Sunny Day

Sunny day today.  Blue skies.  Hot.  Preparing to go on leave.  Lots to get done before I go.  Brings to mind all that needs to get done in this country before we (the US) fully pull out next year.  There is not nearly enough time.  Many people (Iraqi and foreign) have worked hard, many paying with their lives, to bring progress to the region and it is unfortunate that we will go before it truly has a chance to take root.  What we have done here is give them a brief glimpse of what could be.  Hopefully that will be enough to grow but with all the internal and external forces at work there are many who doubt it. 

Lunch:  Baked chicken & green beans.  Side spinach salad with low fat Italian dressing.  Strawberry yogurt and sweet tea.  A few moments alone to read Stars and Stripes.  Nice. 

Details & Devils

Lots of detail work today.  Dates, names, signatures, totals, sub-totals, etc.  People handing me things unfinished and then looking at me with blank stares when in ask them to finish it before they turn it in.  If the forms aren't filled out correctly I can't release the funds.  Simple as that. Why have I got to go run people down and remind them?  Its not my project.  I have a million things to do and I'm running people down for fill in the blanks stuff. 

Last night I finally finished a writing assignment for an online class I'm taking.  When I start a paper I always hope that I will have enough material to fill out the requisite number of pages but by the time I'm done I'm wondering how I squeezed it all in.  I suppose editing down is easier than staring at a blank page and trying to build up. 

Lunch:  Pot roast, peas & carrots and sweet tea.  Side salad with spinach, sliced carrots, tomatoes, cheese & low fat Italian dressing.  Black cherry yogurt for dessert.  Usually Wednesday is carrot cake day but there was none today.  So I had a peanut butter cookie.  That will teach them!   

Army Birthday

Yesterday was the Army's Birthday and they surprised us with steak and fried shrimp at dinner.  Best of all we got two BEERS!  WooHoo!

They also finally fixed the pipe out front and the flood waters are starting to recede.  As hot as it is it shouldn't take long before the mud dries up. 

Waters Receding

It seemed like they had repaired the water leak this morning.  The waters started going down and began to look like less of a threat to the building by the afternoon.  However, I just walked over the flooded path again and it appears that water has started flowing again.  The water is still licking at the edges of our crude pallat walkway.  If it keeps up we will need to double stack.

Lunch:  Turkey sandwich, chips and a salad.  Tea to wash it down & yogurt for dessert.

Floods

A broken water pipe has resulted in flooding of the road in front of our office and has nearly washed out the narrow path between the T Walls that we take back and forth.  We built a bridge with packing crates but if the water keeps flowing they will be overrun in a day or two.  The ground here doesn't filter water well so even in the extreme heat it just sits.

Lunch:  Baked chicken, cauliflaur, stir fry vegetables, salad and sweet tea.  Not much to crow about today.

Sunny & Clear

Sunny day today with clear blue skies and temps around 111. 

Lunch:  Apple as a morning snack.  Rotissery chicken, succotash, broccoli & carrot medley.  Ice cream for dessert.  Sweet tea.

Technical Difficulties

Today is 108 and getting hotter as the dust blows away.  Should be 118 by the weekend.  Technical issues slowed down and stalled efforts on a number of projects.  Frustrating.  Its late afternoon and I think all are finally worked out, although I lost some important files and had to re-search some links.  Looks like another late night working on tomorrow's morning briefing. 

Lunch:  Pre-meal apple.  Thinly sliced meatloaf, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes and a medley of cauliflower & broccoli.  "Fruit of the Forest" yogurt.  Washed down with sweet tea.  Tomorrow is carrot cake day - woo-hoo!

Exercise:  Three sets of push ups & planks.

Heat, Dust and Lunch

Not as hot today because a sand storm is blowing through.  It has been and will be very dusty for the next few days.  Dust like a thick fog.  On the positive side the temperature is down around 108. 

Lunch:  Spicy vegetable curry with rice.  Hash brown potato wedges.  Green beans.  Sweet tea. 

Project Approval

Sunday is Monday in the Arab world.  My project proposal to conduct an engineering assessment of a non profit business building down town was approved.  I've been working with our leadership, Amanat and Strategic Plans teams to coordinate construction engineers and other resources.  Lots of work starting to come together.

Lunch today:  Fried fish, cauliflower & fiesta succotash.  A small  spinach salad with tomatoes, sliced carrrots, & grated cheese w/low fat Italian dressing.  Followed by Strawberry yogurt (a rare treat here) and southern style sweet tea. 

No time for the gym but I worked in 3 sets of planks & pushups in the afternoon.

Window Licker

Troops in the backseat of a Humvee are called Window Lickers.  Don't ask me why.  Its an Army thing.

Inside a Humvee

Merchants of Baghdad

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Baghdad Kids

Stopped at a checkpoint. Most of the adults give us a wide berth, completely ignore us or seem annoyed that we we're blocking their way.  Vendors pushing carts heavy with products had to go around or squeeze between our vehicles.  The kids are fearless.  They walk right up and smile and wave.  The kid on the right in this pic came up and tapped on my window and waved with a big smile.  When I held up my camera he called his friend over and posed.

Downtown Baghdad Weekday

Downtown Baghdad on a typical weekday.  Traffic is heavy and vendors line the streets selling everything includung; fruits & vegetables, shoes, clothing, computers, cell phones, satellite dishes, etc.

Film Crew in Baghdad

A film crew sets up near the 14th of July Bridge in Baghdad

Baghdad Film Makers I

A film crew sets up in downtown Baghdad

MRAP vs GLASSES

 In the age old battle of military MRAP vs EYEGLASSES on this day EYEGLASSES fall.