So I went back to get my package again. The same clerk was sitting with her feet on the desk. I asked for my package and she informed me that the office was closed. The box was two feet behind her. One of three just sitting on the floor. An E-6 wandered in the room when he heard me getting loud. He made it more clear that I wasn't getting my package. I blew her off and left. My sgt caught wind of it and marched back over there and demanded that she give me my package. She said she was closed and coninued to thumb through her JC Penny catalouge. The E-6 returned again at the right time and shooed us out of the mail room. Sgt Kolodgy got wind of what went on and smoked the hell out of the E-6. After losing a gallon or so of sweat, he kindly handed over my box. I thanked him for his polite service and left.
Since you guys have been asking so many questions I will attempt so many answers.
Fire constitutes somebody shooting anything. Mostly AK round but the occasional RPG (rocket Propelled Grenade think bazooka).
I am working with all of the S-3 people except the pregnant ones. Sgt diaz and Bevard.
I start work at 0100Z. pronounced Zero One Zulu. It is Greenwich mean time. That means it is 4.5 hours off of local time. I don't know where they got the .5 time zone thing from. The time is just about opposite here and there. The sun is just rising here as it is setting there.
No Swedes or Norvegites here.
Afghani is a measure of currency. It is like a peso. its insulting to call them that. The slang for people from here is Haaji, pronounced HAH-gee. So things that are local are also called haaji. like haaji plywood or haaji 7up. I am going to send a photo of the 7up here. it is the best stuff. It stays carbonated for hours after you open it. Anyway
Some people really hate us but most are really glad we are here. The problem is that Taliban. Even if someone doesn't like the taliban, they sometimes aren't friendly because of them. For example; farmers want to grow food, taliban shows up one day and says no grow opium instead so we can harvest it. the ANA comes buy and destroys the opium and the taliban kills the farmer for it. Or if the farmer uses seeds that he gets for free from the coalition, the taliban will destroy the crops and kill him. Tough spot to be in. Some colnel was out with the troops and when they all removed their helmets in a moment of silence for a fallen soldier, some local national came out of nowhere with a hatchet and hit the colnel in the head. The colnel is alright. You can imagine that the other soldiers response was less then diplomatic.
The acronyms help because we do a lot of communication with text. We have several systems that aren't terribly unlike text messaging on a cell phone. The advantage is that if the pilot is doing something he can read the message in a few seconds. He also has the info already written down so he doesn't then need to remember it. You just get used to using them. Plus I have a really good memory.
I am not going to Qalat on this next rotation. Pete is. I am sure that my turn will come. Till then I will be here a Kandahar.
The temp gets down into the 40s at night but that is rare. Usually it is in the 50s at night. The temp in the day is 72 if it is cloudy or dusty. That makes it really nice. If it is sunny the temp is about 85-88. The summer is going to suck. it is Tampa in July hot here in feb.
The sand is finer than beach sand. It is almost like dust or silt. Things get dusty overnight if you don't touch them. It is like 40 years of dust in one day. I was outside the whole time the sandstorm was coming. At first it looked like LA smog. Then it looked like a solid wall of sand. Then the sun was blocked out entirely and I was trying to get back indoors.
My permanet hooch will probably be a converted cargo shipping container called a conex. They bring shitloads of them over here and never send them back so we use them as buildings. Since they stay in one spot for a long time, we run electricity to them. The bathrooms are conexs the laundry is a conex, everything is conex or plywood.
There are no mamals here. Some locals have camels but you don't really see them wild unless you go out flying. There aren't even really any birds. you will see maybe one or two birds in a day. It is really like Mars with air. There is just no grass, no bushes, no plants, no life at all.
no asps that I have seen. I haven't seen any scorpions yet either.
Tania, Annonymous(in this case) is none other than the great Goshua Orville Dominy. What never heard of him? He is a friend of mine from basic and Ft Rucker. Rachel please post a photo of Dom so people can get to know him.
I loves me some count chocula. MMMM
I have no info on R&R. I will tell you all when I know something.
This concludes my broadcast day.
Lots of love and lots of answers
-Bert
63 Years of Memories....
63 Years of Memories....
that's what I have now. The photo below shows the chair on the point which for so many years was my father's favorite after-supper place to contemplate and cast for walleye. As much as I feel guilty about what's happened, I know he would understand and even say there's nothing to forgive. He lived life fully and moved on many times. I'm the one with the unique experience of being attached to a beautiful place for my whole life. And despite all my best efforts, yesterday the 'cabin' was sold. I signed the papers and, truth be told, a weight was lifted. A new life lies ahead without the obligations, but with all of the wonderful memories. My unrelentingly positive attitude says this is truly how it is, but my heart is still sad.
There are some things in life for which the balance between the obligation and the joy of ownership often cannot be sustained forever. It became clear that I was no longer up to the task of taking care of the place quite a while back. However, knowing what needs to be done and doing it are often far apart. Finally, no choice was left. It had to be sold.
Now it's gone. No more worrying about how long the grass or how deep the snow is up there. No more sublimely pleasurable early morning cups of coffee sitting on the dock when the color of the lake is like pale blue glass and the air is completely still. No more endless repairs, high taxes, and utility bills. No more late nights around the fire pit with friends and family - warm from both fire and friendship. No more frozen pipes or emergency calls to the furnace guys. No more saunas and midnight skinny dipping that make you feel like you'll live forever while your connection with nature is confirmed by the gazillion stars of the milky way and the loons calling out in the dark. No more concerns with low well water levels or water so hard and full of iron the clothes turn yellow and your newly washed hair feels like brillo. No more finding the way home by boat in the dark after a long day on the lake feeling like this is the only place you really, really belong. No more praying that the boathouse will make it another year without collapsing. And ultimately, no more making new memories with friends, family and loved ones. No new memories, that is, at Half Bay, Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN. New life... here we come!
How do you thank a place for memories?
1 comment:
Thanks, Bert. Your answers were much appreciated! I'm glad you finally got your package. This next one (departing Minnesota tomorrow) has some silly fun stuff in it too. Hope you don't have the same issues picking it up again. But I'm heartened to hear that Sgt. Kolodgy stepped up for you.
No questions from me this time! :)
Hugs and love,
Mom
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