And a wake-up.
Time is moving incredibly slow right now and it cheeses me to no end.
2 Timothy 3:12
Posted by Stu
at 4:29 PM CDT
Behind the Wall of Sleep
Sunday, 12 October 2008
11 Days...
Friday, 10 October 2008
13 Days...
Well, we changed it up a bit tonight. We played a little dealer's choice and then settled in on 5 Card Draw (Progressive), Jacks or better to open. It was a blast. So much better than just Texas Hold 'Em. I was starting to get a bit burnt out.
That's about all that has changed.
Matthew 25:10
Posted by Stu
at 7:45 PM CDT
Thursday, 9 October 2008
14 Days...
And that's about all there is to report.
The days are getting cooler as well as the nights. It actually feels good to sit outside with a nice cool breeze when it's in the mid to high 60's at about 2300hrs.
1 Samuel 8:7
Posted by Stu
at 6:10 PM CDT
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
15 Days...
I think I finally hit the turn. I'm at about 85-90% right now. I feel better than I have in days and have managed to stay out of the latrine for most of the day. Yippee!!
I finished the 3rd season of Northern Exposure and I am looking forward to getting 4-7 when I get home. It's a really wonderful show. It appeals to the intellectual side of me as well as the closet romantic. Weird, huh?
If all goes well I will be home on the 27th of October at/around 1836hrs. "Goes well" meaning no dust storms here in Mosul and no passport issues in Kuwait.
So, that's 15 days until I leave here and 17 days until I'm home. The only issue is that my wonderful company decided to book me on lame-@$$ KLM instead of United. I've flown United 4 times around the world and have quite a few frequent flyer miles to cash in for business class. So, what does our lovely travel section do? They book me on KLM where I have no miles. Great. Just friggin' wonderful...
2 Corinthians 12:9
Posted by Stu
at 7:24 PM CDT
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
16 Days...
Let's see... What have yall missed since my last post? Ummmm.... Well, nothing. Except that I've spent the last 4 days in the latrine. Fun, fun, let me tell you.
Jacob left yesterday morning on his return trip home. Vaya con Dios, Amigo.
I inherited his internet for my remaining 2 weeks so now I have somewhat stable access, we'll see.
Mitch, no promises on whether it'll be here once you arrive though. The group of folks that are loaning it to me are a bit odd, to say the least.
Isaiah 38:5
Posted by Stu
at 6:23 PM CDT
Saturday, 4 October 2008
21 Days...
That's 3 weeks. Time is starting to meander a bit. It slows down and then speeds up all in the same day. I wonder what Einstein would think about that... "It's relative."
Just shipped another foot locker as well as another box. Luckily these passed with no issues.
I'm still operating at about 50%. I can't seem to shake the last of this friggin' flu bug.
Isaiah 10:1-2
Posted by Stu
at 5:52 AM CDT
Friday, 3 October 2008
22 Days...
My chest has cleared up a bit but the aches and pains haven't. Neither has my nose.
It was 67 degrees last night... Awesome.
SGT Bell's mom is having open-heart surgery, keep her in your prayers.
I watched the first season of Northern Exposure yesterday. Interesting show. I start season two today.
2 Corinthians 5:1
Posted by Stu
at 2:23 AM CDT
Thursday, 2 October 2008
23 Days...
And I feel like 285lbs of chewed bubblegum. I abhore being sick. Seriously.
The CHU is starting to transform back into a white-walled prison cell. I am packing things up little by little. Soon, it will all be in transit.
I found out the hard way that you cannot ship magazines (clips) in the mail from here. Now I'm not talking loaded magazines, or even issue magazines. I'm talking still-in-the-package-with-price-tag-on-it-bought-from-the-PX magazines. AND you can't ship slings. And I'm not talking slings attached to weapons or even issue slings. I'm talking still-in-the-package-with-price-tag-on-it-bought-from-the-PX slings. Two words; Ig, Nernt. We almost had an international incident but I got my stuff back without having to crush anyones skull, which is always a bonus.
Isaiah 40:8
Posted by Stu
at 3:27 AM CDT
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
24 Days...
It's October!!! I go home this month!!!
It rained quite a bit yesterday and this morning it was in the 60's. The Fall/Winter in Mosul ain't so bad.
I have packed two footlockers full and will try and get them in the mail today (heads up honey).
Psalm 86:17
Posted by Stu
at 1:06 AM CDT
Monday, 29 September 2008
25 Days...
One year over here and not even a little sniffle. Duane comes along and "BOOM", he passes his crappy bugs on to me. If it's not the flu then I don't know what it is.
Derrick got yet another straight flush last night. That's 5 for him alone.
Deuteronomy 30:19
Posted by Stu
at 11:45 PM CDT
Saturday, 27 September 2008
27 Days...
And it's 69 degrees right now (0410hrs). I'm chilled to the bone.
I watched How the West Was Won last night. It's so much better on widescreen DVD than on TV.
In two days I will be at 25 days, which means it will be October. Hard to believe I've already been here for almost one year. Times flies when you're having fun (yeah right).
James 5:16
Posted by Stu
at 8:16 PM CDT
Friday, 26 September 2008
28 Days...
And nothing new to report.
It's still getting down to 72 in the mornings.
Blood Simple is a strange movie.
Lebowski-thon has been postponed and people are unhappy about it.
The new laundry contractors aren't exactly as good as the old ones.
Unless something exciting happens around here soon, I may run out of things to say.
1 Peter 5:7
Posted by Stu
at 5:34 PM CDT
Thursday, 25 September 2008
29 Days...
Will not be over soon enough.
It was 72 degrees this morning at 0600hrs, time to break out the cold weather gear.
I'm almost finished with season 4 of Boston Legal (don't worry honey, I'll send it home in the next shipment).
That's all I got.
1 John 3:6
Posted by Stu
at 6:22 PM CDT
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
I Am Officially at T-Minus 30 Days and Counting...
The past 11 months have flown but for some nagging reason I think this last one is going to draaaaaaaaaag a bit.
The PX got the 4th season of Boston Legal. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "If I were a woman, I'd want to have William Shatner's babies." The man still has it. Denny Crane will one day be as famous as James T. Kirk.
I am ready to go home...
1 John 4:16
Posted by Stu
at 6:48 PM CDT
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Nothing New to Report...
Everything here is samey-same.
31 Days left in country.
I just finished watching (for the 147th time) 1941 and I still laugh my butt off when I watch it. In the long list of Steven Spielberg movies it ranks 2nd only to Jaws.
And can you believe that it was actually 78 degrees here yesterday morning? Well, it was.
I got word today that my niece got to try an MRE recently. It's good that she was able to sample one of the new and improved ones because let me tell you, the old ones (when I was still in) were a bit, how shall I say... Nasty.
Romans 12:1
Posted by Stu
at 8:28 PM CDT
Monday, 22 September 2008
At least I'm Not at Q-West...
Q-West (that little place South of here that I visited a few months back) is under strict water rationing. That means port-o-johns and a shower every 3rd day. Can you just imagine being downwind of that place?
32 Days left in country.
I just finished Ocean's 11, 12 and 13. Great movies. I'm getting ready to watch Double Indemnity (if I ever get this friggin' laptop updated).
My wife turned 39 yesterday/today, my eldest son is 16 and my "youngest" is 8 "And I'm gonna be 40..." My how time flies. The greys are starting to show a lot more now too, not that I mind. Afterall, it makes me look distinguished. And no, I'm not having a mid-life crisis. I don't believe in such a thing. Somebody just made that term up to allow men to behave like jackasses when they hit their late 30's/early 40's. I on the other hand have been a jackass my entire life. So there.
Romans 12:19 (this is not an easy one)
Posted by Stu
at 7:04 PM CDT
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Happy Birthday to my Wife and Son
Now that I (temporarily) have innarweb I have a bit of time to say Happy Birthday to Tab and Mike.
All's well over here. It's steadily getting cooler and it helps that I have only 33 days left in this lovely country.
1 Peter 1:13
Posted by Stu
at 7:50 PM CDT
Saturday, 20 September 2008
A Quick Note...
We still have no internet. The backdoor I found through our lovely military ISP was shutdown. However (as you can tell by reading this) I found another. Don't know how long this one will last so allow me to let you in on a few things.
"G" got a Royal Flush.
Derrick got another Straight Flush.
I have 34 days and a wake up.
We probably won't have internet the rest of the time I'm here (so, this could be my last post for a while).
The nights are getting cooler and cooler. It was actually 80 degrees this morning around 0300hrs.
Proverbs 1:32-33
Posted by Stu
at 11:16 AM CDT
Monday, 8 September 2008
46 Days...
I think that Fall is "officially" here. It rained today. And I don't mean a little sprinkle. We had a good ol' fashioned thunderstorm drop in on us. That, and it was only 82 degrees this morning at 0600hrs. Of course it quickly rose to 112 but hey, at least it wasn't 130.
Luke 5:5
Posted by Stu
at 5:10 PM CDT
Sunday, 7 September 2008
47 Days...
So, I get this knock on my door around 1900hrs or so. I say, "Yeah!" No one answers. I get up, walk to the door, open it and who do you think is standing there? It wasn't "G" (which is who I thought it was). It was the 3d ACR Regimental Command Sergeant Major, CSM Burns. I was startled and immediately thought to myself, "WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?" He said, "Hey Stu, do you know where Pete is?" He was of course refering to Safety Pete and my response was a quick, "Right this way Sergeant Major."
Oh and by the way... 47 days.
Luke 19:5
Posted by Stu
at 6:06 PM CDT