The Final Week

Let me tell you, I have had some pretty long days this past week and they will only become longer this upcoming week - my final week working here planning military bases.  Not only has the worked slowed in general - thanks to us being so good at it - but my personal workload is non-existent because I am OUTTA HERE!  On or around the 18th, I out-process at Manas AB in lovely Bishkek and then hopefully can spend a few days in Turkey (or somewhere) before I end up in London where one of my besties has lived for the past two years.  I've never been to either place and much fun awaits in London with a friend I've had since my wild 20s - we were once housemates, then neighbors and then stopped living in packs - I have a whole collection of fun memories with this particular buddy and I cannot wait to see her in her own habitat.  Let me put it this way - neither of us could probably ever run for a political office due to the amount of fun we had in "olden times".  I am very much looking forward to this mini-break before heading back to begin the new position with a totally new company.

As for the new job, as usual I am driving myself crazy wondering what it will be like, where exactly I will live and how I can impact the project in the best possible way.  This has resulted in me being antsy, checked out, impatient (I had visions of homicide this morning watching people not wash their hands before headed into the DFAC - something we are required to do to keep the ick at bay) and lost in the whimsy of upcoming travel adventures.  In short, I cannot wait to get the hell out of here and escape living with a mass of people - the majority who appear to be listless functioning idiots,  or dopey man-childs - for just a little bit.  Seriously, I don't know where the Army did it's most recent recruiting, but they are totally dragging the bottom of the barrel at this point (markedly different than other Army units that seemed just fine in times passed).   Since this most recent group showed up the base is a trash bin, common areas reek of body odor and they seem to have no clue - just shuffling down the middle of the road, throwing their garbage down and apparently unaware of the purpose of showers and deodorant.  I might add, the majority of these people live on, and will never leave, the base - it's not as if they've been out in the field for days, etc.  It's amazing how much your tolerance drops when you are so close to leaving here.

So - the leaving also means packing up my things.  I cannot believe how much I have accumulated in a 8 x 10 foot space, but it's looking like 5 storage boxes and then some random trash bags filled with loose items.  In my defense, things like blankets and pillows are space hogs but coveted at the same time - so are shoes.  I also apparently have another mouse, or seven, being that I found a good deal of mouse droppings which were not present two weeks ago.  That would be explained by the fact that I could have driven a truck over my mousetraps and they still wouldn't have gone off.  They somehow became pretty much stuck in the "set" position and therefore ineffective.  So now I don't even care - they can run all over the place, nuzzle me in my sleep, set up a circus - they are on their own to do as mice will.  One. More. Week. ... of living in a tent.

Well the new job is making me a little nervous at this point - something I just need to get over.  Jitters are common with new positions, but working here adds a whole different dimension - the safety factor or at least perceived safety factor.  While I become pretty used to helicopter rides, errant gunfire and rocket and missile attacks, I will now have to get used to what will most likely be frequent convoys in up-armored Toyotas, foot patrols through my parks and to an occasional village to meet with community leaders, and working off of base with the local Afghan government.  These are all things that literally 1000s of people do throughout Afghanistan on a daily basis and without much concern.  Seriously, there are so many civilians working over here directly with the Afghan people and government - it would amaze you.  So I try to keep that in mind when I consider what I've read in the news reports the past few weeks concerning assassinations of local government officials and the very sad story of the abduction and subsequent murder of the Scottish aid worker from DAI.  I think I am paying way too much attention to things like that and need to get refocused - fear is not your friend here as it can make you react badly to situations you are confronted with on a pretty regular basis.  I have also not been afraid since I arrived here and now is now time to start.  I think most of what is driving this is the new job, the change in duties and who I will be working with.   I know my company is not well served by putting us in extreme danger.   I will also have military escorts or private security and they will most likely greatly reduce our time in the field if things are too dicey - just like they do here as we've all been on a travel ban the past 8 - 10 days because it's getting pretty violent out there.  This new position will simply become my new "normal" and will take some time to adjust - like anything else would. 

Speaking of nastiness and war - there is often an upside to the crazy.  Last night I sat outside on top of a bunker and watched all of the flares being set off to mark positions.  We fired several missiles from base at something and then the jets were just screeching around - fast and low.  The overall effect was simply beautiful and a weird contrast because you knew what was happening but it all looked so choreographed and pretty.  In addition to the stunning night skies we get over here, it was also a crystal clear night so you could see the outlines of the errant desert mountains from the light of the flares.  Just amazingly cool to see.  It's the little things, right?

Well I am hoping that when I wake up tomorrow that I've somehow redeemed myself with my Fantasy Football scores - I have been creamed the last two weeks and need to turn it around.  I'd also like to wish my brother and his wife a Happy 11th Anniversary - their wedding in Key West was a blast!  My niece has a birthday in 11 days and I think the rest of them are having successful school, sport and friend experiences so far this year.  Go kids!  Hope the rest of you all have - or are having - a great weekend!  Can the Bengals redeem themselves after losing to Cleveland last week???

Drink of the Day - Hot Cocoa - it's a brisk 82 here today!