Still Here

I am still here, plugging away at projects which may I may never see completed but I am "moving the ball forward" as they say. I've had a few visitors here recently including my boss from DC. It is the first time I've met him, as he replaced the guy who hired me a few months ago. He's a really good guy and it was nice to get some time to talk to him.

The weather here is perfect. About 80 degrees and sunny every day. It makes being away from home a little easier since I see that it is still snowing occasionally in Milwaukee. The dust storms are kicking up more frequently, however, which means summer and blazing heat are just around the corner.

This week I am working on putting together text and designs for billboards which will inform the citizens of Diyala that they have rights under the Iraqi Constitution. We are also going to run some radio spots with the same purpose. I am also working on getting a literacy program going for the detainees in the local jails. If they are going to sit for one to two years waiting for trial, they might as well learn something.

I cannot believe that I only have four months left. It seems like only yesterday I was landing in Baghdad. Irene would probably disagree with that statement.

An enterprising local Iraqi has opened up a restaurant on the FOB. It is actually more of a food shack with some picnic tables. You can have overpriced lamb sausage, roasted tomatoes and bread, or overpriced flavored tobacco in a hookah pipe. As you can see, I went with the hookah. It wasn't bad. Not something I would do very often, but not bad.