End of year update ...

Hello again, from lovely LSA Anaconda, Balad Air Base, Iraq. It has been getting chilly here lately, but at least it's a DRY chill. I was told that November to March is the rainy season in Iraq, but so far? Nada, zip, zilch, nothing. A few unremarkable sprinkles every other week or so for a few minutes, but that's it. Pat Robertson would say that God is punishing Iraq for being an infidel country. Pat Robertson would say that, but I sure wouldn't.

I had a lovely Christmas Dinner last Sunday. The DFAC staff pulled out all the stops on the Christmas decorations, too. Reindeer, Santa Claus, elves, Nativity scenes, camels, wise men, streamers, lights, Merry Christmas banners (none of that Happy Holidays crap over here!), all the usual suspects. They served a pretty good [processed] Turkey, the ham was actually pink (instead of the standard grey and dry), a big steamship round from which they carved Roast Beef, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. It's not often I say that a meal at the DFAC is good, but this was one of those times. They even served bubbly: carbonated Welch's white grape juice, of course.

Speaking of alcohol, more than 30 Big Defense Contractor employees were issued one-way tickets home in the past couple of days. It seems that BDC Security Ops and HR folks, along with the Military Police, searched a whole slew of hooches -- while the occupants were not there, of course -- and found alcohol, drugs, or pornography in their rooms. Prohibition being what it is, these people found a way to possess some or all of the contraband items, which is a sure-fire way to get fired.

I have noticed that a lot of my speech/writing patterns have taken on a decidedly military slant: sure-fire is one example.

I have received notice that my $ervice$ will be required for a few more weeks, at which point (mid-January) I will be able to come home for a couple of weeks. Of course, I am going to be going to Los Angeles for 5 of those 14 days for a Bike Race (see my Bio at the top of the page), but The Lovely One and The Girls understand. I hope.

About 1 Feb, I will be coming back (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, murmurs the crowd ...) to the Middle East on yet another project which will take me through 1 April.

Speaking of crowds, I attended the USO Show here at Balad on 23 Dec. You are not going to believe who the emcee of this show was. Here's some hints: Outspoken Liberal. Opposes the Republican Party. Has a radio talk show. Was a writer and actor on Saturday Night Live. Wrote a fairly funny book about Rush Limbaugh and other assorted conservatives.

That's right, folks: Al Franken was over here, and I got my picture taken with him after the show. If I can figure out a way to get my images smaller, I will post pictures from the show. Al did a MEAN Saddam Hussein impression. His co-host was Traylor Howard, the ditzy assistant on "Monk."

A couple of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were also here, and naturally I got my picture taken with them, too. (Note to TLO: I have been in love with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders since I was, like, 15, so just get over it .)

This was Al Franken's THIRD year to do the USO Show in Iraq. Although he is decidedly anti-war, he is definitely pro-soldier, and that's what the USO show was all about. There were no politics on the night of the show, just great entertainment (if you like country, you would have LOVED this show) and a boatload of support from the home front. The soldiers warmed up to Al after he did his Saddam impersonation, and they were stompin' and hootin' and hollerin' for most of the show after that. A couple of the C&W guys were veterans: one of them was on the Mogadishu mission which went bad (see the movie "BlackHawk Down"), and another was in Daddy Bush's Gulf War I. They were both big with the crowd.

I got pictures of a couple of the K-9s over here at Anaconda: a German Shepherd/Malinois mix, and a purebred Malinois. Beautiful dogs, and very obedient, too. Just goes to show you what training and discipline will do to a dog.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season. I wish you all a Happy New Year's! If you are a single-malt lover (Dalwhinnie is my favorite), please indulge yourself on N Y's Eve and have one for me.

Auld Lang Syne,

Moi