I Still Remember How to Use Blogger

Sorry for the month-long gap in posts, but I have a littany of excuses that won't be listed here. We're definitely settled into our little out post in Iraq. Most of the time a go around and meet with sheiks (tribal/religious leaders) and drink chai tea then take a picture with them. By the time we leave there will be pictures of me all over this part of Iraq because Iraqis love having pictures of them with US soldiers- apparently they think it translates into a sign that they cooperate with us. In reality some of the people we shake hands with used to be insurgents and will probably resume their insurgency in the future. But, that's the nature of things here.
I still hate the call to prayer, but the 0430 one doesn't wake me up any more. The weather is very pleasant and even a little cold at night. They're having a record drought which makes the rainy season much more bearable. Overall, life here is busy, boring, but otherwise good. If time keeps going this fast the rest of the 12 months will fly by. If I get better time management skills or decide to sleep less, I'll post more often, and one crazy day pictures will appear here. Until then, just imagine what Iraq looks like.