I was
supposed to arrive at KAF today. Well,
not during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th changes to
the plans, but according to plan 1 and apparently plan 5 (or is it 15?) I was
supposed to arrive today. But instead I
have been here for, goodness, around 26 hours or so. First, I thought I was heading out just like
every other trip so far. I fly out of
Dwyer the day before I leave for R&R.
Stay one night in KAF, on to Dubai early the next morning. Then they
were starting to send people two days ahead because of weather. Then I had to get my physical. S did too.
Then I got mine at Dwyer but he didn’t.
Then the firefighters were going to get theirs in Dubai on the way back
in from R&R. Then back to KAF. Then I was still going to go two days
early. Then not, because my roomie got
sent home for medical reasons so we had a dispatcher shortage. Then then then then then. So I thought I was going to be leaving the
day after my honey and the other two guys going out for training. I was a little bummed, but it’s not the end of
the world. Then a measly 10 hours before
“they” were going to meet in the morning to leave, “they” became “we” and “I”
still needed to pack. And finish the
rest of my shift. And eat dinner. And go for coffee. I thank God with every fiber of my being that
I am such a list maker and a strangely organized person. Not only was I able to pack and not forget
anything, I also got about 4 whole hours of sleep!
We were on
our way early. Brutally early. S ran over to Green Beans and got coffee for
all of us. I thank God with every fiber
of my being for him too. Not just because
of the coffee, but that was a nice perk.
No pun intended.
The Huey
ride was fun. We fire guys were
separated from everyone else. Methinks
it’s because we don’t always play nice with others. Or around others for that matter. At any rate, it was really cool. I got to take a lot of pics but my battery
was running low so I tried to limit it.
That was probably the nicest flight crew I’ve ever had. One of them was writing things to point out
to us—Helmand River, Red desert, poppy trucks, etc. It was nice of him.
 |
| Half sunny, half shady me. |
 |
| The river |
For the
first time on my R&R journeys, I am staying in the dreaded South Park. Apparently it is vastly different from what
it used to be, but it’s still a far cry from paradise. 40 bunk beds in a tent. I think I was lucky to get a sleeping bag-- they
don’t always have them. I’m going to
pitch a fit if someone tries to offer me chicken one more time. I’ve resorted to only using the port-o-potty
because the normal bathroom’s door is messed up and the metal grinding is just
too much. But it is a lot better than
the stories I’ve heard. And even still,
I would rather plunk down $200 just for privacy, quiet, a non-shared shower,
and temperature settings that I can control.
Plus no 0200 wakeup call. That’s
going to suck. And that’s about as
eloquent as I plan to get for now, so I’m going to head to the DFAC to wait for
my honey and the good news that his health is just fine. Positivity is best :)
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