November 24 (Day 45)

Happy Thanksgiving! Well, at least it is here already.  I know it has been a couple of days since I posted, but ended up under the weather a few days ago. Ended up with a headache Sunday night through early Monday morning. I felt fine when I woke, so went about my day. Went to run with my platoon at lunch, however, and the headache came back when I was half-way through. I stopped, rested for a short bit, and went to lunch. The headache went away (permanently), but then I got a sore throat overnight Monday. Went to sick call Tuesday morning; figured I would cut the illness off at the pass. Ended up with three meds to take over the next week. My throat is bothering me less, so hopefully the meds are working. Went home a little early on Tuesday to get some rest. Did manage to get dinner to go, but was in bed about 8pm, and slept for 12 hours. I did not get to the USO the next morning. The rollers I received for work have been put to use, although to me, not to their full potential. For that, we need to get some things out of our yard (easier said than done), so we can rearrange it. We are working on it; it is a constant battle for improvement. We broke them out of their crates on Sunday. That was quite a chore, let me tell you. They came in upside down, and so had to be turned. I was surprised at how heavy they were! They are real nice, though; they are quite wide, maybe 2.5 feet, which allows for larger packages. My one-day-a-week mail run to a far-off APO did go out as scheduled, which is going to make this week much more quiet for me. Half the calls I get are because of delays. I am referring to the situation I mentioned in an earlier post about weather problems. Had my weekly conference call with my company yesterday. It is a such a joy to wait on the phone for an hour, waiting for my turn. NOT! Only for me to talk for no more than 5 minutes. There was a "mud run" on Monday. Basically, people payed to play in the mud while running a course. It is a pretty common event in the military. I remember one at Ft. Hood earlier this year. I think today would have been a better day for it, since it rained for at least 4-5 solid hours overnight. As it is, there is a half-marathon going on as I write this. At least the rain is more intermittent right now, so hopefully the runners won't suffer too much. It's much calmer at the USO this morning than usual. I don't know if it is due to weather or turkey-day. It is a nice change of pace from the norm. Speaking of t-day, DFAC has scheduled the full spectrum of foodstuffs. It is even military only from 16-1700. You know where I will be! I am thinking of closing the APO early today. That would allow everyone, not just my Soldiers, to have some more downtime. We will see how it goes. Well, gotta go. Again,  Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Hope you have a great day with family and friends. Until next time...

November 19 (Day 40)

Hello everyone! Hope all who may read this are having a great day. It is Saturday morning here in good 'ol Afghanistan. I am doing my volunteer time at the USO. It is a little slow. Don't know if it is because of the weekend, or the little bit of rain we are getting at the moment. We had a courtesy pre-inspection of the military side of the APO this week. Not too good as it turns out. Our predecessors were not doing all the right things, so we got thrown under the bus. My platoon sergeant was involved with the inspect so knows what needs to be corrected. We will have an "official" one in the next couple of weeks. There is no way all the deficiencies will be corrected, but if we make improvements, I will be satisfied. We will just have to continue to adjust what we do as time goes on. I guess the motto of leaving something better than you find it is our goal. My rollers finally got here! They are packed in crates sitting in the yard behind the APO. I am going to try to locate a prybar this morning to open the crates. I would like to salvage the wood. I am able to see inside a couple of the crates since there are no ends, and they look great. I believe they will be very beneficial to our operations. Would like to get them into operation today. Have to head to the motorpool today to check on a sensitive item inside on of my vehicles. Have to get a memo to my commander today stating I have checked all my items this month (it's due tomorrow).  At the same time, I will talk with the mechanics about my 4K forklift, which needs serious maintenance. The last time I spoke with the mechs, their 2 forklift guys were off at other locations. Hopefully, they are back here. Went for a run on the "track" yesterday, and boy did it NOT feel good. I really don't like running, but since I have to... Anyway, I did fairly well (2 miles/15:00 min.) considering I have not ran consistently for a while. Was feeling a bit of pain afterwards! I received a couple of packages this week. Evidently, I have a long-lost relative named "Mommy" who sent me some goodies, including an HDMI cable. Now I can connect my computer to my TV, which allows me to play movies on the DVD drive and watch it on the larger screen. She also sent me some sweets, which are always welcome, as well as a small Christmas tree stand.  My sister also sent me some goodies - a small (2') Christmas tree with all the accouterments - lights, ornaments, stringed beaded garland and a star for the top. She even put "decoration time" on the outside of the package! Also received a set of sheets. Now I can put one set in the wash and use the other. In addition, I ordered some military items through official channels (we are able to order items every other month with a monetary limit). Got winter PT jacket and pants, tan t-shirts, ballistic sunglasses, and a few smaller items. It has been like Christmas come early! Plan on taking pics of my office area today, and get those posted soon. I wouldn't get too excited though, it is not much to look at. Ha! Had an issue with weather causing mail delay again this week. The powers that be think I need to have a back-up in case that happens. I try to remind them that if the normally scheduled flight cannot go in due to weather, no air asset will (unless perhaps we had a hurricane hunter C-130!).  If weather is not the culprit, then it is another matter, and I have alternatives. Well, my time here is almost up, so until next time...

November 15 (Day 36)

Well, it has been relatively quiet the last couple of days. Yesterday started off well. I had email traffic stating the rollers I requested from KAF had been sent out on Sunday, and due to arrive at 1700. Since we were off, I was unable to follow-up until yesterday morning. I sent my Soldiers to the flight line to track the rollers down, but they were quizzed on what they were referring to. There was not flight the previous evening. So, I called back and forth between the flight line and KAF, trying to determine what was going on. After a few inquiries, I found out my load had been rejected at the KAF terminal, and this information did not get back to those who were trying to send it. The reason for rejection is unknown to me at this time. My 1SG is supposed to update me when they get approved and in the air. We did finally get some lights for our sorting yard last night. It was getting more imperative to get some, since sundown is getting earlier by the day, and we usually don't get our inbound (prograde) mail until mid-afternoon. It typically takes a few hours to break everything down, running into lack of visibility due to nightfall. I was concerned that we would run into a backlog if we had to wait until the following day to sort the previous days mail with more arriving the same day. This could cause a delay in mail delivery, a big no-no! Well, this should be averted now. Believe me when I tell you my site lead was about to "requisition" lights from somewhere, no matter the cost. The mayor cell (liaison for issue resolution) had kept us on a hook for too long, and he was fed up! I completed, and sent up, my new required reports for last week yesterday. It (powerpoint) looks awfully pretty! LOL Hopefully, it has everything they want. Guess which color scheme I used? Ha! One good thing came out of doing the report. I have learned some new abilities PP can do. I am currently working on setting up distribution lists in Outlook. That way I don't have to put in individual names everytime I want to send something to a group. Phones and computers were on the blitz again first thing this morning at the USO, so had about an hour without customers. My Soldier and I just chatted with one of the USO employees. Spent the rest of the time reading Bourne. I am about 4/5 done with it. Should finish it before the weekend, then start another book. Will probably go with David Morrell's "The Shimmer." Then follow it up with Star Wars. Have to change it up, otherwise it might get boring. Went on a short run at lunch today. Was on a faster pace than my last run, so did not go the distance. Did about a mile, but decreased my time to about 7 min. versus 8 on my last run. Followed that up with a couple of shuttle sprints. Also did some push-ups. I am about 10 short of where I need to be. Hope to improve over the next couple of weeks. Heading to the gym after work (in about an hour), and lift some weights. Have to get prepared for my PT test! One last thing, if you are following this blog, feel free to be a "follower." That allows me to see who is keeping tabs on me! LOL Anyways, I guess that is all for now. Until next time...

November 13 (Day 34)

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won't you be my neighbor! Ha! Who remembers that jingle? I am sitting at my volunteer station at the USO, 2/3 through my shift. I am working the phone bank as usual, but they are on the blink at the moment. People kept getting disconnected, so I shut them down. One person got so frustrated, I thought she might melt down. People tend to forget this is a privilege, not a right. We are deployed after all. Some locations don't have this much. I think the word has gotten around a bit, though, since there are fewer people stopping in than would be expected on a Sunday. Things are going pretty well at work. Got a call from my company commander Friday night. He wanted to get caught up on this whole moving situation. We spoke for a good 20 minutes or so. Fortunately, he didn't fault me for anything, since I assumed he would be in the loop. He figured those who are responsible for this agenda would notify the chains of command for those units being affected.  The gravity rollers I requested are supposed to be flown in today. I was told yesterday that the flight time would be determined by 1700 yesterday. However, I had no email traffic as of 1830. I will be going by the office when done here, to check my email. If it got out of KAF, then I need to coordinate picking the pallet up at the flightline. I am looking forward to implementing the rollers in our operations. My higher has also seen fit to request a scale. Currently, we use the same estimate weight for our pallets. I guess more accurate weights are wanted. I mentioned to KAF that a concrete platform needs to be constructed to set the scale on. I mean, it needs to be on solid ground, and level. We have gravel all over the place. I was told to have a wooden one made while waiting for coordination for concrete. Really!?!? Like we have decking material and the expertise to build one! Anything my guys could construct would not support it properly , and of course would likely warp. It is wood and it is outside exposed to the elements. Hope all of you (like four people, ha!) enjoyed the pics I posted. I know it does not do the environment justice, but it at least gives you a peek into life here. The post office is trying out being open a couple of hours on Sundays, see what the response is. Right now it is just a couple of hours, but regardless will not go more than 4 hours, no matter how much activity we might get. This is contractor-driven, so does not overly affect my personnel.  Some will have to be available in case there are finance issues, but otherwise Sunday's will remain a "day off." Well, my time here is almost up, so I will go for now. Until next time...

Compound Pics

November 10 (Day 31)

Wow! Finally made it a month. Well, what can I say, the last couple of days have been great, but not for the reasons you might think. My tennis shoes came in on the 8th, so now I can start working out and getting back into shape. It actually felt good just not having to wear my uniform what seemed like 24 hrs. a day. I went to the gym last night, ran for about 25 minutes on the treadmill at about a 8-minute/mile pace. Want to get back to 7 minutes, but need to work into it. It has been several months since I have done any real exercising. All my pre-deployment activities took all my time, plus once we got into a certain window of time before heading overseas, we were not allowed to participate in formal PT with our unit. The powers that be want to ensure noone gets hurt, causing fewer people to be able to deploy, thereby hurting the mission. I also got my new boots yesterday. As I mentioned, they are the Nike Special Field Boot. I got them back to my room and took them out of the box. I was amazed at how light they were, probably as light as my running shoes! That alone would probably sell me, but they are real comfortable (they are based on a running shoe platform) as well, so I am hooked. Just need to break them in a bit. The bad news recently, and it is bad, is the weather took a nasty turn the last two days. It went from the 80s on Sunday to at least the 40s on Tuesday. Once you add the rainstorm we received, it made a potent cocktail. It was so miserable! :'(  Supposedly, it is going to warm back up to the 70s this weekend. Hope it is true. Snow fell north of here at FOB Stone, one of my subordinate APOs. Of course, they are in the lower mountains, so no surprise there. Something of interest - I ran into another Adventist yesterday morning while working at the USO. A SPC (Lee) noticed the back cover of the quarterly on my table, and thought it looked familiar. He is from Korea, and we talked for a few minutes. He let me know that he coordinated to have the chapel made available to him on Saturdays so he can study/worship. Evidently, I am the only other Adventist he has come across, so he has the chapel to himself.  Just received new taskings from my "bosses" at KAF. We already send reports with mail volume and a plethora of other postal information. However, now I have to take the same information they already receive (in a ridiculously complicated excel spreadsheet), and put it in a different format. Basically, I am doing their job for them, that is to say, distilling the information they already receive into a simpler form. I wonder why they just don't make the excel sheet simpler, in other words KISS. Bureaucracy strikes again! Now I will become simply another Power Point simpleton. Now my life is complete. And on that note, until next time...

November 7 (Day 28)

The (work) storm of the last few days seems to have passed, and it is relatively calm. I was able to enjoy my day off yesterday. Worked a few hours at the USO, per my usual routine. Spent three hours instead of the usual two. The people who come in form a Cheers kind of theme, with the majority being the same people. It makes me wonder why the rest of those stationed here don't take advantage of the free offerings of computer and especially the phone. Curious, wouldn't you say? Anyways, afterwards it was off to lunch. It was quite the shock! It was all "mexican" food. That had never happened before. From what I heard, it was due to Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15). That is great and all, but I think those of hispanic culture might have been disappointed in the efforts here. It was edible, as is the usual fare, but of course, hailing from San Antonio, I have been exposed to far greater food of this variety. It was especially disheartening for me. I love that food! Had a meeting with my new (contractor) site lead. He is retired military, so is no non-sense, and is definitely more hands-on. I like him. We discussed the major issues needing attention and ways to correct them. Also looked at the mid-term plan to get us through the holidays. We will surely do our best to get the mission done. We are supposedly moving to a different part of the compound next year, so I have started making plans for what I would like the new APO to look like and operate. Of course, the comms people gave me a short timeframe to get the info they need (this Wednesday), so I have to get them schematics quick! And me not being the Powerpoint guru. :'(  Before I left the office, one of my Soldiers pointed out my TV arrived. I thought surely not. I only ordered it on the 1st, and it had to have come in Saturday. But there it was. Got a small 24" to connect my computer to so I can watch movies on the larger screen. If we get the AFN dish for the tent, we will have TV as well. Today has been pretty even-keeled. Not a lot of phone calls etc..., so able to get a little more of my COR class done. Hope to finish it tomorrow. It is noticeable cooler today and overcast. Even got a few sprinkles. There is talk of more rain and even snow in the forecast, although I think the latter will be farther north in the mountains. I am sure it is only a matter of time before we get it here though. I am enjoying Jason Bourne Legacy, the book I am reading. Some things have been mentioned that shed light on how the movies made based on previous books have altered. Looks like I need to track down the older books and actually read them. They aren't typically in bookstores, so they may be hard to find. Also started playing LEGO Harry Potter on my DS. It is so fun! Watching the video segments between levels are hilarious. They put a quircky spin on the actual movies. It is after 1700 local, and most everyone is gone. Probably should head out myself, stop by the chowhall, then off to my quarters. Hope all who read my blog are enjoying my rants! Have to admit, this blogging is a good way to keep track of daily life here. Until next time...

Days 23-26

What a busy few days! We had some mail that missed its flight, due to a change in departure time. We did not find out about the time until after the flight had already left! Of course, the responsibility still falls to me. In addition, a convoy did not go out as scheduled due to "activity" in the area (wink, wink!). So everyone and their brother/mother/father/uncle/grandparent/child/friend of a friend was calling about how/what I was doing to make up for the backlog. Even after blasting emails to everyone I could think of regarding status, I would still get a phone call! All day, it was like, did you not check the email I sent you with all the answers to the questions you are calling about? Welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department! At the same time, there is the issue of how we (read, I) are going to handle the holiday mail rush. I have been trying to track down containers the last couple of days, just to find out from a friend of mine here (from Ft. Hood), that the brigade at KAF recently did an inspection to make sure there were no empty/unused containers here because they were short at the port! If my highers took all the containers and know it, how do they expect me to locate any? It is mindboggling! Well, at least my backlog from this week has been taken care of. What adventures wait for me today? Tune in and see. Until next time....

Thoughts

Figured I would just ramble a minute about generalities. The DFAC (chowhall) is pretty decent. My main complaint is that main course breakfast is the same, I mean exactly, every morning. That means it is like groundhog morning. Sure, the fruits or breads may vary slightly, but it is not enough. I am sure I will overdose on some of these foods!  Lunch and dinner are a bit better, variety wise.  I think there is a rotation; I think I will try to see about that. There is a sandwich bar that is open 24hrs. It is not quite like Subway, but it is tasty. It comes in handy when the regular DFAC has a lot of pork or other items that are not appetizing. What is interesting is that the DFAC encompasses 7-8 tents. There are prep, serving, and sitting tents, plus the sandwich place. It is quite the setup. Volunteering at the USO, like I do most mornings now, is fun. There is the benefit of having a hardline for internet, and we earn hours towards coins, t-shirts and other prizes once certain volunteer-hour thresholds have been met. I think the first is 100 hours. I am going for 15 per week. Time here allows me to catch up on news, or look for things I need to buy, without work getting in the way. :)  For example, I ordered a new pair of boots yesterday. Have had my current pair for two years! Getting the Nike Special Field Boot. Time here also allows me to do some Bible study. I am a bit behind, since I was on the road for a bit, but no matter. As long as I do it, right? Recently ordered a pair of running shoes as well. The ones I already own are in a container in Pakistan, waiting to be released by the government. I really need to get back into shape, so once my shoes come in, I will have to figure out where to fit in a workout. Suppose it will be after work, since I am already busy from 7am on. Learned to make paracord bracelets, at least one type of braiding. I am looking into learning more. It is a fun hobby, although I have to wait for more cord....which I ordered while here at the USO!  Well, got to start packing up for work.  Until next time...

Days 21-22

This post should catch me up through yesterday.  The last couple of days have been relatively quiet at work. Things are starting to settle into a routine, with just minor hiccups. I continued to work on COR classwork; can not wait to finish it! I inquired about obtaining some gravity rollers from Kandahar (KAF) to help with our sorting operations. It looks like we are going to get some. This is how I envision it. Imagine the incoming pallets that need to be broken down/sorted are in the center. To the left and right would be rollers, acting like bridges to the pallets that we build for our two subordinate post offices. The rollers would also act as a staging area, allowing the sorter to continue pushing out packages while the loader builds the pallet. This provides for a more steady sorting flow. Right now, packages have to be dished out one at a time.  There would also (hopefully) be two more angled out from the bottom of the center for packages inbound to Shindand, which are staged in large 20' containers. I am expecting the volume to increase significantly for the holidays, so this setup will help out greatly. The weather is starting to cool just a tad, especially at night. Speaking of nights, they are really clear here, with an awesome view of the stars. I even saw the north star around 1740, when it was still some light! Well, until next time...