a couple of women in a room. I can't recall if they were little people or not. I guess for the sake of trying to keep things uniform, they were. Anyway, they made a joke that I could just crash on the floor of the room they were occupying which kind of looked like a little lounge. After that I woke up. Yup, that was my weird dream. Crazy!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2007
10:01-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "OXYGEN"-Avalon Oxygen
"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.'"
-- MATTHEW 24 : 35
I'm hungry. I was playing a basketball video game through dinner. It was fun and addicting. Usually the only sport video game I'll play is football, but well, he doesn't have a football game so I figured I'd see if basketball would do anything for me. Yes. Fun! I played for hours. And of course I set up my own little tournament and took the Texas Tech Red Raiders to the championship game. Yes, and won it of course. I mean I was playing for over five (05) hours straight, I should have become just a little more than "okay".
Anyway, yeah, I'm hungry. My roomie brought in two (02) Pizza Hut boxes earlier and put them on his bed. Since his television and his XBox 360 are on his side of the room next to his bed I was smelling it as I played. I'm hoping now he'll offer me a slice or two (02). He did before and it was great. There's something about the cheese that's used everywhere else but America that make things super good. JENNY and I (read: my friend JENNY and I and not JENNY, who is my girlfriend, and I) ate at Pizza Hut in the Philippines and the cheese was just better. The portions in Korea and the Philippines leave something to be desired, but the price in the Philippines was right, so ordering more didn't bug me. Of course I order more in America from time to time, ... so yeah, I suppose the fact Philippine "more" was less than American "more" is the point I'm trying to make. So yeah, point made. Philippine servings are less for less, but less for more. Ha! And I'm an avid supporter of second helpings. Speaking of which I was served seconds on the flight over here.
It was great. I was just finished my pasta when a flight attendant came by and asked me if I wanted seconds. I looked at her as if she'd asked me if I'd like to take the burden of a winning lottery ticket off her hands. And contrary to popular belief, the second helping wsa just as good as the first. I know I had additional helpings of at least two (02) meals on the flights over here, but I could have had more of all of the meals. They were so good too. I just love food. I love airline food and I even like meals, ready to eat (MRE) that we eat in the field. I don't just tolerate them because of being in the field or being away from hot chow and a dining facility, I like them. In fact if I were able to get a hold of a case or two (02) when I get back to Fort Riley I'd scoop them up and eat them as meals normally. Ha! Oh yeah. They're really not bad. I don't know why most Soldiers make a big deal about them. Sure it's processed meat and "formed patties" and all that good, almost, type food; I dig it though. And the meals have come a long way in a short time. My favorite item is wheat snack bread. I'd trade just about anything for it.
And to me MRE heaven is snagging a packet of peanut butter, strawberry jam, and two (02) slices of wheat snack bread. Yum! While doing that last convoy exercise in Kuwait with the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Navy personnel I discovered a meal I didn't remember coming across before. I believe it's meal number two (02). And inside the pork rib meal are two (02) slices of wheat snack bread. Yeah, I felt like I'd won money when I opened it up. The sandwich I made of the pork, cheese spread, and wheat snack bread was great. The first time I heated it up but the second time I just at the pork slab cold in between the bread. Yeah, it gets weirder, most of the time I don't take the time to heat my meals, I'll just gobble them down cold.
See, inside each MRE bag is a main dish, a couple of sides, an accessory packet which includes coffee or cocoa, salt, and the like; a spoon is also included in the bag along with a heater. Not the heater is a green packed which the meals (and some of the sides such as Mexican rice, spiced apples, and mashed potatoes) fit into. (See, don't those sides sound great?) Anyway, there's a packet inside the heater packet which contains some sort of powdery substance about the consistency and texture of well, I don't know, it's just not loose powder, it's packed. So the food slips into it. The food is in it's own packet of course. Well, it's in a box and inside the box is a packet which holds the food. Yeah, boxes and packets. Okay, the food (in it's packet) slips into the heater packet. Next you pour a bit of water into the heater packet that holds the powdery substance in it's own packet. The water and the powder packet form a chemical reaction and heat the food. Then you just fold the packet over and set it aside. It's really not at all as complicated as I've just outlined. I'm horrible when it comes to explaining things. But whatever, I normally don't bother with it, I usually opt to get right down to chowing down.
I think Burger King is open until midnight. I may just make the trek over there to see if it's true. I wonder now if the other eatery places around the PX are open that last as well. I don't know if the camp I'm going to tomorrow (hopefully) has a Cinnabon so I might just have to get my fix before I leave Camp Liberty. Fort Riley has one (01) in the PX area but I don't think I want to wait until September.
Well, I think that might be the plan because I'm pretty sure my stomach is eating itself and not too pleased with me at all for putting so much food thought in my conscious mind. I'd pay USD$10.00 for an MRE right now. Yup, a wheat snack bread, peanut butter, and strawberry jam sandwich would hit the spot right now.
My internet connection is back up. I hope it holds.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2007
9:08-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "HELD"-NATALIE grant Awaken
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to GOD as those who have been brought from death to life; ... For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
-- Romans 06 : 12 - 14
The internet isn't working. Well, I'm sure the internet as a whole is working just fine, I just can't seem to connect here in Iraq. At first I thought it was just my computer. I figured it "caught a virus" and it's network files had been corrupted. But no, that's not the case; I peeked at my roomie's computer and on the screen was a message saying something about an unavailable network connection too. What a relief. But I do need to get some sort or antivirus and anti-spyware programs on my laptop. Yeah, I know, it's probably full of garbage by now. So far so good I suppose, but that's always the case with viruses and such, things are great until the infection guts the inner workings of the entire system. I've had my share of encounters with computer viruses. If I can remember correctly I believe I've had four (04) desktop computers in just under seven (07) years and they've all been totally bugged out at one (01) point or another, so far gone I had to take them in to get checked out. But fortunately I've never lost everything. But I backup so that's not really a big issue. One (01) of the reasons I'm anxious to try out a Mac is that they're much more stable and are readily packed full of viruses. After all, there's normally always something on a computer that's undesirable whether it be a virus, worm, trojan horse, or just annoying spying cookies. Apparently Mac computers stay relatively virus free. A good thing. A very, very good thing indeed. Of course I did spot some Mac antivirus software so I suppose they are not 100% virus free. Bummer. But they are much more stable and reliable. Okay, no more Mac plugging.
Update: I'm to be leaving Camp Liberty tomorrow afternoon. Yes, this time I have a time frame and my platoon sergeant mentioned a point of contact too, so it's not just an "you're leaving tonight, maybe," but it sounds like there was planning and coordination done before the news was brought to me. And here I was playing my roomie's XBox 360 without even having shaved for the day. Ha! I answered the door and spoke to my platoon sergeant with noticeable stubble on my face. Yeah, I was growing quite accustomed to just doing nothing and so after my shower this morning I didn't really feel like shaving; I figured I'd shave later on in the day. And naturally I forgot. I mean I was trying to reestablish the National Security Agency's trust in me. I had accomplished way too many tasks for the terrorists while working undercover and my own government was starting to grow suspicious of me. Of course I'm speaking of a video game, Splinter Cell: Double Agent. There's to be no rumor of me having left the Army under the cover of a "deployment" in order to perform special operations in the defense of national security. Well, not yet anyway.
I did some repacking of my things, basically in order to put away my laundry. I was going to totally dump my bags and pack them again really tight but if I do leave tomorrow I'm hoping I'll have a place to stay, unpack, and finally spread out. My platoon sergeant says the Staff Sergeant who's running the team up north is always emailing him to inquire about my arrival. Strange, he hasn't emailed me. Odd. Maybe he things I'm so old, hard Staff Sergeant who's been in sixteen (16) years and I wouldn't appreciate getting emails, especially when I'm not sure what's up either. Ha! Nope, just ordinary, mild-mannered, young, Staff Sergeant Mueller with a humble six (06) years in the Army. Yeah, no matter how you slice it, my days in the Army have added up to quite an impressive run thus far. Anyway, end transmission of big head moment.
Ha! I'm now connected to the internet. It finally went through. Cool! Nope, now it's not connected. Bummer.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2007
8:39-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
-- Proverbs 06 : 16 - 19
I spent the entire day playing a video game. Before my roomie headed off to work I asked him if I could use his XBox 360. He agreed so I popped in Splinter Cell: Double Agent and started to reacquaint myself with the XBox controller, the game's controls, and just with playing video games in general. It didn't take to long. I have excellent coordination and well, I'm smart, so I had the controls down in about twenty (20) minutes. Video games have come a very long way from up, down, left, right, select, start, a button, and b button. And the XBox 360's controller is a testament to the complexity of games these days: L and R buttons, two (02) "joystick" controls, it's madness. I'm not even going to touch on the Nintendo Wii's controllers. But Nintendo's controllers are just innovative. I still love Nintendo. I'd fall in love with the Wii if I played games on it, I just know I would. But the Playstation 3 dominates. Well maybe not now because the majority of consumers are shying away from it's hefty price tag and third party game developers haven't yet embraced the possibilities, but come this time next year it will be more than a contender in the video game console wars. But yes, I played from the time he left until about ten (10) minutes ago. Ha! Yeah, a nice change of pace I suppose.
I had the oddest dream last night. I think I woke up so many times because my bladder was full and I had music playing and headphones on. I really think the full bladder was the prime cause. But yeah, I woke up three (03) or four (04) times and wretled my PT shirt on to race to the latrine trailer once. How I missed clipping the large piece of rebar (a steel bar or rod used to reinforce concrete) jutting out of the concrete barrier as I hustled around the corner, I'll never know. I smacked it with my foot once and it hurt for half the day. And I kicked it like I was kicking a soccer ball too. I didn't do it on purpose though, I just wasn't really paying attention to what was in front of me at boot level. Since then I've been very cautious walking to and from the showers with my feet clad in flip-flops. I don't need ay war wounds from this deployment, especially self-inflicted, stupid ones.
My roomie just offered me a big plate of well, I don't know, goulash. I suppose it was an item on the menu this evening, and by item I mean that it was in the same form behind the line as it is now in my to-go tray. It's good. I can clearly identify beef, chicken, noodles, carrot, peas, corn, and slices of bell pepper. What else may be lurking within I don't know. And really, I don't care because it's a hot mess of goodness. I was so involved in my video gaming that I neglected to even think about dinner. I had a leftover cheeseburger for lunch, but during dinner time I was all about trying to sneak past a crime lord and crack his safe's combination while he sat a few feet away distracted. I was successful of course, but only after having to do it ten (10) or twelve (12) times. Anyway, the food wasn't for me specifically. He'd brought it for someone else who had changed their mind about eating it. Their loss, clearly my gain. Oh I see mushrooms and onion in the mix as well. And green beans.
My dear, dear friend ADRI is officially engaged. Yup, the ADRI I drove to see upon arriving in Kansas. The ADRI whose little pad in Independence, Missouri I adored so much because of it's proximity to Best Buy, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, World Market, AND a AMC 20 theatre. Yes, that ADRI. I'm so very excited for her; she's such a sweetheart and she's been near and dear to me as a friend for years and years. If you don't know ADRI you're missing out on knowing a truly wonderful person. I know she's going to absolutely die if she reads this because I have a feeling she doesn't realize how swell she is; ha! Anyway, she's engaged and I think it's super great. I just hope I can make it to the wedding wherever and whenever.
My platoon sergeant dropped by to hand me a piece of forwarded junk mail. He said there's still no real word on my leaving Camp Liberty. I smiled and said okay. Ha! Yeah, in three (03) days I'll be drawing a paycheck for two (02) weeks of not working. And I'm not on leave or sick or injured, I'm just "not working". I almost feel as though I should give it back. Almost. Hey, I deserve a little down time finally. I've pretty much spent my military career trying very hard to do more than my portion and since I left training I've been working ranks above the rank I currently held. Even as a Private First Class I was doing Sergeant work in Korea, holding down Production Control and Supply. And from then on it just didn't let up. So it's been nice to have a lull for these past few months. I have a feeling the future is going to hold so very hard work for me. I'm enjoying this while I can. Anyway, he didn't have any news for me. I remembered to ask him about my address. He said he'd bring it by tomorrow morning. So if he doesn't come by I'll head by the company, if I remember again, to get it. Then I can get my address out to the masses and start receiving all the wonderful car packages I know they all have waiting for me. Yeah!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 2007
5:42-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"'Because he loves Me," says the LORD, 'I will rescue him; I'll protect him, for he acknowledges My Name. He will call upon Me, and I'll answer him; I'll be with him in trouble, I'll deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation."
-- Psalm 91 : 14 & 16
I'm back from my dinner run. I also stopped by the laundry point and picked up my enormous bag of clothes. I hope everything's accounted for because I wasn't really all that interested in going through it and checking articles off the list. I pretty much saw that both sets of ACU were accounted for and rolled on out of there. So I'm back in the trailer with a full bag of washed clothes and am about to fill my stomach with a double Whopper, sans tomato. Give me a break, the dining facility wasn't open when I reached it so I kept on going to the PX area. On my way back I saw that more people were migrating in that direction. I guess my memory didn't serve me correctly, it opens at 5:30 and not 5:00. Of course that pretty much sets me up for an evening of repacking my clothes and then going to sleep a bit early. Of course since I stayed in bed most of the morning I'm not exactly tired. But it'll only take about a half hour for the food I'm about to eat to get working on that little deficiency. Indeed.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2007
11:58-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Submit yourselves, then, to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
-- JAMES 04 : 07
Since I had a nice nap today I'm not exactly tired. I think my roomie is still awake on the other side of the room. And no, there's nothing wrong with my vision, the trailer is separated with two (02) lockers and he has rigged his poncho liner on 550 cord so he can pull it closed for privacy. Anyway, I can hear him chuckle occasionally; I think he's instant messaging. He's usually asleep by now. I guess I'll get up and turn the light off over here. I know I won't want to get up and take the four (04) steps to the light switch if I put it off too much longer. I'd hate to keep him awake with the light while I'm sleeping soundly on my side. Ha! That wouldn't be very considerate of me in the least.
I ate some great cheese tortellini for dinner today. I thought to get some in a to-go tray but decided not too, more for others to enjoy! It was good. I arrived right as the dining facility was opening so I wouldn't have to walk around for a half hour looking for a place to sit as if I was the new kid at school. I need to time dinner like that from now on; it was great. And since I slept through lunch, dinner was all the better.
I suppose I'll get some sleep. I want to make it to the dining facility for breakfast. Yum! Yes, a fat kid lives inside me. Well, that or a giant tape worm. Yeah, both would be equally disgusting.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2007
10:17-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live."
-- JOB 27 : 06
Well, my outlook on this whole stranded at Camp Liberty situation has changed. Now I'm just going with the flow (as if I really had an option) and enjoying the ride. I pretty much gave up with being on pins and needles about it after this morning's formation. No, I haven't been embraced by the company. We had to do an identification card and identification tags check. My platoon sergeant let me know earlier this morning so I couldn't just blow it off. I showed up and chatted with SSG Harry in the back of my platoon's formation. And I heard very familiar phrases such as "a meeting to talk about the upcoming meeting" and the like. Yup, that sounded very familiar indeed. SSG Harry confirmed that some things were very similar to life back in our unit in Korea. Ha! Oh goodie. But this time, when I get back, I'll have my baby to escape to and we can drive off somewhere after work or during the weekends. And I'll end up getting an apartment away from the installation, so that will be good too. The major irk about Korea was just having to be there all the time in and around the unit and often times when the days were so long, it just seemed like you were around the unit all the time.
So anyway, after I walked through, showed my card and tags and initialed my name, I headed out the back of the company building. I bumped into the Commander and asked him what he knew. He said he knew nothing. And so I turned around and figure this is all just kinda' my reward for the last few years, namely the last one (01) in Korea. So I resolved I'd gather my huge sack of laundry and turn it in even if the turn around would be three (03) days. And I was going to just relax and go about my business. When they were ready to send me, I'd be ready to go, but I resolved then and there not to let it bug me. I was, and am, doing everything right. I wanted to come here, I arrived, and now I'm just hanging out until I'm put where I need to be. Yup.
As it turns out Filipinos run the laundry service. I was very tempted to use my very little Tagalog vocabulary to greet the lady as she waved me over to two (02) bins jutting out of the counter. I elected not too because greeting a Filipina in Tagalog is worse then greeting a Hispanic with Spanish. Their eyes will brighten and they'll smile and then you'll be hit in the face with a string of incomprehensible phrases peppered with some English and much giggling. So I kept my fifty (50) or so Tagalog words and phrases to myself and sorted through my laundry. It was inventoried, tagged, and bagged in no time and I was out of there with a guarantee it'd all be ready by tomorrow afternoon. Sweet! So I feel good about hauling the contents of my rucksack down there finally. I loathe traveling from one (01) place to another with dirty anything.
So I'm pretty outspoken about my opposition to MySpace. Yeah, I'm bucking the system and while I think the idea of a MySpace page is silly, I do however, have a shell account in order to check out other's pages. Yeah, I'm just a lurker. But again and again I'm asked when I'll make a page or why I don't have one (01). The odd thing is that I'm asked this mostly by those who know of my website here. Ha! My polite answer is that my website is plenty for me and I wouldn't like the idea of splitting my time between here and there. It wouldn't make sense. The actual answer is that I think MySpace is silly. The majority of users post a very vague bio about themselves, add a few pictures, and will write something maybe once every month. The rest of it just amounts to people tagging with comments and all kinds of other images from every nook of the internet. It's just dumb to me. Now it is good for picture sharing, but so is just a picture sharing account. Ha! But yes, I do occasionally check out the pages of high school classmates and people I've met in the Army. My sister has a page too. But I won't get one (01) myself. Of course I said that I'd never get a Mac and here I am pretty much all set to get one (01) upon completion of my tour. But as of now I'm anti-MySpace. And I wish people would stop waiting for me to jump on the bandwagon. What more do you want from me? Pictures? Ha! Well, that may be coming in the future, but not in the form of a link under a main picture on a MySpace page. No sir. No ma'am.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2007
12:09-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
Listening - "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"-STEVEN CURTIS chapman Speechless
"For we are GOD's workmanship, created in CHRIST JESUS to do good works, which GOD prepared in advance for us to do."
-- Ephesians 02 : 10
"YELIN, ...
... happy twenty-fifth! How are you Poetess? I trust San Antonio is treating you well. I can almost guarantee you only vaguely recall who I am but I think of you and wonder what you're up to quite often. Every time I get my things together to head somewhere else I'll come across your book of poetry. I'm always compelled to sit and read a few. I know you're probably quite embarrassed by it now. But I hope you're not. I hope you're proud of it. But yeah, you're in my thoughts more than you'd think. Ha! But not in a weirdo-stalker way. Of course not.
I hope you have a great birthday and I hope things are going absolutely great. You should drop me a line sometime; if you're reading this, then you'll obviously know how to reach me. And maybe I'll pop in to say hey the next time I head through San Antonio.
Well, have a good birthday. Sit back, relax, and marvel at how far you've come and how much you've accomplished. Remember when you never would have thought, ... and when that's over, do a little partying. Have a vodka tonic for me. Ciao for now YELIN! I miss you, we need to do some catching up. Maybe I'll run into you sometime soon, it's a small world after all! Happy birthday YELIN!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2007
12:01-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"'Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I'll also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I'll disown him before My Father in heaven.'"
-- MATTHEW 10 : 32 & 33
Once again, as I did about a week ago, I've dredged up something from four (04) years ago. Now this isn't to say I'm missing my days back at Fort Drum in New York. Nope. I just figured this was an interesting tidbit. I remeber this day well. Yes indeed. It was a long one (01) too.
TUESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2004
11:05-PM-(UTC/GMT -5 Hours)
Listening - "ALWAYS BE YOUR BABY"-NATALIE grant Deeper Life
Today was such a long day. I awoke at 5:00 in order to shower and prepare to head over to the shop around 6:00 with JAMES to pick up my gear before heading back here (to the Bravo company area) to draw my weapon for the range. We didn't leave for the range until 8:00.
Luckily, things began smoothly. We were able to sign in ahead of Bravo company since we took our own vehicle. JAMES, MAURICIO, and I were finished by 9:30. I shot thirty-four (34) out of forty (40). I wanted to shoot forty (40), and I think I could've had I slowed down a bit. It would have meant a few more promotion points. JAMES and MAURICIO didn't shoot too well but did shoot well enough to qualify. BRIAN did okay, but it was Forgy who held us up. We ended up leaving a good three (03) hours later as a result of him not being able to qualify. He left without qualifying and JAMES left with news he'd be deploying to Afghanistan. Forgy will head to the range tomorrow to try again, JAMES will head to Afghanistan before the end of the month.
Yes, JAMES will be leaving to work Production Control (PC) in Afghanistan for what could blossom into a year long deployment. Chief Harvey walked into the firing range's lounge area, right up to JAMES, to talk to him. Coincidently, I was on the phone with DREW who was back at the shop. I mentioned to him that Chief just walked in and he gave me the low-down: The team there needed a Sergeant to run PC. Of course naturally, I wanted to go. But as I'm not a Sergeant, my going wasn't an option. DREW was in the running but as a result of his divorce going-ons, Chief didn't want to send him. So, as of now JAMES will be heading there at the end of the month. It could be for a month, two (02) months, or a year. It isn't known how long our people will remain since civilians are supposed to be filling the calibration team's slots soon.
Apparently they didn't have enough workers and had to pull out and wait for more to sign up. So as of now military calibrators are filling in for them. But yeah, this could mean I won't see JAMES again for a very long time. I'm still trying to get to Korea. And if he stays for any real amount of time it could mean that I'd leave before he gets back. So I have no doubt we will be hanging out as much as possibel before he splits. And with SHAMAL coming back from leave on the 23rd, the last week of this month should be quite interesting. A lot of things are going to change. Hopefully the change will be good. I need some good change in my reality right now.
Well, all for now but I'm sure soon there will be much more to tell. Hopefully my server will allow me to post soon, it has been acting up lately.
And how'd all of this turn out? Well, the deployent ended up being nixed. JAMES didn't go, I didn't go, nobody went. So the trio of he, SHAMAL, and myself stayed together. Later JAMES left for Italy, SHAMAL left for Virginia, and I left for Alabama. Ha! To the winds. Oh, and Forgy was later put out of the military. Ah as the pages of time turn.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 09TH FEBRUARY 2007
9:05-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples."
-- Psalm 96 : 02
I discovered something very cool while listening to music a few minutes ago. Late last month I installed Windows Media Player 11. I had tried to install it on my desktop a few months back but I needed a newer version of Media Center. I was irked because there was no upgrade to the version of Media Center I had, so there was no way I could install the new version of Windows Media Player on it. However, I just kind of casually tried it one (01) day on my laptop, not really remembering it probably wouldn't work, but it did. I don't have Media Center on my laptop so that probably explains why I had no problems installing it. Anyway, that's not the "something very cool" I was referring too.
Okay, there's a little more setup. If you've ever ripped a CD onto Windows Media Player it'll make quick sense. But I realize most people do the whole download thing. I don't. I still buy all my CDs, and DVDs for that matter, and rip them onto Windows Media Player. No downloading for me. Anyway, occasionally, and even with an internet connection, an album's cover art won't show up. And I've had about a half dozen albums on my hard drive without cover art. Anyway, I was looking through my albums on WMP 11 while at the same time browsing Christian Book Distributors (CBD) for new music when I came to an album without it's CD cover art displayed. I referenced it on CBD and found it, cover art and all. So I though, "Hm, maybe I can just drag the album cover from the internet page into WMP 11 and drop it on the blank CD case above the album's name and artist." And it worked. So I very happily did it again and again and again. Now all but one (01) album, which I'm unable to find on CBD, have their cover art displayed. Nifty. Yeah, that was my evening's discovery.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 09TH FEBRUARY 2007
2:57-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
-- Galatians 06 : 09
I'm back from the my PX run. I did check in at the laundry point but I was told it'd be a two (02) day turn around from today. Since I was on my way towards the PX, I decided to just keep going. And I did remember to buy soap, the one (01) thing I needed to purchase. I decided to reward myself with a chicken Whopper. Yes, there is a Burger King here. I thought about going to Cinnabon for a big cinnamon roll, but I couldn't justify doing that since I've been doing nothing but sitting around for the past few days. Of course it is great exercise each time I head to the dining facility or PX area.
Anyway, I figure I'll see my platoon sergeant later on this evening. I'll ask him if I should turn in laundry with a two (02) day turn around, or if he thinks I might be leaving in the next few days and should just go ahead and wait. I have enough clothes to last me about another week. Yup, I packed a lot just in case something like this happened. I didn't figure I'd be "stranded" like this, but I know from the past that sometimes it's just not convenient to stop what you're doing and do laundry. And sometimes there just isn't any time. So I'm still not in a bad place as far as clean clothes are concerned.
Well, I've decided to purchase my own set of Rosetta Stone's language learning software. Why would I do this when I can access it for free via the Army's Knowledge portal? Simple: If I own it I won't have to be connected to the internet in order to use it and won't have to go through all the password and username stuffage. Basically though not having to be connected to the internet is a big plus. Here I'm not connected to a high speed internet connection. The software, coupled with the Army portal is made for a good, high-speed connection. This connection slows and hiccups too much; it'd prove frustrating to have the internet go down or slow down in the middle of a lesson. So I will be purchasing it probably next month. I'd do it now but for one (01) I'd like to plug in my actual address so it will be sent to be and arrive as soon as possible, and two (02) I'd like to see what my LES, or leave and earnings statement looks like so I can work it into my budget. Okay, that's not entirely true since the only money that's earmarked from month to month is what automatically comes out and goes into my savings account and the little I pay to keep my insurance good. Oh, Tagalog. That's the language learning suite I'll be purchasing, level's one (01) and two (02).
Rosetta Stone's software is based on the principle of Dynamic Immersion™. It's supposed to "reconnect people to the language skills they used successfully to master their first language." Dynamic Immersion™ is a continuous process. The Rosetta Stone curriculum is carefully sequenced, gradually incorporating new words, phrases, and more complex grammar as it reinforces existing learning. Your understanding of your new language grows naturally. It works too. It's rather nifty. The program uses writing, reading, listening, and even speaking, by using dynamic speech recognition to compare your speech with a native speaker. I suppose that's enough plugging for Rosetta Stone.
I'm about ready for a nap. Walking all that way, twice, and putting down a couple burgers make for ideal nap conditions. And when you combine them with the fact I have no real business being here, well, a nap is almost a sure thing.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 09TH FEBRUARY 2007
2:44-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."
-- 01 PETER 04 : 08 & 09
"Help Me Believe"
NICHOLE nordeman
Take me back to the time
When I was maybe eight or nine
And I believed
When JESUS walked on waters blue
And if He helped me I could too
If I believed
Before rationale, analysis,
and systematic thinking
Robbed me of a sweet simplicity
When wonders and when mysteries
Were far less often silly things
Then childhood fantasies
Help me believe
'Cause I don't want to miss any miracles
Maybe I'd see
Much better by closing my eyes
And I'd shed this grown-up skin I'm in
To touch an angel's wing
And I'd be free
Help me believe
When mustard seeds made mountains move
A burning bush that spoke for You
Was good enough
When manna fell from heavens high
Just because You told the sky
To open up
Am I too wise to recognize that everything uncertain
Is certainly a possibility
When logic fails my reasoning
And science crushes underneath
The weight of all that is unseen
Help me believe
'Cause I don't want to miss any miracles
Maybe I'd see
Much better by closing my eyes
And I'd shed this grown-up skin I'm in
To touch an angels' wing
And I'd be free
Help me believe
When someone's education
Plays upon my reservations
I'm the first to cave
I'm the first to bleed
If I abandoned all that seeks
To make my faith informed and chic
Could You
Would You
Show Yourself to me?
Help me believe
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 09TH FEBRUARY 2007
11:25-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him, if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey Him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which He confirmed to them by oath."
-- Deuteronomy 04 : 29 - 31
Another day has dawned here at Camp Liberty, on the fringe of Baghdad. Since I haven't heard anything this morning I can only assume I'll be here into tomorrow too. Ha! Nifty. So I've decided to investigate the laundry situation since now I've been staying here a good deal longer than I anticipated. I may as well turn in the large amount of dirty laundry I've amassed in my rucksack. If they can get it back to me tomorrow evening all will be well because I don't really feel like I'll be out of here in the next couple of days. I'm not exactly sure where it is; I stumbled upon a laundry collection point on my return trip from the dining facility yesterday. Since I have all the time in the world I think I'll just wander around and do a little reconnoitering before I head out with a sack full of dirty clothes.
Today should be a good day. I mean, as good a day as can be for a guy who doesn't have a job here. I suppose I'll hang out in the room and then be off to explore Camp Liberty a bit more. And of course I'll check out the laundry situation after lunch. I also need soap so I'll be making the long trek to the PX too. But no worries, I definitely need the exercise. Yup, I've been no stranger to walking since I joined the Army. I suppose a couple tours in Korea, when you're not authorized a personally owned vehicle (POV), will make anyone pretty familiar with the ol' one (01) foot in front of the other method of getting around. Not too bad though. Not too bad at all.
Certain files aren't uploading correctly. I have no idea why since others upload just fine. But until I can get back to the U.S. and get a faster, more fluid internet connection occasionally things here may not exactly be consistent from page to page. At the very least I'll update the main page here and any other page with links at the upper right there. So if old archived months don't reflect updates, it only means that something was amiss with my FTP or the internet might be running slow.
Lunch time.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 08TH FEBRUARY 2007
8:27-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom."
-- Ecclesiastes 09 : 10
Guess who still hasn't left Camp Liberty. Yup, I'm still here. I packed up all my bags about an hour before my platoon sergeant arrived at the door with mail and news that I might not be leaving later on in the evening. That meant, to me, that I won't be leaving. If there's a problem with something like transportation, it most likely means it's not going to happen. And what do you know, around 9:30 last night I unpacked my sleeping bag and crawled in it. I slept all night without hearing the slightest noise or anything resembling a knock on my door. I wouldn't have been irritated in the least if I was woken up at 2:00 this morning and told to load my bags up. Nope.
I had the oddest dreams while I slept. I don't remember too many, but I do recall bits and pieces. The "normal" dream of the bunch involved my car being stolen while I was back home. And of course it was while I was on leave, a few days before I needed to get back somewhere. Well, it was normal up until the point MOM rode in on a horse while I was phoning my insurance company and I saw that a NFL team was competing against Somalia on television. It was on two (02) channels too, I guess Somalia doesn't have a great football team, so their playing was a big deal. Ha! Before that, or after, I'm not sure remembering dreams, or dreaming, necessarily happen in a linear fashion, ... anyway, another dream involved yours truly battling a Tyrannosaurus Rex (Yup, a dinosaur.) in my church back home. Go figure. The funny thing about it was that he was able to hide behind things that a T-Rex obviously wouldn't be able to hide behind or in. Anyway, I had gotten fed up and was going to finish it off without any ammo. I think a couple guys had grenades. Yes, it was me and maybe three (03) other guys. We were enemies or something like that but the T-Rex was a common enemy so we put our differences behind us. It "ended" before we were able to dispatch the beast. Another dream involved a woman being proud of her chain smoking, toddler son. Hey, it's not like I made it up while conscious. Ha! That's all I can remember now.
When my platoon sergeant came by he told me the news and said that if I'm here Saturday I can attend something or another. I wanted to tell him that I don't plan to be here on Saturday, but the way things are going I might just be here through the middle of the month. Crazy! But he did hand me a box with a big "Sony" logo on it. I'd ordered another battery and memory card for my camera but didn't receive it before I left. I received a more efficient battery charger and a portable memory card reader the day I was to leave, but not the battery or memory card. Also, I received a card from JESS which was a very nice surprise. I met her through a friend's message forum. She said she'd write but I'd forgotten about it with all that's been going on (or not going on) in the past few weeks. That brightened up my day indeed. She sent it to my Kansas address and it was forwarded along to Iraq. I still don't have the address come to think of it. I know the unit's address here at Liberty but I think I'll have my own once I get to the camp up north. I trust everyone who said they'd send packages are getting them ready or have them on standby.
I can't think of too much I'll need really. Oh, I like those Crystal Light drink mixes. They come in little cardboard boxes with about ten (10) packets in them. They're small and to be added to a 16.9 oz bottle of water. Of course the water that is all over the camp on palette is in a much larger, unlabeled, bottle, but I can just use more of them. No worries. So yeah, those are good to be sent. For some reason I'm craving Ritz brand crackers and JIF brand peanut butter. I can probably find them at the camp, but if not, I want them too. You can always pack cash in a box too. Yeah, good ol' US dollars would be nifty because ATM machines over here don't exist. You have to go to finance and deal with the hassle of getting cash. So yeah, a few bucks in a box would be nice to save me from having to jump through those hoops, especially around payday. But no worries there, as I don't expect to spend much after the initial settling process. And I might be able to use my debit card at the PX for things like bedding and the like. It'd just be if I felt the need to buy a Subway sandwich or two (02) on occasion. And yea, there will be a few occasions. Other than that I probably won't spend over USD$500.00 while I'm here. Oh, I'm not a big candy eater, so don't bother to send any of that. I'm quite fond of Haribo Gummi Bears though, and Nerds. Oh, and cheddar Chex Mix. Cheddar. And a mix called "Munchies" which has Doritos and pretzels and such in it. Once again, there's a cheese (maybe cheddar) variety of it too. I like that too. I believe my eldest brother knows the mix I'm refering too.
Today makes day eight (08) at Camp Liberty, Iraq. Hopefully, good news will find me today.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 07TH FEBRUARY 2007
11:23-AM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
-- 01 TIMOTHY 04 : 12
The word this morning is that I'm leaving tonight. My platoon sergeant just came by and let me know that I should have my things ready and there'd be more information to follow. Yeah, it'll take all of about five (05) minutes to pack what little I have out away again. So after lunch I'll head back here to pack up and standby for further information. Most likely I'll head to the company and just kinda of keep my ears open and make sure I'm kept in the minds of those who are going to get me where I need to be. I'm reminded of some other instance in which I had to wait a while without knowing if I was coming or going or whatever the case was. I keep thinking of the time I was possibly leaving Fort Drum for Redstone Arsenal but I know that's not the instance I'm trying to recall. In any case there's been many of these instances in my humble Army career.
So J.K. rowling's last HARRY potter boo will hit shelves this summer. Articles abound with news of her thoughts on saying farewell to her dear friend. I wonder how that must feel. She invested so much of her time and life into those books and was rewarded by the series not only receiving praise as books but also as makor motion picture events. Truly the Potter craze has made it's mark as one (01) of the great phenomena in all literary history. Million of copies of the first six books have sold and I've sure many more will sell in the future. And the want for the last Potter book will no doubt simply be insane. While I'm not a fan of the books, I lost interest after the first two (02) books, I'm obviously a fan of J.K. rowling's storry and how the HARRY potter books came to be. Notes on napkins and writng late at night and so on and so forth. And this year marks ten (10) years from the publication date of the very first book in the series. But of course the bulk of the work was done years before. Well done indeed.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 06TH FEBRUARY 2007
4:52-PM-(UTC/GMT +3 hours)
"Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always."
-- 01 Chronicles 16 : 11
No news. I spent another day wandering around and wondering how much longer I'll be staying at this "temporary home". I'm pretty sure my guys are asking about me, especially the SSG who is currently running the team. I mean after all, I arrived several days ago and still have not "arrived" so to speak. I find it very difficult to believe that a convoy is not headed in that direction from here. I mean I don't know how often movement occurs from camp to camp, but really, ... really! Really now!
I guess because nothing's happening, I'm rather short on new. Nothing's new anyway. I get up, shower and spend the date eating and lying around. Ha! Yeah. Not too bad really. I should be going to the gym. Above all I'm just anxious to get where I'm going I suppose. I still can't really buy anything to make my space comfy because it's not my space. That's getting downright old. My sleeping bag is very comfortable, but enough is enough. Ha!
Today it seems as though I've been here about a month. I know it's only been about a week, but the days seem rather long when you have no job and are waiting a | | |
