Back in Iraq.....

So I am finally back in Iraq to finish up this deployment. The trip back was pretty straight forward thankfully. We did get stuck in Kuwait for a couple of days, but that wasn't so bad. Let me have some McDonald's and some KFC to round out the trip.

Looking back on the trip, I have to say that I had a really good time. I didn't go out and do everything that I could have, but that is probably a good thing. The point of the R&R is to unwind and recharge to get through the rest of the deployment. If I would have been doing things everyday, I would have been worn out from the vacation. Instead, I was able to rest a bit, have some good food, do a few things that I normally wouldn't do, and also see another country.

Australia was pretty cool. Very civilized, obviously, and no language issues. That is a big plus, because when I had gone to Belgium for a week, there was a slight barrier there. Most people there speak English there, but it was still 'out there' so to speak. I enjoyed driving on the wrong side of the road and the cars with the steering wheel on the right. The money was a little in the favor against the US dollar, which was nice as well, but I still wound up spending about what I expected to pay.

The food was good too. There isn't really 'Australian' themed food. The main standard dish seemed to be fish and chips (french fries). We had italian food as well as some american style food. Steak and potato, pasta, fish, and other things that wasn't DFAC food. If you have looked through my photos on facebook, you have seen some of the dishes that I took pictures of while out there. I am going to start taking some pictures of our meals here so you can see some of the differences. There is some good food at the DFAC. You can have handmade sandwiches, and they do stir-fry now and then. Otherwise, I usually just take what looks semi-appealing from the main line. I want to show you just what it is we are eating.

Now, if you want to keep up with this little game I have started, just join me on facebook. I am going to start a folder with all the pics from meals in Australia, and then I will do another folder with the DFAC meals.

Football season starts, and I am doing my league back home, with my lovely wife doing the auction for me while I talk intermittently online. I am also going to be doing a league with some people here in Iraq. We are going to do an auction here for that draft, and the interesting part is that for many, this will be their first auction draft. Will I get to take advantage of that? Probably not, with my luck.

And the time counts down closer and closer as we start downhill to the end of the deployment. I will try and post semi-regularly on here, but don't get too excited.

Until next time.....