Day 124
So, it's been awhile since I've updated. I'm still here in Iraq, but I don't get to see a whole lot. I've been curious about this place, and now my curiosity is satisfied. I would really like to get home now.
I've only got six or seven more months to go, and I really miss my people back home. I also miss other things, like indoor plumbing, midnight walks, the smell of the morning, my church, Applebee's, electricity, my guitars, and road trips.
I went to an office today to take care of some paperwork with a sergeant in my unit. The minute we opened the door and stepped inside, one of the secretaries said "Excuse me!" in the tone one uses for scolding a puppy who's beginning to wet the bed. So we looked at her, and instead of explaining herself, she repeated "Excuse me!" about twenty more times. Then her friend looked up and saw us, and instead of explaining what we were doing wrong, decided to say "Excuse me!" over and over again. I thought I had stepped into the land of Excuse Me! where the language consisted entirely of that phrase. Finally, one of them realized we were waiting for an explanation, and spoke so fast that I didn't catch a word of what she was saying, but it turned out that since they were maintaining their books that day, we would have to come back the next day.
Ever since the services were forced to cut back personnel and outsource clerical jobs to civilians, the quality of service has sharply declined. In the old days, when a soldier came to an office with a problem, it was either solved by the time he left, or someone was actively working on a solution. The civilians, however, don't really care; they're getting paid whether they take care of you or not; and they treat you like some kind of pest rather than filling you in on pertinent information.
As the title indicates, this is the 124th day I've been on orders, there's only 276 days left to go. The next big thing will be when I take leave sometime next month; I will be going to Britain. If I can, I want to take the train to Rome; I never got to see it when I was in the Navy.
Well, I'm going to try to get some sleep. Everyone take care...I miss you all mightily.
I've only got six or seven more months to go, and I really miss my people back home. I also miss other things, like indoor plumbing, midnight walks, the smell of the morning, my church, Applebee's, electricity, my guitars, and road trips.
I went to an office today to take care of some paperwork with a sergeant in my unit. The minute we opened the door and stepped inside, one of the secretaries said "Excuse me!" in the tone one uses for scolding a puppy who's beginning to wet the bed. So we looked at her, and instead of explaining herself, she repeated "Excuse me!" about twenty more times. Then her friend looked up and saw us, and instead of explaining what we were doing wrong, decided to say "Excuse me!" over and over again. I thought I had stepped into the land of Excuse Me! where the language consisted entirely of that phrase. Finally, one of them realized we were waiting for an explanation, and spoke so fast that I didn't catch a word of what she was saying, but it turned out that since they were maintaining their books that day, we would have to come back the next day.
Ever since the services were forced to cut back personnel and outsource clerical jobs to civilians, the quality of service has sharply declined. In the old days, when a soldier came to an office with a problem, it was either solved by the time he left, or someone was actively working on a solution. The civilians, however, don't really care; they're getting paid whether they take care of you or not; and they treat you like some kind of pest rather than filling you in on pertinent information.
As the title indicates, this is the 124th day I've been on orders, there's only 276 days left to go. The next big thing will be when I take leave sometime next month; I will be going to Britain. If I can, I want to take the train to Rome; I never got to see it when I was in the Navy.
Well, I'm going to try to get some sleep. Everyone take care...I miss you all mightily.