Rain. Just one drop but it hit my hand. It hasn’t rained here since mid-May. The sky is fairly dark with clouds and low thunder rumbles over my head. The first clap made me jump but now it sounds good. Those little grey doves with the ring around their necks are walking around on the grass and the roses in the courtyard are in full bloom. Reminds me of working in garden centers stopping to smell the roses whenever I walked by. It’s a hokey thing to admit but I did it. I guess I never get too far away from the things I like. But I never smelled roses before with .50 cals going off like they are right now.
There’s other stuff I’ll be doing in the 36-40 hours before I leave Iraq. Tonight I’m supposed to go to the Bunker Bar with MSgt, John, Suha and some other friends I know and don’t know. Tomorrow night is my Going Away party at the pool. I may not get a flag because when LtCol went to pick it up today a mortar landed nearby and he had to abandon the mission.
But I’m going to end this thing now, at least the Iraq part. Come Monday I’ll have 151 days on the ground under my belt. Doesn’t sound too long, I’m sure people have been adrift at sea longer. But its enough for me.
Forget any political statements I’ve made, I’m sure I’ve contradicted myself along the way anyway. I have no statements to make, no higher truths to tell.
When I’m an old man with a flag flying in my yard I’ll remember Hong Kong and Ecuador, Australia and Curacao. But what people will ask me about is the time I spent in Iraq.
All I know I know is what I saw. A lot of that is written here, the rest I’ll carry around in my memory. In Iraq I’ve been lucky. I’ll watch the news to find out what happens next.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Friday, October 08, 2004
rockets reprise
The insurgents felt I needed one last round in the days before I left so last night they rocked us…a little. Of the first two rounds to impact one was a rocket that shock the walls of the room I was in. The alarms sounded sending us to the basement where I stood around talking with people. When I saw Amb Negraponte and his staff come down I figured we’d be there for awhile so I wandered into Saddam’s theatre and fell asleep.
Around 2200 I left the palace but couldn’t get past the gate to my camp because of unexploded ordinance nearby which had to be blown up. So I walked back out to the pool and sat talking with people until midnight. Pierce was there so we sang some songs. One guy kept requesting me to play “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and I’d have been happy to oblige but under the circumstances everybody wanted to keep the show upbeat. One guy we sat with had been in his tent when an inbound mortar round landed in it between two guys who were on their laptops. Luckily it was a dud. I finally walked back to my trailer around midnight and slept well because it was a quiet night.
This morning I did some more turn-over with the new LtCol. He has an interesting job back home in Puerto Rico: he designs and cuts pattern’s for women’s dresses and then gives the patterns to women who work for him to sew in there homes. But NAFTA is hurting his business like it hurts everyone elses. This morning the LtCol said, “I’ve never been shelled before. If you think about that it could drive you crazy.”
Yeah it could I told him. Its best to take cover then let it go.
Around 2200 I left the palace but couldn’t get past the gate to my camp because of unexploded ordinance nearby which had to be blown up. So I walked back out to the pool and sat talking with people until midnight. Pierce was there so we sang some songs. One guy kept requesting me to play “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and I’d have been happy to oblige but under the circumstances everybody wanted to keep the show upbeat. One guy we sat with had been in his tent when an inbound mortar round landed in it between two guys who were on their laptops. Luckily it was a dud. I finally walked back to my trailer around midnight and slept well because it was a quiet night.
This morning I did some more turn-over with the new LtCol. He has an interesting job back home in Puerto Rico: he designs and cuts pattern’s for women’s dresses and then gives the patterns to women who work for him to sew in there homes. But NAFTA is hurting his business like it hurts everyone elses. This morning the LtCol said, “I’ve never been shelled before. If you think about that it could drive you crazy.”
Yeah it could I told him. Its best to take cover then let it go.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
turnover and haircuts
Sooo close…and today I started turnover, unexpectedly. I walked in after lunch to find a LtCol sitting in the office saying he had just been told he was taking over Logistics. So we’ve been busy all afternoon getting him a badge, billeting, and an IT account. We accomplished a fair bit of turn over as well but we’ll be working on this up thru Sunday evening just before I leave. He seems like a good easy going guy.
I wanted to get a hair cut this morning but the insurgents have prevented it. They murdered one of the barbers and have been stalking the others as they come to work from their homes in the red zone. That’s a shame, these guys just want to come to work to give free haircuts for a dollar tip. They really do a good job.
October and the weather has turned. The temperature hasn't changed much but yesterday was overcast. Clouds...people were taking pictures of the grey sky.
I wanted to get a hair cut this morning but the insurgents have prevented it. They murdered one of the barbers and have been stalking the others as they come to work from their homes in the red zone. That’s a shame, these guys just want to come to work to give free haircuts for a dollar tip. They really do a good job.
October and the weather has turned. The temperature hasn't changed much but yesterday was overcast. Clouds...people were taking pictures of the grey sky.
Monday, October 04, 2004
guitars and good-byes
Today I lay in bed dreading getting up because once again I stayed up too late by the pool. I wanted to sit with Angie for awhile last night but I’ve been sick and not much fun. I don’t know if its bacteria or stress. Anyhoo, she wasn’t home. So I walked out to the pool and ran into Pierce and Tom, the two guys playing the Gibson mini jumbo guitar. I sat with them and we sang some songs and eventually were joined by a two more guitar players and another five on-lookers. We sang the good songs again, Hank Jr, Randy Travis and the Eagles…then some more modern stuff that we were surprised those guitars knew how to play. I sang some REM and 4 Non Blondes and then there was the Green Day songs which sound awesome in a guitar circle. Simple is where its at and Green Day and “This One Goes Out To The One I Love” are simple. I finally walked back to my hooch around one.
This morning I sat in my office waiting for 0900 when the DCMA guy (Cliff) and I would go to the Convention Center to get people to sign sub hand receipts at the user level. I sipped coffee and knew Angie would be in soon to say good-bye. She came in giddy and anxious, a car bomb exploded rattling the windows, she wrote down her email address and phone number in my notebook. We chatted until Cliff came in. Then I gave her a hug and said good-bye. It’s a word some people say they don’t use but its an action we can’t avoid. Angie I know you’ll read this so know that you, along with Shane made my trip to Baghdad more than bearable – in some ways it was…fun and a time I’ll enjoy remembering. Maybe we will get together and pitch that song to that pretty Canadian girl once we both get back to the great Northwest.
At the Convention Center the property we’d inventoried a month ago was scattered to the wind with my name all over the hand receipt…such is life. Someone else will sign for it soon. Cliff and I walked over to the Al Rasheed for lunch. While there I bought a really nice oil on cloth painting. The guy wanted $100, I offered $60 and got it for $75. Its got lots of texture, almost like worked leather around the border which encloses a dark eyed Iraqi girl wearing a yellow dress with two red flowers in her hair. She might be Mexican instead of Iraqi but the painting is by a local artist in Riav Al Kizi (sp). The guy rolled it up and shoved it in a tube which I’ll likely mail home rather than carry.
Back at the palace I made my commercial travel plans. Six days and a wake up.
This morning I sat in my office waiting for 0900 when the DCMA guy (Cliff) and I would go to the Convention Center to get people to sign sub hand receipts at the user level. I sipped coffee and knew Angie would be in soon to say good-bye. She came in giddy and anxious, a car bomb exploded rattling the windows, she wrote down her email address and phone number in my notebook. We chatted until Cliff came in. Then I gave her a hug and said good-bye. It’s a word some people say they don’t use but its an action we can’t avoid. Angie I know you’ll read this so know that you, along with Shane made my trip to Baghdad more than bearable – in some ways it was…fun and a time I’ll enjoy remembering. Maybe we will get together and pitch that song to that pretty Canadian girl once we both get back to the great Northwest.
At the Convention Center the property we’d inventoried a month ago was scattered to the wind with my name all over the hand receipt…such is life. Someone else will sign for it soon. Cliff and I walked over to the Al Rasheed for lunch. While there I bought a really nice oil on cloth painting. The guy wanted $100, I offered $60 and got it for $75. Its got lots of texture, almost like worked leather around the border which encloses a dark eyed Iraqi girl wearing a yellow dress with two red flowers in her hair. She might be Mexican instead of Iraqi but the painting is by a local artist in Riav Al Kizi (sp). The guy rolled it up and shoved it in a tube which I’ll likely mail home rather than carry.
Back at the palace I made my commercial travel plans. Six days and a wake up.
guitars and good-byes
Today I lay in bed dreading getting up because once again I stayed up too late by the pool. I wanted to sit with Angie for awhile last night but I’ve been sick and not much fun. I don’t know if its bacteria or stress. Anyhoo, she wasn’t home. So I walked out to the pool and ran into Pierce and Tom, the two guys playing the Gibson mini jumbo guitar. I sat with them and we sang some songs and eventually were joined by a two more guitar players and another five on-lookers. We sang the good songs again, Hank Jr, Randy Travis and the Eagles…then some more modern stuff that we were surprised those guitars knew how to play. I sang some REM and 4 Non Blondes and then there was the Green Day songs which sound awesome in a guitar circle. Simple is where its at and Green Day and “This One Goes Out To The One I Love” are simple. I finally walked back to my hooch around one.
This morning I sat in my office waiting for 0900 when the DCMA guy (Cliff) and I would go to the Convention Center to get people to sign sub hand receipts at the user level. I sipped coffee and knew Angie would be in soon to say good-bye. She came in giddy and anxious, a car bomb exploded rattling the windows, she wrote down her email address and phone number in my notebook. We chatted until Cliff came in. Then I gave her a hug and said good-bye. It’s a word some people say they don’t use but its an action we can’t avoid. Angie I know you’ll read this so know that you, along with Shane made my trip to Baghdad more than bearable – in some ways it was…fun and a time I’ll enjoy remembering. Maybe we will get together and pitch that song to that pretty Canadian girl once we both get back to the great Northwest.
At the Convention Center the property we’d inventoried a month ago was scattered to the wind with my name all over the hand receipt…such is life. Someone else will sign for it soon. Cliff and I walked over to the Al Rasheed for lunch. While there I bought a really nice oil on cloth painting. The guy wanted $100, I offered $60 and got it for $75. Its got lots of texture, almost like worked leather around the border which encloses a dark eyed Iraqi girl wearing a yellow dress with two red flowers in her hair. She might be Mexican instead of Iraqi but the painting is by a local artist in Riav Al Kizi (sp). The guy rolled it up and shoved it in a tube which I’ll likely mail home rather than carry.
Back at the palace I made my commercial travel plans. Six days and a wake up.
This morning I sat in my office waiting for 0900 when the DCMA guy (Cliff) and I would go to the Convention Center to get people to sign sub hand receipts at the user level. I sipped coffee and knew Angie would be in soon to say good-bye. She came in giddy and anxious, a car bomb exploded rattling the windows, she wrote down her email address and phone number in my notebook. We chatted until Cliff came in. Then I gave her a hug and said good-bye. It’s a word some people say they don’t use but its an action we can’t avoid. Angie I know you’ll read this so know that you, along with Shane made my trip to Baghdad more than bearable – in some ways it was…fun and a time I’ll enjoy remembering. Maybe we will get together and pitch that song to that pretty Canadian girl once we both get back to the great Northwest.
At the Convention Center the property we’d inventoried a month ago was scattered to the wind with my name all over the hand receipt…such is life. Someone else will sign for it soon. Cliff and I walked over to the Al Rasheed for lunch. While there I bought a really nice oil on cloth painting. The guy wanted $100, I offered $60 and got it for $75. Its got lots of texture, almost like worked leather around the border which encloses a dark eyed Iraqi girl wearing a yellow dress with two red flowers in her hair. She might be Mexican instead of Iraqi but the painting is by a local artist in Riav Al Kizi (sp). The guy rolled it up and shoved it in a tube which I’ll likely mail home rather than carry.
Back at the palace I made my commercial travel plans. Six days and a wake up.
Friday, October 01, 2004
LT of some womens' dreams
Today was a day of ceremony which was good because I stayed at the pool way too late last night. A local friend of mine told me she was drunk and felt free to tell me that I was every woman’s dream. So I walked around the pool testing that theory but found that not every woman has the same dreams. Around eleven thirty I started to go home but ran into some guys from Tennessee playing a Gibson jumbo guitar so I sat with there little party singing. It was awesome the songs we sang…Rocky Top, Waylon Jennings, Hank Sr, all kinds of good country and some fair renditions of Irish drinking tunes as well. Then one of the guys started playing Grateful Dead and it killed the mood. I’ve seen it happen before when I played in Luchenback…Grateful Dead kills a good round robin because its made to be played by a full band, usually the Grateful Dead.
This morning at 1100 Col M turned over DCMA to the new Col M. From where I sat at the change of command I had a good view of the swimming pool. CPT C and a 1LT friend of hers were laying out in bikinis right in front of me. Afterwards I went and tried to talk with them, asking CPT C if she had validated her inventory sheet. She told me to get lost. Later BMC (ret) asked if he could take their picture and they told him to pack sand. But the scenery at the change of command was talked about all day.
At 1300 my promotion ceremony was held in the ambassador’s conference room. Col S and I talked a while about philosophy of life and plans for the future then went in, published the orders and he pinned on my LT bars. He said kind words about each person’s obligation to give something back to their country. I thanked everyone for coming then cut a cake that LT B. arranged to have brought in. Very nice. Fat checks are headed my way.
This morning at 1100 Col M turned over DCMA to the new Col M. From where I sat at the change of command I had a good view of the swimming pool. CPT C and a 1LT friend of hers were laying out in bikinis right in front of me. Afterwards I went and tried to talk with them, asking CPT C if she had validated her inventory sheet. She told me to get lost. Later BMC (ret) asked if he could take their picture and they told him to pack sand. But the scenery at the change of command was talked about all day.
At 1300 my promotion ceremony was held in the ambassador’s conference room. Col S and I talked a while about philosophy of life and plans for the future then went in, published the orders and he pinned on my LT bars. He said kind words about each person’s obligation to give something back to their country. I thanked everyone for coming then cut a cake that LT B. arranged to have brought in. Very nice. Fat checks are headed my way.
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