Happy Halloween!

Gianna and Daddy discussed costumes and trick-or-treating for a couple of minutes this afternoon. I can't wait for him to see these pictures of his little angel!

Bring on the NyQuil

He's sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy-head-ing, fever-ing! (The lack of parallelism in that slogan always drove the English teacher in me crazy!) Between wading in waist deep water for hours during the marathon (read post below) and the rain that has continued pretty much ever since, Scott's got one heckofa cold going on. Today the safety team stopped his project. Apparently climbing on slippery surfaces 30 feet off the ground during a rain storm isn't too safe! At least there is one benefit to the weather, a few extra minutes of down-time; they got off 30 minutes early today!

D-A-D-D-Y

Scott has been working 15+ hours per day doing pretty demanding work. I was telling Gianna that Daddy worked very hard today and she broke into a song we learned for our trip to Gulfport. I asked her to sing it again but I cut off the beginning and couldn't get her to sit still enough a third time.

D-A-D-D-Y
Daddy, he's our guy
He works so hard
All day long
D-A-D-D-Y

Desert Flood

Yesterday was the national Marine Corps marathon and since there are many marines on base, they set aside a couple hours in the morning so anyone who wanted to run the marathon could. Scott was assigned to man a Gatorade station at the end of the route. His description of the event is below:

The marathon turned into the world's biggest fiasco... I got out the door at 4:40 AM. It was about 60 degrees and it started to drizzle, which should have been great marathon weather. I went back in my room and got my gor-tex jacket. Our ride showed up at 5:15 finally. We took our post on a corner at the edge of the oasis. The oasis sits in a wadi (kind of like a mini-valley that deserts have). The drizzle turned into pouring rain that lasted two hours.

All of a sudden we were in the world's biggest flash flood. The oasis disappeared; only the tops of the highest palm trees could be seen in a roiling sea of brown current. Hayes, myself, and some others were waist deep in current that was almost knocking us over. We were helping runners through the "river." They were all trying to hug the barricades around our corner, but the current was strongest there. All of a sudden it got to be way too much. Tree limbs were crashing into us. Three Ugandans from the security forces got stranded on a concrete barricade. Their car literally started floating away. We got out of there and the Ugandans got rescued. They tried to re-route our part of the Marine Corps Marathon but after another ten minutes they cancelled the whole thing.

I went to my workplace and was put on stand-by in a huge truck in case we were needed for rescues. Finally they cut me loose but told me to be back by 1 PM.

Hello from the Sandbox!

Generally Scott has the ability to check email once a week but usually doesn't have time to respond. This morning, however, I was excited to see his name in my inbox. Here are a few excerpts:

Bad weather today -- thunderstorms and torrents of rain. So here I sit in the computer room. I hope they don't have me doing anything too mindless this afternoon. It's the first real rain of the rainy season. I am wondering if it will bring the desert to life.

There was no World Series game on in the chow hall this morning and I cannot get into preseason NBA. The news has been a broken record the last few weeks. The economy, the stock market, the housing market, and the election. It seems so distant from here.

Feel free to email Scott at his yahoo address (ramzeeola90@yahoo.com). He would love to get updates from you. Just realize you will not likely hear back.

Good Times with Gourds

We carved pumpkins tonight. Gianna thought the squishy part was "yuuuuu-keeeee!" She was very adamant that she did not want a mad, or sleepy, or scary, or silly, or happy pumpkin. She wanted a sad pumpkin. (Can you tell we've been working on feelings?)

Seabees in the News

Here is a link to a news story about Scott's battalion. He is not with the guys who went to Tripoli, bit it is interesting nevertheless.
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=25360

Pump 3, You're Ready

For those of you who are not surrounded by Kwik Trips, the title of this post is the standard greeting that emanates from the magical land of the Kwikery when you prepare to put fuel in your car. Until the mighty and powerful Kwik Trip associate readies your pump, you're out of luck--not a drop leaves the hose. If only the Kwik Trip associate's powers extended to the middle of the desert. Somehow, a gasket on a fuel tank failed and Scott was doused in fuel. While he has a minor (first degree) chemical burn on his legs and some related swelling, he shouldn't have any problems beyond some discomfort for a few days. His uniform will have to be replaced which means breaking in a new pair of boots. I think he was more concerned about the impending blisters from that process than the burn. In any case, please say a quick prayer for his comfort and healing.

Lookin' Good

A friend of Scott's just sent these photos. I must admit at first the weapons and bunkers in the photos really unsettled me so I wasn't going to post them. Then I realized that this is his reality. The only time he doesn't carry that weapon is when he is showering and sleeping. He is not just on vacation or at boy scout camp. So, here is our little dose of reality...

The More Things Change...

Scott called this afternoon after another long day of driving. In fact, it was around 2:00 a.m. when he got back to his living area. The phones were down for the last day or so and the computers have been really slow and finicky (probably due to an increase in use during the phone down-age). We didn't talk very long but it was great to touch base and since I was home, he was able to talk to Gianna for a minute or two. She had been playing with a barnyard Spin-and-Say and spent most of the conversation sharing animal sounds.

There is a chance Scott's job will change again. There is talk of a building project similar to the type he worked on in Greece (during his Kosovo recall). While I know he would prefer to just get a job and stay in it, at least the work would be somewhat familiar. Who knows when or if that change will happen or how long it would last. The only thing certain is uncertainty.

More Birthday Wishes

We couldn't let Scott's birthday pass without recognizing it in some little way on this end. So on Thursday, when Gianna and I joined the Cernys and Webers (Sarah's new in-laws) for dinner, we took dessert--a birthday cake for Scott. We sang "Happy Birthday" and Gianna blew out the candle for Daddy.

Even though Daddy doesn't really like cake, I didn't see the need to subject the rest of us to Scott's favorite, mincemeat pie. I did, however, send him individual pie crusts and a jar of mincemeat pie filling which he shared with a friend on Thursday night. I'm sure it was nothing like the one I usually make, especially since I thought I better get the booze-free version. Hopefully it was still reminiscent of the real thing.

The Reward for a Job Well Done...

The reward for a job well done is more work! Scott's one-time driving project has turned into his full-time job. He has already driven over four-hundred miles in the past week which is quite something if you consider the timing of travel and the terrain. The good news is he enjoys driving and is using a skill he has grown quite comfortable with in the civilian world. Granted, the equipment is subtly different than the trucks he is used to driving (although I bet they are about the same age which doesn't say much for Amerigas or the military!) but he seems to be adjusting well.

Like Father, Like Daughter

Most of you know Scott has quite a dislike of fish, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised by tonight's mealtime escapade. For several weeks, I've been trying to sneak as much protein as possible into Gianna's food. I've had quite a bit of success with shredded chicken in pasta and rice dishes so tonight I attempted tuna casserole. I called Gianna to the table purposefully a bit late to ensure a good appetite. She climbed up and appeared excited so I tried to build enthusiasm by touting how good it looked. She exclaimed, "Yeah!" and could barely finish praying before she grasped the spoon and shoved a mound of gooey noodles into her mouth. A barely perceptible pause was followed by facial contortions and spitting that seemed to be involuntary reflexes! She did manage to eat--or rather, tearfully gag down--two bites of "just the peas, Mommy" before I broke down and made a peanut butter sandwich. I guess an aversion to anything aquatic must be genetic.

Happy (early) Birthday!

Since I don't know if Scott will be able to check his email or this blog on Thursday, I thought I'd post a special message from Gianna now.

The Wheels on the Truck...

Yes, I know--another illusion to a toddler song. This time, however, it is one Scott actually sang to my voice mail. Apparently even though he is still changing jobs, he was tasked for a different project over the weekend and got to put to use his CDL and Amerigas experience. No details to report but I'm guessing he didn't need to know that the wipers go woosh woosh woosh as the weather has been 90s all week.

Christian Community

With the exception of the week in Kuwait, Scott has been able to participate in Holy Mass during his entire deployment--Praise God! What's more, he can access the chapel throughout the day (nonworking hours of course) and a bible study is even starting up tonight. He was unable to attend due to the new job today (see post below) and the distance, but it sounds like in future weeks the study will be held closer to the lodging area so he won't have to go back and forth the three to five miles in the evening. In any case, there are opportunities to connect with other Catholics and fellow Christians for which he is quite grateful.

From Work to Work and More Work

It had been a couple of weeks and Scott was beginning to settle in at the new job. He was gaining comfort with his new coworkers and the tasks of the job. Even though he wished he could have crossed-rate to a medical position, this position was certainly a better fit than some of the tasks he could have been assigned. Yet nearly as soon as he settled in, he's shipping out, so to speak. Apparently another seabee got injured in an on-base work accident and has been reassigned from construction work to Scott's area. Since they had enough people in Scott's area, Scott has been reassigned and will have a new job effective immediately.

Speaking of work... I took out the garden today and Gianna insisted on helping. We were both covered in dirt, seeds, and tomatoes within minutes. A neighbor was kind enough to throw our plant waste in the back of his pickup and haul it to the town compost heap. Believe it or not, because of our kind and generous neighbors, this is the first yard work I've had to do since Scott left.

A Tired Boy...

...is a good boy, as Grandpa Salm would say. Apparently the Navy is really interested in having good boys since they've been working 12 to 14 hour days all week. Yesterday, after 14 hours of work, the officials decided to reward the group with pizza. So instead of going back to his can, showering, and relaxing a few minutes, he spent yet another hour or so with his coworkers. I'm assuming the pizza was better than the Burger King burger he described as likely being monkey meat!

On the whole, despite being tired, he sounds good. He was interested in the latest rounds of debates and was very grateful for the cards and packages he's received this month. He hopes to send personal notes of thanks as time allows but know that your thoughtfulness and generosity are appreciated. I too appreciate anything you send his way. It is reassuring to know that he knows he is thought of, loved, and missed.

Boots on Ground

I just recieved this photo of Scott's battalion

landing in the Middle East.

Good to the Last Drop

Apparently coffee-making equipment is hard to come by and Scott had been without caffeine for quite some time (a shock to his several-cup-a-day habit!). He sent an email with a brief celebration of the arrival of a coffee maker to the detachment:

My brothers-in-arms and I hovered over the coffee machine as we made our first pot. We briefly considered staying “un-hooked” on caffeine but then rejected this idea for the sheer madness and lunacy it was.

The Phone, The Phone is Ringing...

I apologize to those of you who don't have toddlers who are obsessed with The Wonder Pets. The title of today's post is part of the theme song to one of Gianna's favorite PBS programs and is what we sang as we went to the phone this morning to answer Scott's call. I guess the phone system on base was down for a day or so and was still only available in a limited way. As a result, we only had a very few minutes to chat. Basically, he reported that he has had a couple of good days at work. Starting any new job is stressful; I can't imagine starting a new job under those circumstances! During the other minute or two I told him a bit about our Octoberfest parade adventures. (I'll post more about them when I get pictures!)

It's Planting Time

While Mom, Sarah, and I were having our fun, fabulous weekend (see post from 9/21) Gianna and Papa were busy planting fruit trees!

He Called, and Called, and Called...

After several hours and three failed attempts, Scott gave up on Skype today. Actually, Skype would probably work fine, but his built-in mic picks up too much noise and apparently the external mic he borrowed is not compatible with Microsoft Vista. We had hoped that the cost (it is only 2 cents a minute) and convenience of talking in his "can" would allow us to talk more than a few minutes at a time but at least we still have calling cards!