December 25 - 31, 2006
Wow, my first Christmas apart from Kristine since 1993. Actually our first Christmas together was in San Diego in 1994. I’m not sure what to do with myself other than prepare for my fabulous meetings today. The four of us here will exchange a few gifts and munch on the stuff our company sent us. We’ll probably watch a movie or two in between the meetings and listen to Christmas music. It’s still snowing so it will kind of seem like Christmas.
What I forgot to mention in the Week 7 update was the parade of people here in Afghanistan on Saturday (December 23) night. We had a portion of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, some smokin’ hot girl out of Maxim magazine, and Al Franken. Included with them were a ton of support people and virtually every re-blooded American male here on Bagram crammed into the USO (obviously to see Al Franken). We saw whatever her name was Tweeden (the Maxim girl) after removing her makeup and donning a long leather coat; she was unremarkable. I could have passed her on the street and never given her a second glance. It’s amazing what tight clothes, a push-up bra, make up, and hair styling do for someone. Maybe it’s just the photographer making her look that good in the pictures. I didn’t even know who she was until someone showed me the picture, then I was disappointed. I’ll take natural beauty any time over the artificial kind. Ed and I popped into the USO to take advantage of the internet connection. Imagine our lack of enthusiasm to find it crowded.
I must say that I am a huge fan of anyone who comes to these dismal locations on the other side of the Earth for the benefit of soldiers. I may not have been a fan of the female Country singer we had here a couple of weeks ago, but I’m a fan now because she came here to put on a two hour show for soldiers. I cannot remember her name at this moment, but I will. I may not agree with Al Franken on everything, but coming here and lying on the USO floor because he was exhausted is OK with me. I’m sure folks like Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon would never make the USO tour. I just wish they had moved out of the USA like they said they would if Bush were elected.
The big inflatable and illuminated Grinch sitting on top of the engineers building was laying face down this morning. It’s apparent to me that he couldn’t stop Christmas from coming and did not want to partake of the Christmas spirit. I took a couple of pictures of him and will forward soon. I felt like I was one of the Whos in Whoville that overcame the scourge of Christmas and took in the grandeur regardless of location or condition. It was kind of neat and almost mystical. My kids will never believe I said that in a few years.
So much for the foot or so of snow we had on the ground. It got warm yesterday, like nearly 50 degrees and turned our snow into six inches of slush. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, our temperature dropped in the evening to a low 18 degrees. Our slush froze. I had planned to go on a run with Nelson this morning, but when I looked at my thermometer reading of 9 degrees and Nelson called to say it was too cold to run, I agreed.
Do you recall a couple of weeks ago when I mentioned ice crystals on the washing machines? I went to do my laundry this morning and attempted to start the washer. No water was coming out. I tried a different washer with the same result. I then started trying the hot and cold water knobs, but they were still wide open. The problem was the hoses; they were frozen solid. We have PVC pipes that the hoses are attached to that are strapped to the interior of the wall and the hot and cold water in those pipes were frozen. Obviously our Chigos (Chigo is the brand name of the heaters for the buildings) were not keeping up with the renewed lower temperatures.
We finally had a couple of days off this week. I didn’t know what to do with myself and still ended up at the shop to clean, organize, or whatever. I tried sleeping in, but that was futile. I managed to do some preparatory work for our trip to Iraq to work on the vehicles there. Yep, I also made some phone calls, listened to some Christmas music, and basically took it easy. Yippee!
Our first batch of armor showed up to wondrous acclaim. Finally, after a couple of days of near boredom, we can actually get back to work. The FedEx dude backed his little Hyundai truck right into our shop to off-load it. It was like opening Christmas gifts. It’s amazing how excited four grown men were about a 300-pound palletized package of armor panels. Although we knew exactly what was in the crate, we could not stop pulling the panels out until we grabbed the very last one and then looked at it with utter amazement. Wow. I guess you folks aren’t feeling the same vibe that we did. I suppose this is one of those “you had to be there moments”.
Did I happen to mention how slick it is outside? With all that snow, the melting, and then the sudden freeze, we have some very slippery areas. Ask me how I know. I was walking over to the PX yesterday with Craig Dobyns and happened on some very slick ice. We knew the ice was there. We could see the ice and because of this we attempted to walk as gingerly and flat-footed as possible. As it turned out, the molecular structure of the ice resisted the gripping abilities of my Vibram boot bottoms (and Craig’s as well) and I suddenly became a professional figure skater performing a double camel with a triple axel. It reminded me of a time a couple of years ago when Cole and I were crossing a log over a creek the size of the Mississippi River that was covered with KY Jelly infused with snail slime. Slick! Although I don’t think Dobyns’ rendition was as elegant as mine, I would have given him 9’s across the scoring board. Evidently our figure skating duet was a sight to behold as we garnered a standing ovation and accolades from the assorted passers-by. Damn, if a 40-year-old guy can perform that eloquently by accident, just think what I might be able to do if I was attempting that (as Cole would say) “for reals”.
You know when I first arrived here; there was decent toilet paper in the bathrooms. I’m not talking about feather pillow thick Charmin or anything like that, but decent multi-ply toilet paper. Well recently we have been subjected to single ply sand paper for our cleaning needs and I’ve got to tell you I do not like it. I came with a couple of rolls of velvety goodness and recently received a four-pack of three-ply heaven from a couple of phenomenal friends who understand these kinds of places. At first I was reluctant about hauling my roll of paper with me to the bathrooms. I don’t know, it just didn’t feel cool or something; maybe I was concerned at how I would look to others. In any event, I have overcome the concerns of others for the benefit of my own well-being. For those of you, who still wonder what it’s like to be in Afghanistan, start using cheap single-ply toilet paper for a while to get that ‘almost there feeling’.
I have received a couple of boxes and letters this week and thank those of you who sent them very much. I must also add that I no longer require any more granola / snack bars for the next month or three as I truly have been blessed with more than I need. Thankfully the expiration date on most of them is well into the summer of 2007. I really have no needs here, but my want list is now staggering. It goes something like this: Wife and kids, booze, reliable internet, booze, American TV, booze, Wife and kids, booze, decent food, and beer. Oh yeah, and throw in being able to go somewhere farther than five minutes away.
We also received quite a bit of stuff from the USO and from regular everyday Americans who send stuff to any soldier in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). I received a Christmas card from a VFW in West Virginia and Ed got one from a high school senior in Connecticut. We received some chocolates, nuts, and candies from other places around the states to include a lady from Washington that sent us some stuff from Chukar Cherries there in Prosser. Ed and I took the opportunity to send Thank You letters out to all of the folks that provided a return address on something they sent. It was the least we could do.
You may find this amazing, but Brian N’s brother came through with a request that we emailed him a couple of weeks ago. It went something like this: a bottle of Scotch, a bottle of vodka, two bottles of Jack Daniels, and two bottles of Jim Beam. Yesterday (New Year’s Eve of all days!), Brian received this beat up box from his brother that contained one liter of Glen Fiddich, one liter of vodka, two liters of Jack Daniels, and two liters of Jim Beam. Nelson’s brother put the liquid gold into colored plastic liter bottles used for hiking and such and listed them on the Customs form as water bottles. Genius! We set up the poker table and celebrated the coming of the New Year with a little Texas Hold ‘em and such. It was nice.
Have I told you it was slick? I’ve got another example for you and it happened last night. Once we finally called off the poker game around 0230, it was time to go back to our hooches and get a little sleep. I was talking and waving bye to the guys when J.B. (a guy, not the liquor) encountered some of that icy slickness. Fortunately for him, he had a little liquid courage pumping through his blood stream thereby preventing him from simply slipping and falling. J.B. begat gravity for nearly a full minute with death-defying antics without the assistance of cables, bars, and nets. His body hopped, slipped, twisted, bent, and contorted like Gumby escaping trouble in a circus act 100 feet above the tent floor. I swear to you his routine was a thing of beauty until his head came into contact with the ground. Then and only then, was the show over. J.B. popped right back up, slid a little ways to the left, and announced that he was OK. I’m sure glad he was wearing his fleece cap. There is no doubt in my mind that hat saved him from a potential painful lump.
Once again, it is time for me to close my sneak peek of the week and get back to putting another one together. I hope all-you-all enjoyed a sensible and fun-filled New Year’s Eve.
Cheers!
Craig
Dec 30, 2006
Dec 24, 2006
WEEK 7
December 18 - 24, 2006
I’ve already started on Week 7 and haven’t finished Week 6. Week 6 was tough to write. I’m not sure why, but Week 7 is already much easier. Words and ideas just seem to flow as opposed to finishing the stuff that already happened. In any case you folks are obviously benefiting from my reacquired writing prowess and easy flow of the written word.
Thanks to those of you I guilted into emailing me. I must say I appreciate the comments and information. Sure, I can get the weather and news information, but not the in-depth goings-on of daily life that you guys live. I am certainly not expecting four or five pages from each of you, but four or five sentences are great. Keep the exchange of information going, I’ll do my part.
A few weeks ago I got a book about Afghanistan. I figured since I was here I might as well learn a little about the country. To save you hundreds of pages of benign drabble, the Kabul area is known world-wide for its teas, especially Chai teas. I’ve been slowly asking around and trying to gain information on acquiring such world renowned teas. Should I get my hands on some, I will sacrifice my taste buds first before sending some of this stuff state-side. Obviously I’ll only forward the stuff worthy of such high-brow tea drinkers like those of you who read this weekly.
I have really gotten into teas since I have been here. Maybe I’m beginning to turn English or maybe it’s because I just cannot drink coffee all day long. I brought some tea with me and recently my mother and my wife sent me enough to normally last a year, however I have consumed it in two weeks. I think I have even graduated to amateur connoisseur of teas. I now know the difference between black, green, red, and white teas. I even know what Jasmine tastes like, Charles. I’ll apply for my tea certification and license next month just to make sure.
Buying Christmas gifts online while in Afghanistan sucks. First of all, my internet connection is slow, making those colorful home pages a pain to download and even more difficult to navigate. Many of the online stores want a phone number to confirm your order, but none of them will call Afghanistan. Obviously the best way to buy stuff here is to make my bride the buyer with her contact information and have it sent to her. The easiest online shopping has been with (here goes the plug…) Amazon.com. They will send stuff anywhere in the world and do not require a phone call before confirming and shipping your order. Amazon.com does take two weeks to get anything over here and still requires 7-10 days to get delivery on that side of the earth.
We went to the bazaar on Friday to do a little local shopping. Every Friday, LNs arrive at an outdoor area and set up a little shop each to present and sell their wares. Carpets, wood and brass carvings, Hajji DVDs, and local clothing dominate the bazaar. I must say I fell prey to a cheap carpet and a couple of DVDs. I also could not pass up the opportunity to buy a genuine Ferrari, dual dial, Pinanfarina designed, Italian leather banded watch. Really, I bought it for Cole (although it’s bigger than his hand) and it’s authentic. The LN salesman quoted me an initial price of $1200 and I finally closed the deal for $25. It’s amazing how three minutes of my time and charm saved me $1175.
I’ve learned a lot about carpets recently as well as teas. Doug and Tina bought a few great carpets while they were in Iraq and they inspired me to find a few while I was here. I knew coming in that Persian carpets are second to none. (Most of you will realize that Persia is smack-dab in the middle of Iran and getting quality carpets out of there increases the cost over locally produced Afghani carpets). I also knew that quality silk and wool carpets cost an arm and a leg there in the U.S. and was hoping to save a few grand by buying here. Anyway, I have been to a few carpet merchants and have discovered a world I really knew nothing about. I have learned the difference between Persian silk and Chinese silk and understand that Chinese silk is grossly inferior to the Persian (didn’t the Chinese discover/invent silk in the first place?). I have also received an education in blends primarily with silk and wool, fibers per centimeter, fiber length, backing, and stitching. Wow!
The carpet Hajji recommended that I buy a Persian silk carpet instead of the Chinese because of the thickness, quality, and durability. Obviously the Persian cost more than twice as much as the Chinese and after considering my success with the bazaar Hajji, I reasoned I could barter with the carpet Hajji. I used tremendous amounts of charm, bargaining skill, compromise, negotiation, and finally blatant displays of my 9mm to reduce the price $10 over a period of an hour. See, I told you I had ability. In the end, I bought a Chinese silk carpet for Kris to put under her feet in the morning for our bathroom. Of course I had to try it out a couple of mornings before sending it to here. I will tell you that throwing my tootsies on pure silk (even if it is the dreaded Chinese kind) feels pretty damn fine. I even went back to the carpet Hajji and inquired about silk carpet slippers. His stunned expression was enough for me to look for silk socks online.
Our weather has changed once again. It has now gone into the mid 40’s with ominous looking clouds hiding our mountain ranges. Our snow is melting and the ground is thawing. The good news is the temperature increase in the showers and bathrooms. The bad news is the thawing ground is now muddy and it is difficult to keep the back of your pants around your calves mud-free when walking or especially running. Thankfully the warming weather has not increased the temperature inside my room. Should that mercury rise above the current 80 degrees, I swear I’ll move into a tent by my work shop.
I want to take this opportunity to thank a few of you out there that have made my being separated from Kris and the kids easier. First, many thanks Dave and Brandy for helping out with the new table and chairs. I just found out about that the other day and cannot tell you how much I appreciate your assistance. Also, thanks again for the package of goodies you guys sent. I may have complained a bit (only because you teased me with those Kahlua infused chocolates instead of the real thing). Mary, thanks for the Starbuck’s care package. It could not have come at a better time. Dad and Sharon, thanks for picking up Morgan and helping out through the Nikki birthday weekend. Nikki has told me twice about your visit. Finally, thank you Mom and Grandma Millie for the emails, cards, and gifts. You two have this USPS mailing thing down.
Speaking of mail, many of you have mentioned through email that you have sent a card, letter, and or package through snail mail (USPS). The process is extremely slow this time of year. Kris sent me a package two weeks ago that has still not arrived. I sent Christmas cards out to a few of you on the 8th of December that you folks still have not received. I will certainly let you know the day I receive anything from you guys. Believe me, the mail guy not only knows me by sight, but also by name, date of birth, hometown, shirt size, etc. Not that I am anxious or anything, but I sure love getting the stuff you folks send. Thank you for everything!
Author’s Note: I misspelled Kyrgyzstan in Week 4. Also when referring to Kyrgies, I spelled them Kirgis. I cannot believe any one of you did not catch that egregious mistake and point it out to me, primarily you, Joe (BIL). I guess it’s time to have the spell-checker on my computer also scan for Russian.
I do make a concerted effort to make these updates chronological; however it just doesn’t work that way in all cases. As an example, the second paragraph in this Weekly was inserted in that position on the sixth day of this week because of how late I sent out Week 6 and how meaningful and prominent I felt the subject matter to be. I thereby subjugated the rest of the information as a secondary priority to that second paragraph. I hope that makes sense to you and negates any confusion caused by my lack of stringent synchronous day-to-day order.
Two of you recently have told me that I should write a book. I am. Actually I am writing two books. I started both a year or so ago and have been plodding along. I am putting real effort into one of those now and feel I am a solid third of the way into writing it. If any of you know a good publisher, please let me know. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I figure it is time I made it happen. I also have no idea when I will finish it, but one of my 44 goals is to complete it before leaving this locale (as you may recall, I have completed two of those goals already).
We have been working overtime to try and get these vehicles completed. I have been flogging the guys to get the vehicles templated and the Auto-CAD emailed in. I knew once we accomplished that, we would have about ten days before the armor started showing up. Well, we finished our last vehicle this week and got the stuff emailed to our company. We had planned to take today (Sunday), and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off as well. My plan turned out to be a pipedream. As an example I will be briefing a two-star general who is coming to visit our little operation on Christmas day. I guess he thinks visiting me on Christmas afternoon demonstrates the priority of my little operation and makes me feel important. What it actually means is that I worked today to organize my shop, stage a vehicle and every step of the process, and prepare a briefing to include strengths and limitations. It no doubt means that I will have follow-on meetings on Tuesday to tell the leadership who was not present on Monday everything that was said. Did I tell you guys how much I love the military?
Oh, another weather change to tell you about. The temperature dropped and it started snowing today (Christmas Eve). I called my mother about an hour ago in front of the Pat Tillman USO here next to the airstrip to wish her Happy Birthday and the snow was coming down in a furious fashion. I have no idea how much accumulation is expected, but I do love white Christmases and I am about to have one here. It’s nice to know there is one thing about Afghanistan that I like: snow accumulation.
OK, it is 2315L on Christmas Eve and I really want to get this out. If there is any Christmas magic that I have the ability to dispel, it would go something like this: To Doug and Tina, I wish you guys would get pregnant and prove once and for all that the operation was worth the effort; To Joe Luna, I wish you would find that job back in Washington you want (preferably very close to Dean); To Aubrey, I wish you continued recovery and health (you’re getting older, man); To Charles, I wish you would retire as a Sergeant Major (you’ll make it soon); To Brandy, I wish you would find a guy worthy of you (so you’ll leave the beer in my fridge alone), and To Mary, I wish Larry would be back soon and you can go back to Jeeping, beering, and telling stories.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Craig
I’ve already started on Week 7 and haven’t finished Week 6. Week 6 was tough to write. I’m not sure why, but Week 7 is already much easier. Words and ideas just seem to flow as opposed to finishing the stuff that already happened. In any case you folks are obviously benefiting from my reacquired writing prowess and easy flow of the written word.
Thanks to those of you I guilted into emailing me. I must say I appreciate the comments and information. Sure, I can get the weather and news information, but not the in-depth goings-on of daily life that you guys live. I am certainly not expecting four or five pages from each of you, but four or five sentences are great. Keep the exchange of information going, I’ll do my part.
A few weeks ago I got a book about Afghanistan. I figured since I was here I might as well learn a little about the country. To save you hundreds of pages of benign drabble, the Kabul area is known world-wide for its teas, especially Chai teas. I’ve been slowly asking around and trying to gain information on acquiring such world renowned teas. Should I get my hands on some, I will sacrifice my taste buds first before sending some of this stuff state-side. Obviously I’ll only forward the stuff worthy of such high-brow tea drinkers like those of you who read this weekly.
I have really gotten into teas since I have been here. Maybe I’m beginning to turn English or maybe it’s because I just cannot drink coffee all day long. I brought some tea with me and recently my mother and my wife sent me enough to normally last a year, however I have consumed it in two weeks. I think I have even graduated to amateur connoisseur of teas. I now know the difference between black, green, red, and white teas. I even know what Jasmine tastes like, Charles. I’ll apply for my tea certification and license next month just to make sure.
Buying Christmas gifts online while in Afghanistan sucks. First of all, my internet connection is slow, making those colorful home pages a pain to download and even more difficult to navigate. Many of the online stores want a phone number to confirm your order, but none of them will call Afghanistan. Obviously the best way to buy stuff here is to make my bride the buyer with her contact information and have it sent to her. The easiest online shopping has been with (here goes the plug…) Amazon.com. They will send stuff anywhere in the world and do not require a phone call before confirming and shipping your order. Amazon.com does take two weeks to get anything over here and still requires 7-10 days to get delivery on that side of the earth.
We went to the bazaar on Friday to do a little local shopping. Every Friday, LNs arrive at an outdoor area and set up a little shop each to present and sell their wares. Carpets, wood and brass carvings, Hajji DVDs, and local clothing dominate the bazaar. I must say I fell prey to a cheap carpet and a couple of DVDs. I also could not pass up the opportunity to buy a genuine Ferrari, dual dial, Pinanfarina designed, Italian leather banded watch. Really, I bought it for Cole (although it’s bigger than his hand) and it’s authentic. The LN salesman quoted me an initial price of $1200 and I finally closed the deal for $25. It’s amazing how three minutes of my time and charm saved me $1175.
I’ve learned a lot about carpets recently as well as teas. Doug and Tina bought a few great carpets while they were in Iraq and they inspired me to find a few while I was here. I knew coming in that Persian carpets are second to none. (Most of you will realize that Persia is smack-dab in the middle of Iran and getting quality carpets out of there increases the cost over locally produced Afghani carpets). I also knew that quality silk and wool carpets cost an arm and a leg there in the U.S. and was hoping to save a few grand by buying here. Anyway, I have been to a few carpet merchants and have discovered a world I really knew nothing about. I have learned the difference between Persian silk and Chinese silk and understand that Chinese silk is grossly inferior to the Persian (didn’t the Chinese discover/invent silk in the first place?). I have also received an education in blends primarily with silk and wool, fibers per centimeter, fiber length, backing, and stitching. Wow!
The carpet Hajji recommended that I buy a Persian silk carpet instead of the Chinese because of the thickness, quality, and durability. Obviously the Persian cost more than twice as much as the Chinese and after considering my success with the bazaar Hajji, I reasoned I could barter with the carpet Hajji. I used tremendous amounts of charm, bargaining skill, compromise, negotiation, and finally blatant displays of my 9mm to reduce the price $10 over a period of an hour. See, I told you I had ability. In the end, I bought a Chinese silk carpet for Kris to put under her feet in the morning for our bathroom. Of course I had to try it out a couple of mornings before sending it to here. I will tell you that throwing my tootsies on pure silk (even if it is the dreaded Chinese kind) feels pretty damn fine. I even went back to the carpet Hajji and inquired about silk carpet slippers. His stunned expression was enough for me to look for silk socks online.
Our weather has changed once again. It has now gone into the mid 40’s with ominous looking clouds hiding our mountain ranges. Our snow is melting and the ground is thawing. The good news is the temperature increase in the showers and bathrooms. The bad news is the thawing ground is now muddy and it is difficult to keep the back of your pants around your calves mud-free when walking or especially running. Thankfully the warming weather has not increased the temperature inside my room. Should that mercury rise above the current 80 degrees, I swear I’ll move into a tent by my work shop.
I want to take this opportunity to thank a few of you out there that have made my being separated from Kris and the kids easier. First, many thanks Dave and Brandy for helping out with the new table and chairs. I just found out about that the other day and cannot tell you how much I appreciate your assistance. Also, thanks again for the package of goodies you guys sent. I may have complained a bit (only because you teased me with those Kahlua infused chocolates instead of the real thing). Mary, thanks for the Starbuck’s care package. It could not have come at a better time. Dad and Sharon, thanks for picking up Morgan and helping out through the Nikki birthday weekend. Nikki has told me twice about your visit. Finally, thank you Mom and Grandma Millie for the emails, cards, and gifts. You two have this USPS mailing thing down.
Speaking of mail, many of you have mentioned through email that you have sent a card, letter, and or package through snail mail (USPS). The process is extremely slow this time of year. Kris sent me a package two weeks ago that has still not arrived. I sent Christmas cards out to a few of you on the 8th of December that you folks still have not received. I will certainly let you know the day I receive anything from you guys. Believe me, the mail guy not only knows me by sight, but also by name, date of birth, hometown, shirt size, etc. Not that I am anxious or anything, but I sure love getting the stuff you folks send. Thank you for everything!
Author’s Note: I misspelled Kyrgyzstan in Week 4. Also when referring to Kyrgies, I spelled them Kirgis. I cannot believe any one of you did not catch that egregious mistake and point it out to me, primarily you, Joe (BIL). I guess it’s time to have the spell-checker on my computer also scan for Russian.
I do make a concerted effort to make these updates chronological; however it just doesn’t work that way in all cases. As an example, the second paragraph in this Weekly was inserted in that position on the sixth day of this week because of how late I sent out Week 6 and how meaningful and prominent I felt the subject matter to be. I thereby subjugated the rest of the information as a secondary priority to that second paragraph. I hope that makes sense to you and negates any confusion caused by my lack of stringent synchronous day-to-day order.
Two of you recently have told me that I should write a book. I am. Actually I am writing two books. I started both a year or so ago and have been plodding along. I am putting real effort into one of those now and feel I am a solid third of the way into writing it. If any of you know a good publisher, please let me know. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I figure it is time I made it happen. I also have no idea when I will finish it, but one of my 44 goals is to complete it before leaving this locale (as you may recall, I have completed two of those goals already).
We have been working overtime to try and get these vehicles completed. I have been flogging the guys to get the vehicles templated and the Auto-CAD emailed in. I knew once we accomplished that, we would have about ten days before the armor started showing up. Well, we finished our last vehicle this week and got the stuff emailed to our company. We had planned to take today (Sunday), and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off as well. My plan turned out to be a pipedream. As an example I will be briefing a two-star general who is coming to visit our little operation on Christmas day. I guess he thinks visiting me on Christmas afternoon demonstrates the priority of my little operation and makes me feel important. What it actually means is that I worked today to organize my shop, stage a vehicle and every step of the process, and prepare a briefing to include strengths and limitations. It no doubt means that I will have follow-on meetings on Tuesday to tell the leadership who was not present on Monday everything that was said. Did I tell you guys how much I love the military?
Oh, another weather change to tell you about. The temperature dropped and it started snowing today (Christmas Eve). I called my mother about an hour ago in front of the Pat Tillman USO here next to the airstrip to wish her Happy Birthday and the snow was coming down in a furious fashion. I have no idea how much accumulation is expected, but I do love white Christmases and I am about to have one here. It’s nice to know there is one thing about Afghanistan that I like: snow accumulation.
OK, it is 2315L on Christmas Eve and I really want to get this out. If there is any Christmas magic that I have the ability to dispel, it would go something like this: To Doug and Tina, I wish you guys would get pregnant and prove once and for all that the operation was worth the effort; To Joe Luna, I wish you would find that job back in Washington you want (preferably very close to Dean); To Aubrey, I wish you continued recovery and health (you’re getting older, man); To Charles, I wish you would retire as a Sergeant Major (you’ll make it soon); To Brandy, I wish you would find a guy worthy of you (so you’ll leave the beer in my fridge alone), and To Mary, I wish Larry would be back soon and you can go back to Jeeping, beering, and telling stories.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Craig
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