Fun Times!

Dear All,

We had two days last week of dust storms. It was nasty! Though it was blowing, you really could not feel the sand as it is so much like talcum powder. At the very most the visibility was a quarter of a mile. My head pounded and I coughed horribly all day from all the dust. The center seemed to be inches deep in dust. Seems useless sometimes to dust but we do it anyway lest we lose control.

One thing that happens during dust storms are mortar attacks. The air support cannot get out do surveillance and the insurgents know that so they make their presence known in a big way. Before the day was over we had had many sirens and alerts. One did injure a soldier but I understand he is doing fine. So much to learn and understand! Mom, I am very careful and do exactly what I am supposed to and I am also in a hard structure so I am really safe.

I am hoping that when I go to post this I will be able to put pictures with it. You just never know here if the internet is going to cooperate or not. This picture is a five pound chocolate bar that Johnny sent. He had contacted the Hershey Company and they also sent a case of chocolate Kissables.

Well it has been a week since I started this and so much has gone on that I want to tell you. Hopefully I can stay awake long enough to finish this. We have had several more days of dust storms since the one mentioned above. It’s that time of year so you just deal with it. You never really feel clean. Once you shower you still have to walk back to your room. It is just kind of nasty. Everyone walks around outside with something around their face where all that is exposed is their eyes. It is really kind of scary looking. I understand that this will remain with us until probably mid June. Now that excites me.

Guess who came to town? TOBY KEITH…. Those of you who know me, know how much I love Toby Keith music. His concert was supposed to be Sunday night but he got stranded at another FOB because of the sand storm. His band made it in but he did not. They brought the band by the center to visit and they were so fun. We decided to pull off a cook out for them so they came back over and spent the evening with us. We had ten of our volunteers and probably fifteen band members and stage hands. We were able to get steaks, hamburgers and the dogs from the PX and then we all went over to the DFAC and got to go boxes with all the side dishes. The evening went well and we all had fun. I found out that one of the band members use to live just a few blocks from me in Coppell and another lives in Valley Ranch right by me. They were fun and down to earth and I enjoyed watching them interact with the troops. The hope was to get Toby in the next day and have the concert then.

They had planned to bring Toby by the center for a tour on Sunday but it did not look like that would happen for us on Monday. Late in the afternoon we got a call saying they were bringing him by in an hour. Forty-five minutes later the USO WHQ representative comes running in saying he was there can you give him a tour. You can imagine I was happy to oblige. He was quiet and not real personable but I am sure it was that he was shy being with me. It was fun going from room to room and watching the troops be surprised when they saw Toby.

The concert was wonderful. You know me I got emotional watching the troops have so much fun. HE sang all my favorites. After the concert I had a few things to do at the center to clean up and close up. One of our regular volunteers who will be leaving next week stayed to help. We decided to take these USO “Mortaritaville” Frisbees over to the band members. Long story short, Toby Keith was sitting out front and me and this soldier sat and visited for almost an hour. Toby was hungry so we ran down to Burger King and got him something to eat. It was pretty awesome. He was very nice and signed some things for us to have to give to troops and even gave this soldier his Toby Keith coin. When we got in the car I told the soldier I was with that I felt rather silly. Here I am a 54 year old women giddy excited that I got to see and talk to Toby Keith. Oh Well! I just have such respect for him because he values and honors our troops so much! That is big in my book!

I start home for R&R soon. I am thrilled. I hope arrive the 7th. It will be so good to see my family and friends and all those who have so graciously and generously supported me and the mission here. You are all the best.

In His Mighty Grip,
Linda