Flattering Experience

Last night I went out to TGI Fridays for dinner. Since I am by myself I just sat at the bar and the bartender (Allen) and I starting chatting. It eventually came out that I am leaving on Friday for Afghanistan. As I paid my bill and got up to leave he asked me to hang out for a moment. Allen then proceeded to yell very loudly to everyone in the restaurant that he had an announcement. Allen yelled to everyone that I was getting ready to go to Afghanistan for a year and he wanted to thank me for my service. Needless to say, I turned about 42 shades of red and thanked him for his kind words. Several people on the way out echoed his sentiments. TGI Fridays has a bell above the bar that they ring when something exciting happens and he rang it as I was leaving. I have never been more flattered in my life and it was a unique experience. Oh yeah and he comped me a drink so I really couldn't complain :)

Today was more of the same. Hurry up and wait. Hurry up and wait. I think they could have crammed the first three days into one day but that is how it is at CRC. Or at least that is what I have been told.

Tomorrow we are going to be issued all of our gear and we are going to process through the medical portion. It is going to be a very long day. We were advised that because we are going to be away from our primary location that we are going to be given MRE's for both lunch and dinner. MRE's for people who don't know are pre-packaged meals that have enough sodium in them to kill a rhino.

I got a chance to meet a couple of guys from other agencies that are going to Camp Leatherneck as well. I will be working in the same office and sleeping in the same tent with these two guys. I haven't quite figured out how to read them yet but they are at least polite and quiet. They may be in for a rude awakening once I loosen up around them.

I am officially on the flight manifest for Friday's flight to Kuwait. The only thing at this point that would stop me from leaving the country is if there is something medically wrong with me like a broken hip. I looked up the temperature for Ali Asaleem (where we fly into) and the high is going to be 120 and the low 92. I bet I will be missing this lovely Georgia weather then.