RAIN RAIN

The best thing just happened to me, I was sitting at my computer and my skype goes off and it's Ed, Lala, and the kids. Good talking to you, sorry we got cut off but it was good to hear your voices. We had rain today for the first time since I have been here and the first time since last april. So it was wet and cold today, the camp is pretty crowded right now lots of people moving through and it's kind of busy these days. Tomorrow the AFN(Armed Forces Network is coming to the ANA hospital to do a story on the Ambulances we just received. HM2 and I are setting the Ambulances up and developing the entire program for the regional hospital. The PAO(public affairs officer) will be bringing the camera crew and reporters by to get the grand tour. So busy day tomorrow for sure. 

Mom the mattress topper is great, it helps alot and i really appreciate it. I have received 3 of the boxes so far. I was telling Laura on the phone that Sheila sent me some sopresseta salami and my god you would have thought it was crack it went so fast. It was really good  and everybody liked it. It was good because it needed no refrigeration until after opening but that wasn't a problem there was nothing left.  Chips and Salsa are another hot commodity, crack a jar and open a bag and guaranteed you have a bunch of new friends. That is usually what everybody does is share the goodies you almost feel obligated because some people can go their entire tour without getting a package. So it kind of works out plus karma is a bitch. I will put a picture of the rain seeing the camp wet is really kind of weird, it's been so hot and dry here. I do want to say thanks for all of you for keeping me up to date with what's going on and sending me packages it is greatly appreciated. Send all pics to Sheila and she can post them on the blog for me to see.  Later.

Kevin

Great Carving

Halloween is for Infidels only

MAIL MAIL MAIL

Oh happy day!!!! Finally MAIL after all this time. First I want to thank everybody who still believes in the mail system and faithfully mailed packages. First to the BEST Sissy-in-Law in the world, I got six boxes from your work with all kinds of kids clothes and we will be handing those out pretty soon. We will give some to the hospital workers and there is a mission to a local orphanage in just a few days. I will get plenty of pics for you. To Jen I got your box and it was spot on fur lines crocs, socks and the goodies much appreciated. To my beautiful wifey thanks for the slippers and the goodies. My mom always looking out for me much appreciated. Oh and by the way as luck would have it I got the freakin' mattress topper today. I got like 11 boxes it was AWESOME. I noticed that the mattress topper was mailed on 4 September damn that took a while to get here. They say the mail will slow down even more the colder it gets, as you can probably imagine there is no equipment to clear roads and runways so things have a tendency to sit for a bit in the winter. Sheila I hope you had a good Bday party last night, I'm sorry i couldn't call but the networks were down. I was a little pissed. Please post pictures on the blog and let me know how it went. Thanks everybody. Later

My Internet Screwed Up

The last few days have really been tough ones. Like i said before it's like the movie "Groundhogs Day" the same things over and over. Well, you become kind of institutionalized expect certain things to kind of just be here. I come back the other day from being out all day and it's kind of stressful being on the road over here (Trust me on that one) and all i want is a damn diet pepsi, I'm sick of water and tired of gatorade and just want a damn diet pepsi, now we have been out of diet pepsi for about 3 weeks now and was assured that there was going to be a shipment coming in that day. Now I know this seems a little trivial to most of you but we don't have much and what we do have we come to depend on. I get back to camp and am anxiously awaiting my GD diet pepsi and low and behold nothing but regular soda, so i settle for water and none too happy about it either and the next couple of days that follow just bring disappointment after disappointment. The shower unit by my hooch breaks down completely and is secured, so now there are 3 shower stalls for about 60 people on my side of camp, we haven't seen mail in forever they just keep cancelling flights, and to top it all off our private contract internet shits the bed. Now I have to wait in line to use the MWR computers and then you are only granted about 20 minutes to get done what you have to do. My work email is working 90% of the time but they have most websites access denied and certainly all the pop mail servers you can't access. Whew good vent, and to top it all off every time I get a line out to Sheila's cell i get her voicemail. Boy i sound pathetic. Still there is always a bright and shiny cloud to everything, today in the DFAC a box of avocados just showed up out of nowhere and about half of them were ripe, see little things. Don't despair things are always looking up, the weather has turned cold enough o have to wear a jacket during the day now soon we will have snow on the mountains and it will be incredibly cold. At least it keep some of the smell down(Hopefully) Sorry this is so beeeyatchy but had to get it out. My time is up Later!!!

visitor from California

Hi everyone, I've been pretty busy, so haven't had time to post. About a week or so ago one of my best friends surprised me with a visit. He and his wife used to live around the corner from us, and we were really close. Had lots of fun nights with them on their back porch, hanging out and drinking lots of wine, beer, etc. Anyway, Ken was in the Navy, so eventually he had to take orders which took them to California. I was crushed when they left. Their kids and ours played together all the time. Anyway, we have kept in touch with Ken and Vine the past few years, and I know they are friends we will have for the rest of our life, even if we don't see them very often. Kevin was lucky enough that before he left for Afghanistan he had to process out through San Diego and got to spend almost a whole week with them. I'll try and get some pics posted of that if I can track them down. Anyway, Ken, it was great to see you and spend time with you. Hopefully we will be able to get to San Diego next summer.

Thanks to my friends!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was pretty shitty. It was just a bad day from the get go and damn if nothing would go right. I was in a pretty foul mood most of the day, it started with my routine being jacked up. I had to wait 15 minutes for a shower not much tepid water so real fast, then on to breakfast where they were out of everything that i usually eat. So I usually have a packet of chai latte that Sheila and my mom so graciously send me, i rip open the packet go to the hot water dispenser and in goes the water and right back out onto my boots, the bottom of the cup was cracked, damn styrofoam cups. This is all before 0730, and my day just got worse from there. Now not to complain anymore, my internet wasn't working so i wait in the mwr for what seems like an eternity and finally i get a computer. I get to my email and see that opalirish has sent me pictures to my myspace account, I know Jen sent me pictures of Ben's pinning but haven't been able to see them bandwidth and all. So i go to myspace and look at all the pictures Jen has posted. How great it was for me to see the pics of the camp, NYC, and especially of Ben's pinning. I'm still a little pissed seeing the pics in McSorley's and not being there. But what great pictures, they really made me feel better. You see it's the little things that you go without everyday that add up to your insanity. Thanks to Jen and all other family and friends out there send pictures to Sheila and she can post them on the blog for me to see. By the way Sheila has a B-Day coming up on the 28th. Oh and to top it all off no mail for the last 6 days. Got to love this place.

Holiday Weekend 10 Oct 2008

Until I talked to Sheila this morning(my time) i had no idea it was even a long weekend for you guys. We don't really get days off around here so everyday is the same. If you have ever seen the movie Groundhogs Day, that is the big joke. Everyday is more or less the same. So I am wishing everyone a Happy and Safe Columbus Day weekend, I am sure my friend V-BOG is already shopping for Christmas. So have a good time enjoy being with friends and family and have a cold one for me.
To my friend Kathy air freshner and febreze don't even touch it. But nice thought. In that little cracker box of a building is 3 toilets, 1 urinal, 3 showers, and 2 sinks.

Kevin

Shower and Head Facilities

These are the shower and Head facilities. The smell out of these things is nothing you could ever imagine. Think Porta Potty full in the hot sun, and then multiply that a few times. 

These PICS

Below are some pics from around the camp.  The bottom picture is the building I work in on the ISAF/Coalition base That I live on, it's called the JMOC (Joint Medical Operations Center).  The other pics are from an area called the Crows Nest.  Pretty Fancy Huh?

Around the Camp

Flag Poles in the middle of my camp

What's Up?

I hope everybody is doing OK. Just want to say "Hi" to everybody.  Things here are about the same, the weather is starting to turn for sure. Yesterday it was 96 during the day then into the 50's at night. It feels alot colder when it is so warm during the day. I will try to post some more pics, my last few attempts have not worked out. Kudos to Sheila for the 5k way to go. To all my friends and family take care and I think about you all the time and wish i was where you are. Thanks for the comments on the blog they are good to read. A special shout out to my pal Christian, search under Cake live covers, that may do it for you. Got to go. Later!

Kev

Ran a 5K today in support of Breast Cancer

Hey all, hope this finds all of our friends and family well. I have been so busy between work, softball and soccer that I barely have a moment to myself. So today, I took advantage of running a race (during working hours because I probably couldn't have done it otherwise) to support breast cancer at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. I didn't really do it to win obviously, I'm way too slow for that. It was a 5K, which equates to about 3 miles or so and it took me just under 35 minutes, so that is a little over a 10 minute mile. Clearly I won't be breaking any records. But it was fun, and of course it was for a good cause. There should be some pictures posted on the web soon, I'll let you all know in case anyone wants to take a look. It was a pretty nice course, got to run a portion of it along the waterfront. It was the perfect temperature, somewhere in the mid-70's and just the right breeze. I had two people on my mind during the race, Gloria and Helena, two of the best women I know. I love you both!!

04 October 2008 Saturday

Hey everybody finally able to get back up on the net. Like I said before the internet here is very very shakey so if you email me and I don't get back to you right away, the net may be down, generator problems, no power, wind/weather, crew devices jamming signal, any other myriad of reasons. Please be persistent in keeping in touch. Call Sheila if you want my skype in number and if i'm not at the computer you can leave a voice mail. Thanks to my brother in law Ed, I have skype, and don't have to wait in line to make a call to the states. My shamrock36@verizon.net is blocked from the Italian Server and can only access it from work 50% of the time. If you want to reach me no kidding send your emails to kevin.p.smith@afghan.swa.army.mil and deployedkevin@gmail.com.