Have you ever had something good going then for some reason, it stopped? Well that’s what happened with my desire to keep up this blog. I don’t know what happened but it took an email from cousin to get me back into. Thanks Bee

I AM GONE….I AM BACK

That sums up the past 2 months since I last posted. A trip to NC and now I am back in the dirt.

I am once again apologizing for neglecting my blog, a source of information which got me a lot of attention while I was home. I was asked by different people why I stopped writing and the truth is, my life over here wasn’t really that interesting. I get up and go to work and come back home. What made things interesting was my commentary on different aspects of being over here. That’s what you guys like to read and that’s what I need to get back to. I enjoyed writing in this and now that they new year has started hopefully I can continue to bring you news from the back of the frontline.

I am not even going to pretend to remember what has gone on since I last updated. What I will say is that I am somewhat of a local celebrity now.

How???

Well as I have stated previously, people I didn’t even know have been reading my blog. A couple of whom where reporters for local News stations, both of whom wanted an interview the minute I stepped off the plane.

Wait a minute..interview for what? Who am I? Who would be interested in what I have to say? I thought it was a joke until I got home and I started getting phone calls and emails.

Man…Do I need an agent?

Well, Christmas Eve was an event at the house. Me and the wife get up at 4am to prepare the house for the cameras. There were no presents under the tree so we spent 2hrs wrapping presents. I have to admit, the tree looked pretty sad with nothing under it. And it would have been pretty embarrassing to have the whole area see an empty tree.

In a nutshell, at 10am, Valonda Calloway from WRAL shows up with her photographer to conduct the interview. I have discovered that there is a lot that goes into those small segments you see on the news. Lighting (boy were they hot), microphones and placement of bodies. And then the actual interview. During the whole time we were talking, I kept thinking to myself, “these folks don’t give a sh!t about me being in Iraq. I am not on the frontlines storming into an insurgent stronghold. I am in the driver’s seat of a Bradley. I am not in any real immediate danger, other than an occasional mortar or rocket attack”. I was nervous and searching for words, and really wanted to call the whole thing off. Writing here I can edit myself, take out things that are not important, enhance things that are. I am in control. But during the interview, I felt out of control. But after seeing the broadcast that evening, I thought, “Man, I look fat.”

That’s it. All the worrying I did about what I was going to say was for nothing. They edited all that BS into something interesting. Hell, I even wanted to know more about that guy and his family.

My only problem with that broadcast was that Ms. Calloway used the wrong pictures. She used some of the photos from my Yahoo page. I didn’t want a picture of my desk on the news. It doesn’t even look like that anymore. Nor did I want that picture of me in front of the palace on there. But oh well, what can I do now.

The second interview took place at noon that same day. The lady conducting this interview was the girlfriend of one of my boys. Now add that fact with the fact that I had already conducted one interview. A little cockiness came out. I was more relaxed. Hell, I could have been on CNN. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see that broadcast, because she is out of a station Greenville. But my boy told me has the tape, so I should be able to see it soon.

My time home flew by again. I got home on the 22nd of December. My welcome was much better this time than my welcome back in July. My youngest daughter actually remembered me and was happy to see me. That felt good.

I really didn’t have time to rest or relax while I was home. I stayed on the go the whole time and I spent way too much money. By the time I left I was more exhausted than before I left. I just needed a day to rest. I am still waiting on that day.

My trip back was pretty boring. Straight flight from RDU to London. London to Dubai. Dubai to Baghdad.

One interesting thing did happen on the RDU to London flight. I happened to be sitting next to a young black woman. Why did every stewardess on the plane think she was with me. She drifted off to sleep and when they came around with those damn peanuts, the stewardess asked me did she want anything to eat or drink. I looked at her as if to say, “ How the hell should I know? Wake her ass up and ask her?” When the guy came around to give out the customs form he handed everyone on our row one except for her. I asked him if she needed one and he said, “I thought you two were together”.

WHY????

If a white man and a white lady sit next to each other, do you automatically assume they are together? What about two Chinese? Hispanics? Eskimos?

Maybe I am tripping.

Anyways

I am back here in Iraq and the big news is the upcoming elections. They are determined to have them and I am glad. I am sure if they decided to postpone them, they would never happen.

Things have been pretty quite around here. We did have a couple of car bombs. I don’t know if I am becoming immune to them or what. Those damn cannons have been firing lately. Maybe to let the bad guys know we are still here.

As March draws near, the question on everyone’s mind is: Will he stick around longer or adhere to the basis of this blog to document a 12month stay in Iraq as a contractor.

Well….

Look at the title for the answer.


I am going to stick around because I am greedy.

But seriously, I am looking for a certain dollar amount to be in my bank account and it wont be there in March. And I want to make sure I never have to do this again.

Cant you see it now. JOURNEY TO IRAQ PT. 2 The Fool RETURNS!!!

Yes I am going to grab 2 more paychecks then call it quits. Head back home. But I will be coming home in March. Probably take the wife on a cruise. I have to come home on this 3rd R&R. The company will fly me wherever I want for free. So I may as well take advantage of it.

Looking back on this experience, if I had it to do over again, I don’t think I would. Things have been rough over here. Not just the stuff you see on the news but being away from the family. My kids have suffered a lot, whether they know it or not. I sometimes felt like a stranger in my own home. Like a visitor. I don’t want them to have to go through that again.

Enough of the mushy stuff

I am going to try to keep this updated…at least on a weekly basis.

Thanks for reading and keep the words of support coming

You guys continue to take care of yourselves and each other

In closing…..

Peace yall

RC

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