Ketchup…

It’s been a while since I’ve written, and so I thought that I’d Ketchup everyone up on what I’ve been up to and why I haven’t written in a while. As most everyone knows I’ve been reassigned back to bagram and with that I’m now doing the cost for Task Order 004. The ENTIRE project.! Basically, I’m doing the forecasting and accruals all by myself! When I say that it is a lot of work that barely begins to say just how busy I am. The whole process takes two weeks and it is very tedious, and detailed. I’m glad that I can’t drink cause it wouldn’t allow me to focus like I would need to for this whole process! I find myself putting in a 20 hour day almost once a week! So as you can tell, when my day is finally over, the absolute last thing that I want to do is put in some more time on the computer. Anyhow, my timeline over the past couple of weeks is I was up in Bagram for 5 weeks before I returned to the south to collect my belongings at Camp Leatherneck to send up to Bagram while I go on my first R & R in Europe. I took a flight out of Bagram (BAF) on Friday morning the 18th headed for Kandahar (KAF). What would normally seem like an easy thing to do, it’s really a big time waiting game, as I was up at 2am to take a shower and at the passenger (PAX) terminal at 3am. So I sat there for about 3 hours in order to catch a flight. The initial plan was to try to get to Camp Leatherneck on Friday for a quick turn around, but to no avail. I ended up catching the late flight out of KAF Saturday night at about 11:30 or so, with a flight on MilAir at about 2am. Once I finally got into bed, it was 3:30am Sunday morning. I got up 5 hours later at about 8am, took a shower and began my errands for the day. I quickly learned that I had been booked on the helicopter that I don’t like to fly on Monday, so I inquired about MilAir flights that same day (Sunday). I got a flight on the MilAir flight at 4pm and was back in KAF by 5 or so. Knowing that I didn’t put in any work that day and with deadlines such as they are, I worked that night until midnight. Monday, now all non-work stress behind me, I was back in the office that morning at my usual time of 7am to get all this work done before I could truly relax and begin my much awaited R&R, a mere 98days after arriving in country. Hard to believe that I’ve already worked the equivalent of half a year’s normal work load…some 1,090 hours or so, and all in 98 days. Truth is I’ve probably worked more than that but we’ll let that slide. Its hard to imagine that life again, and yet here I am going on R&R for 2.5 weeks, and I find myself wondering how am I going to not work during that period. Work has become so normal, and a part of every waking moment. Somehow I think that I can manage! I finished all my work Tuesday, and was free and clear of it all in an instant, able to relax and begin thinking about the adventure I was about to embark on! All was right in the world again!!

Well that’s it, there’s my story for the last couple of weeks. Next time, MUNICH for OKTOBERFEST!

Lung Dart Anyone????

It’s been a while since, I posted an entry about one of my observances so I thought that I would give ya another one, although not as comical as copy cat Toyotas. I’ve noticed since I’ve been here how much the military smokes. You can see them everywhere there is a smoke pit, about 4 to 5 folks smoking, like it’s their last. I can no doubt attribute this habit to the inherent danger that awaits those that travel outside the wire to patrol and perhaps curtail all the wrong doing of the Taliban. I can sympathize with that fact; however, I just can’t see the point in smoking even still? I, myself, have never been able to handle a cigarette, or even chewing tobacco for that matter….it makes me gag! I can still remember the first time I ever tried “dip” or chewing tobacco. I was playing legion baseball in the summer for Greer and after what is still the fastest buzz set in, I disappeared behind the equipment shed where I must have vomited 4 times followed by a 2 inning nap. This all transpired during the game! Ahhhh memories!!

Anyhow it amazes me how all these military personnel smoke what seems to be about 2 packs of cigarettes a day and still get up each and every morning to do their PT, running miles upon miles, often times vomiting when they get to their finish line. I guess they too should perhaps give up the habit as I did many years ago. One difference would be that I was never able to start!! A habit such as this may seem trivial or even uneccessary or unhealthy, but I can see where the social aspect that surrounds it would be a must when thrust into an environment such as this. I guess that I can only wonder as I pass by on my way to the gym or work….i don’t know that I’ll ever truly understand?


I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying some cooler weather, I know I have been!


T – minus 18 days til Dubai!!