Stewed Kebabs

Kandahar Airfield is a NATO base and there are about 10 different dining  facilities catering to the different troops here. The current breakdown on chow halls is 4 American, 4 European, 1 Asian, and 1 Afghan.  Most people just go to the dining facility closest to where they sleep or work. Luckily I am across the street from an American facility so I usually have breakfast and dinner there. Where I go for lunch isdictated by work. When we aren't flying we convoy to the nearest American facility. When I am flying things get interesting because of where we are going and what time we take off and land. Our hangar is immediately next to the Afghan compound and so their chow hall is the closest thing if we have limited time. The first time I went they asked if I wanted to eat some kebabs. I didn't know this but kebabs just means chunks of meat and the preparation can include boiled, fried, orstewed. I have eaten with the Afghans about half a dozen times now and the meal is always the same - soup, flat bread, rice, and stewed potatoes and beef. The only thing that changes is the fruits and vegetables depending on what is in season. The good news is you know what to expect and their fruits and vegetables are always the best onbase.

Rumor has it Shish Kebabs were not invented until the Persians introduced the Afghans to the tips of their swords. I am told the Afghans do have Shish Kebabs for special occasions like the elusive dinner the Afghan General is setting up for all the new Air Advisors.

Pantless Screamer??

HA HA HA!!!  Good post title, don't you think?  I can't claim it as my own cleverness.  It came from my cousin Pam and the comment that she made on my last post:

"For Sale" sign in my lawn!! I don't handle mice AT ALL!!! Growing up on a farm you would think I could handle them better then I do. ONe time I was sitting on the toilet and one came running under the door and down the the heat vent! Needless there was a pantless dancer screaming on the bathroom vanity!!"

Too funny Pam!  That story immediately made me think of family reunions at Catherine's Creek.  Good memories!  Do you (cousins) remember all the mice, rats and bats at that place? I can remember sitting with Rosie and some other people and watching a large mouse run across the tables.   And do you remember Grandpa S. telling about his early morning visitor?  He got up early to use the bathroom and was on the toilet when a large rat came crawling out of a hole in the wall and that it would have been a dead rat if he had been able to get to it.  Oh the funny things that happened there!!

Squirmy Mess

Be forewarned...this is kind of a gross story.

Sooooo.....as many of you know we are doing a bit of remodeling on the house I will be living while Micah is deployed.  A few weeks ago I noticed a mouse run behind some cupboards while I was cleaning.  Nothing a box of Decon couldn't take care of, right?  I kind of wondered if I would kill that mouse.   And Oh I did!

Yesterday I went over to the house and down in the basement was the most wretched smell.  We had a pipe in the bathroom leak so there was some residual water left on the floor (the basement is gutted so it is just concrete).  I thought maybe the water smelled bad.  I couldn't figure it out.  I even texted Matthew (my brother) and said, "It smells like there is something dead down here."  I was hoping he would offer to come and check it out for me.  He didn't.  Too busy schmoozing his girlfriend.  But that is okay.  We want him to marry her!

So anyway, today I go back down to the basement to start some laundry.  Same wretched smell again!  Only this time it was a bit stronger.  I opened up the windows checked to see if the water was still leaking.  It wasn't but there was still some damp places.  I figure things are fine, maybe some dirty laundry got wet and is smelling.  There were a few things left behind in the house that I have been trying to get washed and bagged up so they could have been the culprit.

Later in the day I head downstairs to switch laundry again.  This time I notice the water leaking.  I leaned over to give the pipes a once over and voila! I found my leak.  It was in an unexpected spot.  Then I notice something writhing and wriggling out of the corner of my eye.  I reached down and slowly lifted a piece of wet fabric.  Underneath was a dead, decomposing, maggot covered mouse.  Talk about foul.  I about puked....and I hate to puke.  It was seriously foul.  A mouth breathing, hold your breath moment.  I'm even holding my breath as I type.  Agghh.  It was gross. 

I called Matthew and my Dad.  I figured if I was really smart I would get one of them to clean it up.  Eventually Matthew worked up some courage, put his gloves on, and quickly scooped up the dead mouse and threw it and the rotten fabric in the trash.  Then we poured bleach on the area.  I am hoping that things will smell better tomorrow and that Matthew remembered to take the trash can up and outside.  Crap...I sure hope he was smart enough to think of that!  I didn't even think of it till now.  Had to put the whole experience out of my head for awhile.  I thought I would spare everyone a picture of that little treat!!

Afghan Lions

This picture reminded me of one I saw with a pride of lions camped outunder a parked airplane.

 Today we went into a Forward Operating Base (FOB) where shade was at apremium. The aircraft's outside air temp gauge read 43'C - close to110'F. We had to wait (as usual) and it sent everyone scurrying forcover. Although the Afghan's sense of hygiene isn't up to what most ofus would expect, they don't bite and it wasn't too difficult to get themout when we were ready to go.

New Header Picture

I am trying to decide which I like better.  Any thoughts?  They are the same, except the first one is "warmed up."  Seriously, I really need to learn how to use photoshop....ahhh...one day!

A co-pirate

This came from Micah today:
This story is for Porter. He thinks I am out fighting pirates. The Air Force has standardized the way pilots transfer the controls when flying an aircraft. There should be a three way conversation that goes something like this:
Pilot wants the co-pilot to fly and says, "Copilot has the controls" Copilot takes the controls and says, "Copilot has the controls." The pilot then visually confirms that the copilot has the controls and says, "Copilot has the controls."
This is the same process that we are teaching to our Afghan pilots. Only we have thrown a translator into the mix. The translators that we have aren't too bad. However, sometimes the translators have a funny way of pronouncing things. I admit that sometimes I do my part to contribute to the language barrier.
I have started saying pirate instead of pilot. It sounds close enought that no one notices except the other american in the back.
So that is a co-pirate over in the right seat. I particularly like this pirate's bandolier cartridge holder. I guess he plans on loading his semi-auto pistol like a single shot. The Afghans have a way of simplifying technology like that.

Cold Case

Have you ever watched that television show called Cold Case? It is a crime drama and the storylines involve unsolved cases. I have seen it a few times. It is kind of fun to watch because the story is always told during the era of the crime, then it flash forwards to modern day. The actors can be teenagers and then *flash* they are adults. And the show usually incorporates music current to the time of the storyline.

As many of you know I am currently living back in the town that I grew up in while Micah is deployed for a year. Talk about BIZARRE!! This is probably the most I have been here since moving away after high school and it has been 2 years since I last visited. I feel like I am in an ongoing episode of cold case. I run into people that looks SO familiar and yet I don't know who they are, or I do know who they are but they look OLD! Which means that I must look old too!!

One day I heard my dad talking to a man and when I walked into the room and saw who it was *flash* I was at a stake dance and R.E.M. was playing. I registered the boys for baseball and ran into a man there. I had to ask who he was because he looked so familiar. He was a grade older than I and married to one of my H.S. friends. *flash* back in high school...STRANGE!! Just yesterday I ran into a woman in Costco. We saw each other and at the same time said, "Hi! Who are you?" Then we laughed. We had gone to girls camp with each other as young women.
I went with my mom to get my haircut, and the woman cutting our hair worked with me during a summer job....and she told me that she had a picture of me. I said, really? And she said, "yah it was with the copy machine...we were messing around.' okay....don't remember that!

Anyway, it is a strange strange experience! But I have to chuckle because it is JUST like that show. Crazeee!

Dust Storm

Here is another Micah adventure. I was going to wait a day or two to post it but Porter's response to the pictures was too hilarious. That kid just cracks me up sometimes. There are two photos of Micah outside. One is during a dust storm and the other on a clear day.

Why is this funny? Let me refer you to a post/conversation that we had last fall. I can't figure out how cut and paste and the kids are going beserko, so go read this. Then come back.

Okay...ready now? So, Porter looks at this last photo of Micah and with a bit of disappointment says, "Well where are all the pirates?"

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Afghan lessons

An update! Micah has deployed to Afghanistan for a year. In the meantime we are living in Idaho near my parents and doing some work on a house. The house isn't quiet ready yet so we are staying in a friends basement. We expect Micah home in about 11 months and 2 weeks or so. He does have a mid-tour when he will come home for 2 weeks time. While he is away I will be posting our adventures as well as some of his.

Micah sent me an email the other day. Thought I would share it:

"Ok, so these pictures stink, but there is a good story behind them. I took the first picture of the Mi-17 we were flying with in formation with. I then decided that it would be a good opportunity to get a picture of me flying so I tightened up the formation to about 3 rotor diameters and told my Afghan flight engineer (FE) sitting in the middle seat to take a picture of me in the left seat. The idea being to get a shot of my face with the other Mi-17 and the mountains in the background. I then gave the controls to the Afghan pilot sitting in the right seat so that I could look back while the FE took some pictures. The Afghan pilot had flown very well earlier in the sortie but as soon as the FE started yelling at him to make flight adjustments ( I think that is what he was saying anyway) the other pilot started getting really jerky on the controls. Then the Afghan pilot started yelling back at the FE and this went back and forth for about two minutes. Again, I can only assume what these guys were saying and in their defense most Afghan do raise their voice in normal conversation. Anyway, the lone picture the FE took during this two minute ordeal was when I was looking back over at the other aircraft to make sure that we were still in formation and not about to run into something. After I took the controls back the two guys continued their 'conversation' and a couple minutes later they started laughing when I started shaking my head and laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation."