Food shortages

Well today is the third day with no eggs. Although I have had one option.... the DFAC (dining facility) has pre-made sausage/bacon/ham, egg and cheese biscuits, like the ones you can buy for breakfast at Burger King, McDonalds, etc. So I've grabbed those the last two days and have eaten the egg out of the sandwich. Not nearly as appetizing but it's something.

The rest of breakfast is the usual bacon, hash browns but no sausage links. They didn't put out orange juice yesterday which scared me but it's back in the coolers today. I guess I need to mentally prepare myself for a long outage. In talking to the DFAC staff, they said they are expecting shipments to arrive anytime now. In reality, they won't truly know unless the trucks have driven onto the Camp. So we'll see.

They are having chili today and someone said it was pretty good so lunch should be better.

Mail call

Over the past two days I've received packages from my wife, from my mom and a letter from one of my aunts. It's funny how they all came over just a two-day period. My co-workers get to enjoy my mail as well because I typically get snacks that I can share. This time we were all able to eat some chocolate-covered Texas pralines, chips and salsa and some mixed nuts.

I'm a pretty lucky guy to have family that thinks about me and tries to take care of me from thousands of miles away. For many of the Foreign Nationals, it's quite a bit harder, if not impossible to get things from home. Usually because their country doesn't have an agreement to send mail through the US Postal System. I have a friend from Honduras who fits this example. His family cannot send anything to him in Iraq because there is no way to interconnect with the USPS. They can send packages to Iraq proper if they knew someone in the country, but even then, they would not be able to get from the city onto the base. Security would not allow that. And when I say security, I mean the Army or Air Force, depending on where you are.

So he ribs me when my name is NOT on the list. And I, in turn, give him grief when his name is ON the list, because it means he has bought something online. So far he has mostly ordered computer components and clothes for winter. But it's interesting what many people get in the mail, according to the postal employees. Some very odd shaped boxes and multiple box delivery from the same company. Imaginations run wild.

Well until next time.

TRANSFER

That didn't take long. And neither is the time they are giving me to leave.

They have decided to transfer me to Camp Warrior in Kirkuk. Not sure what to expect but hopefully it will be a little better than Speicher. People are really stressed out here and not because of the war or violence or anything like that. It's the politics of KBR. There are so many people here and it's a dog-eat-dog world on steroids. No one can give me a good description of the place so I feel like I will be going in there blind.

I leave in a couple of days....just enough time to pack my stuff and ship some things to Camp Warrior and pack my suitcases. I can send footlockers via mail which is actually U.S. Mail that is handled by the military. But that usually takes 7-10 days so I have to make sure I take enough clothes and supplies to last until that gets there. I have no idea what the living conditions are but I have heard that they have plenty available, instead of living in the dorm, two to a room.

Getting there is a pain since I have to fly to Baghdad and then wait a day and then fly to Kirkuk. It is similar to being in Austin and having to fly to Houston to get to San Antonio. And I'll have to carry all my stuff with me over more rocky terrain.......great.

Possible Transfer

So I've had heard that there is a strong possibility that I will be transferred to Kirkuk. It's a city northeast of Tikrit (where I am now). The base is smaller than Camp Speicher but not as small as some of the other camps I could go to. From what I understand, they need someone with computer experience to help them out.

I thought I would be sticking it out here at Speicher. There is a large sense of security knowing this place is so large. It may not go through, they are still trying to decide who will go since there are several cadidates. We'll see.

12 hours a day, 7 days a week

I have to tell you that working these hours really takes some getting used to. I am fortunate that the DFAC is right next door; the Dining FACility, that is. Otherwise I would have to work a little longer to compensate for the time it would take to get to and from lunch and dinner.

Even the soldiers out here don't work these kind of hours. Depending on the mission, they sometimes work 8-10 hours a day, 6 days a week. I am surprised more people don't have a mental or emotional breakdown. It does happen though. I've heard some pretty bad stories of people losing perspective out here and getting a little wacky. They typically quit abruptly or are just sent home.

Finding the right amount of sleep is important because can set in easily. By the time you get off work, have dinner, walk back to your room, take a shower and get everything ready for the next day, it gets to be late quick. If you read or do something else to unwind you have to be careful that you're not still awake at midnight. It comes too fast, as does the morning.

So I've been trying to sleep at night, but it's a big adjustment without Nora. I'm used to having her right next to me and occasionally waking up with either Jon-Gabriel or Gaby somewhere on the bed as well.....either in between us or to the side. I miss them tremendously. I wonder if I can really do this. Can I be out here for a year? Can I be out here for 6 months? Only time will tell. I really hate missing out on the day-to-day happenings of my family.

MWR...It's a Job

Well I've been getting accustomed to preparing events, answering questions, signing out equipment and various other tasks. The job is mostly what you make of it. Because of my prowess with a computer, they have put me i charge of creating flyers, posters and signs about everything. This has met with a little resistance from some of the staff because they wanted to do more of that. I tried to quell some of that animosity but to each his own.

The soldiers seem grateful when you really put forth the effort to help or show concern and compassion. I have heard from the soldiers that many MWR employees really don't care about the job but only the paycheck. This is most unfortunate because you can tell that many of the people we cater to, really need a place to relax and get away from the work they do.

I've learned about the missions they go on, and many times they don't know until minutes before they leave so the security of the mission remains intact. They have a highly stressful job. I've talked to as many as I could to try and lend an ear. It's always good for them to vent or share their problems with someone instead of bottle them up.

The competitions and events we've had, like ping-pong, foosball, 8-ball, karaoke, video game tournaments really serve as a good distraction from their daily work.

Camp Speicher

Well I have met several people in my first few days here. I got a tour of all the MWR facilities as well as a feel for the size of the base. It's huge. I didn't get to see all of it but we drove around alot. There are three big DFACs, 4 recreation centers, 3 weightrooms, 1 gynasium, 1 auditorium with stadium-style seating, a track, a softball field, and two soccer fields. And those are only the facilitieds that we manage. the military has additional facilities that they keep as well.

There are all kinds of walks of life. People from India, Pakistan, Phillipines, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Mexico, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Monte Negro, Croatia, Ethipoia, Colombia, Tonga, Samoa, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Somolia, Turkey, Hungary, and others I don't remember. On the military side, I've seen Russian, British and Australian. And most people have guns! except of course KBR and the subcontract workers.

There are security forces out here from many different companies in addition to the military. Even engineering and construction firm personnel are armed. I t takes soem getting used to. No one is allowed into many of the facilities with loaded weapons. There are discharging areas before you enter the buildings to make sure weapons are cleared. They are usually, 55 gallon barrels with sand leaning at an angle with a hole in the top. Soldiers are required to carry their guns and ammunition at all times in case of an emergency... even when they are off-duty.

There are all kinds of different vehicles out here too. Of course you see regular pickups and SUVs, but the HUMVEE is everywhere along with big military trucks, tanks, and assorted special vehicles. The distanc efrom my room to the DFAC and MWR ia about a 10 minute walk. But don't be fooled. It's a walk in 100 degree heat, through rocks and sand liek dirt. There are no sidewalks and only the main roads are paved. The straight path form room to work is not a road but a path. There are very few trees so it's kinda like a rocky desert. The sand is not like Saudia Arabia desert sand. It's like a fine dirt. It gets everywhere.

Orientation and BOOM!

Today I attended an orientation for new hires and transfers into Camp Speicher. Some of it was informative but most was more of what we heard in Houston over and over. Some people were falling asleep while one of the sleep nazis went around tapping people to wake up.

During one of the presentations, we heard a distant boom and almost immediately the whole building rattled and shuttered. Everyone looked around and the presenter, at first paused for just a couple of seconds and proceeded with his presentation. I was bewildered with what happened. I didn't hear an explosion, just a muffled boom, but the fact that the whole building shook caused alarm, for me anyway. The presenter continued for another minute or two when he came to a stopping point. He then announced he was going to check on the situation.

He went to the rear of the class and into the lobby and office area. When he came back, he said that the camp was going to be under a Red Alert and shortly thereafter, several radios went off to announce for us to take cover in a bunker. We rushed but didn't run. Some people just moseyed along like nothing. No one knew what was going on but there was a lot of speculation. There were no further booms or anything else. There was lots of conversation on different radio channels and I was fortunate to be standing a couple of people away from someone who had a radio on the right channel.

The bunkers we were in were made of concrete. Picture a large square concrete pipe about 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide and about 20 feet long. Now picture the bottom part taken away. That's basically a type of bunker. The floor is the ground and the walls and ceiling are about 8-10 inches thick.

The class filled several bunkers. After about an hour and a half they announced the All Clear. Know one knew what happened, only that it was clear. Later, during our orientation, one of the head honchos addressed the situation...... there was a car bomb about 3 MILES away that sent shockwaves for miles. Apparently it was a large one somewhere in the city of Tikrit. Maybe we'll see something int the news.

For now, we're good. (whew)

First Day on the Job

So I slept well last night after the exhausting day. I met the shuttle to get to the Dining Facility (DFAC) for breakfast. They told me the MWR facility I was working at was right next door. How convenient!! So after I ate, I went to the Main Recreation Center and found Larry Selvey, the person in charge. He sat down and gave me a brief of the facility and what he expected. He seemed eager to fill me in once I told him my background in events, sports, recreation and graphic design. We hit it off fairly well.

The Main Rec consisted of the following

• front desk for siging in, checking out equipment, signing up for phone or computer use.
• room for a library with lots of books, about 20'x30'
• an art room with some drafting tables that looked like they haven't been used in a while. Thre was soem stained-glass pieces all around.
• a multipurpose room that was divied into two TV viewing areas by some movable walls. There are some sofas and chairs here.
• another multipurpose room that was divided into separate areas. 1. Darts, TV/Movie area, 7 pool tables, 5 ping pong tables, a computer room with 12 stations, a phone and computer room with 18 stations.

It was a regular recreation center. The building is a permanent structure which existed long before the U.S. go there. I met the rest of the staff which included two subcontract workers from the Philippines who worked the front counter and a staff 4 who did all the manual labr like cleaning, moving furniture and equipment. They were from India and Pakistan. All of them were very amicable and willing to work.

I used the day to get my bearings and figure out what I needed to do. I watched the front counter and helped direct soldiers to differenct areas and signed out movies, video games, and pool balls. Larry wants me to start events right away. He has some high expectations but that's what I'm here for. HA!

Baghdad Airport, Destination Tikrit

So I finally made a flight out of Baghdad. Getting through the process was such a pain. Ready? Here we go..... First there is a roll call for all people and you are divided into groups by your destination. Then you have to get your card scanned, turn in your keys to your room, get your luggage to the luggage truck, meet again for a final briefing, find your bus, check in, get on the bus, then a long bus ride to the airport (over very bumpy roads), wait on the bus, get off the bus and find your luggage (which has been unloaded into rows on the pavement), get in line, walk through the lobby to the security check, go thru screening number one, collect your things, check your bags, bet the boarding pass, go thru screening number two, wait in the warm lobby for about 4 hours, get in line again, go thru screening number 3, get in line again, go downstairs to another shuttle, drive out to the tarmac, and board the plane.

It's exhausting just thinking about it again. We are like a herd of cows, moved from one place to another.

The plane is another story. It's a turbo prop plane and we entered through the back. It's a company that KBR has hired to charter flights in and out of Iraq. This plane is probably about 40 years old. It's Russian and the pilot and staff are from eastern Europe somewhere. There is a musty old smell and you can't even understand the safety briefing about seat belts and the plane. It can only hold about 32 people. We entered through the cargo hold. Once we were loaded the plane started up and MAN! it was loud. I'm glad I had my ipod with me. The snug fit drowned out the some of the noise.

The ride was bumpy but I expected this from the look of the plane. It's a two and half-hour trip. I tried to sleep but it was almost impossible. The landing was okay.

As we debarked, we got our luggage and I followed the 20 other people getting off at this location. There was no terminal or building. The airstrip is military so after we landed, the plane parks and we get off. It felt so unusual. There was a shuttle waiting for us so we threw our luggage into another truck adn rode to the next destination.

We drove a ways to the living area, which consisted of hundreds of cargo-like containers that were modified as living quarters called CHUs - Conainer Housing Units. It's surrounded by T-walls. 6 foot wide by 8-10 foot tall and 2 foot wide concrete walls that are arranged around almost all the structures. The T-walls contain collateral damage in case mortars or rockets land in the area.

So we got into the Billeting Building where there is a conference room and had a short orientation about where we willbe sleeping and who to report to. Then we unloaded our luggage. I ended up in the dorm with is single story unit that has abomut 50 rooms. Each room houses two people. Very small. Two built-in twin beds, head to foot on the right and two small wardobe-like closets on the left. There is a small desk n the left on the far side of the wardrobe. there is already someone on the far side so I take the bed near the door. The mattress has a hinge so underneath is open to a little more storage. The room is like a sardine can. No TV, no fridge. Just beds, closets and a desk. Ugh! LOL!

Welcome to Iraq....

DENIED!!

Well I almost flew out today. My name was on the list but the flight was overbooked. So 25 people were randomly selected to leave tomorrow. So now I ahve a whole day to do absolutley nothing. Sleeping won't help because then I will be up tonight and be tired tomorrow. So I've just been meeting people, watched a couple of movies, went to the PX and ate. I think I've gained about 20 pounds since I left Austin. That will have to change once I get situated. I've set some goals as far as fitness goes, so I hope I can accomplish them.

I really miss home. That's not to day I am homesick but I catch myself questioning why I am actually here. I firmly believe that this is going to benefit my family in the long run. I just have to put up with the short term and everything will be great after that. I pray that Nora will be able to take care of things at home. I relly have no doubt that she can....but life can throw some wicked curve balls, and I won't be within arms reach to help.

I think about growing old with Nora and how great life will be. I think about my kids and how successful I know they will become. I am already proud of them. Michael has really stepped up to help around the house. He is after all man-of-the-house right now. I have faith in him.

I can't wait to get to my base. Tomorrow is another day.

Arriving in Baghdad

So we waited at the Dubai airport. Our flight was delayed multiple times for a total of five hours. Some of our group were sleeping on the carpeted airport floor or in chairs. I tried but I just couldn't get comfortable enough and I definitely was not getting on the floor.

Finally the time arrived that we could board our plane. Took a shuttle out there. It was a 3 hour flight. The landing was bumpy and it was very hazy. We landed during a dust storm....not to be confused with a sand storm.

When we debarked onto the tarmac, I felt danger as I have never felt before. For one thing, the environment is completely foreign. Hot wind blew by. Plain clothes men with machine guns stood around looking out at the perimeter. Men in soldier uniforms (I assume Iraqi military) lay just beyond them also looking out at the perimeter. It was bizzare. The airport looked desolate. Only one baggage carousel was working. There may have been more, but we didn't see any. Our group was about 200. We had to follow a bunch of procedures before getting on our buses out of the airport. It was a somewhat terrifying experience. Hardly any words were spoken from the airplane to our destination. For security reasons, I won't divulge the details.

But we arrived unharmed, although we did see some burning vehicles in the distance and various other artifacts from the ravages the war has brought to this country. We had to go through a few processes once we got to our temporary holding center. This place is a hub for arriving in Irag and people leaving Iraq. Basically you have to wait for flights in and out of here. It's connected to several other camps, so we have acces to Dining Facilities, PX (like a Wal-mart), phone banks, rec centers and shops and food court that includes Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Subway, Popeye's and a few others. Now don't let me mislead you. You have to walk quite a way to get to each of these locations. The PX and the food court are right next to each other, but the rest is a good long walk. There are shuttles but sometimes they are unreliable.

So I am sharing a room with four other guys. It's basically liek a mobile storage unit with windows and an air conditioner. Two bunk beds and a cot. Nothing else. I mean NOTHING. Community bathrooms and showers are a few building away. The showers are tiny.

But my first meal here was pretty good. The dining facility was excellent. Good food and lots of variety. But I hope I won't be here long. I don't have internet capability and the line for phones is long. Plus there isn't anything to do but sleep or watch a movie on a big screen TV. I will know in the morning if I get to fly out to my assigned base.

I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore

So my emotions wre running high a fwe hours ago. I will miss my wife, my kids, my mom, my dad, my brother and my friends. :-( I'm sure I will be able to talk and e-mail them but it won't be the same.......change of subject!.

Well, I zonked that first flight to London. We landed at the Gatwick International Airport. I guess they don't believe in air conditioners, walkways and manners. The airport is quite large but the ceilings are low, the smell is musty and the English are a rude bunch. We had to go through a security checkpoint again. Another line.

We boarded another plane. My seat was in the very last row of the plane. It was a row of three seats in the middle. As I approached, I noticed some bags on my seat and then discovered a small child travelling with his mom. As I looked down at the seat, the lady apologized for the bags and apologized again for me having to sit with a 2-year old next to me. She continued to say if I wanted to move seats, that she understood if I didn't want to sit next to them. There were some other seats on the plane, but further up and in the middle of people. I decided to stay. After all, Jon-Gabriel is only 3.

Well, my neighbor's name was Reef (as in the ocean). He was a sweet kid with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Like my Jon-Jon, he loved buttons. We spent plenty of time playing and passing the time away. The flight attendants were also a big help. He actually made several tours of the plane with them.....................The whole process was sort of like therapy for me since I couldn't be with Michael, Annalisa, or Jon-Gabriel. Plus I liked helping these two out, on their way to see Reef's dad in Dubai. He just landed a three-year contract there. Of all things, he is in conference management (just like me for the last 8 years!).

When we landed I helped get them to the baggage claim and retrieve their luggage. I really didn't mind. I felt that if Nora needs help sometime, and I'm not there, someone will be there to help her out. Kinda like a karma.

So getting into Dubai was interesting. We flew in at 7:00pm. Culture shock. Arabs everywhere, but what else would I be expecting? You could definitely see the "Western" influence everywhere.....from billboards to some people wearing jeans and button-up shirts or a cross between robes and suits. Then there are the women who are covered head to toe, even there faces....all in black. It will freak you out, like from a scary movie.

Well we all grouped up and took a special shuttle to our hotel. Once there, we had a meeting. I was really hoping to be able to stay at least a day or two in Dubai to catch up with rest and sleep and the fact that when I flew, I lost almost a day.....from Central Standard Time to local UAE time.

NO.................SUCH..................LUCK. We will be leaving tomorrow morning and have to be in the hotel lobby at 6:00am. It's already 10:00pm and I just got to my room. I'll have to get up at 4:30am to shower, eat and get ready before reporting. But I was restless so I thought I would sit down and type for a few minutes.

So here I am in Dubai on the other side of the world. Looking out my window at the skyline. It looks like many other cities in the U.S. but also.....different. I mean most building names are in English and Arabic but it's something more than that. The way the city is built or something.

I feel like I am in the twilight zone. Well I gotta get to bed. More tomorrow. I'll be in Iraq tomorrow.

Over the Atlantic

I am writing this blog entry on the plane from Houston to London. The past 6 hours have been pretty emotional. Nora and the kids came up from Houston. I got lucky and was able to get the hotel front desk to give me a room to myself so Nora and the kids stayed with me. We had a good time. But it seemed to go by so fast. Before I knew it, the morning came and I had to get to my morning meetings. I let the kids sleep in. Nora was going to to meet me later to say goodbye.

The morning meetings were pretty boring, going over our travel plans and itinerary. I was able to sneak away so Nora could pick me up for lunch before I had to be back to board the shuttle for the airpot. So we went to lunch at Whataburger and took lots of pictures. It was hard to contain myself but I don't think Nora or the kids knew how much this was affecting me.

So as I drove back, I found out that we could get our own ride to the airport, so i quickly yanked my stuff from the shuttle and hopped back in the Armada. I was ecstatic! This would be easier for Jon-Gabriel to understand.....that Daddy was getting on a plane, rather than just dropping me off.

We got to the airport and I just hung out with everyone........but of course I knew what was coming.......

And sure enough, we had Kleenex everywhere. That was tough, because we all knew (except for Jon-Gabriel) that we wouldn't see each other for 4 months.

When it was time for me to leave, I tried to make things light by pretending I was an airplane. Everyone laughed at me as I went through the line at security check, especially Annalisa and Jon-Gabriel. I had the whole thing goin' complete with sound effects and swirling around. Other people must have thought I was crazy but I really didn't care. This was for my family.

So I had more emotional situations when I talked to my mom, my dad, and my brother. I had to keep my sunglasses on to hide my red eyes and the tears. I still get choked up thinking about the last few hours before I left Houston..................

More later............

Dubai Here I Come

Okay so today I went to the holdover meeting and they announced my name to fly out of Houston day after tomorrow. WHOA! I was NOT expecting that. I thought I would be in Houston at least a few more days twiddling my thumbs.

So Nora and the kids are going to head down here to Houston tomorrow after Annalisa gets out of school. They are going to see me off. I am going to try and get a solo room tomorrow. I just saw a lot of other people in the lobby ready to fly out so there must be more rooms available. If so, my family can stay with me here at my hotel the night before I leave.

I'm glad I didn't unpack too much. I just hope I can persuade the front desk staff to give me a room by myself.

I know I just left Austin, but I can't wait for my family to get here. Michael couldn't get out of work last minute, so I will miss seeing him again. :-(

I'm feeling restless and still exhausted from the weekend. I still have a few things to tend to before I leave so I will do that tomorrow while I wait for Nora. She is so good to me. Especially to drive all this way with the kids, by herself. She is definitely brave and very compassionate. And I love her.

The 3AM Roommate

The last few days have been a blur....

Saturday evening when I got back to my rooom, there was a note that I had to switch to another hotel. My plans to go to Austin had to be altered. I had to stay the night in Houston so I could check out in the morning and scan in at the processing center before I left for Austin.

Sunday I left and the drive wasn;t as bad as I thought it would be. When I got to Austin, Nora and Annalisa gave me lots of hugs and kisses. Jon-Gabriel was trying to go down for nap. I poked my head in the room and all I heard was "Daddy your home!" So I laid down with him and he scooted as close as he could to me and put one little arm under my neck and they other on top of my chest. It felt so good to be home.

Annalisa read me a story she was writing and we talked about so many different things. She is my princess. I am so proud of her.

I got to see mom and dad and we went out to eat. I had to repack all my luggage because it was too heavy. So like a madmand I was shopping for more supplies and things. Nora helped me so much. I don't know what I would do without her. She keeps me focussed.

Monday I took the kids to Inflatable Wonderland and they had a blast. It was great because it wasn't very crowded. I got to take some great photos. I was able to give them a bath one more time and put them to bed. We read stories and we prayed and they fell asleep fast. I finished packing and spent some quality time with my honey. It was hard to find the strength to take my bags to the car and leave.

But Michael helped me and around 1AM I drove over to pick up my dad and he drove me to Houston. I slept the whole way. I checked into the hotel and they gave me a room with someone already in it. So I was a 3AM roommate. I tried to be as quiet as I could so I wouldn't freak him out. But I managed to shower and change and get back to dad in the lobby. We had breakfast at IHOP and then I was able to scan in at the processing center just in time. I took him to the airport, dropped off the car and then caught the shuttle to my hotel. Now I have to catch some sleep before my next holdover meeting later today. I doubt I am on the list. I have mixed thought on leaving right away.

We'll see.

Banana Suit, CPR and a ROAD TRIP!

So yesterday was my first holdover meeting. A holdover meeting is when you find out when and if you fly to Iraq. I forgot to mention that there are some people that have been waiting here for weeks for their flight plans. Depending on who you are, where you are going (to which base) and who the supervisors are, you may not fly to Iraq right after you complete the orientation. Most people spend anywhere from 1-2 weeks waiting for a flight. In the meantime, they keep you at a hotel, provide meals and that's it. There isn't much else to do. They have these holdover meetings once a day in the evening except Sundays.

SO, during my first holdover meeting, they informed us that their would be no holdover meeting tonight (Sat) and there would be no staff on site on Monday b/c of Labor Day. All this means that I am going to rent a car and go back to Austin for about a day and a half. Why so short you ask? Because we have these ID badges which must be scanned at the processing center every 44 hours. It basically is taking your attendance. If you go past 44 hours, it kicks you out the system and you have to start the whole process again (OUCH!). So that's what I plan to do tonight. I am going to rent a car at the airport and drive to Austin.

So on a different note, we had NBC training today; which means we had to learn how to wear a gas mask and put on a bright yellow banana suit and then rubber gloves and boots. NBC stands for Nuclear Biological and Chemical. So if an attack is made we can survive under any of those circumstances. But it really was uncomfortable and hot and tedious since many of the FNs didn't "get it". So it took more time than it really should have.

I had CPR as well. That lady was a nut! The way she explained everything and she was just odd in her mannerisms and story-telling. The good part about the training is that we didn't have to place our lips on the dummy to practice giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, we just had to show the motion. Apparently some people contracted chicken pox going thru the CPR training and the gave it to many other people. We have been assured that the dummies had been thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.

But at this point I am so happy to be going home that I don't care what we did today. I just can't wait to get home.

Daddy's on a Plane

Still more orientation meetings and training. It's a lot of corporate stuff like ethics, business conduct, human resources, payroll, and most things you would expect from a big company. The main differences are that they are hiring hundreds of people at a time, some of whom speak little to no English. There are always questions that could have been answered if they wre just paying attention. It gets very frustrating because you want to move onto the next thing................but anyway.

I am really starting to feel my absence from home. I miss my beautiful wife and my gorgeous kids. Jon-Gabriel asked if I was still working on the plane. It was silly funny but made me sad. His last image of me was at the airport so being only 3, he only understands that I am on a plane working and he wants me to come home. Makes me sad. But I know that this is all for the best and he will probably not remember much of this when he gets older. Annalisa will feel it more and I want to get back home so fast so I don't miss a thing.

Today is a quiet day for me.

This is Spaghetti?

Well, medical was a tough tough day. I was wiped out. We had to stand in so many lines for the various testing: Vision, TB, Hearing, Blood samples, & more. It was interesting to see so many squeamish men once the needle came out. I was complimented on the speed at which they found a vein and were able to extract viles of blood. I told them I have good genes.

But that was yesterday. Officially I am medically cleared to fly. Yea! It was kind of stressful during our last meeting today because they called out a lot of names that had to report to the information desk. Basically those names were people who were being sent home. There were some pretty upset people there......but not me!

So I went to eat dinner and they had spaghetti, or at least it looked kinda like spaghetti. The noodles were dry and the sauce was more like dark red water with bits of ground beef. All of the meals they provide are not very good. Fortunately, it's pretty hard to mess up salads and sandwiches, so I've been eating that. They really should be able to provide better food but my guess is that they don't want to pay for it. I have heard that the food at the bases in Iraq is actually very good because they have to keep morale up for everyone over there, especially the soldiers.

Another gripe from me are the people from other countries, the Foreign Nationals or FNs. Many of them are rude, by American standards. They do not know how to stand in line for food, drinks, waiting for the shuttle, the bathroom or anything else. It's a herd mentality or an all out "only looking out for myself" thing. Plus they do not shower everyday and many don't even use deoderant. One of the presentations that we went through basically addressed these issues head on. The presenter stated that everyone is expected to shower every day with soap, and wear deoderant because they will be working for an American company and getting an American paycheck. It was somehat harsh, but after sitting around some of these people, I was welcoming those comments.

I sure am proud to have grown up in the United States.

Orientation Day 1

Holy cow!

Talk about disorganization! They must deliberately try to disorient all newcomers.

Everyone takes a shuttle to the processing center, shuttles leave from various hotels. But once you get to the processing center (basically a big building), there aren't any signs telling you where to go or what to expect. We eat first, then sit in a big room (about 500 folding chairs with narrow tables for writing notes) and get some information about the schedule for the week. The big news is that we have to catch a shuttle at 2:45 AM tomorrow in order to go through all the drug and medical screening. TWO FORTY FIVE A.M. Needless to say this post will be brief.

There are so many people who don't have a clue what they have gotten temselves into. Plus I have discovered a lot of foreigners, some of which cannot understand English too well. More on that later.

I shouldn't have anything to worry about for the medical testing but they say many people discover things that they themselves did not know.....like finding out that they are diabetic, or have HIV or other things. Needless to say, those kind of things will get you sent home.

I am just not looking forward to a long long long day.

Goodnight.

Houston, we have landed

So I pulled an all-nighter packing everything I could fit to a limit of 44 pounds in my checked bag and 15 pounds for my carry-on. My carry-on is almost a joke since my laptop already weighs a little over 7 pounds. Not much more to put in there. The checked bag has clothes, toilettries, shoes and little else. Nora will be sending me everything else once I land in Iraq.

I saw Pop and Grandma today on my way to the airport. It felt really good to see them before I left. I told them I would be travelling but didn't tell them where. I didn't want them to worry especially since Pop had surgery a couple of weeks ago.

There were a lot of tears at the airport. I won't lie, it was pretty hard to leave. The kids bought me some flowers. I tried to be strong but the tears were flowing and I couldn't make them stop. Nora and Annalisa were the same. But I finally walked down to the security check point and waved goodbye.... :-(

:-(

John Lara left on the same plane as me, although he was a little late getting to the airport. After we landed, the shuttle took us to the processing center to eat. We basically dumped our baggage at the door, got in line, ate, then boarded another shuttle with our stuff and went to our hotels. I checked in and discovered I had no roommate. Yea! So I headed to the lobby and started meeting the other arrivals. People from all over the U.S.

I called it an early night since I haven't slept since Friday night. I have to be up and ready for the shuttle at 6 AM. Ugh! Well goodnight!

All Night Long, All Night....

So I just needed to take a break. Here I am in the middle of the night packing away. It's my own fault really. Maybe because I find it difficult to face the fact that I am getting on a plane th.s afternoon. I've kind of dragged my feet getting everything together. Nora has done a fantastic job of washing my clothes and getting other things ready. The kids have been bouncing around everywhere so I've been bouncing with them.

The tears have started to come more frequently from me and Nora and Annalisa. We have our moments. Jon-Gabriel is still too young to really understand. But it is hard to come to terms with leaving your family for such a long period of time.

My family is my life.

Nora and I share the same view. We do what we think is right for our family. And this whole thing will be painful sometimes but it is short term and the rewards are great. And I am not talking financially. I'm not aiming at becoming rich (although that would be nice), I just want to be comfortable with everyday life and be able to offer our kids the things they will need in life, like a good home of our own, a good foundation of family which comes from being able to spend time with them and the things they are interested in, spending time at the breakfast and dinner table talking about any and everything, and not having to work so many hours to make those things happen.

My parents were able to make that happen for Ryan and I.....and I am amazed that they were able make so many things happen. Being on the parent side, I can truly appreciate what we had growing up.

Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad. I will love you always.

Okay, I have to finish packing now. I already know I am not going to sleep tonight.

Remember the Alamo

So it's Friday (well technically it's early Saturday AM) but it's still Friday to me. It's been a busy day. I've been trying to spend time with the kids, playing around the house, then packing a little, smooching on Nora, completing some honey-do's and we just got back from the Alamo Drafthouse.

This is the best movie theatre out there. I get to have Dos XX on draught and chips and queso whil watching a movie. This is a special time for Nora and I. We always try to fit in a date night every week, two at the most. Plus we go to the late feature after the Annalisa and Jon-Gabriel are already asleep, so we never lose precious quality time with them.

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at what I want to do before I leave on Sunday but I really needed to get away from my own chaos and hold my wife's hand as we walked into the movie theatre. She knows me all too well.

I also realize that this will be the last time in 4 months that I will be able to see a movie in a real theatre, much less the drafthouse. I seem to be running into a lot of those "not-for-a-long-time-occurrences" these last few days. I guess that's all part of the process.

My Soulmate

Something in my last post made me realize that I have not mentioned the the person that has made all this possible. For without her, without her strength, I would not be able to travel half way around the world for any amount of time.

My wife is that strength. We draw on each other for our strength and committment to do the right thing. She has made this process easier to tackle. When I first considered applying for this job, she was somewhat concerned and apprehensive but we did not feel it necessary to discuss since I had not heard anything. After the initial e-mail from KBR, we have discussed it in detail. We both have reservations about me accepting the position, but the PROs far outweigh the CONs. Most of the burden will lie on Nora since she will continue to take care of the kids, clean the house, do the laundry, make dinner, pay the bills, etc. all by herself. Oh sure, Michael will help. But Nora knows that it's her responsibility. And she accepts it without reservation.

She brightens my day with a smile and warms me when she laughs.......I mean REALLY laughs, not just chuckles. I love to look into her eyes and see our future,..... growing old together...watching our children grow, and learn, and sharing as much as we can together.

I will miss cooking together, dancing, hugging, being silly, having pillow fights, cuddling, seeing her laugh, going to the movies, barbecueing, tickling, chasing, garage sale diving and the list goes on.

I love her with all my heart. It is already starting to ache from the anticipation of being gone. But one day this will be behind us and we will be able to enjoy life with fewer distractions. I cannot wait for that time to come.

The "Why's?" and the "What the's?"

So I've been trying to inform everyone that I got this new job, but as it turns out my old phone went kaput so I don't have all my contacts. The friends that I have told have all asked "why?" or "what are you talking about?". Sometimes I can even hear a jaw drop to the floor. I have heard many times "I can't believe you're going over there." and "What, are you nuts??". And as most of you know. Yes I am nuts. It does take a sort of warped mental capacity to go to a war zone and not be in the military. It sounds exciting, adventurous, scary, life-altering, etc., etc. But keep in mind I am NOT going to be taking any unnecessary risks. I don't have any desire to go outside the wire. For those of you who are not familiar with that term, it means to go outside the base.

But in truth I am doing this for my family. This short period of time will allow us the financial freedom to do what's best for our children and for ourselves. Plus it will look good on a resume.

Playing cards

Nora & I had some friends over last night to hang out and play cards and eat and drink. This is another thing I'm going to miss. At times it seemed so surreal. Like some parts were just a dream, or part of a story and I was the only one seeing it from the outside....

Anyway, it was a good crowd although not everyone showed. I think Ryan and James were the overall winners for the night. I lost a little as did Nora.

I forgot to mention that Nora's brothers were in town, Joe, John and James. The first time they had all been together in many years. We spent time with them and Joe actually stayed with us for a couple of days. Annalisa and Jon-Gabriel loved having him over since he kept them on their toes. They always thought he was so serious until he gave them a wink.

Having John in town from Thailand made it easier to get some input from him about the whole KBR process. He and I are going to Houston on the same date. We are going to see about getting roomed together.

He also managed to change the spark plugs on the Bimmer. I am hoping that we can sell it pretty quick. I hate to part with it, but it doesn't make sense to make the payments and pay the insurance if I'm not going to be here to drive it. I love that car. If things go well, I will buy another one when I get back.

"When I get back" - something that I have started to say when looking at the future. It feels like I will be absent from the world and them come back for attendance.......

.......getting sleepy. I'm not makeing much sense now. Good night.

Endless Waiting & Hurricane Watching

Well, I haven't heard anything further about travel time or if the background check was okay or if they needed any more information from me. So I sent an e-mail to my recruiter who said if I was missing any information, that the "support team" would let me know....clearly I asked the wrong question.

So I fired off an e-mail to the company that does the background checks and they responded by saying that they have enough info from me to do the background check but could not "disclose that information" and to contact my rep.

Talk about annoying. So as Nora and I make plans and spend some money to prep for me to be gone for a year, we do not know for certain that I am going. And now it's Friday so I'll have to wait another 2-3 days before anything else will happen. I ended up calling the recruiter but only got her voicemail.

I started thinking that the storm and rain from Tropical Depression Erin had affected some of this process. I mean, Houston (where the recruiting office is) did get 6 inches of rain in 4 hours Thursday. Now with Hurricane Dean brewing in the Gulf as a Category 4 Hurricane, surely to become a Cat 5 hurricane, who knows how things will go? Forecasters predict landfall anywhere from the Texas-Louisianna border to somewhere close to Mexico City. Talk about a HUGE prediction zone. And it will hit by Wednesday of next week. That's the Wednesday before the Monday I am supposed to fly to Houston. Gov. Rick Perry has already declared the storm an imminent threat to Texas and activated personnel to handle evacuation/disaster plans, if necessary.

So who knows what will happen in the next week. All I know is that Nora and I will have friends over tomorrow to see me off. We'll play some cards, have some food, drink some beer and have a good time. It's been a while since we've all gotten together. It will definitely help me relax and take my mind off the "not-knowing if I am confirmed yet" issue. As well as all the other things taking ove my thoughts.

I guess I really won't have a good night's sleep until.......... well, until............ hmmmmm........ wow ................. have to think about this now,.......................until I get back for R&R from the first few months.

Informing the Princess

Today, was a day I was not looking forward to.

Nora and I had been thinking about the best time to tell Gaby that I was going out-of-town for a job. We thought about 2 weeks out then changed our minds to 1 week out. But I've been busting at the seams. Plus, we've had to be careful about our conversations when she was around. Especially when Dad came over. He is notorious for not being careful about his surroundings, or at least who is around.

Anyway, I also didn't want to betray Annalisa's trust. The last thing I wanted to do is put her ina situation where she found out from someone else, or she thought that I couldn't trust her enough to tell her.

Well, today she started her first day of Advanced Training in gymnastics. She was excited about being able to wear a new leotard designating her promotion, but she was very nervous and has lots of questions about being good enough to join that class; keep in mind that she has been in gymnastics for about 2 years and was in the intermediate class already. I told her she would be fine and that as long as she tried hard and had fun, that was what was important. So off she went.

Nora picked her up and she was able to take pictures during thre last part of the class. She had a blast! The teacher said Gaby was a natural and was ahead of at least half the class. After she got home, Nora and I decided this would be a good time.

We called her and sat her down. We carefully chose our words by first talking about buying a house of our own, whether it was we are currently leasing or another one. We transitioned into me getting a job out of town fo a while and Annalisa, to our surprise related to her uncle John! She completely caught us of guard, thankfully so. But the conversation was positive and we really didn't have any issues. She was a champ. I love her so much and I will miss her incredibly.

She is, after all, my princess.

How's My Behavior?

So I had to take a behavioral analysis test this morning as part of the requirement for the job. It was downtown and they didn't validate parking, not a big deal. IT's akin to the Myers-Briggs test that many people are familiar with.

John Lara told me to be careful about the wording of some of the questions because they try to trip you up. For example, they ask "if you have aver lied" and then later ask "Are you a liar?"

They alot 90 minutes for the exam.....I only needed 12 minutes. Well, it's a pass/fail grade and I passed. The moderator said some people don't even complete the whole thing. That's worrisome but a topic for a different day.

Meanwhile, I am still trying to get through that massive honey-do list. Sleeping is becoming a luxury at this point. Plus the anticipation is seeping into my rest and dreams.

Two weeks until I leave for Houston.

The Racing Mind

I can't stop thinking about all the things to do and I keep coming up with new things by the hour. I carry a small Moleskin notebook with me at all times to jot down TO DO lists, add items on the TO TAKE list and general thoughts about what's going on.

One of the lists I update often is the list of things I have to take to make life bearable on the other side of the planet. I have a list that I keep updating. It's separated into different areas:

1. clothes
2. toiletries and bathroom stuff
3. electronics and computer stuff
4. everything else

Plus I have to parse those items into three other categories:

1. carry-on bag
2. checked luggage
3. have Nora send once I get on site

I will be packing a case for her to send once I get my address over there. She may add a few things before sending it. I just hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I've been told it will take 7-10 days to ship over there. Not sure about return postage. I need to pack enough clothes for 10 days before I can wash. Somehow I think I will always be dirty once I am there from all the sand and dust.

I am also trying to narrow down the list of pictures and personal items from my family to remind me why I am doing this. This is a tough aspect since I am only allowed 44 lbs. of luggage.

It has been mentally and psychologically exhausting. I am feeling more run-down than usual and my energy level is below average.

I keep thinking about what-ifs and preparations and packing and processing and testing and risks and the kids reactions and Nora's ability to cope without me........ well, she will cope easier around the house since she won't have to pick up after me. Or clean up my messes. I am notorious for leaving clothes around the house spilling things.

But my mind still races, even in my sleep. I feel tired all the time and I am not sure what to do about it (I am getting enough sleep). I wish I could flip a switch and just do the things I need to do and not think about all the other stuff for at least a few minutes.

I guess if I were a heavy drinker, this wouldn't be a problem. Beer anyone?

Honey-Do List

Okay, so I feel there are a million things to do before I leave. Getting the house in shape is first and foremost on the list. We have to sort out the garage and put things into a storage. In general try to reduce the amount of clutter in the house.

It has been a grueling experience thus far. The heat is overwhelming even when we are just inside the garage. Plus we have to make arrangements for someone to help watch the kids. If not, they get into all the boxes, especially when they see old toys, cables, cords, string, etc. Plus the mosquitoes are awful.

Meanwhile, my mind is always thinking about something I need to accomplish before I leave. Like all the little things you put off because you can get to them later - like changing the air filter on the AC; maintenance on all the vehicles; trimming trees and bushes; organizing those bins of papers, folders, gadgets, batteries and things. I could go on, but that would be boring.

We need to take the Maxima in for service. I think the thermostat may be going out; but that is just an educated guess. It desperately needs new brakes so I will have Michael help me with that in the next few days. So there's another item added to the list. I think we can knock that out in about 2 hours. It's been a few years since I personally have changed disc pads.

So many things to do. I am starting to feel the pressure to be done because I only have two weeks before I ship out. And I want to spend more time with the kids. Gaby still doesn't know and it's bothering me. I may have to tell her soon or I will explode. I don't want to think she can't rely on me or can't trust me or for her to feel that I don't trust her or that I don't care how she feels. It's an awful feeling. I just love my kids so much. It's gonna hurt to be away from them.

Breaking the News

Well I just got the news this week that I have been hired to go to the Middle East. I will be a MWR coordinator; basically, I will be putting together events, recreation activities, sports tournaments, and assorted other things for off-duty soldiers. This will be right up my alley from all the things we've accomplished with the GEAYL and the Cinco de Mayo Festival.

So Nora is very supportive, although it took some convincing. I think what makes this whole process easier is the fact that John (Nora's brother) has been through this as well. Two years ago he signed up as a contractor to do work in Iraq. He was there a year and a half. Now he's going back. As a matter of fact, he and I are going to Houston the same day for processing; I doubt we'll leave at the same time, though.

I was apprehensive about telling my parents I got a job overseas, especially my mom. She loves her family being close. I knew my dad would be okay. But they were surprisingly receptive, albeit, cautiously enthusiastic. My mom is still hoping something else will turn up in the 2 weeks before I leave for Houston.

My brother was very surprised and concerned, but he'll be fine. E-mail, IM and blogging will make this whole situation easier. So I've started letting others know and the reactions have been "somewhat surprised" to "totally shocked". You see, I'm a big family guy and being away from my wife and kids (not to menion parents, brother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) will be a HUGE adjustment.

Michael is showing concern for me going. We are waiting to tell Annalisa until about a week before I leave. I want to spend as much worry-free time with her as possible. Plus she has back-to-school coming up, so hopefully, that will make some of the change easier to bear. Jon-Gabriel won't understand since he is so young. We are trying to setup up webcams on both ends so we can have face-to-face communication. I just hope that works on my end after I deploy.

"Deploy"...............That's so weird to have apply to me.

I have to let that sink in.

More to come.