Non-Linear Randomness

In no particular order of relevance or importance:

1.  JBB has its own water bottling plant and so there are pallets of 1 liter bottles of water EVERYWHERE.  They are divided into 12 bottle cases and wrapped in plastic.  I drink 3-5 per day....and it's not hot here yet.

2.  JBB has it's own bus system here with A-F routes.  The E bus goes from near our rooms to the chow hall and the px.  The A bus goes to the other side of the base to the "west side" px.  Those are the only two I have ridden and it took awhile to go that far.  I can't read Arabic and I fear getting on one of the other letters and ending up on the Iraq-Iran express.

3.  Nothin smells sweet here.  It is either a dusty, neutral kind of smell or a raw-sewage-mixed-with-rotting-garbage-on-top-of-hot-stench type of smell.  The first flower or perfume I smell at home will probably make me high.   Sounds fun.

4.  I am beginning to grow tired of porta-potties......although I will say that either the US or Iraqi government is doing its part to support the local economy bc the disposal and cleaning crews are contracted to hit the porta-potties TWICE a day.  It could be much, much, much worse without that little gift.

5. The shower curtain continues to vex me.  It now openly mocks my inability to keep it at bay.


6.  Some of the guys in the platoon are not wearing their "combat" patch bc they are disappointed that this is not the Wild Wild West anymore and they are not getting into firefights everyday.  Ahhh youth and stupidity.

7.  The "ICE COLD BEER" sign attached to the cooler of NON-alcoholic beer in the chow hall is cruel and misleading.

8. I got my favorite beach towel in a package yesterday (thanks to my awesome wife) and will hit the pool one day this week.  I would imagine that might get its own post.

9.  I do not hate my roommate yet.  We have been cohabitating now for 7 weeks and we still get along.

10.  I miss football.....lots.......badly.  (Actually, that would be a post I could do:  things I really miss.  And another could be things I don't miss.   I'll leave you wanting more of that.......)