Padres

Continuing my quest to be ridiculous, I'll spend this time talking about everyone's favorite subject - the Padres. Good week for the Padres. They took two out of three from both the Mets and Phillies. Now, they return to San Diego to take on the Snakes and LA Dodgers. We managed to increase the Wild Card lead to 3.0 games and reeled in the Snakes to 3.0 games. In my humble opinion, this is the make or break week for the Padres. When the dust settles, I think that we'll see if we have a chance to win the division. Hopefully, CY comes back and pitches Thursday. We showed that we can swing the bats, as we scored nearly 70 runs and 80 hits in one week. I'm tired of reading about the PETCO jinx... the job of these fellas is to hit the ball. Home runs are nice and all, but they don't necessarily win games. If you don't believe me, just ask the Reds and Rangers.

Otherwise, things remain hot on the Iraqi front.

Iraqi Plumbing

The following post might be of questionable taste - so for some I might encourage you to skip this entry.

By large measure, the worst part of this deployment is the plumbing situation. It is so bad that I'd gladly pee in a water bottle or on a scorpion rather than use the sauna that is the port-a-john. Even with the clutch ability to "use it standing up" - it is not the highlight of my day. Previously, I've made mention of my brilliant plan to get air conditioning into the latrines (nice Army word). In recent weeks I have tried to push the issue; however, I continue to be met with resistance. I mean it is so bad that everyone monitors their food intake for the amount of potential blockage. As an interesting aside, a MRE works wonders for about three days. Who knew that a trip to the head takes off about five pounds? Back to the subject at hand, the time has come for me to think of other wonderfully brilliant ideas, because as a higher ranking official commented, "there will be no more discussion on the issue." Very well then.


The strangest part of the whole deal is that the port-a-johns are fairly clean and ten times better than the native ways. Attached are pictures of the typical bathroom. Yes, these bathrooms are in use. At any rate, you can see the toilet, a tap that dispenses water of worse quality than egg water, and an urn looking thing that holds water. The urn thing is what they use to wipe their hands when they are finished. No need to go into detail on that. I'll insert a friendly reminder not to shake a native of F-Town's left hand. The overall idea is that once you are finished you turn on the water and flood the toilet to encourage the deposits away. In turn, this will spark a conversation of what does away mean? I'll just say that away is equivalent to the distance to the street. So subtly I'll remind people not to walk in the puddles on the street.


I figure . . . I'll keep eating an MRE once or twice a week.

More progress

Pictures are a good thing - so in this little jib I've included two collages. They are of various murals that we've been able to contract out to the local nationals - the people of Fallujah. Previously, I mentioned the billboards, and we've come to the conclusion that that project is going to have to wait for a while. In the mean time we've been very successful at getting people to paint the drab walls that line the city. It sure makes for a nice change of scenery. As I have mentioned before, there is only so much beige a person can stand.

Also included is probably my favorite picture to date - the sunrise in Fallujah. Could this be the dawn of a new era? Let's hope so.

Coming tomorrow, everyone's favorite topic - Revisiting the Plumbing Situation ... Has progress been made? I'll have the stunning results in tomorrow's edition. And now, for the local news ...

Video Games?

I find myself masticating on the problem I created by promising to blog with increased frequency. I've tried all the tricks in the book to circumnavigate this issue - but it is just not working. The problem? I've got to keep this unclassified, and the majority of the stuff I'm involved in I can't discuss in this forum.

Rumors have intensified as to where I'll go next when 2/6 departs the pattern. It is hard to discern the truth, and I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't be up for a change of scenery. Annapolis is my choice destination -but what are the chances of that happening before the Navy gets every single day out of me? It is possible - see how positive I've become! My hat is off to those who do this for greater than seven months. The monotony in the face of eminent danger is the most dangerous weapon. The anti-coalition forces (read hooded idiots) can't hang with the danger that getting complacent has to offer.

My Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer board was postponed for another month. I guess there are some people who are redeploying soon, and they have the priority. I don't like it, but I understand. If I had my druthers, I'd just get it over with.

Who knows what the comings and goings will bring in the upcoming weeks? Ramadan is looming, and historically, it hasn't been an enjoyable time. Supposedly, the weather is starting to cool off - but I haven't seen it. Dinner tonight was terrible - but that was the exception rather than the rule. Hats off to the folks at KBR who run the chow hall. Why cook yourself when you can just pay someone else to do it? It frees up the Supply Marines to play video games. Marines are no different than Sailors - they love to pass the time playing video games. Madden 2008 has made its way over here and is all the rage ... the controls are too complicated, if you ask me - yet another sign that I am getting old.

Slowing Down

As you have noticed, my blog entries have been a little slow recently. I think that I've been trying to fight off post traumatic leave syndrome. It has been taking a toll on me - but never fear, I'm back! Fueled by Greg Maddux and the Padres, I am determined to get back in the posting business. The upcoming week is a big one for Padre nation. We'll find out if the Padres are for real. They start off with the east leading Mets and then travel on to Philadelphia to close out the weekend. The Phils currently trail the Padres by one game in the NL wild card race. The good news is that we'll send both Young and Peavy vs. the Mets. Speaking of Peavy ... what the hell? His comments in the Union-Tribune were ill timed at best. He's under contract until the end of the 2009 season and went on and on about how he doubts the Padres will pay him enough for services when his current contract is up.

At any rate, things here in IZ are going well. Ramadan is rapidly approaching, and that is usually marked by a spike in violence (ironic if you ask me). Part of me wishes that they come out and fight ... however, thei mportant part is to find out when they will stop fighting in whatever cowardly manner. I think that by the end of September we'll have our answer. I'll just close by saying that I think they'll find we're ready.

And, in the oh by the way category ... my parents didn't buy a corvette. They only brought it home to take pictures with it. They settled for a Tahoe. Oh, those funny jokers. Sorry Sean, I hear that they can get you a great price on a used Hyundai!

Wayworn?

Watching people ought to be given consideration as an actual profession. Some might argue that it already is - some sort of hybrid profession of Anthropology and Psychology. I'm just not too sure. I say this because I find it very fascinating to watch my Marines interact w/ one another. Let me stop you before you start thinking that I am about to go off on some diatribe about grunts. I'm simply saying that my current Marine unit has entered a phase of a noticeable change in behavior toward one another. I think it means that they are getting ready to go home. Here in a few weeks they will, "get their shit wired tight." They're just not close enough to put differences aside and work on solutions. Instead they're at the point where differences are accentuated. Take last night for example: Two individuals (one quite nebbish and the other bellicose) got into quite a heated discussion. Roles reversed and the passive aggressiveness came out in full force. All of sudden yelling started, and I found myself ambuscaded in the midst of the fracas. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and nothing truly noteworthy happened. All I can say is that it was two of the biggest men in the Battalion, and should they have decided to handle this in a bar-like fashion, I would have been toast (even in my Sponge Bob like frame). Would that have qualified me for the Purple Heart or Combat Action Ribbon? One could only guess, and luckily, I'll never know. Hopefully, I remember this lesson in the event I feel a quixotic nature brewing from within. We all know that I am by definition a person who is unflappable!

I need a Corvette.

Omnipresent in my mind has been the thought of what is next. Incipient feelings of uncertainty really seem to be leitmotif. That not withstanding, things here are moving along. My Padres are clambering along; Tony Stewart has won 3 of the last 4 NASCAR races; I'm back to running at a snails pace, and it's hotter than Hades. I continue to find a gallimaufry of things to keep me busy - including golf. My sandgame is still a little rough, but who doesn't like a challenge?

The other good news is that my relief, a Marine EWO, has made email contact. And as everyone knows, this is a clear sign that I am on the downhill slope. My Fleet Marine Forces Qualified Officer board is next week - so I am spending some time preparing. For those of you who don't know, it is like a SWO pin for the Marines.

In the recent days, two more care packages arrived: one from the Long Beach Moodys and the other from the Grieser Family of Kernersville, NC. From wildflower seeds to books - the packages had all bases covered. I can't reiterate how awesome it is to walk into my space and see a package from home on the desk.

Now if you recall, your efforts helped CY (of the Padres) make the all-star game. I need that same type of effort from ya'll now. My parents recently bought a Corvette and I think that it is only fitting that they buy Colleen and I one, too. So please help me put the pressure on! It is the least that they can do ...

So in closing in my best sotto voce - Go Padres!