Another week in Paradise

Well another week in paradise, (for someone, somewhere else). Here the weather is constant, hot in the day cools off in the evening. It is windy almost all the time. Everything has a light coat of dust. The two good things this week was I got up the nerve to ask the PX (think very small Wal Mart) if I could have a broken chair that has been outside for the last month. They said sure. The only problem was a broken seat. I scavenged some plywood and made a new seat, then for style I bought an Afghan pillow case for $3 and a small pillow for $2. I then made a nice cushion with the stuffing from the pillow and covered with the pillow case. The left over plywood I added to the footlocker desk, so now I can sit like a real person and type. Then the same day I was talking to the Captain about the horrors of having to shot someone. And I mentioned I had the authority to carry a defensive weapon. She said, oh I was worried about you guys lets see if we can get you one. We went to the Supply area and they said sure, before you go on a mission come and get a M16 and ammo. Plus they are going to send me to the range to get it dialed in and get some practice. Two good things in one day, plus we had a very good phone call with the girls back home. We started discussing the possibility that I may get a week off. What I would like to do is have the girls meet me in Europe, and travel through Poland, Austria, Germany or any place really. We are in the beginning stages of the planning. And since it is a might it may not happen. One week is not enough time to come home, so meeting would be nice. If they can’t do it I was thinking of Scotland or Poland alone. Of course if there is something good there must be bad as well. I have a large project to do, pinched nerve in my neck, getting ready for NATO, and a good bit of travel to come. The places are some small and some large, some unsettled and some quite stable. The US is handing off the south to NATO and there is much planning and getting ready to be done. Looks like I will be working with some of these countries soon. More travel that we do not know about yet. It does break of the boredom. At least we get to get off base. There are people who have not left in 5 months and are starting to get cabin fever. Strange thing also this week I got a class email stating one of our class rings (89) was on E-Bay. When I got there it was already sold for $750 that more than twice we paid for them. The next day I learned someone in our class bought it. I think its kind of cool, and wonder whose it is. They all have our names in them. Friday I bought some DVD’s at the bizarre. Three for $9 they include UltraViolet (stupid), Wedding Crashers (somewhat funny), and The Brake Up (not watched yet). They are of course bootlegged, in one half way through you can see the shadow of some guy getting up to leave. The pictures are from Salerno just click on them for larger versions.

Afghan Ant they run around everywhere with their tails in the air

The Salerno Hilton

Afghan Bakery on base (flat bread like pizza crust)

Orchard on base

Mosque center of base

NFL players and cheerleaders getting off chopper

My new chair