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For 16 years he played Army one weekend a month and two weeks a year. Then on 9/11 he came home, silently went upstairs and dragged his gear down from the 3rd floor, expecting the call that evening, I guess. That's when it hit me, "Oh, now I get it..."
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Saturday, April 06, 2002
Tomorrow I am sitting with Natasha while Deb goes to your moms and brings back stuff for the house. She's such a neat dog that I really will enjoy having her for the weekend.
Just wrote an article for Xxxxxxxxxx Woman where I described you (fairly I hope) Will send you a copy when it is published (EOM so a long wait) and you can judge if I captured your essence! I think it's perfect!
Will send you some academy award pogeybait from your nephew Brendan, and will look around to see what goodies I can find to enclose with it. Nothing will match his contribution. Let me know how the onion sets are when they come...the post office person asked if anything in the box was perishable and I lied.
We all miss you--think the kids did not realize that you would be gone such a long time and are expecting you to drop in like you did when you were in KY! We are hoping that the rumors are right and you will be home sooner than expected. Just so you're away from those critters you've been finding. We all wish this thing were over so you can come back.
Your maw in law
posted by Debbie at 4:01 AM
Up until 12:15; wide awake at 6 Good thing the time changes tomorrow.
Worked 12 hours straight getting my project out the door yesterday. The data contractor in CA was dribbling out work product all day Thursday; by the time I had it all, it was too late and I was too tired to work with it. I taught Zak how to make chicken paprika; now we’ll be having it every night.
Weird weather. Brilliant but cool the last two days, woke up this morning to a dusting of snow…
Off to your mom’s.
Tallyho, D.
PS – Do you need more coffee? I burned up the grinder on the last batch; have to try the Cuisinart ;-)
posted by Debbie at 3:33 AM
Friday, April 05, 2002
The days seem all run in together like groundhog day as we work seven days a week. There is always some tasking or things to get done. It just depends on the day then in the evenings it is time to read play card do the e-mail thing or call home. Then shower and shave go to sleep and get up and do it all again. The only good/bad time is to go down range and be in the dusty land of the moo haji beans. That is the time when one does not know what is going to happen and one is on ones toes...
I was supposed to meet major nuisance and general fuck up but they never did show up so I get to sleep in or for the whole night ping me back if you are at the computer.
posted by Debbie at 6:41 PM
It's lonely around here. I wish dad was here. I wish the World Trade Center had not been bombed by stupid Osama bin Laden. Zak
posted by Debbie at 6:18 PM
FYI: Chris notes that he is skipping breakfast as it is those nasty scrambled eggs made from powdered eggs and prepared for several hundred regular joes. Tomorrow's shipment includes 5# of cornnuts, 5# of pistachios, a pound each of cashews, mixed nuts and pecans, 12 Cloud Nine espresso bean bars and a dozen boxes of Peelu Gum, all courtesy of co-op. Unfortunately, I was short-shipped on fruit leather, his all-time favorite food. Anything breakfast-like, such as Power Bars, Clif Bars or the like, would be greatly appreciated.
APO address: redacted due to opsec concerns; available on request...
posted by Debbie at 6:16 PM
Editor's note: Chris asked me to send him a spreadsheet of his contacts. I printed it out and the first listing was of an old college buddy from OSU that we lost track of after we moved from Columbus. I recalled that he was studying journalism and used us once as a subject for a photography session so I did a search on his name and found the following:
http://wtc10048nyc.free.fr/032.html
So, I called the AP office in NYC. Within two hours, I was in e-mail contact with him. Ain't the web a nifty place?
Here's his message to Chris:
Just a quick lyrical morph of a popular line and some old beastie boys tune.
Fact is partying days are gone, but working hard is not.
Gee it's been over 20 years since we got out.
Too much to catch you up on my career:
Three Air Force One trips with Clinton.
Traveling on Bill Bradley's Presidential campaign non stop.
At both political conventions.
Traveling with Gore
Three weeks at the Florida Recount which combined with my political work earned me a Pulitzer nomination.
That should wet your whistle. Hang in there, I am "scheduled" or "on the list" to go over there. Photo below was shot in an undisclosed Persian Gulf country about a month ago. Cheers, C Rex A
posted by Debbie at 5:56 PM
Yup we are building lots of stuff here. I think that we may be here awhile I may be here 6-8 months and hopefully rotate home but we may redeploy to yet another undisclosed and unknown location:
Rio=no
Daytona=no
NYC=no
Amsterdam=no
Australia=no
Elshitostan=quite a posibility
I wish that that the terrorists had good looking babes and the location was on the beach har har no such luck
Dear dad how are you? I hear your getting deported again to some crazy place. Well if you do send a souvenir and I think we will work it out. We love you Amanda
posted by Debbie at 5:12 AM
So whats cookin in the wood?? What silly sorts of things are the democrats up to is everyone going to save the schools?? One of the problems that people are not looking at is how the schools will be funded for renovation. I don't think that you want to do bake sales for the next 20 years. what else is up????
It seems that I have all the health care stuff that I need I even picked up two more cans of shave cream. Everything that jj would have I can get from Mario. Have some one send him a card or take a picture of the kids and max and send it to mario he whines about the lack of letters that he gets and could use some dog photos. I have all the sardines that I could eat for awhile clinton sent me a good box with pesto and a bunch of other speciality items the rooster chili sauce has been a big hit here. Breakfast and dinner are the two chow hall meals which are as regular as the days names we get those scrumptious MREs for lunch. I have taken to sleeping in and missing breakfast as I don't think that I will eat scrambled eggs again. It is the simple things one misses like cracking an egg and having a fried one.
posted by Debbie at 4:47 AM
Hey monkeys how are you guys doing I just waddled out of the chow hall and we are going over our base xxxxxxx plan later. One has to be ready for anything and has to prepare before hand. I hope that you all doing well in school and are reading. My uncle Don sent a bunch of books for me to read when i am able, the good thing is when one has a few minutes one can be doing some reading. Here I can't always watch tv or more importantly it is usually tuned into some stupid channel. Well I hope that you guys are studying hard when one sees the kids here and they want the war to end and do the things that kids are supposed to do like go to school and have a safe place to play. I just hope that you are listening and asking questions. You guys need to tell me about the POD and other things that are normal to your life. I am in the land of no kids and I miss you guys. Tell me what is going on around the house and in the neighborhood. Did Roger get his house fixed?? Are they going to have the open house? I don't think that I will make it but before you know it I will be home again. Just taking it one day at a time here in groundhog land. Send some seeds in the next package. I want to get something in the ground before we get the hell out here. Post back. Love Chris
posted by Debbie at 4:44 AM
Thursday, April 04, 2002
Hope that everything is well and running like the clock glad to hear that the roof is almost done. I am going to have to get off unless there is anything else important. I have to get up at odarkthirty and get another thing done get those monkeys to post me a note and tell me what is happening in the Wood. Just the normal mundane types of things that go on day to day. We set up a shade porch using this big cargo parachute and it blew over so its back to the drawing board tomorrow. Kiss and hugs to Zak and Amanda love dad
Dear dad, It's me Amanda I want to tell you about what has been going on here. Yesterday we went to a farm to work like the pioneers we saw sheep, goats, chickens, donkeys, rabbits, turtles, fish, tadpoles, lambs and two tiny horses. We made wool into string. Made butter made our own music. Planted oats in the fields and drank goats milk (yuck) we played happy, happy joy, joy it was fun. There was a sack race. We even set a turtle free. It was so fun and so wonderful. We all forgot about the pain. Sincerely Your daughter Amanda
Dear dad, At karate we are working on round kicks, front kicks, front tucks, right tucks, side falls, left tucks and more. We are going to send you The Matrix on DVD so you can watch it on your computer. I bought an Elvis picture. It was five dollars. I'll show you it when you get back. [ed. note: a white elephant at a silent auction; we are going to put it up in the garage ;-)] Signed, Zak D.
posted by Debbie at 8:20 AM
Wednesday, April 03, 2002
I am not spending all this money but will be bottlenecked in the future as we can only draw so much. Then when we go down range I never know when we will have a good deal so one has to take cash. Will be sending more boxes home to make room here. Sorry that it is tax time and I hope that the monkeys aren't bugging you too much. Send me a review of the taxes and I will see if their is any advantage for being deployed. I know that the 2002 taxes will have alot of addendums and we might file separately to see if we will get a break. I hope that we are putting some money in the bank as I am not using all that hot water. Think of the savings! You gotta look at some sort of bright side. Miss you I have to write a paper note as I don't trust e-mail through our servers. Will try to ping you later love Chris
posted by Debbie at 11:26 AM
Tuesday, April 02, 2002
Deb just got out of the shower as we were covered in mud. We had some driver training in these little six wheeled ATVs actually it was quite a blast as we let off a little steam. One of these days we will get a little r+r at some city in the region. We are upgrading our positions and doing our missions. How are the little monkeys doing? I liked the poem from Zak I just hope that he is wearing his helmet when he is screaming down the street. People are getting all the goodies from overseas such as Turkish shotguns @ 1/3 the price american and people are ordering their Harlies you gotta look good when you get home. Think of how you will look on the back of one when we go to Sturgis. Well back to reality have a package coming back actually 2. The rocky boot box has goodies for you guys if there is anything else that you liked I can get some more. Most of the stuff here is pretty cheap like old soviet stuff. In fact this is the land of bad concrete as I have not seen anything that looks halfway decent. The mre box just has clothes that can go up to the third floor. I will be sending some other stuff in the next few days. No I didn't get another tent and have to make some room. I found out after I sealed the box and thought that I would not need any stamps that the post meter is broken and that they have to stamp everything. So you have to send the stamps back with a few extra. I also need some checks as we draw against our personal checks at finance and they only let us draw 100 or 200 a month and I think that my biggest expense so far has been gifts and postage. Post me back if you want any sort of thing-I haven't seen any really nice jewelry but they do have these embroidered purses if you and Amanda want a matching set. Well I will probally get your post back tomorrow I really do miss you and the monkeys - Chris
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Dear dad, I was on the computer when it went ringy dingy and I didn't let mom on, heres mom, Zak
Dear Chris: I was trying to get organized for taxes while Zak was on the computer. I am glad you are having a good time on 6-wheel ATVs while I am chained to the computer doing taxes. I think I have most of the receipts; will do a first cut at it and let you know. I am in a perfectly bitchy mood because my data is not here from CA yet and it's that time of the month. It's a good thing you are not here at the moment. I've forgotten what it is you wanted me to send you a hard copy of, sheet2.xls? Do you want a check from the account that your military pay is deposited to, or should I send one from the old CCCU account? There is more money in there; I just leave it there for automatic withdrawal for the car payment and the Y debit. D.
PS - I really miss you too ;-)
posted by Debbie at 9:08 AM
Sunday, March 31, 2002
Hi dad it’s me Amanda it’s Easter here and I love you.
When I was Easter egg hunting, I found 11 Blow-Pops. Are you really bringing cobra eggs home? Zak
posted by Debbie at 6:02 AM
Happy Easter y'all
We had our tent warming last night and I did sleep in this morning. Had the easter egg hunt and gave some of the pogey bait to my tent mates. This place seems like groundhog day the movie as one day blends into another. One good thing is my touch typing seems to be improving. Soon I will be getting some of my reading done. As to the earthquake I didn't know one had happened until there was a journalist from Houston covering it down at xxxxxx. There is no shortage of things to do here as the missions keep coming down. I hope that all is going well on the house and that the kids are behaving. There is one thing that you should
be prepared for is that I may be home in september but I may be employed by the goverment for the full 2 years. I didn't want to tell you but you should be prepared for the possibility. Received the box with the shorts and your article. Pulled out the digital camera last night and took the first pictures. Will send some later tonight when the camp settles down. Until later your soulmate - Chris
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