01/16/2002 Entry: "Christmas Time"

I know.....I know.....It has been a while since I made an entry. With the holidays and my leave, I have had plenty to do. Christmas at the FOB was "cozy". The mess hall did another fantastic job preparing a spread fit for anyones fine Christmas China. There was turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, etc. etc. etc. And you would never guess it, SNOW - there was plenty of that these last several weeks.

Most of the guys got plenty of care packages and Christmas presents sent to them. Heck, there were even a couple of Christmas Trees sent. The decorations and lights were limited though, due to the crazy fire codes. We were not allowed to have christmas lights hanging in the living area - Bummer. But then again, no one is trying to pass this off as home.

The snow is really getting to be a pain, that's all it seems to do around here. For many of the guys at the FOB from Mississippi, it was there first white Christmas. The bad part about the snow is that some of the patrols are being kept inside the wire due to the trafficability of the roads. The guys are getting stir crazy.

The worst news to come out during the Holidays was that we are moving to Eagle Base in a couple of weeks. About the time these Southern Boys had us talking funny, we have to pack up and leave. No more indoor plumbing, and cozy two man rooms. It will be a 50 meter walk to the showers and latrines, and we'll be living with up to 7 other of our closest friends. At least it will be change of scenery. We will travelling over a bigger area and seeing some new faces. Apart from the living accommodations, it will be a welcome change, only because we are so close to coming. Right now we have been away home for 5 months, and have 2 1/2 months to go. We are coming down the home stretch.

One good note is that I got a chance to take two weeks of leave and see my family back home. Although it was cold back there, it is no comparison to Bosnia cold. My son has really grown up. When I left he was eight months old and barely crawling, now he is 13 months old, walking around the house and wearing my wonderful wife down. Now that I was home to see him, I better understand the wild emails Jill sent me explaing how crazy Hunter is. It was truly great to have the opportunity to see them and the rest of my family.