02 May 2007: Symphony in C-RAM minor

Insurgents are fair weather fans. When the weather clears, ground dries, and temperatures go up we can expect to hear from them more. So that means mortar attacks hear at LSAA have increased. It's the same old shit though - fortunately. They'll pop off a few unaimed rounds way beyond the range of their gun systems. The C-RAMs take care of the shots that seem to have a chance of doing damage. Well for the second night in a row I was rousted from my sleep by long bursts from the C-RAM. The system fires something like 3,000 rounds a minute and sounds like a loud buzz saw. The sound of the burst is shortly followed by the staccato rattle of the rounds exploding at a preset altitude. It reminds me of the crackling fireworks at a big 4th of July show. It's a comforting event in the daytime. At night when I'm asleep? It's a nuisance. It probably took me an hour to get back to sleep. An hour later it was time to get up. It must have had the same effect on most everyone else because there were a lot of grouchy faces this morning.

There's really no starting point to today. I was working in about five different directions. I've got team members leaving in the next few days to assist another unit in the north. I'll be leaving for a few days myself. So it boils down to completing paperwork, conducting PCI/PCC, briefing the chain-of-command, scheduling flights, making sure we've got a place to stay at the remote FOB and so forth and so on.... For the most part I felt as though I were in a daze today. It was mainly thanks to the symphony of the C-RAMs keeping me awake at night. I tried to sneak in a nap after lunch but it just didn't work.

Eventually I made great progress and once the team cleared out of the office I went to the gym. That always perks me up. A post workout trip to the DFAC was, at first, promising. On the menu was steak, lobster, scallops, shrimp, and other various side items. The lobster tails looked great. They've served them in the past and they weren't bad (I realize the DFAC isn't Carrie's on Douglas Ave - "Home of the 3lb Lobster"). Tonight it seems the lobsters were straight from the same factory that makes rubber chickens. Once I dragged the tail out of the shell I dipped it in butter and greatly anticipated the savory first bite. I might as well have bitten a rubber dog toy. It's unlikely my teeth even made an impression. My immediate thought was to drop it back to my plate but to do so would have necessitating picking it up off the floor (it would have bounced). So I gently returned the tail to my plate. Next I tackled the steak. Bites on the periphery were tender enough but the center was leather. Fortunately there was the salad bar. I filled up on cucumbers, carrots, onions, and some watermelon. It's very unusual for the DFAC chow to be the crap they served tonight. That made supper even more disappointing. Hopefully it isn't a foreboding sign of things to come. Weight loss is not on my agenda.

An ice cold Yuengling would've been perfect. I can still remember how one tastes.