10,000

Remember going to summer camp back in the day? How exciting, right! Well, years later, here I find myself in a similar scenario. However, this time, feelings of happiness and excitement couldn’t be any further removed from the arrangement. My housing tent has been renovated. All cots were replaced with bunk beds. There are only two possible outcomes – equal or worse conditions. If headcount remains the same, this could actually be a good thing; the top bunk would provide additional storage. Now back to reality. Headcount will double and personal space will be further reduced. But at least we get mattresses, right.

Proponents of Karma or Yin and Yang ideologies will appreciate the positive flip side that followed. Personally, Shinedown’s “What A Shame” articulates it best, “There’s a hard life for every silver spoon. There’s a touch of gray for every shade of blue. That’s the way that I see life. If there was nothing wrong, then there'd be nothing right.” Well said, Brent!

The offices underwent major heater upgrades. No longer was it a brisk 39 degrees in the early mornings and late evenings. It was joked that placing drinks in the refrigerator would ultimately serve as a way to keep them from freezing. That’s how cold it was in the tents. Warmth from a refrigerator? Only in Afghanistan! We now have heavy duty jet-fueled units that provide all the heat we could ask for. The difference is extreme. No more numb fingers and toes or frozen drinks! There you have it, full circle, – housing changes for the worse while office conditions improve.

I’m progressing nicely on my way to R&R. Cannot reiterate enough how smoothly things have gone thus far. I’m only 16 days away from concluding my first stint, which will easily be the longest. Let me explain why. Every 91st day you are eligible for R&R. I will have been in country 98 days when I leave for Italy. Regardless of departure, the “clock” for my second R&R starts on day 91. This overlapping schedule has wonderful results. Upon my return, I will only have 65 days until I’m eligible for R&R #2. This becomes the norm from that point forward. How fantastic! I don’t remember taking a one week vacation so three will be mind-bottling!

Work has been busy and filled with many meetings. My boss from Greenville just arrived and we will be continuing that trend right up until I go on R&R. We have a lot to discuss and put into place immediately. The initial outlook keeps me here in BAF on a regular basis, with occasional trips out to the FOBs. I like the sound of that, other than the housing, because it means a normal routine is possible. I hope for just enough trips to keep things interesting and give me a break from BAF.

Congratulations ladies and gentlemen; with this post, my little blog has passed 10,000 words. If you have been reading along the whole time, kudos! I cannot believe I’ve been here working twelve-hour shifts for 81 consecutive days. However, even more shocking is the fact that I’ve written this much. If only thesis papers were about the everyday life of a contractor named Kevin Taylor working in Afghanistan – I could be a doctor!!

Rumor has it that Facebook access will soon be banned here. Some have already been blocked, but I’m still able to get in. I’ll send out an email if anything changes. You can always email me at kevinrtaylor@live.com and/or leave comments on here.

I’m going back to my housing tent now to see how the bunk bed jungle is going to work out. I think there might be a couple inherent advantages; the top level should block some of the excessive light and heat. If some miraculous alignment of the celestial bodies comes to pass maybe, just maybe, they won’t double stack us. I would be completely okay with that.

Here are some more random pictures. Hope you enjoy!!

Time Warp

Wow! That’s all I can really say about this week. Where did it go? How could it have slipped away so quickly?

No worries though; that just means I’m another seven days closer to R&R – 23 and a wake up!!

I’ve heard all about the unexpectedly cold winter hitting the east coast. Pretty sure we’re stealing some of your warmth over here in Afghanistan. I’m enjoying the afternoons, which have been in the 50’s. It’s a much welcomed relief from the bitter cold mornings and evenings. However, these offices, which are partially tents, have little insulation. When I get into the office around 0530 it’s only 45 degrees. I imagine South Carolina’s climate will feel amazing after living in the desert. Four seasons? What is that you speak of? We only have two – hot and cold.

Once again, my schedule has taken a turn. Since I stopped going to the DFAC at lunch, I decided to try using that time for the gym. Jackpot! This arrangement works out amazingly well. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? There are only a handful of people in the gym, so I never have to wait around for equipment. The showers are nearly vacant; compared to the lines that form in the mornings and evenings. Perhaps best of all, no more feeling as if I’m a member of the polar bear club. Walking back from the office in full attire, jacket, hat, and gloves is no big deal. But in shorts and a t-shirt, the trip to the gym, tent, shower, and back was numbing. No longer a problem!

So everyone tells me that G’vegas isn’t what it used to be. That’s good news for me; makes being away easier. However, I’m sorry for the old crew that has dwindled down. What happened! I think we all just have our own agendas right now, none of which are align. People are getting married, having children, starting new jobs, in grad school, or just plain burned out. I miss all of you dearly, but in a weird way this has been a nice escape from the norm.

I’m already beginning to catch the “bug” around here. Apparently in this environment you either love it or leave it. If things continue to go as well as they have, I believe a second year is in the works. Everything will be complete once housing improves. After a taste of international vacationing on R&R, I might be ready to sign the contract extension. In reality, that decision won’t be necessary for quite some time and I’ll conveniently procrastinate until then.

College Football, oh how I’ve missed you! Finally, I was able to get my fix by watching part of the National Championship. Not quite the same when you’re eating an omelet, drinking OJ, and surrounded by hundreds of strangers in a DFAC. The third quarter was interesting enough to keep my attention, even without having a favorite team involved.

Now, for a bit of comedic relief; not sure how well this story transfers onto paper, but here goes…I head to the housing tent after my shift, talk to the guys, do some reading, and then it’s bedtime as normal. Hours later I’m suddenly awakened by a loud noise and rumble. Initial thought, this isn’t incoming – roger that! I roll over and look at my clock, it’s 0200. Jets taking off at every hour imaginable are nothing new; however, I’m convinced they are testing the world’s loudest jet at this very moment. My ears are ringing; tent and cot are literally shaking. Several seconds later the noise fades away and the rumbling subsides. I quickly settle back into the sleeping bag and drift to sleep.

Whaaam, something hits my leg and I nearly jump out of my cot in reaction. Adrenaline kicks in immediately and my pulse begins racing. You are asking yourself right now, WHAT was the cause for such alarm? I’ve yet to figure out exactly how, but my neighbor’s foam pad launched over with enough force to wake me up. You laugh, but it’s true. I’m laughing at the moment just thinking about it again!

My simple mind cannot even fathom how a pad, on top of which he was sleeping, gets propelled like that. Once I woke up, again, and realized what was going on, I noticed he was still on the top half. Inexplicable!! Suffice it to say that I was officially awake at this point.

To my defense, this just illustrates another phenomenon that develops when stationed on a military base. The human body’s adaptability is resilient. While I’m sleeping away, it knows that a jet taking off (well, most jets anyway) is normal and not threatening. On the contrary, a whistle followed by a boom is an incoming rocket and reason to say, wake up now!

Okay, so this just happened…popcorn is very popular over here. Someone popped a bag that turned out to be bad. Not burnt, just bad. Never heard of that, but ok, I’ll trust their judgment. Naturally, they threw it away. Minutes later, another coworker walks in and begins looking for a snack. Once the bag of uneaten popcorn was spotted, she removed it from the trash and began eating it. After everyone realized what just happened, they explained it was bad; yet she still had to test it out herself. Seinfeld reference anyone? Remember when George does the same thing with a partially eaten éclair? Priceless!!

Enter 2010!!

Yet another holiday experienced here in the desert. Happy New Year all!

I cannot remember the last time I wasn’t awake for such an occasion. No Champagne. No party hats. No kazoos. No 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, kiss this year. I was sound asleep when 2010 rolled in. Being nine and a half hours ahead does have its advantages. I enjoyed talking to many of you that night, even though it was already New Years day here. At 0930 my time I stopped for a second and just imagined what everyone was doing back home as 2010 finally reached the east coast. Hopefully it was a good time for all!

Nothing much happened here except for a special lunch and dinner consisting of the normal new years grub: ham, black eyed peas, cabbage, etc. I didn’t go, but heard it was delicious. I’ve adopted a new diet. Not even by choice, I kind of just fell into it. (Special note to Jen, if you’re reading; no, this isn’t a case of manorexia as you’ve accused me of in the past!)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day right? That’s what everyone was told as a child. I normally don’t eat breakfast and never understood all the hype – until now. An eggwhite omelet with peppers, onions, mushrooms, ham and cheese has turned me into a true believer! Throw in some multigrain toast, OJ, V8, or cranberry juice and a cup of joe to go and I’m off to a great start.

Before making this next statement, let me go ahead and assure you that I am OKAY; don’t freak out or start an intervention! I no longer even bother with lunch or dinner. Instead, I’m keeping companies like Cliff Bar, Nutri-Grain, and Kellogg’s in business. A few snacks in the afternoon are perfect. They hold me over until I hit the gym. Afterwards, all I want is a shower, some water, a book, and sleep. Feels great to be back in my routine!

After hours of research, compliments of Google and TripAdvisor, I booked a two bedroom apartment (http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g187791-d1521919-San_Francesco-Rome_Lazio.html) in the Trastevere district of Rome, the first destination on my R&R adventure thru Italy. According to Wikipedia, “The district's name derives from the Latin words ‘Trans Tiberem’: Beyond the Tiber River. Today Trastevere is the heart of the Roman night life, rich in pubs, restaurants, and clubs. The area is highly populated by expatriates and American college students as there are two American universities in the area.” The other major selling points include several great restaurants, shops, and historic sites within walking distance. Have I mentioned that Italian food is my favorite!

The apartment was cheaper than a hotel and offers much more space. I’ll be there four nights, then off to Florence, Venice, and Pisa before returning to Rome. I want to research the other cities before my arrival, but will most likely just wing it. No telling when and where something will be going on. The last thing I want is to be a slave to some itinerary. Having the first place booked is crucial. After leaving Afghanistan, traveling thru three airports, jet lag, and the excitement of a new country, it’ll be a huge relief not having to worry about finding a place.

Someone is popping popcorn…smells amazing! Random, I know.

I made the treacherous journey to the post office today. It is inconveniently located right in-between two shuttle bus stops on the main side of the base. Luckily, the items I shipped weren’t too heavy or awkward to carry. I felt bad for some of the people I saw who were lugging around multiple footlockers ever so clumsily. I still need to pick up a few things that have been requested (Abbi and Jenny) next time I go to the Bizarre. Anyone else that wants something from this lovely place let me know. I’ll have to find out from Staci how well the package holds up after the 8,000 mile trip.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to write about tonight. After skimming thru what I just wrote, that’s clearly not an issue. I hope everyone is enjoying the updates. I’ll look back at past posts every once in a while and be reminded of things I’ve already forgotten. I think it’ll make a great story to look back at down the road. Just don’t want it to be a painful endeavor for all of you in the process.

I’m going to take advantage of my night off from the gym and watch a movie. 30 days and a wake up left. I’m absolutely ecstatic. Curious as to how I can get any more excited. I’ll let you know about that as the days continue to fade away! Thankfully, the past 67 days have been extremely smooth. Word of advice, take an assignment like this while you’re single. Hands down, the biggest difference amongst the people here I’ve talked to and observed. Here’s to being single!