SUNDAY BLOG

I'm considerring changing the name of this to,"
Sunday Blog".
It seems that Sunday is the only day that I ever have the motivation to write.

As Sundays go here in the frozen tundra we call New England, this one is marvelous.
There's a beautiful deep blue sky, the temp. is a balmy 17 degrees, and the sun shining through the snow covered pines makes a sparkle. If it was January this would all be fantastic.
However, it is February.
Where's the 50 degrees, and melting snow?
I'm ready to bitch about some mud...
Here's a couple of pictures, because we all know, "a picture is worth a thousand words".

I was amazed at how the snow looked like a blanket draped over the car.

Our driveway is usually a mud rut by now.
Spring will come.
Soon.
I hope.

Heard from Matt, Friday.
It' was a tough week in Diyala Province.
The 4th BDE lost a couple of men on the 17th.

(I'll be putting together a second post with info today).

And his platoon was on patrol in a neighborhood when a suicide bomber took out a crowd of people.
He and his fellow soldiers got to help with the clean up.
All in all he wasn't very upbeat.
A friend asked, "what do you say when he shares this kind of information".
I guess there's no clear answer to that question.
I try to be supportive.
Tell him that, "it's all part of the job." "Hang in there, it'll get better." All the while wishing that he wasn't there, and didn't have to see and be a part of these things that no human being should have to endure.
We can only hope that he'll be one of the lucky ones.
Those who can put it all behind them, pick up the pieces, and live a happy successful life.
If he survives it.
Matt has a degree in criminology. He, at one time, aspired a career in police work. The last time he was home he talked of maybe going into fire fighting and EMT work. What he's dealing with in Irag should be good training for what he will have to deal with in either line of work.
Or change his mind about what he wants to do.
They've received word that they should be home, May 1st or 15th. Or June 1st or 15th.
He complains about never getting a definite answer about the timing of anything.
Yet knows there's a reason for that.
You never know who's watching, and reporting to the enemy.
Especially with Iraqis working for subcontractors on all of the FOBs.
But that's a story for another post.
They're suppose to be regrouping, the brigade was divided up and sent to many different areas, and heading to Kuwait, in the next month or so.
Once there they clean and pack everything up to go on a boat and ship back to the port of Washington.
I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas.
The day that I see them march onto that parade field, to be dismissed, at FT. Lewis will be one of the happiest days of my life.