Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Day 302

I don't have a TV in my room, by choice, so I don't see the news. We get the Stars and Stripes a week or so late, but I get my news from Google News. I see a headline, click a link, and then check the BBC news online to see what's really happening. Today, tanning beds were listed as the one of the top three causes of cancer to humans, along with arsenic and smoking. Tanning beds. Do you suppose they'll be groups of people with nothing better to do, trying to put lables on them? Another story caught my eye today. It's unsafe to text while driving. Wow. There's a shocker. So I did a little research. They make jamming devices for cell phones. Why not install one in each car with the switch hooked up the airbags and the shift lever? If the car is in park or if the airbag deploys, the jammer shuts off. Problem solved. Oh no, we have to leave it to the idiots who won't quit talking on their phones in the movie theater to make the right decision? We have people here, driving at 20 MPH who talk on their phones. What is so important that you can't wait the three minutes it takes to get back to your office and talk to somebody in person? How many people do I see in the supermarket talking to somebody at home while they're shopping? Have we forgotten how to make shopping lists? Ban cell phones forever! Ok, I feel better now.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Day 291

While at home and while at Ft. Lewis I asked and heard asked the same question asked, "Why are the Iraqi's placing roadside bombs and firing rockets at us?" I never had a clear answer until recently.
Think back to the 1980's and attempt to remember the movie "Red Dawn". The Russians invaded and the local kids fought back. One of their own turned on them and Patrick Swasse ended up shooting his friend. When the others of the group tried to talk him out of it, his final statement was, "...because we live here." Tying in our situation to that movie, we are the Russians and the Iraq's are the kids.
Or to think of it another way; if China decided that the American government was a threat to the rest of the world and invaded the US. If they killed the President and Vice President and everybody in the chain of succession. If they arrested and put on trial every governor. If they disbanded the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Guard and Reserve. If they fired the CIA, NSA, FBI and Highway Patrol. If they fired every County and City cop in the country. If they fired every mayor of every town in America. If they redrafted the lesson plans for every school in America. And then when the Chinese said they'd be out of our country in 10 years, would you then believe them? If, as the Iraqi's did here, you knew the Chinese were going to win, you opened all of the prisons in the country and let all of the criminals out and suggested they make trouble for the invaders, would you now feel emphathy for the common citizen?
What would you do? Would you sit by, try to make the best of it, going along with them, to try to keep your car and your house? Or would you load up the RV, collect as many guns and as much ammo as you could, and head for the hills? These Iraqi insurgents are doing what many of us would do in the same situation.
I'm not trying to defend them, and I wish they'd just pack up their dangerous toys and get on with their life. I'm just trying to put a little bit of perspective on this.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Day 283

I'm not saying it's hot, but it's 7 pm and it's cooled off to 108 degrees. It topped out at 113 today. It was our last day of range duty. Hopefully I won't have to get up at 2 am for while. I took my M4 carbine and qualified. For those of you who know rifles, the rear sight of the M4 is on a spring. When you're not using the weapon, you fold down the sight so it gets out of the way. Well, my spring is broken. Every time I pulled the trigger, the rear sight would fall down. My morning went; bang, life sight; bang, lift sight; bang, lift sight, more times than I care to count. At least I qualified and now don't have to do it again until I get home. Yeah, and that shooting while in the kneeling position did wonders for my bad knee. I just aimed at the largest target on the paper and fired. Well, it went; bang, lift sight; bang, lift sight. I think I had 13 holes in the big target. Too bad they can only count the first five. My new happy thought; in my camper, all alone in a campground, surrounded by green grass and leafy trees, with a small lake in the distance. I use my new camper bread machine and use the warm, made in the camper, so it's got to be homemade bread, (right?), as my bread for french toast, cooked over an open flame, and in the same pan as the bacon. Ice cold milk, margarine, and perhaps a dusting of cinnamon to top it off. Mmmm, homemade food. If you could hear my voice, right now I sound much like Homer Simpson drooling over doughnuts.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Day 282

I am changing my motto. It is currently, "When life hands you lemons, quit your job and go to Iraq." I believe it now should be, "When life hands you lemons, grab the salt and tequila, and call a friend." Now, I'm not saying it's hot, but I just brought back from the dining facility a Frost Gatorade. Mmmm, grape! When it was in the cooler in the chow hall, it was cold. By the time I get to my room, a 5 to 7 minute walk, it was warm, working its way to hot. I'm not saying it's hot, but there are as few bugs here now as there are in North Dakota in February. I know I keep promising pictures, but whenever I try to load them, the sucky-ass slow, expensive-as-hell internet service here makes me wish notebooks weren't so frisbee-ish and light. Speaking of notebooks, I bought this Dell XPS specifically for the deployment, and it bites on the level that only cheap pieces of junk can bite. I am so looking forward to getting home and buying a real computer. I'd do it from here, but I don't want sand caked on the better one, too. I was thinking that I should go back to a HP, but since I'm going back to school, maybe I should start looking at Apple notebooks? I welcome your comments on the topic. Speaking of welcoming comments, I would like to thank my good friend Aaron Bedford for my log-off on this blog.
By the power of Castle GreySkull, I am...
Hugh Grindberg

Monday, July 6, 2009

Day 279

Range week all this week. Our unit is having a range for enlisted soldiers. The range opens at 0430 and goes until everybody is done. I had to be at the office this morning at 0330. When I got there, on time, thank you very much, it felt a little bit cool. I checked the thermometer and it was all of 87 degrees. Oh, did it feel nice and cool. You've got to start firing as soon as you can see the targets so you get done and out of the sun by the time it starts getting hot. Over here, hot is relative, so if the sun comes up about 5 or so, it gets hot about 5:30 or so. Then it gets uncomfortable by about 7 and then it's up to unbearable about by 9:30-ish. Luckily they were all back by at the office at about 0930. Oh, I wanna go, but they won't let me go, home.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Day 278

Sunday the 5th of July. Yesterday's celebration of the birth of our great nation passed by here without much fanfare. We had cake. We had a good meal. And we had no fireworks. I think this is the first 4th where I didn't want anything to go 'boom'.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Day 276

We're getting there. In double digit days unti I get out of here. We're getting there. Would somebody please tell me what I was thinking when I wanted to stay for 7 more months in this place? I don't know what I was thinking. Feel free to slap me up along side the head when you first see me. You only get one apiece. :)
That which gets me through my day; images of family and friends, familiar settings, fond rememberences of places with color. That's the day-time. The last image I conjour before falling asleep is a simple one; I'm in my camper, set up in a secluded area, all of the windows are zipped down, and through the front, I see a lake, about 100 yards away, blue water, a cloudless day, a windless day, and the lake is almost glowing with its blueness. The grass from the camper to the waters edge is manicured and green. Out the window to my left is all grass and trees. Out the window to the rear is grass, green and manicured, heavily populated with trees, and a steep hill. I'm not sure if I'm in the foothills of the mountains, or just in a place with a hill. To my right I can see grass and trees. No people. Not one. Peace, and quiet, and solitude. As much as I am looking forward to seeing everybody and quitting my job, I think I need to live in my camper for about a month. And if I can find this secluded place, so much the better.
Ok, there is one more thing I've been contemplating. Not that I've put much thought into this, so bear with me. I am looking forward to sitting in a bar. The bartender brings me a bottle of Grain Belt Premuim and a frosty mug. The mug has been sitting in the freezer for about 17 months, building up an unbeliveably thick layer of ice. I twist the cap off of the bottle, tilt the mug towards the bottle, and slowly pour the beer into the mug. I put the bottle on the bar, close the bartenders side, as it's now empty and needs a proper burial. I lift the mug to my lips, gently tilting the bottom away from my chin and in a slight upward direction. As the first drops of beer touch my tounge, pieces of ice, which have been floating at the top of the mug, rest against my upper lip. I swallow the beer; once, twice, and then once again. I lower the bottom of the mug and pull it back from my mouth. I set the mug back on the bar and use the back of my hand to wipe off my upper lip. A sound escapes my lips. It is a mixture of; one-half part satisfaction, one-half part delight and one-half part fulfillment. Yes, I know that is three halves, but that's what you get when you drink Grain Belt Premium.