Simples!

Sorry it's been so long since a post, but I needed to make sure I had something to write that was accurate for at least 24 hours before I posted.  Let's see... returned from an exhilarating vacation, barring a horrible cold/flu I caught during the last leg, and within 3 hours of arriving back to my office compound we had a huge meeting and the staff was cut by 25%.  I was certain I was to go, but after 3 hours of waiting (as we were called in 1 by 1) I was informed that not only was I staying, but they loved my work and were sending me to FOB Wilson to clean up the mess there.  If you recall, FOB Wilson was one of the bases I spent all last summer planning - just the mention of it made me tense.  So, that began a series of back and forth changes that lasted for 3 weeks - you're going, you're not going, we're developing a new position for you, you're going, no... and finally I was going for sure and here I am.  The reason for the cuts has to do with the funding we receive through USAID, who in return receives if from Congress and FY11 doesn't come through for a few months.  Our program is also going through an audit and that's not helping - basically, it's still somewhat up in the air, but we did get enough money to continue for a few more months in hopes of more coming in.  So that covers that - as you can imagine, it's been a tense time.

As for being back, I arrived just in time for fly and rodent season.  Mice and flies all over our dining facility, then rats in the food, topped by me opening the fridge to grab a plate and there being a large mouse on top of it - by that time I didn't even flinch.  This was making my Menno Paws situation last spring look like something a baby could handle.  They were finally able to get that somewhat under control but it took days for me to get my gag reflex back in check - was scared to eat or touch anything.  To make things better, we enjoyed a pretty frequent indulgence of vodka around the fire pit during the evenings - usually Thursday nights - which was very entertaining until we all ran out of cash for the $80 per bottle price tag on rot-gut.  Possibly, I'm in the wrong industry over here... Carlos, the gay Philippine assistant site manager of our office compound was on speed dial and would sashay into our compound with our order and a lot of sass - all in very broken English - imagine a flaming queen, waltzing into our camp, palms out, runway walk, cig in one hand saying things like "oh, you bad boys, bad lay-dies Hee Hee - who be bad for Carlos?" - I can't even describe how surreal that situation was, but I hope I never forget it.   Lord.

 

 So now I'm out at FOB Wilson - middle of a combat zone, during combat season.  I'd been here last year so I knew what to expect.  Cannon guns going off at night, always on notice for attack.  I live on the other side of the wall from the District Governor's compound which keeps coming up as a prime target for attack.  I have to work over there frequently.  There are a ton of Afghan's milling about and the security is run by the ANP - not a unit I have any confidence in.  I do have private security and am escorted everywhere - including the shower, but I just put an end to that during the day.  This is a joint camp with the ANA so Afghans in uniform are all over the place here and I can't say I like it, but will adapt.  They are weird around women - mostly nice, but plenty of bullshit and I'm not putting up with it so we'll see how that goes.  My living container is fabulous, but there are nothing but port-o-johns and anyone can use them - including the Afghans - who basically stand on the seats and crap all over everything.  It's disgusting, but they clean them several times a day.  Blech!

I will be working closely with the District Governor and the projects work much differently than they do in Kandahar City.  For one thing, it's easier for the Taliban to intimidate people.  They cut the ears off of several workers on one of our projects two weeks ago and it's been hard to get the locals to show up for work - as you can imagine.  We award contracts for projects under the stipulation that locals are hired

my trailer - complete with plastic lounge!

so you can imagine the difficulty and  understand why they don't want to come to work all the time.  There are some really cool projects going on here as well - women's empowerment, small schools, I have a radio station and DJs on my staff, agriculture projects.  I am looking forward to these and hope our funding continues so that they can move ahead.

Today I went on my first foot patrol here outside of this base.  It was about a mile and a half out to the last site and we had a military escort, but damn I was on my toes - it was rather scary to do this in this area.  That was until we hit my first construction site and I went postal about the progress and the answers from the contractor.  He obviously is making very slow progress, there were kids working on the site( a huge no-no) and then we got into an argument about the depth of the well, etc.  Nightmare... and this is to be completed in 1 month.  I have to do all of this though an interpreter with grizzled military guys standing there listening.  To make matters worse, it's next to a cemetery so people show up all day cursing the contractor's first born, the DG's wife and suggesting sex with donkies.  When I am done with this, I will be able to handle ANY general contracting work in the States!  But this is why they sent me here - isn't it weird when people see something in you that you don't quite see in yourself and you are personally clueless about their faith in you to carry out the assignments? - this goes through my head every day.  I honestly never think I know exactly what I'm doing, but somehow I do it - it's like a big series of lucky breaks.   I digress...

Soooo, we get all the way out to the last site and notice the mountains are starting to disappear.  Not a good sign.  What it means is that a huge dust storm is coming, we're a mile or so out of base and now medivac cannot come get us if anything bad happens - the helicopters cannot fly, and the military won't be able to see us.  This storm was tremendous!  Wind so strong you had to struggle to stand, choking on dust and can't see a thing because it's sandpapering your eyes, can't communicate well because you can barely speak and if you could, nobody could hear you because of the wind.  We walked back through this to base and let me tell you ... my mouth was like a sandbox, complete with the little treats the neighborhood cats used to leave in ours overnight.  My face was on fire (I had used a mud mask 4 days prior that I ended up being allergic to, so I had a raw face before the day started), I could barely open my eyes and I could feel piles of fine dirt collected in places that were covered with clothing.  I looked like an old, brown woman!  There was an amazing brown run-off when I finally got to the shower hours later - the storm didn't let up for a loonnggg time.  Happy Sunday!

one of my project sites - still sunny!

Here are some pictures from the day...

inside the site of "unhappy progress"

one of the many burial sites

headed to the Agriculture Center as the sky darkens

progress - green things!

drainage ditch

...and the storm starts coming in

...and it keeps coming - notice you can see nada

and our patrol heading back to base - last pic I took before a complete dust-out.  You can see how strong the wind was if you look at the trees.

Well, that was my day.  I am still finding dirt in weird places - both on me and in my room.  Managed to run from the shower before my wet hair turned to mud - success!  I'd also like to wish Mike K. a Happy Birthday which comes at the end of this month - just a few more days old man - I still remember your 40th party with fondness.  I get to spend another one of mine here next month but am going HOME for a visit at the end of April and I cannot wait for that to happen. Hope everyone is doing well, enjoying the gas pricing and all that price gouging like that entails!  In the words of the Captain who led our patrol today - "go get cleaned up, dusted up and get your shit straight!"  It's the season of Easter!

Drink of the evening - Chrystal Lite in a Styrofoam cup!