Home Sweet Home

Ok, I feel really bad because I've been home for a little while already and am just now updating my blog. I really wanted to take some time to start feeling normal again before I told everyone I was home. Selfish I know, but I couldn't help it. Things have been great so far. My Grandma picked me up in Indiana and I got to visit some family down there before we drove to Missouri. I'm at my parents' house now and they've been just great. I know some families have big homecoming expectations for them...my folks have been laidback about everything and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I've been able to take things slowly and ease back into life. Oh, and their hot tub helps quite a bit as well! The weather seems extra cold and it was definitely a culture shock going to the grocery store for the first time. All those choices, it was sooo nice. I've been calling friends, one at a time. I still feel a little weird around people, I'm sure that will just take some getting used to. Anyway, I should be really close to done with this blog but be on the lookout at www.stacyincollege.blogspot.com cause I start school in January and I'm going to keep writing. Thank you to everyone for listening!

The days seem slower

Alright, I know I'm leaving soon but somehow it just doesn't seem real, you know? I can't believe that soon I'll never hear another loud boom and think someone just got hurt. I'll never see another moped with 3 adults precariously perched on top weaving down a street. No more wild goat herds wandering across a highway. Not a single more wrecked palace. Humvees with young boys in the gunner's hatch will be a thing of the past. It's crazy to think about but it will be sooo nice. I'll come home and resume my normal relaxed life. I keep trying to imagine what life will be like in a month and I have nothing to go off of. For the first time since I turned 18 I won't be working. I'll be getting ready to go to college, a whole new experience as well. I'll be living in a new house. I think I'm actually a little anxious because I don't know what to expect. It will definitely be a whole new life and I'm excited to see how it plays out. Well, wish me luck...I'm a little nervous about traveling home. Ramadan is on and a crazy insurgent leader told his followers to kill an American a day for the religious holidays. Nice right? Anyway, it just makes me a bit nervous and I can use all your good wishes. I'll be seeing the US very soon...love and kisses all around!

Dude, I am sooo close to done!!

It just hit me this morning that I have so little time left here in Iraq! It doesn't seem real. I can't believe that soon I'll never hear another loud boom and think someone just got hurt. I'll never see another moped with 3 adults precariously perched on top weaving down a street. No more wild goat herds wandering across a highway. Not a single more wrecked palace. Humvees with young boys in the gunner's hatch will be a thing of the past. It's crazy to think about but it will be sooo nice. I'll come home and resume my normal relaxed life. Life is gonna be so good.

Donate to my college fund!! pleasepleaseplease??

Kay, before anyone gets annoyed with my new “Donation” button on the right, let me explain. I am starting college in January at the University of Missouri – Columbia and the military will help me out with some of the costs of my first year but after that I’m on my own. I read a neat story about a college kid in Boston back in the 90’s who got a short piece in the Boston Globe. He asked everyone in the city to donate a penny to his college fund. He got a bit of publicity from the paper and the local news station did a small piece on him. Well a bunch of people sent him pennies and more. He was able to pay for college and even had enough extra to donate to the local Boys and Girls club. Now I don’t know if I can get that much publicity but I do know that if everyone who reads my blog can take a minute to donate anything (a penny, a quarter, a dollar) then it really can help a lot with the costs of college. I also thought it would be an easy way for family and friends to help me do something good for myself. So I am hereby asking everyone to consider not giving me traditional birthday presents or Christmas gifts. Instead, pleasepleaseplease take just a minute to donate to my college fund instead. It’s through Paypal, one of the most secure online payment methods. It’s easy to do with a credit card and only takes like 2 minutes. I really appreciate anything anyone can spare…even just a penny. You can also check out my college blog and see how everything goes!

My laptop is back!!

You know, we’ve settled into such a routine that I never feel like I have anything newsworthy to write about. I work at the Press Desk which means I’m in on all the latest happenings in Iraq, unfortunately because I’m privy to so much information I don’t feel comfortable talking about it in a personal blog. Hopefully I’ll soon have more to write about since we should start getting ready to go home. The new unit will be here soon, with any luck after we will train them we can spend a little downtime at the pool before we leave, that’d be nice.

Oh! By the way…

An anonymous someone accidentally broke my laptop screen a month ago and I was looking at having to send it back to the manufacturer, Hewlett Packard, and paying over $800 to have them replace the screen. Fortunately I happened upon an online news article raving about a company in Texas that repairs laptop screens and doesn’t charge too much. I did some research and saw nothing but good things about ScreenTek so I sent my precious laptop to them. Within just a couple days they had finished and it was on the way back. I am so happy with the service and the job they did, all for $390!! I can’t tell you enough how pleased I am with this company, I highly recommend them.

Happy 25th birthday!

I know I know, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything. I hate to admit it but there just hasn’t been much to talk about till now. Up until this past week I have been living a very routine life…I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary. Work, eat, watch TV, read, sleep. I even lost my motivation to exercise; I’ve been so lazy lately. Thankfully I just enjoyed a 4 day pass, my 25th birthday and dinner with the General! Finally, something I can blog about!!

The 4 day pass was lovely and uneventful. I didn’t have a phone or laptop and was essentially cut off completely: a first for me. I read a lot, watched TV, hit the pool, and cleaned my room. Mostly I slept. That was the best part…getting to sleep anytime and as long as I wanted. Beautiful. Lately I’ve been sleeping about 5 hours a night so this was much needed.

Turning 25 was also much anticipated - now my car insurance goes down! I’ve been waiting for this for years! It was a good birthday, I had emails cards, calls, and care packages from everyone and I really appreciate all the love. I got some really cool books, some fun toys (sand toys from Mom, a slinky from Rachel) and some very sweet cards. Thank you everyone!

I also got a “happy birthday” from Major General Bill Caldwell (our big boss, the one who ives weekly press conferences on TV) and got to have dinner with him. It was pretty cool. He started a program, “Dinner with Soldiers” and once a week he sits down with two lower enlisted. It just happened that my turn came up on my birthday, lucky me. At first I was a little disappointed that I had to get into uniform on my first pass day but then I realized that this was a good thing, a birthday present from the General even. It was a great opportunity to talk to him about the things that are messed up with this organization. Maybe things will be better for the new unit that comes in?

Big bada boom

Wow, it’s been a busy month…and loud too! I was just thinking a couple weeks ago that we’ve lucky and hadn’t heard the “Big Voice” telling us to take cover take cover, the compound is taking mortar rounds. And what happens? We just started getting hit like crazy! We hear the dull explosions almost every day and I was sooo ticked to wake up to a loud siren this morning. The insurgents are going a little crazy! It was so sucky, I kind of woke up to the thud and the sirens and when I went back to sleep I had the most messed up dreams. I dreamt that I woke up to the same siren but when I opened my door to look outside the trailers all around me were in ruins. The ground was all wet mud and the Marines were already out with bulldozers clearing away the rubble. A Marine was outside my door and saw me looking out. He seemed surprised that I was there and told me to grab what I could and get out of the area. The rest of the morning I kept imagining something crashing through my trailer roof. It was not a good morning. And stuff like that has been happening more and more of late.

Well today is a new day and things seem so much better! I just checked my deployment countdown thingy and I’ve only got 74 days till we leave here. Life is gonna be good again soon. Big news that points to things looking up: I’m got accepted to University of Missouri – Columbia for the winter semester!! I am so excited! I am starting the whole VA, grant, scholarship, loan process and it’s a little daunting. I know that if I start now I’ll be a lot better off though. Its nuts, my laptop just broke as well and I’m sending it off to get fixed but that means that anything I need the internet for I have to do at work during lunch and breaks. Oh, while I’m on the subject, if you ever break the glass inside a laptop screen and have to get it fixed check out www.screentekinc.com. I checked with HP and they were going to charge me $800 or so. I saw a couple different articles in online newspapers that mentioned screentek and figured I’d check it out. They are only going to charge $375 and shipping. I’ll keep you updated.

Oh, I talked to Grandma about this a little already but I’ll tell you all as well. I found out that we will demob in Camp Atterbury, IN which is only about an hour away from Sellersburg. I’m definitely hoping Grandma will come up for it but if anyone else wants to consider this your official invitation. I think there may be a short ceremony when we deplane and then maybe we could all grab some dinner or something. I don’t know much yet but I wanted to give everyone a heads up. It should be in the middle of October sometime.