Fourth of July!

Here We Go, Again!

We just heard that Scott is scheduled to deploy again in January. He does not have official orders yet, but his command notified him via phone on Monday. Meanwhile, I've been asked to serve as the ombudsman (family liaison) for the Green Bay detachment. Scott and I will head to the Great Lakes Navy base in Chicago land next month for training. Not only will I enjoy serving other military families, it will be really nice to be in the know during this deployment as I'll have more access to information than I did last time (especially since Scott deployed with a unit based on the other side of the country).

I'm not sure how much I can post now and we really don't have that many details, but I can say that as of now his orders a not to the Middle East. As we know more, I'll post.

Party Report

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind! Scott got in to Green Bay on Wednesday afternoon (3/25). He had to report to his reserve center in GB on Thursday. He made his way back to Iowa on Friday thanks to the Bill, Nancy, and Arnie who each drove him part of the way. They managed to stop for pizza at one of Scott's favorite joints, Christiano's in Wautoma. They arrived in New Albin around 3:00 p.m. just in time to help finishing set up for the homecoming party. Since it was a Friday in lent, we were limited on menu options so we had a fish fry.Nancy thawed fish; Arnie manned the fryer; Amy stirred the mac-n-cheese. Gianna wouldn't let go of her Daddy which made setting up tables and getting the beer in the coolers a bit of a trick! We had a great gathering of 50+ neighbors and friends. Thanks to all!

On Saturday we made our way back to Oshkosh for a family and friend gathering there. Bill and Kathy (with lots of help from the Salm family and the Mathes!) put together a really nice party. The food was great and the reunion was wonderful. Thanks to all who helped and attended!

One Step Closer

Scott will be one step closer to home tomorrow. He leaves Gulfport in the morning and flies (and flies, and flies--yes, three flights!) to Green Bay. He will be greeted at the airport by Bill, Kathy, and Jeff and will spend the evening in Oshkosh. Thursday he'll return to Green Bay to check out through his reserve center, then he'll finally be able to return to New Albin! We hope to have him home Thursday evening.

Reunion

Waiting

First Moments

Mississippi Memories

We're enjoying beautiful weather in Mississippi. Scott had to be on base all day yesterday and a couple of hours today, but otherwise we've had time to just hang out. We spent some time in New Orleans (French Quarter, Riverwalk, and Aquarium). The other day we ate lunch at what Guy Feiri (Food Network host) calls one of the top ten barbecue restaurants in the country. It was quite something. Even Gianna enjoyed it--although all she ate was the homemade banana pudding! Today we thought we'd enjoy the sun a bit and take a paddle boat out on Seabee Lake. Between not planning for weight distribution in the boat and misjudging the distance from the dock, I took a dive! I thought it was hilarious, but Gianna was quite concerned that either an alligator or a giant otter would get me. (Apparently the aquarium made quite an impression!) Alltold, it has been a great week so far. We have a few more days together before Gianna and I head back on Monday. Scott should be able to follow on Tuesday. He'll fly into Green Bay and then between our parents and me, we'll get him back to New Albin in time for the parties to begin!

Mission Completion!

At 9:00 p.m. last night, Scott arrived at Gulfport Seabee base. We will spend the next four days relaxing and enjoying his liberty before he reports for a few days of processing. Gianna and I fly back to Chicago on Monday the 23rd. Scott will fly into Green Bay hopefully around the same time. More details and pictures to follow.

Homecoming Parties!

Two Chances to Welcome Scott Home!

Friday, March 27

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Ramsay House

154 Second St NE

New Albin, IA


Saturday, March 28

4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Town of Oshkosh Town Hall

230 E. County Rd. Y

Call or email for directions or details.

Gianna and I took advantage of a little extra daylight last evening and built this year's first and last snowman! We used parts of the beautiful flower arrangement Scott sent at Christmas (bows for the scarf and pine cones floral-taped to sticks for arms). When we finished, Gianna exclaimed, "I'm going to show my daddy my snowman. He would be so proud of me. I'm a goooooood snowman maker." I'm sure it'll be long-melted by the time he gets home, so these pictures will have to do.

Getting Ready!

I had grand plans for house projects over Scott's deployment. As time started to wind down, I was faced with the reality that other than a new coat of paint in the kitchen, I had not made progress on any of the grand plans I had. But, that all changed over the course of 20 very productive hours. My great friend Megan came down around 9:00 Friday night and after a bowl of ice cream, we fixed drinks and headed to the closet! Three hours later, we had one giant black garbage bag of stuff to throw and two to donate. We also had all clothes hung and separated by type, season, and color. We stayed up too late chatting and woke to Gianna by 7:30. After breakfast, we headed to the garage where we could have spent an hour two organizing and cleaning and been done, but instead decided to take on a minor construction project! Luckily we found some plywood in the basement (thanks to the previous home owners). A quick run to Lansing for L-brackets and we were on our way! With a couple breaks to entertain Gianna, we got six very sturdy, measured-once-cut-twice utility shelves in the garage and cleaned and organized the whole shebang! I must say, we were quite proud of ourselves. The only problem is, now that those "rooms" are squared away, I really want to get everything else up to par.

BEFORE (Scott's side of the garage!)

DURING (Gianna was a great helper!)

AFTER (Ready for a homecoming party!)

In Command

In the Navy, the role of platoon commander is usually reserved for sailors with a rank of E7. A couple of weeks ago, however, Scott (an E6) was asked to serve as platoon commander for the duration of the deployment--quite an honor but also quite a bit more work!

Tomatoes...Totally!

A package arrived for Scott today. It was filled with his seed order from one of his favorite seed companies, Totally Tomato. It is pretty amazing that from the middle of the Iraqi desert he was able to order and ship right to our front door the makings of this year's garden. I had planned on surprising Scott by starting his seedlings so he could have home-grown plants to put in the garden. I'm not ashamed to admit that not having to start the seeds--and more importantly, baby them every day for weeks on end--is an added bonus to his earlier-than-initially-expected return date!

It's Official

I just got off the phone with one of the ombudsmen from Scott's command and the dates we heard last week are the official ones. Barring a sandstorm or other unforeseen circumstance, we'll have no problem spending most of his 96 hours of liberty with him. He'll then have two to five days of demobilization processing before he'll be flown back to Green Bay. Actually, there is a slight chance that Scott would leave Gulfport a day or even two before Gianna and I!

The Countdown Begins

Gianna and I made a paper chain today. There is one link for every day until we board the airplane. (You'll notice the photo is intentionally cropped.)

One day down...

He's Coming Home!

We have a narrow enough date range that we felt comfortable booking flights so we can meet Scott down south when he comes home! I am not able to post any specifics online, but feel to free to call me or (or any of the parents) for details.

Scott is still based at the same location but he doesn't spend much time there these days. He is off on 2-3 day "adventures" at least once a week. We still don't have a date for his return although the around Easter time frame is still being tossed around, so I was reluctantly thankful for another snowfall this week. As I've posted before, I had been telling Gianna that Daddy would be home in the spring. Then we had an early heat wave and nearly all of our snow melted; we had a couple of 50 degree days, so she was convinced it was spring. It would be easier if we had a date so we could make a count-down craft project or something. (I may have missed my calling as an elementary school art teacher. I'm enjoying glitter glue and tissue paper more than most, I think.)

Another Run

Scott ran in the Black History Month 5K race in 23:55. The guy next door, whom he goes to mass with and runs with, finished in 21:15. One Seabee finished behind him. They were the only three from his battalion to run in it. He's guessing there were a few hundred participants.

Daddy's Little Girl

Since Gianna was born,

Daddy has had big plans for his little girl.

He has told her that she can grow up to be

a nun, a pediatrician, or both!

Gianna playing dress-up with her friend Isabelle at daycare.

Our Sweet Valentine

Scott asked that I take Gianna to The Pearl, an old-fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe, as a special treat so I really wasn't expecting anything else, but not only did Scott have these absolutely beautiful flowers sent to me for St. Valentine's Day, he also sent Gianna her own flowers! She was over the moon! I'd have included a picture of her flowers but she loved them so much she just couldn't bear going anywhere without a "Daddy flower" so one carnation, rose, or daisy at a time the basket was emptied. Honestly, I love my flowers, but his sending flowers to Gianna was so unexpected and so sweet--it took my breath away! What a great daddy!

On the Road Again

I don't think Willie had the Iraq desert on his mind when he recorded that song but that is where Scott is headed. His construction project ended today and he was told that as of noon tomorrow, he will be back driving convoys. While there is certainly an increased element of danger to the job, being "farther from the flagpole" appeals to Scott. Leaving base means leaving the command and all the annoyances of being under constant scrutiny.

Obama's Change

Over the weekend, CNN reported that Obama is delaying Iraq troop withdrawal. During his campaign he promised to have us out of Iraq in 16 months, yet he is now asking for military leaders to propose other possibilities. Current options include 19 and 23 month scenarios. Apparently after he talked with top military leaders and Def. Sec. Gates, he is no longer interested in a time table. How’s that for change we can believe in?

Don't get me wrong, while I don't think we should have gone in the first place, I don't support a phased withdrawal in Iraq as the troops would be more vulnerable with each phase. Regardless, there have not been any major changes in Iraq since the campaign. Since I don't think he was ignorant of the reality of the war as a senator, all I can figure is that he knew then that the 16-month time table wasn't realistic but he also knew that a promise of phased withdrawal would help get him elected. I guess I can at least be grateful that he is now willing to listen to military leaders to ensure the withdrawal is responsible.

Read the full Story
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/08/iraq.afghanistan/index.html?iref=newssearch

Super Sleuths

I felt as if I had just become a character in a Dan Brown novel as I grabbed a pen and began scribbling code words into a hastily drawn grid. When the phone went dead, I was to contact another source to get details needed to crack the cipher...

Scott had details he was allowed to share as long as he did so in a way that was not recognizable to anyone other than the recipient. Additionally, he was told that it couldn’t be easily researchable. (There went our standby of using Catholic feast days!) So, he put together a grid of clues that worked together to give us date ranges for various locations. Remarkably, there were no dates or locations in the code!) After 30 minutes (and couple of Google searches) Bill and I successfully determined that Scott IS COMING HOME! He’ll be home before the date his initial orders included (June 21) but there is still plenty of time to arrange for Gianna and my flight. Unfortunately, that is as much information as I can post right now. As time draws nearer, I’ll post what I’m able. Don’t worry, I’ll write in complete sentences; no super decoder ring will be necessary.

Birthday Celebration

At long last, last weekend the family gathered to celebrate Gianna's birthday. We met at West End, a pizza joint Scott and I used to enjoy when we were dating. In fact, it is where we first discussed our wedding plans. Although Daddy was certainly missed by all, the party was a festive celebration complete with party hats (that Gianna insisted everyone wear) and a Dora cake (yes, that is supposed to be Dora!).

Joining the Rank & File

Before the project began, another E6 (sailor with the same rank as Scott) who had not yet been a crew leader on a project, requested an opportunity to be the lead on the project Scott is on. (It wouldn't look good come evaluation time to go home without a project under his belt.) Scott, not the world's most reticent leader--but close, happily stepped down so the other sailor could have his chance. So now Scott is busy cutting metal for the siding project. I guess it is really dirty, itchy work because of all the metal filings.

Pray for Clouds.

Happy Groundhog Day! Growing up in Sun Prairie has influenced me in many ways. Not the least of which is my annual excitement over February 2nd when Jimmy peaks his little head out of his burrow and predicts an early spring (if he doesn't see his shadow) or a long winter (if he is scared by his shadow and retreats into his burrow).

A few months ago, when the weather was just starting to turn cold, Gianna asked when Daddy was coming home. Trying to put things in terms she would understand, I explained that Daddy would be home in the spring. [Thanks (?) to Dora's Fairytale Land Adventure, I knew she understood winter turning into spring.] News on his actual return date is sketchy at best, but it seems that there's a good chance he'll be home to see the actual first day of spring. Now, if only I could get the Navy to use Jimmy's timetable!

P.S. Phil has nothing on Jimmy.

No News Is...No News

Several people have asked if there is still time to send mail to Scott. Sick of guessing and sick of rumors, I'm back to assuming the initial orders are the best guess and that Scott will be home mid- to late June. So, feel free to send greetings from very cold here to warm and sunny there!

Scott Thomas Ramsay
NMCB-27
Detachment 4, Charlie Company
FPO, AA 34099-2204

The Super

Despite Scott's preference to be a worker, not a supervisor, he was just tasked again with a new building project. Yesterday they finished their second warehouse build and today he found out that he'll be in charge of the siding crew for the new headquarters building. Luckily, he was told he can hand-pick his crew. He was cautiously pleased and expects that his top picks will be "unavailable". Nevertheless, it is a good sign that he has been given another project and this time with more authority. His biggest concern is that supplies are running low and with changing administration/goals for Iraq, it isn't likely that money will be flowing for building projects. Since this is the HQ building, he expects the client is going to expect more than the left-overs from the last couple of builds, but that may be all that's available.

Swing, Batter, Batter...

The following story is about troops in Scott's battalion who were sent to a different location. Given Scott's enthusiasm for baseball, I'm sure he'd appreciate his brothers-in-arms' latest hobby-project.



Baseball, America’s pastime, has helped Marines and Sailors stay connected to home for years, no matter where they are in the world.

By Cpl. Sean P. Cummins Regimental Combat Team 5COMBAT OUTPOST UBAYDI, Iraq –

The Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 have brought a touch of home to the Marines near the Syrian border here with a new batting cage.“[One of the Marines] wanted a batting cage and [Petty Officer 1st Class Paul] Campagna, being a very aggressive and enthusiastic petty officer, fulfilled his wish,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Barrassco, a builder with NMCB-27 stationed here. “Campagna designed it and we started building it. Some people came out to help on their down time.”The batting cage gives the Marines and Sailors operating within sight of the Syrian border a way to relax when not operating in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.“Morale has gone up,” said Barrassco, 40, who is from Peabody, Mass. “It’s for whoever wants to swing a bat and play ball. It is a gift to the Marines who are [working] every day. I’ve seen guys on convoys getting out of their trucks and running to the batting cage to play.”Plans for the cage started long before the building and many of the Marines and Sailors couldn’t believe it was actually going to get built, including the Seabees themselves. “I can’t believe I’m building a batting cage in Iraq,” was heard frequently during the building of the cage, according to several Seabees and Marines.“Why did we build it? Because we love baseball, and there’s no batting cage here,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Paul Campagna, 45, a builder with NMCB-27 from Salem, Mass. “We talked about it for about a month, but I don’t think any of the higher-ups really believed that we were going to do it. Then they saw it going up and they were pretty shocked.”While Campagna admitted to building some “pretty wild stuff” in his 25 years of building, including a pool table and golf tee in Afghanistan, this is the first batting cage he’s ever made.“I enjoy using the batting cage; it’s a good way to get a little stress out when you get off post and off a hard work day,” said Cpl. Cory J. Stuard, 29, a team leader with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, from Cedar Hill, Tenn. “In my younger days, I played a lot of little league back in Tennessee. On my free time, I try and get in there and take some swings.”Despite having to scrape together scraps of material from other projects to put the cage together, the satisfaction of another finished project and the memories the sport brings back have made all the work worth it for the Seabees.“We’re in the middle of the holidays, and I think on every deployment, regardless of where you are in the world, when you’re away from your family you still miss that little piece of home. It’s a beautiful feeling to hear that bat crack and that ball hit the wood and the fence and these guys cheering and finding that little peace of mind,” said Barrassco. “We feel as Seabees that we’ll build anything, we’ll do anything and we don’t mind doing it. We do not mind building for the Marines and supporting the Marines. We’re family.”

TV Shout Out

In preparation for the Army/Navy football game back in December, Scott's battallion filmed a shout-out that was not aired during the game. The link to the video is below. Once on the page, click the arrow to get the video to play. (You may need to click the link "Naval Mobile Construction Battall... Sends a shout out to the Navy football team".) The image is pretty small, but Scott is easy to spot because he is the only one wearing a flight suit. He is in the second row, second from the right.


http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_show.php&id=51610

River Project Commendation

Just before Thanksgiving Scott was in the field on a mission to help secure the Euphrates River near the Syrian border. The military has finally released some basic information. An article was posted to the Ombudsman's blog and I'll re-post it below. The article doesn't mention Scott specifically but he was one among the 200+ soldiers and sailors on the project. I do know that Scott was awarded a commendation for his work on the mission.

River Project Story
Posted Jan 23, 2009 11:19am

Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 27 homeported in Brunswick, Maine along with the Army 341st Multi Role Bridge Company and Marine Corps Kilo Co. 3rd Battalion , 7th Marines recently completed a construction project in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in al Anbar province.
The Mission consisted of constructing an 800 foot incursion barrier spanning the Euphrates River.
Equipment Operator First Class Brian Workman, of Lowell, Mass., Lead Petty Officer for NMCB 27 lead the project which included steelworkers, construction mechanics, equipment operators and an engineering aid and builder from NMCB 27 as well as coordinated all efforts between the other services.
“As Lead Petty Officer, my job was to plan and oversee the execution of our mission,” said Workman. “I was designated for this project prior to our departure from homeport; as a Civil Engineer, I had plenty of varied construction experience to oversee this project and make it work.”
“The collaboration of the joint efforts could not have been smoother. Together there were seven units that joined together providing 200 plus people working on the project,” added Workman.
“Our task was to construct approximately, eight hundred feet of small craft incursion barrier across two sections of the Euphrates River.” stated Workman. “In addition to the barrier, we were tasked with the construction…of security wire on a mid-stream island. The project would require approximately two hundred meters, (six thousand feet yield) of wire.”
In charge of the Army crew was 1st Lt. Michael J. Lordeman. The Army supported the project by providing their MK2 Combat Support (bridge) boats and six float rafts (42E) to transport the equipment needed by the Seabees to the other side of the river.
“It was a pleasure working with the Seabees to complete this project and bring a little bit more security to the country of Iraq,” said Lordeman.
Steelworker 1st Class Edward Frank of Parishville, NY, lead steelworker in charge of constructing the anchor assembly for the north anchor, was also in charge of anchoring island concrete T- barriers, each weighing roughly thirteen-thousand pounds for each barrier.
“As the project continued I had gone from lead Steelworker to crew leader of all work on the north shore,” said Frank. “I believe this was a very good change for the project because of my civilian experience as a Lead Superintendant of a world wide construction company.”
On the banks of the Euphrates, Frank, along with Equipment Operator 3rd Class Eric Kauffman of Granville, PA, installed the anchors to hold the barrier in place. During the evolution Kauffman was tasked with operating the excavator and the D-7 dozer to provide land clearing for concertina wire that stretched across the island and digging t- barrier foundations.
“Being a professional excavator operator in my civilian life, I felt at home on the project and had a lot of fun.” said Kauffman.
“We had a lot of good leadership on the project which in turn made my job a lot easier,” added Kauffman. “I had roughly eleven hours a day of operating time over an eight day period. Me and Frank set the barriers and worked together like ‘peas and carrots’.”
The crew had to overcome many obstacles including the elevation difference between the survey points. The elevation difference between both shores was greater than the equipment could overcome in order to see across the island to the North Shore to find our point of reference. This problem was quickly solved by setting Engineering Aid 2nd Class Jose Soto of Long Island, NY, up on top of one of the security gun trucks which added an extra 10 feet of elevation. From there they could see where to begin to set the centerline for earthwork.
“The mission was to place a water barrier as close as possible to the border in the Euphrates River,” said Soto. “The most critical part of the mission was to exact a line as close as possible to the border without causing an international crisis, and it was my task to trace that line. I can say that I am proud to be a Seabee.”
Also, the high water table added problems to the project, but were soon overcome. “Kauffman and I had installed the anchors and with each one ran into problems because of the water table being so high at the edges of the island,” said Frank.“I had made two field adjustments, bringing both anchors away from the river... These anchors would not have been installed as expediently as they were, if not for a skilled equipment operator such as Kauffman,” said Frank. “In my fourteen years with the Seabees, I have not worked with such a talented operator Kauffman.”
After the anchors had been installed the crew then had to fill Hesco barriers for the Marines to build a bunker for the Iraqi Army. This process involved demolishing an existing Iraqi Army island outpost. The excavator encountered mechanical problems but, the Seabees adapted and overcame with the assistance of the two Construction Mechanics that were on the project, Construction Mechanic 1st Class Tyron Sykes of Virginia Beach, VA., and Construction Mechanic 2nd Class James Stefflin of North Smithfield, RI..
“We were up and running the next morning and we were able to make up time,” said Frank. The following day Steelworker 2nd Class Joseph Pierce of Boston, Mass, and Steelworker Constructionman Nicholas Padellaro of Lawrence, Mass and I had installed the final anchor.”
“We could not have finished without the other forces,” said Workman. “There was joint ownership of battle space just within the 200 meters on the island. The performance of the 341st MRB and the Marines from Kilo 3/7 could not have been more professional or proficient; each element exhibited amazing command and control of their personnel as well as their equipment,” added Workman.
Seabees bring a broad range of technical and military skills which provide a unique capability to the support of an engineering mission. In addition to construction, these essential capabilities include robust organic support functions such as logistics, maintenance, and communications.
The Seabees of 27 also known as the “Skibees” are homeported in Brunswick, Maine, and are deployed to Iraq and other areas to provide general engineering support to Multi-National Force-West in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth W. Robinson - Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 Public Affairs

Whether the Weather

It was a beautiful day in sunny Iraq. Scott said the weather this week is just about perfect--the nicest he's seen since he's been there. All week it should be in the upper 60s/low 70s. The fact that it has been sub-zero here seems to add to his enjoyment. The nicer days really are a blessing when they are working on building projects; the cold and windy days made it difficult, if not impossible, to do things like pour concrete and hang steel.

I'm reminded of a little poem/tongue twister that we used as a warm-up before speech tournaments:

Whether the weather is cold,
Or whether the weather is hot,
We'll (work) together whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.

Turkish Delight

There is a large contingent of Turkish contractors on base. Scott has enjoyed talking with them and reminiscing about his time in Turkey. He has even had the opportunity and challenge of doing some translating from time to time. He has enjoyed it all, but on Sunday he and others who have worked alongside the contractors were invited to share a meal. Instantly, Scott was transported to another time and place as he savored soups and relished real Turkish rice (emphasis Scott's!). There was no report on whether dessert was the super-sweet Turkish Delight (kind of like a giant soft gum drop--but much , much better) but certainly, Scott was delighted. There were two disappointments to the event. First, communication about the invitation was poor so only a handful of Americans showed up and the Turks were expecting 40+. Second, when Scott and the guy he went with got up to go, they were the only Americans left so they had to walk and walk and walk and walk back to their section of base. He said it was worth every bite!

Evening Prayers

Each night, Gianna and I crawl into bed and say our evening prayers. We start with thanking God for blessings of the day (Gianna usually starts with Daddy and then lists all the people she knows and then adds blankie, milk, and church). Then we ask God to bless us tomorrow and we name people or events that will be part of our next day. At the end, I say, "Thank you God for all of your blessings. Please continue to help us. Amen." Tonight, Gianna added to my ending by explaining, "Mommy, I think maybe we need to help God, too."

Out of the mouths of babes...

So I asked her what she thought we could do to help God. She said, "like when He falls on the sidewalk, we could help Him up." I don't know that she knows enough detail of the passion of our Lord to have made a specific reference to Christ's third fall, but I do know that she has a pure and good heart and wants to serve God through neighbor. Praise God!

The Best Form of Flattery

I'm not sure Scott feels flattered, but he is being imitated. Scott has been serving as a crew leader for some time. His "unique leadership style" has been replicated by one of the junior troops in quite a comical way. Apparently, his impression of Scott is quite a good caricature and is quite good-natured. Scott hasn't seen the guy do his impression but has heard he "just has to see it!" Once he does--if he's not too embarrassed--he will try to get it video-taped to share with us here.

Leader of the Pack

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., a 5k race was held on base this morning. Scott entered and ran with 300+ other soldiers, sailors, and marines. It was a chilly 30 degrees at the starting line. He was running in a pack of about 25 guys for the first two miles but then pulled away and finished a good 45 seconds before the next runner. He wasn't sure what place he finished overall, but he was the first Seabee to cross the finish line!

Pocket Change

Of all the things you wouldn't think Scott would miss--pocket change! Apparently, the government realized that coinage gets pretty heavy in bulk. (Any woman with a handbag could have filed the brief on that one!) So to save money/weight on shipping, they do not use coins on bases in Iraq. They use regular U.S. mint bills but for change they use plastic disks that only have value on base. This seems to work well for everything except calling cards. The little silver film-covered strip on the back of a calling card needs to be scratched off to reveal the card's pin. The discs were useless and since Scott has always been militant about well-groomed finger nails, he was in a phone booth with no way to call home. Then he remembered the one thing he must have on him at all times--his weapon and its ammunition. The back end of a bullet did the trick a little too well and scratched off part of the pin. He guessed at the partial numbers and got through, but the pin he entered was slightly off and the automated voice told him that his new card had three minutes remaining. I think I'll put a quarter in my next letter!

Time Keeps Moving

Scott's working hard as always but has been put in a position of a bit more leadership. One day he had 25 Marines reporting to him. The days are long and run into each other. During our last conversation, he noted the date and was pleased that time keeps moving.

I'm sure he is missing playoffs, but there is a good chance they'll get to watch the Superbowl. News reports indicate that troops may be allowed to drink a beer or two during the game but since Scott doesn't drink, I think he'd prefer a bratwurst!

Mail Update!

Scott's battalion will keep delivering mail past February 1st after all. He is still planning to be home earlier than June, but the date continues to fluctuate. The bottom line, mail sent by February 1st should still be delivered.

As the Crow Flies

I'm reminded of the Proclaimers' song, "I Would Walk 500 Miles." I'd have to do so thirteen and a half times to fall down at Scott's door. That's right, I just figured out that Scott is roughly 6800 miles from home. (How's that for useless trivia?)

I Thought Daddy Said Construction Was Hard Work!

New Year's Day R&R

Scott had the day off today and used it to get a little extra sleep and relax a bit. When we talked this morning, he was interrupted by someone looking to borrow his seed catalog. I sent the one from Seed Savers, an heirloom seed organization about 45 minutes from here. We haven't received any others yet. If you have a seed catalog you're done with, pass it on to him and he'll share with others. Apparently their are several like-minded sailors who are getting the itch to feel some good old Midwestern soil in their hands.