One day at a time

     The position I find myself in is not one of choice.  I cant help my location or the time I have to spend here, so I might as well make a goal.  Any hobby or activity can be used to pass the time, but Im going to pick one that everyone else seems to pick, but Im not looking at that like a bad thing.  Ive decided to spend nine months working on my health and fitness.  I have 38 weeks to be here total and I have decided I want to lose 30 lbs.
     Its a big number for sure, but what else do I have to do.  If youre like me, youve already done the math and seen that its less than a pound a week.  When you say it like that it doesnt sound bad at all.  I just need to  have a little diligence and mind my diet. Now there is the problem.
     I dont know what it is about deployment but we get the sweet deal when it comes to food.  I wouldnt say our quality goes up but the quantity does for sure.  All the dining facilities (Dfacs) are civilian run, so they dont care how much you eat.  Three scoops of white, two of brown, two slices of beef AND a chicken breast?  Too easy.  So how is one supposed to curb their appetite when such a feast is offered four times a day?  It wont be easy, it means leaving food on your plate which any soldier will tell you is not a part of training.
     I am also setting reasonable expectations.  I want to increase my workouts with my abs and in cardio training.  I want to tighten this stomach of mine and sweat out what I want to lose.  Lifting weights is a big part of my routine, but I am not interested in getting bigger.  Its time to tone and when will I have more time than nine months in the desert?
     My favorite work out tool so far?  TREADWALL.  Its a rockwall on a rotating course so you can climb forever.  It works with body weight so the speed is regulated.  If you think this sounds easy, youve never gone climbing.  I find myself falling off it after 5 minutes or so, panting and sweating.  Do that three times and you wont have much left.
     Your body is yours to master.  Its not easy to change your lifestyle but nothing good has ever come easy. Ive been at this for two weeks now and lost three pounds.  so far so good.  I need to get a steady workout schedule and start cutting back on what I eat, but I think I will hit my goal easily and when I come home I will be in the best shape of my life.  All it takes is a plan and the will to do it.  Maybe this will be easier than I thought.

Sand Magic

If youre like me, you must think, "Dust Storm", awesome.  Movies show them taking down planes, burying hapless travelers, and rolling in like a wall on the horizon.  Also, dont they sometimes have mummy faces?

I planned to answer these questions and more when I learned that certain activities were to be cancelled due to an imminent sand storm on the morrow.  So there I was, thinking about life in my tent, knowing that we were being blocked in by walls of sand as i spoke.  Exciting, no?  The answer turns out to be no.

Luckily, Army wanted me to be an expert on sand storms so they made us work in one!  There I was standing outside, being blasted by wind, thinking how much of a let down this was.  No walls, no downed aircraft, and no mummies.  Just wind and dirt.  Its hazy, like someone is burning underbrush, thick enough to block your sight 20 feet in front of you like fog and its gusting winds.  I do mean gusting.  Constant winds of 15 MPH keep the air full of brown gold, and then at 25 MPH wind blasts fresh dirt into your eyes and mouth.

I was not amused.

Point is, I have yet again let a child hood dream ruin my adult day.  If I had just thought it would be miserable, I wouldnt have been disappointed.  Lots of eye drops, new uniforms, another shower and I still never found a magical city OR any of Saddam's gold.  One week down, 37 to go.

Kuwait or Bust

I like this page of mine and even though Ive been a poor writer these past few... mumble mumble... I still enjoyed the existence of my dear Beer, Food, and philosophy.  I have decided Ill use this as my public platform to keep you all informed about my whereabouts (a highly desired bit of knowledge to be sure)

I have recently deployed to the fine country of Kuwait.  Kuwait, as Im sure you all know is a small country smack dab in the CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION!  I know, youre all very excited.  Read a bible sometime, Moses could have lived here.  I dont know, Im no scholar.

So I got the PRIVILEGE to fly here on my day, the one day that facebook overflows with notifications and I am the coolest kid in town.  Thats right, the Army decided my birthday was a fitting departure date.  Army gives the worst presents.  Combine that with a delayed flight and 15 hours of flying and you have yourself a dream birthday indeed.

Kuwait has laid out the red carpet, for sure.  It made sure to show off its high temperature with a ballsy 120 degree day.  Impressive.  They have agreed to let us see this and temperatures like it for the foreseeable future.  What good pals.  My room is a comfortable loft style tent big enough for me and 49 of my closest friends.  I have the top bunk.

The base here may not be my ideal situation but it is now home for the next 9 months, so no need to complain.  The food is not bad, at least.  The portions are large and the options are many.  They even serve food at midnight.  Thats right, midnight chow, I have truly brought this cash cow in and quickly got punished for my poor use of cows.  Oh wait, wrong religion.  Im not paid for my joking prowess.

So there you have it.  Day 2 is almost at an end and if this country offers something to write about, I will make sure to record the memory here.