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?