Iraq 2008

Thanksgiving

Strange New Places

One 12 hour flight later, here we are in Kuwait. Now, what to do... I've got it!  I'll expand my knowledge of the rich and diverse Kuwaiti culture by sampling the local cuisine!

"Yeah, I'll take a Big Mac, large order of fries and a Coke."

Looking for the Pony

So the story goes:

A father had two sons who were night and day in their attitudes. One complained, and was pessimistic about life while the other was optimistic, cheery and found happiness in everything he did.

One morning, the father decided to give his sons something different for the holidays. The first son came downstairs to find under the tree every present he had ever asked for. Sadly, the son muttered, "If I play with them they'd probably break."

Hearing his brother, the second son ran down stairs to find his present, a huge pile of manure. He was off, sprinting through the house and yard looking through closets and cabinets, giggling the whole way. When his father caught up to him he asked, "Son, what are you doing? What are you looking for?"

Hardly able to contain his excitement, the son smiled and answered, "With a pile of manure that big, there has to be a pony around here somewhere!"

It is with that attitude, after enduring the last the last week of lines to nowhere, lack of common sense, and overall... manure, that I think, "Where is that damned pony?"

Her name, was Marcella...

She's a sassy Italian... and, for a time, it was good. (Queue the violin) Alas, as quickly as she entered my life, she'll soon leave, only to return to whence she came, the cold, dark and lonely CRC arms room. *snif* (Fade to black)

Nunchuck Skills, Video Skills...

It has been a long day full of drawn-out briefings. As we say in the Army, "Death by PowerPoint."  The only break in the monotony is the occasional "motivational video." They are kind of mind-numbing slop that makes you want to find every person who slapped together a Toby Keith based slideshow and shake them while screaming "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!" ...nice weather though.

More of the Same

To all of my MPAD Falcon friends, you'll be happy to know that Fort Benning CRC hasn't changed a bit. Same everything. Yesterday I stood in line for an hour in order to find out that I didn't need to be in the line.

Good times...

Welcome to Fort Benning!

"Home of the Infantry, Follow Me!" That's what I was expecting to hear when we came here. It's usually barked out by the gate guards as you enter the base and as corny as it sounds, it gives me a warm fuzzy. This time, nothing. I had my camera out and everything. The battalion Command Sergeant Major mentioned that they will soon be changing from "Home of the Infantry" to "Maneuver Center  of Excellence." Lame. Thankfully my Basic Training alma mater, Fort Knox, is still "The Home of Armor!" Wait a sec. What's this US Army Armor Center crap? Center? Really?

iPod Vending Machine

I wonder how many nickels I would need for a new iPod...