A Day of Great Mix Ups

Well, today has been a great day!

My morning started at 0500 when I woke up and got ready to head back outside the wire. I had to report to my duty office by 0600. At 0715, or so, we headed out to our area of operation and I basically played until 1130 or so. Today was Human Rights day and I had the privilege of working with the women and disabled today. It was such a treat. I also got to meet some of the other Fijians who are here and learned to say "How are you" in their language. Granted, I royally butchered their beautiful language, but it was fun attempting to learn it!

While we were there, the CDR & 1SG came out to visit and actually put our "combat" patch on us. It was pretty special. A sweet experience indeed. Sorry - no photos, because we were in a no photo area.

I also got to go to Union III to the "mall", as they call it. I just about broke out in hives when they said "mall". Ugh! But it was pretty much a bunch of really small shops cramped in an overcrowded building along with other vendors outside the small building. Man alive, they had some VERY beautiful handmade things there. There was a rug weaver out there and they were making handmade rugs right there! Insane! That is such a great gift! (Honestly, I don't think we "Americans" are domesticated enough... back to the basics people.... handmade gifts/crafts are always better!)

Meanwhile, back at the FOB... ha ha ha - that sounded like a comic book line! LOL! Okay, back to business... when I got back, I ate lunch, and went over to see if I could secure my gear that I left in my transport vehicle. While I was waiting, I ended up sewing some "loops" on a decorated rug for one of our LTs... but the most exciting??? I got asked to be a battle buddy with one of the SGTs to go on a tour of the IZ. (International Zone) Soooo... I went along with them. Needless-to-say, it was pretty fun. Here are a few pictures that we took at the "Cross Sabers". Oh! And the other picture is of some of the guys in our unit posing with their combat patch. Ha ha!

Let's see - OH! Tonight, I had it off since I worked this morning, I ended up going Salsa Dancing for an hour! I LOVED IT!!!! Seriously! Man alive, I walked in, it was only me - I saw the "DJ" who I also met yesterday at lunch, he thought I was Latina and started talking with me... anyway! Sammy was there and he already had music going, so we started dancing, and then Hernandez came and I started dancing on and off with both of them. It was soooo much fun! They were asking if I was going to start coming every Friday night, and I told them that it all depended if I had Friday nights off. (It was random that I had tonight off. Oh, and if I start typing random stuff, it's because I had a long day, and my brain is going faster than my fingers!)

Wait! One more thing... as I was walking home from watching some of my friends sing Karaoke, I smelled rain in the air! It was a beautiful smell!!!! Bring on the rain, baby!

Alright, have to go. One love~

Outside the Wire

Today was one of those days I wish I had a recording device hooked up to my brain and was recording my thoughts and "narration" as I went "outside the wire" today. To be honest, it was quite animated. Now, if only I were able to remember what half of those thoughts were - you'd be highly entertained yourself! :)

Work has been good. I've been able to get quite a bit of reading done since last Friday! I'm on page 184 - 33.63% of the way done! (I haven't even started reading yet tonight, so I'll increase that percentage for sure!) Oh, I began reading "New Moon"... yes, it's a girlie book... part of the "Twilight Saga". But hey... my old roomie: Keaton, got me liking the movies, and since this book was never opened... and FREE, I snapped it up and have been reading away! Tomorrow I have some time off in the morning, and may indulge in more of my girlie book after working out and breakfast. Ugh.

Today, as I was being cross-trained, I was standing in the sun quite a bit, and now have a half white/brown tan on my face. I look like a total freak!... I LOVE IT! (Not really. I hope you sensed the sarcasm in that.) But, I worked with two great soldiers and we had TONS of fun. OH! I got to meet people from Japan, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Britain, Italy, Germany, Canada "Eh" (ha ha ha- oh the good 'ole days), Korea.... I had a blast. When the next shift came on, I got to bond and be a dork with the next crew, too. I think they were more in shock to see me surfing and downhill skiing the security gate than anything. (I'll let you use your imagination on that.) Need-less-to-say, my play time came to an end when I had to come back to post. But I'm glad I made it a great day!

Oh, and not to mention.... my sleep schedule is alllll thrown off right now. I usually work from 4 - midnight every night, but had to report at 8 this morning, work from 3PM - 1AM tomorrow, 4 - midnight on Thursday, then Friday morning work 6AM - 4PM. I'm trying to stay up a little longer tonight so I can get my body readjusted to working late... or maybe I'll just take a nap tomorrow. :) Oh yeah.... naps are great! :)

What's new? Well, nothing much. I do pretty much the same thing every day, but I like to mix it up as to not get stuck in an obvious pattern of doing things. My day usually consists of some variation of working out, breakfast, shower, lunch, sleep, work, dinner, work, sleep. And then the random use of internet. There have been 2 days when I was sick that my schedule was pretty much: breakfast, sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep, work, dinner, work, sleep. Gosh I love my job!

Okay friends. Sorry it couldn't be more entertaining. I do have to get off the computer though.

Love from the sandbox!

Phone Usage

Well people, just to let you know, there is no USO here on post. AND no DSN to where most of my family live. Thus, if you don't get a phone call this next year - don't be heartbroken about it. Calling cards don't work here, either. So! We're back to snail mail, and the occasional e-mail. Thus, here's my address again:

PFC Baclayon
B BTRY 1-148 FA BN
FOB Prosperity
APO, AE 09348

Big hopes, eh?!?

Duty Station Overseas

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Here's a little funny: Today, I woke up and it was still early evening on the West Coast. Tonight, at dinner, I was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV! Cracked me up!!!

Just letting you know that I made it to my final duty station in Iraq. My FOB is quite small, but there are a lot of things that I can get involved in, and am looking forward to it. For example, I went to the gym tonight to take a gander, and inquired about the different classes that are being taught, and they only have an aerobic class available Monday, Wednesdays & Fridays. I guess they used to have a YOGA class, but the instructor left and the class died. Sooooo, I was talking with the Zumba instructor in Kuwait, and she said that I should teach it here. Luckily, or maybe NOT so luckily, they don't have a Zumba class or instructor here. SOOOOO, since I have "become a certified Zumba instructor" on my life list of goals, Denise (from the gym) said that if I wanted to start a Zumba class, I would just need to have the music, and I could use the old yoga studio! HOW cool would that be! Sweet!

Anyway, I'm a bit tired. I've been up since 0230 and it's 1911. We've been traveling all day. My hands are red, bruised, and tired from loading, unloading, and moving bags around everywhere!!!! Sucks to be a good battle buddy sometimes!

OH, and in the smack-dab in the middle of our 2 mile round FOB, is a palace. It was one of the first structures that was bombed here. It's GORGEOUS! The reliefs and architecture, and painting is sooo exquisite! I'll have to take pictures of it one day and send it over. Or, maybe I'll just post it on my little blog. (Speaking of which, I'm going to put a little ditty on there right now. Actually, probably just a cut and pace from this e-mail.)

I won't be able to get on the computer very often for the next little bit. Not sure when I start working my shifts, however, I think tomorrow I start meeting the people we are taking over for. It'll be an adventure for sure. Will blog again when I can.

Pili girl~

In a New Land

Boy- there is nothing but sand here. Miles and miles of sand.... desert. I wish I could post photographs of where we are, however, there is a "No Photographs" rule. Oh well, such is life.

The time here is 10:45 am. I've been awake for many hours. I think I figured it was something like 8 - 10 hours of sleep I've had in 3 days or so. I totally forgot about the day change as well, and thought today was still Wednesday! We are here at our transition area for about a week. We have to walk EVERYWHERE! I love it! But the time difference is definitely a killer! I'm trying to stay awake as much as possible, so I can get on a regular sleeping schedule with this new time zone.

Not-to-mention, when I'm walking, standing, sitting... I still feel like I'm on an airplane, and am still moving. Such a weird feeling.

But, I made it safe.

Okay, have to go. Time is up on the computer. (My typing has slowed, since I don't use the computer often any more.) :(

One love to all!!!

Waiting for Departure

Welcome we' lads... though I cannot say where my adventures are taking me, I was never told I couldn't give hints. I am currently in the land where gold is found at the end of the rainbow.

Okay!!! Moving on!

Well, last night I was able to speak with my family for a brief moment. I wish I had more time to make calls.

As we are here at our layover... I have about 2 minutes to be on the computer. And what do I choose to do? Blog. I know... kind of lame.

Never-the-less, please know that I love you all heaps.

Mainly, I just wanted to post my address for overseas:

PFC Baclayon

B-BTRY 1-148 FA BN

FOB Prosperity, Iraq

APO AE 09348

Hugs, kisses, love and light to everyone! Stay well!

Photos from Training

Here are some photos from our training. I'm not going to explain what they are. However, I hope you enjoy them.

Updates on my Adventures

First and foremost: please do not send any more mail to me in Mississippi. I'll post my address for overseas as soon as I get it.

Secondly, I'm glad I can finally get on here and do some updating.

Thirdly, I'm currently sitting in my room, feet propped up, TV watching me, fireplace going and sporting civilian pjs. Man alive- life is good right now. :)

I am on pass until Wednesday, and the only thing I have planned.... a massage for tomorrow. I'm so thankful that everything has been prepaid. I am absolutely in love with my room. I couldn't have asked for a better room to be in. Oh yeah... I'm staying at a little Bed & Breakfast, literally in the middle of nowhere. This is the first time I've rented a room from a Bed & Breakfast, but am falling in love with the idea to fulfill one of my goals in life: to run a Bed & Breakfast on a 10 acre ranch with a massage center. How amazing would that be!

Training here as been good and worth it. I apologize if I do not share what we've been doing, but I hope you understand, it is not my privilege to share.

On a lighter note... I got an email from our Public Affairs NCO for the 116th Calvary Brigade Combat Team. She was in receipt of some photos I had taken of our training. (If you did not know, I was asked to be our unit's photographer.) Well, her e-mail asked if she could submit some of my photos to the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense to be used for media and website publishing. She also asked if if I could continue submitting pictures while overseas. What a great honor that was. SO! I'll put some of my photos here, and you may even see some of them used for military purposes too!

This is my blog for the night. Hopefully I can make another blog before heading overseas. One love to all, p~

Updates on my

Moving On...

Tonight I had a tender mercy from the Lord.

I've learned that sometimes, the Lord doesn't just give you the easy way out of things- even when you know what the choice or decision is "supposed" to be. Sometimes, the tender mercy is necessary for you to fight for what you really want. Why the Lord does what he does, I don't know, but He knows best.

Moral of the story- the Lord won't always give you the easy way out of lives choices, even if you don't deserve it. But He does it because His ways are not our ways, and His laws are higher than our laws. He is the Master and has already been preparing the way for us to accomplish His purposes. I don't always understand His choices, but I do know that He has always wanted more in my life than I've wanted for my own.

To understand the will of the Lord is to loose your OWN plans and find the courage to Trust and have Faith in Him. Finding Hope.... indeed I am.