Just ask an Iraqi - We are getting down with the Khaki !
Here are a couple of photos I just took (some are after the AL playoffs in Oct 2004, the rest around Christmas time) so feel free to browse on down and take a peek around! Enjoy!
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Kabobs for Christmas!Here we are sitting down to some good Christmas grub, mess hall style. We had a good amount to eat that day, after a very special drive. I even got some cool presents from home. But little did we expect all the rain that was to wash us out on Christmas and the Day After! (Make sure to click on all of the photos so you can get the full effect!)
The Oh so beautiful desert!
Speaking of holidays - remember Ramadan 2004, everybody? And we all know what Ramadan means in Balad right? Right! Mortar and Rocket attacks everyday - so here you see me styling the latest in flak vests and kevlar helmets! In the back ground you can see a HAS (Hardened Aircraft Shelter). I work inside of a similar one. An American bomb blew a hole straight through ours at one point, I assume before we moved in. Its patched now, but there are still huge gouges in the floor of the hangar where chunks of concrete were blasted out.
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Dust Storm Blows into Tuskeegee Town
If you pop down to Iraq for some good times, make sure to catch our beautiful local weather such as this sandstorm in the making. I got under cover before it got really nasty. This picture was taken about 30' from my tent at around 1:30PM.
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How things are supposed to look
Here is what tent city is supposed to look like on a nice clear day. Roasting hot sure, but at least theres no sand storm tearing around.
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Sometimes the excitement is just too much
Notice here how Rick masters his emotions and remains calm despite the amazingly grueling and frantic work pace we had to deal with day in and day out!
(Please try not to step in the deep sarcasm here)
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Desert Gator!
Rich was kind enough to pose with me in front of the banner sent so generously by my University of Florida Alumni Association - GO GATORS!!
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Damn the Sox!
This is what happens when Jason bets on his Yanks and loses. I got the squadron a case of St. Pauli's Girl Were-Beer, er near-beer. It may not have nay punch - at all - but hey, at least you can drink it at work! You will kindly note I am still wearing my (brand new) Yankees hat despite it all!
Can you feel the love?
Here is a group shot of the after-whipping party when I paid my bet debt in near-beer. The guy standing next to me was the Sox believer and what a couple of days he made it for me! ugh! lol but all in good fun. You will also notice that the dish we just set up a day or two before this shot was taken (on the right) is cleaner than the one on the left - but not ALOT cleaner! Ahh the fun of desert living. I can't wait till I get all the dust out of my lungs!
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Arabic 101
Ever wonder how to spell Zain in Arabic? Probably not, but hey maybe I have, so here is a close up of the Strawberry milk I drink here in the desert. I have not yet been brave enough to find out what animal is in fact milked to produce this stuff. Sometimes ignorance is the intelligent option. |
