Care Package

Ok so everyone has been asking what I need here and I keep saying "Nothing, we can get everything we could want here on base. I just enjoy hearing from you and knowing what is going on back home." Generally this is followed by a description of how there is a long aisle of snacks at the PX, and if I wanted, they also sell PS3/Xbox360/46" HDTV/... (pick one). Well, I was proven wrong just a few days ago. Some friends from England sent a care package, and I can get none of these things here, but then again I can get none of the in the US either (without trying really hard). So I will now amend my answer to state if you can find something that you normally can't get in the states, it can be a very welcome suprise.

The contents of this package suprised me enough that I decided to take pictures and show everyone else. (Prior warning, a young boy helped pick out the items and it shows. Which of course means that it works perfectly for boys of any age.)

First, a fun card that made me think of time spent together and passed along some kind words.



Next, a box of tea to enjoy while in my CHU. I have heard of the brand but never tasted it, so I am looking forward to trying.



A variety of digestives cookies I have never seen or tried:



Some hot cocoa mixes, again never even heard of the brand:



Cadbury chocolates, makes me think of Easter and creme eggs.



And some assorted other goodies:







I appologize for the bluriness of all the photos, but the lighting in a CHU while sufficient for doing anything you want normally does not lend itself to taking pictures without the flash. With the flash everything was washed out, so it was either see glare or live with some blur.

Billy, Redux

Billy underwent a journey of more than 10 days to arrive in the Centennial State. After spending a snowy day cooped up at home, I decided to take him out on the town.



Billy was excited about seeing the Capitol, whose dome is covered in real gold. It was pretty snowy so I insisted that he borrow my hat, so he didn't catch a chill. It made sitting for his picture more enjoyable.



On the north side of the Capitol, where the main entrance is, there is a point on the stairs that is exactly one mile above sea level. There are a few markers thanks to ever-more-accurate methods of measurement. Who cares: Billy was basically a mile high!



Last but not least: we tried to go to the Mint. We have learned that the Mint doesn't accept visitors on Saturdays. Bummer! But Billy got his picture taken outside the visitor entrance anyway, just to show we gave it a shot. He does look a little bit bummed out, doesn't he?

I had a blast with Billy. I was excited that my friend Ken from Germany has agreed to be Billy's next host. Since Ken is in town this week, Billy can catch the plane with him back to Germany on Thursday. Billy has become quite the globetrotter. I'm jealous!

Billy

A while back, Billy came to vist me here. I was asked to take him around with me and show him the sights as part of a school project for someone we know. Up until recently I was holding off on posting pictures of his trip because he has now gone on to visit Meghann. Now that she has seen him first hand, I felt it would be a good time to share his adventure with everyone.

First, Billy met up with me in my CHU.



After chatting a bit, he asked about some of the gear I had brought over with we so I gladly showed him.



After that, we went outside to just relax and enjoy the area around the CHU.



Finally, he wanted to see something more interesting than rocks (or my CHU) so we went out and looked at some of the vehicles.


All in all, it was a fun trip I think. As I said after visiting me, Billy went to stay with Meghann so look out for pictures from that adventure.

Pogs

Those of you with kids may remember the Pog craze of the past, well the military continues the trend overseas. Rather than transporting a lot of coins, all change from the PX and other stores is given in the form of bills and pogs. There are several different designs, so it can be interesting to get a pog as change.



The exception to this rule is the post office which still uses change. Getting dimes back was actually a wierd experience, I didn't expect to have any coins.

Quick Picture

Ok, so here is a quick picture of myself in my CHU. I think by now, I have taken this picture about 15 times, but very few of you ever get to see the picture. As you can see, it has been a while since I shaved.



My plan is to come back to the states with a beard, but if it gets too hot or scratchy, I may change my mind. Other than growing the beard, life continues as normal. There is still talk about when we will move over to wet CHUs, the food is still plentiful, and I continue to not work out as much as I would like.

Hurt Locker

So a group of us watched the movie "The Hurt Locker" earlier tonight. For those who haven't seen the movie, it is about an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team in Iraq. While I have no experience with EOD, we all joked about the lack of reality. For instance, not one soldier wore a reflective belt. Talk about a disconnect from the real world.

Ode to the Reflective Belt

This is my chance to pay homage to the amazing powers of a reflective belt (seen below).



This belt allows the wearer to walk directly in front of a vehicle, be it truck, SUV, or MRAP and not be hurt in any way. In addition, it protects you from angry drivers when walking down the middle of the road.

Reflective belts are required to enter the DFAC, PX, gym, or any MWR facility when it is dark. Originally this was just required of soldiers, but the rule has since been expanded to include everyone. The punishment for not wearing one? Being refused entry and forced to go back to your room (without a reflective belt) to retrieve it. Notable quirks in the rules include that PT uniforms with imbedded reflective material still require a reflective belt, and that reflective vests are also allowed in place of a belt. The proper method of wearing the belt is said to be over your right shoulder, slanting to the left side of your body. For those interested in learning more about the powers provided when wearing a reflective belt, there is a facebook page dedicated to this topic. There are also several webpages with humor and comments available for those not on facebook.