May 16 2008
Waking up orange
I am glad to be out here so there is no problem waking up and getting ready to rock and roll. However, when you look out and it’s already orange all I think about is ‘Who would ever want to live in this place?’
The other day we had a storm pop up and it swooped in with 51 knot winds (that’s just shy of 60 miles per hour) and very heavy rain for about 15 minutes. It was so strong that I was being pushed across an open lot as I ran for cover. Again crazy weather. I went to chow and less then 30 minutes later visibility was barely at 20 feet and everything is being tossed.
Anyway… back to my distain of orange days. Here is my typical first hour when I awaken to a sandstorm:
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Inner Voice
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Grrr. its orange already
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Yuck, I hate the taste of sand. Where is my water and chapstick?
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Double grrrr as my cammies are going be trashed after today
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Ughhhh sand all over the floor of my can
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Hope my gator is clean (a gator is a clothing item I pull over my head and it covers from the just below my eyes to my shoulders).
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Sweet…. my gator clean
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God, I hope they have lids for the coffee today
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Iraqi coffee shop
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“1 medium coffee please” “Shakur” (thank you)
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Inner Voice: Where are the friggin lids? Grrrr
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Mumbling under my breath: “I bet if Saddam wanted a lid you find one”
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Inner voice:
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(10 feet outside of coffee shop) Sand in my morning coffee? Already? grrrrr
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After coffee and walking to the chow hall: Please no dust cloud in the chow hall this morning
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Ugandan security guard “watching” the chow hall
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“Jambo” pronounced (jam bo) Swahili for “hello”
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Watching to make sure his finger is not on the trigger
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“Asante” (pronounced ahh san tea) – Swahili for “Thank you”
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Inner voice
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Asante for not shooting me in the back as I walk past you
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(While clearing my weapon) Grrr, now I have to clean it again
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That’s just great….. a dust cloud in the chow hall
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After chow and walking to the dark tower : I hope my computers and desk are not laying under sand
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Cool, that’s not too bad.
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Where is the can of compressed air to clean everything?
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Well things could be much worse
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Now, let’s hope no knucklehead emails came in last night…
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Semper Fi,
GySgt Jonathan Jenkins
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May the Lord be with you in your journeys every day, and thank you for everything you are doing for our country. You have changed my life in more ways than I can say, and hopefully you can have that same effect in your journeys abroad. Take care and come home safe.
Jonathan,
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