A Little More Thoughts and Adventures

I apologize for this blog entry. It will be a compilation of e-mails and journal entries from this last little while. I will apologize, also, in advance if my excerpts of my entries don't flow or make sense. I don't have much time to update this, but I've had requests to do it, since I haven't done so in over a month. So, without further adieu - happy reading.

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"Being here in Iraq has been one of the greatest times of my life. In all honesty, I love it here. I like the work that I am doing, and feel very blessed to be here working. I do, however, wish that more people would just leave me alone – let me be, and not think that just because I am nice, means that I am interested in anyone. I am not weak for being nice... I am finding my balance in being nice, not trusting, and keeping my heart locked. Trust me, there's NO ONE here that I care about in the "romantic" sort." - Let me explain. I got asked to move to another country by someone who told me that "even though we're far apart, a lover's heart never grows old." Gag me with a spoon.... PLEASE! (I know... that was rude of me.)

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"- I got to go out on a mission this past Monday, the 10th. I got to go with... a... PSD team to ...a settlement. We took two UN PSO to an IDP settlement. There were 950 families living in that settlement area. It sort of reminded me of the Philipines. Run down, dirty, poor living conditions.

The children were really cute and it was nice to be able to get a picture taken with them. SGT Abrams took my camera and took some snapshots of me with the babies. They were sooo cute. I'm thankful Abrams did that. He said that I am always behind the camera, so it would be nice for me to be in the front this time. So true.

The school that most of the smaller children attend is a two room school, two bathrooms, a itty bitty play ground with no electricity. (We used our flashlights to view the inside of the rooms.) On the walls were drawings that the students did. I even recognized a pokeymon character on the wall. J Not to mention, the awesome paintings of Popeye, Bert, a Smurf ... I wish I could have done more.

The pictures I was able to take that day are being put on a CD and given back to the two UN PSO's that we took out with us. (Hence, a RECON.) There were sheep there that were eating the trash – riffling through the rubbish piles. Live chickens running around, pecking at the moistened ground looking for food. The random dog, wagging its tail as we walked by. The horses that pulled a flatbed and person in the rear. The simplicities of life that many don't realize or understand, however, I was blessed to view a bit of it."

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"Nothing exciting, however, at work, I wrote 16 letters and typed 3 brief e-mails within 3 ½ hours. It took me a while because my hand was cramping. I wrote so many cards because I was responding to the many letters and packages that I received during the holiday season. I wanted to write and express my thanks for the letters/cards/packages. Although I should have written sooner, I was hoping to get my little newsletter done and be able to print that out, and perhaps some pictures as well, to send to people. Obviously that didn't pan out. So! Hence, the hand cramps and letter writing."

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"Karaoke: We got there at 2245. It usually closes at 2300, but we ended up staying for longer that than. The first song that I ended up singing after a while was: "I Can't Make You Love Me", by Bonnie Raitt. Man, what an EMOTIONAL song! I didn't expect my emotions to hit me at the end of it. Carter was there, and he said "P! You killed it! Freakin' nailed it. So much emotion."

Honestly, I only picked that song because I knew the words and the tune to it, not because of what the message was. SSG Fink ended up welling up with tears and told me I almost made him cry. That it was one of the most emotionally songs he's heard sung. I guess Suell also got teary eyed. Seriously, I got teary eyed and started to let it out a little when I was done. It was such a relief and a sad moment at the same time."