Great Day Today

Well today was simply put great, in fact the last two days have been particularly good. Sunday I was up early and out running the "loop" a 7 + mile run around the airfield. It was cool and a little damp, it had rained the night prior. The damp air and the light rain and beaten down the dust so the sky was clear and the air pure. I put on my headphones and took off at a leisure pace, it was sunday after all and no need to push too hard. I had the armed Force Network radio playing, every sunday is 60's and 70's hits and this weekend it was Beetle mania so I started out to hard Days Night. They also mixed in a good number of X-mas songs to add holiday flavor. As I ran I wondered what the locals thought of that of that, I pictured a shepherd on one of the barren hills with a transistor radio calling to his buddy " hey Mohammed, they are playing that Bing Crosby guy again..." Of course Mohammed may not appreciate the First Noel so much. Any way. It is an interesting route, you start off passing concrete blast walls and cruise out over the first ramp, passing one of the old Russian minefields with big red signs and rolls of concertina wire warning you to stay away. Then it is off past the graveyard of soviet armored vehicles, all that is left in scrub covered fields are rusted and burned out armored vehicles, BTR's BMP'S T72's etc. All scrap now. Then it is on to the flightline, no pictures please, dozens of aircraft from as many nations. Mirage fighters, F16's, big Hecules transports, private russian style heavy lift Iluyshin's oh and old John McCains private plane, we had visitors that day guess he has a lot of time on his hands now. But that is a different story. From there it is past ammo dumps and fuel storage, all the things you need to keep a modern army in the field. Impressive amounts and all the contractors with long hair and bushy beards you can stand to take care of all of it.

I finished my run and headed back to the frat house, once there I checked the news and got ready for work. Nothing spectacular there troubles all over, but gas is cheaper. At work I did what I normally do, write plans, re-write plans, submit them and get them back, then re-write, if we didn't have guns this could be a bad episode of the office. But then as a FOBBIT (forward operating base FOB, -FOBBIT someone who never leaves the FOB.) this is what you do.

Then it was off to brunch, sunday meals are quite good. Lots of food. Eventually I broke free and was able to Skype Erica and then my Parents. Skype is a wonderful invention. We talked about all sorts of stuff, Carolyn's winter ball, the X-mas decorations, cats, food, health, family, football...

Oh did I mention football? This made it memorable, because my Dad like myself is a glutton for punishment, can't be an EAGLES fan and not be. He went and bet Coach one more case of Yuengling that the Birds would beat TFG ( T is for THE, G for giants I'll let you figure out the F, this is a family Blog after all).

Now in the frat house we have satellite TV, this is war in the 21st century after all (even if outside the FOB it is more like the 5th or 6th century) and we can do some cool things with electronics. Once again Armed Forces Network comes through, this time with live feed NFL, game of choice Eagels v Giants yeahha. Yeah Baby big blur er uh blue. Kick off was at 10 pm. So it was a late night but worth it.

So now it is monday, slow start, I stayed up too late gloating over the great victory. Went to work, hit the gym, they had a lot of Westbrook Highlights on TV so that was nice. But to make the day better, MAIL CALL, and I had a big package. Life in kandahar does not get better than this, really it doesn't. A big box from the Disitos. I couldn't wait to open it, I ran back to my office as quick as I could, like a kid at X-mas. I had that box open in seconds, my eyes bulged at the treasure trove, a years worth of SI, PHILLIES WORLD SERIES CHAMPS edition special!; summer sausage, hickory farms, and TASTYKAKES!!!! Oh yeah. I felt like , well I felt Like Coach was paying up on the bet he made :).

Thank you Bill, Anne, Tommy, Matt and Amey, you made my day and I love the picture, it is on my wall.

love Karl