We want...a Shrubbery!

Good evening everybody. Deployments are a strange thing. Usually they last about 12 months, and go fairly quickly. I have an awesome tshirt that explains the various mood swings that one goes through. I wish I could remember what they were exactly, but if you are in my family, you have seen me wearing this shirt proudly. Deployments aren't so bad when you have the means to pass the time inbetween missions. This usually involves reading a book, watching a movie, playing cards, etc. When the deployment gets long in the tooth you start looking for new things to do. And this is where the ennui sets in. You have watched all the movies you brought, read everything that is fit to read on the COP, and played enough various cards games that you have memorized the facial ticks of every Soldier who is capable of holding 5 cards or more. So what do you do? You could watch the Godfather enough times to the point where you could rewrite the script for the third movie, pull the Cusack manuever in your sleep (classified as a malaria med nightmare), level as many characters in the World of Warcraft before the next expansion, or.... plant a garden. CPT Pederson came to us late in the deployment, in truth he has only been at COP Lowell for 3.4 months, but this is the result. It keeps him busy though he has become quite protective of his little garden. We had a cow meander its way onto the COP the other day and decided the watermelon was easy pickings. After we convinced Doc that it would be a bad idea to shoot the poor thing, he built Ft Knox. And now, he patrols the 14 paces in front of the Aid Station at least twice a day to fend off any would be assailants. I asked the armorer if he had any bayonets but he frowned upon the idea. No idea what Doc might do to our mascot, the local donkey, CPL Ed.

Down days

Hello everybody. I know a while back that I said I would try to update my blog every Friday. So what happens when every day, is in fact, Monday. We have a had a few hectic days this past week. I had gone through most of the deployment without having to treat anyone. The guaranteed randomness that is our local population does not count. I usually give them pain medication and some vitamins. If I know precisely what they have, and do not think they are whistlin dixie, then I do what I can to treat them. Overall though, thank God for tylenol and motrin.
It is interesting to note, that people, regardless of where they come from, will find interesting ways to hurt themselves. And this leads me to this post. I have treated five patients over the past week. The first was a young man who nearly lost his hand when his sleeve got caught in a piece of farm equipment. You would think that since he was missing fingers from said machinery he would be more careful, but nope. Seeing the inner mechanics of a hand is kinda cool if in a morbid sort a way. The next was a young guy hacking away with a axe. Problem was the axe started life as a hoe, and was not intended to cut trees. One swing, axe hit the tree, then bounced back.... you can guess what he looked like. Next was my ever popular frequent flyer: the ANA cook. I have stopped asking this guy what is wrong since he usually shows up on my doorstep bleeding profusely. I have now stitched his hand shut four times this deployment. I am wondering if Mr. Iron Chef has taken the old adage 'chicks dig scars' a wee bit too far. The last two guys I saw were combat related so cannot post info about them save to say that they are doing well and that it is generally wise to duck when stuff starts going boom. And do you know what happened today.... absolutely nothing. I slept till 0430Z, had two pop tarts for breakfast with my black coffee, then sat in the aid station for 7 hours. I was bored for a change. As my wife can attest, I do not do well with down days but on this day, I will certainly try. Tomorrow I may get a local stabbed within a inch of his life, by chickens. Ya never know.

Happy Anniversary!

To the woman I love, thank you for saying yes. Two years married today, and although we have spent most of it a part, I am happy that I have you. Thanks for being the best part of me. Someday soon we will be together. Love ya babe. Happy Anniversary!

R.I.P. my old friend

Today was a sad day. A day when I had to put down an old trusty friend who has been by my side for a decade plus one. He first joined me on my travels starting way back in La Ciudad de Mexico in 1997. He had a certain bling back in the early days when he was young and hip. Alas as all things go, he and I both started showing our age in Iraq 2003. Like me, he wasn't so quick to get started, was cranky at times when pushed too hard, though he proudly showed his scars and various dings. Chicks dig scars after all. He also made a brief foray to the United Kingdom with my wife, but was eventually replaced by a hipper companion. So now after eleven years together, my dear friend failed to rally this morning. I guess he was as tired as I was pretending to be a Rough Rider under Roosevelt for over a year now. So today, I dedicate this blog to an old and trusty friend, one who will be fondly missed. To my dear friend, Mr. Canon Powershot A70 (June 1997- June 2008), thanks for all the memories. Rest in peace my old friend.