Nothing. Nada. Zip. Nil. Zero.

Nothing... And I mean, N-O-T-H-I-N-G happened here today. Of course, I was asleep from 0600-1800hrs so, that may have something to do with it. My body finally gave out this morning after I checked on the TOC. I got back here to my hooch and friggin collapsed. 12 hous later I woke up wondering just what in the hell had happened.

Had BBQ Beef Hot Pockets and pretzels for supper/breakfast and now here I sit, hoping to be able to sleep again at some point and try to get back on track. Which will probably be sometime in July when I come home for R&R... Peachy.

So, I think I'll finish up Season II of MXC tonight. After that, who knows? The PX doesn't have any series that I'm interested in. I may have to break down and order Voyager from Amazon (I just hate paying full price).

Matthew 5:16

It's 0530hrs...

And officially the 6th (at least here in sunny Mosul). So, that means it's my little sister's birthday. "Little"... Have I mentioned that technically she's already a grandmother? Yeah.

Happy Birthday, Rachel. Your big brother still loves you.

1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9

This will have to do in place of a witty title...

It's still the fifth...

 

The wind is still coming in from the West, though it wasn’t quite as dusty today as yesterday.

 

Four of us (Justin, T, Marvin and me) piled into the hooptie today for a morning trip over to Diamondback. I don’t think that car has ever worked so hard. The four of us, our laundry, 2 cases of beer and a case of Monster… In an Iraqi Opel. Passersby were pointing and laughing.

 

Upon our return we pretty much just hung out and enjoyed a nice cool, not-quite-so-dusty day.

 

CW is a bit under the weather back home so, when you read this Buddy, I hope you get to feeling better soon, I love you.

 

Tab is doing our taxes so, when you read this Honey, better you than me, I love you.

 

Mike attended a District Swim Meet today for the Chisholm Trail Scouts so, when you read this Bub, I hope you did well, I love you.

 

Shoutouts to El Jefe (who’s on this side of the world in SA) and Brian, who if he’s still in Texas and at Fort Hood, had BETTER call Tab.

 

Romans 8:32

North wind, East wind... Good

West wind... Bad. Spoke too soon about the weather. The wind shifted and started coming out of the West. It brought sand with it. Lots of sand. Visibility went from about 60 miles to 60 feet really quickly, it doesn't take much.

Poker sucked.

Watched Attack Force Z last night. It stars a very young Mel Gibson as well as Sam Neill and is based on the WWII efforts of the Australian military's Attack Force Z. Good movie while a few of the scenes I found to be somewhat disturbing but, it was war. By the way, "Z" is pronounced "Zed."

No idea what's in store for the rest of the day (it's Saturday morning). But, I'm sure you'll find out tonight (providing we still have internet).

1 John 1:3-4

Status Quo...

Another typical day here in Mosul.

The weather has been awesome lately. Mild temps and no sandstorms. Visibility has been great. The views of the city are really clear. The mountains to the North and East are visible. From where we sit the mountains represent  the Turkish and Iranian borders. It's a nice view.

The generators at the PX went out today and they were closed (you'd think they'd have a backup).

My sleep schedule is still jacked up, just when I think I'm back on track... I'm not. It's a bit frustrating.

Looking forward to tomorow nights game. It's the one night a week that is a break from the norm. This place is really starting to try my last nerve, I'm beginning to question my agreement to stay here for a year. Ah well, you do what you have to, right?

Watched No Country for Old Men the other night. This is, by far, the most confusing Coen Brothers film to date. I watched it twice, back to back. I'm still not sure about it. It's based on a book of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. I probably need to read it, at some point.

I had a couple of custom patches made today. They are the "Gonzales Flag" from the Texas Revolution (the "Come and Take It" flag) they're pretty ccol. I've got one on my body armor and I think I'll have the second one put on my vest.

Nothing else of any significance happening (which is good). Justin got his hooptie fixed, at least partially. It runs now but the exhaust still needs a bit of fixing (gotta roll with the windows down).

Aside from that, it's business as usual.

Revelation 1:14-15

All it takes is an angry email from your Mother...
Mood:  mischievious

To absolutely make your day.

I rule.

I am the coolest son, ever.

 

John 12:24

All it takes is a broken bat...

To ruin your day.

In case you're wondering why I missed updating the ol' blog yesterday it is because I was in the Emergency Room of the CSH (Combat Support Hospital) with a nice deep gash through my left cheek and a chipped bone. We were playing ball and Justin smacked the hell out of the ball. It was heading towards T and Derrick while the broken bat was heading at me, but I was watching the ball. WHAMMO!! Caught it right in the face. I hit the ground and blacked out for about 10 seconds or so and woke up to the three of them bending over me and trying to control the bleeding. We got it patched upwith a piece of cloth from Marvin's ESP shirt and they drove me to the CSH.

The Army is experimeting with a new type of "bone glue" called Osteo-Goo or something like that. They pretty much glued the chipped bone back in place and stitched me up. Thirty seven stitches later I was out the door with a bottle of Vicodin and a ticket to Germany. I leave for Frankfurt tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to get plastic surgery done by the Army hospital there (they don't have any here).

So, it looks like I'll get to enjoy some real beer very soon. Ah, the price we pay for a little sip of the good stuff. Oh and by the way, gotcha. From where I sit it sure does look like April the first. And you know what that means.

Deuteronomy 4:6 

All it takes is a sand storm...

To ruin a good party. Yes, a sand storm

I started cooking around 1300hrs and finished around 1600hrs. We hung out and waited for our soldiers to show. At 1630, in walked the Regimental Command Sergeant Major, CSM Burns. We were a little "caught-off guard" by this surprise appearance, as we usually only see him at the TOC. Thoughts of "Oh crap!" immediately ran through our collective heads. We weren't sure how he'd react once his soldiers started showing up. He stuck around for a bit and then had to go to a meeting and left stating, "I'll be back."

Soldiers began to filter in little by little and I threw burgers and hot dogs back on the grill to warm them up and melt the cheese. Soldiers ate their fill of "home-grilled" food and drank their fill of ice-cold fake beer. Then, as parties usually go, cards and dominoes were brought out as well as an iPod with external speakers.

Around 2000hrs, the CSM walked in again. The soldiers who were there suddenly had a "deer-in-the-headlights" look about them but after the CSM sat down and began bs'ing with all of us they loosened up again... A bit. The CSM is an ok dude, once you get to know him a little.

Then at/or about 2030hrs the wind picked up and we got reports of a 4000ft tall sand storm that was moving into our area. At 2045hrs the party was over as it was a mad dash to get leftovers, plates, utensils and everything else picked up and put away before it got really bad. Visibility went straight to hell in about 5 minutes.

Everybody dispersed, I took a shower and now here I sit, typing away the rest of my night. Or at least until I'm done and put in Star Wars.

I'm done.

May the Force be with you.

Mark 14:26

"What is this, that stands before me?"

Spent most of my day in the TOC setting up my new "office." Finally got the wires run and now all three computers are singing like birds. Finished configuring the Dell after the Help Desk nuked it so it could go on the NIPR LAN.

I'm probably gonna make one more trip down South soon, once we get a cable in. Hopefully next week, sometime... We'll see.

Right now, I'm drinking a fake beer, writing this, converting Real media to MP3's and getting ready to start a Star Wars marathon. Fun, fun, fun.

Luke 22:31-32

"Busted through the conductors booth and busted out rhymes..."

Well, yet another Friday has come and gone. It's 0200hrs Friday night/Saturday morning. Just finished playing poker. Tonight was bad but not as bad as it has been. I need to stick with the advice that Bob Boyett gave me a long time ago and I think I'll be ok.

Justin got a battery for his hooptie today. We slapped it in, jumped it and it started right up. Thinking we would be ok to travel to Diamondback and drop off the old one, into the hooptie we climbed. Everything was fine until we got to the "Cholo's Auto's" place. Then... Justin turned the ignition off. Two batteries later, still no ignition. So, we left the car, one of Cholo's flunkys' was nice enough to give us a ride back to Marez. I got dropped off at the PX to get a haircut while "Flunky" took Justin back to the hacienda where he would get one of the other trucks and come pick me up. An hour and a half later he shows up in Seann's truck claiming that, "All the other trucks were gone" and he had searched high and low before calling in a favor with Seann. I think he got back, realized "Teen Idol" was on and just couldn't miss it.

Got both of my computers set up in the S6 office but I'm waiting for lines to be run to connect me to the internet and the tactical internet (should be done this weekend sometime).

Gonna take a shower, do some crosswords and go to bed.

Mark 14:49-50

Freakin' Generators!!

Ok so I wake up last night/this morning at 0100hrs. Stay up all night/morning and go through the regular daily routine. TOC, PX and so-forth. I'm starting to wear down but I know I can't just go to sleep for fear of getting my schedule any more jacked up than it already is. So, I say to myself, "Self..." (that's Bill Cosby humor) "you need some rest. Take an hour nap. Set your alarm and get up when it goes off." No problem, right? Well, I didn't take in to account the "Iraq Factor." The "Iraq Factor" works alot like Murphy's Law. I set my alarm for exactly one hour, fall asleep and the generator is promptly shut down for maintenance, resetting my alarm clock and allowing me to catch up on more sleep than I wanted. I woke up 4 hours later!! Like I said... Freakin' Generators!!

Jim and I hit the shoppette to get some charcoal for Sunday. Went ahead a bought a case of fake beer too (still no Copenahgen).

Checked in with the TOC again, no problems. Oh! I'm getting an "office". They're moving me in with SSG Blakemore (my brother) and we're sharing a closet. Once we get it all set up I'll take a picture of it and post it here.

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE seems to think that we're long lost brothers. On my field trip last week, the entire commo section down there said it too. I don't see it... I'm much better looking than Blakemore!!

Mark 14:41

Another Day

Another dollar.

Had a couple of issues at the TOC today, fixed 'em. Went to the PX for snuff, they were out. Went to the Sapper Eagle store, they were out. Went to the Hilltop Store, they were out. Went to the Shoppette, they were out. Had to buy Skoal. Not happy.

Justin and I played catch today. He throws like Rick Vaughn before he got his glasses... Hmmm...

Hanging out earlier, came in to grab a sammich and write this so, here you go.

Got two boxes from my lovely, much-better-half. More movies are always a good thing. Got some pictures as well and they are already on the wall, plus a little piece of art from CW, thanks buddy.

Laters.

Mark 14:27

The Past Few Days

Today's my first day back from a "field trip" down to another FOB. Below is a summary of the past few days:

Friday- MSG Brown, Dee, T, Marvin and I caught a UH-60 (I love Blackhawks) down to a FOB a bit South of us. Due to my sleep schedule still being hosed up I didn't sleep at all.

Saturday- The 5 of us spent all day trying to get the ABCS's up and running for the Squadron we were there to support. Ate at Pizza Hut for a late supper.

Sunday- See Saturday.

Monday- See Saturday. Then jumped a flight back here to lovely Mosul. I say lovely because the place we just came from was anything but.

Today- Tried to scrounge some spare parts for our friends to the South but had no luck. Went food shopping at the PX (they actually got a shipment in while I was away). Laundry. Supper. I was watching MXC's first season until Justin came by to tell me that the internet was back up. Since then, I've been catching up on emails, reports and now this.

Here are some pics from the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 14:38

Up, down, up, down, up, down...

If someone was to give me a choice right now, between trying to do anything on the internet and poking myself in the eye with a stick; my response would be, "You got a stick?" SISTER MARY FRANCIS!!!! I'm losing what little mind I have left. They keep telling us, " The 24th, give us until the 24th, it'll all be better." I tell you now... If it isn't, you may be seeing me on FoxNews. ***US Contractor Arrested for Stuffing Turkish Internet Providers into Mortar Tube***

Justin and I played catch today (Derrick joined in a little later); it was a welcome diversion from the normally normal normalcy of this friggin' place. We even smacked the ball around with the bat, a bit.

 

Baseballs take funny bounces on an all loose-rock surface, just ask my left cheek. There is just no way to guess which way the ball is going to go once it makes contact with the "ground". Karnac the Amazing couldn't have predicted the balls path today. It was all over the place.

Avoided the chow hall completely today. Spicy Vienna Sausages for lunch, Hormel Beef Stew for Supper and "Mosul Nachos" for my 0100 snack. Yum-mee yum...

After 2 games of Dominoes with Derrick, T and Justin I hit the sack at roughly 2130hrs. 3 1/2 hours later... Here I am. Woooooooooo!!! 

Matthew 8:25-26 

 

Well, that's just great...

 

So, I actually go to bed at roughly 2000hrs (man, I was tired). Yeah... not tired enough, obviously. Woke up at 2356hrs. That's a whopping 4 hours of sleep. So, looks like I'll be up until 7 or 8 again. Geez, can't a man get a break?!?

So, what am I doing right now? Crossword puzzles and typing this entry. Once I'm done with that I think I'll watch the Ben-Hur documentary and read some comics.

2 COR 9:8

Yesterday and Today

 

Well, yesterday did have a bright spot; I got my birthday box from Tab and the boys. Inside I found  Spies Like Us from Mike as well as a note that read, " Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, You are Old!!" He's getting his @$$ kicked when I get home. CW sent me a 2 DVD set about Pearl Harbor with a note that read," Hope you like it, send it back when you're done." Tab says he wants to watch it too. From my lovely wife I got home-made curtains with a bowling motiff, awesome. Now I can get rid of these damn pink ones I have. Her note was for me only... ;)

Today I got my birthday box from Mom, Pop and Nannie. A Louisville slugger, glove and two baseballs, again awesome. Justin bought a glove and Chad's going to do the same. We can't call it "sandlot baseball" because, oddly enough, there's no sand in our area. Just rocks. So, it'll be "rocklot baseball" but hey, it's still baseball.

Today is beautiful. Blue skies, no clouds, temperature is in the mid 70's and there's not a lot of stuff on fire (which is always a plus).

I'm flying to another FOB late this week and will be there for about 2 or 3 days so, you probably won't here from me until I get back.

"Our-feet-are-stained"...

Dead Gator

Yep, my Gator is dead. The transmission is shot. No idea how long it'll take to repair so for now, I've got no wheels. Peachy.

Lousy nachos for lunch... Have I mentioned that our chow hall sucks? No? IT FREAKIN' SUCKS.

Well, I'm 39 today. Don't feel any different now than I did at 29. However, everyone seems to take delight in calling me "old man" now. My response is simple, old is 40. I've still got a year left to be young.

Skies are blue today and it's in the mid 70's, at least until the sun goes down. Then it'll cool off rather quickly. But, at least it isn't raining!!

Sen McCain was here yesterday, at least that's what I heard. Guess he got bored with DC politics and needed a break...

That's about it.

Now Playing: Connection Speed Sucks, Yet Again

Well, I just finished typing a nice long blog and then the connections fails and everything was lost. I'm not about to retype everything so, you'll get a brief version instead. Here goes.

The internet sucks. The chow hall sucks. The PX sucks. However, it has stopped raining.

Watched Pan's Labyrinth last night. Good movie.

Don't send me any big files via email until the internet is better.

My head hurts...

There's the $0.10 version.

Addendum to Tonight's/This Morning's Previous Post

 

I noticed that the internet is a little quicker now so I thought I'd upload a few pics. Below are some of the folks I work with and on the "OIF Pics" page you'll find 3 new pictures as well.

Dee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and Marvin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justin (clean shaven)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justin's Hooptie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MSG Brown (sorry, you're not allowed to see what's behind the yellow box)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SSG Blakemore and Bo C. Phus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and my Wimmins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you didn't read the one before this one... It's right below.

Laters.

Still Raining

Yes. Still raining. The entire compound is one big sloppy mess. And it's still cold. I hate cold and wet.

After checking in at the TOC, Justin and I took the hooptie over to Diamondback to go "grocery" shopping at the PX. Now... grocery shopping. I came back to my hooch with 2 bags of chips, cheese dip, 2 Hormel turkey microwave meals, 3 cans of Hormel chicken salad, Chips Ahoy, a 1/2 a case of Red Bull and a pack of mints. The chow hall is killin' me.

Poker sucked, yet again. It's amazing. Get a pair of Queens, get beat by Kings. Get two pair (J's and Q's) and get beat by a higher pair (K's and A's). Get trip 7's, get beat by trip 8's. Flop a straight and get beat by FOUR OF A KIND!!!! Utterly, utterly amazing. I wanted to punch a wall (or more to the point Chad, when he rolled those 4's). I haven't had a losing streak like this in ... Well, EVER!! I even had on my lucky Irish hat and my Irish coozie that Mom sent me for my birthday wrapped around my fake beer. And STILL couldn't win a friggin' hand.

Tomorrow Scott leaves. Justin and I will see him off around 0830hrs as he boards the freedom bird to begin his journey into retirement. I gave him a signed copy of Free Texas as a retirement gift. He has enjoyed it so far and hopefully will get a chance to put it to practical use once he and the family makes their move back home to the great state of Texas.

I'm watching Major League right now and will try to get to sleep some time after that. Major League has got to be the best baseball movie ever. Bull Durham comes in a very close second.

Speaking of baseball, CW will be playing this year for the Lumberjacks. Don't ask me... Most places name their LL teams after the ML ones so, where they came up with Lumberjacks, your guess is as good as mine. But he's very excited. So is Mike, he wants to be the mascot and has pulled his flannel out of the closet (I have two Monty Python fans for kids... Go figure).

That's all I got.