Moving again

Ok, this is a delicate topic but I’ve got to put it out there in case anyone reading this ends up in Baghdad. Something no one mentions to you before you get here and if you’re lucky you won’t find out the hard way. If anyone reading this happens to get stationed in the International Zone in Baghdad you can actually consider yourself extremely lucky. I feel relatively safe every day. I have a nice PX to shop at, a sweet pool I can swim in, and a day off each week I use for shopping and swimming. We have great living conditions with air cooled trailers, a fridge, a TV. My office is air conditioned with access to internet and telephones. I’m not out patrolling the streets and for that I thank God. The only thing that really took me by surprise is this…you cannot flush toilet paper in the toilets. Petty, I know, but harder than you may think! After a lifetime of doing things one way it is amazingly difficult to switch and do things the opposite way. That is all I’ll say about it, just think about it.

So big news…I’m moving offices!! Again! Yeah, I don’t really understand either. Maybe it’s to keep the enemy confused? All I know is the unit went from one building to another just down the road. Then I switched jobs and moved trailers. Then I switched jobs again and went to the palace. No the whole palace office is moving back to where everyone else is. Confused yet? So am I. I guess it might be nice to be around everyone in the unit again but it was really nice to work so close to home. I like walking to work in less than 5 minutes. Now I’ll be back to leaving for work a half hour early to give us enough time to put on body armor and drive to work each day. Boo.

If you saw me walking around the palace today you would just laugh. I’m sure everyone I pass gives me a funny look. I beat myself up at the gym a couple nights ago and I am a hurtin’ pup. I’ve been trying to hit the gym at least 3 times a week and have actually been doing pretty well. We have a guy at the gym that will happily set you up with a work out regimen. I finally realized I need some direction when I work out so I asked him to help. I told him I wanted to lean my legs a bit more and I wanted to work off a little pudginess. He then proceeded to tear me up!! I have never done squats before and I as dropping them out like a pro. I worked so hard that near the end my legs were shaking and twitching. I should have known then that I was in for a rough time. I hurt so bad yesterday and today! It’s hard to walk even! I hurt worse than I did after I took that stupid PT test! It hurts to walk, move my legs, sit, kneel…oh, it pretty much hurts when I do anything! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just my legs either! Oh no, my “wing muscles” hurt terribly as well. You know the muscle in your back between the shoulder blades? Where, if you had wings, the muscle that would control them? Yeah, that too. But I know it’s actually a good thing. I’m going to try to go to the gym tonight and work through the pain; I think it might even help a little.

That’s about all for now. I’ll try to write again soon, I know I don’t keep up to well. Wish me luck, only 13 weeks to go. Thank you everyone for thinking of me, emailing, writing letters, and sending care packages. I really do appreciate it. Every time I get mail it just makes my day. So thank you all!