The main priorities for today were finishing up our work and trying to find space on a flight back to BIAP. Neither was easy in coming. Most units think that it's ok to drag their feet when they know we're around. It's almost as if they assume we're only around for them and nobody else. Truth is, we've got units all over this place screaming for our help. We had one inspection to complete our work. In the meantime, we had secured space onboard an embassy flight back to BIAP. We had to miss the flight and try for another. The unit wasn't ready. They assumed we'd be available all day. Unfortunately, it ended up taking all day. I wasn't happy. Shit got done though.
Without the earlier flight it seemed there was no way we'd get out today. I resigned myself to another night in Mosul. It's getting cold here in the evenings. I don't mind being here so if the team is stuck somewhere it might as well be here. I sound like I'm getting picky when I complain that it's getting cold. It's my fault. I didn't pack for cooler weather because I'm still in the hot temperature mindset. Note to self - lesson learned.
As it got closer to the evening we learned of another C130 flight. It wasn't leaving Mosul until well after midnight but had seats available. After supper we packed and hurried back over to the pax terminal. I've mentioned in a previous entry that the pax terminal in Mosul is nice. The adjacent MWR is a former palace and very comfortable. It's no big deal to hang out here. Originally, I thought I'd check e-mail at MWR while we waited. That was a no-go due to a communications blackout. Eventually my entire team ended back over at the pax terminal watching AFN at Java Hut. The place was crawling with Joes, contractors, and interpreters. Everyone was fixated on the TV when I walked in. I assumed it was sports or news. I was wrong. It was Oprah. Fortunately, the episode was ending when I walked in. The programming got worse. Next up was Dr. Phil. I thought that certainly someone would change the channel. Wrong again! I was too tired to walk around. It was too cold to wait outside. My only option was to stay put. Why the fuck wasn't anyone changing the channel? I can't believe I'm admitting this, but... I sat through the entire episode of Dr. Phil. It's a "first" that will never get an encore.
During some of the commercial breaks I'd walk around the Java Hut area to look and see what novel titles were on the bookshelves. People send novels over here all the time by the boxload. That's a good thing except that a disconnect exists between folks back home and Joes over here. For some inexplicable reason, people send shitty romance novels. Every time I look around in the MWR, the pax terminal, or anywhere else that novels are stacked up it's always titles like "Bubbles Betrothed" or "A Passion Below". WTF, over? For God's sake people! Do you really think Joe wants to bury his head in a Danielle Steele novel (or worse)? There was even one book (in hardcopy no less) that was nothing but an equivalent of Penthouse Forum as told by black men - the title escapes me because I didn't write it down. Stop sending us this shit to read! Please!
The day ended with us still waiting for our flight. We remained glued to Dr. Phil and surrounded by shitty romance novels.
No comments:
Post a Comment