DAY 36 / JAN 4

 

DAY 36 / JAN 04

            Another day of meetings, followed by actual work, and then more meetings.   My favorite. 

            I went to bed late last night, trying to make the most out of what little time I actually get to research stuff online.   So, I had a rough time getting up this morning and finally (after hitting the snooze three times on my 'puter) managed to struggle to the shower and start the day.

            After the first meeting, I took my new truck to the motorpool for them to work on.   Then I had to run down some generator issues and eventually, after two or three changes, managed to sign for some more generators from a unit that is leaving.  After that I managed to run a personal errand to the PX and search for something to buy so I could get cash back.   I originally went looking for a travel coffee mug, which I failed to bring with, but because they didn't have any of those and the ceramic mugs are too fragile and have stupid stuff on them I couldn't bring myself to buy one.   After much searching for something small to buy so I could get some cash back (because I refuse to go to the finance office and have them screw with my pay), I settled on a Mach 3 razor (like I have at home) and some shaving gel.   My electric razor is great for the field, but doesn't get as close a shave as a manual. 

            The PX is decent for a FOB PX, but it really doesn't have anything that interests me.   They have the usual drinks and uniform items, and even some souvenir coffee mugs with stupid ass sayings like, "Happiness is Baquba in my rearview mirror," with a picture of a rearview mirror and desert in it.   One great one was an imitation "Hard Rock Café" mug and where they usually list the city (ie. Las Vegas, New York), it said "Camp Warehouse."  I can only imagine the conversation with the Iraqi manufacturer that led up to that one.   Other than that, they have no other coffee mugs – no travel mugs specifically.  Well, being the crafty (and cheap) fellow that I am, I purchased my razor and took $20 cash back (the most you can here).   Now my devious plan to have a coffee drinking device will consist of going to the Green Beans Coffee House on the FOB and buying a White Chocolate Mocha tomorrow morning and then reusing the cup!   Ingenious, and cheap.  If you, dear reader, wish to contribute a coffee mug, I would have no objections.  Just find someone who knows the address and viola!

            During the nightly meeting the LTC mentioned the whole mail issue that I covered earlier.   I think I mentioned in a previous entry that I put a box in my room so I could manually shred the paper into that and then, when it got full, find a burn barrel and put it in there.   Well, as it turns out, that's what the LTC suggested too.

            REAL TIME NOTE:

            The worst thing that could possibly happen did.  No, no one got killed or injured, nothing exciting like that.   My 2GIG thumb drive died.  All of the work I had, all the files I saved.  Toast, no more workie.   Crap.  Well, the good news is that I backed it up about three days ago.  Thank God for that.  So, I only lost a couple hours of work.   If you have a thumb drive you work out of, you know how I feel and can empathize.  If you don't have one, you should get one so it can die and you can empathize too.

            END OF NOTE.

            I just got some info from my buddy in the FA.  It looks like we managed to blow up one of the little bastards who was firing mortars at us.   Whoo-hoo!  One down, and who knows how many to go.  But, I'm glad that at least that's one less insurgent to try and kill us.

            Damn that outgoing fire.  It always makes my heart beat so much faster.   At least now, I know by the second round that its outgoing.  If the sound is the same the second time, I know that its us firing.   If its different, I know its them.  Our guns make big big booms.