"Are you in Iraq, yes or no?"

I just blew my nose and the narliest looking black stuff came out of it. Sand, dust. They say it happens. You don't even want to see my stridex pads.

I called my Mom today and got the answering machine which may have been a good thing. I remember the first time I heard her voice on the phone in basic training my eyes came to tears. When we parted ways after basic training it was hard to. I said to myself "I'm not gonna see my Mom or be home for a while." I am pretty sure that if I had talked to her I would have remained collected in front of my peers(since morale calls lack privacy and are in front of everyone) but later on in the solice of my room a deep reflection would have occured.

My father's wife answered the phone when I called him. He was happy to hear my voice. First words of the conversation were "Are you in Iraq, yes or no?" knowing that I could not give out my exact location. I explained to him that I was in Qatar, safe and sound. He then asked how my living arrangements were, told him I was living in a trailer split into rooms, and that I had AC. Yesterday it was 114 in the village on base with 125 degree heat on the tarmac. The urgency in my fathers voice in his first initial question was unlike any tone I had ever heard from him. Not saying that he does not care about me or that he has never shown such behaivor but it seems that some people can attempt to portray caring in moments of unification and fail yet it is when they are split by an earth that genuine compassion is seen.

Things that will be able to get me through - Salsa dancing classes at the gym @2100 immediately followed by a cycling class @2200.