Day 42 - 7 October 2012

Well, I managed to get up this morning around 0600 to talk to Meagan and the kiddos. Last night was a crazy night in the tent. I bundled up before bed in my long underwear and sleep shirt, crawled under my sleeping bag, and was sleeping somber...until around 0200. I woke up burning up, as someone decided it was too cold and turned on the heat. Fair enough; so, I stripped down to my t-shirt and shorts. Woke up this morning FREEZING, as someone decided it was too hot...

Taylor was excited to tell me about his popcorn adventures. He has reached enough sales for the Super Soaker AND Day Camp, so he's pretty happy! At the same time, so are we...especially since they raised the amount the boys have to sell for Day Camp. I told Meagan, when I found out how much the goals were, that it seemed crazy. It was hard enough for us to hit $600 last year and they raised it to $750 this year. That's a bit crazy for a kid to sell, but I think they set it higher to encourage the boys. I don't know for sure. What I do know is that Taylor made his goals!

Went into the office today to work on the system I'm here to troubleshoot. It's up on a nice 40 foot tower, so I told the guys back in the States that I was not going to venture up there at night. I thought I'd take a pic to share with them, but figured why not share it here! It's a pretty big drop from the platform this thing is on to the ground below, hence the reason I did not want to go in the dark!

Went to the DFAC for lunch. I had the Mexican food from the main line: burrito, enchilada, rice, chicken empanada, and a chicken quesadilla. I ate with one of the guys from the shop here. He was actually one of my students in Florida earlier this year. We had a nice little chat, so that was good. I felt bad for ditching him for lunch yesterday; but, he wanted to go later and I was hungry THEN!

After lunch, I was just in chill mode. My job here is done and I am just waiting for my flight. I went over to look at the vendors with they guy I had lunch with. The "movie store" was quite impressive, for knock-off movies. Most of the movies are DVD copies and they are dirt cheap...$1 per disc. They have a Disney chest of 130 movies...CRAZINESS!

I did manage to make it over to the MWR and start working on my travel pay stuff, which was finally loaded on Friday. I got everything loaded in and set up my payments, so all of my entitlements should be flowing by the end of the month...we shall see!

Went back to the tent for a while and just chilled for a little while. I finished my post from yesterday, since I finally had a chance to catch up. I got everything packed up, for the most part, except the bottom sheet on the mattress. I'll pack that up after dinner when I'm ready to go catch my flight.

Went into dinner and saw this guy blowing up over the mountains. A nice little fall thunderstorm. I am actually a bit surprised to see it, as it's fairly cool here. However, given the heating over the mountains, it's not impossible. Shortly after the sun goes down, this thing will dissipate rather quickly. I took the picture with all of the colors after dinner, as the sun was going down. It was actually a very cool sight!

Dinner wasn't too bad. I had the Yankee pot roast, which was actually very, very good! The only complaint I had: they only gave me ONE biscuit! Otherwise, it was a very good meal! :)

Made my flight and made it back! I talked to one of the guys at the office for a bit. He and I are supporting each other for the next two weeks, at least. We are not eating any refined sugar. So, that means a lot of my goodies are of limits. I did good the last two days...only one soda (diet, so no sugar) and NO junk food...we'll see how long it lasts!

Speaking of...I heard I had mail waiting for me. It was the next edition of care packages from the 131st Training Flight...taking care of me! Unfortunately, it is chock full of stuff I can't eat until next Friday; including a HUGE box of oatmeal cream pies. So, I have something to look forward to!

Alright...back at the room and ready to crash! I need to get some rest so I can get up and talk to the family in the morning. 0500 comes way to early!!! Night all...God bless!

Day 41 - 6 October 2012

Pat Tillman Memorial USO

I'm surprised I woke up when the alarm went off this morning. I think I got just over 3 1/2 hours of sleep; maybe a little more. I was getting around and Meagan was urging me to hurry up! Emma said she was ready for bed, but Meagan told her I was going to be on the computer soon. So, I hustled around as fast as I could!

I got to do the night, night stuff with Emma. She's so cute when she does it. It's crazy to see her getting so big and talking so much clearer with me here. Perhaps talking to Daddy on the computer helps her some! Taylor got on and told me about his day. Then, he and Emma showed me their ninja karate skill! It was too cute!

After talking to Meagan and the kiddos, I went back to my room to get my laundry together and finish packing a few things. I loaded all my stuff up, walked over to the laundry tent, only to be reminded it is Saturday...they only do linens on Saturday. Heck, I didn't even know what day it was, let alone Saturday! So, I hauled my laundry back to my room and headed to the office.

 Called and confirmed I am flying today. I'm excited, because this is my first "easy" flight...no waiting around for the time to come. When I got to the plane, they told me to find a spot...we had a full load. Then, the aircraft commander came and said, "Is that all you have?" I told him yes and he moved me up to the galley! It was the coolest plane ride EVER! It was great, too, considering I am flying flags for some friends and Meagan!

Got out here to troubleshoot our system. I was able to run through everything the manufacturer wanted me to, but I really didn't get any information back. So, the guys want me to try calling them after dinner. Not headed back until sometime tomorrow.

Dinner was decent. I made a club sandwich with pita bread and put it in the grill press. Turned out pretty good. I also had some egg rolls, Asian noodles, Italian-style pasta salad, and macaroni salad. I had a couple of cans of V8, which were pretty good. The blueberry-pomegranate and strawberry-banana ones are pretty good!


Went back in to make my phone call and found out they could not be reached. In my opinion, this system is just flat broken. However, I do understand that we need to run tests and things on it, since it is a new system...so-to-speak. They haven't been around that long; so, if they can identify the root cause, perhaps we can prevent it or work it better in the future. With that line of thinking, my work here is not a lost cause...

Hung out at the office here until a little after 2300 and now back at my room. I need to get some sleep so I can talk to the family in the morning. Night all...God bless!

Day 40 - 5 October 2012

Got up and around this morning to talk to Meagan. Was actually getting ready to leave the room when we were put on lock-down. So, we chatted for a bit from my room before I headed over to the terminal to get coffee and finish talking.

Went to lunch and saw the rest of the guys as they were leaving. I got stuck talking to a couple of other folks. I had an Afghanistan Rodeo Burger for lunch: cheeseburger with pickles, onion rings, and BBQ sauce. Hey...sometimes you gotta be creative, right?!

Headed into work a little early. Our beverage/snack corner in the office is out of control, so I wanted to get it tackled. I think I did fairly well. I went through all of the drink mixes and pitched anything that was expired or not being used. These guys don't have much time left and we have a surplus of K-cups, which we can't use, taking up a LOT of space! I used one of the care package boxes to make a spot for all of the snack items. It's much better than just throwing everything in the corner!

Spent much of the day at work trying to get a system shipped out. It's a somewhat lengthy process, as we have to wait for the paperwork. The last part of my day was troubleshooting a system that has an issue we've been trying to put our finger on. The hard drive fills up and we have to manually remove data to get it working again. It's supposed to do this on its own, but it isn't. I also found out I'm traveling again tomorrow. Yay! I do get nervous traveling from time to time, but it certainly breaks up the monotony of being in the office every day!

Dinner was steak, just like every Friday. I had actually forgotten it was Friday, because I didn't smell the charcoal this morning. Sometimes, when the wind is right, the smell of charcoal will blow through. Then, I know it's Friday! It's actually one of the few times I can tell you precisely what day it is!

Ok...got back to the room from work a bit late and have to pack! I need to try getting a little sleep so I can talk to the family tomorrow. Night all...God bless!

Day 39 - 4 October 2012

So, how do you start the day off right? Well, let's see. I was up at 0045 with a MASSIVE cramp in my calf. I finally got it worked out around 0130 and went back to sleep. The alarm went off and I kept shutting it off until I finally woke up around 0530. I did get to talk to the kids, so that's good! I know Meagan doesn't like keeping them up late, but I'm trying my hardest to get up early. I'll be so, so very happy when the time falls back in the States!

Meagan shared some good news: we're closing on our interest rate reduction on Monday! Tonight, I worked to get a letter for my flight commander to sign, verifying I am alive and well. It was a little awkward on my first rough draft. It sounded a bit grim...in a way. So, I rewrote it to sound a bit better. It's still a little hard to write that someone is still alive...especially when you're talking about yourself! So, we're all set to close Monday and I am SO proud of Meagan to take this on for me. We were hoping to have this done before I left...so, FINALLY! :)

Went to lunch and had pizza...well, that's what they call it. It was a little strange. It was a soft, had a very sweet sauce, and cheese. Wasn't horrible, but it wasn't Papa John's, Domino's, or Pizza Hut either...

Went into work a little early. I've been doing that lately. I sat down and wrote a letter to Grandma, as I know she'll get a kick out of it when she gets it. She sent one in the first care package I received from them, but I just hadn't sat down to write back yet; so, I did. Something to keep me busy too! I just don't want to get bored here. If I do, that kills the space/time continuum and I might actually know what day it is...

Worked a few issues and then went to dinner. I love the jambalaya here! It has chicken and shrimp in it and I haven't had a bad helping yet!

Had a bit of down time, so I decided to fill out my ballot for the 2012 election. A LOT of reading on the ballot to decide amendments to the Florida Constitution. All in all, it took me about 30 to 45 minutes to vote. Some of the language is, well, not in easy to read language. And, if it is confusing to me, I can only imagine... Regardless, I cast my ballot and we'll see what happens next month! I can guarantee one thing: there was NO hanging chad on my ballot! ;)

Alright...that's it for tonight's edition. Tune in tomorrow for more...well, I don't think there is much on the plate for tomorrow...I suppose we'll see. Until then, night all and God bless!

Day 38 - 3 October 2012

Woke up this morning and got around to talk to Meagan and the kiddos. No kiddos, but Meagan and I chatted on messenger for a while. Not really a whole heck of a lot to talk about...

Went back to my room, thought about going to the gym, but decided not to. I'll be carrying around 75-80 pounds of gear today, so I will get my PT in... ;) I got my flags ready to fly, took a quick nap, then got around to get ready for my flight.

Headed over to the office to get a ride to catch my flight. Today is an absolutely beautiful day and I am so excited that I am able to honor some people who have made a difference in my life in one form or another. It's kind of crazy, when I think about it. Two of the flags I am flying are for radio DJs. But, these guys used to have a show on the radio in Nebraska (KXKT). I listened to Cassidy & Craig a lot...they'd share memories of oldies, but goodies, in the country world. And, many times, I would sit back and remember the good ol' days, back in Kansas, growing up... Amazing how songs can do that to you, especially a good country tune! Anyhow, these two guys have gone elsewhere; one to Florida, one to Wisconsin. I think, of any radio I've EVER listened to, I actually miss listening to the chemistry between these two, as they would spin tunes, the most. The other three flags are for a few friends in my life; two gamers who let me bend their ears once in a while and a guy who made an impression on me as a young NCO. All five are great people and I'm happy that they've been in my life one way or another...

I had to share this pic, because I am constantly amazed by how nice Army areas look when I find them. This, my friends, is a porch swing supported by...pallet straps! I saw this and thought, how cool is that!?! The patio area in this spot is really cool. I've been to a few FOBs here and, in some fashion, they all have unique and cool common areas!

We went out to a couple of different areas today to work on equipment. Our first stop was for nothing more than cleaning and inventory of the system. It was, quite honestly, pretty filthy. However, we gave it a bath, a little TLC, grabbed our serial numbers, and then had about 2 hours to wait for our flight. When we got back down to the LZ, I had to take a picture. I was actually at the headquarters for the International Security of Afghanistan Forces (ISAF)! 

The second spot we went to was in a nice, cozy little spot nestled in the mountains. Not only was it in the mountains, but it was by a lake! As we were flying in, you could actually see fish coming to the surface and it made me want to grab my pole and hit the shore! Actually, when we went over to look at the lake from the fence, I though, "I could probably cast that far!" Man, am I missing the fishing... I'm happy that it's going to be time for fishing season to start back up when I get home! :)

We finished up all of our work and got back to base; just in time for dinner! I missed lunch, so I had a couple of cereal bars Meagan had sent me. Not a lot, but enough to get me through to dinner! Dinner was prime rib, Thai beef salad, cheese tortellini, and corn. I splurged...desert was a piece of cake and two, yes TWO, chocolate chip cookes! :)

Have a bit of a headache, so I'm going to take some medicine and hit the sack...busy day! I have to try getting up in the morning to talk to the family. Night all...God bless!

Day 37 - 2 October 2012

Well, pretty much the same old stuff today. I got around this morning and talked to Meagan. I think we have decided on Disney World to surprise the kids. Now, we just need to plan on how!

Went into work a little early, as I was bored and didn't want to go back to my room and, well, sleep. I really need to finish up this third module in my Course 14 so I can test next week! Perhaps I can do that this weekend.

Lunch was good! We had pork loin and vegetables. The pork was good, but it would have been better with some BBQ sauce!

Was a little bummed to see some of the issues with systems at work, especially after we resolved so much last night! Oh well...work makes the time fly by! We did knock out a couple of items today, so that's good!

We had spaghetti for dinner. I also ate a large bowl of cantaloupe. Both were very good!

A bit of a ho-hum day...not much going on. Tomorrow will be better! I actually get to fly again tomorrow, so I'm going to fly five flags! Can't wait! That said, I should get to bed so I can do it all again tomorrow. Night all...God bless!

Day 36 - 1 October 2012

Well, here it is, the first of October! I got up early, for me, this morning. Wide awake at about 0430 this morning and ready to roll! I went in to talk to Meagan and the kiddos...chatted back and forth with Meagan, but the kiddos went to bed. We had a good chat and Meagan came up with an idea to surprise the kids when I get home. So, we're looking at Disney World or SeaWorld. We'll have to see when it gets closer, as Disney World is a bit more expensive (SeaWorld is FREE), but would be oh so cool!

After talking to Meagan, I went back to the room, changed into my gym clothes, and went to work out. I had a good workout...five minutes on the bike, 25 minute run, some core exercises, and then some arm work with the dumbells. Felt really, really good! Will probably do about the same on Wednesday!

After the gym, I went back and got cleaned up. Instead of sitting in my room doing very little of anything, other than sleeping, I headed into work to get some extra stuff done. I mean, I'm in the middle of a war-torn country. It's not like I can head downtown for a few hours before work... So, I went in way early to just hang out and get some stuff knocked out.

Tried something new at lunch today: bbq beef pockets. Surprisingly, they were pretty good! I think the main line was curry chicken, which didn't sound appealing at all...

Work picked up a bit today. We got a lot of things accomplished, so I'm excited about that! Essentially, everything I do here is new, great stuff to me; so, I get a bit excited about all we accomplish. Funny, as I am reminded of my first trip out. I was on an adrenaline high after we were done. The guy I was with thought I was crazy. But, just the feeling of going out, doing a great job, and completing the mission was AWESOME! :)

Dinner consisted of sweet and sour beef over rice. Very, very good stuff, in my opinion. The coworker I ate with agreed. I would rank it as one of the better meals. Of course, the best so far has to be corned beef and cabbage! :)

Finished stuff up at work and spent some extra time in the office looking at Disney stuff. I called and got the ticket prices from the Navy base. It looks like, with Emma being over three now, our option will be the 1-day, 1 park pass. I think we'll get two nights at the resort. This way, Meagan and the kids can drive down, stay the night, and I can meet them at the park the next morning. Then, we can stay the night and head back the next day. I think that would work better than trying to make it a few days. Plus, we may take Taylor out of school a couple of days, depending on when I get home. We'll see...plenty of time to plan!

Alright, it's late...2300...and I need to get up at 0445 in the morning. Night all and God bless!