Going On A Field Trip

Dear All,

It has been a busy couple of days and many possible changes. At this point we are not real sure where the USO Center is going to be. We will continue to work on that and maybe by the time we get back from our little field trip we will have some answers.

We are headed to the airport here around 11:30 to see when we can get a flight out to Kuwait. The one they have us on right now makes three stops all over Iraq and we would rather not do that if we don't have to. Really don't want to see Iraq from the back of a C130. Hopefully they will have something else.

We will go from Kuwait to Dubai and will be there until the second. We won't know what to do in a fancy hotel with a bathroom in my room. It will be great to meet the rest of the Directors and Program Managers from all the South West Region. I am looking forward to the training.

AS for Balad. The weather in the mornings and evenings is wonderful. I don't have my temperature gage thing up yet but I would say it is in the mid 80's and then jumps up over hundred in the afternoons. It is so dusty that it is unbelievable. I was over at the IT building and saw them open up the side of a computer and sand just fell out of it. It is a very fine powdery sand. Everything is covered with it. All the trees and buildings and cars...everything is covered with sand.

We had a meeting with the Mayor of Balad Monday. He was funny. There are signs everywhere that said don't do this or that by the order of the mayor. He was funny pointing those out as he did exactly what the signs said not to do. He is helping us look for the appropriate building for the USO Center. He is also trying to get us wet trailers. Wouldn't that be cool....a bathroom in my room shared with the person next door. Who would think I would think that as a luxury!

I do not have Internet in my room and probably won't as it is $3000 for the dish and $500 a month to maintain it. That is a little out of my price range. I can't hook my laptop up here at the hospital as these are military lines and I did not have my computer imagined. They say it is not good to do that so that has made it a little hard to communicate. I did finely get to download my pictures and am going to try and add some on here tonight. We shall see. Well I just tried and it appears that I can't do it from these computers. I should be able to email from my computer in Dubai and will add pictures then.

I am doing to get to work one day in Dubai at the USO, which is the USO that Maureen Foley worked at for a long time. I am also going to get to met her friend Melanie. I am excited about that. Almost feels like family!

Well no big news just another day with troops, troops, troops! I love it and love this opportunity to serve our heroes.

I love each of you and miss you greatly.
In His Mighty Grip,
Linda