a taste of freedom

hehehe...I can't believe I'm blogging about this but I got to drive yesterday!!! Seriously, I know I'm lame for caring this much about driving but I haven't driven a vehicle in sooo long...well, it was extremely nice. A great break. I didn't get to drive far, just to go get supplies, but I was in a Suburban with a radio and for just a little while I wasn't in Iraq, I wasn't a soldier, I wasn't in a government vehicle...I was just me for a minute and I loved it. I think that's what I miss the most, getting to be just myself. Anyway, I just had to share my little moment of freedom and peace with you all. I love you all and miss you bunches! By the way, for those who don't know yet...I am not coming home for my 2 week leave. I am, however, going to Ireland!! I'm super jazzed, I think the whole trip should be excellent! Maybe a little wet and cold but the trade offs should be totally worth it. If anyone's ever been and has any advice, please let me know. Much love-Stacy.

The war no one sees...

Hey everyone! I was doing my job today in Media Outreach and part of that is to scan all the news coming out of Iraq and see if there are any good stories to try to get ran in soldiers' hometowns. Today I ran across this article http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-parry12feb12,1,1512246.story?ctrack=1&cset=true and absolutely loved it! It's well written by a real subject matter expert. This is the sort of thing people should share with family and friends, this is the stuff that everyone should be hearing about! Check it out, I'm not going to sit here and lecture.

I'm stuck

I'm stuck right now. We just took a couple of close mortar rounds and we're locked down for a duck and cover. I'm just chilling and waiting. I'm bored now, sorry. This is a totally meaningless blog I guess. Ah...well...it's my day off so I'm outta here in a minute to go to the gym then be lazy all day. Talk to you all later!!

Freedom...ahhh...

Hello eveyone...just wanted to drop in and say hi. Nothing much going on here, it's been pretty quiet. We did have a get together where General Order #1 was excused for the night and we were each allowed 2 beers and got to wear civilian clothes...that was really nice! I found Stongbow beer which was awesome, sweet and apple juice-ey...mmm. I felt like a human being with choices and options for just a minute. I actually felt like a girl for a night. Dumb I know, but it's the little things that keep me happy here. That's the worst thing about being back in the Army, my loss of choices. In real life I get to wear what I feel like, I can move if another city sounds like fun, I can quit my job if I don't like the current one or don't think I make enough money. Don't like where I live? Look for a new place. Feel like eating somewhere new? Go to a restaurant you've never been to. I miss all the things I can do in real life that make me feel free. Every day I'm reminded of choices I don't have. There are no "hairstyles" in the Army...it's short and down or long and pulled back. Hmmm...what should I wear today? Maybe, oh I just can't decide...the uniform with or without an inkstain on the pocket? hehehe...lame, I know. But I DID get to go shopping the other day!! I went with my friend Tashina to another camp and went to the equivalent of a shopping mall for here. You know, 5 small Iraqi shops that sold cheap things? It was sooo awesome, seriously, I'm not being facetious! I got a blow dryer (it broke the first time I used it), a mirror (I can't hang it because the walls of my hooch are metal, I'm looking for magnets), some junk food (yay, can't go wrong with that!), a plastic set of drawers, and some pirated DVD's. All in all, it was a great day off. We were driving in an SUV (not a Humvee for once) with no mission, no time to be anywhere, just doing girl stuff. It was sweet. I miss shopping. It was pretty nice to just cruise around for no reason though...that's always nice. Who doesn't love getting in a vehicle and just driving? It doesn't matter where you're trying to go, if you get a little lost, if you don't take the fastest route. As long as you just let yourself go and just cruise, it takes a person back to the late teens when driving was the coolest and most free thing you could do. When I'm done with this deployment my roommate from Missouri, Branden, and I are planning on taking a road trip to Canada and I'm going to insist I drive. Totally free, no time to be anywhere, no responsiblities, nothing. Ahhh...on that note, I'm out. That is the last thought I want to leave you all with...freedom.

Alright, be proud of me…I ran 2 miles this morning. It was the first time I’ve done that in like 4 years. I did not like it and I never want to do it again. I think I have to every Friday with my section though. It hurt, it sucked, and I got sweaty (gross) but on the plus side…I should be in great shape by the time I get home! I was so pitiful this morning; I tried to get out of it hardcore! We were all supposed to meet at the gym at 9am so I called the boss and pleaded my case.
“You know, it’s been raining for like 5 hours and its crazy muddy everywhere!”
“Well, I know we’ll be inside the gym but the walk over is gonna be wretched, we should just postpone till tomorrow or something!”
“Well, it IS still raining pretty hard, who wants to walk in that?”
“Alrighty, I guess I’ll see you at the gym in a few.”

See, I just didn’t stick to my guns well enough! If I would have held out I could have stayed in bed! Oh, in case anyone reading this doesn’t know, I hate running…with a passion! I put more effort into trying not to go than I probably do in the exercise itself! I’m really not that big into exercise at all but I’m getting used to using the elliptical machine for 30 mins a day and doing some other stuff to try to stay in shape and tone. Running though? That’s another story. Running is all that is evil. Oh well…I guess I’ll get used to it eventually, right? And I have been doing a pretty good job working out almost every day. Thanks to the help of all of my workout buddies who make me go, if it weren’t for them I sooo would not make myself. I figure I used up all my drive and strong will to quit smoking last year…I didn’t leave any reserves. Which makes me really grateful for my workout partners, as much as I don’t like them for making me go, I love them for making me go.

So, I guess that’s all I’ve got for now, just had to rant for a minute about how evil running is. Talk to you all later!