Another Day

Not much going on here. It seems like every day is the same, a lot of times I have no idea what day it is.

On another note, I finally got to church, or at least part of it. I showed up with a few minutes remaining in the service, but even those few minutes were great. The guys I work with had a bet going if I was going to make it to church. One might ask what is going on. The church services where I live begin while I am sleeping. I work the night shift so I sleep in the day. Our group leader offered to have a evening service, but I told him it is important for me to show up with the rest of the group and attend the regular service. It is worth waking up to attend.

Letters From Home

I got a few letters this week from some great people. My oldest sister's boys wrote me some encouraging letters updating me on the latest events in their lives. It was good to hear from them.

I also got a package from some friends. They moved recently to the east coast and are adjusting to the changes. The pictures were great and the candy is already gone. I brought it in to work and it didn't last through one shift. It was Valentine's candy too.

I think I am going to be kicking myself for not taking more pictures. I need to send one of me, my gun, and my army truck to Kimball. Check your mom and dad's email inbox and you should see one soon.

Sister Russell

I got some unfortunate news today. One of the few sisters I served with in Brazil passed away a couple of days ago from brain cancer. Mindy Russell was a great missionary. I was her district leader in Bauru for about two months and she and Sister da Silva always did a great job. I don't remember the last time we spoke. I think it was at one of the mission reunions we attended when Katie and I lived in Provo.

Frankly, I was shocked to hear of her passing. Seeing the picture of her with her children was emotional. My second mission president, President Hollist, passed away shortly after returning home from his service. I didn't get to know him too well, but, again, when I heard of his passing, I was deeply saddened.

I hope Sister Russell's husband and children are doing well at this time. I would like them to know that I, and others, are praying for them during this difficult time.

All Year For That?

Yesterday was tough...actually it was today, but for most of you it was yesterday. The Chargers played a tough opponent and came up short. The way they lost was just terrible. They dominated the entire game even with all of the balls they were dropping. An article I found today sums it up the best listing the top 10 reasons they "blew it."

Maybe next year they will win a playoff game.

Jam Session

We had a jam session today. Actually, the Colonel grabbed the Captain's guitar and started playing. I was chatting with Katie at the time and told her what was going on. She responded with a song request. When I mentioned that to the Colonel he asked what kind of music she liked. I didn't really know what to say so I asked Katie through the chat. She responded with Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl.

I told the Colonel and he immediately started playing the notes of the song on the guitar. Soon he was singing the words, and loud. I was impressed because he was good. I told Katie to call us so she could listen to the private concert. She didn't call in until after the song was over and he was about to start Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet.

The funny thing was that Katie, I believe, thought the Colonel playing was one she knew. He wasn't. I barely met him less than two months ago and Katie has yet to meet him. I don't believe I have even talked to her about him much. That said, the song was good and it was a fun escape from the monotony of the daily grind. The Colonel finished with two from The Beatles, Help Me and Get Back. Next time it is going to be a joint jam session with the Colonel and the Captain. That should be fun.

Back Up and Blogging

After taking almost two months off, I am back up and blogging. What has changed, one might ask? Well, my internet connection in my KBR provided trailer is not that great. Most of the time I am lucky to even have an internet connection, and that is after the company (Mobile Island Technologies) takes $60.00 a month from me. When I do have a connection it is quite slow and often drops off. Recently, there have been multiple times where the connection has been intentionally "blacked out" by the contractor (on order of the base commander) due to the death of a soldier.

I am not bitter, though. The generous citizens of the United States have provided a decent internet connection for me at my place of work. No streaming media (video or audio), no cameras, but a reliable connection, nonetheless. It is here that I will keep you all updated on my time in Iraq.

The college football season ended with one of the most exciting games I have ever seen in my life. Two of the airmen I work with on an almost daily basis are big fans. Oklahoma was one of the schools that offered me admission last year. I remember Boise State beating up on BYU at 50-12 in Lavell Edwards stadium in 2003. For these reasons I should have been cheering for Oklahoma. I wasn't. There was just something appealing in cheering for the underdog, though I felt Boise State was going to win the game since it was announced they would be playing in it. I had my doubts about how well they would do against Adrian Petersen, but I always felt they were going to win the game. Did I bet money on it...no, but I did pick them to win the game in the office pool.

Watching Boise State let Oklahoma get back in the game and then take the lead with a little over a minute remaining was unbelievable. What was even more exciting was the hook and lateral Boise State pulled out to tie the game and then the Statue of Liberty to win it in OT.

We were jumping up and down having a great time. For a moment I forgot I was in Iraq.