Mark's Afghanistan Adventure: I have a picture, pinned to my wall

I have started my Spring cleaning early since I will be redeploying in the Spring. I have sent some packages home and have asked that no further packages be sent out (thanks to all who have sent packages to me over the months). I am starting to take down the numerous pictures and drawings that have been sent my way. I took a picture of my plywood wall in my hooch (tent) before I took them down.

I also took a picture of a bookmark that Anna Custodio made for me. It is a beautiful bookmark that I have definitely used, but I thought that the back of the bookmark deserved special mention and a picture so others could appreciate.

I realized that I never put anything in my blog about the Super Bowl. This is probably because I still had some resentment that my Chargers have yet again blown a great season with an early exit. Maybe it was better that they went out when they did instead of teasing me a little longer to just intensify my pain with a loss in the Super Bowl. Anyhow, the Super Bowl was shown on AFN without the commercials at 0400 (that is 4AM)! We still had about 12 people in the BAS watching (what else you going to do out here?). Since they did not show the commercials that you all were seeing, they showed commercial skits that DoD schools put together. HORRIBLE!!! Well the good news is that the Saints won. I say this because, well Indy already won a Super Bowl and more importantly one of my corpsmen is a huge Saints fan and would have been dejected for the rest of the deployment had they lost.

It has been very windy and cold here lately. No more hail which is good. I am supposed to run a half marathon on Sunday, but I am definitely a fair weather runner and if it is cold then I am a no go. I have already paid my entrance fee so I will show up to collect my shirt. That's right I will wear it even if I don’t run!

Headline of the day .... "First Lady Links Childhood Obesity to National Security in Launch of ‘Let’s Move’ Campaign". Really? Obesity and national security. I suppose that is like how the record snow falls are really caused by global warming like some are stating in the news. First rule of politics, spin current events somehow into your agenda no matter how absurd. If you keep saying it is true it is, right?

Everyone take care,
Mark