moquito season

well, the temperature is slowly rising. i don't expect to see temperatures below freezing in our remaining time here; it's so sad. as it gets warmer, the bugs and animals will start to get more frisky too. the nice thing about below freezing temperatures is it makes all those things die, or hibernate, or otherwise not bother people. as such, i've resumed taking the malaria meds they gave us. not that it makes it impossible to catch malaria; just a little harder. i don't want people to worry, but we're in the part of the country with the highest malaria incidence rates (for soldiers anyway). so if anyone happens to have a spare bug zapper they're not using, i have power outlets. *cough* hint *cough*.

it seems the new guys have some decent volleyball players. i ran over to the post courts today (not that they're that spectacular, but they work), and got in on a few games. it was way better than when i've tried playing with the guys from my unit. they're not good...at all...and there's a decent chance you'll get hurt from them coming over the net and smacking you...or kneeing you, or elbowing you...you get the idea.

hey ashley. welcome to the blog. the main thing i enjoy right now is snacks. nuts work well, or the canned chicken and fish was pretty good. basically, anything that doesn't spoil quickly. one of my roomates got a microwave now, so i can pop over there and nuke something if i have to. it doesn't rotate what it's zapping though, so anything that requires that sort of thing (like popcorn) is probably not a good idea. the last time he tried to make popcorn, he just about caught the bag on fire. that would have sucked; burning down our living space. it wouldn't take long either as just about everything in here is made of wood.

anyway, i'm going to pop in a pirated copy of 'avatar', and chill. one of the perks about being in the middle of nowhere: no one cares enough to come after you for pirating stuff. i get the feeling being in a war zone has a bit of a deterring effect as well.

one more night dreading the approach of summer...one more night being grateful for the little things...one more night listening to my music...

i know that you can change the future
i know that we can make it happen
in my head there is a riot
and i don't think that i can fight it
'cause we have had enough
all the violence has touched
every part of our lives
our innocence is gone tonight
-papa roach, 'had enough'

hot

and not in a good way like chicks. according to the weather report, it only got up to 70 degrees, but i don't believe them. or maybe it was all that gear we have to wear around here. in any case, i got hot...i hate being hot. i want to go with the last group that just left here and went to alaska. now that sounds nice. or even back home would be ok with it's highs in maybe the 40s. for all you majority types that like it hot and worship the sun, you can come over here and have it. summer's going to suck hard :(

oh yeah, i tried some of the canned chicken and tuna that got sent to me. all i have to say about that is: yummy. that stuff beats the chow hall by miles. thanks guys.

we had out first mandatory fun day last weekend. for those of you that aren't too familiar with the army, mandatory fun day is when they schedule some random, supposedly fun event and force everyone to show up...and you'll have a good time, or else... at least it's not back in the states where they can make you bring your family too. being the team's technical support, they thought it would be funny to have me set up movies and popcorn. both were a flop as people decided to stay outside. tomorrow morning i'll need to make a dumpster run to get rid of the 1/2 bag (and i mean like a big trash bag) of popcorn that's left over and getting staler as i type. it did make for a better dinner than the chow hall when it was fresh though. thank you 'morale welfare and recreation' (MWR).

why is everything about food tonight? i guess i must be bitter about the crap i had for dinner. i ditched the main line entirely and went for the 'chinese' food they had in the secondary line. what i would give for a panda express or that little chinese mom and pop store that used to be next to work...that place was awesome!

anyway, i'm going to wrap this up before i depress myself too much thinking about real food.

one more night trying to decide if i want to break into my stash of peanuts...one more night hoping it'll stay cold just a little longer...one more night listening to some tunes while i blog...

turn my mic up louder, i got to say somethin'
light weight step it aside, when we comin'
feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumpin'
people on the street, they panic and start runnin'
words on loose leaf, sheet complete comin'
i jump on my mind, i summon the rhyme of dumpin'
feeling the blind, i promise to let the sun in
sick of the dark ways, we march to the drummin'
jump when they tell us they want to see jumpin'
screw that, I want to see some fists pumpin'
risk something, take back what's yours
say something that you know they might attack you for
'cause i'm sick of being treated like i have before
like i'm stupid standing for what i'm standing for
like this war is really just a different brand of war
like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor...
- linkin park, hands held high

new guys

so our higher recently changed out. they're driving me nuts changing everything, and generally making me work longer than normal. today was a good example. they decided to have to an exercise in the morning. the one morning when i usually sleep til noon, and they want to have me up and about doing commo checks. hey retards, we've been using our commo assets to run missions while you guys have been setting yourselves up! anyway, enough about that.

i got the box dad and mom sent me a while back. i've been a little distracted so it hasn't come up. the movies are cool. every once in a while, i get to kick back and watch something so...nice. i don't do chocolate, but my cooworkers loved the tootsie rolls. i'll toss them one, and they return a nice smile :) some of them discovered the kit-kats, and just about started a fight over them. i tried to tell them i was saving them for sometime special, but they just complained about me not sharing. they don't seem to get the idea that i'll be happy to share once i actually decide to start eating them. anyway...

as february comes to an end, i sense the weather's going to be getting warmer soon. it's a shame, cause i kinda like the way the weather's been; chilly in the morning and temperate during the day. summer's going to suck.

one more night hating officers for the extra work they generate...one more night being grateful for the little things...one more night listening to techno while i blog...

with an open heart
knowing deep inside
you left a trail of love behind
can i follow in your footsteps
like a golden star
that's the way you shine
you paved a road that's so divine
can i follow in your footsteps
- dj encoure, follow in your footsteps

singing

so everyone that knows me knows i love to sing; just not when others are around. they like to complain a lot (especially the bunch i'm with now). a few days ago i managed to be the only one in our 'room' of 6. i figured i'd just throw on some headphones and sing along with my favorite songs. what came out was atrocious. i don't know if it was the lack of practice or that i don't sound as much like haley williams as i thought (man, she can sing). so lesson learned: practice, practice, practice; even if it's just for myself. back in the states that's easy due to all the commuting i do. here though...

things have been a little busier than usual the last few days. a new group came in, and they're messing up everything that was perfectly good before they got here. this happens with every unit in the military. the new guys want to distinguish themselves from the old guys. i think it's mostly officers trying to get something good put on their evaluations, but that doesn't make it any less painful for everyone else. one more reason i'll never be an officer.

well, i need to get back to work. one more night in endless meetings...one more night of short sleep as i have to get up dark and early tomorrow...one more night wishing i could sing really, really loud...i mean on the verge of screaming singing...it feels so good pushing your voice that hard...

cold?

the weather's been crazy lately. it's actually chilly outside! the temperature's a little over freezing and the wind's blowing like pretty hard. i can't imagine what the people in the mountains are going through. not that i'm complaining. i like my seasons; this is just a little unexpected.

the last couple days before it got cold, it was nice (or at least what i consider nice). it rained for 2 days! considering that's the second time i've seen it rain here, i find that rather impressive. and i loved it.

when it cleared, i got grumpy cause the sun came out...that infernal ball of gas in the sky! i swear i'm like the opposite of what we're all told to be like. i like it cloudy, and rainy when i'm outside. i like it dark and windowless when i'm inside.

one of the people i'm here with recalled when she'd seen me in my natural environment (back at our computer shop in indy). she said it was dark, i had a dark desktop, and was listening to dark music. ah...fond memories. it's like i'm drawn to things that are depressing. the beautifully depressing things...

i'm reminded of the silmarilian by j. r. r. tolken. the world he created draws some fairly accurate parallels with our world. the god character had what parallels to angels that would sing constantly. the song they sung was the history of the physical world, and they sang reality into existence. the devil character and his minions didn't like that so they sung dissonance into the song. but even the dissonance when mixed with the angel's song, was beautiful. and so all the evil designs were twisted into the divine purpose, and came to good.

all those things i'm supposed to hate: the dark, the rain, the clouds, the depressing music...i wouldn't say they bring a smile to my face, but they please me. there's a place for everything.

well...i've rambled on enough. wish me more rain that i may dance in it.

rain

i'm only happy when it rains
i'm only happy when it's complicated
and though i know you can't appreciate it
i'm only happy when it rains
- garbage

we saw our first rain a few days ago. i was starting to wonder if that ever happened here. i see plants around so i figured it had to happen every now and then. apparently, when it rains here, it really rains. a full day of rain is what we ended up with; almost 24 hours worth. total accumulation of 1.3 inches. the ground was not ready for that. it rains so scarcely here that when it does, there isn't anything to keep it around. 2 days later the only way you could tell it had rained was it wasn't as dusty as before. it was an overall positive thing. the farmers get to try growing something, the taliban get a little less support from the locals, and the soldiers don't have to breathe in as much dust.

people with sinus or breathing issues definitely shouldn't come here. friends have been hacking up dirt, and ending up with a brownish mess when they blow their noses. i'd think it was pretty horrible if i hadn't experienced worse dust in kosovo. there it was the result of too much gravel being put down though. believe me, you can throw down too much gravel.

i hate to use you guys as a supply line but...i'm starting to run low on shampoo. i don't use much due to the army not letting me have hair, but it is nice to scrub what little i can grow. i could also use a new pair of shower shoes (cheap flippy floppies). the gravel is really hard on them so they don't last as long as they normally would. i don't dare head for the shower without them though; that floor is nasty in spite of being cleaned 3 times a day. so if anyone feels like sending me something i could use, there's a list.

well, it's my 'day off' so i'm going to try finding something fun to do. that probably means scrounging up some food, playing some volleyball, and taking another shower...ah, showers. is it sad when showering is the best part of you day?

life goes on

it's been a while since i've dropped a line or two here. the primary reason is lack of interest in the internet (crazy i know). that combined with it (the internet) not always being readily available have kept me silent for a while. so what's happened since i was on here last....

the fob got rocketed; that was interesting. the incoming siren sounded in the dead of night. i'm really glad we sleep in hardened structures, because getting up in the middle of the night and heading for a bunker is not my idea of fun. i woke up long enough to realize where i was then rolled over and went back to sleep. or at least i tried to...that siren's loud! louder than that outgoing artillery depending on where you're located. in the morning, we discovered the taliban are lousy shots. 3 rockets and none of them hit anything (important). later in the day we discovered a rocket that wasn't fired. so we went out and blew it up.

there are so many explosions around here, you start to lose track of them. 1/2 the time i'm not even curious enough to try figuring out what it was. i'll know if something seriously threatening happens.

wow, 15 minutes for verizon to load so i can pay my bill...this is why i don't do the internet so much. i really need to call them and tell them to stop billing me. maybe this sunday....

while i'm on random thoughts, gratz kathy on the new job. i'm sure most of you don't know her, but just in case someone does, give her a pat on the back for me.

ok, i'm starting to digress so i should wrap this up. one more night with the random explosions...one more night trying to ignore my roomates that are skyping (hello unintentional eavesdropping)...one more night listening to paramore while i blog...

now i've got a feeling if i sing this loud enough
that you would sing it back to me
i've got a feeling if i sing this loud enough
that you would sing it back to me...