Easter Sunday

It's not even summer and the mosquitoes are out. I killed at least 7 from midnight to 4am last night and I still got ate up. It's crazy - they are brutal too - I have bites all over me. It seems that all the girls here are get eaten up, but the guys never do. Or, maybe they just don't talk about it as much. The bad thing is, the walls in my room are white, so you can imagine all the mosquitoe marks on the wall.

Besides the mosquitoes, I have to report that I have finally heard the "incoming" alarm. If you have seen the news at all, you know that we got blasted today. I heard the first of it this morning around 0615. It seemed like it was very close and it I have to say my heart started beating quickly, but the Villa really is the safest place to be. We heard later that the Embassy was the target and considering it is approx 2 miles from us, the blasts must have been amazingly loud at the Embassy.

I didn't really know what had happened when I got up though, and I had some meetings at the Embassy this morning, so I went to my meetings and then arranged to go to church with two of the other girls that work with me. We were sitting in the service about 10 minutes into it and we heard 3 large blasts and the incoming alarm. Everyone in the service ran out of the bldg and into the bunkers right outside. We were in there for about 15 minutes before we got the all clear sign. Needless to say I didn't stick around the Embassy after that.

People who have been here for a while say that they holidays are always the worst. They really target us on Holidays. I have to say, I didn't think anything about it.

So, now I can say that I didn't sleep through the mortars for once. If I could get rid of the mosquitoes, maybe I could!!

Oh, we played volleyball and had a cookout last Thurs. It was so much fun - we had about 30 people total. I hope that we can do that again soon, before it gets too hot. Right now the weather is about 90 during the day and mid 70's or more at night.

Same ole!

Well, I hate to say that it's starting to be the same ole thing, but I am getting into a rhythm. People call it your "battle rhythm". I have always been a night owl, so it works out good here as I still work with a lot of people back in DC, so I can work late and sleep in a bit longer in the morning. Usually I quite working around 930-1000pm, hang out a little while and get to sleep around 1230 or 1am. But I get to sleep in until around 0800, and that works perfect for me. The tough part comes in when I have to get up for meetings at 0800, but that doesn't happen often.


This trip I have been spending a lot of time working from the Villa. I like it when no one is around, but when alot of people are here, it is line of sight tasking on anything. Everyone thinks that I work for them and they feel free to task me - that's when I'm happy to work in the Embassy. I will be there most of the day tomorrow. Plus, it's nice to mix it up get out of the Villa, see and meet new people.


I have been going to the gym everyday which I'm starting to enjoy. This is week 3! I am incorporating weight lifting this week along with my cardio, so today the legs were a little sore. There is always someone willing to go workout, so that makes it fun. The gym we go to is really nice - it's kind of in a basement like setting and has little nooks and crannies of equipment. It's big and has a lot of choices for equipment and the best part is, it's never crowded - unlike the Embassy gym. I went there one time and it was sooo stinky and crowded - I'm very happy to have found this other gym and it's close to our Villa.


Well, that's about the extent of things for now, you can see it's definitely the same ole thing!!

Spring is here!

Well, it actually happened! I had a full day off for the first time since I arrived here on 10Feb. I can't even tell you what I did. I slept until 0900, that's the first thing. I have never had a problem passing the time though, so before I know it, it's already 8pm. Things have quieted down for the time being. All the bigwigs left and they took a lot of people with them, so the Villa is quiet and there are plenty of work stations so I have a place to work. The weather here is absolutely gorgeous. It is sunny in the high 70’s today. It’s my perfect weather, although I didn’t bring anything to wear at all for warm weather. I was planning on getting some summer clothes when I go back to DC in April, but I might need something before then if it stays like this.

Swimsuit weather comes a lot faster here than back home and I am not at all prepared for it.
I know you're going to really think I'm roughing it when you hear this, but we have a swimming pool at the Villa, actually each Villa has one, but only one is functional. They cleaned it out this past week and now I see there is water in it, brown water, but it's water. I think they still have alot to do before it's ready for use, but it looks inviting. Some of the girls and I were talking that we have first dibs on interviewing pool boys!!

We got a mailing address now if you want to send a note or package. It doesn’t take long for mail to get here at all.

Here is the address:

Elliott, Pam
TFBSO
APO, AE 09348

Have a great weekend!