5 Sep 05

The final blog...I've been putting it off because it is kind of sad. I've now been at home for a full week, and life is starting to go back to normal. I am taking 12 credits this fall, and other than that, I think I am just gonna hang out. I want to take this time to say thank you to everyone. Without all of you blogging and checking up on me, I would have crumbled over there. I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I have got the best friends and family anyone could ever ask for...thank you. I'll probably do this same sort of thing for the next one...whenever that may be. I'll have to go again, but I know that with the support system that I have I will be fine. Thanks for everything...
Love always,
Meredith

The water from the water ballon toss. We are so buff. 

Our company had a "Fun Day" as they called it, and Andrew and I participated in the Water ballon toss. We didn't win, but we had a good time playing.  

Andrew and me at the pool on one of our last days in Arifjan. 

Me goofing off. This is a bug net thing that we never had to wear. Too bad I didn't wrap it around my legs some of those nights when the sand fleas were biting. Ugh!!! Love you Rae! Good ole roomy! 

Here is Emmy and I at Customs getting our bag inspected to send back to America. It was a pretty early morning. 

25 Aug 05

I can't believe that tomorrow at this time I will be getting ready to fly back to MN! I am so excited. I can't wait to see my family and everyone else at home. It has been too long. I only have a little bit more outprocessing to do today, and then it will all be over. I have to get my TB shot checked this morning...which I don't have because you can't even see where the shot went in, and then a bit more paperwork this afternoon. Not sure what's going on tonight. We should get back to Ripley mid afternoon. I'm not exactly sure though. I'll be back in Brookings on Sunday night. I can't wait to see you all. Love always.
Mere

20 AUG 05

Back in the US of A!!! I am so excited. We landed Thursday morning at 9:33am. It was a very long flight, but I have a wonderful ability to sleep nearly anywhere, so it didn't affect me too much. My kankles were still dreadfully swollen. I'll stay here in Ft. Benning, GA until Fri. Aug. 26th and then I'll have to be at Camp Ripley, MN for a couple days as well. After that I will be home free. I can't wait. All we've been doing is going from briefing to briefing down here. It seems to never end, and almost everyone is suffering from some form of jetleg. We'll be alright in a couple of days. Also, the DFAC people are locals from GA and extremely rude. I've never been so appreciative of the hadjis that we had serve us in Arifjan because they actually were happy just to have a job. Tonight we get to go out and have some fun. Not sure what to do yet. Thanks for the comments about looking thin, but that is definately not the case. You try having a buffet 3 times a day for 8 and a half months. Not likely that I'm going to drop weight. Oh well. Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am in the area. Love you. Can't wait to see you all!
-Mere

11 Aug 05

I was out at work one morning and the sun was shining through the clouds, so I had to take a picture of it. Not very often do you see A cloud let alone multiple clouds to fill the sky. Hope you enjoy the pictures to follow. See you all soon.
-Mere

11 Aug 05

Who ever thought two people could look so cute sweating their butts off under a shaded trailer!?! This was on our mission to KNB (Kuwaiti Naval Base for those of you who didn't guess on that last Accronym.)

11 Aug 05

That's what I'm talking about! That is the gulf as far as the eye can see. Beautiful beautiful blue water!

11 Aug 05

Here are the damaged lightsets that Andrew knocked off the back of the trailer. Good job. You certainly did beat my humvee scrape. I'm just glad that nobody got hurt. If you look close, you can see glass all over the place.

Check that out. How many of you can say that you touched the Persian Gulf. The water was hot, and so was the temperature outside. We were going to get to go swimming, but somebody's incident with lighsets messed that up for everyone. Thanks a lot!

11 Aug 05

Andrew and I at the Airforce concert on 4th of July.

11 Aug 05

Rowan and I at our Connex mission finishing up paperwork. I am SO GLAD that mission is over. Not long until I'm "leavin on a jet plane" for home! Yippie!

11 Aug 05

Me getting ready for 4th of July festivities! Gotta love the self portraits.

11 Aug 05

So I forgot to get rid of the red-eyes. Can't help it. Andrew and I went to play H-O-R-S-E one night and pretty much I kicked his butt. I won 2 of the 3 games we played. He may be (much) faster than me, but I can shoot! Good game, baby!

11 Aug 05

Here is me and Mrs. Mandy Kor...that's right, she got married over R&R to a wonderful man. Her pictures and wedding dress were beautiful. Congratulations, Mandy. This was taken before she left on the 4th of July!

10 Aug 05

So pretty much I have been terrible about posting. I went so long without. I don't even know where to begin. I have a load date now, but that is not set in stone. My fam should know very shortly when I'll tenatively be back (within a couple of days). Work has really been sucking. Hopefully, we turn over our mission to the new guys within the next couple of days. We went through customs to ship everything off. Today we had a ceremony to get our combat patch (that's right, COMBAT PATCH)! Good thing my weapon was locked in a connex the whole time I was here! Pretty sweet regardless! Tomorrow I have nothing and I am going to bask in the glory of it. Pretty sure I am going to hit up the pool so you all don't see my horribly pasty skin with nasty farmers tan! Ugh! I miss you all and can't wait to get back! Love you.
Mere

29 July 05

Oh Man. I can't believe that one month from today is when I start classes again. I am so burned out right now. I haven't have a GOOD full night/day of sleep in a long time. I fell asleep with my laptop on my chest last night when I was trying to do research. I am getting sick. Not good. I was planning on writing the bulk of my paper the last 2 days, but of course nothing ever goes my way...I got told that I had to go on a mission off post. It pretty much TOTALLY wasted 2 full days for me, but I do have some pretty cool stories. Andrew should tell his story, but I'll do it anyway. We had to return some lightsets to a place off post, and they were all secured on nice and good and properly. Well, he was the last truck, and as he was driving, 2 of them came loose from the Ratchet Strap that held them down and went tumbling down the freeway. May I remind you that they cost $30,000 dollars a piece. Nobody was hurt thank goodness, and the bus that happened to be traveling behind them was able to stop in time. They got the road all cleaned up and were back on the road following us. Then I was told that I would get to go swimming in the Persian Gulf, but that didn't happen, but I did get to touch the water. It was really really warm and so salty. I have a couple pictures of it, so I'll be posting them sometime. How many of YOU can say that you've touched the Persian Gulf. That's pretty much the only reason that I wanted to see it...well, that and the fact that it was so darn hot out yesterday, and I wasn't in airconditioning all day. Air in the truck was having the windows down and the windshield open....MISERABLE! Oh, but one really cool thing was that I got to see a hover craft! Yeah, I know, I thought they only existed on BACK TO THE FUTURE, too! It was HUGE and it came across the water and hovered over the land and then lowered itself! Pretty pimp! I got a picture of it too. Not very good though. Tonight is supposed to be a party for finishing up our mission that we were working on, but I don't think I am going to go. My paper STILL isn't done, and I need to take a nap desparately. Mom and Kim's mom, good job on getting the accronym right! First try! The next one is: (We need to stop by "KNB" to see if "KBR" has any "TCNs" to help us with the mission.) This one shouldn't be too difficult. I miss you all. See you soon.
-Mere