I am a dork.

Oh yes.

I have to admit, the 'donut of misery' isn't something I can claim to create - L, who also has her own little donut, sent it to me early in my deployment.

I did create my very own dorky spreadsheet to track my running. In conjunction with my Timex GPS system, I track to the 1000th of a mile how far I've run, my average pace and best speed for any given workout.

Anyway, if you noticed, July's mileage was an even 60 miles. The morning of the 31st I ran 4.539 miles which left my monthly mileage at 58.511. Guess what I did that afternoon at the gym? Ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill.

I am a dork.

Donut of Misery

We Are Friends.

and some of you thought I was kidding about the 'we are friends' bus.

Only in Irbil can the Koreans get away with using this bus. I can't imagine what the insurgents would do if they saw this thing be bopping around Baghdad....

Garden

He's been working hard, prepping the soil for his garden expansion...



growing sunflowers, pumpkin, okra, watermelon, corn...




then I wanted a picture with him....




and then they all wanted in :)

Sh*tty Day Award

SSG S: Ma'am, close your eyes, I have a present for you. C'mon, close your eyes.

Me: What is it?

SSG S: Just close your eyes.

Me (eyes closed and already annoyed): All right.

SSG S (handing me a toilet seat): Today, you win the sh*tty day award!

halfway.

As of today,

6 months down, 6 more to go.

food art

Our DFAC (dining facility) guys are great - and not just because they arrange pineapple rinds into fishies.

They're just a lot of fun.

Unlike the majority of military camps/posts here, our DFAC is not a KBR-run facility. And because we're so small, they can give us a lot of personal attention. Thomas, the grill master, knows how everyone likes their eggs. When I miss dinner for whatever reason, the guys know what food to set aside for me - they know what I will and won't eat. When they make hummus for themselves, they'll set aside a little bowl for me, knowing how much I like their hummus.