Another one down

Another Sunday has come and gone and that means one week closer to leaving this place. The weeks are going by faster. I think. Since I updated last Sunday, I will start from Monday and work my way through the week.

Monday- Slightly more eventful than a normal day, because I lost my arm band that carries my ID card, credit & debit card, Eagle Cash card (a bad idea), cash, and laundry slip. I have to wear this arm band when I am in my PT (physical training) uniform, and I take it off when I am at the gym. It constricts my bicep...stop laughing I am serious. When we (Cara and I) leave I put it back on and when I get to the CHU I usually put it in my bedside drawer. Every now and then I put it in my hat that hangs on my wall locker, because that is where my reflective belt goes. I think I put it in my hat, and I think I knocked my hat over at some point and it fell out. If it fell out there is a possibility it could have landed in my trash can under my hat, and I took the trash out when we went to the shower that night.

I didn't notice that my arm band was missing until I went to work that night and needed my ID card. I tore the CHU apart looking for the arm band, I looked at the gym, in the shower, the lost and found at the housing complex, even the dumpster where I threw the trash out (the trash had already been emptied). Nothing. The biggest problem with losing your ID is that you need your ID to get in everywhere around here. And apparently my security badge that also has my picture and name on it does not get you into the same places as your ID card. That makes no sense to me. My security badge gets me into a secure building...but not into the DFAC. That makes no sense, so I shouldn't be surprised it is a rule.

Tuesday- I spend another day without my ID, so another day of explaining to Ugandan guards at the DFAC why I don't have my ID and why they should let me in to eat anyway. I still look everywhere for my ID in the hopes of finding it. Nothing. I receive two great packages that almost make me forget about the current situation. One from Hayley (friend from...life?) that includes a Texas bumper sticker, Texas flag, food from Harry and David, two Beatles albums (the digitaly re-mastered ones, they do sound clear), and a DVD from eighth grade when we were at Davis Coffee. This DVD is very embarrassing, and now everyone wants to watch it. Not cool Hayley. Not cool. Second package was from a friend's mom. Sam. Sam is one of my best friends from Mizzou she lives in Michigan (because she graduated and went back home) and her mom is a teacher at a before and after school care center. Her mom's class decided to "adopt" me while I am over here and they are going to send me things throughout my deployment. This package contained candy, Halloween decorations, and homemade Halloween cards from the kids. It was one of the coolest things I have ever received, because these kids don't know me. Sam's mom has meet me once, and yet they have the compassion and kindness to do something like this. I am very thankful and blessed.

Wednesday- I go and get a new ID. It was a long process. I also find out that the Eagle Cash card that the military is so adamant about everyone having (the military wants to limit the amount of cash in theater), is actually more difficult to have than a credit card. Kind of. They want you to have the Eagle Cash card because it isn't directly linked to your bank account, this makes it harder to have your identity stolen. Also, you can use it if the credit card machines go down due to power outages (these happen quite often here) and they don't want soldiers carrying around a lot of cash in case they lose it, like me. Well, they don't tell you that there is no way to track the Eagle Cash card if you do lose it. There is no pin on the card, but they are suppose to check you ID at the store when you use it (they don't). They can't look online and see if there has been charges made to it, all the army can do is cancel and issue you a new one. Then they send an email to the US Treasury asking them to transfer your balance from your old card to your new one. So, moral of the story don't lose your Eagle Cash card with money on it because someone could have used all the money and you won't know until the US Treasury sends you an email saying there is no balance on your card. Ugh. There have been no fraudulent charges on my credit card so I don't think anyone stole it.

Thursday- Flag football practice and bible study. I had a lot of fun at flag football, because I love flag football. I was a referee for a year and a half at Mizzou and played my senior year on two really good teams. One was a co-rec team and the other was an all girls team. Both teams won the championship in their respective leagues. So I am pretty excited to play here. The field we play on is all sand though. So diving, falling, or sliding of any sort is very dangerous. I hope I don't get injured. Bible study was uneventful. If anyone has heard of something called Bible Tails (yes spelled that way) please let me know. It's a musical version of bible stories for kids, apparently a camel is the main character and he sings most of the stories.

Friday- Another flag football practice and the Not So Tough 'Ombre award dinner. We are the Tough 'Ombre's. I am sure you can google it and learn the history of my unit. It dates back to WWII. Well we have created the Not so Tough 'Ombre award and you earn this award by doing, or saying something that is not so smart or "tough." This month's winner was an officer who was talking to the Commanding General and did not know who he was and asked him what his civilian job was. To which he looked at her with a quizzical look and said "I have been active duty for 29 years and am the General of the 13th." She of course felt really embarrassed and claimed that she couldn't see the star on his uniform, and that is why she didn't know. To which he replied, "well shouldn't my picture be hanging up in your brigade so that you would recognize my face." She didn't really have a response to that one.

So we went to her award dinner, where she was given the trophy of a donkey's ass and everyone ragged on her for the duration of dinner. Apparently she almost nominated herself for the next month's award too, because she misspelled her own name in an email that she sent out to the entire brigade. However, she sent this email out on the same day as not recognizing the General so by a technicality that instance cannot be used to nominate her for November (yes, there are strict rules to the nominating process).

Saturday- Cara had CQ so I was without my battle buddy for 24 hours. It was a terrible 24 hours. I was lost without her. Luckily I had college football to keep me occupied. Saddly, Mizzou lost. But, Texas beat OU...barely (I almost had a heart attack). Ohio State and Kansas lost! *Grin* Florida almost lost to Arkansas and Boise State barely beat Tulsa. Nebraska lost to Texas Tech. Sad day. Notre Dame was a huge let down and lost to USC. Michigan took out their frustrations of being pathetic on poor Delaware State and beat them by like 60 points (talk about compensating). Very interesting weekend for college football.

Sunday- Church and gym. The commander gave me a ride home from church and I may have told him that he was illiterate (it was relevant to the situation). Opps. I was being funny and he laughed, so good to know the commander has a sense of humor. On the way to the gym Cara got attacked by a bat. It was hilarious. I think it was a bat. People say they are bats, and I guess I believe them. Either way, be it a bat or a bird it flew right at her face. She screamed like a little girl and freaked out. I laughed hysterically and asked her if she was a vampire. She thinks she is batwoman... Now I am at work and will hopefully get to go home early.

The canned food I have been sent has been great. The cans that are microwaveable are the best, because they require the least amount of work. And I am naturally a lazy person, so less work is better. =) I really miss graham crackers. They have them here, but they taste different. Most of the foods here taste different. Cara agrees that the graham crakers here are a huge let down, which is disappointing because peanut butter and graham crackers makes up about 1/3 of my diet.

Also if people send me their address I will send postcards. Just saying. You can email me at mizzou09@gmail.com with your address and eventually I will stop being lazy and take pictures of this place and send them to people as post cards.

Well, now that I am done rambling I will post what appears to be the longest post thus far. I guess more happens in a week than I think.