Routine in the Making

Scott is officially in his position now. He isn't able to share many details but it sounds like it is office work. Of course, when building projects come up, he'll be tasked for them.

Between the travel, the chow halls, and his schedule, he had been off his diet and exercise regimen for a couple of weeks. Now that his work schedule should be a bit more structured, he started back up. He ran three miles this morning with two of his brothers-in-arms and they plan on doing it every other morning. On the other mornings, he walks three to five miles to work. He is also going back to using protein bars and jerkies as his primary source of protein (sure beats Swiss steak in the chow hall!).

The other benefit that comes with a more structured work schedule is he has been able to call home almost daily. Usually, we talk for less than fifteen minutes but it has been nice to touch base.

Keepin' Touch

You may or may not have known that you can comment on posts by clicking the comment link at the bottom of each post. Plus, now you can leave messages for Scott or Gianna and me right on our blog! I've added a tag board in the right column. Simply enter your name, email address, and message and then click the tag button.

Wisconsin Native Misses Cheese

Scott went for a pizza with some of the guys after work today. Was he disappointed? Absolutely. Was he surprised? Absolutely not. In fact, he tried to talk the guys out of pizza knowing it wouldn't be pizza as they knew it. My favorite part of Scott's description was something like, "there was just something not quite right about that cheese!"

(But given the other options, I'm betting he'll go for pizza again next week!)

The Heat Broke

That's right, the heat broke. Now it is only 95 degrees! Believe it or not, that feels like quite a relief after over a week at 110+.

Scott started work yesterday and as with any new job, the first few days have been pretty chaotic as job duties change hands.

Transportation around base is basically a bus system. I use the term "bus" loosely; it sounds like a vehicle that's a cross between a minibus and a SUV gets loaded well beyond capacity and rides from one camp to another throughout the day. In fact, when Scott went to pick up the packages he had mailed himself from Gulfport, there wasn't enough room on the bus for his packages so he had to wait for a vehicle in his area to become "available for borrowing"--a euphemism for something I'm sure.

We were able to talk for a few minutes this morning and plan to do so as often as our schedules allow. We plan on taking more time with our conversations on Sundays, but it is nice to at least be able to touch base more frequently now that he is on base.

He's Been Canned!

Before you get too excited and think that the Navy fired Scott and sent him home, let me explain!

Scott arrived in Iraq today and has been assigned his living quarters: a 10x16 metal box that is generally nicknamed a "can". His new roommate is Bob, a guy he worked with and spent some time with while in Gulfport. Scott thinks it's a pretty good match. Their can is in a section of the Al Assad Air Base named Camp Gettysburg.

Today he'll spend his time free time cleaning and unpacking. It looks like he'll have two jobs. When there is steel work to be done, he'll be assigned to a project. Otherwise, he'll be assigned office work.

He is hoping to have his internet account up and running in the next few days. Until then, you're stuck with my updates!

Fabulous Fun-Filled Weekend

We started with a sleep-over at the Ackerman's. Gianna's friends Lilly and Chloe were having their birthday party (3rd and 1st respectively) on Friday so we started the party early. (Kool and the Gang helped us to get things rocking and are now Gianna's favorite band!)

Friday afternoon we headed to Nana and Papa's house where I started organizing baskets and boxes of bachelorette and shower supplies while Papa and Gianna headed to "Lake Arnold" to fish. Although they successfully caught three nice blue gills, our fish-fry dinner was Canadian Pike; the blue gills were released. (I'm not sure at what point Gianna will realize the cute fishies swimming on her pole are the same yummy nuggets she dips in kethcup.)

Saturday morning came a bit too early but I headed out to pick up Sarah for what proved to be an excellent weekend. We started by meeting the girls at the Garden Party Cafe for an early lunch. It was a beautifully warm September day and we enjoyed window shopping in downtown Baraboo before heading to our wine and chocolate class:

Chocolate Espresso Beans. Sparkling Rose. Chocolate Walnut Cookies. Riesling. Chocolate Rum Mousse. More Riesling. Pinot Noir. Chocolate Zucchini Cake. (That pretty much says it all.)

We headed to the Hilton where we relaxed while Sarah was alternately amused and honored (and somehow not embarrassed) as she received her gifts. Then we were off to a fabulous dinner at Ginza, a hibachi restaurant. We ended the evening with drinks and the thought of ordering pizza...but alas, none was to be delivered!

Sunday's focus was the shower in Madison. The seasons theme ended up working splendidly and the gifts and games seemed a hit. The food and service at The Cool Bean were excellent.

In all, it was a fabulous, fun-filled weekend!

Sandy Days and Sundays

Scott is still waiting to make the last leg of his deployment trip. He was scheduled to go to his regular base over the weekend but due to terrible sand storms, his flight was cancelled. Since he had a bit more time in the area, he was able to visit a local bazaar/market. It was much more subdued than he expected, but the Muslims are currently observing Ramadan and fast from sun-up to sun-down which inevitably effects their energy level. He did have one other middle-eastern encounter worth noting. On Saturday he stuck his foot in his shoe for a morning workout and was surprised by what he thought was a small rock. He took of his shoe, shook it out, but found nothing. Returning from his workout, he removed his shoe and sock only to find a spider bite which he was told resembled that of a camel spider. Camel spiders are really not spiders at all; they are solifugae. Thus, they have no venom and the only threat from a bite is infection. From everything I've read online, it seems they are really not a threat, but I really don't recommend googling the things. They are quite ghastly looking and are the main characters of some really horrible myths/legends. I'm quite sure I'll have nightmares when I finish this post and go to bed. Yikes!

Many of you have asked for lists of things to send Scott in general or as birthday or Christmas gifts, so here is a list compiled from a couple of different sources and with Scott’s tastes taken into consideration. Once he has been in Iraq for a few weeks, he’ll have a better sense of his needs. Don’t fret too much about what to write or send. Just as important as what’s written or sent is that you thought enough to send something, and that connection to home and to you is priceless.

COMMUNICATION

• Letters of support (from you, children, schools, or other organizations)
• Stamps (regular, first-class rate)
• AT&T Global Pre-Paid Military Calling Cards (Other cards work but work out to about 55 cents per minute. The Military cards are 19 cents per minute.) The military cards can be purchased through the military exchange (click here to purchase).
• News or Sports Magazine (send him yours when you’ve finish reading!)

FOOD

• Home-baked goods. (Put a piece of bread in the bag to help keep the item fresh.)
• Snacks and non-perishable food items like beef jerky, protein bars, granola bars, fruit and nut bars, canned fruit, dried fruit, nuts and other healthy snacks. (Food items shipped with toiletry items will taste like soap, deodorant, etc.To avoid this, please deliver all food items packaged separately from all toiletry items.)
• Seasonings (unique hot sauces, seasoning mixes, Mrs. Dash, etc.)
  

CLOTHING

• Work Gloves (L)
• Under Armour undershirts, underwear, and socks
• Cotton Undershirts (L), Cotton boot socks (brown, tan, or green) (foot size 10)
• 72" Bootlaces (brown or tan)

TOILETRIES

• Pocket packs of Kleenex
• Travel Packs of Toilet Paper
• Shaving Lotion (not gel or foam in a can)
• Mach 3 Razor Cartridges
  
  
  

Gianna's Dress

I just ordered Gianna's flower girl dress for Aunt Sarah's wedding. I'm hoping it will arrive in time for the shower this weekend so Sarah can see it and we can see if it will match the shrug Kathy found (in case it is a cool October wedding day).

Family Pictures

Before Scott left, we had some family pictures taken by our friend Megan. They can be viewed at
http://www.digitalcreationsbymegan.com/ . Click the viewing button at the bottom of the page. Then Click on the Ramsay link at the bottom of the next page. Finally, enter the password: family.

Checking In

It was 1:30 in the morning when Scott called to say goodnight. He has been able to call three times (two conversations, one message) for a combined total of about 15 minutes, yet thanks to international units, we completely diminished a 120 "minute" phone card. Nevertheless, I was able to glean a few details about his current situation:

• He is at an air base less than fifty miles from Iraq.
• The air base is austere, mostly tent and basic wood structures.
• His lodging is in a plywood building with ten bunks.
• He has been assigned several days of classes.

Although tired--he has had about threee hours of sleep--he traveled well and was in good spirits. The call was ended as he asked me to say hi to everyone! So, "HI!"

It's Hot. It's Dusty.

Scott just left a message saying he arrived at his Middle East stopping point. It was around 7 p.m. local time on Monday night. His only comment about his location: "It's hot. It's dusty." That doesn't narrow things down much. He didn't say much else, but at least we know the ancient aircraft made the trip!

New Address

Scott has another new address. If you've sent something recenlty, don't worry. The old address still works. This new address will just get things there a bit faster.

Scott Thomas Ramsay
NMCB-27
Detachment 4, Charlie Company
FPO, AA 34099-2204

He's Leaving on a (really, really old) jet plane!

I heard from Scott last night on his last stop before leaving the U.S. I wish I had tape recorded his description of the plane he was on; it was hilarious. Apparently, funding for new aircraft is not high on the priority list -- the plane had ashtrays in each seat! I'm not sure when the no-smoking regulation went into effect but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to drive a car from that year, much less fly in a plane from that year! In any event, he is on his way which means he is one day closer to being on his way back!

Messages to Scott

I know several of you left messages on his cell voice mail on Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, he was unable to take his cell phone and needed to mail his phone home on Friday morning. He he is using pay phones with calling cards as they are available. I have, however, transcribed your messages and sent them in an email so when he finally gets set up on base, he'll get your messages.

Missing Mississippi

In August, Gianna and I took a trip to visit Scott in Gulfport. While Scott had to work and train most days, we still found lots of time to go to the beach, take drives along the coast, and just hang out. On our anniversary we took an excursion to ship island. We took an hour or so boat ride to the island; rented beach chairs and umbrellas; and even spotted dolphins, stingrays, jellyfish, and crabs.

raison d'être

You want to know about Scott. Scott wants to know about you. Over the past two months of mobilization we've received much--often contradictory-- information about what communication Scott will and will not have with life back home. While he will have his laptop, he may or may not have email access. He will not have a cell phone and while there are calling-card-ready phones, his access to them may be limited. So, this is my attempt to facilitate communication regardless of the time of day, the length of lines at the phones, or the inefficiency of the mail system.

In Shape

Scott is in the best shape of his life (or at least hist post-marine-corps life!). He is well within the Navy weight range, walks/runs eight to nine miles a day, and is in the top category for numbers of sit-ups and push-ups he can do. The irony? When he was a drilling reservist, he was weighed, measured, and tested frequently. Now that he is active, his scores will never be recorded.