The answer to the question!

If you answered Pepsi and Mountain Dew, you are correct! Two of my favorite sodas, it could be better if they were diet instead! I don't need all that sugar!
Well....I think the cold weather here is finally, maybe over. It was warm yesterday and today, and I have gotten sunburned on my face. Because of my sunglasses, I now look like a racoon. I actually turned on the a/c when i returned to my hooch today---take that all you Ohioians!
Of course, I won't be laughing come May, June, July....I have heard that in July it gets hot enough that the truck tires actually start getting soft and wear out faster.
My progress in speaking arabic is hello, how are you, my name is, what is your name?, goodbye and I can count to three. And I can say zein, which is ok. When something is good or right the Iraqi's say zein!
"Sadaam bad!" "Bush good" is a frequent refrain.
That's all for today.

Can You Guess?

For today I have posted a photo of two of my favorite sodas to drink. I usually have the diet version back in the states, but here all that is served is one in the diet version (the blue one).
Can you name these two famous soft drinks? Well, if you can, good consumer you are! If not, well you will have to just wait until next time to find out.
I took my language phrase book with me today and tried out a few phrases with the locals. We had a good time with (1) my not doing a very good job of pronouncing and (2) just trying to get it right! I don't think I have a knack for language, other than southern Ohioian.
Driving around today I saw something different-green, yes, green grass growing alongside the road. Just about everywhere else, the brush has been bulldozed to clear it away, but in some places it still stands. Green grass! Wow!

Do you know? 

A Day in the LIfe...

0530 Alarm goes off on watch and its time to get up---or snooze for maybe five no make it ten minutes...
0543 Put on fleece jacket, sandals, grab towel, shower shoes, shower stuff, razor and head outside to the latrine to shave and shower and all the other things you do in the morning.
0605 -0615 Come back to hooch and put on uniform, grab weapon and head to chow.
0620 What's for breakfast today? Bacon and eggs? Waffle? Of course juice, coffee, fruit, yogurt and maybe some Luck Charms today! Yes!
0700 or so, back in hooch, quick daily read of Purpose Driven Life and prayer time.
0730 Sargents of the platoon meeting then get the guys organized and off to work!
Working during the day......
Highlight of the day of course is lunch! Pizza maybe? Burger? My current desire, onion rings!
Maybe a salad, or sandwhich.
Back to work and work.
Off work, some PT (physical training, in other words the gym).
Grab some supper and back to my hooch. Watch a little of I Love Lucy on DVD and then hit the sack and get some sleep. Then starts another day....just like before.
There are some interruptions:
Maybe some mortars drop in for a visit. If you hear them, then you are still here. Just carry on with your business.
Hear some booms? How far away? That loud one was a rocket landing nearby.
Far ones are outside the wire...car bombs maybe?
Other distractions: airplanes to watch, helicopters to watch, amoured vehicles going by;
Beautiful sunsets and rises. Blue skies with touch of white clouds, the birds swooping around looking for a free meal.
That is the day in my life. Not too exciting. Kinda boring. Sometimes the days are long, sometimes they are short.

Believe it or not, it rains here. And when it rains here, the brown, dusty ground gets brown and very, very muddy. It sticks like glue and you feel like you are walking with 10 pound weights on your boots.
When the sun is shining, it feels like late March, early April in Ohio and I feel like working in the pasture or going to a track meet or on a hike. Then I look outside and realise where I am.
If this was early spring in Ohio, like it feels here, the nights would be cool and the days warm. The trees would still be bare and the forest floor covered with the blooms of wildflower. The grass would have that greener than green color and the air smell crisp and clear.
Here the air smells funny, because west of me they are burning trash and you can smell it.
The other night I was told, "Check your guys, 100 per cent accountability!" and so off I go and count noses and all noses added up. Over the next few days, the story becomes clear, a certain GI Joe is missing and the bad guys tried to fake it with a real GI Joe---doll. No doubt you have read this in the paper or seen this on the news. I just can't believe this is real! What could they have been thinking??? Wait, I better check my GI Joe--ok, he's still on my shelf! To explain, my daughters gave me a 40th anniversary GI Joe to take with me. He sits and guards my room while I am out and about.
I feel like a freshman in college. I have a room I share with another soldier, we each have a bed, a wall locker, night stand, lamp, I acquired a desk, he too, we have rugs, fridge, computers, etc. But instead of carrying books, I carry a rifle around with me. A little different!
We are fed fairly well here, in fact, I'd better watch it or I will gain those "freshman 20 pounds"!
But, since I walk just about everywhere, I am actually getting in decent shape, along with the PT I do. In a year's time I will be able to walk quite a ways to get to eat!
Next time I write, I will tell you, as best as I can, what I see and hear during the day.