Ok, yesterday the computers (like all of them on base, for some reason) were doa. Phones too. (Well, the ones next to my tent anyways.) So I wrote nothing yesterday, but I’ll try to make up for it anyways.

Yesterday we had three mortar attacks… so much for my perfect day. (At least that’s what I remember… I don’t think I slept through any more…) I woke up and found out that during the.. um day… while I was asleep, someone stole my binoculars that were on my belt. They actually had to take off my belt of my DCU pants and take the binoculars. I don’t know who did it, but if I find them they’ll receive a fist in the face. And they wonder why I don’t like anybody out here. Anyways, at guard duty, nothing happened at all. (We had the usual kids come by and [try to] talk to us, but that’s it.) After that, I came back and was told, “We’re moving into our new tent!” Well, I go down there to find out that all the good spots were taken. No more sleeping under the AC for me. Also, I’m sleeping right across from the door. (That means that when I sleep during the day the light flashes me every time someone uses the door.) Anyways, I’ve started building walls and stuff to make it nice for me. The walls block the light from the door, and gives me some privacy. I also ran electric cords over to my ‘cubicle’ to give me power. (Right now I’m trying to power a 220v fan on 110v power… needless to say it doesn’t have much power behind it.) I have need to fix that. Much need. Anyways, my area has a bunk bed (that I scavenged up and built… I use the top bunk as a shelf), a book shelf that I found, the cooler and chair I was given, my dresser and my footlocker. Not a bad area so far. I still need to fix the walls (they’re half-assed right now, since I had to do them in a hurry.) Build a desk… and find a light. Yes, a light would be good. (The walls keep out the light for sleeping, but they let no light in for when I’m not…)

What else… Oh yea, played some counterstrike and walked around from computer tent to computer tent trying to find one that was working. I failed, as you already know. So I ate stale cereal (since everything is stale here) and yogurt (kiwi flavored), and went to bed. Thus begun today.

Today I woke up to find that my gas mask was missing. It was on my web belt, I put it on my bed with my body armor and stuff, or so I thought. I might have left it at my old tent. I’ll find it when I finish this. (I had to borrow a friends real fast for guard duty formation…) I just hope nobody took that. *sigh* I need to build a door with a lock! So yea, guard duty… In front of our tower are big fields. These fields are some kinda grain (wheat or the like), watermelons, and various other produce items. Well, today the girls (they were prob around 14-16 years old, two of them) and the youngest boy out of the three we usually see were out there. They were using rapier like blades to cut the grain and were making stacks in the back of a pickup truck. The young boy (has to be around 12) who is the one who always comes to beg/talk/whatever came over to us about every 20 mins to do what he does. It’s actually pretty funny to watch. His bigger brother (prob 17 or so) came out and they both tried talking to us. Mainly it was about soccer (since the Iraqi team won a game in the olympics) and how the ‘madams’ were thirsty. He speaks a little english, but it’s still hard to understand him. I did get enough to realize that he wanted us to come play soccer with him in the field. If I could, I would. I like those little guys.

Another thing about this place is that it’s nothing like I expected. The women cover their bodies and faces, true, but they weren’t as docile and passive as I thought. (Or at least the ones I observed.) And the men look on them with some love, or so I thought. Today I saw the dad walk around the fields with a around five year old girl following him like a puppy. He would play with her and stuff too. I thought it was pretty cute. And the girls were pushing their brothers around, and laughing. It was interesting to watch. One thing that never happened before was the girls came up to the water in front of our tower (it’s prob about 20 yards from our tower) and washed their face and hands while talking to us. That’s the strange part. (We’ve been giving them water and some food (don’t tell) and so I guess they decided to come say hi.) The little girl kept looking embarrassed. They waved as they left and the little boy said, “See you tomorrow!” It’s not much, but while they are there, the time goes by alot faster. (Time goes by real slow when all you do is stare at the same fields…)

After guard duty today I came back and a whole pack was driving over to watch a movie… so I decided to tag along. The movie was Dodgeball. I haven’t laughed that much in a long time. It was really funny if you caught all the jokes. After that I came here to write this. Hope it’s long enough for you all.

On side notes, one of the most unpleasant things about this place… If you are doing something that makes it so you can’t take a shower in a couple days, which happens alot on some convoys or whatever, you start forming salt crystals on your body from all the sweat. (Mainly on your back where the bullet-proof vest traps in all the heat.) Anyways, these crystals start feeing like slivers all over your back. They stay while wearing anything tight (like the armor) or until you take a shower… very annoying.

Also, about SrA… My letter says I can actually wear it tomorrow, so I have my new shirt out and ready. So, now I’m not only getting paid like an E-4, I’m looking like it. 🙂

Welp, that’s my daily (or as daily as possible) update. Have a good day! I’m having a great day! (thank you webcams! Too bad I didn’t have a laptop… er .. yea…)
Later!

Strider

Oh yea… ideas I’ve had so far…
Birthday List
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Arabic Books
Body Wash
New Bonoculars… *sigh*

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Filed under: Uncategorized - @ August 19, 2004 12:14 am