Good Morning from Baghdad

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. So much has happened. And it all seemed to happen so fast. Well, that is until I get here almost 3 weeks ago...

Baghdad is a little surreal...it's like any other desert...except that it's not. It's hot. I mean really hot. Hot enough to cook an egg in the shade hot. But that's not really new is it...I mean for a desert. The sun rises early here, about 5:30, but that's not much different than home. And it sets late, about 9. That's not really different either. It's not the weather that makes things different. I think it's the occasional backdrop of gunfire that makes it so much different here.

But it's funny, when I go to work in the evenings, I see some of the local contractors fishing...fishing in Saddam's old lakes...the ones he spent millions building and maintaining. All the lakes where I am are man-made. I'm told they used to be crystal clear, but now they are overgrown with green slime and weeds. There are fish, but I'm not sure you should eat anything you catch in these lakes. I saw a picture of a fish someone caught here...they had laid it out next to a tape measure. It was over 5 ft long.

I had gotten a little complacent...it's easy to do when you live in a support role because you rarely if ever go 'outside the wire'. But there's nothing like an explosion to remind you you're in a war zone. I was walking to chow when I heard it. Then I saw the thick plume of black smoke. The sound startled me and my adrenaline made my fingers tingle...yup it's a war zone. I don't forget...it's just sometimes I need reminding how close I am...and sometimes I need reminding that I'm not that close. I don't feel sorry for myself...there are others who have it much worse...

Anyway...just wanted to say a few words...I'm here...I'm safe...I'll be home in a year.