It finally sprang

It looks like spring is here for real. We’re now here on Day Four of straight sunshine here in Kurdistan and it’s flipping gorgeous outside.

Sen. Duckworth, me and a bunch of other people.

Yesterday, we opened a new community center for hanging out. It’s a refurbished house and it’s got a couple game rooms, an exercise room, a big room and a nice rooftop area to chill. We had a big party to open it, complete with a BBQ. The head military guy here spent all week smoking pig and cow. It was fantastic. I tried to go back for more brisket, but it was gone.

Other than that, it’s just been another dull weekend. I’m working more than I did last time I was here because in addition to main gig, because I’m on three other projects at the same time. As a result, I’ve been in the office more over the weekends that I did when I was here before.

But like last time, I made it outside! I was able to do one of the grocery runs yesterday, which was cool. It’s the third store I’ve been to here. The one I went to first last time was sort of run down, but the other two were pretty modern, although yesterday, the power blipped about three times while we were in there.

That happens a lot, on a daily basis. It’s one of the reasons I tend to stick to the ellipticals here and not the treadmills. When the power cuts off, those things stop abruptly. That could be painful.

Next week, which begins on Sunday for me, might be a tad slower. Since the day I arrived, we’ve had back-to-back-to-back “visits,” which is what we call it when high-maintenance people come through. Well, the people aren’t high-maintenance in themselves, but the whole situation gets complicated because logistically, every minute of the “visit” is prescribed. (Even “comfort breaks.”)

One of the visits involved two disabled senators, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Sen. John Isakson (R-GA), plus Sen. Angus King, an Independent, from Maine. Erbil is not a disabled-friendly place, but they weren’t here all that long.

Read Duckworth’s bio. She’s got a phenomenal background, and her visit here was the first time she’s returned to Iraq since she was shot down and lost her legs. Part of her trip was to visit the site where she went down. The women at the consulate had a photo op with her, but we didn’t get time for anything more.

I also did the little constituent meeting with Isakson because we don’t have a lot of people from Georgia. He went around the room – about eight people – and asked where people were from. At my turn, I explained that both my parents were from Louisiana but when Daddy graduated from college, he got a job in Attapulgus, GA and the closest city with a school was Tallahassee. I told him I’d understand if he threw me out, but he let me stay. He said he’d been to a wedding in Attapulgus and told the others present, who were mostly from little tiny towns, that their little tiny towns looked like Atlanta compared to Attapulgus. I reiterated that was the reason I’m from Florida and not Georgia.

Now I’m down to the last half of my Erbil stay. I’m glad I hit the grocery store, but honestly, I don’t need to go again. I got enough potatoes and frozen veggies to last the rest of the time and I don’t need to be tempted with cookies. I’m still working on eating my way though what I brought, but I’m doing all right. I finished the pasta and lentils and the end is in sight for the popcorn and powdered milk. Still working on the rice; I had a really big bag, but if I wind up finishing off the powered milk or powdered sugar (I brought brownie mix!), then I have a container I can downsize into.

There’s a possibility that I might get a third TDY up here, and I’d welcome that. I’m due to depart Iraq at the end of September, and from what I’ve been told, the person I’m substituting will be taking leave from the end of August until mid-September. That’d work out just fine for me.

Although I love being in Baghdad, I love it here, too. They’re very different but for me, both experiences have been positive.