How bout them Steelers????

Well the Eagles lost, bummer. O well I guess we will always have next year. I am happy that at least one of my two teams made it. It would have been cool to see an all PA Super Bowl, but at the same time would have sucked because I wouldn’t have been home to enjoy it. Maybe I’ll be luck next year.

I’m down to 30ish day until my big trip to Peru. I am very excited and am going to have the time of my life. I can’t wait to see Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Amazon. This trip alone will make the last few months here worth while. And to top that off, three months after this trip I’ll be going to Europe for 21 days. That trip will be even nicer, I can’t wait. These will just be a taste of what is to come, who knows where I’ll be headed after that.

There isn’t a whole lot new for me to report about me, but the Iraqi elections are revving up. This will be the second election since the fall of Saddam. It is clear though what I have heard, seen, and discussed with the Iraqis and soldiers that Iraq is more and more stable everyday. Every day more schools, hospitals, public work projects are starting up. Not only that, but the Sons of Iraq, Iraqi Army, and the Iraqi Police are handling 99% of the security here. They will also be the ones looking over this election.

I have been talking with Hotum and he doesn’t even need an escort anymore and has a military ID. Everyday additional Iraqis are working on base which shows me that the US military is trusting them more and giving them more responsibility. Soon they will be the ones overseeing and rebuilding there own country. It would be nice to see this place back on it’s feet again and let most of these soldiers go home. I also think the election of Obama is going to help even more, the Iraqis love him. All and all, everything is good here.

I don’t have much in new pictures but below are two that I have taken today. One is of me at my desk and the other is of a little Cement factory right outside the base.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today I turn 23 years of age. My Mother and Brother called me this morning which was nice. A few emails and IM’s have come in as well which has bighted my morning thus far. Before work I ripped open my presents from home and I got a book on Peru and a poncho for when I go. I also got a bunch of lottery tickets from my Nana (Mother’s mom). I had a stack of them and didn’t even win a buck, I’m almost afraid to hang outside to much today. I will keep in mind where the bunkers are just in case.

Your birthday in Iraq doesn’t really feel much different from any other day. The only difference for me is that I can justify not doing a gosh darn thing today, haha. After all it is my birthday.

Things here on base are way more hectic then usual the last week (hence why I haven’t written since the New Year). Without a supervisor or a secretary, or help, I am starting to stress out a bit. I now know why our supervisor is always a space cadet or looks like the undead from a zombie movie. Trying to make sure everything is under control, while at the same time making sure your co-make the department look like a joke is a lot harder then I previously thought it would be. It is sad that I am the youngest one here and have to babysit the persons with more “experience” then me.

For example, I sat in on the weekly conference call with “AS.” He was so nervous about the conference call that he kept dialing the number he uses to call his phone card. Once we did get on the line I had to explain to him that the conference call wasn’t a time to show off. He had a big list of things we have done in the last few weeks, and our yearly numbers. I had to explain to him that no one on the conference call really cared about the little things we have done on the base. He would have made himself look like an ass, not to mention the whole department. It was a good thing I was there to explain that too him. It’s really hard to explain that to someone without hurting his feelings or causing an argument, but I am getting good at handling those situations.

Because of situations like this I have to go the gym every night just so I don’t strangle someone. I really hope someday I am surrounded by fellow employees that are worth a damn. O well, I’m not on here to complain, this is just another one of those mild stones that comes with the working world I guess. It has helped me recognize that I am a good, valuable employee, and am going to do awesome once I get back to the real job market. I am looking forward to finishing school so I can work my way up that ladder (which might be a while now because I am interested in graduate school now).

The transition from the old food service to the new one is in swing right now. By the end of January the old company will be out and the new one will be completely in charge. I am nervous because I have seen the new company unloading MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) into their buildings. When the old company leaves they are taking all the kitchen equipment. The new company will not only have to learn this job overnight, but will have to set up kitchens that feed thousands of people a meal. I am worried we might have to eat MREs for a few days while all that jazz goes down! It will be an interesting event to say the least.

The pictures below are from today and yesterday. I somehow ended up wearing the same shirt both pizza party days so far, that's what the photos might look similar. Hope you enjoy.

Happy New Year

Hope all is well at home and everyone’s resolutions are standing strong. Mine is to get home safely and resist spending money best I can. I also hope to get more pictures up here. I ran out of interesting things to take pictures of four months ago, so I will do my best.

I ended up checking out one of the New Years parties they had on base. It was a prime example of what a lame party should be. Music that clears the dance floor, food that the DFAC wouldn’t serve, and was full of people I had just worked the last 12 hours with. On the bright side, my roommate was there and he is a cool dude. The best part of the night was watching the ghetto ball drop they had outside with a crane. At the stroke of midnight, when the ball had reached the bottom of it’s ride the military set off every C-RAM in the whole base off at the same time. The one for the KBR mancamp shot directly over our heads. I must admit I puckered up a bit. It fires so fast the bullets come out in a steady stream; it looks like a long orange ribbon ripping though the sky. The tracer rounds make it look awesome! It was the highlight of my night, that and seeing my roommate running like a little school girl!

Things here on the base are getting very crowded. The old units are on there way out and the new ones are on the way in, so for the time being the DFACs are packed along with the gyms and computer rooms. However, on the up side, this has given us the opportunity to raid a few of the abandoned motor pools for useful supplies. When a unit leaves an area they do just that, leave. They don’t do any cleanup, don’t turn anything back into a property department (because they don’t have one), let alone leave the place trashed. Me and JG took this opportunity to go and snoop around and see what interesting stuff was up for grabs. Pocket knifes, tools, hardware, drip pans, metal signs, everything you could think of just left where it lays.

The unit that left the area we came across was so ready to get the hell out of here, that you could see where they had been playing cards and left mid game. The cards still laid out on the table as if they had stepped out of the room ten minutes ago. It was almost like the start to one of those cheesy zombie movies.

We didn’t find anything real useful; someone had already been by and gotten all the good stuff I think. I ended up with a nice big “No Smoking” sign that I can use to get one of my areas in compliance. When the military needs something, they just get it (or take it from us). When we need something, it could take up to eight months to show up. So it is good to get things when you can. I was really hoping to find some nice Gerber knifes or tools, but it was cool just looking around.

I hoped to have this entry done a few days ago, but my secretary quit and I have been doing my best to do all the reports he was doing. He had a lot to do, and now it is all on me. It’s like I am doing to separate jobs in one. However, maybe his replacement will not be a he…. One can hope hope….

POL effected soil from the military.

You Don't Want to Know.

New Years party, with a bunch of rednecks that I don't care for. I wanted a picture and forgot my camera so I jumped into one with other people.

Christmas 08

Well Christmas was a fun day! I started the day off a little rough when I woke up an hour and a half late to work, and missed the Indian guys open there gifts. They were really happy for there new socks, jackets and underwear. Me and JG pitched in for the cash to get the gifts, and it was the other two employees that took credit for them, telling the guys, “Don’t worry about it guys, it’s nothing, enjoy your gifts.” A bit of a bummer and if I were here I would have called them out on it.

Christmas on a military base is an interesting event. Everyone is at work, but no one is actually working. The boss outright told us to not doing anything today and to just relax. The soldiers had a fun day as well; they were out having a little parade and parties all over the place. Santa hats where everywhere. The day was fun considering no one here was able to see there family, or friends back home.

The DFAC was dressed up nice as expected, however I think the Thanksgiving decorations were way better. It seems that DFAC 3 won the event, they go all out on Christmas and my DFAC, DFAC 4, concentrates more on Thanksgiving. In any case, I stuffed myself full of turkey, prime rib, chicken and all the fixings that go along. It was hard to stay awake at work after that.

After my long, lazy, bloated day at work, I went back to my hooch to destroy some wrapping paper. I set up my camera so that I could record my first Christmas away from home for my mother. I was very happy with what I got this year. I got a nice camera bag, clothes, underwear, neat flashlight, hat, and camera lenses. I loved everything! I the camera bag inspired me to buy a more professional camera. I may have to get one of the Cannon EOS Rebels or something. I would love to have a full blown professional one, and probably will get one after I leave here. I’d hate to have one of those here; I’d be scared to use it! I do love my camera, and now I can do a lot more with it and the new lenses. I can’t wait to lug it all to Peru to use there!

Id like to give a special thanks to the Beaudoins. They made me a DVD which really lifted my sprits. It had a photo slideshow comprised of pictures of the family the last few years. Even though I had my first, “what was I thinking” moment, it was nice to see the family, and reminisce about past gatherings. I really enjoyed it! Thank you!

Now I need to get ready for New Years, and then my birthday on the 8^th of January. I think I may have a little party here, buy some pizzas and sodas.

Thanks for all the gifts everyone! I really enjoyed them and they were that extra boost I needed to get though the holiday season!

Navy's hummve

Me and Deepak

Krishna

Veggies

My Uganda buddy, Alex

USO SHOW

They had a USO show here on base a few days ago, and it is exactly what I needed to cheer up a little. It was a really entertaining and I took lot of video and a few pictures that you’ll see below. I had never been to a show like this before and it was interesting.

They had three country stars, the Army band, some Dolphin cheerleaders, and one of my favorite comedians, Louis CK. The country music was fun for me just because the crowd loved it. They kept asking, “who loves country music?” and every time they did the crowd went wild. All and all it was a great show. I was also lucky enough to have my picture taken with Leeann Tweeden who has been on the cover of FHM, was named the hottest Hooters girl of all time and has been in Playboy. She is also one of the hosts of “The World’s Best Damn Sports Show Period” on Fox. Truthfully I didn’t really know who she was, but I do now! I also got to shake Louis CK’s hand after the show, which was pretty awesome since I love standup. I should have waited in line to do the meet and greet thing, but it was long and I’m not a solider; it would have felt kind of weird.

Tomorrow is Christmas, So Merry Christmas to all! I can’t wait to see how the DFAC is dressed up! I will have lots of pictures her as soon as I take them. I also can’t wait to open my Christmas presents. I will have to wait until Christmas night to open my gifts because I am working all Christmas day. Everyone told me to save that vacation day for some other time since no one does any real work on Christmas. They tell me it ends up being a day everyone comes into work and just hangs out, no real work gets done all day. And besides, if I didn’t come into work I wouldn’t see any of my friends on Christmas. We are also having a small Christmas party here in the office, which the safety department is setting up. KBR Environmental and the safety guys usually don’t hang out, but I hear they are going to give some of our SCW’s certificates for a good job.

Six Months

Well it is that time of year, not only the holiday season, but I am just about to my six month mark of being here. It sure hasn’t felt like half a year, but I guess that is a good thing. At the same time, it feels like I should have less then six months left. This does give me a chance to bank some money. Everything I need to pay off I have the money for right now. From here on out all the money goes into the bank for a rainy day or a house.

It has been an interesting six months; I have learned a lot of things. Not only about this career but about life in the military, life in Iraq, and life lessons in general. I’ve discovered how to get along with people I don’t agree with, and people who are simply ignorant of life outside of there town. I have also learned how to get a point across without hurting or belittling anyone’s feelings or ideals. I have become a better ‘people person’ while here. I had trouble going up to someone in a business setting and trying to get an idea across, especially since nine times out of ten it was someone who had at least 30 years of age or experience on me. I can now present myself with poise to an individual or a group without hesitation.

While here I have been introduced to other cultures and ways of life. I have worked with people of different languages and get points across even with that language barrier. (It ends up being a real life game of charades.)

I have educated myself on how to deal with stress, lots of stress (especially right now). I have also revealed to myself how to turn inward for help and come to a logical answer on my own without the help of other, but still have the wisdom to know help from others is a good thing to have at my disposal.

This job has also given me a glimpse to the future on what I may want to do for a living. I now know that the job I take up in the future needs to be one that tests my mind, and challenges me, otherwise I will not find it fulfilling.

WELL, besides all that sappy sentimental stuff up there, things here are going okay. I’m sure most people will not get this far after starting to read the above! I have been working day to day and am waiting on a box with my Christmas presents. I already have two trees, one for the office and one for the Hooch (I have two because they were both gifts). The sunsets seem to become more amazing every day; I have to admit I sometimes pull over into a field to watch them when I get a chance.

My garden doesn’t seem to like the really cold mornings, it seems to be slowly dying, it was pretty cool while it lasted. I am thinking about brining inside my room if I can get my hands on some grow lights and fine some room. The Indian guys have been inspired by my greenness and want to plant things, to bad it is to late in the season.

Well here are some new pictures, enjoy!!!!

Curry, Onions, eggs, red peppers. Eaten with rice and water.