A Real Confidence Builder

These are photographs of a map that was included in the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper a couple of days ago. The map is entitled "Iraq & Kuwait, U.S. Bases (Summer 2009)." What you may be able to see is that Camp Virginia is nowhere to be found on the map. I know where Camp Virginia is and I'm told that Google Maps knows the location of Camp Virginia, but apparently www.globalsecurity.org does not know about us. Well, darn!

To the Colors

I've been wanting to take these pictures for weeks, but kept forgetting, or it was raining, or I was busy or no one was outside.

If you remember my post of 11 April 2009 called "Traditions," I wrote about how guys change into soldiers when To the Color is played. Last night at 16:56 I took pictures of some troops hanging out, talking and having a smoke. When the first bugle sounded at 17:00 they came to attention; when the second segment started they saluted as soldiers; at 17:02 they went back to being guys fooling around for the camera. It's cool to see what I see.

Lake Camp Virginia

Camp Virginia lies in the Kuwaiti desert, so it doesn't usually rain much here. When it does rain, there's thunder and lightening and then the water comes down in sheets -- for about 20 seconds. However, a couple of days ago it rained hard for 12 hours straight, turned most of Camp Virginia into rivers and lakes.

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Apologies for not writing much lately. Besides being busy supporting troops, I am now the go-to person for USO Camp Virginia on the FYI.USO blog. (See fyiuso.wordpress.com) Since I'm updating that about 3 times per week, I sort of run dry on what to post here.

Thanksgiving in Kuwait

Thanksgiving at Camp Virginia was acceptable. I miss my family and friends a lot, but the weather was cool and crisp and our DFac really did it up with abundant and delicious food. They also displayed many beautiful carvings made from fruits, vegetables, ice and butter. One fruit bouquet had something bizarre and curious sticking out of it. The sculpture made so many people double-take and laugh that the DFac officers finally took it out.

At the USO we had a "Quarterback Challenge," then snacked on chips and dips and watched football from about 20:30 until the wee hours of the morning.

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For the past six or seven years we have spent Thankgiving with Toby and the Zelens at Martha's home in Woodland Hills. Sadly, Martha passed away a couple of weeks ago. I'm sending gratitude and healing prayers to the Zelens and Martha's family during this very difficult holiday season.

Walls

Nuptials

Congratulations to Leorit and Ariel! It's a wedding on 3 January 2010. Yay!!!!!

Kookies from Karen (Quack)

I receive a lot of "care" packages from you, my very good friends, and I sincerely appreciate every kind thought, gift, toiletry, game, delicacy and goody contained therein. However, since Karen is the only person I know who actually prints my blog to share with her friends, she gets a post all her own.

Karen spent days cooking her special milk and dark chocolate Peanut Butter Cup cookies. She wrapped them carefully in plastic containers and stuffed the box with the remaining Peanut Butter Cups and newspaper so that the cookies arrived in Kuwait with not one fissure. It took 37 minutes for the cookies to disappear. The cookies were a big hit; we loved them. Thank you, Karen.

Dis, 'n Dis, 'n Dis 'n Dat

A couple of friends and I were eating in a rather empty DFac. At the end of the table behind us sat one lone soldier quietly eating his meal. S.Sgt. K walked up and while greeting us put his tray down right next to the lone soldier. We talked and joked for a few seconds and then Lt. K turned bright red. Without starting a new sentence or missing a beat, he said "I just did the dumbest thing when I put my try down right next to this guy. I thought he was my buddy, but I've never seen him before in my life." So he picked up his tray and left. We thought it was hilarious. The lone soldier continued to quietly eat his meal.

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It's lovely when it rains here. Twenty seconds of torrential raindrops wash all the dust and dirt from everything, including our cars. Or not.

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I found this yucky, dirty, dusty disk on the desk. I couldn't imagine why we were keeping it. Turns out it's the cleaning disk.

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About three weeks ago it was still warm (90s) during the day. Now it's high 60s when the sun is out and mid-50s in the evenings. We're wearing long johns, jackets and felt hats at night. I've switched from nightgown to PJs. It feels like fall and we like it.

Eyes Light Up

I love it at the USO. I get to see that our services are offering soldiers a bit of unexpected good luck or a touch of serendipity. It may be something small or simple, but I know we've done something right when we watch their eyes light up.

Soldier: How long is the wait for the phone?
Me: You can get on one right now.
Soldier: I don't have a calling card.
Me: You don't need a calling card; just hop on.
Soldier: I've used all of my Spaware minutes.
Me: You don't need Spaware minutes. Our phones are direct dial.
Soldier: Do you mean I can sit down and call my husband right now?
Me: Yes, ma'am.
Soldier's ELU.

Solider: I heard you're open until 18:00.
Me: No sir. We are open until zero-six, not six o'clock.
Soldier's ELU.

Me: Yes, sir. The book goes home along with your recording. Soldier's ELU.
Soldier: So I just take this and mail it?
Me: No, sir. We will mail it for you. Soldier's ELU.
Soldier: So how much does it cost?
Me: It's free, sir. Everything in our USO is free. Soldier's ELU.

Soldier: The movie is over. How do I find out what's playing next in the cinema?
Me: You are welcome to pick the next movie. Just give us the name and number from our list.
Solider's ELU.

Soldier: What time do I have to be here to do a UTR?
Me: Any time we are open.
Soldier: Is there a long wait?
Me: No, sir. You are welcome to do a UTR right now.
Soldier's ELU.

Me: Ma'am, here's your "cocktail." It's Happy Hour at the USO.
Soldier's ELU.

Soldier: Are we allowed to bring food in here?
Me: Sure.
Soldier's ELU.

Soldier: Do you have a deck of cards I can borrow?
Me: [Pointing to six decks of cards on the desk.] Take and keep as many as you want.
Soldier's ELU.

Soldier: How long is the wait for the Internet.
Me: You can hop on right now.
Soldier's ELU.

Of course I also have many occasions for my eyes to light up:

When four troops return their Wii game and they are all laughing and dripping with sweat, my ELU.

When I find someone snoring on the couch for 90 minutes, sucking his thumb, my ELU.

When the Colonel sends UTRs home to his children or comes in to play Xbox with the Major, my ELU.

When the movie is over and 40 people exit the cinema, just like a theater in the States, my ELU.

When the Center is full and quite with people reading, watching TV, playing board games, chatting and relaxing, my ELU.

When the CSM tells us that she has suggested to all new arrivals at Camp Virginia that they visit the USO because they will be in for a treat, my ELU.

When the Center is full and loud with people playing video games, dominoes, watching action movies and whooping, my ELU.

When everyone is watching football games on AFN and the crowd roars with enthusiasm or groans in despair, my ELU.

When a soldier finds a friend who he hasn't seen in months, my ELU.

Any time troops laugh, my ELU.

I have the best "job" in the world; my goal is to make people happy. Every day, at least a few times a day, my ELU! Life just doesn't get better than that.

Gauchos at the Grill

On Sunday Steve took the Duty Managers from Camp Virginia out to an evening of fine dining. We went to the Gaucho Grill, which is probably one of the best restaurants in Kuwait.

We were able to be out all at once through the generosity of three capable volunteers [with gratitude to Ford, Wayne and Davis] and the kindness of two borrowed Duty Managers from Camp Buehring [thank you Ritz and Cate] who came in to cover the Center. Teresa, Center Manager from Balad, Iraq, and Gary Bibeau, Regional Vice-President for Southwest Asia, also joined us.

At the restaurant we had an actual menu and were encouraged to order all manner and sizes of mocktails, steaks, lobster, prawns, sausages, empanadas, potatoes, chicken, oysters, vegetables, salads, sauces, desserts and fondue. We laughed, ate, laughed, talked, told stories, drank, gossiped, laughed and had a generally marvelous time.

At the end of dinner Gary's was obviously the biggest (wallet, that is), so he ended up treating. We need to go out again, but Steve is actually going to pay next time.

Turkeys

Sitting in the USO office, Christine says, "I can't find any cute decorations to order for Thanksgiving."
I say, "Why don't you make hand turkeys like we did in school?"
"Hummmm . . . that's a good idea."

Five minutes later I hear chit-chatering, laughter and joking coming from the tables in the bistro area.

30 minutes after that I see that our entry hall is covered with adorable turkeys, proving that just because you're a officer in the Army and you can operate a tank, pilot a fighter jet and and legally discharge an M-16, it doesn't mean you can't use colored markers, crayons and scissors.

Massacre at Ft. Hood

Fully Staffed at the USO

OK, so it was Halloween, but this is us -- all of us.

This One Time

So this one time, at Camp Virginia, this guy comes in and gives me his ID card so that he can take out a video game. Now I've seen some really bad pictures, and I've seen some even worse pictures, but this ID is the funniest one I've seen since I've been here. Every time he comes in I get my laugh for the day. Here's yours.

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So this one time, at Camp Virginia, this guy sits down at the computer. I check out his name.

Me: Are you related to Pooh?
Soldier: Yes, ma'am, I am.
Me: ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!
Soldier: Yes, ma'am.
Me: YOU'RE REALLY RELATED TO POOH?!?!?!?
Soldier: Yes.
Me: YOU'RE KIDDING!!! ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!?!?
Soldier: No ma'am. I have a great uncle named Christopher Robin.
Me: OH MY G-D!!! NO WAY!!! THAT'S INSANE!!! ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!?!
Soldier: No ma'am, although very few people ever ask me that.
Me: OH MY G-D!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I'M SO EXCITED!!!
andonandonandon . . .

The soldier's name is Milne and he is related to A.A. Milne, the author of
Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Six, etc., my favorite books when I was a kid -- before Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and the gang met Walt Disney. I was the only one at the USO who cared, but then I was pretty darned impressed.

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So this one time, at Camp Virginia, I was sitting with my friend when I spotted one of our USO volunteers.
"Aye! What an ass." I said.
"So he's a real jerk?" asked my friend.
"No, no. That's not it at all." said I. "He's a great guy. What I'm saying is just look at that ass. He has a really nice tushie." [sorry, no picture -- yet]

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So this one time, at Camp Virgnia, I left my laundry too long in the dryer. I came back after 3.5 hours and my clothes were sitting on top of the dryer -- folded!!