We celebrated Christmas the best way we could, which included opening our care-packaged stockings after midnight, eating the second Hickory sausage that I received this year, and listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra and those two Xmas songs by Third Eye Blind, as per request from Rivera. Cooper left after getting upset that we were using the TV ( Read more... )

I didn't expect there to be anything special tonight considering that it's Thanksgiving and all. When I talked to the cooks this morning they said that all of our turkeys were stuck in Gormach and we would have to work with what we had. To my surprise however, walking into the dining tent I saw a large selection of foods and desserts to stuff my ( Read more... )

I took a break from packing my bags yesterday to step outside for a smoke. In case I didn't mention it before, I always thought that Muslims had strange rituals like every other religious group. Afghanistan takes idea to a whole new level. As I'm lighting up a cigarette I take notice of a group of Afghan construction workers looking over the ( Read more... )

At first I was going to write a long rant on my poor choices at MEPS that landed me this job, but I’ll save that for when I’m really bored ( Read more... )

Ten years since the initial attack and we're still at war. That's all I'm going to say about 9/11 ( Read more... )

Over the years I have been quite a worrisome human being. In high school I was scared to death of not amounting to anything and eventually dying poor and lonely. Through college, and the year and a half of transition, I had similar insecurities but was equipped with a strong will that kept me from giving up. I had enough ambition in me to keep my ( Read more... )

Overall this has been a decent but draining week. Each morning is temperate, but as the sun takes over its position in the sky, the heat slowly strips the life out of me through my pores. While walking back from the gym I saw some guys strumming guitars and smoking a hookah in front of their tent on a makeshift patio. The camaraderie and ( Read more... )

A Pall Mall hangs downward from my lips as I blow smoke onto the keyboard. I get the feeling that this is what the late Kurt Vonnegut must of felt like while writing his many novels. Times have changed since then of course. Instead of the annoying chatter of a typewriter there's the silence of a Panasonic CF-29 Toughbook in front of me, issued ( Read more... )

We went to the gym this morning completely exhausted, but left with the wonderful euphoria given from the endorphins released from our brains in the midst of pain. I made a note to go back later this evening when it gets darker, and to continue this pattern for the remainder of my time here. I'll have more time to work out once we get into our ( Read more... )

We've reached the 25th hour before we take off into the sky, and I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be. My bags are completely packed, my apartment looks like a prison cell, and my phone is scheduled to cut off tomorrow night. I've made amends and befriended the people whom I want to remain close to on this side of the country and I've successfully ( Read more... )