One month ago today, I left the U.S. to begin this little adventure. So, I guess it is fitting that I finally moved into what will be my permanent residence here. The room is small, about 90 square feet (8'x11'). It has a twin bed with 4 small drawers underneath, a double-door wardrobe, two small night stands, and a plastic storage thing with about six drawers, a small flat-screen TV and a DVD player. I took some photos of the room before moving in and I'll be taking some afterward so, next week I'll post the before and after pictures. After moving all of my stuff over to the room and finding a place to put everything, I went over to the PX and bought a few small carpets, and a night/reading lamp. I also grabbed a folding chair but I am actually using the chair to put the laptop on. I need to fashion a small desk so that I can sit in the room and work on the laptop without being hunched over, but that will have to wait. Now, instead of having my own bathroom, I have to wander down the hall a bit in order to shower and shave. No big deal.
My running has suffered again this week. While I think I am doing well at getting 8 hours of sleep every night, My days are so busy that I am realizing that they are a work out in and of themself. I did get out four days for runs of 30-60 minutes, but didn't get the required long run in yet this week. I had every intention of going out this morning but, since it is Friday (our only "day off") I decided not to set the alarm. I slept straight through to 9:00! I must have been tired. Well, by that time the sun was high in the sky, traffic was kicking up dust all around the base, and I had to get my gear packed and move into my new hooch. I know what it is like to run marathons without having the proper training under my belt, and I can do it, but its not fun. I may be able to get out Sunday morning and go for 10-12 miles. Folks around here are allowed to show up for work later on Sunday mornings. So, "in shala" I'll get 'er done on Sunday.
The final piece I want to share this week is what I call "DFAC Roulette." The dining facilities (DFACs) here are all run by the same contractor. However, the food served in them the can vary greatly. There are seven different DFACs on the base. They go by names like the Monty, the Independence, the Far East, the Luxemberg, Northline, and Niagra. Some are within walking distance. You need a vehicle in order to get to some others. So, the question at meal time is: Which one this time? The DFAC closest to us is actually the least favorite of the six. The Independence is know for its Sunday morning omlettes. The Monty has a killer sandwich bar. The Far East, as you would suspect, has some great oriental food and pretty good Indian curry dishes. The one that is the farthest away, has soft-serve ice cream machines! Wouldn't you know it, that I have to travel the farthest, just to get my ice cream. So, tonight I got a ride with a friend in the office next to me and we went to the farthest one. It was steak night there. I ate fried scallops, sweet potato, corn on the cobb, tossed salad, and a piece of cherry pie. No ice cream tonight, just didn't have the room. Mark had both the steak and the ice cream!
That's it from my end of the world this week. Like I said, I'll get some pictures of the hooch posted in next week's blog. Bye for now!
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