SAND OR SNOW, CHOOSE YOUR POISON

It's Tuesday morning and all is well, except it sand day!! Sometimes I think I'd chose a foot of snow over the sand. I woke up to the sound of rain outside. It's wierd but everytime it rains here (which isn't often) the sound seems to remind me of falling buttercups ( the flowers). I don't know why, since I've certainly never seen any fall. At any rate, the sound of rain here is different from home. Rain always preceeds or follows a sand storm. In this case it preceeded one. It's not too windy out but visibility is definitely restricted. For safety reasons we have to either stand down from outside work or limit it. I wear my glasses as it's not worth fighting grit behind my contact lenses.

Yesterday was a better day for my morale. I think taking a run later in the day was good for the mind as well as the body. Although I do walk around quite a bit, I've been remiss on my workouts. It felt good to get back into it, especially after this cold I had for several days. I ran about 2 miles with the other Supply Officer here, at less than normal speed, but it was a good workout nonetheless. I need to keep it up if I am to play hockey again when I return.

Earlier in the day I had someone take a vey large bolt cutter to a very large lock and free some of the bicycles chained up here for months. It seems that past Battalions have bought bikes and left them behind at the end of their tour. I washed and oiled it, now I need to get the gears working. Once I figure that out, I'll use the bike to ride "downtown" to the gym and swimming pool. It will give me something different to do. I'll have to park it indoors to protect it from all the blowing sand.

I received a distance learning Navy course in the mail the other day. There are about a dozen books I have to read, aside from the work assignments I need to complete. It will keep me busy and should improve my promotion chances. I look forward to learning something new!!

The current Supply Officer here is ready to go home. Since we have essentially completed turnover and I now have the "chair", he's been driving me and himself nuts trying to figure out how to keep busy until their flight leaves. So his day is measured by the number of meals he's eaten and cigars he's smoked. It's been fun to hang with him but he definitely needs to get on that plane and head home. We're ready to run with the ball at this point. It's been interesting so far. I have not "practiced" Supply in many years so this is a good opportunity to get back into it. I no longer need to be in the weeds but it helps to keep up with it.

My day usually consists of a 0730 staff call, which allows all the Company Commanders and Department Heads (like me) to put word out. We also get intelligence briefings each morning along with the CO's feedback. We're then off to work by 0800, lunch around 1130, and dinner by 5:30 PM. I usually end up working in the evenings, checking emails, or talking with my Senior Chief about the day's events or things to do. Somewhere in there I try to get a work out. For a change of fair I ocassionally go downtown to eat at Pizza Hut or Burger King. Most days, I don't spend a nickel, and on average I'm lucky if I spend $3 a day. That's a pretty good savings plan. Most of what I will earn is also tax free, working in a war zone.

I am hoping to move into the "loft", a room above my Supply office. It protected from the elements so I don't have to come back to a sand covered room every night. It also has a TV and DVD player so I can catch up on the world news. I'll take it over as soon as the current Supply Officer leaves. Then maybe I can get more comfortable. I also try to grab a daily edition of the Stars and Stripes paper for world information.

I've received lots of emails from friends and family, thank you. It is nice to keep up with what's going on in everyone's lives. It keeps me closer to home. Erica turned 18 last Friday and had her Prom night. I wish I could have been there but I know she had a good birthday weekend with friends and family. I've been getting pictures from Hannah.

I'll call it another day for now. As always, more to follow.