What would a Pugilist do?

... probably punch someone in the throat - as I am secretly yearning to do.  I had a very restful night and woke up not feeling like someone kicked me in the kidneys thanks to a good mattress and NASA technology.  I once again, as I do every morning, put a few hints of makeup on in the dark and realized that  I'm getting pretty good at it.  Sometimes I have to apply it using a flashlight and others within the soft glow of a single reading lamp - I am always afraid that I will greet the day looking something like this, but that hasn't happened just yet.  I make some coffee, take a very short trek to work, settle in

to complete my planning data and then the texts begin... "get on the next plane to KAF - they need you there immediately."  I mean really, who's running the show here - monkeys?  I get ahold of a contact there and shockingly, there is no emergency nor any specific and dire need for me to be there instantly.  Plus, I just wasted an entire day moving to a new Bhut, turned my laundry in and won't receive it until the 1st, have no way to manage the shipment of my items in that short of time and I have to get some things shipped home - which takes half a day hanging around with the mouth-breathers at the post office.  Additionally, there is a training slot open for one of the mandatory classes I have to take, but instead they want me to sit in a PAX terminal all day to see if I can get on a flight. I think this has been the first day here where I was ready to knuckle kiss  someone in their pie-hole.  The long and the short of it is that I have a fixed seat in the near future and that's when I'm leaving - until then, I will finish the project I have going and that, as they say, is that.  Wow - thanks for letting me vent into cyberspace.  I'm like an angry little pixie, shaking my fist and spewing bad-mojo around - it comes out as dripping sarcasm, but inside I'm really giving someone an ass-woopin'.  The odd thing is that nobody seems to know where the bright idea originated or the urgency - I will simply be there soon.

Now, on to more positive things.  Another one of the boxes I mailed myself appeared yesterday.  It's number 2 of the 3 that made it here, then back, then here.  The 3rd is still missing and hasn't been seen in either continent to date - I may have to write that one off, but hopefully not.  The day is absolutely beautiful and the mountains are clearly visible.  Last night there was an incredible full moon, so I took some pictures and did some lolly-gagging in my new space - little did I know it would be such a brief affair!   Luckily, I also received a phone call this afternoon from my friend who was shipped down to Kandahar yesterday - (which-is-when-I-should-have-gone-rather-than-moving-if-it-really-was-that-damn-important.... I digress) - and she told me to get there immediately.  Apparently it resembles civilization, the roads are paved, the team there is great - they had a Welcome Packet for her with a map identifying important locations and took her to dinner - we will be the only two in the women's tent for now, the rooms are huge and pristine AND the new showers are almost complete.  You don't have to tell me twice - I am headin' south as soon as I can get my clothes back from the Eastern European laundry service - where, I must say, I am very suspect of exactly what happens to your clothes when you turn them in for cleaning.  There's one young man there I sincerely suspect may try them on beforehand ...  I'm also too scared of the women who run the front desk to ask if they actually use the Tide, or just keep it out for display - I can't understand a word they say, but they laugh at my attempts at humor and can burn the longest continuous cigarette ash I have ever seen - the cigs must be bonded together with baby parts - these gals are t.o.u.g.h.

Because I'm now in a rush, I'm going to sign off with a few quick comments from the news today that I found really entertaining - Ricki Martin came out as a gay man - WOW!  I really didn't see that one coming ... things are heating up with the Kandahar offensive - when aren't they heating up? -  and this last one - I mean, really ... I'm speechless ... here are the mugshots of the religious cult in Michigan who were planning some police killings.  How that solidifies your position in heaven is the angle I haven't quite been able to pinpoint with any level of confidence.

I haven't seen anything this frightening since I had to pull off the main road in southern Kentucky in order to turn the car around - cue the dueling banjo music!

I somehow feel safer over here than I would living within 5 miles of any of these people.  Now I won't be able to get the line "heeere, piggy, piggy" out of my head for the rest of the day. And yes, it does appear that the guy on the end has a mullet. Business in the front, party in the back!

What an excellent example of fine Americans who exude intelligence and good breeding.

Drink of the night - all the Mountain Dews in Mee-Maw's double-wide!  Kidding!  I will be drinking everything left in my fridge because I can't take it with me - cuz I'm the Hillbilly Wino!