What a surprise....performing my daily ritual of shaving while checking email and looking at the on-line newspaper, I find that I (and probably most of the people who read this blog) have an email from Eli. Seth and Eli are boots on the ground, although it sounds more like butts in the bed from Eli's letter. Hard to believe that a move from Kuwait to Iraq could be a step up in the world, but Eli makes it sound like it is. When we got their APO address we immediately started a box for the boys. A trip to Wally World and the Cheese Shop set us back a couple of bucks and now I have this huge box sitting in the living room that takes two people to pick up. We know that the boys don't need all the stuff we're sending (and can probably get most of it at the PX) but this isn't really about them! It's about making Jan and I feel good! We'll send this giant box since we can't hug the boys and have them over for dinner.
Here's Eli's email for those of you who didn't see it:
Dear friends and family,
Well, after three months Seth and I have finally made it to the wonderful country of Iraq. Kuwait was awful, and so Iraq does not seem so bad in comparison. We spent 11 days in Kuwait, the highs were usually in the 120s, it was windy so you got sand where you did not want it to be, and it was so bright it took you several minutes to get used to the light every time you stepped out of the tent. We lived for 11 days in tents sleeping on cots and three of those days we spent in the field sleeping on the ground. We saw lots of wild life; herds of camels everywhere, side winders (desert snakes) that were 8 ft. long, and while out in the field I woke up in the morning and rolled up my poncho I had been sleeping on to discover a black scorpion the size of a mouse. We showed it to one of the locals who said it was the second most poisonous scorpion in Kuwait. It sent a shiver up my spine, but Seth put it best when he said, "at least it did not sting you and now its just a good story to tell."
In Kuwait there was sand everywhere, nothing green, just vast expanses of sand.
One of the first things we saw upon arriving to Iraq were trees, so everyone got very excited. Now, Iraq, much like Kuwait, is mostly just sand, but the temperature in northern Iraq is a little cooler and every little bit counts. Also, we're not living in tents and out of bags, so all things considered....Iraq is wonderful!
Seth is currently asleep beside me as we just finished getting all moved into our room, and he is in awe at our living conditions here in comparison to his harsh conditions while in the mountains of Afghanistan. We have two-man rooms with internet and tv and ac, none of which he had on his previous deployment. The chow hall is as big as a college defact with tons of different choices. Its pretty incredible seeing this base, the second largest air base in Iraq.
Seth and I have both been up for over 24 hours as we spent all of yesterday travelling. I got my first experience flying in a C-130, and I did not enjoy it. We have some briefings this evening and I am getting ready to join Seth by taking a nap. If this e-mail is just a bunch of rambling and nonsense, just know that I am running on low fumes. I will be sure to send more e-mails later and send pictures. Both Seth and I will have access to e-mail. We'd love to hear from you! I miss you all and keep myself sane by daydreaming about when I will be back home!
Love,
Eli
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