Love design!!! I just came across your blog and wanted to say that Ive really...Too Clever By Half
Posted by Erik Rupard on June 1st, 2008
It was three months ago today that I kissed my family goodbye and headed out to Fort Benning and from thence on to Al Asad Airbase in western Iraq for a six-month deployment as a doctor in the Troop Medical Clinic here. After consulting my personal mathematician, I have been informed that this means my deployment is halfway over.
Here is what we have learned during the past three months:
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Barack Obama is still going to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, and Hillary is still not happy about that.
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The 2008 American Idol is not a Mormon, after all.
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It is hot in Iraq.
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It is dusty in Iraq.
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I am reasonably safe here in Al Asad.
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The LDS Church is the same here as it is in the states. Except quieter (no babies), shorter, and with a more heavily-armed congregation. (Strike that last one if you live in Georgia.)
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Your faithful blogger is capable of approximately five entries per week, with an average of about two funny ones, two boringly-descriptive ones, and one sad one.
A few things you may not know:
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I have lost 8 pounds since arriving here (172 baseline, down to 164). Although this is a not a bad thing, and my tummy has flattened out (ha HA, Peyton Manning!), I don’t want to lose any more—would rather convert some flubber into muscle.
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The montly death rate in Iraq has quite clearly dropped over the past year. From icasualities.org, here are the monthly death rates from January through September 2007: Jan 83, Feb 81, Mar 81, Apr 104, May 126, Jun 101, Jul 79, Aug 84, Sep 65. Now look at the numbers since October, and you’ll notice a very obvious trend: Oct 38, Nov 37, Dec 23, Jan 40, Feb 29, Mar 39, Apr 52. In May of 2008, there were a total of 21 deaths of Multi-National-Forces soldiers, the lowest total in any months since the war started in March 2003. You may not hear that from the mainstream media, and there are politicians on both sides of the aisle who will suggest that the Petreaus surge is not working, but the numbers are fairly clear, at least to me. You can read more here.
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I have received and accepted a new calling in church, though I still need to be interviewed, sustained, and set apart. Nothing huge, of course (our congregation is probably less than thirty members in total), but it will be nice to be more involved. I’ll give more details as things become official.
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Lorri completed work on her book and will be submitting to an already-interested publisher this week. Cross your fingers!
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I am considering heading to Qatar after all, possibly in July, my family permitting. Why the change of heart? Al Asad now has a direct flight from here to there, which takes a good deal of the hazard out of the trip. Still mulling it over, but if Lorri says okay, I may just do it.
Finally, a new running feature for the blog; I figured I would start this when I got closer to the halfway point. My “Erik Goes Home” clock on the side of my laptop currently looks like this:
Now, that takes into account the end-of-deployment date on my orders (31 August 2008), but the reality is that most of us end up being here a bit after that date, and there are about three days of travel time to get home (stops in Kuwait and Leipzig, Germany). But I’ll stick with 31 August until I hear otherwise. There is also a chance that the Army will extend my deployment, but we aren’t even gonna let that thought enter our minds at this point in time.
June 1st, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I had no idea Qatar was even an option. You mean Qatar to stay for the deployment duration or Qatar on a whirlwind/long weekend sort of thing?
Skype me.
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 am
Lorri,
You can read all about your husband’s zany adventures on his blog, including this post, about how he has been offered a four-day “R and R” to the aforementioned nation:
While My Qatar Gently Weeps
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:55 am
I read that about 2 weeks ago. There must have been a disconnect during our last call.
I didn’t quite catch any of this newer Qatar development.
Wuv U.
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:09 am
Hey, Erik,
I am rather like a Michigan or Florida Democrat with half a vote, however, I think you should stay put. Of course, I am always on the ultra conservative side which is why I am not richer and better traveled. Dad is still in PA. Although being home alone has been a wake up call for me, I still want him to stay until the project is concluded. By wake up call, I didn’t know how to fill the bird feeder, turn up the temp on the water tank, or run the soft water. I am doing an emergency instruction book when he gets back. Melissa is recovering well from her surgery. She has moved back to her home. The church has provided a couple of meals. I had Juliet last night again, but I think Melissa can take that over tomorrow. I will still drive her to school. All is well except I am a couple of weeks behing in gardening and spring cleaning….ye gads! I am glad you are safe. I would like to send you some goodies. Please send me an email at rupards@comcast.net with a want list. I am also working on a memorial for Mom’s grave. Loved your blog on ranks because I have always found that really confusing. Lorri, congratulations on the book. I am starting a family history soon. Take care. Love, Mom
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 am
Hey mom R; We shall see re; the novel. They’ve expressed interest with my sample chapters–is all. It’s a pretty funny story and (I feel) a half decent attempt at a first book, thanks to advice from my savvy live-in (yet recently remote) American fanbase/editor
I think I hit my groove about 2/3 the way in so they may ask me to rewrite most of it. Who knows.
It’s definitely not as meaningful as anything like family history or non-fiction. I just don’t have the attention span or patience for that (or for quilting, for that matter).
I think Erik should sit tight too. I hate it when he’s unreachable and he doesn’t exactly have a cell phone over there. I know he’s probably bored out of his mind but it’s almost over. Only 12-ish weeks left.
In his very own words, “Don’t poke a skunk.” Good advice all around.
I hope Melissa recovers quickly. Send our love to her. I will try to send something cheerful her way.
Talk soon.
Lorri and Co.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Darn you David Cook!
Wow dad, guess you’ll need to buy smaller t-shirts now.
This was a pretty funny entry dad, makes me wish you could be here to say funny things. I think I’m getting less funny by the minute without your sense of humor here.=[