Love design!!! I just came across your blog and wanted to say that Ive really...The Third of July
Posted by Erik Rupard on July 3rd, 2008
The days continue to fly by here on Al Asad, with one weekend seeming to meld into the next.
We all like it this way.
Everything is working at the moment, too: my slow-but-steady internet keeps rolling, AFN is back on, the sand has gone away for the moment, the lights have remained on for one week straight, my bedsheets are clean and on my bed, and things are generally in their proper place.
Tomorrow is, of course, the 4th of July, and we are expecting some kind of celebration on post, though none has been mentioned as yet. At least, there should be something decent for dinner. As for our clinic, we are open (as always). But I and the senior enlisted have volunteered to “cover” for the day, so that our junior enlisted can take the day off.
Some random brain droppings, for what they are worth:
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I am not a big reality TV fan (other than Fox News), but while channel-surfing a few days back, I came across the Gordon Ramsay-hosted “Kitchen Nightmares.” It was like watching a train wreck, and I am now addicted. The way this rather brutish, rude, self-absorbed host deals with the arrogant, equally self-absorbed, and incompetent chefs he has been dispatched to help, is truly awe-inspiring. And yet, in the end, they always end up liking this dude who has called them lazy, stupid, haughty, and untalented throughout the entire program.
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Now that it is high summer in Iraq, we are unable to take any kind of a cold or even cool shower. The barrels which house our “non-potable water” are above ground and often dark blue, so they get very warm by about mid-day. No one even touches the hot-water knob anymore. We just crank the “cold” water and hope it is merely lukewarm.
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The Red Sox are a decent team this year, but their lack of a bullpen has sunk them lately, and will continue to do so. Also their lack of David Ortiz.
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There is a single BMW on Al Asad, which is often parked at one particular location which I will not mention here. The owner is a local national. The car sticks out like a sore thumb, among all of the tactical vehicles, white pickups with red flame stickers on the sides, and Chevy Trailblazers, the latter of which are a rather recent phenomenon. Our clinic has the only purple Trailblazer I’ve seen here.
Sorry, folks, not too much for you today. Just a small helping of the usual stuff. Whenever something interesting happens at work (usually interesting in a bad way), the medics look at me with a straight face and offer this only-partly-facetious condolence: “Well, at least you’ll have something to write on your blog tonight.”
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
It’s odd what touches us from time to time, often without plausible explanation: It wasn’t until after I returned home from the South Pacific during the winter that I realized how pleasant it was to brush my teeth in cold water. You may have the same experience. Oh, what joys that are apparent/ In water temperature that isn’t ambient. (With apologies to Noel Coward)
July 4th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Happy Fourth of July!!! (Happy belated Canada Day Lorri….”Why thank-you! We made Canada food all day: montreal steak sandwiches, nanaimo bars and french fries with gravy and don’t fret, there’s plenty more where that came from.”)
Thanks for listening to me whine at 3:30 am, about the sink, Aces waste(non)service and Hornes pest control which must have missed a spot last time. It’s really creepy to wake up to a bug on your arm and you know how I am about even being in the same room as one. I tried everything but Maya abandoned ship and then I couldn’t get back to sleep. You are still my rock from way over there; I appreciate your support/wisdom and miss you terribly.
Have a good fourth. I hope the Marines get their butts in gear and throw you guys some sort of well-deserved American celebration or at the very very least, hand out free sparklers, or anything. Honestly.
We wish you were here with us. I’ll tell you about our fourth of July after the fact–that way you don’t look forward to missing out and I’ll include all of the annoyances that occured along the way just for a great big reality check.
Love you Tons. Rock on!
July 4th, 2008 at 10:53 am
HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!!!!!!!!! Hey uncle E, we are counting down the days until you come home ( 1 month, 27 days, 12 hours, 7 minutes, and 33 no… 34 seconds!!!) Great blog, I enjoy reading it very much!
Luv ya,
Becky T.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Dear Erik,
I miss you. I hope all is well. I know how sick of Iraq you must be. At least you haven’t had a root canal lately that took 21 Novocaine to deaden my tooth number 15. It sucked. I would rather have given birth, to twins! Wait a minute. I already did that.
We are leaving for Maine on Sunday for a week, so don’t think we aren’t thinking of you, we just won’t have computer access most likely. We’ll catch you up when we get back. Happy 4th and I hope you get a good old hamburger, potato salad and baked beans for your meal. that is all American. We all love and miss you over here and can’t wait until you are home. Stay safe and if you can, watch Hopkins Thursday at 10 on ABC. It is about certain drs. at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Very good stuff,all filmed as it is happening, as it were. I think of you when I watch it, One patient had a tumor on his pituitary gland, but they were able to remove it. It was interesting. I love you, Erik. I have the 2 best brothers in the world.
Love love love, Mit
July 4th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Happy Fourth of July, Erik and Rupard Family! Thank you for your service and sacrifices.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
(I’m the anon from above)
July 6th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Thanks to all who wrote kind wishes for the Fourth. It was a surreal experience celebrating Independence Day here: I’ll get into that a bit on my next blog entry, but suffice it to say that deployed personnel really do seem to live in a separate sphere from the rest of civilization.