1 is the loneliest number

First and foremost, congrats to everyone whose team was a winner yesterday!  I have a hard enough time when my team, Los Gators, are not doing well (read: losing) but it really sucks when all I had to go on was the little ticker on the game they were playing on AFN at the time (USC v UGA).  The cool thing was, I'm pretty sure I saw our good friends Jeremy and Natalie on TV.  Right after USC scored their first TD, the cameraman (must've been a USC fan) showed a random shot of disappointed UGA fans.  And if Jeremy was wearin' a white UGA polo with horizontal lines, a tan "G" cap, and sunglasses with a certain blond lady to his left who was also wearing sunglasses (all I could see was the top quarter of her head), then I got to see your personal anguish from quite far away.  Bittersweet.

So to Mark, Lee Miller and all my other Gamecock friends - congrats!  Big win against a very good SEC team.  To my brother TJ, even though you've walked a dark path as a Seminole football alum for a long time, I still felt sorry for your loss.  Just kiddin' - that was awesome!  Luv ya, bro!  I've gotta talk crap while I can, my Gators aren't exactly firin' on all cylinders.

I was very excited for the football on Saturday, though.  I was almost finished with the two seasons of Dexter that Mike Thow gave me.  Yes, 24 1-hour episodes can be consumed quickly in a place like this. It may be surprising to most, but ask any Soldier that's been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Saudi, ....pretty much anywhere they are alone and have to find passive outlets to pass the time and they'll regale you with stories of entire seasons going down in one sitting.

This place is definitely different from any other place I've been though.  In Iraq, there was never much silence.  The machine of war maintains at least a constant hum spiked by distinguishable arias of mortar and gun fire.  Throw in the constant posturing of equipment, loudspeaker announcements, drills, mortar alerts, and foot traffic to and from chow halls, offices, ranges, tents, and a buddy's CHU (containerized housing unit) and you get used to the ruckus.  Now that I have this experience as a reference, that noise was comforting.  Not only did you never want for human contact, but it was easy to take ownership of your piece of the madness, making you proud to be contributing to the deafening overture of war.  And I'm a Finance dude for heaven's sake!

But here, it's eerily silent.  Outside our offices and villas, but within the walls of our little military community that is Eskan, it's almost post-apocalyptic in its feel and perspective.  Inside my villa, it's an alone that I haven't ever faced before.  The circus that is my family (as is any with at least a kid or two) is truly the happiest place on Earth.  But to so starkly realize its absence is very sobering.  You're almost compelled to laugh a little louder at the TV,  even start some running commentary just so you can hear a human voice.

Don't get this wrong, I'm not writing this for anyone to feel sorry for me at all.  I just want to capture the experience for you.  Sure I miss my family, and this place is strange so far, but I'm not sad at all.  Besides, part of this is my timing.  I came in a few days short of a weekend.  During those days I didn't have everything I needed to in-process because my bags were delayed.  Once I got them, we hit a weekend that coincides with the beginning of a Muslim holiday.  All this means I have more time than usual to be by myself at the beginning of such a tour.  Soon, I'll in-process, start work, meet colleagues and peers and eventually weave myself in as part of the Eskan fabric.  Maybe I'll begin to hear that familiar tune as I go, despite this being a non-combat assignment.  And I'll write about that too!

So, don't worry about me.  These are positive experiences I can always use to better myself, strengthen my relationships and become a better husband, father and Soldier.  Just wanted to try and give a glimpse to those who have never spent time in uniform or in similar circumstances.  That's what this blog was meant to be anyway... a window for my family and friends.

Have a good night!