Oh yeah.

Mom and Dad sent me kimchi flavored instant ramen.

Is that a joke?

Reminds me of the time they came to visit me in Georgia and Mom brought me cans of tuna fish. From Ohio. In her carry on.

un-

motivated.
uninterested
-in doing anything productive right now.

I'm mesmerized by Keanu Reeves kicking "agent" a** in _The Matrix: Reloaded_ (on the movie channel right now. I didn't realize that Michael from Lost was in this movie... Anyway).

I'm also superexcited about the mail I received last night - coffee, splenda, books, CDs, gossip magazines, kleenex, Sour Patch Kids, animal crackers, PopsAmato biscotti...

Two Ryans came in the mail last night = Ryan Adams _Easy Tiger_ and Ryan Shaw _This Is Ryan Shaw_ Highly recommend both. Ryan #1 kinda country, kinda bluesey. Ryan #2 big-voiced, old-school R&B.

mini vacation

in Mosul of all places.

Last week was a rough week with a bunch of little crap eating away at my sanity. I had to come out here to take care of some Army business and they way the flights worked out, I'm here for a few days.

Its a nice change, thousands of US troops which means a bigger dfac, a real px and a real American gym with weights in lbs and benches that are big enough. A coffee shop.

Anyway, that's all I've got.

I'm planning on going to both Germany and Italy for my leave, anyone with any suggestions of where to go?

Funny

From a little store in a little neighborhood.

absolutely nothing interesting

I really really have nothing to say. things here are going well, and I'm not complaining, there just isn't anything interesting to post about. Honestly, the only exciting thing I've got goin on is that I bought a new holster for my pistol. This one sits on my belt. I feel so free and I'm not getting smacked in my ribs by either my pistol or my ammo. Ah, its the little things here that bring so much joy!

Besides working, I've been getting myself ready to separate from the Army - drafting resumes, searching online for jobs, making budget spreadsheets figuring out how long I can live without any income...

(if I didn't tell you I was getting out of the army, then here it is: I'm trying to get out of the Army)

Which then leads me to start thinking of what I want to do when I get back home...the Incline, running Cheyenne Canyon with Maureen, running the Garden 10 miler next year with Becca and Christine, resuming violin lessons, take a photography class at the art center, triathlons, new mountain bike, a dog (?), remodel my kitchen, landscape... of course, some of these activities will have to wait until after I get a job.

7 more months...

for C.

Thanks friend for the pre-deployment present. {I've run out of post topics, hence the thank you note 6 months after the gift}



*taken in Baghdad*

Baghdad

I went to Baghdad (Victory Base) for a briefing last week and snapped some photos. It was considerably hotter there than here (though according to our outdoor thermometer, we're hovering between 106 and 109 F).