Day 333: That JUST HAPPENED!

Yes, "shake n bake!" Another earthquake just happened!

Day 328: Pottery

Yesterday Vince and I decided it might be our last chance to hit the bazaar together, so we headed down there for a couple hours. I've been wanting some pottery since I first laid my eyes on the cute little venue, so I finally picked up a couple pieces. I'll have to take a picture of the ones I bought when we get home. Aren't they all so pretty?

Day 327: Earthquake

It happened again! Last year we had a huge earthquake in the middle of the night that freaked me out. We hadn't had any rocket attacks yet, so that's what I thought it was. My whole room shook like crazy and everything fell off the walls. The same thing happened this time just over in the Hindu Kush mountains. I thought it was a helicopter taking off, but the vibrating got stronger and stronger and wouldn't go away for what seemed like the longest time. About an hour afterwards I saw reports on the CNN news from Kabul. The guys said he's from California and has never felt anything like it. I just imagine those pictures of California where houses fall into giant pits and slide off hillsides and start huge fires. Luckily we don't have any mansions to fall into holes, but I do have a little shack that might disappear if a whole did open up! EEK!

Day 311: Long Time No Blog

Okay, so I'm sure you've guessed by now that I'm back in Afghanistan. Since coming back over here it's been a whirlwind of getting things ready to ship home. I also left my camera back there at home, so I don't have any pictures to share. I mailed three big trunks home yesterday too. Two of those were my scrappin' supplies. I feel totally lost without all my crafty things around me. I have just four days left to move out of my room and into the tents on the other side of the base. I'm really not looking forward to that. The buses only run once an hour at night, so it's really going to be annoying having to plan my day around a sparse bus route. I'm already working 12-14 hours a day. I'm exhausted, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Day 274: She Gets Me

O-M-G! Look what Chelsea did! We totally ransacked Hobby Lobby yesterday with our coupons. I'm so proud! :-) I love having someone in the family that I can go on and on to about how cute buttons and ribbons can be. She gets me!

Thank You, Liz

P.S. Thank you for this, Liz! You're an amazing woman and blog buddy! HUGS! (Check out Liz's blog here. She has a SUPER CUTE class coming up.)

Day 268: Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

Someone needs a hair cut and has way too many toys... Ahhh.... much better. I just wish she'd sit still for the picture.

Day 267: Back to School

Remember when I took Sam to school last year? She's still making goofy faces when I snap pictures, but other than that she looks SOOOO different from her picture last year. She's taller than me now! It's hard to believe. Picking her up from school is one of my favorite things to do when I'm home. Popie drove us to school this time, so I played photographer on the way.

Look at all the crap she has to bring with her. Today she took FOUR bags!

And my jet-lagged super model passenger pose:

Day 266: Little Camel

Check out the little camel I brought back.

Day 265: Flowers

Vince sent me flowers today in every shade of PINK! Isn't he the sweetest? I miss him so much it makes me feel sick.

Day 264: I'm Pooped

I feel like I'm time traveling when I go through so many time zones. It really makes me so sleepy. I hear it takes one full day to adjust for every hour difference you change. If that's the case I'll spend my entire R&R sleeping. I'm so glad I have this world clock feature on my iPod. I feel like I don't even know what day it is any more. I'm POOPED!

Day 263: Kuwait to Germany

Ugh! It was so hot and humid in Kuwait this morning. Between the super cold tents we slept in (for three hours) and the hot wet air outside I just couldn't stop wheezing. It made me a little nervous, but I had my inhaler on hand. The aid station isn't manned 24/7, so I really had no choice anyhow. We all had to meet back up in the morning to get information on our flights and the customs process. After the meeting I went to Subway for something to take along with me including these ketchup flavored chips.

During the meeting they asked for volunteers. Of course no one wanted to, so stuck my hand up and made my way to the sign in sheet. I found out that I'd volunteered for "push duty". That meant that I was directing traffic in the customs area and on the air plane. That's not too bad. I thought it might be for something more awful. They rewarded the volunteers with first class seating on the plane later, so it was well worth it. It was during my customs inspection that I discovered all the little notes that Vince had hidden among all of my things. After customs we made our way through a long maze where they kept us in confinement for hours until it was time to load the buses headed for the plane. The bus ride was super long and cramped with no bathroom, but once we got on the plane I quickly fell asleep. In no time we were in Germany where we all got off for a couple of hours while the plane refueled, changed crews and restocked. I also refueled with a semi-yummy "hot dog".

Next stop.... U.S.A.!

Day 262: Afghanistan to Kuwait

Well, I just made it to Kuwait. I've only completed the first leg of my trip back home for R&R, but I'm already sick of traveling. At least we can unload our heavy and bulky body armor here. They even have a McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Pizza Hut and donut shop. I haven't eaten at McD's in YEARS. I just never was at the top of my list, but I was drawn straight to it here.

P.S. It was 135 degrees here today!

Day 258: Hello Card

Cardstock: Bazzill; Pattered Paper: Scenic Route; Ribbon: American Crafts; Button: Creative Cafe; Floss: Karen Foster; Cardstock Sticker Strip: Scenic Route; Alpha Stickers: Paper Trunk; Border Punch: Fiskar's

Day 257: Scrap Strip A2

And one more made with scrap strips....

Day 256: Scrap Strip Mini

I had a ton of little scraps, so I just HAD to make another scrap strip card. After cutting two A2 card bases from a sheet of 12x12 there's always a strip left over to make a mini.

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Ribbon: American Crafts; Flowers: Prima; Button & Gems: Craft Supply; Floss: Karen Foster

Day 255: Butterfly in Lemonade

I just loved the butterfly from the card a couple days ago so much I made the card in Lemonade (Basic Grey).

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Ribbon: American Crafts; Flower: Prima; Floss: Karen Foster; Button: Etsy; Brads: Basic Grey; Gems: Craft Supply; Butterfly Die Cut: Making Memories Slice

Day 254: Happy Birthday, Vince!

Day 253: Butterfly in Eva

Just about EVERYTHING in this card is from Liz. I really hope she likes it!

Day 252: Celebrate Card

Celebrate Card

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: Scenic Route; Ribbon: American Crafts; Buttons: Basic Grey; Floss: Karen Foster; Border Punch: Fiskar's; RubOn: Scenic Route

Day 251: Thank You Card

Thank You Card

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, RubOn: Scenic Route; Ribbon: Craft Supply; Buttons: Creative Cafe, Basic Grey; Floss: Karen Foster; Marker: Stampin Up!

Day 250: Mini Cards

Mini 3x3 Cards

Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, RubOns, Chipboard: Scenic Route; Ribbon: American Crafts; Floss: Karen Foster; Buttons: Basic Grey, Etsy; Alpha Stickers: Paper Trunk; Border Punch: Fiskar's

Day 249: Happy Birthday Card

Day 248: Thank You Card

Day 247: Hi Card

Day 246: My Turn

I figure that I'd better post a card since Vince is starting to hog my blog. That sounds like a good scrapbook layout... "Vince the Blog Hog". He always gets more comments than I do too. He says I'm jealous... :-) Anyway, I've started to make a collection of cards for the lovely Liz. She's a super awesome sweet lady that has "adopted" me for my deployment. Now that gives Vince something to be jealous about. Neener! Neener! Neener!

Day 245: Poker Card

Vince is on a roll. He made another card. He even takes the photos for his cards. He thinks he's sooooooo professional now. His head is getting huge. I have to remind him that he's not a big deal like me until he gets published too. LOL! Wait 'til he reads this.... :-)

Day 244: Man-Crafts

Even a man will start to craft out here. It's THAT boring! :-D

Day 243: Embellishment Jars

Okay, so they're not really supposed to be embellishment jars, but Vince made it so. They had (Renuzit) potpouri in them originally. The tops are cut out to release the scent, so Vince fashioned fun fabric under the lid to keep my little buttons from falling out. I really love them! Aren't they the cutest!?

Day 242: Free Hugs

Look at what Vince made...

Day 241: Laugh Out Loud Card

Man, my mojo is really working this week. I always feel more inspired when I have bright fun colors to work with though. They just make me feel good. I used my Slice to make the heart on this card. I made the photo corners by cutting a square in half for both pieces then used my corner rounder for the scallops before off-setting and adhering them to the card.

Day 240: Congratulations Card

I'm in love with these little flower buttons and this paper.

Day 239: Happy Birthday... DAD!

Day 238: Cupcake Card

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday, so I felt like making a cute cupcake card. I drew it in pencil directly onto the patterned paper and cut it out before applying it with dimensional adhesive.

Day 237: Love Ya

I made this card for Vince a couple of nights ago. The lace cardstock is really a glittery red, but I didn't have anything to really go with it, so I flipped it over and used plain ol' white. I think it "goes" much better now. I adhered little green stickers to the blue flower, and I drew a border and sentiment on the tiny tag by hand. I drew a fresh scrap-sketch for a challenge last night too, but I need to go over it with a marker before I can take a picture. Are you ready?

Day 236: Hey Card

I'm really on a card kick! The border on this card was part of a pre-cut set of border strips. I think they're from Bazzill. Marie sent me the ribbon on this one along with a package of SU! cardstock. She's an SU! demonstrator, so check out her site. There's always a special of some sort going on. Her hubby is deployed over here somewhere. She has her hands full with the little ones at home, but she still manages to do it all. She's even a fellow veteran (Air Force), so you gotta love her!

Day 235: Birthday Girl Mini

I had a ton of tiny little strips of paper left over from my projects, so I came up with a few sketches that allowed me to use little strips and bits. The one below is a mini (3"x3") card. I think I'll make an entire set with the strips of paper and ribbon leftovers as I go along. My notebook is filling up with scrap cards like this. Maybe I should do a sketch challenge. I haven't done one of those in a while... Anyone interested?

Day 234: Hi

I think I have a new love for craft cardstock (I ran out of white) and Cosmo Cricket, but I am growing a little weary of my corner rounder. I made the scalloped border with it by taking off the guard. It's the only punch I can find. I know that I brought a few other shapes, but I just can't find them. My room is only 6x8 after all!

Day 233: Queen Bee

The night shift was pretty boring at the Aid Station as usual, so I've started to bring my craft supplies. I picked this pre-printed piece of chipboard because it reminds me of Debbie. (I miss you, D!)

Day 224: Marcia's Birthday

Here's the card I made for Marcia's birthday (one of my coworkers). She turned the big 2-5! Birthdays are always crappy out here, but Vince and I tried to help a bit by baking a batch of chocolate cupcakes complete with creme cheese frosting. It was from a box, but after being here for over seven months now even boxed mix is a little bit of heaven.This picture was taken during the sun's peak on a big piece of concrete by a bunker. It's the best I could do. I actually made two other cards as well. (Can you believe it?!) I even had the Making Memories Slice sent out here. I love it! It came with one design card, but I couldn't resist ordering another one. I also ordered a couple of border punches and the Basic Grey Lemonade collection. I'm addicted to the 6x6 pads now. I really want the Eva pad along with the buttons and brads next. Mmm... my mouth is watering!

Happy Birthday... Lilly Belle!

Oh, I miss her so much! She's TWO today!

I'm Okay

I'll upload more pictures as soon as I can, but wanted to let you know I'm okay. P.S. Happy Father's Day! I love you, Dad!

Day 193: Range Day

Today we took a field trip on a couple of helicopters out to a firing range in the middle of nowhere...

Here's a picture of Vince all decked out as we waited for the birds to pick us up. We were supposed to be on the same flight. They didn't have the number of seats they originally planned to have, so we were split up.

The flight didn't take too long. Vince had the camera, so I didn't take pictures until we arrived. That's the military compound in the background. That means we're OUTSIDE the fence! Yes, I was a little nervous when they said, "Start marching!" and pointed toward the check point. I didn't think they were serious, but they were.

I didn't notice we were even at the range until we were nearly upon it since it wasn't the run-of-the-mill range I'm used to back home. They had fashioned pieces of plywood to wooden beams and placed them out some unmeasured distance from a small berm that we fired behind.

The worst part about this range was that there was neither shade nor bathroom in sight, though I think that piece of scrap is a porta potty remnant. Of course... the men had no problem turning their backs to the crowd and just whippin' it out. There were at least 25 kids out on the rocks getting closer and closer. We had to keep an eye out for them. I found it ironic that usually kids are warned about strangers, but in this case it was quite opposite. One of the Afghan military personnel eventually went out there with a stick, and they scattered. They weren't afraid of our guns, but they ran like the dickens when that guy waived a twig in the air!

This is Vince inspecting the backpack after he melted it a tad with the hot barrel of his rifle. We usually would have sandbags to prop up our weapon for the "supported" position, but as I said before... this place had nothin'. Finally, long after we'd been turned into human lobsters, the helicopters came back to pick us up. This time Vince and I were on the same helicopter seated directly across from each other. The scenery was amazing once again, and this time I captured some pictures to share with you. I only wish I could have taken you along. I've never seen such a heavenly place. Between the capped mountains lay rolling desserts cut only by wild winding rivers surrounded by the most beautiful and serene oasis. It's a place untouched by Walmarts & MTV. Herds of camels and goats checkered the landscape. Miles of Tuscan-esque rock walls separated perfectly rowed gardens of lush greenery. And not a single power line, smokestack, or cell phone tower was in sight.

Day 190: Lilly Dreams

I've been having a lot of dreams about Lilly Belle lately. I miss her madly! Since I can't take a picture of my dreams or of her I thought I'd share a Lilly pic that I haven't previously posted. P.S. I'm back-logging a ton of pictures here on my blog as fast as this cruddy internet will let me. I'm just thankful to be connected!

Day 188: Blogoversary

Today is my TWO YEAR BLOGOVERSARY!!!

Guest Blogger: Vince

Happy Birthday my sweetest and dearest. Not a day goes by when I do not think of you and how empty my life would be if you were not there. Meeting and falling in love with you inspired my heart in such a way that can not be measured. It takes only a few seconds for me to say "I love you", but it will take me an entire lifetime to show you how much. All my love to you on your birthday and always. Vince This is the card I made you and a homemade cupcake we baked together to celebrate your special day.... well if we can call Afghanistan "homemade".

Day 171: Last Day

Well, today is my last day of being 24. I feel super duper strange turning 25 for some reason. I seems quietly momentus to me. Maybe I'll celebrate with a pizza or a nice nap. P.S. Happy birthday to Camryn and Brian!!! I love you guys!!!

Wow!

Okay, so that last post really got out of hand! I didn't know refering you to my sister's blog would cause such an eruption. We've had our tiffs before after all. I really was surprised that my sister posted all that mean stuff about me in the first place. My mother said the bashing was hurtful to her, so I decided to take the cool route and simply direct my blog readers over there. I'd just come to my room after work to settle in, but of course had to check my emails first. A TON of comments were left while I was away for those 12 hours. One particular "Anonymous" comment really set this whole story off. This "Anonymous" person laid out a ton of hurtful things from the past about my sister. When I said that my blog was open and honest, I meant that to mean MY life was open and honest. This isn't a bashing ground for the rest of my family. I love my sister and merely wanted to show you how she chose to express herself through her blog rather than speaking to me about it personally. I don't know what else to say. I am insulted by the throw back comments left by her and my BIL that were so clearly geared toward me though I said nothing vicious in my post about her in reply to the post she left about me. I mean, I would NEVER have capitalized an improper noun! Come on! My sister should know me better than that. If I had intended to write something badly I would not need to leave a comment, but rather would have included it in the main post. I am not afraid, but I do have a little more tact and class than THAT!

She's at it again...

Well, my sister once again decided to throw some punches my way via her blog. I wrote a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY long blog post a couple of days ago replying to it with an inclusion of the conversation that ensued prior to her eruption, but I left it in the drafts folder. I'm still undecided about publishing it though I did post a comment on her blog. She's said and done VERY painful things to me over the years, so in my fury I'd definitely say I aired out some stinky laundry. I've always appreciated the pure honesty of living a life through a blog. There's no editing who reads it. It's scary and freeing at the same time. I've never censored or deleted my comments (other than advertisements & spam). I even left up the comments on THIS post telling me to "Go to hell baby killer" shortly after I deployed. Click HERE to go on over to my sister's post. I'd like to know what you think.

Day 162: Thinking of You Card

Day 161: Cell Phone

The minutes to call home are OUTrageous, but at least I can call home to let my family know I'm not dead or they can call me for emergencies. It kinda reminds me of that old collect call commercial "Wehadababyitsaboy". Remember that one? See it HERE.

Day 151: Red Bull

Vince tried his hand a snapping a daily photo for the blog. He always impresses me in new ways.

Day 142: Post Office

Day 141: An Otherwise Beautiful Day

Despite the ugly man-made crap it was a beautiful day.

Day 140: Standard Issue

This just came in the mail and totally cracks me up! In case you can't read it from the picture, it says, "Standard Issue! Mandatory viewing for all "NEWBIES" in country!" The family that sent this to me is MOST awsome!!! I love you guys!!! xoxo

Day 139: I love this guy!

(My head looks really weird, but he's as studly as ever!)

Day 138: Locks of Love

Ever heard of Locks of Love? I've been participating for about 8 years now. I hope you'll check it out!

Day 137: Legal Services

Day 136: Polish

I can't wait to make my little piggys PINK! I only wish I was allowed to have pink finger nails too. They'd add a little bit of spunk to my daily Army garb, dontcha think?!

Day 135: Flower

Day 134: Handsome

Day 133: Chocolate Bunny

Look at the yummy cuteness I received in the mail...

Day 132: Signs of Spring

Spring isn't as grand as it is back home, but I sure was plesantly surprised to see these purple trees erupt over night. They're BEAUTIFUL!

Day 131: Unforgettable

Debbie, I miss you so much! Thank you for this sweet little frame and everything else you do for me!!! HUGS!!!

Day 130: Staff Only

This is the sign on the front entrance of the hospital. You can only go in around the side. It must be like a secret entrance or something. It really doesn't make too much sense though I realize more and more how common of a thing that is in the little world that surrounds me here.

Day 129: Rose Garden

Vince spotted this rose garden hidden behind a concrete wall as we passed by on a bus. On our way back we decided to stop by and inspect it a bit further. It was over grown, but beautiful... especially in a place like this.

Day 128: Closed for Cleaning

It gets annoying sometimes to have to live in three different time zones. We're on central time ("home time"), local time, and zulu time. Zulu is a set time no matter where you are in the world. I really wish we were all on zulu time, so I wouldn't ever have to worry about time zones.

Day 127: Stamps

Vince bought these for me after we saw them in a little shop here on the FOB (forward operating base). They're stamps! The shop owner said they use them mostly in India to decorate fabrics. A lot of the goods around here come from India since this country isn't as big on production of such things. They're more into the re-selling of stuff it seems, but if I've learned correctly, Indian culture is quite big here since Afghanistan was actually apart of India a loooong time ago. Afghanistan seems to get pushed and pulled all sorts of ways if you look at it's history. Russia, Pakistan, Rome, England, India.... I'm no historian, but it does fascinate me. What do you know about Afghanistan history & culture? Let's share something with the class.... :-)

Day 126: Texas Street

This sign brought a little smile to my face. I'm a Texan if you didn't know. I couldn't get a good picture since I didn't want to stand in the street or the open sewer that runs alongside it, so I settled for my safe position on the sidewalk.

Day 125: Bag Tags

Day 124: MedEvac Bus

Day 123: Mail Room

Here's our little mail room. I work nights, so it's difficult to get my mail when they're only open during the hours that I'm trying to sleep. And here's a close up of the sign on the door...

Day 122: Flood Waters

Day 121: Legs

I took this picture while I was walking. No, those fuzzy things aren't mine. They belong to Vince, but mine do look pretty similar... What?! It's difficult to shave in those dark, tiny, planked showers! ;-)

Day 120: ICU

Our hospital here at Bagram has the most medical support and services in Afghanistan. We treat Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Seamen, Reservists, Guardsman, Contractors, Afghanis, and even troops from foreign countries that are also apart of NATO and ISAF.

Day 119: Through the Table

I don't know why I took a picture of my boots through the table, but I did...

Day 118: Stop

Day 117: Pucker Face

Oh, man! That was a sour pickle!!!

Day 116: Cool Guy

Yep, he's cooler than I am, but that's okay. I can live with it!

Day 115: FedEx

I couldn't get a good shot since this nutty truck was wedged in between some fancy schmancy limited edition SUVs that apparently were shipped via FedEx. They make me wonder who bought them and with who's money...

Day 114: No Smoking Sign

As I've mentioned before, I just like signs. They're especially interesting here.

Day 113: Enduring Faith Chapel

Day 112: Potty Instructions

This poster was on the outside of the porta-potty infront of the Korean hospital. I can't stop laughing!

Day 111: Korean Hospital

Day 110: Thank you, Jayne!

Jayne sure does know what melts my heart! Look what she made for me:

Day 109: Cards

I received a fabulous box of cards and other yummies from Debbie and Jayne today!!! You two are most fabulous!!! I'll be sure to put these out for the troops on behalf of Operation: Thank the Troops.

Day 108: I (heart) Chelsea

My cousin Chelsea is the sweetest girl I know! Look what I received in the mail... She got together with Bee and Bee's daughter to make a couple cards for me. They even sent some extra craft goodies so I could make some my self. I love you, Chelsea!!!

Day 107: Vespa

I've been saying that I want a Vespa for quite some time. This scooter isn't exactly a Vespa, but it just recharged my draw.

Day 106: Round Rock

Just because.

Day 105: Gas Station

This isn't your usual gas station.

Day 104: Air Force vs. Army

They live here... ...and if you'll recall... I live HERE.

Day 103: Ketchup

It almost looks normal, doesn't it?

Day 102: Hot Guy

He may be hot, but he seriously lacks in the personality department.

Day 101: Forklift Towing

We don't have tow trucks, but we do have forklifts!

Day 100: Behind the Wire

Well, I've been behind this wire for 100 days now. It's gone pretty quickly!

Day 99: PX

The PX (post exchange) is great back home. It's like a cheaper Walmart with name brand stuff, and we don't pay taxes on post either. The little shopettes here are dinky, but it's all we have. They sell some unusual stuff. Can you see anything unexpected on these shelves?

Day 98: Laundry Bags & Rockets

The laundry system here super sucks! It takes about a week to get my stuff back, so I'm always out of something. Grr! P.S. A rocket just landed not 75 yards from me! Freaky!!!

Day 97: Bunkers

These things are everywhere. I'm a tad jealous that the Airforce bunkers have benches and water bottles though. Those guys are so spoiled. ;-)

Day 96: DFac

They painted the inside of our dining facility (aka "D-fac") to look like a tropical scene. It really doesn't make me feel like I'm on vacation at all when I'm wearing ACUs, eating mystery meat, and have a rifle strapped to me.

Day 95: Malaria Pills

Doxycycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic that we take daily to prevent malaria. You must take it with a full glass of water and remain upright for about half an hour or ELSE! I've taken it a couple times just before bed and then spent the following day dry heaving. We also cannot donate blood for three years after taking this drug. It also can cause liver damage if taken over a long period of time (like a deployment!?), and increases sensitivity to light. It causes permanent yellowing of teeth and a whole list of other nutty things. On the plus side... it treats prostatitis, sinusitis, syphilis, chlamydia, pelvic inflammatory disease, acne, rosacea, escherichia coli, enterobacter aerogenes, lyme disease, folliculitis, shigella species, acinetobacter species, respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, streptococcus pneumoniae, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections! LOL! (I really don't believe the acne one though, because I hadn't had a zit in ages until I started taking these barf tablets.)

Day 94: Guns

You can buy guns here, but the postal service won't allow you to ship them. So, why even sell them? I don't get it!

Day 93: Just Me

Day 92: Ugly Dolls

Oh, I forgot to show you the ugly dolls...

Day 91: Owl Love

I forgot about this little guy from the bazaar. I love him so much. I'm definitely going to make him mine next time.

Day 90: Thirst Quencher

Just another silly picture from yesterday's outting.

Day 89: Group Date

Well, let me introduce you to the little gang I like to hang out with here at Bagram. We have "Sergeant O'D.", "Dias", and "T". Dias and I have off on Fridays, and the boys work late shift, so we've decided that Fridays are our group date days. Today was the first one. We planned to start the day off around 11:3o, so we could go to the Dfac for lunch before hitting the bazaar (only open on Fridays), but we all seemed to get a late start. We went to Pizza Hut instead. Pizza Hut takes forever, so after placing our order we waited outside for a group to clear off a picnic bench.Yes! We scored a table. Of course, this means 'smoke break' for Dias. Blech! (We all give her a hard time about it.)I don't think he even knows what he's pondering.Pizza's here!...and in less than four minutes (as we're trained) it's gone.Time for goofy pictures...It's quite the walk to get to the bazaar...So, we waited for the bus instead.I see it! I see it!More goofy pictures...Some weird guy we met on the bus...We finally made it to the bazaar, and of course I wanted everything.This little elephant reminds me of my sister. Since I joined the military I've some how developed an elephant collection of my own. It must be a subconscious thing. I don't even know if she still likes them anymore.Dias... is that a whip? How cute. The dolls we bought from these guys were pretty ugly, but they had me convinced that they were made by Afghan women in a work program. We were only at the bazaar for a short time before it was closing (1500). The boys had to get ready for work anyhow, so we hoofed it back to Camp Albert and called it a day.

Day 88: 10 Million Strong...

We carry Flintstone vitamins in our aid station. I have a bottle in my room and one in my back pack too. I'm constanly passing them out to the other Soldiers. They're good for you! Tell your kids, "Sergeant Barefoot said so!" :-)

Day 87: Grape Juice

Yummy! Welch's grap juice came in the mail today! It's probably the only grape flavored thing I'll drink or eat. Grape & cherry flavors just remind me of cough medicine too much. I love real grapes, just not the artificial flavor stuff. Gag!

Day 86: Name Tapes

Oh, I received new patches and name tapes in my shipment yesterday too! I really needed more of these "Barefoot" ones. I find it funny that people are always trying to snatch them. I like my funny little name. It makes me happy, and I'm glad it makes other people smile too.

Day 85: New Boots

Yeah! My new boots came in. I tried to get some at the little PX, but I wear a tiny little size that they don't carry. We're authorized $110 every other month for three months to order new boots or socks or whatever else we need for our uniform while we're deployed, and thank goodness for that, because my old boots had a serious blow out.

Happy Birthday...MOM!

This one is from my combat medic graduation on 12 March 2004. This one was taken at Thanksgiving a couple years ago.

And the final picture I have of my mother was taken the last time I was out with my family back home in November. Sorry I only have three pictures of my mother. I didn't realize until now that the last time we took a picture of just the two of us was nearly five years ago! Sheesh!

Day 84: New Underoos!

I've been waiting for these underpants to get here for quite some time. When I went to the mail room I loudly exclaimed, "I have new underwear! It's the best day of my life!" I just couldn't help it.

Random Craving

I'm laying here in my bunk, and all I can think about are Fire Roasted Tomato Triscuits and extra sharp cheddar cheese! Seriously, I just can't sleep with cheese on the brain!

Day 83: Porta Potties

Two things I miss about home: 1. Indoor Plumbing, 2. Toilet Seats.

Day 82: Tactical Vehicles Only

I should have taken a picture of the golf cart next to this thing. It made me giggle!

Day 81: No Smoking

This picture makes me laugh. Do you see the "No Smoking" sign? Do you see nearly EVERY single person in the picture smoking?! Ha!

Day 80: Thank you, Debbie!

Lookie at what my BFF, Debbie, sent to me! It's a sweet little cupcake pin cushion complete with my signature ladybug. YEAH!!! Oh, and do you see that the dots are made from snaps??? CUTE! I love you, Debbie!!!

Day 79: Irish Spring

I started a new job today working at the brigade command center. I can't show you any pictures of it, but it looks like any typical movie setting of a command center with tons of computer screens, and some person listening to the radio, and some secret intel guy throwing out random bits of information. It's my job to monitor all medical evacuation, or "MedEvac", requests that come from all over the country. It's certainly not the job for anyone who stresses when multitasking. I monitor 14 different windows on my three computer screens. It was super overwhelming when I started, but now I've got the hang of it.

On another note... Samantha informed me that my Irish Spring is not for girls. It's totally boy soap, and I totally did not know!

Guest Blogger: Ella (My Sister)

"Goofy" Just a funny picture of Lilly. This was the original photo: This is the same photo just flipped around

Day 78: Injection Training

Once again we had some serious medical training at the aid station. We've been practicing our injection techniques. No one volunteered to be the dummy for this one, so instead we injected an onion ring with ketchup!

Then of course I had to eat it! Yum!

Quiz: What's Your Word?

I'm still having a difficult time uploading over here. The internet is SO unreliable. I've still been surfing other blogs when I can though. I found a few fun quizes that I thought I'd share with you. Post a link in the comments to your quiz results. I'd love to see what everyone else comes up with.

Your Word is "Peace"

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

Oh, and Carla has blog candy! Check it out HERE!

Day 77: Card Wall

I love my card wall. There aren't too many cards outside of the mass I received when I first arrived here during Christmas time. We've all felt a little forgotten since then, so it's nice to have a display that reminds me that I'm not alone over here no matter how much I start to feel otherwise.

Day 76: German Chocolates & Weird Boys

Boys are so weird... This guy gives me chocolates and a cute little teddy bear for Valentine's day, but now he doesn't want to talk to me ever again! What's up with that? Ha!

Uploading

I'm still having a heck of a time getting pictures to load. I'm two weeks behind on getting them loaded. I'm still actively taking photos though. Today we had a training experiment in the aid station. We figured it'd be much better if we actually injected our food with condiments instead of dipping them. I have the whole thing in photos, so you won't miss out. I also documented the huge snowfall we just had during the past two days. There was so much that it even went over my boots. I went through half a dozen pairs of socks yesterday. It was quite annoying. Anyway, my sister, Ella, did blog about miss Lilly Belle today, so check that out by clicking HERE. She's fairly new at blogging, so send her a warm blogland hello! My cousin, Chelsea, also has a blog. You can visit her site HERE.

Day 75: Paper Roses

One of the Soldiers from another section got wind that I like to make paper roses from crepe paper, so he asked me to make a bouquet for a girl he likes here on the FOB. I totally forgot about it until last night, but I managed to squeeze out four in record time.

Day 74: Wattage Issues

It gets dark pretty early around here, or so it seems that way. I have to rely on my little lamps to get around in my room, but they're so dim that I need two. My room isn't even that big. I can reach my little arms all the way across and touch both sides at the same time. Perhaps I'm having wattage issues?

Day 73: Salsa Outtage

We're only allowed to buy one bag of chips at the PX per day, but salsa is unlimited. I bought two jars on Monday, and I'm already out! Sheesh!

Day 72: Girl Scout Cookies

Yeah! Mom sent some yummies in the mail. Ever since I was a Girl Scout myself I have absolutely loved Peanutbutter Patties! They haven't even changed the picture on the box since I sold them years ago.

Day 71: Sun Chairs

Well, the cold didn't last too long. It's practically "hot" today!

Day 70: Super Snow

We've had more snow here than I've ever seen in my life. It's beautiful! Although... I have fallen down a million times already. My bum is pretty sore!

Day 69: 20 Pounds

Yeah, I received my 20lb bear in the mail. That means I've lost 20lbs so far on this NutriSystem thing. It could also be the fact that I don't have to drive by all my favorite fast food places on my way to and from work either though! Ha!

Day 68: Stethoscope

I asked if we could order new stethoscopes for all the medics, and the boss said, "yes"! They just came in, and for some reason mine isn't black like the rest. It's a yummy rich crimson. It's not exactly the military black I was expecting, but it IS my favorite color!

Day 67: Loofah Love

I really love my loofah in all it's pink glory.

Day 66: Sweet Smells

I can't believe that the little PX had Victoria's Secret lotions and perfumes! Ah, I smell like a GIRL!

Day 65: MWR

MWR (Morale Welfare & Recreation) is the organization that provides all the entertainment here on base like the shows that come through, the computer & phone labs, movies, ping pong, pool, books, and on and on. It seems like the civilians here get to take advantage of these services more than we do, but at least we have SOMETHING! :-)

Day 64: Small Cup

This is the smallest "small" cup I have ever seen!

Day 63: Pizza Hut

I used to be a cheese pizza girl, but somewhere in high school I became a Canadian bacon & pineapple gal, and now suddenly I'm an everything minus onions and peppers person. I feel like I can measure my stages of life through my pizza consumption.

Back in Business

Okay, my computer is up and running again! It feels like it's been FOREVER since I've posted something. I have to back-post SO many pictures. My little digital camera is about to explode! Here we go...

Day 62: Disney Drive

Disney Drive is the road (or sidewalk for pedestrians) that takes you everywhere you need to go around here.

Day 61: Chuck Norris...

Chuck Norris jokes are everywhere around here. I'll be sure to capture all the ones I find. This one is clearly telling us that Chuck does not approve of littering. :-)

Day 60: Barriers

Barriers, barriers, and more barriers.

Day 59: Running Shoes

Walking on rocks all the time has really torn my shoes up. They don't have my size at the little PX store, so I'm forced to order them online now. I hate not being able to try them on first. I'm the same way with jeans. I have to put them on before I buy them.

Day 58: Spaghettio's

I haven't had Spaghettio's in FOREVER! I was so excited to see this in a care package that I just couldn't wait to eat it. One problem... I don't have a can opener!

Day 57: Big Truck

Day 56: Bus Stop

Day 55: Little Green Cone

I just thought this cone was cute, and I wanted to share this totally random little thing I just read because it made me really laugh out loud: "You are on the bus when you suddenly realize you need to fart. The music is really loud, so you time your farts with the beat. After a couple of songs you start to feel better as you approach your stop. As you are leaving the bus, people are really staring you down, and that's when you remember: you've been listening to your iPod."

Day 54: Ground Guide

Have you noticed that I like to take pictures of signs?

Day 53: Up-Armored

You can see the new barracks we're supposed to move into in the background. Indoor plumbing!

Day 52: Keep Out

I wish I could just have a regular ol' doorknob!

Day 51: Combat Patch

The intent behind the wear of the combat patch, also known as shoulder sleeve insignia, is to recognize Soldiers' participation in combat operations. Once Soldiers report to their first units, they wear their command's patch on their left sleeve. When deployed to a designated combat zone, Soldiers may also wear the patch of the unit for which they serve with on their right sleeve. Here's some history of the combat patch that I aquired from Wikipedia: The 81st Infantry Division "Wildcat" is generally agreed to have been first U.S. Army unit authorized an SSI. In 1918, during World War I, the 81st Division sailed for France after training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. On their left shoulder the men of the division wore an olive drab felt patch with the silhouette of a wildcat - after Wildcat Creek, a stream that flows through Fort Jackson. When men of the other fighting divisions challenged the right of 81st soldiers to wear the patch, General John J. Pershing ruled that the 81st could keep this distinctive insignia. He also suggested that other divisions adopt shoulder patches of their own. This patch was officially adopted by the U.S. Army on October 19, 1918. By World War II, all army groups, field armies, corps, and divisions, as well as all major Army commands, had unique SSI. These SSI would often be created with symbolism alluding to the unit's formation. Examples include the 82nd Airborne Division, which included an "AA" on its patch alluding to the "All-American" soldiers from every state that made it up, and the 29th Infantry Division, which included blue and grey to allude to soldiers that made it up being from states on both sides of the American Civil War. Most US formations had unique patches which varied greatly in size and makeup, with the exception of US Armored divisions, all of which adopted the same patch (a yellow, red and blue triangle with a symbol for Armor in the middle). Each division then included its number on the patch to denote it. A few of the divisions added their unit nickname onto the patches, but most did not. Subdued patches and insignia were introduced during the Vietnam War and were made mandatory for wear on the field uniform starting July 1, 1970. In the early 1980s, brigades began creating SSI. Today most separate brigades have their own SSI, but those brigades permanently attached to divisions do not. A handful of smaller units have SSI (including US Army Rangers and other special forces groups), but most units battalion level and smaller do not have SSI. I am assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and now wear the Screaming Eagle combat patch!

Computer Crash

My computer crashed on me. This time the hard drive is a real gonner, so I ordered a new one. Mail takes forever to get here, but I should be back online in no time. I'm still taking tons of pictures all the time, so I'll be sure to catch up with my photo-a-day as well.

Day 50: Drink Up

At every corner you'll see slabs of water in little huts. I keep a stash in my room too. Most of us do.

Day 49: Connections

Now you can see why the internet is so crappy around here.

Day 48: Green Grass

This is the ONLY patch of grass that I've seen since I've been here.

Day 47: Construction

This is some construction tape that I saw around a new barracks building we're supposed to move into in the spring. They're working as fast as they can to build new stuff here all the time. It seems like there's construction going on every where you look.

Day 46: The Broom

This broom and dust pan sit in the hallway of our Bhut. It never fails that someone will trip over it in the middle of the night and wake everyone up.

Day 45: Delivery

You can order delivery from Pizza Hut which is open 24 hours. The only problem is we don't have phones in our B-huts...

Day 44: Dairy Queen

It's not the best ice cream since we can't get milk over here, and they only have Blizzards, smoothies, and sundaes with a limited variety of toppings. It's better than nothing though!

Day 103: Ketchup

It looks almost normal, doesn't it?

Day 43: Connexes

Connexes are the big containers we ship all of our stuff in. They're all over the place.

Day 42: Traffic

Day 41: Obama Headlines

The news paper that I picked up in the chow hall today was quite interesting. You hear so much about Bush and Obama on civilian TV and in newspapers all over the place, but I've wondered for a while now how the Soldiers feel. I mean, he's our Commander in Chief, so this REALLY affects us. Here are a few of the tidbits I pulled from Army Times today: 1. The majority of Soldiers feel that Bush has our best interests at heart and NOT Obama. 2. Only 34% of those polled actually approve of Obama's calls to withdraw troops from Iraq in 16 months. 3. Only 12% of troops polled are opposed to increasing Afghanistan troops by more than 12,ooo. 4. Six out of ten active-duty service members say they are uncertain or pessimistic when asked how they feel about Obama as Commander in Chief. 5. African-Americans make up the majority of Army service members. I certainly wasn't expecting the outcome of these polls, but I honestly say I pretty much agree with most everything I read. I think a lot of Soldiers fear a CinC that has no war or military experience. Will he really be able to lead without ever being a follower? I hope so. No matter what, though, he'll be my boss in one week. I'll follow any order, and do it without blinking. That's just what we do. He's in my prayers just like everyone else back home.

Day 40: Hand Sanitizer

The biggest scare over here is getting sick from one of the many diseases that can be in the water or food or air all around us. We wash or sanitize our hands at least a dozen times a day here. They won't even let you into the chow hall without stopping by the hand washing station first. It's certainly not a bad thing, but my skin is so dry and cracked now.

Day 39: The Appeal

Mom sent me this book. I've never read any of this guy's stuff, but out here I'd probably read anything. I'm still on the first chapter, but I think I'll actually finish this one.

Day 38: Medical Training

As a medic, I constantly have to work on my skills with tough training!

Day 37: Icicles

After just two days of snow it's all slowly melting away. It was beautiful while it lasted, but we had so many slips and falls. Even I ended up doing the splits down the steps in front of the aid station. My hip is still a bit sore.

Oh, and since everyone is leaving such nice comments about my father, I thought I'd share this picture of us with you...

Day 36: Speed Limit

I took this picture in the parking lot over at the hospital when I went to get the second shot in the three part series of Gardasil. You can see the building in the "MILITARY HOSPITAL" sign on the building in the background. I normally give and recieve shots in the clinic that I work in, but we didn't have this one on stock. The military now offers it to all female Soldiers under the age of 25, so I'm just under the wire. I think it's amazing that we have a vaccination to prevent cancer. It's a pretty expensive vaccination (about $375 for the series), so I'm glad that I can get it for free. The benefits for this far exceed the risks, but after hearing all the side effects from any medication advertised on TV I can see why someone wouldn't ever want a pill or shot again. I mean I just heard one the other day that had a side effect of increased gambling. What? I just see some big casino owner in Vegas as the funder for the research and development of that medication. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask. I'm pretty well versed on immunizations since it's part of my job over here. I'm one of those nerds that reads all the package inserts and publications that come out on the CDC and FDA websites.

Day 35: Copics

I ordered some Copics a week or so ago, and they've finally made it here. I've already started sketching and doodling. My head is overflowing with ideas. I forgot to get a 6" ruler, some sketch paper and a gum eraser though. I'll just improvise until I can get my family to send the rest of my sketch materials.

Day 34: Snow Day

Well, it's here! The snow has been falling all over the place. It's really beautiful. It's not really sticking too much since it's a little too warm, but there's more in the forecast for tomorrow. I feel a snowman wearing a helmet and reflective belt coming on...

Day 33: Rocks

Rocks! It's pretty much the only surface we walk on here. My ankles are constantly rolling, and I've fallen down a million times already. I'm super clumsy even without the uneven surface.

Day 32: New Year

Hello, New Year! It sure doesn't seem like it's supposed to be 2009. I'll be turning the big 2-5 this year. It's weird to think about it. I had so many ideas on where my life would be at this point. I was supposed to be married with a kid, one on the way, a fabulous career, and a minivan in the garage. None of those plans involved me being all the way on the other side of the globe wearing combat boots and carrying a loaded rifle every day. The Army was never apart of my goals growing up. It didn't hit me unil I was in my last year of high school. I already had scholarships and my acceptance letter to college framed on the wall. Then I saw the president on TV saying we had a shortage of troops. I knew if I raised my hand then someone else wouldn't have to. A mother, a father, a wife, a husband, or even a sister. My sister. Do you remember the draft scare? I just knew that if enough of us joined voluntarily then I would save the people I cared about most from being forced into it. I couldn't sit and wait to see if I was unlucky enough to have my own sister drafted and sent to war while I stayed home. It was then that I knew I'd be here. I've been in the military for over five years now. It seemed like I'd never deploy. At first I was afraid to, but then I became angry that I hadn't had my turn to join my battle buddies in deployment. Five years of being in non-deployable units wore on me. I felt like a bum Soldier. My friends were ripped away from their lives, friends, and families to muck around the Middle East for months. Some of them went two and three times while I still sat at home. I hated it. When I finally transfered away from the Air Assault School I asked for a deploying unit before my brain had a chance to even think of breathing. It was my chance. Less than six weeks after leaving that prison I was on a plane headed for Afghanistan. I finally feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. The Army's pull on me has finally been released. I feel like I can go home justified that I've done my part. I didn't really know why I kept reenlisting until now. This is what I was waiting for. I think I'll finally be able to let the Army go. I can be normal again without feeling guilty or obligated or afraid. I thought for a long time that I'd retire from the Army, but I don't see myself fufilling my personal goals if I do that. My service will be complete. My dues will have been paid. And I can go back to being me.

Internet Issues

As you probably know already, the internet here just bites. It's hit and miss. I have several draft posts from the past few days that need to go up, but I just can't get the pictures to upload. Rest assured that I am still taking a photo a day. Some days I can get online and some days I just can't. I seem to have more and more trouble lately. It doesn't help that the weather is getting worse now that we're entering snow season. You see, our internet service is satellite. Bad weather = Bad connection. They also shut down the internet when something bad happens. They can't have everyone blabbing to the world that a something really bad has happened before they can notify the Soldier's family. It'd be horrible to find out on the news or internet that your loved one passed away. It's just another security measure we take here. Oh, and before I forget... I wanted to say that I do my best to answer all of the comments that are left on my blog or sent to my email. Sometimes I really really want to send a thank-you, but there just isn't any way for me to contact you if you haven't left your information for me to return the conversation. I get paranoid when someone leaves a sweet note, and I can't return the kindness that they'll think I'm ignoring them. I suppose I should be more worried about combat things, huh? I have to talk myself out of being ridiculous. It's not working though. I'm still paranoid! So, "THANK YOU!" to all of you who leave comments, and even to those of you who just read or look at pictures without saying a thing. Thank you for listening to me and supporting me. There have been a few down times that I've gone through openly here on my blog that you blogging buddies have helped me to handle perhaps without even knowing. I hope you know who you are. You're a blessing in my life, and I am forever thankful.

Day 31: New Year Celebration

I didn't take this picture, but I am somewhere in the crowd. It was our unit BBQ in celebration of the new year. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, and even steaks. Yummy!

Day 30: Head Lamp

I've had this head lamp for a few years now. It's definitely a necessity for all sorts of things, but especially for night time porta potty trips.

Day 29: Shower Shoes

You'd better wear shower shoes if you don't wanna get foot funk!

Day 28: Falcon's Nest

This is the gazebo across from the aid station where people seem to have a lot of meetings. It's called the Falcon's Nest.

Day 27: Dry Eyes

I had laser eye surgery a month before we deployed. The doctor told me I'd have to use moistening drops for quite some time, but it's been especially bad since I've been out here. I woke up the other morning and I couldn't open my eyes at all. It was pretty painful and quite scary. I don't want that to happen again. I keep them by my bed now, so I'm sure to remember to moisten up before hitting the sack.

Day 26: Christmas Cookie

We didn't really have traditional Christmas cookies here, so I settled for leaving Santa a chocolate chip cookie. Oh, and in case you're wondering... he didn't get to take a bite. I ate it. Sorry, Santa.

Day 25: Head Wound

So, this pilot came in because he hit his head on a panel of the aircraft. He had a pretty good cut, so I washed it out, we put some funny juice in there, and then we put in the staples! Oh, Merry Christmas!

Day 24: Reflection