THE BLUR BEGINS

29FEB08. Friday. Another Long Day has Come and Gone. The Flurry of Activity has Begun. One Day seems to blend into the next. On the Plus Side, the new "job" is interesting. So, I have that going for me. Also, I do have some built-in entertainment. Seems my officemate is a short-fused NY Cop. And he does have a short fuse. Too Funny to watch him in action. The weather is changing for the better. And, my Cold/Crud has pretty-much gone. Thank Goodness. Now that I'm getting settled into my new Battle Rhythm, I can begin the Job Search from afar. That should be a challenge. Still, do have some positive leads from some friends. A few want me to relocate to North Carolina or the DC Area. But, with the Kids in their last years of High School - believe this is a non starter. Well, many challenges ahead. Gotta Go. Will update when I can. Doug

PAPERWORK

28FEB08. Thursday. Another day in Paradise......Or so they say. Well, seems as if I'm adjusting to the Camp Life once again. Boy, what a stark contract to being in the field. I can't believe how much paperwork I have to wade through each day. I absolutely do not miss the paperwork. Sadly, I'm becoming a major contributor to the madness. Oh, got up early to move into my new room. Only to find someone's junk there. So, seems I might have missed my opportunity to upgrade. Oh well. On a different note, I'm getting feedback from several collegues who are telling me the advancement exam for Chief was a Bear. Lots of complaining, moaning, etc. So, my guess is the pass-rate will not be too hot this time around. Well, seems like I'm runnining outta things to say. So, I'll get out of the way and let someone else jump in and use the computer. Will update when I can. Doug

PS Before I forget, the converstation with my wife yesterday went something like this; " Hi Honey. No................Huh?......................Can.............................................Kris.........................Ph..............Email. Needless to say it wasn't too smooth. Will try again......Doug

HOOTCH UPGRADE

27FEB08. Wednesday. Well, I'm hesitant to unpack all my gear at this point. Got word that I might be moving into another (read larger) Room. Yeah!! RHIP. Going from 12 Square Feet to 20 Square Feet. Now I'll be able to put my pants on while standing up. Ahh, the simple things in life. Now for my daily motivation. Personally, I us visualization techniques. That is to say, I envision what life will be like when I return home. Sunday morning sharing the paper with my wife on the back porch. Beachin' it with the Family. Fishing, Bonfires, etc. In consonance with this vision, the following was provided my good buddy Jim.

I have not traveled Europe. Looks like a trip to Austria is in order.

















Are the residents called Fuckers?
What are the mothers called?
What would you be learning at the Fucking High School ?
Does the Fucking Hospital help you with anything else?
If your friend came from another town, he wouldn't be your Fucking friend?
What do you ask a pedestrian when you want to mail a letter, 'Excuse me, where's the Fucking Post Office?' And, perhaps, it's just like in America...you can never find the Fucking Police when you need them!
NOW YOU CAN FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDSWHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT FUCKING!

BAD HAIR DAY

25-26FEB08. Monday - Tuesday. Well, another beautiful day in the middle of nowhere. First time I've been able to wear shorts outside in a long, long time. Finally got outta the field and behind a desk. Guess, I really ticked-off some folks....Ha, Ha, Ha. Trying my best to get into this new rhytum of things. Actually, got some decent sleep last night. Again, another first in a long, long time. Still have the crud (Again). Damn, this thing will not go away!!! Regardless, wanted to say hi and inlcude an update picture of my fresh outta the gym. Again, haven't been able to workout in over 4+ weeks. Really, felt Good. Will Update when I can. Doug

ANOTHER HALF-CENTURY CELEBRATION

24FEB08. Sunday. Well, the secret is out. My Wife shares a birthday with a co-worker. And, uniguely enough, both turned 50 within a week. Together, the office conspired to set-up a surprise party. So, the now-Seasoned Citizens got together and celebrated the passage of a Half-Century for one of their own. Joyce. So, Joyce. Happy Birthday. Yup. Fifty Years Old. The Big 50. Lots of water under the bridge. I'm glad the co-conspirators were able to get together and somewhat surprise you.

PACKED & READY TO GO

23FEB08. Saturday. Well, I'm Packed and Ready to Go North. For my lovely Wife, that translates into a clean-shaven (young-looking) Guy. Have had some Big-Wigs scheduled thru. So, nothing but a lot of cleaning going on. On the Flip-Side, weather has been extremely nice. Feels like a wonderful spring day. Save for the Sandstorms.....The Facility where I (used to) work if really coming around. Starting to get all the comforts of home. This includes 600-Channels of Cable TV (2 in English), Exercise Equipment, and Plasma Tvs. Of course, this equipment is all configured for Europe Standards....So, we need a Transformer to get the Electricity right. Of course, all these neat things are "Now" in-place in time for my departure. Like a Boy Scout, Leave the place better than you found it..... Well, that's the latest from here.

PS. Terri, thanks for the Listerine Mouthwash..... It's much appreciated.

Doug

DAY OFF

22FEB08. Friday. well, had the day offf last night. firtst time in a long, long while. almost didn't know what to do with myself. actually started to watch a movie. needless to say, didn't make it all the way through the flick. on a different note, i've got mixed emotions with the my move from the field to a desk. first, i had to find my uniforms again....ha, ha. and yes, they are very wrinkled. so, guess it's back to trim and proper military bearing stuff. pressed uniforms, clean shaven, nice haircuts, and polished boots. My mind was wandering back to the stateside routine. have delayed filing taxes until i return to the states. got an email from a friend about taxes. thought it was kinda cute.

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At the end of the tax year, the Tax Office sent an inspector to audit the books of a synagogue. While he was checking the books he turned to the Rabbi and said, "I notice you buy a lot of candles. What do you do with the candle drippings?" "Good question," noted the Rabbi. "We save them up and send them back to the candle makers, and every now and then they send us a free box of candles." "Oh," replied the auditor, somewhat disappointed that his unusual question had a practical answer. But on he went, in his obnoxious way, "What about all these biscuit purchases? What do you do with the crumbs?" "Ah, yes", replied the Rabbi, realizing that the inspector was trying to trap him with an unanswerable question. &nbs p;"We collect them and send them back to the manufacturers, and every now and then they send a free box of holy biscuits." "I see!" replied the auditor, thinking hard about how he could fluster the know-it-all Rabbi. "Well, Rabbi," he went on, "What do you do with all the leftover foreskins from the circumcisions you perform?" "Here, too, we do not waste," answered the Rabbi. "We save up all the foreskins and send them to the Tax Office, and once a year they send us a complete dick."

SANDSTORM

21FEB08. Thursday. Got up today to welcome a huge sandstorm. I've got grit in my teeth, ears and nose. Needless to say, it's absolutely miserable outside.....Wind conditions are impacting just about everything. I'm surprised communications are still working....Tried to get through last night on the Telephone but the circuit was constantly busy. Well, gotta go before the tent blows down. Take Care. Doug

THE OVER-THE-HILL GANG

20FEB08. Wednesday. Wow, another georgous day in the middle of nowhere. Found some decent pics of my wife and thought i'd share. these are some innocent snaps of women who are in their prime. notice the big birthday being celebrated.... i certainly will not say that it 50. cause, i know i'll get in trouble. doug

STILL HERE WE ARE.....

19FEB08. Tuesday. Another Nice day. we must be setting some kinda record. First, it's very cold. and i mean cold. next it's a record-setting pretty day. I just can't believe it. Just got ahold of a machine to gen-up my blog. seems the satellite is slow today.

My wonderful bride sent me the below email. Like her, it quickly made us think of kristen when she was very little. Kinda weird expecially now after getting her prom dress....still, it does bring a smile to my face. for the record, I never drank the tea...

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me.

I was about 2 1/2 years old and had just recovered from an accident.

Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a get-well gift and it was one of my favorite toys.Daddy was watching TV when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' Sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up. Then she says, 'Did it ever occur to you that the only place that baby can reach to get water is the toilet?'

THE WAR ON PAPERWORK

18FEB08. Monday. Another Day with the Beast. Rumors have me getting out of the Field and back behind a Desk. I know I excell at pushing papers.....Just what the War On Terror needs! Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted. Seems my new reigment will be pressed uniforms, clean shave, nice haircut and lots of policital in-fighting. All these nice things vice finding bad guys. On the upside, the only thing I gotta worry about is a papercut. Ha. Ha. Doug

ANOTHER NICE DAY

15-17FEB08. Friday - Sunday. It's yet another nice day in the middle of nowhere. It's certainly hard to believe it's winder amongst the pretty days. what a nice change of pace. My apologies for not updating the blog earlier. I have been absolutely swampped with work. The pace has certainly been nonstop. Long hours with huge returns. On a seperate note, Rumors abound. I might be leaving this wonderful oasis in the desert for another yet another. So, either my charastmatic charm has given me an opportunity to excel. Or, I f*ked up. Either way, I'm still here......Oh, the below Joke was sent by my lovely bride.

To make it stand, you wet it !.
To make it wet, you suck it !
To make it stiff, you lick it !
To get it in, You push Damn !!!!!!!

Threading a needle when you're older is a *BITCH* NO JOKE ! ! !
AND SHAME ON YOU FOR THINKING WHAT YOU DID.

BEAUTUFUL DAY

14FEWB08. Thursday. I can't believe the weather today. What an absolutely beautiful day. It's about 70 Degrees outside. Certainly a far cry from last night. I'm absolutely floored by the change in weather. Chatted with my war buddy Trooper Jim. With the DNC meeting in his state this summer, we will have to delay our get reunion until next summer. Oh, well. The Rumor Mill has be moving within the next several weeks.....Again. I'll certainly update all when and if this happens. In the interim, the Navy Seabees are doing some major construciton (in the middle of our sleep). Still, the trade-off is to get some decent walls and electricity. Simple things we take for granted. Well, got a meeting to go to. Take Care. Will update when I can. Doug

ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT

13FEB08. Wednesday. Yet another sleepless night in the middle of nowhere. Lots of things going on, yet the same old thing. Surprised the ole' wife with some flowers to lift the spirits. That reminds me of a joke. When I say ole' Wife I mean Old...Just Kidding. Hope she really enjoyed the flowers. Oh, got a package in yesterday with toiletries. Not a minute too late. I was just running low. Thanks for thinking of me. Well, gotta run to yet another meeting. Keep on Smiling. Will update when I can. Doug

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

12February08. Tuesday. Finally, I got a whole 6 hours of uninturrepted sleep. Even slept through the road maintenance outside. Fatigue can be a wonderful thing.... I was able to get the pictures from Diane's visit. Boy, they turned out wonderful. Looks like a good time was had by all. Oh did I mention the reason Diane visited? It was to celebrate Terri's BIG FIVE OH. That's 50 Years Old. Almost 350 years old in Dog Years...... Thanks for sending the pictures. Kids are back to the School Routine. And the Florida FCAT Testing is ongoing for this week. Good Luck Kids.... Doug

THE PARTY'S OVER

10-11FEB08. Sunday-Monday. Well, the Party is quickly winding down. TERRI IS FIFTY YEARS OLD! There is certainly no getting over that fact. The OLD GIRL is simply GETTING OLDER! I can only wish the OLD GIRL my best in all she undertakes. Also a quick Thanks to Diane for coming to Florida for a visit with her old College Roommate. Also, thanks to Dad & Pat for bring her out for a Valentine's Dinner. Goodness knows, she deserves it. I just wonder if she was able to take advantage of the Blue Plate Special for Seniors???

On a seperate note, I couldn't Post due to another Black-out. Yup, we lost another guy the other day. Another Memorial Ceremony. Another Communications Blackout. On an upswing, I have been enjoying my matress for the last couple of days. Finally got 6-Hrs of Sleep last night, and I feel pretty refreshed. Oh, and before I forget. I finally got a decent coat. Purchased one on the open market. This, in-lieu of the Cold Weather Gear on order. Perhaps, the cold weather gear and my hot chocolate will find me in July......

Well, the only thing left to say, is I wish I could have celebrated the HALF-CENTURY (BIG 50) with My SoulMate. Will certainly update when I can. Doug

HAPPY FIFTY TERRI

9FEB08. Saturday. It's offical. Terri is FIFTY YEARS OLD. Yup. The BIG 50. Half A Century. That's a lot of water under the bridge. I know my Bride Terri would get upset if folks knew she was FIFTY YEARS OLD. So, I'll certainly keep that secret to myself. Her friend Diane came to visit and I know they are having a Blast. I only wish I could be there to celebrate the Big 50 With Her. Well, Have a Wonderful Birthday My Love. Hope all your wishes come true. Doug

SURPRISE FOR TERRI

8FEB08. Friday. Well, the Surpirse has been Laid. Conspiracy for Terri abounds. See, her College Roomate (from long, long, ago) came into town from Wisconsin to surprise Terri. Seems lots of people were in on the plan. And, I mean a lot of people. Little did Miss Terri know, that after work yesterday. Her friend Diane was waiting on the couch with the kids. Nevertheless, she was pretty surpirsed. Wish I could have seen the look on her face. The kids did a wonderful job at keeping the secret. Good Job. So, the BIG 50 BIRTHDAY GIRL was caught off guard. Great Job Everyone. Thanks also to Diane for making the trip a reality. Not much going on here. Couple of rockets hit the Boardwalk yesterday. Of course that was just about dinner time. So, no one could go to chow until the "all Clear" Signal was blown. Did get some mattresses delivered this morning. Can't wait to try them out. Well, I'm rambling. Take Care. I'll update when I can. Doug

HAPPY DAYS

7JAN08. Thursday. Happy Days are here. We are getting mattresses for our cots. Whooo Hooo. Living Large. A Matress for my Cot. Hopefully, this will cure my curved spine. Ha, Ha, Ha. Life is certainly changing for the better. Also, will be getting some cold weather gear shortly.... Thru unofficial channels. But, at least we will have some decent gear. So, Life is going great. Oh, the big news. Got a Cable Drop for a TV. So, we get 166 Channels in French, German, Pakistan, just about every language but english. Too Funny. The Plus Side, most channels from Europe have frontal nudity. Again, Too Funny. Well. Lots of work to do. Hope all is well. HAPPY FIFTY TERRI. Your Hubby Doug

BLACKOUT

3-6JAN08. Sunday-Wednesday. Well, have not had access to the internet in quite a few days. There was a Blackout on the communications. This is pretty standard procedure when we loose someone. And, yes we did. Lost a couple of guys in Iraq just a few days ago. Had a Memorial Service Today. Pretty Touching all in all. To Change the Subject, was able to watch the Superbowl (me and 6 other guys crammed around a laptop). Still, it was a game worth watching. Went to Chow today. Had Snapper. And, it tasted just as you would think fish in the desert would taste like...... Yukky. Did get a package from dad. Thanks Dad. Also, thanks for the shirts and pants Terri. Oh, just got the local media company to install cable in our hootch. Too funny to watch the local nationals work. But, at the end of the day, I can watch Ballywood (Indian Version of Hollywood) all day with several channels to choose from. Whee.. Well, back to the grindstone. Will update when I can. Doug

WOMEN ARE EVIL; BUT NOT MY WIFE

1FEB08. Friday. What a horrible day outside. Wind is blowing the Rain unders the door. Puddles of mud and water are everywhere - Inside. And, of course it's cold. Still. Was able to talk with the wife and the rest is easy. Man, are we working our asses off. Sleep is certainly a commodity here. Oh, my bride sent me the below funny. Thought you'd like it. Will update when I can. Doug
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Women Are Evil By Nature...

A woman went up to the bar in a quiet rural pub. She gestured alluringly to the bartender who approached her immediately. She seductively signaled that he should bring his face closer to hers. As he did, she gently caressed his full beard.

"Are you the manager?" she asked, softly stroking his face with both hands.

"Actually, no," he replied.

"Can you get him for me? I need to speak to him," she said, running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair.

"I'm afraid I can't," breathed the bartender.. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes. I need you to give him a message," she continued, running her forefinger across the bartender's lip and slyly popping a couple of her fingers into his mouth and allowing him to suck them gently.

"What should I tell him?" the bartender managed to say.

"Tell him," she whispered, "There's no toilet paper, handsoap, or paper towels in the ladies room."

SWAMPPED

31JAN08. Thursday. My apologies for not updating sooner. I've been absolutely swampped with work. The Winter Winds are really Kicking-up and no, haven't received any cold weather gear yet... Did receive my care package from home. Thanks Terri!! Love the Dickies... Chatted with the Family just a little while ago. Found my son finally got Second Class in the Boy Scouts. Congradulations Ryan. Job Well Done. More News. My Lovely Bride Turns 50 in Ten More Days. WOW FIFTY YEARS OLD... Hard to Believe it. And She still looks beautiful.