Cinco Man in Iraq

No More Rain

2008-11-07T15:00:00.000-06:00

Well, that was short-lived. We thought the rain would stay a few days but it's gone now. There are still some puddles around from the poor drain off system, or lack thereof. HA! Hopefully those will clear up soon or else we'll have lots of mosquitoes.

I'm hoping the beginning of the year brings us rain or we'll have the same problem as this past summer. We had lots of sand storms since the rainy season was very mild. It's hard to see, hard to breath, yuck. AND....transportation in and out of country gets canceled; so if you're due to go out on R&R, you might get held back and that affects all your travel plans. I've had that happen to me once and it was terrible. Not to mention that you usually get stuck somewhere you don't want to be, sharing a small room with 5 other strangers. But that's how it goes.

Rain, Rain

2008-11-06T05:26:00.000-06:00

Well it is officially raining here today. I mean REAL rain...not just a sprinkle. The ground has gotten enough water to create a little runoff. This is an interesting point because the streets here are not built for runoff. There are lots of pools of water that collect in odd places. You tend to take these kind of things for granted in the US with all the regulations and standards. But I have yet to see a runoff drainage built into a curb.
Rain here is just so rare, especially this time of year. No one can explain why we are getting rain since the rainy season is typically in the early part of the year, like Jan-Feb.
It is a nice change of pace, although there is so much mucky build up of oil, soil, and goop and some of the walkways are slippery.

U.S.Presidential Election - Part 2

2008-11-04T14:00:00.001-06:00

Well today is the day. Many of us already cast our votes for the election weeks ago as required by the Foreign Voting Service. We printed ballots from the government web site and mailed them in. Now, we are eagerly waiting for the first polling places to close and for the networks to report the results....trying to screen out the exit poll info that got everyone in trouble the last two elections.

Some of us are staying up late to just to watch the fireworks on TV. In all reality, it looks like Obama is going to be our next President. There are some people here who are so upset about that possibility that it is unreal. I think this election has created a deep divide in our country and I hope that we can cure it.

Halloween in the IZ

2008-11-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

So Halloween is definitely different here than when I was at Kirkuk. There were hundreds of people who showed up to work wearing anything from simple T-shirts and masks to full head-to-toe costumes. There were evil jesters, Hare Krishnas, pirates, zombies, the cast of Wizard of Oz including monkeys, witches & trees, werewolfs, fairy tale creatures and so much more. Some people showed up at meetings and official functions wearing their costumes. It was hilarious and no one seemed to mind, including the management. Some of the management actually showed up in dress as well. I guess it's all part of breaking the levity of being in a war zone.

It was all good fun. Plus there was lots of candy in each department. Chocolates, gum, lollipops, Tootsie Rolls, Twizzlers and most everything you can get in the states. Now I'll have to hit the gym more to work off all the extra sugar I have consumed. HA!

An Awesome R&R

2008-10-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

Well, I want to take a moment here to say that this last R&R was simply awesome. It really allowed us the ability to spend a lot of quality family time together. I was able to spend the mornings with my wife, sipping coffee, flirting, talking, cooking in the kitchen and wait for the kids to get up. The hotel room had a full kitchen, by the way and we had the fortune of taking a trip to Hawaii.
My wife and I reconnected, even after we got back from our trip. We spent lots of time talking, even going to IHOP until the wee hours of the morning. It was like falling in love again. I was able to play games and and fun with the kids too. They were all over me and watching them each day was something I will never tire of. I was only apart from the kids late at night after they went to sleep. My wife and I took in a few movies once we knew they were asleep. It all worked out perfectly.
They have grown so much since I've been gone, but it won't be too much longer that I will be in Iraq. I love and miss my family like you wouldn't believe. I am a lucky....scratch that,...I am a blessed man.

End of Contract

2008-09-21T16:18:00.001-05:00

Now that I have completed my one year, I am looking forward to a few weeks off with my family for my end of year R&R. I am taking them to Hawaii. It will be a blast.

MY youngest doesn't know really what to expect since he is only 4. Annalisa can't wait to swim look at the sea life and collect shells. Michael is looking forward to all the bikinis. HA! Nora and I just want to get away. It will be a perfect setting. 7 days. I plan on taking them all over the island. Lots of swimming and beach-combing.

...and a different kind of sand than Iraq.

U.S.Presidential Election - Part 1

2008-09-14T16:00:00.001-05:00

I haven't said much about the election but I thought I would note some observations.

I can safely say that Obama has most of the support over here, in terms of non-military personnel. Of those in the military, McCain has strong support from the rank and file, meaning all the enlisted, but many of the officers seem to support Obama.

What's really peculiar is the interest of non-U.S. citizens and how engage they are with this election. I am talking about people from all over, England, Australia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Honduras, Peru, the Philippines, and of course Iraq.

There are so many issues and opinions that they want to discuss....the biggest, obviously, is the occupation of Iraq. Nearly everyone wants the U.S. out as soon as possible. Most of us know the war on terror will be making a significant shift to Afghanistan in the next year. But the U.S. economy is also becoming a hot topic because it is affecting other economies.

Almost all foreign nationals want to see Obama in the white house as there is almost a universal dislike for the Republican Party. While this isn't likely to sway any American votes, as well it shouldn't, it makes for some interested and heated political conversations. It does become apparent that there are just a few polarizing issues they know about but there view is very different. They've grown up in war-torn countries and varying degrees of democracy, and no two democracies in the world are the same.

But it does make me proud to be an American.

Clouds and Thunder

2008-09-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day in my many months that I have seen actual clouds in Baghdad. Some people saw a few drops of rain this morning. I didn't see any precipitation. When I awoke this morning, I noticed that it was a little darker than usual outside and my immediate thought was that another dust storm blew in. So I was not looking forward to going outside. I was relieved as I made my walk to work.

To my surprise, in the middle of the day I heard thunder. I almost thought it was another explosion, like a distant car bomb or something, but this sound rumbled and echoed like only thunder can. It was somewhat refreshing to think that it might rain. I've been told that as the weather starts to cool, more clouds and rain will roll into the area. I had no idea. I'm not really looking forward to the rain in this dusty environment because it will cause a lot of mud and dirt to infiltrate our rooms and offices. But I will welcome the cooler temperatures.

Crazy Drivers in the Green Zone

2008-08-28T19:00:00.001-05:00

I know I've spoken about the people driving in the Green Zone, but today I saw another example of how the Iraqis view driving. They are nuts. They have no regard for traffic patterns or common sense approaches to driving.

Riding in the shuttle this morning, there were several scooters or vespas or whatever you call them that came up along the right side of the shuttle. The shuttle is like a city bus but about 20% smaller. A group of about 9 of them zoomed perilously close to the bus in order to pass it before they would slam into a parked dump truck. None wore helmets and a few had passengers on the back. These little vehicles aren't in the best shape and have tiny wheels and anemic engines. So it's totally incredible how they drive. It's reckless.

They do not know the concept of defensive driving. It's all selfish. They zoom in and out and brake suddenly trying to get to their destination. I've seen many collisions after the fact and am surprised I haven't seen any actually happen. It's almmost as bad as driving in New York..........kidding.

It's no wonder why a lot of the cars are beat up; they run into things and treat their cars poorly.

Hotter than Texas

2008-08-17T11:34:00.001-05:00

Man, it's really hot here. I have no idea how the Iraqis survive. Most do not have air-conditioning ar a lot of access to ice. today registered 139 degrees according to the Medics thermometer. Not sure how accurate that is since it sits out in the sun but it's painfully hot when walking outdoors.

Many of the outside workers wear head coverings and wrapping that cover their nose and mouths in addition to gloves. I have no idea how they do this. I commend them. I would be done after about 10 minutes....maybe less. As it is, I drink about a gallon and a half of water each day and most of my day is spent inside behind a computer.

I'm looking forward to it gettign cooler starting in October, I think.

It's the Smell...

2008-08-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

Since the weather has really heated up, we have noticed an awful smell coming from the famous and mighty Tigris River. The river is a polluted with wastewater, sewage and who knows what else. There are locals that fish in the river and eat what they catch. I cannot fathom eating anything that lives in the river. The smell is so foul that I have to cover my moth and nose sometimes as I return to my room from a long shift at work.

Many of the Iraqis do not see a difference in regular wastewater, which is like runoff from car washes, rain (when there is any), watering, leaking hydrants, etc. and actual sewage from sinks, tubs, and toilets. It's a pretty gross concept by Western standards.

At the Al Rasheed - part 2

2008-07-26T20:00:00.000-05:00

The concert was scheduled to begin at 2:00pm. As the room began to get warm, we were all wondering when it might actually start. People were still coming in and the seats were filled. it became standing room only for those that arrived close to curtain. Two o'clock turned into 2:10 turned into 2:20. Then I noticed an entourage of people entering from the lobby. The U.S. Ambassador showed up and then another man, an Iraqi. I was not sure who this was. They shook hands with many VIPs sitting up front...and then the found there seats.

A few moments later....... all the lights went out. And I mean all the lights. Some people thought that the performance was going to start but I made the observation that even the stage lights were off. We were somewhat nervous and not sure what to do. It was very quiet in the ballroom after being filled with conversation. There were about 400 people waiting to see what happened next. After about 3 minutes, some lights slowly turned back on and everything was back to previous levels after another couple of minutes. There was a problem with the power, I am sure. I breathed a sigh of relief and made sure I knew the quickest way out of the doors.

Another five minutes went by and the musicians walked in from the lobby. There were about 25-30 people. I thought it was a rather small group. An Iraqi took the podium on stage right. he introduced the U.S. Ambassador who spoke a few words. They were translated in to Arabic. Fortunately this was brief...everyone was waiting to hear music. The Ambassador wrapped and the Iraqi sat at the front with a viola while a conductor entered from backstage.

The music began and I soon realized that the musicians on stage were only playing stringed instruments. I though this was odd; there were no woodwind or brass instruments and no percussion. The first four pieces were from Iraqi composers. The second four would be from American composers, for a total of eight. The first piece was about 8 minutes. I honestly didn't care for it. It seemed somewhat hollow and poorly arranged....almost like it needed more work or needed to be practice more.

To my surprise, more musicians entered the auditorium after this piece ended. i could now see that this was the other half of the orchestra that I felt was missing. The viola player now became the conductor for the second piece. This second Iraqi selecton was beautifully done. It was rich with sound and diversity and contained many Iraqi traditionally sounds......similar to what you might hear in the soundtracks of old films about Arabs and the desert, like Lawrence of Arabia. The third piece had a change of conductors again. The conductor for the first "song", now sat frontstage to play an oud. This is a guitar-like instrument that is pear-shaped with strings and fretts. This piece was quite lively at times. The final Iraqi piece contained many Iraqi traditional sounds. it was a good conclusion. I wish I could describe more about the music, but it was a "kind-of-had-to-be-there" experience. I am not even a novice on Iraqi music, much less Iraqi classical music.

They announced a 15 mintute intermission before they started the American set of pieces. Many people dashed to the lobby for a cigarette break and it quickly became saturated with smoke. I will say the bathrooms were elegant. Marble everything. The toilets were automatic, large mirrors in front of the sinks, beautifully designed. I made my way back to my seat and stood looking around at the diversity of people. It felt surreal. I could feel the "danger" aspect but knowing that the Ambassador was there, made me feel better.

Everyone satdown and the orchestra performed some American music. The four composers were Aaron Copland, Charles Cadman, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. Even though you may not have heard of Cadman, you have heard his music. Each piece had a different composer. All four pieces were awesome.

There was a bit of a scare during the third piece. The lights went out again, although this time the emergency lights came on the band tried to keep going but the conductor stopped them. We waited for about minutes and some power was restored but not enough for the orchestra to see. There was a loud burst of applause for the band and the lights. I saw some men rush in from the lobby wearing suits...... they went to a panel and shortly thereafter the lights started turning on. One exception wasthe rear of the stage was still inthe dark. Those musicians moved towards the front of the stage and the crowd cheereed again in encouragement. The conducor called orderand they started the piece over.

After it ended, they brough in an electric piano for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blues. there was call to fix the stage lights but went unanswered. They began the music and after a few minutes, while they were playing, the rear stage lights turned on.

As they finished Rhapsody in Blues, they received a standing ovation at the conclusion. Flowers were given to the conductor and he recognized the musicians. The U.S . Ambassador spoke again and he emphasized the importance of the arts and that it brings back the culture that Iraqi citizens chersh. The Iraqi Minister of Arts also spoke to thanks everyone in attendance and that they are working on more arts performances.

Despite the power going out, the performance was spectacular. They have a way to go to be at the same level as some of the best American orchestras, but they are on their way. I would be willing to see them agian.

At the Al Rasheed - part 1

2008-07-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

Well, needless to say, I went to the performance. I didn't want to look back and regret not going. It is a historical occasion and and sets another precedence for normalcy in Baghdad.

I went with about 5 of my co-workers, although only one had ever been to a symphony performance. There were lots of people at the shuttle stop ready to go. Many state department employees and Air Force personnel. Hardly an Army folks, read into that what you will. ;-) The ride over was uneventful but we did have to go through several checkpoints. I finally go to see the other side of the convention center. The only side I have been able to see thus far is the closed bombed-out side. It's quite large and looks like any other convention center in the US except for some subtle cues of a mosque-esque design.

The shuttle approached the Al Rasheed in yet another compound and thru another checkpoint. Security is tight. Just beyond the checkpoint is a defunct water fountain with bronze statues. One is a woman and the other a horse. I'm not sure of the significance.

We wlked up to the hotel thru these huge glass doors that opened like sliding doors, automaically. It was a bit of a shock since we don't see much of this kind of technology being implemented here. As soon as you enter the doors, you enter a lobby with marble floors and walls. It's quite cavernous. there is now a little shop here to the right with rugs strewn about on the floor for sale. We follow the crowd down a long corridor; to the right is an atrium with granite fixtures, benches, plants, outdoor lighting fixtures. You can tell that this hotel was the pride of Iraq. It is still in use but to get accomodations here requires permissions beyond my comprehension. A few hundred feet down the corridor, a line formed to the right. We stood in line before I realized there were only Iraqis in line. They were well-dressed, suit and ties, dresses, and other formal clothing. Again, it was similar to a crowd attending a symphony performance in the states. We exited the line and walked to the left. As it turned out, the line for the Iraqis was so they could pass through a metal detector and other screening. As Americans, we could bypass all this and just show our DoD card.

I felt weird...and uneasy. I understand that the ones likely to bring a bomb into the area are Iraqi extremists and precautions had to be taken. But this is their country and this is an event in the arts. I hope that we are on the road to an environemnt where this kind of thing can be eliminated.

So after the security checkpoint, the corridor opend up to the right into a smaller lobby with a large wall of art. I have a photo of this. The left sidde of the corridor contained doors for the auditorium. I walked into the auditorium and it is a large ballroom with a stage on one end. Chairs have been placed facing the stage. There is a front section, which is already filled. the second 2/3 of the seating is split into a left and right with a large walkway between them. At the front of the walkway are video cameras on tripods. I counted 9 cameras in addition to the roaming ones. We found setas in several places since we were a large group. We were about 45 early but the place was filling up fast. It was only slightly cool so I guessed that it was only going to et warmer.

The audience wa a mix of Iraqis in formal attire, soldiers in their uniforms, American civilians in business casual clothing, as well as some Iraqis running around shooting video and photos. There were some interviews being conducted by various Iraqis.

Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra

2008-07-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

We just received an e-mail invitation for A Concert of American and Iraqi Classical Music presented by the American Embassy and the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra for July 26. This sounds interesting and I would like to go. However it is being held at he Al Rasheed Hotel, which is on the outer edge of Green Zone and is off-limits to most KBR personnel. Only those with specific mission purposes can go there, like carpenters, plumbers, electricians, security or others who have work to do in those areas. One of the reasons it was made off-limits is it's proximity to the red-zone but more importantly, the fact that there was a suicide bomber that got in and killed several people about 4 years ago.

We have been given permission to go and there is a special shuttle that will take us there. I want to go but am I am a little reluctant. I'm going to think about this and ask around for some more information. Stay tuned.....

Meeting Barrack Obama

2008-07-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I didn't exactly meet him, but I did shake his hand, along with a crowd of other people. He came to Baghdad as part of his tour of the Middle East and they scheduled an appearance at the US Embassy in the Presidential Palace.

I got there about an hour and a half before he was scheduled and there were already about 300 people in the main lounge. There is a small permanent stage there and people were jockeying for position. No one knew which entrance he would use. It's not like there is a "backstage" or anything. The room doesn't even have a front or back but it is HUGE. There is a Green Bean cafe (like Starbucks) in one corner, a large customer service desk for MWR on one wall, a computer lab with 24 stations in another corner, 2 dedicated chess tables, a small library of books, newspapers and magazines, an wood-enclosed cardio room that will fit about 30-40 people in another corner, as well as about 40 round tables and chairs, and about 30 sofas.....a very large room.

As te crowd waited, more and more people gathered and I found myself situated in front of the stage, house-right, kind of in front of one of the big doors where I thought he might walk in. There are two long corridors running inside the palace, each connecting at opposite ends of the room and I though mycurrent location would be a good choice. He was scheduled at 9:00pm and as time drew near, the crowd grew to approximately 600 and most started to push towards the stage half of the room. We waited some more and 9:20 rolled around. Then I saw many people out in the hallway starting to take pictures aiming down the long corridor. We knew the appearance was imminent.

As soon as he approached a view where you could see him in the corridor, cameras went up over the heads of everyone there. It was like a media circus....only without the actual media. There was one camera crew with him and I assumed it was part of the media team traveling with him. There were digital camersa and camcorders everywhere. Flashes and flashes and flashes. I managed to use my digital camera as a video camera since it was going to be hard to get a good snapshot. The lighting was not the greatest for cameras and the delay with the flash in my camera would mean I would lose the shot or I might get a part of an arm or head in the photo.

He shook some hands on the way in and got to the stage. He spoke for about 7-8 minutes and gave an opportunity for th etwo senators traveling with him. The U.S. Ambassaodor to Iraq also appeared and said a few words. Obama thanked everyone for being there and serving the country, from soldiers to airmen to sailors to marines to state department employees to contractors. Afterward, he shook hands for about 25 minutes. It was madness after he made his remarks. Everyone rushed the stage. The Secret Service had already set up some stanchions around the stage to help keep the crowd back. People were pushing forward, reaching over others while some people got caught up in the chaos and just wanted out. I remember a lady who started to have a panic attack as she tried to retreat against the surge of people. She was okay. I made my way towards the middle and was able to catch him. I caught his eye for a moment as he grabbed my hand. He repeatedly said "Thank you, thank you for your support. Thank you for being hear." Not everyone was so lucky....security was a big issue and he also had another scheduled apperance or meeting.

As he made his way around, people cycled to the stage and then backed away. He slowly made hs way back to the door from which he came, which, by the way, was the door I chose (yea me!), and he walked down the hallway...the Secret Service right behind. The room was loud from people talking about the encounter. People were sharing pictures from their cameras, what the got and what the missed or blurred. Many people exchange e-mail addresses to get more of the photos, presumably ith them in the photos.

I sat down and with a few of my co-workers to take a breath. The experience was invigorating yet exhausting....and it only lasted minutes! Obama made many stops in Baghdad and Iraq for that matter. We'll see how things end up.

Driving in the IZ

2008-03-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

Okay remember the IZ means International Zone which means there are many nationalities here. This also means there are some crazy driver here. I went out on my first foray into driving out here and it was a somewhat nervous experience.

The roads here are real asphalt roads but they show tremendous wear and tear from bombings, heavy artillery, and neglect. There are pot holes, huge gashes, cracks and monstrous speed bumps everywhere. So you have to be careful where and how you drive. You also have to be very careful approaching checkpoints. There is usually a large mounted machine gun pointed at you from across the street as you approach the Marine or other security personnel to gain access to wheever you are going, like where you live, or to the store (PX), or back to work; it's very unnerving.

So the way people drive is completely insane. Forget regular U.S. traffic laws. Those are only a guide. The most important thing is to drive defensively. There are no traffic cops in the IZ, even though thre are IZ Police....but as far as traffic goes, the only time the intervene is when their is a collision. So people drive really fast, reckless and rarely stop at stop signs much less unmarked intersections. They even travel the wrong way on divided streets and stop in the middle of the roads to pick up and drop off passengers. Like I said. INSANE!

But my first driving experience here went off without any problems. You just have to keep your cool and avoid potential hazards.

Green Zone - week three

2008-03-06T10:58:00.001-06:00

The sites....well our department is lucky enough to have a couple of vehicles and a couple of my co-workers dove me around the Green Zone to check it out. We went to the Crossed Swords where thousands of troops would march ceremoniously and Saddam would preside over them. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_of_Victory) I got to climb and venture up into one of the hands through a complex, narrow maze of ladders and tunnels. It was not meant to be used as place for the general public but a place for security to lookout.

In hindsight, it was a little dangerous climbing up and down, but our sense of adventure got the best of us. There are two sets of crossed swords that encompass a long avenue or general assembly area, one on each end. Huge light towers once lit up the entire 1 mile length. Now it is mostly abandoned with the occasional people like us visiting, taking some photos and walking around. There are some locals here and there walking about; not sure if they are just hanging out or on there way somewhere else.

We tried to see the tomb of the unknown soldier, which looks like a flying saucer. It's enormous. But we got turned away by some Iraqi security guards and we weren't about to argue. They didn't even want us taking pictures so we drove away pretty quickly.

Next we went to a place called Union which is another U.S. compound. It contains the Baath Party Headquarters building. It's tall and square.....like a big cube. We didn't go in that bulding, but there was a small restaurant and a few shops selling pirated DVDs, movies and TV shows, as well as music CDs. There are also a coupld of barber shops.

In our drive, we encountered many huge speed bumps andcheck point and had to repeatedly show our badges. It's oneof the things you really have to get used to. A wide assortment of people will check it.... from U.S. Marines, Army, Air Force, Iraqi Security, Iraqi Army, private security, contract security, wal-mart security.....ok ok I just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Which does bring me to an important aspect, you really have to pay attention at the checkpoints becuase they are authorized to use deadly force if they see something that doesn't jive. All the check points are armored and lock and loaded. It can be unnerving. There have been a few incidents where,...... well one example is a person behind the wheel accidentally lurched forward when he was reaching for his badge and he took 6 shots through the windshield. Unfortunately he perished.

There are precise rules about check points that they drill into you. Being extra cautious goes a long way. You have to respect and be aware of where you are at all times or else there can be catastrophic consequences.

Green Zone - week two

2008-03-01T17:15:00.001-06:00

Well, I have finally gotten my bearings about where things are located, where we are in Baghdad, where the Tigris River is, and of course, which way is north. Getting around is a bit easy since there are a few shuttle routes. We use mostly one to get to and from work. The embassy is located in the Presidential Palace. This was one of Saddam's newest palaces and it's quite large and grandiose. It has been fitted with offices, partitions, meeting rooms, lounges, and small deli shop, computer lab, etc. But mostly there are tons of offices here. Most of the large rooms have been partitioned and modified with sheet rock and plywood to accommodate the state dept. THere is marble everywhere and grand murals, some showing rockets which is just odd.

There is less military here and many civilians. Lots of state dept workers and other contractors. It's a little surreal since I am used to mostly military but people are dressed in suits, pantsuits for women, and then I see some jogging in regular shorts and T-shirts around the palace grounds. The palace grounds is another fortified location that can be hard to get into if you don't have the right credentials.

The job is good, I'm learning. Hopefully some experience I can take with me.

I have been told that it gets really hot in the summer like 140 degrees. We'll see. I have a hard time believe it gets that hot. It is dusty though and low, if any humidity....kind of like Arizona.

I've been around to see a few sites but more on that later.

The Green Zone - Week One

2008-02-22T09:50:00.001-06:00

Well I have settled in a little, albeit I am sharing a temporary room with 5 other people. It's a cramped room with three bunk beds and barely enough room to change clothes. I should be assigned my own room in the next few days.

The building is like a dorm but they call it the Barracks. We have a common shower area and there is no living area to speak of. I really want my own room and not be assigned to the barracks. I have only been sleeping in that room since there is no room so I stay at the office longer to avoid my room. ...Yeah it's that bad. But hopefully it will get better.

The people here are friendly and seem to like where they are. There are been some incoming mortars since I've been here. It's a little unnerving but from what I understand, they are sent from 3-6 miles away and they are trying to target specific places like the embassies, warehouses and who knows what else. But their target areas vary wildly and as long as you take cover when the alarm goes off, you should be okay. I guess we'll see.

There are several checkpoints to get into specific compounds, like from where we live and where we work and other places. Security is everywhere. The IZ is also home to several thousand Iraqis. There are apartments, villas and other homes in the IZ that belong to Iraqis. But it's nothing like the U.S. The apartments are run-down and the villas are constructed entirely of concrete except for the roofs. The paved roads have a lot of wear and tear form miitary vehicles, bombs, mortars, heavy machinery, etc. Some street lights work but it can get dark for being in the middle of a city of millions. Traffic laws are non-existent. There are stop signs and round-abouts but no working stop lights. The speed bumps are brutal but exist to slow potentially threatening vehicles.

You have to make sure you ahve the right badge to enter the compounds. Each one is run by a specific entity. There are many countries represented. Many companies. I'll get more of a feel for things I' sure. So far I like it compared to the camp I was at. at least there are sidewalks, streets and shuttles.

Riding the Rhino

2008-02-18T13:00:00.000-06:00

Okay the rhino sucks. Picture a Winnebago, only a small one, that has been completely gutted and only contains very hard padded seats...like theones at a football or baseball stadium. No seatbelts, no place for luggage. Armored and really tiny windows with 6 inch glass. And that's not even the worst part.

We travel overnight and the times are never set for security purposes. It's pretty scary. We travel in a heavily armed convoy in the pitch black. It is totally disorienting, bewildering and frightening. We have to travel through the "red zone" to get to the Green Zone, or International Zone (IZ) as it is now referred to. Our luggage goes separately in an 18 wheeler.

So as we wait at the depot, we don't know when the convoy arrives, we have to fight to stay awake, because I have been told that sometimes it can be as late as 5:00 am. Crazy. I am still beat. It's gonna take some time to recover. I have the rest of the day off to sleep and get situated.

But it was brutal.

New Job in the Green Zone

2008-02-15T09:29:00.001-06:00

The Green Zone is in downtown Baghdad. It is roughly a 2 kilometer by 2 kilometer area that is heavily fortified and has heavily guarded checkpoints to enter. The Green Zone is a military term which means relative safe area.

So I applied for and accepted a position in Baghdad. I transfer in a few days. I'm pretty excited to see another part of Iraq, new people, new job, new living conditions, new everything. I hear good things since it is actually in a proper city and not just a large camp with lots of rocks. We'll see when I get there.

I am doing research on what to expect and what there is in the Green Zone. I won't know anyone there and I have to travel by Rhino, whatever that is. I still have lots of questions. In the meantime, I have to pack, sell and give away all of my stuff. I'm probably going to end up shipping several footlockers to my new destination and try to travel light. Traveling with heavy baggage is not the greatest because there is always rocks or other terrain which are not very luggage-friendly.

I'll miss this place and the people I have met. It has been a quaint and mostly quiet place but I am looking forwarad to what lies ahead.

Food shortages

2007-11-25T02:37:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-24T00:08:00.000-06:00

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

2007-09-28T04:35:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-09-14T21:15:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-11T21:00:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

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!!

2007-09-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-04T23:42:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-04T12:24:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-09-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-30T22:55:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-08-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

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....

2007-08-26T04:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-24T01:45:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-23T23:38:00.000-05:00

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?"

2007-08-22T21:35:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-20T00:48:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-16T14:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-08-13T17:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

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:

clothes
toiletries and bathroom stuff
electronics and computer stuff
everything else

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

carry-on bag
checked luggage
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

2007-08-11T16:24:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

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.