"Defat"

Sunday night. I am back at the USO. It has been awhile... Too long.

I am doing good! I've been able to move into the CHU completely, even got some boxes from home. Last night I set up a lamp so I don't have to use my book light to get ready in the mornings anymore. It doesn't feel like home (let's face it, my bed linens here aren't from Pottery Barn and the furniture isn't from Ethan Allen), but I can change in privacy and sleep a few hours each night. That's really all I need.

My mom sent me an email asking about the "defat," asking how often do I get to eat there, what do they serve, is the food any good... Well, that is one of the things I can talk about so I'll tell ya'll all about it. And actually, I'm gonna start calling it that because the portions they give us are so huge I think it'll be impossible to NOT get fat!

I eat at the DFAC (dining facility) usually three times a day. Breakfast is the best, besides Wednesday and Saturday nights when Greg and I get dessert. :) It's the best because I am always SO hungry! There is a grill where you can get eggs made to order, including regular and egg white omlets. They have scrambled eggs with and without cheese, but they don't taste like or look like eggs. There are boiled eggs, cereal, oatmeal, grits (which I have started to get twice a week), turkey and pig sausage, turkey and pig bacon, biscuits, gravy... And the fruit! I like the green grapes when they have then, because they are seedless (and I personally believe if we have the technology we shouldn't have to pick around seeds in fruit anymore and refuse to eat fruit with seeds). The kiwi are fantastic, the pineapple is usually ripe, the bananas are just green enough for me, the apples acceptable. There is leftover dessert from the night before out for us too. And the donuts are there, but too sweet. The pink donut in Kuwait was the best and I don't even eat them anymore because they just don't compare. I try to opt for the oatmeal. Oatmeal and turkey sausage. Or the egg white omlet with tomato and peppers and a little bit of cheese. The one thing I look forward to every morning is the chocolate soy milk. Oh, it's fantastic!

Lunch. There's hot lunch and there's the sandwiches. I like the sandwich bar. I love the egg salad. It reminds me of college. And the tuna is okay. Simetimes I go to the healthy bar and get rice and beans though. They have salad and fruit always. But I don't care for any of the salad dressings they have. I use a packet of pepper and some parmesan cheese. Eh. Nothing to write home about... unless, of course, you are in Basrah and haven't got much else to say, and home asks.

The evening meal is much the same as lunch. There is a specialty bar, sandwich bar, healthy bar, short order cook guy behind a grill with cheesesteak and burgers, main line and the fried food section. Specialty bar has things like tacos, curry, wings, pizza, pasta... different days have different foods. The healthy bar has rice or pasta, chicken and fish or eggplant, sometimes beans. Where there are beans I get them. Not because I love beans that much, I'd just like to stay as veggie as possible. The food is okay. Veggies are overcooked, potatoes are salty, chicken is dry, eggplant is soggy, lobster is rubbery... Oh yeah. Fridays are surf and turf. They have steak and lobster and crab legs and breaded/fried scallops and sometimes shrimp. They have a dessert bar with cakes, not-so-good cookies, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cheesecake and ice creams every night. Like I said, I get it twice a week. They have this chocolatey cheesecakey thing. I look forward to it all day. I don't always enjoy dinner (or lunch for the matter), but I do always find something to eat. A rubbery lobster tail is still a lobster after all.

I really miss cooking. Really miss it.

The first thing I want to make when I get back home is crawfish etouffee. Mmm.

Been Awhile

So I'm volunteering at the USO...

Which means I haven't had a chance to make new entries in the blog for awhile. The computers at work allow us on email, but not Facebook (so I am calling in quits on that) and not Blogger. It's fine because I really don't have much to say... "opsec."

The whole band is here now. Emily and I are in our CHU. We work long hours. I'm tired by the end of the day. Actually, I tired in the morning before the day even starts. I just stay tired. I'm not sure if that'll ever change. There's not much privacy and we can't be alone (always have to have a battle buddy). But things are going well. I'm adjusting. Having some fun.

I am looking forward to getting a real pillow once everyone is out of the tents.

Basra

I haven't posted since arriving in Iraq for a couple reasons...

I don't know what to say.

There are so many things I want to tell everyone. At the same time I don't want to talk about it at all. I don't want anyone to be worried. I'm not worried about some things. I don't want to think about it. It's all I can think about. I want to be able to believe I can handle this by myself. I don't know if that's possible though.

This is not what I expected.

Apparently we are at war. I know we are. Of course I knew that. But the reality is sinking in. It takes time to process.

I don't want to make it sound like life is hopeless.

Life isn't hopeless. I have friends. People love me. I love them. At 7:40 this morning a friend told me, "You are not defective." That helped me so much! Working out -- running especially -- helps too.

Now I'm wondering if Coach makes ballistic sunglasses.

first hot day

today is our first hot day. :) i'm pretty excited about it, though it did make the mrap stuffy and the walk across the camp uncomfortable. this is what i expected. now if it would stay this warm and not get warmer. ha ha...

we've officially finished our training in kuwait. we're just waiting to be moved to iraq now. hopefully sometime tonight or tomorrow, and not tuesday. the anticipation of iraq and not belonging and living out of bags and sleeping on a cot is starting to ware (wear?) on me. not just me... i think we're all ready to get to real beds and chus and get settled.

yesterday we went to the range and shot 10 rounds at paper. today we had some briefings and did met training. today i also swapped out patrol caps. here, that is important and noteworthy. you may not think so, but it really made things more comfortable for me. it's the little things.

there haven't been any more pink donuts at the chow hall. and emily and i found dfac #2 and decided we didn't like it. it may be a little closer to our tents, but the longer walk to dfac #1 is worth it. the uso is busy in the evenings -- too busy. we stopped last night after dinner and there was an hour and a half wait on the phones. we just walked around looking for more flushable toilets.

well, i'm going to go call mama llama. i haven't be able to talk to her since topeka and i really want to talk to her!

Day 2 of doing nothing in Kuwait.

I think this is funny...

We get 30 minutes of free internet at the USO. The guy next to me is playing Farmville.

Not emailing his wife, IMing his parents, posting on friends' sites, or updating his status, but spending his 30 minutes in contact with the world outside Buehring harvisting wheat. Virtual wheat.

Last night was pretty rough. I don't relish the idea of living in a giant tent with 40 females, but I wasn't expecting to not be able to sleep! There was always someone moving around, whispering and stomping to the door. I'm thinking tonight I'll keep my light on an just read. Maybe I can finish Hunt for Red October. It was really annoying.

And it was chilly.

So Top and SFC Phillips left for Basra last night. We saw them at our evening formation (they left a few days before us). They looked fantastic! All of us that got here yesterday are haggard and pale from the traveling. Apparently we should be able to acclimate and be happy in just a couple days.

We're doing nothing again today, but we should be going to the range tomorrow. At least something. :)

Bangor Chowder

I'm in Kuwait. At a USO. I've had a hot shower. And a hot meal (though 7 hours ago). I took a nap - laying down. I'd say things are going well. :)

We left Monday evening. We had a layover in Bangor, Maine. I had forgotten how much I actually like Maine. Not just because the plane and crowded and we needed a break... Maine is cool. The famous Greeters greeted us. I called Dad's cell, Mom's cell and the home phone. Finally talked with Dad a minute. The pilot suggested the lobster roll, but I really wanted New England clam chowder. They were out. I had a Diet Pepsi with Emi and Greg. I also had Greg's fries.

Then we went to Germany. I was tired. I don't know what day that even was.

Finally we arrived in Kuwait, waited around. Bussed to the base, inprocessing briefed and ate. I had the yummiest donut. I wish I had taken a picture. It was filled with a delightful strawberry cream filling and topped with pink strawberry flakes. The cottage cheese was bad. Everything else was adequate. The donut really made my day though. More than showers and cots to sleep on. Yummy donut.

My address will be:
Van Duzer, Bethany J.
Band Co., 1 ID, Unit #117
APO, AE 09374

I think...