I don't know if I mentioned, but about 2 weeks after I arrived, Camp Virginia decided that they would discontinue paying for meals for USO employees. I've been saving my receipts (it's over $10/day) and turning them in on expense reports. I'm still waiting to see if I get reimbursed. Some of the Camp Virginia USO employees have been driving to other bases (Camp Buehring and/or LSA*) to get the free meals. Last night Christine and I left the USO to Jose (Center Director) and Drumm (one of our wonderful volunteers) and went with Mike C. and Mike E. to LSA. Although the food is basically the same, the DFac at The Rock is a lot different than the DFac at Camp Virginia. They have small tables for 6; we have long, institutional tables. Their set-up encourages conversation, whereas ours encourages people to veg and watch TV. They have metal flatware and ceramic plates; we have plastic forks, spoons, knives and disposable plates. (You should try eating steak with cheap picnic forks and knives.) Their chocolate soft serve is a lot darker and more chocolaty than ours. Their streets are paved, their bathrooms indoors with flush toilets, their sidewalks cobblestone, their bunks have balconys, etc., etc., etc. Ahahahhhhhhhhhhhh!
*Life Support Area/Ali Al Salem Air Base aka "The Rock." (For more on LSA/Ali Al Salem see http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/ali-al-salem.htm)
The actual reason for this post is to tell you that Christine bought a mirror. I don't know why she went to The Rock BX (Base Exchange) instead of the Camp Virginia PX (Post Exchange) since we have plenty of mirrors, but . . . anyway, she needs a mirror to see what her outfit looks like before she goes to work. What she had been doing -- this is the absolute truth -- is taking digital pictures of herself and using that to see how she looked. She doesn't know how to work the timer on her camera, but the flash takes ~~1.5 seconds to activate after the button is pressed, so she presses the button, runs in front of the camera, gets in three pictures and then can see her outfit from the front, back and side. Now that she has a mirror she does't have to do that anymore. Christine is not even blonde; she has red hair! (Looks like the mirror worked. Love that outfit.)
I'm in the office and the USO is opening so I'd better get back to my bunk. I hear thunder so there's a good chance it's pouring outside. Sand, dirt, crust, mud -- it all looks the same after awhile. Cheers.
*Life Support Area/Ali Al Salem Air Base aka "The Rock." (For more on LSA/Ali Al Salem see http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/ali-al-salem.htm)
The actual reason for this post is to tell you that Christine bought a mirror. I don't know why she went to The Rock BX (Base Exchange) instead of the Camp Virginia PX (Post Exchange) since we have plenty of mirrors, but . . . anyway, she needs a mirror to see what her outfit looks like before she goes to work. What she had been doing -- this is the absolute truth -- is taking digital pictures of herself and using that to see how she looked. She doesn't know how to work the timer on her camera, but the flash takes ~~1.5 seconds to activate after the button is pressed, so she presses the button, runs in front of the camera, gets in three pictures and then can see her outfit from the front, back and side. Now that she has a mirror she does't have to do that anymore. Christine is not even blonde; she has red hair! (Looks like the mirror worked. Love that outfit.)
I'm in the office and the USO is opening so I'd better get back to my bunk. I hear thunder so there's a good chance it's pouring outside. Sand, dirt, crust, mud -- it all looks the same after awhile. Cheers.
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