All Accounted For

Sorry I've been bad about this blog thing since I've returned to the states. I've been enjoying the good life; eating Moe's burritos, pizza, and drinking beer!

After completing inventory of all my Superman statues, I deemed something was different. All of them were accounted for, but they weren't in the same condition I left them. Casie and her friends decided to get silly. I didn't notice until the next morning, but in my defense I did get in late and was tired. This is what I'm talking about:

They got every statue and framed picture, but they missed the cookie jar. Some welcome home, eh? Thanks Casie, Chris, Jacob, and Todd! I will never look at them again in the same light as I once did.

I am sure this wasn't what Todd wanted to portray. It looks just wrong.

I am still evaluating the "scotch tape damage"...just kidding! :-)

Homeward Bound

The past week has been a blur. As I am sure you've probably guessed I did catch my third rescheduled flight out of Mosul. I woke up at 0345 on Friday morning to make it to the airport by 0500. I flew in a C-130 to Ali Al Salem Air Base (Kuwait), not Al Udeid (Qatar). From there I waited until 1730 (5:30 pm) to check in to my next flight. I killed most of my time in the MWR watching TV and taking pictures of some of the base.

Checking out of Kuwait (pictured below) was a project. My actual flight didn't leave until 0330 on Saturday (the next morning) but you have to go through customs. I had to empty all three of my packed bags completely so U.S. custom officials could make sure I was trying to take back war souvenirs, such as weapon parts.

I had a three hour layover in Germany. It was so nice to breath in the crisp, cool air. I knew I was on my way home. Doesn't the picture even look crisper?

First stop in the states was Baltimore. I arrived at 2:25 pm, but my flight back home was not until 11:00 am the next day. Of course I asked to see if there was anything earlier. I didn't feel like spending the night at the airport for another night. They did have a flight leaving at 4:45 pm, but it had a three hour layover in Charlotte, NC. It was a small layover in comparison to spending another night in an airport. I made it back to Dayton, OH at 11:00 pm.

Then I was home. I still can't believe it!

Black Hole

According to Merriam-Websters:

Main Entry: black hole
Function: noun
Date: 1968
1: a celestial object that has a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape it and that is believed to be created especially in the collapse of a very massive star
2: something resembling a black hole: as a: something that consumes a resource continually (a financial black hole) b: an empty space : void

I'm still stuck in Mosul, or as I like to call it, the black hole. My rescheduled flight, for this morning, was cancelled late last night. No flights support my destination today, so I am working on a flight for Friday (tomorrow).

I am still optimistic I'll be able to get out of here tomorrow, but cross your fingers. If I don't leave Mosul tomorrow, I won't be home Sunday.

Cancelled

After waiting at the passenger terminal for two hours they announced my flight was cancelled. And I was just starting to believe I was actually leaving Mosul. The cancellation doesn't affect my return date because I have built in time for things like this that come up.

Before I left the JDEC folks had a meeting that really was a going away presentation for me. I received a rug embroidered with the time I spent in Mosul. It was a great parting gift. I would post a picture, but my camera cable is packed away. I also received a couple cards with many nice parting words. As cool/important as this job was, I will miss the people the most. I almost feel bad leaving, but then I think of the life (Casie) I have waiting for me at home.

Tomorrow I will try again to leave the black hole that is called Mosul.