An Afghanistan Vacation (Deployment)

Days 178-179

2005-06-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, where do I begin...This has been one LONG journey for me. Seems to some of you, this has flown by quickly....not for me! lol Though a few parts of this journey was a little faster than others but it feels like Ive been away from the states forever though. Well, like I mentioned on the last blog, I was going to make this a long one but I decided its best to keep it short and sweet. Ive had some good times and bad times while I was over here but it was definitely a learning experience. I am going to look back and read all of these posted blogs and just laugh it off! You all have made it so much better for me by posting me the blogs that I will always cherish :) Whether its Vanessa posting a very short but very too the point blog, Dyan's beautiful spiritual "I love Ricky" blogs, (hehe) Nicole's Ocean City/babysitting/outback blogs, Faith's inuendo blogs, and Rachel/Lynn's once a month blogs. All of you reminded me that "this too shall pass" and it got me through alot of dark corners and cold sleepness nights. Once again, I appreciate everyone's participation and hopefully all of you can also look back on these blogs sometime soon and enjoy them like I will. I am no longer in Afghanistan by the way (Im staying in Tjirkistan until tuesday) and will be in the US on Tuesday. Wish me luck on my long journey back home and will see you all soon!

SGT Ricardo Cortez

Days 176-177

2005-06-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is gonna be short only because Im trying to finish all of my packing tonight. I leave out of this country @ like 6am in the morning tomorrow. The blog I leave tomorrow is probably gonna be a lengthy one because it may be my last official blog. Im not quite sure but I do want to explain what I learned and discovered over here being deployed. Im kinda sad already because according to a few people I know over here, Ive touched quite a few members of our ministry team :( Well off to my little going away party and then finishing up my packing...Definitely look for me tomorrow though.

Day 175

2005-06-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

First off, I just wanted to say that I tried on my "civilian" clothes that I brought with me over here in November. What a difference! I have to confess, I havent worked out "as much" as I did a month or so back but man o man! I have a pair of pants that are a size 32 (way tight on me back in November but I wore em cuz they looked cool) but I think its safe to say I can probably be comfortable wearing a size 30! Do you all know how remarkable that is for a guy my size? Im not saying Im big cuz I actually have a small frame but considering my height and even weight to a limit (about 165pds now) thats still kinda a small size! Thats like going from a size 8 for a girl to a size 3 or something! I was a size 35 when I got here (I know I know, its ridiculous!) Ok enough excitement over a pair of pants haha. Well, I am in the middle of packing all of my gear up to get the **** outta here. I have alot more stuff than I thought I did hehe. I seen stuff that I havent seen since last year that I got issued to me. Ok, now Im just blabbering on here...well only 2 more Afghan days left then I shoot up north to TJSTN for a few days.

Days 172-174

2005-06-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

AAhhh.....3 more days.....I can see the light at the end of the tunnel....174 "official" days in Afghanistan....and only 3 more left....quite an accomplishment wouldn't you say?....lol Sorry, just pondering around on here. Dyan, let Mike know Ill be there soon enough to ride that jet ski! Ill definitely let you know when Ill be down. Well, sorry to cut this short but I am gonna go to bed early tonight. Oh and Dyan, I apologize but I was not able to make it out to the local village to see that little girl :( The convoy leaves out on Friday afternoon and Ill be on my way to Tjirkistan by then. Ok bloggerettes, Im outtie.

Days 170-171 Another Afghanistan Poem

2005-06-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

For the veteran bloggerettes that have been with me on this blogger since the beginning, do u remember my "Christmas Poem" ? If ya dont, here it is again:

December 25th, 2004 Blog

Im not good with poems, but I figured that I know how to rhyme words a little so here it goes :)

Kandahar, Afghanistan....
Not a place for every man,
could easily get a tan;
just ask all the bearded Taliban!

Stuck here on Christmas Day;
where all the sand flies and scorpions play,
maybe holiday chow on a cardboard tray?
Must be dreaming, so slap me Ok?

Arriving back in June;
When all the blossoms are in full bloom,
Possibly singing a tune? While vacationing in Cancun?
Must be me drunk, barking at the moon.

Not very good at this writing thing;
Never could rock a beat or sing,
Doing my best to let our freedom ring;
In Afghanistan, where all American Soldiers are king :)

Well, on June 3rd, 2005 I am here again to attempt another poem...bear with me :)

For half a year its been 2005;
When I least expected it, time has flown by;
With snow in the mountains and hot desert gone dry;
Finally leaving this god forsaken place, I promise not to cry.

A week to go my friend, out of sight out of mind;
Have seen many different faces, everyone not always kind;
Been here for over 170+ days, not being able to wine and dine;
The USA is only a few steps away, so this place can kiss my freakin behind.

At the closing end of my journey, its about time for me to say good riddens;
Im done sleeping on floors, cots and a bed dirty with disgusting linens;
Has a love for Afghanistan gotten me smitten?
I hope you can answer that question for me, by reading the many blogs I've written.

How did I do? (lol) Its fun writing my mini-poems!

Day 169

2005-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

I remember naming this blogger after I found out I was leaving for Afghanistan last fall/winter. As much as Ft. Meade, Md was making me go CRAZY, I needed a break..a vacation perhaps. Silly me wanted to get far far far away from everything that made me go towards the insane side of me (lol) Well Afghanistan was that place. My vacation away from Ft Meade. God knows it wasnt a vacation that every person would go on hehe, but it was away from Ft. Meade. So I ended up naming this blog "An Afghanistan Vacation (Deployment). I wanted to talk briefly about my decision making on the name of this online journal blog. I put both (vacation) and (deployment) on my title for a reason. As you can see, (and mentioned earlier in one of my blogfessions) I am "officially" done with the (deployment) part of the title of my blogger :) Now let the (vacation) begin! Between today (June 1st) and June 13th, I am basically just relaxing over here. No more meetings, no more traveling, no more work! My first thing I would like to do today on my vacation is hanging out at the MWR (Morale Welfare Recreation) and playing some Playstation 2. Then doing some laundry and I have to mail off a big box to send to my Mom's house so I wont have to pay for extra baggage on the plane towards the states. That is what my day consists of :) I believe I deserved this break from all the crap I went through Winter/Spring. I know you all feel the same way.

Days 167-168 "Good News!"

2005-05-31T18:45:00.000-07:00

I got the final GO for departure of 14 June!!! I will leave Afghanistan probably on 10 June, be up in TJKSTN for 4 days and be in Baltimore, Md the evening of the 14th! However, I have to go back to Ft. Benning, Ga for a night or two so I can turn in my deployment gear but I should be in Maryland for good by the 16th! Hooray! Talk to you all soon!

Day 166 "extended"

2005-05-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with my Mom and I just wanted to express whats going through my mind on my "journal". Feel free to comment if ya like :) Spoke with the original "Mama" for about 2 hrs this evening and really went "back" with her. Remember when I went rambling on about how strong my mom is and what she means to me earlier in my blogfessions? Well she made me realize how strong she is today without her really trying too. The conversation began with me coming back in a few weeks (yay!?. Then we went back into the past about our first "vivid" memory of our early childhood. I started out my memory with when I was around 3 yrs old wearing a bright red shirt with dirty blue overalls with a dinged up lunch pale in my right hand. Before I got any deeper into the memory, she told me EXACTLY what happened that day as if it was yesterday. Event after event, as if she was reading my mind at that moment. Right there told me how much she really means to me. I know mothers are suppose to know their kids well in all but what she remembered at that very moment means soooo much to me right now. Then after that happened, she told me her first vivid memory. Im not gonna bore ya with what she said hehe, but again she made me realize too that we are more than just mother and son...we are like best friends. Granted, Ive always seen my Mom as someone special besides being my mother, but she respects me soooo much more than I thought she did. Dyan, do you remember our conversation a few days back? About being friends with your son and daughters? I just want to let you know that it means ALOT more than u think it does treating us like friends besides the mother-daughter scenerio. Knowing Vanessa, she probably thinks Im being way too sappy right about now (I probably am but this is my blogfession!) but this is whats on my mind right now. I dont know if being over here made me this emotional or what not, but its coming out like a rainbow after a rain shower! lol My Mom and I had alot more than that to talk about but I will share one more part of that conversation with you. As you all know, Im taking my mother to Las Vegas July 5th-11th. We talked about our vacation and how we both need it in all. Just to let ya all know, my mother LOVES the nickel slots (lol) So this story will only make sense if I mention that hehe. Anywho, my mother and her best friend from work had this past Friday off and they decided they wanted to drive to Charleston, Wva for the day and just let loose. They both were coming in with only $50 a piece to gamble with now mind you :) Well her best friend ended up winning like $100 extra dollars and my mom hit the nickel slots for FIVE minutes and came out with $350! NICKEL slots I remind you lol But what made me wanna just hug and kiss her at that very moment she was telling me this, was how happy she was just winning in the first place. I wish you could all just hear her giggle and laugh about how happy she was at her little nickel slot machine :) God bless her. This woman would have been perfectly happy just winning a few dollars. It does not take her much at all to have a smile from cheek to cheek on her face. Honestly, I can go on and on and on about her but I just simply dont have the time to tell you all lol. So Ill end this blogfession with this; As much as you may be angry with your mom or dad at times, remember what they did for you when you needed them the most. Not gonna lie to you, there has been times like that with me, but I will ALWAYS remember...I have never been so close to my mother than I am now. If being 12000 miles away in an open, disgustingly hot desert being shot at every other day made me realize this notion, then so be it :) Thanks for listening to me.

Days 165-166

2005-05-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well the days are counting down a little slower than what Im used too but its ok. Lets see...its Sunday right now and I have 16 days left....for now :) Im gonna warn u all now, in every blog I post here on out, Im gonna mention how many days I got left! Thats all I gotta talk about these days! Oh, Ma, get Vanessa on here!

Day 164

2005-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

This being the last camp I officially go to as a Catholic Priest's assistant, Im enjoying it quite a bit :) It has a great big gym (I have been literally living in them since the beginning of the year), internet is not so bad (I can get on just about any time I want too!), the food is ok for a PIG hehehe (Im not eating as much because the choices arent so great for a health nut like me). But all in all, Im in great spirits. Rumor has it that my stance on my June 15th arrival is still intact (but I dont wanna jinx it!). If it goes all to plan, I only have like 15 days left in Afghanistan and then I would be in Kgyrkistan for like 2-3 days then a whole day/night to fly back to the states! But worse case scenerio, I shouldnt be back to the states no later than the 24th. Lets hope the first scenerio plays out :)

Day 163

2005-05-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hooray!!! Im at my last camp on the last leg of my tour :) Ill be here for the next 5 days or so. Looks like we will leaving on the 31st as planned back to Kandahar. Dyan, Vanessa knows I will ALWAYS be in her life as I will always be in YOUR life too :) Even if a situation came up where for some reason Vanessa isnt talking to me, I would not let that stop me from talking or seeing you :) Remember that! But I dont think that would EVER happen. Well, I think I MAY have time to call some people up tonight (morning-afternoon for u all). I just might include you Dyan hehehe :) Nicole, Im pretty sure Ill give u a ring as well. Vanessa's phone is off I think so when you talk to her Mom, let her know I said hey. Ok, well off to get some fooooooooood. Hope to hear from you all soon. Love always,

-Ricky

(lol, I never put my name on these things so I did it this time)

Day 162

2005-05-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived at a new camp yesterday as expected and my boss and I are trying to leave tomorrow morning to my LAST place to go :) Hopefully if all goes well, we will be at this last camp until the 31st of May and then by early June, Ill be in Kandahar twiddling my thumbs until I leave in the middle of June. Thats of course, if everything goes to plan. Anywho, as usual, just keeping busy with things around here so I dont get so anxious to get back :) Oh and Dyan, PLEASE TELL Vanessa if you talk or see her anytime soon, to STOP being a stranger on my blogger! lol I know that her job can be stressful, but I know its something else! :) She just wont admit it. Nicole, Im glad your doing ok. Ill definitely let you know when I will be in town. Well, I will go for now. Pray for me that I will get to my LAST destination in one piece! :) Adios

Day 161

2005-05-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

I think that is very nice of you to say that I would be a nice "catch" when the right woman comes along :) Sorry for ruining my poetic sense at the end lol At least I am being honest on how I feel! Nothing in any of my letters are fake feelings, I promise you that :) Ok well my boss and I are finally headed to the next camp today. So I better go wait for the Chinook outside. If it doesnt come today, then Ill try to hop back on and add a little more to this. Adios!

Day 160

2005-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks Dyan. Once again that means alot ;) I did take ALOT for granted over in the US. Being over here definitely put my whole life in perspective and I will definitely not take ANYTHING for granted ever again! lol Im just ready to sit down at a nice restaurant, eat ANYTHING I want for once and take normal everyday showers hehe. Plus I wanna lay on the beach and just soak up the sun and the ladies haha.

Day 159

2005-05-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well found out we will be at the camp that Im at for at least a few more days. For once, I will NOT complain about being here since it is nice! Not sure if I already mentioned it, but I only really have like a week or so left of traveling in Afghanistan :) Im gonna be in Kanahar pretty much the rest of june. Cant wait ;) And yes Dyan, I think I look cute with my buzz cut! I think you would too :) I remember Vanessa liking it when we were together. Oh gosh, Ricky is ready to get back!

Days 157-158

2005-05-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Well Im hopping along all over Afghanistan as expected and we are almost halfway done with our 2 week mini-tour. This new camp that we are at resembles a "hilton hotel" compared to alot of camps that we are usually at :) I apologize that there isnt much for me to say on here but the only things that have been new is just moving from one camp to another. Ill be here until Monday then we once again hop to another :) But Ill try to write more tomorrow though. Maybe Ill make that the day to make a few calls back to the states. Its been over a week since I last did that :) Ok, adios!

Days 155-156

2005-05-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing really new except Im ready to gooooooooooooooo! hahaha. Ill be off to another camp tomorrow. Ill post more later then :) Adios

Days 153-154

2005-05-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Nicole and Faith, have you ever watched "What Women Want" with Mel Gibson in it? You both remind me of those two ladies that worked under Mel Gibson's character haha. :) Its a compliment by the way. Anywho, Im looking at two dates of arrival. Its either going to be June 16th or June 24th. I do have my family coming to pick me up from the airport but thanks for asking though you guys..means alot. Oh and Dyan, so your whole family is going to the Bahamas? I wanna go! Seroiusly :) I was planning on going anyway and now I would have a reason to go. IF ITS OK WITH YOU OF COURSE, let me know the for sure dates so I can buy my hotel reservations/plane tickets too! :) God knows I can afford it now hehehe. Ah man, that would be awesome! Then Mike and I can go jet skiing! Ok, gotta stop getting excited over this since Im not even sure you would let me! Ok anyways, Im currently outside the wire. Im on my first day of the 2 week mission we are on. Ill be here at Sherona PRT (NE Afghanistan) until this thursday. Anywho, hope to hear from you all soon.

Days 151-152

2005-05-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well Im about to go out and about again for 1-2 weeks instead of the usual several days. But THIS will be my last real trip before I leave! Yay! Oh My! haha. Yes, Mama is baaaaaaaaaaack! I missed you :) OK, sorry to make it short but gotta pack AGAIN. Man, I really cant wait for my MONTH long vacation hehe. And Faith, I am Vin Diesel, but dont take it the wrong way haha.

Day 150

2005-05-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I did something new last night. Something I havent done since I joined the army early on. But the weather is just to hot NOT to do it. Can you guess what it is yet? I SHAVED MY HEAD! Oy! Oh My! lol Actually everyone that I work with said I look like a smaller version of Vin Diesel so Ill take compliment on that I think. Well that is all for now that is new :) Oh, found out I could be leaving for back to the states on June 14th. We will see! Adios!

Day 149

2005-05-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Your right Nicole! haha Man, that shower yesterday evening was the BEST shower I have ever had! Oh My! Oh yeah! I literally had a layer of dust/dirt all over my body that I washed off yesterday. My face feels so clean! Oy! Sorry for being so happy about a freakin shower :) I think you would understand if you were here! Well found out Im going out AGAIN tomorrow for another week but hopefully this place isnt as dangerous and AT least has a shower. Im sure it does. Ok hope to hear from EVERYONE soon! Thanks for keepin in touch Nicole and Faith. Im surprised Mama hasnt came on yet. Sure she has a good reason isnt that right Mama? ;) Laters

Days 147-148

2005-05-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hola Amigas and Madre! Just wanted to say a quick hello. Well Im on my way to Kandahar so I can take a SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:) I dont know whats worse....not taking a shower for over a week or getting hit on by a Gay Korean? haha. Ok ladies, Ill write more later

Day 146

2005-05-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Haha. I posted a blog back to back! Yay! Oh my! Nothing new here of course. 2 more days until that shower...aahhhh I really really REALLY hate going without a shower for this long. The sand storms are getting stronger and stronger by the day. The other evening, it took 6 guys plus myself to hold one side of the tent just so it wouldnt blow away. It was horrible. We had a mini one last night and did a little damage. Cant wait until I dont have to worry about 100+ degree temps, severe sandstorms, and NOT having a shower! Ok everyone, keep the peace

Days 137-145

2005-05-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Aahhh......back on the blogger. This must have been the longest I have went without getting on...9 days. I wrote an email to most of you regarding why so I wont explain much about it :) But I will say that I found a way to get on at where Im at. Yes Im still out of the wire and yes Im still stinking from not having a shower in several days. But the computer Im on is located on the other side of base. Guess where Vanessa? On the Special Forces side of all places. HaHa. And they let me online and they dont have a internet "blocker" so I can get on virtually any website thank god. Anywho, Im back for now and canNOT wait as usual to get back to the states! According to the Army NOW, I have like 4-5 weeks left but Im not holding my breath any more. They changed my arrival date so much I cant even keep up with it. Well I hope you all come back out of hiding and write in my blogger again! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease! And Nicole, that is totally awesome that you are dating :) And yes it does suck that it happened at the end of the semester Im sorry :) And Dyan, I wanted to let you know that I will be driving through (maybe stop in for a day or two?) in the middle of July. Im visiting a few friends and a few cousins in Florida and since Ill be passing through, why not come and see you and Mike for a bit? :) Let Vanessa know as well, could be just like ole times haha. Ok you all, I love every one of you!!! Take Care

Days 131-136

2005-04-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, didnt know that I would be missed so much :) Thanks for thinking of me ladies. As for Lynn, she knows how I feel about what happened so I wont go any further into it. She has been an awesome friend (even from a distance) since 1999. Like she mentioned in blogs past, we were a couple waaaayyyy back then and have been the greatest of friends since. She has always been there for me as I will always be there for her. So Lynn, if you ever read this, Im basically giving you a "Thank You" for what all you have done for me in the past and present. I knew you were always a phone call away and in reality, thats all I needed. With your father, he will ALWAYS be a prayer away and dont forget that. He is looking after you when you least expect it. I will go for now. Once again I do apologize for not being on much lately. I have actually been outside the wire and weirdly enough I was able to get on AOL/Yahoo messenger but the internet sites were going in and out at where I was at. Now Im in Kandahar and will be here until Monday. Hope to hop on again very soon but do know that I am always in safe keeping so please dont worry so much when Im not around. Think of it as me keeping busy so I can get out of here sooner! :) Alrighty kids, Ill talk to you all soon

Days 127-130

2005-04-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok...I got to get this blogger back on track! I know its my fault and Im going to fix it :) However, this will be a tad short but its been getting harder and harder to get on the internet over here due to security reasons but Ill try to overcome them one day at a time. Hope everyone is doing well. Yes Nicole I am definitely counting down the days till I get back :) Unfortunately I was told that I will be here until the middle of June though :( My replacement doesnt get over here from the states till then so I have to stay until he gets here. Its ok though. Happy Belated Birthday Dyan! :) Sorry but I didnt read what you wrote until today my apologies! And Vanessa, next time you log on here...talk to me! lol You like to mention random things on here all the time haha. Ok gotta get going but I promise I will try harder to get online more. Adios!

Days 123-126

2005-04-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not writing on Sunday like I said I was. Well Im out of the wire again at a place called Tiger. My boss and I will be here until this Thursday. This round of places that Im going on may very well be my last stops to make at these places outside the wire. My replacements arrives in 3 weeks and I should be out the country NO LATER than early June. But I could leave as early as the last week in May. YAY! And thank god because the heat is getting UNBEARABLE here. The last week or so its been in the mid-high 90's and yesterday it actually topped at 101 degrees. I saw the weather for Afghanistan and the next 7-10 days it will be like this. So I have been experiencing summer for like the last 5-6 weeks or so. March it was averaging around mid 80's or so. Its been so hott over here that I actually have to eat/drink for a 200 pd man in a 165 pds body now! Im struggling to get back up to 175, which is my ideal weight for me. Here I am coming into this country trying to lose weight, and now Im struggling to keep it on. Ridiculous. Its ok though, the heat and the working out cut whatever love handles I had left (which was very little) so I have nothing to pinch on now haha. Ok I know, I talked alot about me I apologize. I thought you all might like that. Ok well hope to hear from you all soon! Miss you guys

Days 118-122

2005-04-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hey, cant talk much (busy busy busy!) but I do want to say that I will be able to write a WHOLE lot more this sunday. This sunday will be my LAST work weekend. Ill be working here of course but just not on a weekend schedule anymore. I promise to write more later! I didnt forget about you all! I promise! Miss you all!

Days 115-117

2005-04-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon to everybody :) Today was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky :) Makes me miss the states that much more. Well Im about to head out to another base again and be out until this Saturday. Im pretty sure this place has internet so I will be in touch. Unfortunately Dyan, I did not recieve any packages from you as of today :( I got one from my mother (thought it was from you earlier) and that was it. Im sorry, but Ill keep the look out for it. Thanks Nicole for your honest opinions as usual :) Hope Ocean City was a blast, even in the rain. And no Dyan, your not a trophy wife (lol) You worked too damn hard throughout the years to be labeled as one :) And go to Tiffany's! I heard all the celebs go there :) And Vanessa, as much as you DONT write in this blogger, you still make a lasting impression haha. Ok everyone, gotta pack for tomorrow. As of now, I have 42 "unofficial" days left in Afghanistan. Could be a few more, or a few less. The only for sure thing is that my replacement is just twiddling his thumbs up north in Bagram waiting for me to leave! ;) Thats a good thought to have. Alrighty, laters!

Day 114

2005-04-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Day 114

Dyan, black cars are just friggin awesome! Plus from what i heard, girls dig em :) I did get ONE of your boxes, the newest one. But problem was that I didnt get to pick it up on time when I got back from outside the wire. I had to leave again like 12 hrs later but Ill be back in Kandahar tomorrow for sure to pick them up. Thanks for all the compliments once again Faith and Nicole and even Dyan :) It means alot. Well I finally nailed the rims down to like 4 pictures. All of them are black in some way. So thanks for picking the color I wanted this whole time! :) What do u think?

Day 113

2005-04-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Day 113

Yeah I want black rims too. But here is an example of one of the many rims Im picking from to put on my car when I get back. I think the most expensive set was $1695.00 I set my budget @ $2000.00 so I should be ok with installation in all. Plus tires come with the package as well. I wish I can send you all the rim pictures but they are a gif format and this blogger only lets me do the jpg format. This rim picture actually has jpg format. Anywho, yes Dyan, that would be pretty cool of you and Mike to come up to Baltimore. Vanessa will definitely be one of my friends that I would invite and you are MORE THAN WELCOME to tag along :) Id love your company ;) Same goes to Faith, Nicole, or anyone that wants to go. OK gotta jet. Oh, by the way, what do you guys mean by "I stand out"? Help me figure that one out!

Day 112

2005-04-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Day 112

Hey everyone. Just wanted to play with my new picture feature and added the car I bought a few months back to the blogger! Ive talked about it enough if past blogs, so here is my baby...I want to call it "KIT" but thats only if I get the black rims that I like. Everyone says to go chrome, but everyone has that. I like to stand out, and I think GLOSSY black rims would do the trick on a glossy black car, dont you think?

Day 111

2005-04-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

ahh...finally found how to send pictures to my blogger!

Well, well, well! Glad you found me on here Fresca. Looks like your back in the states :) Im glad you are and its only a matter of time till I will. Thanks Dyan for your kind words as always. Ive thought about it and Id really like to have a welcome home party when I get back. Or just a going out and dance get together. You know, have a good dinner, and me and some select friends go out and just have a good ole time! Vanessa, if I dont get to Drew before u do, let him know I want him to plan it for me. I know he would in a heart beat haha. Anywho, Im glad your doing good too Nicole. Heck, Im glad everyone is doing good. Chemistry is a bleh subject Nicole, dont feel bad for dropping it now. Talk to u all soon

p.s. - As you can see, I found out FINALLY how to get pics on this blogger! yay me

Days 109-110

2005-04-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Man, I must say its been pretty quiet on the blogger :) Its ok, it gives me time to reflect myself like a diary. In a way, this is kind of my diary, well like a public diary haha. Along with the time flying by, my workouts getting better, making the money that I earned, and just experiencing life in a 3rd world country, I must say, this is one of the most unique experiences that any man on earth could ever have. And I got to do that! Every single person who logged on this blogger and had anything to say, has made a difference in me. Thank you for that. Well, back to patiently waiting to arrive back in Maryland. Talk to you all later

Day 108 "April Fools Day!"

2005-04-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Im not really big on April Fools day but just wanted to mention it :) Anywho, cutting this one short because my copter leaves in like 2 hours and I need to pack still to get back to Kandahar. I just want to say that my new yrs resolution has taken me at places I thought my body couldnt produce! lol I can honestly say that Im in the best shape of my life by FAR! I may not be 18 or 19 any more, but I can easily hang with any young buck now :) Ok, gotta run. This is for everyone else on the blogger (Dyan, only if you WANT too, u can check em out too haha), I got some newer pics from working out on my site. http://photos.yahoo.com/rcortez3865 See ya!

Days 103-107

2005-03-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry I havent been on! Im still out of the wire in Afghanistan. I get back to Kandahar tomorrow though thank god. I got lucky today to be even on the computer so Ill make this short. I cant wait to get back to the states. Time is kinda flying for me. Tomorrow it will be April and thats a relief for me! March seemed to pass SOOOOOO slow for me but hopefully April will be better. I really hope everyone is doing ok. Ill write more once I get back to Kandahar tomorrow, I promise! Laters

Day 102

2005-03-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

Dyan, you are awesome! :) And Vanessa, stop giving your Ma headaches! hehe. Its ok, Im her favorite now. Well not much new here. Flying out again for a week or two at a time. Just got done this easter service and Im exhausted. Ugh. Time for nite nite. Miss you all.

Day 101

2005-03-25T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ah, Faith decides to come back :) Yay! :) Advice with your new bf...enjoy your time with him! Get to know him as your friend and as your boyfriend. Those kind of relationships will take you very far in your life. Oh and Nicole, I totally forgot that everyone reads this blog when I said "the gutter" comment I apologize! lol Looks like Mama fixed you haha :) I hope those boxes come too before the unit leaves back to the states. One more thing before I leave...I found out today that my replacement is ALREADY in Afghanistan! He got here yesterday so my big boss is trying to find out how early I can get back without having to make any adjustments/changes on paper if you know what i mean. He thinks he can get me out of here or at least on the way by mid May now :) YAY! Only a few more months till I get back to my normal life :) Oh and Vanessa, JUST because you have a "new" friend doesnt mean you can NOT show up for Blogfession :) (get it get it?) hehe. Ok, outta here!

Days 97-100

2005-03-24T19:40:00.000-08:00

Wow the big 100. 100 official days in Afghanistan. Only 68 more official days left. Maybe shorter once I get a hold of my replacement on the phone sometime. Rumor has it he's anxious to get over here (not a surprise that this place is NOT elegant but no one will tell him that shhhh) so he might come a little earlier than expected. Cross your fingers! I deeply apologize that I didnt write sooner. Since working directly with a Catholic Priest and this week being Easter holy week, it is THE BUSIEST week of the year for catholic priests. So that makes me the busiest! So I might not be able to get back on for a little while again. We will see. I hope everyone is doing well. Nicole, I got your card and picture in the mail. Thank you! :) Yes, your mind was in the gutter but its ok haha :) Havent gotten any new boxes as of yet except for Dyan's the other day. I really do appreciate all the gifts you all have given me. It really, really means alot to me even if I dont bring it up enough. But bad news, I wont have a mailing address once the unit I was working for earlier leaves next week. So I cant get any more mail :( But the thought TOTALLY counts though! :) Ok gotta run for now, hope to hear from you all soon

Day 96

2005-03-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I had to work the chapel today (bleh) since 6am and probably wont get out of here till a little past 8pm :( But its ok! :) My new boss gave me the day off tomorrow. He also wants me to be his personal trainer (workout buddy). So starting tomorrow morning, he is going to working out with me. Not sure how much a 56 yr old can do with my workout regime, but he seems incredibly fit for his age and size. Anywho, Dyan I still havent gotten any boxes :( This is really starting to bug me now about that. I really do apologize for the mail system over here. But Im glad you got insurance though just in case. Actually now that I think about it, I ordered a few movies from Amazon.com like a month ago and still havent seen them! Oh gosh. Thanks for your comment Vanessa. Maybe you can say more than a sentence next time! haha. And Faith, where you been? And Nicole, I hope you enjoy your spring break. Seems like you have really been kickin butt in school and as long as you do your best, you cant go wrong. Ok everyone, hope to hear from you all soon again. Have a good Sunday!

Day 95

2005-03-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

Wow Lynn, you still remember that day as if it was yesterday :) I thought I had a good memory! lol But that sounded about what happened. I still dont remember kissing you though at the end of basic :( Well I feel normal being in Kandahar as long as Ive been here. It feels kinda weird though being here longer than a few days. I did find out that we will be leaving out again on the 25th though for a few days. Still no packages as of today :( Ill keep looking though. The weather is fantastic as usual (except for the hour shower this morning). Suppose to get up to about 85 degrees today. Ok hope to hear from you all soon.

Days 93-94

2005-03-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, Im still in Kandahar :) My boss and I caught a good break. We dont have to leave again for another base until the Easter frame. Which is nice! :) Days are ticking away and its great to be so close to leaving. I checked for packages, and there werent any for me :( I deeply apologize but Ill keep checking until I leave next week. Its been amazingly warmer here (80-90's) and it feels good to run in this weather. Ok, hope to hear from all of my bloggerettes soon. Keep the peace

Day 92

2005-03-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome Lynn :) Very surprised you finally made it to my blogworld. But definitely glad you are. Yes, I remember that night sweetie...it was very nice seeing you back then...wow, that was right after I broke up with Sara right? 1 1/2 yrs ago? Geesh, time flies :) Anywho, Im in Farah now and its actually pretty good here. Very small but I got what I need here. Shower, cot, gym, food and internet :) I usually dont get that lucky with having all the above. Ill probably be leaving for Kandahar tomorrow but only long enough to get our next place to go. Which is like 24-48 hrs. In which Dyan, Ill check my packages if I have any. Same goes with both Faith and Nicole. Ok bloggerettes, who is this "b" person? Never heard of em. Well Hi! if you are still around. Ok hope to hear from you all soon.

P.S. - Nicole, Im gonna email ya today since I went back and retrieved your email on an old blog

Days 87-91

2005-03-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhh my gosh *bleh* Alot has happened since I was on 5 days ago. But I dont have much time to talk so I have to be short about it. I have a new boss (my old boss is leaving next week). So with this new boss, comes a new agenda, and keeps me out of kandahar like 2 out of the last 2 1/2 months I got left here. Im in a place called Shindand now and we leave for Farah tomorrow. So I will be flying around like crazy the next few months. It makes the time go faster though which is cool but limits my internet usage by alot since Im not promised an internet connection everywhere I go. Anywho, Ive been good though. I still do occasionally miss family and friends back home (I know how ya feel Nicole and sometimes I dont even give myself much credit with what Im doing!) but I find ways around it. Working out has helped tremendously and as well with all this traveling. Dyan, I havent been in Kandahar since the 10th and there wasnt any boxes from anyone then so they are probably there now. I might have a chance to get them in a few days. Ill see what I can do. Also Nicole, I apologize for not emailing you yet but do you mind emailing me personally to give it to me again? I think you told me on here and I rarely go back and read my old blogs (saving that till i get back in the states!). So email me at either hotmail/yahoo account and promise to send you pics. And Dyan, you better tell Vanessa to email me very soon. I KNOW why she hasnt been on lately ;) She thinks Im dumb but Im not heheh...so if she reads this anytime soon, she should email me. You better Vanessa! :) Wow, this turned out pretty long. Im a fast typer I suppose cause it only took a few minutes. OK Im outta here. Till next time

Days 83-86

2005-03-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hola Bloggerettes! Sorry it took me so long to get back on once again. Well Im back in Kandahar (yay!) but only to be told that I got a new boss and he goes out of the wire more than my old boss! Which means I might be in Kandahar only a few days at a time (bleh!) Other than that, Im in great spirits. Working out has been such an awesome success :) Im starting to get muscle where I thought Id never have it! My arms have greatly improved as well as my delts and pecs. I feel like Im in a brand new body. Perfect for the summer like I planned! Who said that New Yr resolutions die out after a month? its been almost 3 1/2 months and Im still steaming ahead! Gosh, I sound like Richard Simmons (argh) but not nearly as hairy and bigger! hehehehe. Geez, Im starting to sound like Dyan now...all wired up (Im kidding, you know I love you :) Ok just wanted to tell you that Im alive and well and got confirmation by the big boss in Ft. Meade that I will be back in the states early June. Good, cuz I already paid for my vacation and my car :) Everything else in my pocket is for fun! Yay! Ok, shut up Ricky.

Dyan, I heard you just laugh ;)

Day 82

2005-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well I lucked out...they improved the bathrooms and internet here :) And according to the soldiers that are living here, its been warm the last 2 days very unexpectedly. Just last week they said it was 10-15 degrees. Yesterday when I got here, it was 65 degrees. Today its suppose to be up to 70 degrees. I def. lucked out of this place. Well Im going to make some phone calls today. I try to call everyone at least 1-2 times a month when I can. My MOTHER is the only exception of course and I can her like 2-3 times a week. So if I dont get to everyone on this blog, Ill see ya on here still ;) Ok partners, Adios!

Days 80-81

2005-03-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

This I apologize is another short blog. Im leaving AGAIN to another base only to be stuck at that one till Tuesday. The one Im at now is called Qalat. Not too bad I guess but I heard the other one is like the one I went to a little over a month ago. Remember that really cold one with the "weird" bathrooms? Anaconda ring a bell? Just like that one I heard. The only good news I got today is that when I get back to Kandahar on Tuesday, within a week or two I leave to go back to Bagram :) I cant wait for that. The leadership is soo sooooo weak here. Ok Ill talk to you all laterz...just the thought of coming home soon is what keeps me motivated at this very moment...

Day 79

2005-03-03T01:36:00.000-08:00

This is to be very short. Ill be out of the net for at least a day or more. Just found out that Im going out of the wire again for a mission. They gave me like 6 hours in advance which is very crappy. Im cranky about it because Im up too darn early for this crap. Oh well. I guess it goes with the job. Hope to hear from you all soon

Days 77-78

2005-03-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well as you all may know, I am back in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Im not exactly all bummed out being back though. I leave this area in less than 30 days due to the unit Im attached too leaving back to the states in April. So everyone is in SUCH HIGH SPIRITS now. I expect that in the next 3 weeks or so because of them leaving. Which of course puts me in a good mood as well. I haven't mentioned lately on my progress of losing weight. Im here to tell you not ONLY did I meet my ideal weight but I surpassed it by like 6 pounds lol. I wanted to be a healthy 175pds. Im now at 169pds. So if I gain a few pds before I leave, Id be actually happier! :) I definitely cut pretty much all the fat that I wanted too. I believe I sent some pics to Vanessa, Faith and Rachel to see my progress. Nicole sweetie, I dont have your new email address anymore! Please send it to me and Ill show you too. I feel great about this achievement because it only took me 3 months to get where I really wanted to be instead of the 6 months I thought it was going to take. All I have to do is maintain from here. Anywho, also want to let you all now that I do got the new pictures up from my vacation on my photo album. http://photos.yahoo.com/rcortez3865 . Be sure to check them out! Ok enough of me for now. Hope to hear from you all soon

Ricky p.s. - Nicole and Faith... I see that both of you want to send me some stuff for my B-Day :) Thank you for thinking about me ;) I guess I can ask for a FEW things..not really a big birthday kind of guy. I would LOVE to have Mach 3 razors (expensive as you will both find out). Also some Trident WHITE Cool Rush gum. Kinda expensive but SO GOOD for your teeth! And Tuna packs are great too! You know, the new ones that came out in freshly sealed packages, not the canned kind. Speaking of which, thanks Dyan for your package! Im sorry I havent gotten your other one yet though. :( Ok thats it for now, If I think of something later, Ill let ya know!

Days 74-76 (My Mini-Vacation Pt 2)

2005-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my last full day here in Qatar... :( Its been a WONDERFUL 4 days of RELAXATION. I cant tell you how much this was needed. So many great memories were made here for me. The culture, the scenery, everything was perfectly set in place for me I felt. A splash of arabic culture, and a zing of american modernization. In other words, women/men in their "arabic gear" walking around a 5 story state of the art mall buying items that you would see us buy! :) Unique experience. A night into the town was wonderful. Their clubs aren't exactly like ours, but it was kinda close. The dancing that I would usually do in Baltimore did not take place over here..haha. But I have to admit their are some hot "modernized" arabic women over here. Actually I think one of the funniest things I have ever heard women say to me happened the other night. Occasionally, I wear my glasses because of my vision. More at night then any other time. Well I had bought some clothes of my taste along with my usual hat and I wore my glasses this time. I had a small group of "modernized" arabic women come up to me, with the one in the middle giving me a quick look up and down saying "I must admit; you are one of the hottest nerds I have ever seen" then she giggled with her friends and walked away. I just sat their with a few of my friends that I went with and thought "I cant believe she said that with a look of disgust!" lol It was like if I wasnt wearing glasses or something, she would have liked me. I dont know. But it was hilarious. When I went to the mall yesterday, I could not help myself to buy over $1000 of items. There was just so much stuff that I was going to buy anyway once I got back to the states. I just said, "Might was well get it over with". Plus some of the stuff was a little cheaper. Wow, I talked alot on this one. Oh before I forget, check out my photo album in the next few days. I got some GREAT pictures from over here! You would love them. The location was perfect for pictures. Ok Adios! I will never forget this vacation.

Days 72-73 (My Mini-Vacation Pt 1)

2005-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Ahhh....IM ON VACATION!!! YES!!!! LMAO. I will have to put up pictures soon on my yahoo album. Already got some good ones ;) Wow...I feel so relaxed for the time being. I get the chance to go dancing down in Saudi Arabia! And drink up their alcohol! Man I cant wait. Ill be doing that within the next few hours over here. Also something interesting has happened to me since I got here yesterday. Well, they have a few restaurants on the base Im at in Qatar, one of them Chili's. Yeah, I know...Chili's! Awesome. Anywho, I got me a BBQ burger (huge!) and you know, the fries and got me a tea. Remember, I havent had ANY of this kind of food in little over 3 months. Well, I had that meal yesterday evening around 9pm. It is 630pm right now the very next day and I still haven't eaten. But Im not hungry? I honestly worked out this morning, watched a movie, played some ping pong and even took a nap...but still did NOT have the urge to eat anything...and I still don't. I asked a few people around here if they had the same effect and a couple did. And I finally realized something between the 3 guys and I that did have the same situation...we were all in pretty good shape. Then one of the guys mentioned that because of us working out as much as we do over in Afghanistan, our stomachs have dramatically shrunk since the invention of sliced bread. I mean, it made sense because I dont eat much to get full these days and I had a HUGE meal. I know, this story is retarded but ITS MY STORY!!! AAAAAAAAAhahahahah :) So I told it. Well Im gonna go take a SWIM in the OLYMPIC size pool they got here on base! Awesome. Then to downtown Qatar I go! Ill definitely take some pictures for you all. Im in such a good mood now as you can tell...but damnit, I deserve to be :) hehe. I love you all and hope to hear from you all soon as well. And Faith/Nicole, Ill try giving you all a ring probably tomorrow (Saturday). I have my own phone in my own room! Crazy (the most simple things in life in the states are luxury over here I tell you! lol) Adios

Days 67-71

2005-02-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Aahhhhh...back on the blog again. Wow, I got a few messages FINALLY! lol Well Im finally on my way back to Kandahar. I had an interesting journey ALL over Afghanistan/Uzbekistan/Tjirkistan. We fly back in about an hour or so. I have had hardly any sleep the last few days. Our flights kept getting either delayed or cancelled so I have been sleeping on chairs the last 2-3 days. Ugh! But all is well because I get to enjoy a 5 day pass to Qatar! :) Just a little R&R that the Army gives you after serving half your tour over here. Cant believe I have been away from Md for 3 months now...it flew by so fast! Awesome. Well Im off to load on the ugly bird so I get out of here. Hope all is well with everyone. I think I already told you I bought that convertible right? Well something else came up. Christina's parents want to meet me! AAAHHH!! lol Nah Im not scared at all. But it kinda surprised me when Christina mentioned it to me on email today. I was discussing about what vacation that Christina and I will go on when I get back and I mentioned on the side that I would like to take her to my hometown for the day sometime in the summer. Well next thing you know, she told me she forwarded the email to her mom and cuz I guess she wanted to know what she should do and her Mom said GO! "But he has to meet us first :)" Im still taking it all in right now. But tell me what you get from that? Especially you Dyan. OK my lovely ladies of B-L-O-G. Im OUT!

Day 66

2005-02-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

Well my initial flight got canceled and my boss opted to go to Bagram instead. At first I was like "Ok, thats cool" then he mentioned that we would be staying with the Koreans again................................................................
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (LMAO) Not that guy again! Anything but him! Not the GAY Korean Major! (LMAO). Well the inevitable happened. Guess who picked us up from the airstrip? Yes, the GAY Korean Major. This dude canNOT be more feminine. Whatever dude. Good thing is that we leave in like 3 hrs to go up farther north to a place called K-2. Then we fly back to Kandahar I believe on Sunday or Monday. Ok, thats my story. Im glad you got a kick out of it. It could have been more funnier if I stayed a few more days longer like last time but I tried my best to avoid his GAY ass. Guess what else I found out today? I get to go on "vacation" next week! A 5 day pass to a place called Qatar. Its on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula. They call it the "Middle Eastern Cancun". Wow...I cant wait. Ok TTYL! Oh, and Ill try to send a picture of the convertible I bought recently since a few requested it. See ya!

Days 62-65

2005-02-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

You mean to tell me Ive been out of the net for these last few days and the only nicer person to write me is Nicole? Thank you for your comments Nicole. At least you care about me! lol Nah, Im just playin. Im sure everyone is busy doing their own things over there as am I over here. As a matter of fact, I leave again this morning and probably wont be back on here till at least Saturday. We will see. Hope everyone is well. Guess what? I bought the convertible. Im having my best friend pick it up for me and storing it at my Mom's house. BEAUTIFUL CAR!

Day 61

2005-02-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

I would have to say that today was my most unique day in Afghanistan so far. It all started with waking up at NOON (yes, NOON! yay!) getting dressed, going straight to chow and planning on doing laundry right afterwards. I sat down by myself and a group of 5 british soldiers came and sat down at my table. I had the most awesome hour conversation with them. We all spoke everything from this pro bowl going on today (yeah, they watch american tv!) to Colin Farrell and also about their culture since I wanted to know. They live no more different than us. As a matter of fact, from what they said, Europe is so much better than the US. Those 5 have visited the states from time to time but they still thought that their country is better. At first, I stood up for the US ya know, since I LIVE THERE but after comparisons, (not saying they are better than us) but they have things over there that are unheard of over here. So I just might end up taking my mom over to England/Great Britain instead :) Who knows. All I know is that those 5 british soldiers made my day. Since I have been here, I already had a weird encounter with a GAY Korean Major, a Chaplain that speaks broken english, Awesome Romanian Ping Pong players that drink nothing but alcohol (they are allowed to have it over here!) and some very cool British soldiers. Definitely have to say that my Deployment to Afghanistan has ALL been worth it. Yes it gets lonely, but you get passed that by other adventures such as watching movies, playing volleyball, ping pong, talking with friends, and working. Internet helps out too as you can see. See, its not so bad over here. You just got to have a totally "open minded" mentality of getting deployed to anywhere and make the most of it.

Day 60

2005-02-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Day 60...the first real landmark...I am a 1/3 of the way towards home. These next 60 days should fly by pretty fast (Brigades switching out, me moving up to Bagram, etc.) I cant wait :) Oh and before I forget, if for some reason I dont acknowledge anyone on the blogger thats on here frequently, I apologize in advance. I definitely read what you all write but sometimes I just either dont have time, or just plain lazy to type much! lol But you all are in my thoughts. Gotta get back to work...ON A SATURDAY! I hate always working on Saturdays here. I only get 2 days off a month and tomorrow is one of them. Cant wait. CHOW

Day 59

2005-02-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

You all amaze me with all the talking you do! :) But def. keep it coming. Takes up a good portion of my morning haha. Oh and for EVERYONES INFORMATION, I got awesome teeth too! See! (smiles and points at teeth) Tell em Vanessa. When I smile, it looks just as pretty ;) hehe. Ok enough of that now. Just another day, another dollar. Im glad everyone for the most part are doing good. If you get down at all, just remember that poor ole Ricky is in the mud and dirt of a 3rd world country twiddling his thumbs till he gets home in June. :) And Im one of the most optimistic people on my blog :) If Im happy, I expect everyone else to at least be in good spirits haha :) Ricky...OUT!!!!

Day 58

2005-02-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Oh my how the days just go by :) Look, Im at Day 58. Just seemed like the other week I was just getting here. Next thing you know, it will be like Day 103 or something. Cant wait. Anywho, Dyan still didnt get your box :( Im so sorry. It makes me mad now that it hasnt came yet (darn postal people). Im glad your doing good after surgery Vanessa. Told you everything was going to be alright :) Faith, Im glad your enjoying your car. Feels good dont it? Nicole, school is going to treat you so good in your career once you get out. Your going to look back and feel good about what you did cuz you will be making such good money! As for me, I feel good about what I do for my country. Sometimes its a drag, but once I step back, take a breath and just look around, I feel good about it. Plus the benefits are hard to beat and Im actually making great money. So cant complain. Alrighty blogheads, Im just like Ryan Seacrest...OUT!

Day 57

2005-02-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

Dont have long to talk but just want you all to know that Im still ok and still in good spirits. Enjoy the rest of your day or night and hopefully Ill have more time to write tomorrow...I probably will. You all can write as much as you want on this blog..hehe :) You all seem to have no problem with that! Laters

Day 56

2005-02-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Aint no pannin out for me about this car :) Its going to be mine! (lol) No doubt about it. Its just when and where thats all. I set my budget for this car up to $14,000 just in case I wanted to get one a little nicer. I can still take a vacation with my mother and still be comfortable in my bank account after all of this! :) Already thought it through :) Well once again, just another day in the Afghanihood. Nothing new. Well, actually I could be going to two different camps in the next few days but haven't gotten the actual "go" yet so just waiting for the word. Dyan...still haven't gotten your box yet :( I think it might have gotten lost or stolen maybe. Don't know. TTYL

Days 54-55

2005-02-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

Just another day. But this day, I have begun looking into getting a used 1995-99 Mitsubishi Eclipse Convertible. Preferrebly black top and black all around (exterior and interior). I dont want to spend any more than $10,000 on it though. I found over 700 across the US so far that fit my description and my price. Just a matter of who has the best car for me :) I cant wait to get it soon! Ok enough of daydreaming for now. Sorry for not loggin on yesterday. The internet was down on the whole base so I didnt even bother to try. Its up now obviously and I saw that DYAN likes to talk to herself ;) hehe. Cant wait to see that boat Dyan. Rachel has that boat over in Cali as well so Im gonna have to check both of them out! :) Ok, back to work now. Dyan, what is your phone #? I dont have it! Ok bloggers, ttyl

Days 51-53

2005-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Look what happens when I leave you all alone even just a few days? lol NOW I CRACK MYSELF UP. Good morning ladies...not much going on here. Once again I apologize for not being on again lately. Believe it or not, I have been pretty darn busy over here. With everyone from the unit Im attached too preparing to leave and everything, its been hectic. Everyone is in such good spirits over here! It makes me happy that their happy. Also makes me happy too since Im moving back up to Bagram in less than 2 months. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMPLIMENTS :) Even yours Dyan ;) And NO, I WILL NOT FATTEN UP FOR MY MOTHER! lol Thats what Ive been trying to lose (and effectively lost most of it). Vanessa, can you please explain to the Jury(Dyan..hehe) that the plantiff is merely trying to lose "unwanted" fat off his body?..no further questions your honor :) I CRACK MYSELF UP TWICE. Im glad your settling in ok over at the college Nicole. Just remember, it will only really get better...especially with spring rolling around in a month or two. Faith, you know its gonna take time to be friends with someone like Joe. But just like everyone else said, cut the bridge off for the time being...then have Halliburton build it back up for you in a year or so :)I CRACK MYSELF UP THREE TIMES. Vanessa, your surgery is going to go JUST fine. Yes it isnt going to feel all that pretty, but its only tonsils if you think about it. Enjoy those 10 days just relaxing and laying in bed! Its what you do Vanessa! :) I CRACK MYSELF UP FOR THE LAST TIME. Ok bloggers, off to work on a SATURDAY..uh Anywho hope to hear from you all soon. Also, I work tomorrow all day so Ill be on the blogger anytime between 10pm-6am EST. Sorry for the late entrance on those times but I cant help with the 9 1/2 hr time differential! :) Mahaulo

Days 48-50

2005-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been on! So much has been going on here. Soldiers that are replacing the group here at Kandahar are slowly coming into place here. Rumor has it that the 325th will be all gone by mid-April. But the start of them leaving starts at the end of this month. So between the end of Febuary and mid April, soldiers will be moving out and coming in. I see that as a good sign that the end is near (being here that is!). Once they all leave, I move back up to Bagram for only 1 1/2 - 2 months and Ill be free! YAY! Ok enough about that. Well Im in a good mood today because my resolution for this New Year has been working great for me. I can say that my hard work is paying off. I do have photos of before and now pictures but Im gonna keep them to myself for now. But you would be proud of me :) It just puts you in the greatest mood in the world ya know? Sorry for being so enthusiastic. My apologies! Anywho, Im back on the blogdar and welcome everyone else back as well. Hope to hear from you all soon!

Ricky

Day 47

2005-01-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

Arent those pics good? To answer some questions, yes that is eyeliner of some sort that is on their eyes. I dont enjoy explaining this to tell you the truth, but you can get the picture if you think about it. Women and little girls are treated inhumanely here. Im sure if you look on the net, you can find out what Im talking about. The red hands, are probably from playing in the red clay that is all over Afghanistan, thats my guess. But other than that, not much else going on. Get to go to the Bazaar today to get some small gifts for myself and others. Did I mention that this is a nice little location to relax? Cuz it is :) Ok Ill talk to you all soon

Day 46

2005-01-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

Ill try to put up new pix today. But I do wanna say that this camp is BY far the best one Ive been too. The only downfall is that the food is kind of "unhealthy" for my taste. For everything else (sleeping arrangements, gym, internet, etc.) is good. I could probably stand it over here for the whole deployment thats how nice it is. Its like a SMALL Kandahar (where im stationed at now). And its nice to be in the middle of a little town! lol Okie Dokie, hope to hear from you all soon!

Ok, they new pictures are up! Fresh from ALL day yesterday. Hope you enjoy them. Talk to you all later on...I might stay up a little later on tonight to either talk to you all on messenger (they have msn messenger working here!) or I might make a few rings...we will see. tata

Day 45

2005-01-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, I leave in an hour. Everyone be careful on the roads and out in about over there like Dyan said. You all can write as MUCH as YOU want on this blogger. Just in case I dont get on for a bit. Ill leave this (Day 45) up as the place to write your comments on for a few days if need be. If it does come to that, just leave the date you wrote your comment and you should be golden. Laterz

Yay! They have internet. Unfortunately I cant stay on long tonight but Ill be back on tomorrow. I have SOOOOOOOO many more pictures to put up! Went into the village today and got some good ones. Ill put them up tomorrow! Chow

Day 44

2005-01-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well, Im heading out to the village...Like I mentioned earlier, I hope they have internet so I can keep you all updated. Still nothing on that package Dyan but Im sure I will be able to get it when I come back next friday. Lets hope so! I am anxious about it now ;) Hope everyone is doing ok over there. So far so good for me. Ive been making TREMENDOUS progress on my new yrs resolution. I know I mentioned that I was gaining more weight in a past comment because of working out but now Im starting to lose the "extra" unwanted weight (fat). I did get up to about 196 pds about 3 weeks or so ago and now Ive actually been leveling out to about 186 "healthy" pounds. What great is that I look like I weight 150pds. Probably in about a week or two, Ill have to snap a topless picture to show you what Im been happy about. Vanessa, you would be amazed! haha. Ok, hope to hear from you all soon. Take care

Day 43

2005-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Aloha! :) Just another day in the Afghan world. The boss and I will be leaving for another base tomorrow and be back next wednesday. Hopefully they have internet there but JUST in case they dont, if Im not on here, thats why. Dont worry, Ill take alot of pictures. Still havent got your box yet Dyan...kinda worried about it. Ok group, hope to hear from you all soon.

Day 42

2005-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

Im finally putting some pictures up on the computer. I bought a digital camera a lil while back and finally put it to use. Dyan...you dont have to see those pix anymore! lol The pics from over here will be in there own special folder called Afghanistan Pix. No worries ;) Sorry this one is short but I might be back on later...here is the website

http://photos.yahoo.com/rcortez3865

Day 41

2005-01-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

The days are just rolling ahead for me. Dyan, you can give me whatever you want. I will never turn away goodies ;) Actually, turn away the pringles! :) Those are bad for you! Ive been eating pretty healthy over here and my fixation on chips will mess that up hehehe. Feel free to send anything healthy though. I know YOU know healthy Dyan. Speaking of which, how is Mike doing on his Atkins Diet? I cant wait to get your package too... Vanessa, can we be brother and sister? LMAO! Cuz she is my mom now...no more Army Mom, or Vanessa's mom...she is Ricky's Mother. But dont tell my real mom that! hehehe. Speaking of Vanessa, where has she been? She better get back on here! Oh and Nicole, yeah just like Faith said, you are kinda blogger happy today huh? hehehe. I know you accidently hit the return button a few times, its ok...Dyan does it ALLLLLL the time! And Faith, I do remember what you made for me, and the sandwich was delicious 4+ yrs ago...not sure about how you cook though haha. Ok well its Monday and Im basically just working to get by day in and day out until we go back out into the F.O.B.'s (basically firebases). New update on the one that Im going too. The camp is actually centralized in a small village! So more afghan food to eat...I should lose about 65 pounds with their food. Ok Im out. Hope to hear from you soon

Day 40

2005-01-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks for ALL the comments that I got yesterday. Makes me feel Im not doing this just for the fun of it. Before i start, gotta answer some of your ?'s :) Dyan, yes I would LOVE those tuna packets :) Feel free to send wipes as well, cant never have enough of those. Yes, please dont lose that tracking reciept just in case it doesnt come. I did get the pictures Nicole :0 They were nice. Once again Faith, we can hang out when I get back! lol Sure, you can get me dinner if you like. Nothing like free food! hehehe. Im glad you got your car. Feel the freedom on the road now! lol Ok, sorry to keep this short. Wanna go get some food then workout. If Im up to it, Ill travel a bazillion miles to come finish this blogger later on. Im so pooped from last week. Speaking of which, found out I leave again this Friday for another camp. Heard that this one is JUST like Anaconda. Oh boy...TTYL

Days 38 & 39

2005-01-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry I couldnt make it yesterday. We got snowed in and the little power we had went out the whole day and night. But Im back in Kandahar finally. Im a little sick, but no worries. I think its just a cold right now. Anywho, I have much to say! I want to refer back to my very FIRST POST on this blogger. I mentioned that I would let everyone know what a "real" deployment is as the days progress over here. I heard alot of stories back in the rear before deploying and I put myself to the test by volunteering to come over here. And quite frankly, most of it is true from what I heard. I wont specify exactly what I was told about deployments over here in the middle east/asia but there is one thing I do know for sure. The following things that were mentioned are very true: "The most precious things"

Hot Water
Showers
Heat
halfway descent chow
Lots of blankets
Lots of socks
Baby wipes
A book or a laptop
Did I mention Heat?

I found myself rejoicing with 100+ infantrymen 2 days ago when we found out that we will be having heat on in our tents from 930pm - 730am. It hit me that the littlest things over here make us soldiers happy. Unfortunately, there weren't any showers over at Anaconda but baby wipes were a must. My feet felt like they were frostbitten the last 4 days. My feet are STILL thawing out right now. The shower I took after not having one since Monday night (its Saturday afternoon now) was the best shower in years. I will CHERISH the heat that comes out of the heater tonight when i go to sleep. It was so DAMN cold (sorry Dyan for the language) out there it wasnt even funny. I just want to let everyone know that you should cherish everything that you have over in the United States. Granted, I did when I was there but I will cherish it even more when I get back. Having been through the crap these infantrymen go through over here the last 4-5 days, I will never cry about not having a hot meal...a hot shower...being too cold in the place I sleep...etc. And no Dyan and the gang, I did NOT have any steak. HaHaHa, not even funny! :) Ok, I will let everyone go right now. I want to go back to my tent and get warm! And watch a DVD on my laptop. And believe it or not Dyan, still havent recieved your box yet. When did you send it? Ok TTYL

Day 37

2005-01-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

I guess I must be one of the very few here that has their own laptop. Well good for me :) Like I said before Vanessa, be glad your not here. Here I was expecting to have it "kinda easy" since nothing really happens much more in Afghanistan these days but behind the curtains, they really do. Its just that Iraq has been overshadowing it with the off the wall fighting. The platoon that has been out there for the last 10 days in the snowy mountains getting Taliban are coming back today. My boss is going to hold an AAR with the 1SG about how it went. So I should know the dirty detail of what really went on out there. Unfortunately I cant tell you too much because of sensitive info, but I will tell you what I can. Oh and Rachel, Tonka was a GREAAAAAT dog. I do remember laying on the floor in the living room petting him to sleep. He was just so quiet and peaceful. Let your mom know that the feelings are felt 15,000 miles away from her about Tonka. She of course isnt alone. Dyan, a cabin cruiser huh? I see Rachel's rents have one and now its your turn. It will be great...I get to cruise on both of them! hehehe. Ok, I make funny again. Ok Im out of here. So So SO SOSO cold. Cant wait to get back into the states! Ugh. TTYL

Days 35 & 36

2005-01-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

I have struck gold! Getting on the internet that is. They actually have an extra line for your OWN laptop. And since I have mine that I brought (thank god), I can use it! You will be amazed of what these guys are going through over here at Anaconda. I feel so bad for them. Hell, I feel bad for myself just being over here. I have to give you a description of what Im talking about. Picture this. A camp the size of maybe an average size grocery parking lot...56 infantry soldiers on base while another 40+ soldiers out retrieving and killing taliban (yes, seriously)...maybe like 10 (8) man tents...very small chow hall (we dont even get MRE's, instead "T" rations. Basically snacks from what civilians give us as a whole to deployed soldiers (a.k.a care packadge). The bathrooms...ugh god. When you need to do a #1, there are 4 metal pipes sticking out of the ground and you gotta pee through them. I guess it just goes underground somewhere. If you need to do #2, there are 4 "openings" WITHOUT privacy that is about 8-10 feet deep and you just sit or squat and there u go. On top of ALL of this, its snowing outside, 0 DEGREES during the day and -20 below zero at night. Unfortunately the only heaters that are around here is in the MWR tent and the chow hall. I basically slept in my uniform and my polypros. Vanessa, you would HATE every second of it over here. This makes me miss Kandahar for God sakes...At least theres running water there and portajohns you know? We get back this Friday and I cant wait. This base is considered a hot spot for taliban and there are firefights only within 5-10 miles from this mini-camp that is actually going on as we speak. The sooner I get back to Kandahar, the better. Please pray for these soldiers that are over here now. Im just going to endure this for 3-4 days...they have to endure this 365 days of the year...

Day 34

2005-01-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

This morning is sooooo cold. I heard somebody mention that its -10 below zero. I mean it gets cold here in all, but this is like serious cold. Anyways, I checked out our local forecast in the SECRET room and its supposed to get to 75 degrees today. Can you imagine a day where it can be -10 to 75 in the same 24 hrs? RIDICULOUS. Anywho, found out that I will be going out again, some place called Anaconda. Doesnt sound like a vacation to me. We leave tomorrow and get back Friday. Its supposedly snowing up there so this -10 below zero without snow...might be bliss compared to Anaconda...I dunno. I guess I will find out :) In the meantime, I probably wont have a chance to hop on this blogger until we get back Friday so dont be surprised. Not like you all care! lol just kidding. You all talk to each other more than you talk to me!!! This is my blogger!!! All mine!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! lol Ok Im only joking about that, I dont mind the chit chat with the chatty chicks (alot of ch, huh?) Anywho, hopefully I can get online up there but it doesnt sound promising. If not, Ill talk to you all on Friday. Peace out cub scout!

Ok Im back. I got some word about Anaconda. And Nessa, your right. But Im more worried about...the showers! lol There are NO showers there whatsoever. Heard that the 25 ID (the ones Im attached too, all MALE Infantry BN) that are stationed out there built A SHOWER out of an old Port O Jon. Yes, an old Johnny Blue. They cut out the middle, attached a bucket above your head and you fill the bucket with well water. Yes i know! hahaha. I just might have to stick with baby wipes for these 3 days. I might have to take a picture of this "shower" to show you what Im talking about! Anywho, also heard that there are only 3 internet computers and 3 phone lines. So the chances of me getting online is very slim but I might try late at night to get on (should be in the afternoon for you all). Not sure which day Ill try it but check here anyways. Ok, gotta go. TTYL

Day 33

2005-01-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Aaahhhhhh, its Sunday. Once again, a day to relax, do laundry, have a half decent meal, play on my computer on my lap in my bed, CHILLIN OUT! Its almost noon over here and I havent even started the laundry yet ;) I...slept in! YeS! Wow does it feel great to get a full 8 hrs of sleep. Anyways, I better get on that laundry cuz we all know that takes 1-2 hrs to do IF I CAN GET ONE! Everyone does laundry on Sunday here. Then Ill go to the coffee place down the block and get me a vanilla latte, sip on that while I read a magazine. See, the most simple things in life is like paradise over here in Afghanistan. This deployment will make me cherish things that I wouldnt have cherished before. Ok, well I better get off and do that stuff. Oh about the email stuff Dyan, Ill try to email you all with one big forward. If I end up forgetting to do it, just remind me on here when you get this. I apologize ahead of time just in case I dont. I might be too busy....relaxin ;) Ok boys and girls, off to the laundry tent!

Ricky

Day 32

2005-01-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the first month is out of the way...Everyone is starting to get excited about leaving here (the unit Im attached too leaves in March/April). They can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I kinda get excited with them because once they jet, Im only here for like 2 months longer so why not get happy? :) Well for being here 6 months, Im allowed to take a 5 day pass to Quatar. I think its in the Saudi Arabian pennisula. Its a hot spot for vacationers in the area. I plan on taking it around my birthday in March. Thats my next milestone that lets me know that I would have finished half of my tour here in Afghanistan when that pass comes around. It will be a great feeling. Well, today is Saturday and even though I work today, its a relaxing day thank God. I might get back on here and add later. Ok, hope to hear from you all soon.

Ok, I would like to mention one thing...NO ONE NEEDS A BOOB JOB! YOU ALL HAVE GOT NICE BOOBS SO LEAVE THEM ALONE! :) THERE, THAT SHOULD KEEP YOU ALL QUIET. Haha, I make funny.

Day 31

2005-01-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you Mike for the comments. Vanessa is right, you BOTH are funny! lol And both you and Dyan are definetely made for each other. Love you both. As for you Vanessa, didn't I tell you pretty early in our relationship that I was a way better friend than a boyfriend? Well I hold it true to this day haha. But what Im starting to realize is that being friends with women before getting serious with them end up being a better, stronger relationship than just jumping into one. And very very few of us in the world actually do that! lol Myself for example...I think I did it one time in my life. It happened from accident. Back in California, I became real good friends with a girl named Beth. At the time, I was dating Jessica (yes Vanessa, the troubled girl!) and we were not on good terms by the time I met Beth. Anywho, because I was with Jessica, I opted not to try anything with Beth. So we became real good friends. She ended up having like a 6 month relationship with one of my friends Ski. So she was with Ski, and I was with Jessica. We even all hung out a few times as couples. Then Ski ended up cheating on Beth and she found out right before the Xmas holidays rolled around. I already broke up with Jessica (the 3rd time out of 4 times) in November of that year. Ski ended up going back home for the holidays and Jess went to Colorado with her dad and step mom. We both had no idea that our ex's were out of town (I didnt know Ski left and vice versa her with Jess) and I ran into her New yrs eve. She was jus planning on going to her room crying for the rest of the night but I invited her to come downtown Monterey and hang out with me. She agreed and thats what we did...as friends. We had a blast and the new yr was about to ring out...2002. (I dont know what it is with me and New yrs eve (Faith in 2000, Beth in 2001, Rachel in 2003). We were both too young to drink at the time (she was 19, I was 20) but you'd think we were if you saw us haha. Well to end this story, we ended up doing the whole tradition new yrs *kiss* and got together. We were together for about 2 months then found out she had to leave for Japan 2 weeks after we found out. Till this day, we havent talked since cuz we knew it was gonna be hard but that was over 2 yrs ago. I heard she is deployed in Iraq through a friend of mine but dont know how to contact her. Sorry for the long lovey dovey story but that was one of the best relationships I have ever been in. Granted, all of my relationships made me who I am today but that relationship hopefully will teach me to be friends before lovers. But its so hard when you are in your mid 20's and a guy like me loves to have fun sorry! lol. Ok ladies and GENTLEMEN, im out.

Day 30

2005-01-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

Some more good news/bad news? I put a question mark for a reason :) Well I have been staying true to my new yrs resolution but something happened. Ive definetly have been getting leaner in areas and bigger in others but...Im gained weight this whole time! lol I guess the scale at the gym has been busted up for quite some time and no one wanted to mention that to me when I asked for it now and then. I went to the clinic to visit a buddy of mine and saw they had a brand new scale. I jumped on it and instead of losing the pounds previously thought, Ive gained 15pds! At this point, I would have been upset and totally turned off of working out because I would have felt it did nothing for me. But Ive bulked up in the chest and got way leaner in the abdomen region! So, I should be happy right? I mean weighing 195 pounds seems ridiculous for me (my dad was no bigger than 155 pounds supposedly). Ive never weighed anything past 185 pounds in my life. But Ive never gotten this built before either. Sorry this blogger seems to be about myself and my new yr resolution but...wait a minute...this is my blogger thats right! Haha. I dont apologize :) Ok though, enough about that. Lets just say Im very happy and Im still with my resolution but just without the losing weight :) Oh and Nicole, I got your box. Thanks for the gifts. I JUST ran out of the Apricot scrub and seen that you got some for me! Thats grrrrreat :) You were just in time. Ok, sorry I left some people out of this one but gotta get back to work. Oh ok...Vanessa, what surgery you talking about? Faith...the story was good and still waiting for the second piece of it. And Dyan, my favorite woman of all (hahaha) just your presence on the blogger has been a blessing :) Ok talk to you all soon

Day 29

2005-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yes Faith, I got your message from the other day. You told me not to comment on it until I get the rest of it remember? :) Thanks Nicole, once again. You are a good person. Ill let my mom know what you said...you too Faith and she still remembers of you. I mentioned your name a few weeks back when I was on the phone with her and she remembered your name and who you are because your name is unique, as you can see. Hey Vanessa, I didnt kiss any kids on the cheek but I kissed a baby on her head :) Im starting to like the thought of having kids sometime soon. Maybe in my early 30's? Not sure yet. Not a time sooner though! LOL Kandahar City was great. It was such an experience let me tell you :) After about 10 minutes on the road, I forgot the fear of being rocketed and shot at. Afghans quickly turning their heads just to check out our convoy passing them...kids giving us the "thumbs up" and hundreds of them waving just to say hi. It was awesome. I had a good feeling about being a US soldier yesterday. The food was "ok", and like people said, it ran right through me! lol But it gave me alot of energy to workout last night and this morning. Ok, enough out of me. Hope to hear from you all soon...Oh and Joey, those were some great times man...remember when we got pulled over in the ole convertible? Because the cop thought you were drinking? Kinda funny since you NEVER had a drop of alcohol in your life haha.

Day 28 "Kandahar City"

2005-01-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of your responses from yesterday. It means alot to me. Today I get to go to the villages to drop off supplies and food to the afghan people. The most dangerous but at the same time, the most rewarding convoy we take as soldiers here. So Im gonna keep this alot shorter than yesterday (sorry about that!) and you all go from here. When we get in the village, the Chaplain and I (and a few others) are actually having lunch with one of the locals in the village. Ill have to let you know what the Afghani's eat and if its any good! (I heard it goes RIGHT through ya!) lol Ok, outta here. Wish me luck

Day 27

2005-01-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon everyone. Finally got some time to type to you all. This day is going to be dedicated to how I can handle the "loneliness" over here. From what Nicole was saying how its been hard to go to school 3 hrs away from her adorable family, Im gonna explain on how I am able to handle being away from my loved ones half way around the world. It all started when I left for Boot camp several yrs back. The first 3 weeks were my loneliest ones by far in my life as of today. I remember tearing up around my bunk buddy every other night telling him why I shouldnt be here and how Im not fit to do this "soldier thing". How I miss my family, my security "living at home" and missing being able to do my own thing. Well like I said, that lasted about 3 weeks or so. After a month of being at boot camp, it got a bit better and by the time I graduated, I felt like a new man, being able to do my own thing and taking care of myself. Then came AIT, bid farewell to that after 2 months and went to California. My first month over there was similar to what it was for me in the beginning of bootcamp except that I was 3,000 miles away from my family this time. The distance was the reason why I was like that this time around. I learned to cope with that by making friends fast over there. After awhile, I was getting used to being on my own and doing my own thing. I was over there till the summer of 2003 and came back to the east coast. Only an hour and a half away from my home town this time around. After being on my own for so long, I didnt visit much. Maybe once a month or so. I do regret not coming home as much but at the same time, my family now come to an understanding that I am my own person at my age. Still young, but I havent lived at home for 6 yrs. As much as they wanted to see me, they completely understood at the same time. Now Im in Afghanistan, a half a world away! lol Im not saying that it is NOT hard being away from everyone, but its alot easier since Ive been away for so long on my own. In other words, the experience of not being around is what makes me keep going over here. Im used to being on my own now and I know I can only count on myself over here. Sure their is my chain of command and even a few aquaintences that Ive met but really its just me. Another thing that keeps me going over here feeling great about myself is helping out my mother. I usually dont spill out my personal stories to strangers or even people that I know very often but I want to tell you about my mother and I. We have a unique relationship. We talk like once a week but when we talk, its like the best talk. Growing up in lower class all of my life, it was tough on my family. Single mother with 2 kids (I know you can relate Dyan). As a kid, you dont realize how good you have it when your mother gives you everything you almost wanted. Christmas gifts, birthdays, etc. She gave us everything that we could ever really want. So as a kid, you dont take into account how much WORK she had to put into us to make us happy. Even dinners. We ate pretty damn good growing up and now I realize how much work and sweat she put into my sister and I. And for that, the least I can do is thank you and even give her some money when I can. Since Ive been in Afghanistan, I set up an allotment for her $500 every two weeks. Yes, thats $1000 a month but thats about how much extra I get for being over here so it doesnt really hurt me much at all. And its definetly worth it, every cent. My mom just about freaked out when I told her my plan, she thought I was nuts. But when that first deposit came into her account, lets say she believes me now. I started that last month and plan on staying true to what I give her. Since I will not be there for her birthday in Feb and mothers day in May, I plan on taking her to Las Vegas. She isnt a big gambler, but she has mentioned that vacation since I was a teenager so Im going to surprise her with a 7 day vacation there. I was going to go there anyways, so there is no inconvenience whatsoever. Well thats some of my life story in a nutshell. Sorry for boring you with all the info! :) Hope to hear from you all soon

Day 26

2005-01-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned yesterday, Im working at our ONLY chapel. Not bad for a chapel that is in the middle of a 3rd world country. Ill be here all day and most of the afternoon. Once again, not much else going on over here. It is SOOO hard to keep busy here when there is down time. We dont get much of down time but when we do, we are so bored here. My roomate and I made sunday evening "movie night" with the rest of the guys down the hall. So its kinda cool to see our Platoon SGT chillin out watching movies with us on his down time. Anyways, thanks for coming back Dyan. You def. made your presence known this time around haha. No further comment except that I DO like to have the cartridges of Mach 3 razors. You were right about that. I talked to my sis about NipTuck season 2 the other day and she said that it hasnt came out on dvd yet so only the first season is out for now. So YAY! I do want that ;) Vanessa, chances are you are not going to end up over here in Iraq. Your best chance was probably last summer remember? I doubt they will take you over here. And believe it or not, I do miss you too. I know scary huh? lol Faith, Ill see about hanging out with you one weekend when I come back. We talked about this already! lol Ill write you an email later to explain. Nicole, Ill write you as well. Crystal...I resent that you put DYAN'S name in front on mine when you gave us shoutouts! lol This is MY blogger! AAHHH! lol J/P I believe I emailed you like a week and a half ago but you did not respond. Welcome to our posse. Just another woman to pester me haha ;) I love you gals. You make my blogger very very interesting. Keep up the good work.

Well I wanted to add on to this day because...well its still the 9th of Jan :) About to get off of work in about an hour or so. Most of you all are probably waking up right about now. Well good for you because Im very tired and Im about to go to bed in a few hrs. Enjoy your sunday off (at least for most of you) and hope to see ya on this blogger when I GET UP tomorrow morning :) Oh and Vanessa, I ended up writing you on email personally so check it out when you get the chance. Talk to you all soon.

Day 25

2005-01-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

Good news and bad news. We ended up going to where we needed to go yesterday but was diverted half way there because of whats going on there as we speak. I wont say anything but you may guess what it is. So Im back in Kandahar ONCE again and our next convoy will be going to Kandahar city to drop off some toys/food, etc. to the afghan village. We leave in a few days. Meanwhile, thank you NICOLE for the very long post. That should give everyone very good insight on who you are and what you represent. Thank you for the shout outs in it. Vanessa, sorry that you are so strung out over work you princess you! haha They are right about ya Vanessa, you do act like a princess ;) Its ok, as long as you dont deny it, everyone will be cool with you haha. I missed Dyan this time around... :( I know she will be back soon. Faith, sorry that your sick hun. 3 weeks huh? Wow thats a long time. Hope u feel better Faith. Well thats it really for me now. I work tomorrow at the chapel. So I will be on the computer for most of the day (most of it while you all are sleeping) but hopefully I can catch a few of you on the blogger. Ok ladies, off to go work out. I have so much more energy these days...its great!

Day 24

2005-01-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

Wow...what a response in one day! :) I've waited 1 1/2 months for an event to happen like this. I know Im not going to get it everyday so dont bother spoiling me, Ill take the moment and move on ;) Well off to the shoutouts then Ill tell you my short story (there is a reason why Im able to write you so easily today):

Vanessa:
Yeah just like Keith said, Ill watch what I say on here...Its just that almost anything I do here is kept a great deal of secrets. Trust me, there are ALOT MORE things that YOU WOULD NOT want to know about over here than you already do. I think Keith can second that. About the ladies man gig...I didnt ask for it! lol I have just met wonderful women in my life that I like to keep around as great friends. I mean seriously, who is going to know you better? A friend or an ex-girlfriend? Think about it ;) Of course when it comes to girls haha. No homo here promise. Just like I know all of you all pretty well...exception to Nicole. I have learned to know her on here pretty well. Well take care and feel free to read the rest of this blog ;) Miss you

Keith:
Ill watch what Im saying. Totally understand. But what the hell did you mean by that post you made yesterday? Im sure its good but give me a bit more understanding to it :)

Nicole:
Hey hun. Give all of us and of course me, a good run down about who you are, what you stand for, where your from, etc. on here. Some of my friends that read what I say on here but bother not to post have been inquiring about you. Cant wait to see your package :)

Faith:
I know that you will beat up whoever gets in my way over here in Afghanistan! lol But just remember, Im the one with the Flak Vest. M4 in one hand, M16 in another and an M9 strapped on my leg ;) Yes Vanessa, they actually give all of us this on convoys lol

Dyan:
How can anyone NOT love you? Seriously, you are becoming the perfect mom (sorry, my mom is perfect haha). But your easily running a close second ;) Thanks for everything. From the invincible care package...letting me date your daughter in the past...staying in your mansion (yes, I said that Dyan, everyone else, dont let Dyan fool you, she will deny it till she sleeps lol)...or from just loving me for who I am. You are very dear to me. I feel I can get very discriptive with you because you talk to me at my level all the time. Ive got many levels of course but you hit them all so well haha. Once again thanks for everything and I do love you.

As for me today, my boss and I stayed and slept at the PAX terminal all day/night because our plane had to get worked on and they just released us for a few hrs to call home/internet/eat before we leave this morning. Hopefully Ill be back on soon again though. I cant leave my "posse" for too long. You all give me life over here before and after the day is done. Thank you all for that. Yes even you Keith. You got into the mix and puzzled me with that statement you made. You know what, since Keith doesnt come on here often, Dyan can you break it down about what he meant in his message from yesterday? :) Thanks. Alrighty gang, out to the terminal to leave. Hope to hear from you all VERY SOON. Keep the post comments coming! I Loooooooove em!

Day 23

2005-01-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

Days seem to going a little faster since Ive been traveling. Well like I said a few days back, Im traveling to Shindand in a few hrs. I should be fine but you just never know. I have to face the reality sorry. Thanks for joining us again Rachel. :) Yeah those were some good memories haha. I cant wait to see that package your going to send Dyan! Ill make sure to send you a picture with soldiers wearing your masks ;) Ill make you proud. I can charm just about anyone into wearing a mask for a picture :) Oh, there is two other products that I have thought of since you mention it. Mach 3 razor blades and Apricot face wash (medicated) (for minor acne). Thats all I can think of that I cant get anywhere else. Ok, off to Shindand everyone. I probably wont be on the net for a few days because their is only 6 computers for over 1,000 soldiers over there. But Ill see if I can get on.

Day 21 & 22

2005-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

Goooooooooooooooooood morning. Today started out pretty good! :) Of course, I went to the gym and did alot more than what I usually do. On top of all of that, I have lost a total of 10 pds :) Im only 5 pds away from my goal and its only Jan 5th! lol Yeah, I started about 2 weeks too early but whos counting ;) Anywho, Im willing to stick with my new yrs resolution and as well hope you all do too. I know its tough (My roomate literally had to KICK me out of bed this morning to work out with him) but I ended up working out and felt ggggggrrrrreat afterwards. Ok, this one is gonna be short but its sweet haha. I might add on to this after work but feel free to leave comments as usual. Aight kiddo's and (Ma), Ill talk to you soon!

Day 20

2005-01-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

Only two new things that has happened since yesterday...First one is that we MIGHT be headed straight to Shindand from Bagram early tomorrow morning or what I said earlier, leave from Kandahar to Shindand on Thursday. I dont care which, I just want to get over there and get it over with. I dont like the thought of being shot at and if I do, do what we gotta do and get out of there. Ok the funny, but very disturbing news...I got hit on by a Korean. Yeah crazy huh? Oh...did I mention it is a MALE korean? A Major in the korean army? 2nd in command at his post? Ugh...Im not homophobic or anything, I have nothing against them. But when you hit on a guy like me, STAY VERY FAR AWAY! lol Very disturbing for me. Ok, thats enough out of me today. You might not hear from me for a day or two if we leave for Shindand early in the morning...So hit me up with some comments! :) Once again Nicole, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. School will be just fine :) And Faith, my birthday is...hahaha, I cant believe you cant remember. Im dissapointed ;) Ill give you a hint, remember when I came into town back in 2001 to come see you before we broke up? The day that I got my license renewed at the DMV was the day that I was born...think about it

Day 19

2005-01-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

Im afraid I dont know who he is Faith...and about your new yrs resolution...Out of those few you mentioned, focus on what you really want to do. The whole "do not fall in love" thing has got to go out the window. Just enjoy life everyday it comes along. Do the things that you couldnt do because you were trapped with someone for so long. Go out! Have fun! Ok, back to me :) My new yrs was ok. We actually had a few DJ's come out to the "Clamshell" up here in Bagram and we rocked the night away. Of course it wasnt as good as what Im used too, but it had to do haha. That was it for me. We go back to Kandahar on Monday and thats ok with me. This was a nice little short vacation away from Kandahar. Wasnt suppose to be but we only had to do 2 things here in the last 5 days so it was cool with me! lol Cant wait till tomorrow. Virginia Tech and Auburn play for the Sugar bowl and it outta be good. Of course I have to be up extra early to watch it (8pm central) and thats 530am in the morning here. It will be worth it. Ok, another day gone...only several left to go.

Got word that I will be heading to Shindand this coming Thursday and I also read this on yahoo a little while ago...pray for me. Never thought that I would EVER be in this predicament...

U.S. Soldier, Afghan Killed in Gunfight

29 minutes ago World - AP Asia

By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan - A U.S. soldier and a former Afghan militia leader were killed Sunday when American troops clashed with gunmen during a search operation in western Afghanistan (news - web sites), U.S. and Afghan officials said. The troops came under attack from "an unknown number of enemy forces" while searching a compound near Shindand Airfield in Herat province and returned fire, a U.S. military statement said.

Happy New Yrs!

2005-01-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well probably by the time anyone gets to read this, it will already be January 2nd for me. So this is for you all. Since I mentioned my New Yrs resolution to you all (dropping 15 pds and looking better for the summer!), Im interested in what your New Yrs resolution was. So this post is for you all. Let me know! :) In the mean time, Im gonna go get a massage down the road. Ive been working my arse off over here dropping those pounds. I lost almost 7 pounds in 2 weeks :) But its probably gonna be drastically slowing down after that 10th pound...or as I was told. Ok, let me know!

Day 16 & 17

2004-12-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

Hola everyone. Sorry that I havent been on the blogger recently...My flight to Bagram was delayed 12 hrs....yes 12 hrs go figure? :) Well Im safe and sound up north in Afghanistan now and my boss and I will be here till Monday. Today is new yrs eve and Im GONNA try to call some people up at least my family and if they let me use the phone up here a lil longer, then a few friends. Everyone is gonna try to call home at the same time so dont be surprised if I call at a weird hour because of that. Anywho, nothing really new here. Oh well there is sort of some new news. Well my boss is Korean and the reason why we are up here is because he is ministering to Korean soldiers here stationed in Bagram. Its been "different" for me because we are living in their quarters too. So Im like one of VERY few that only speaks english on these side of the fences and the only thing I got in common with Korean soldiers is PING PONG!! HaHa, I played for a few hrs with some of them. I think I played like 10 games and lost 9 of them. They are VERY VERY good at ping pong..go figure! :) And one good thing I can say about Korean soldiers is that they are the POLITEST people that I know. I mean, I feel like a king here...they stare at me, bow to me, get out of my way, etc. lol Dont know if all of that is good but I like it :) Ok peeps, out of here again. Let me get a few shout outs here before I forget.

Dyan: Thank you for the masks (lol) Im sure my soldiers and even my friends would love those masks, thank you. and YES! Nip Tuck! I told some friends about that and cracked up haha.

Nicole: Thank you as well for making me a care package. It means so much to me. You are becoming a special person to me... :) Whether being a friend and possibly a girlfriend in the future, you are special to me.

Faith: You never did email me that dream? lol And Christina n I are good. We are not together but I keep in contact with her. Flirty at times, but thats about it ;) You know how I am. :)

Vanessa: I miss you!!! haha :) Yep, thats all you get.

Day 15

2004-12-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

Still raining. Suppose to rain here in Kandahar until Saturday afternoon. As of this morning, both our shower tents are flooded, all chow halls are closed down due to flooding, 8 out of 10 roads are closed and our offices here at headquarters are closing down tomorrow because the water is 2 inches away from flooding that. But good news for my boss and I. We are flying out of Kandahar to go to Bagram at 2am in the morning over here. Which means, I can call alot of people that I would like to talk to on the phone because Ill be up :) So Vanessa, Ill be calling and I would love to talk to your mom too. My boss and I will be flying in and out of the bases we take care of for the next 10-12 days so hopefully when we come back here to Kandahar, it will be cleared up. Wasnt really ecstatic about eating MRE's for the next week. Anywho, Faith!!! Glad you can join us on my blogger :) I miss you too. How are you and Joe doing? And what kind of dream are we talking about here? lol Thanks Nicole for your prayers and thoughts. It means more and more to me everyday here since in a way, Im by myself representing Ft. Meade over here. Dyan, Dyan...Dyan.....Oh by the way Vanessa, your mom IS HILARIOUS :) Friends of mine and myself wearing surgical masks watching Nip/Tuck? LOL Only someone like her can come up with something like that ;) Dont worry Nessa, your pretty funny too haha. Dyan, you are becoming more dear to me everytime you write in my blogger. Granted, I liked you alot when I was still with Vanessa several months back but you have become one of my special moms...and I hope my mom wont be reading this anytime soon! haha Ok, time to go back to Waterworld...I hope to hear from you all soon...this blogger is turning out to be more of a HUGE 6 month email than a journal :) I dont care, Im gonna read back on these and laugh it off. You all are too much.

p.s.- As far as food Dyan, I would also like some slim jims and ANY other kind of beef jerky out there! Its my workout meals at the gym over here everyday. And "grandma's peanut butter cookies"! If you dont know what they are, just ask the grocery clerk, Im sure they will know. Other than that, Im squared away here :) Nip Tuck!! Yay :) I still want to watch all of season 1 Vanessa! I havent watched the show since we watched it.

Day 14

2004-12-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

Its been raining non-stop the last 3 days. Since it NEVER rains here, almost 3/4 of our base is flooded of some sort. There is no where to run, only one chow hall is open but even that one is half flooded too. Very few offices are open (like mine) because our building is sitting on top of huge cinderblocks. BUT even our office is only about a foot away from flooding. I believe the last thing I heard was the water is about 9 inches deep on the ground. Certain places its actually a few feet. Ridiculous over here. Enough about me!!! Even though this is my journal :) Actually Dyan, there is only one thing that comes to mind that I would like to have :) The only reason why I mention it to you because only Vanessa knows about it!!! I would LOVE to have the DVD set of "Nip Tuck" season 1 or if season 2 is out that one as well. Ill pay Vanessa when I get back to give to you if you can do that for me!! HaHa. Ok, enough about that. Thanks for telling me my poem sucked. I appreciate that Dyan. Wait a minute, you said it was good! haha thank you Ma. Speaking of Vanessa, tell her to say hi on here! Just because she is home with you doesnt mean she cant spill a few words on here either :) Ok, off back to work now. TaTa

Day 13

2004-12-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Seems pretty quiet here on this blog. Its ok though. Ill just have to keep my self entertained I suppose...(twiddles fingers)...Ok Im bored already! I miss everyone talking to me! HaHa. Anyways, once again nothing new here. Finally get that ping pong game back with my boss. Tomorrow morning. Lets see if he shows up this time. And oh, before I forget, Yes Dyan! I would love those surgical masks :) It is very very dusty here. We had our first ALL DAY/ALL NIGHT rain here in like 9 months! Or so I heard. Ok, well like I said earlier, not much going on here at all. Ive been catching up on my gaming on my computer...thats been entertaining :) And I know what my new years resolution is...Getting close to being ripped as I can before the summer comes along!! It isnt gonna be a terribly off the wall feat but it will be demanding. I already lost 4 1/2 pounds in a week. That seems like a good start to me. Ok peeps and peepettes, get back at me!

Day 12

2004-12-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

Not much going on here. I got my first day off since I arrived in Afghanistan over a week and a half ago. Just chillin out today. Doing my laundry, checking the ole email and getting some of my uniforms alterated. I got my combat unit patches yesterday so just getting them sewn on. Other than that, pretty peaceful here. Found out that my Chaplain and I are going on our first "convoy" together except its not by ground, but by a helicopter. We are going back to Bagram this Thursday. We should be there for 4-5 days. Hopefully these mini-convoys will help make the days go faster here. Hope to hear from everyone soon.

Merry Christmas! A poem for everyone :)

2004-12-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Im not good with poems, but I figured that I know how to rhyme words a little so here it goes :)

Kandahar, Afghanistan....
Not a place for every man,
could easily get a tan;
just ask all the bearded Taliban!

Stuck here on Christmas Day;
where all the sand flies and scorpions play,
maybe holiday chow on a cardboard tray?
Must be dreaming, so slap me Ok?

Arriving back in June;
When all the blossoms are in full bloom,
Possibly singing a tune? While vacationing in Cancun?
Must be me drunk, barking at the moon.

Not very good at this writing thing;
Never could rock a beat or sing,
Doing my best to let our freedom ring;
In Afghanistan, where all American Soldiers are king :)

Day 10

2004-12-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, Christmas Eve. The day you wake up, smile and say "Cait wait till tomorrow morning!" The chances of smelling hot coffee and cocoa in the kitchen is pretty good along with a fully cooked breakfast just minutes away. The anticipation of opening up an early Christmas Eve gift (always has to be the crappy one) and nothing like shopping for last minute gifts at customer-packed stores. And then I realize, oh...Im in Afghanistan! I get to wake up to my annoying alarm clock and my roomate snoring 10 feet away. I get to take a shower in sub-zero weather. I get to eat "relatively" hot chow with the dining hall smelling like a** (they clean the sewage underground every morning). And I work on top of all of that. Thats everyday here at Ft. Verydustyairwithverycoldmorningsworkingtwelvehourdays, Afghanistan. Wow thats a tongue twister. Try saying that over the phone as a greeting? Haha. In all honesty, I never really was a big holiday guy except for my birthday anyway. So it works out ok for me over here. All is well so far and only 5 1/2 months to go! Yipee! I hope everyone enjoys Christmas in the states. And please try not to open the crappiest present on Christmas Eve! lol It happened to me as a kid and Id hate it happen to you now. Enjoy! Miss everybody

Day 9

2004-12-23T08:22:00.000-08:00

My boss stood me up this morning! :) We were suppose to play some ping-pong for PT (special activities once a week) and the korean man stood me up. As much as he loves ping pong, it puzzles me...Oh well. Yep, I am at work now. WAITING for him actually to arrive. Ive been here for a week with the sleep adjusting and all and a man thats been here for 8 months cant get to work on time haha. Its ok, I know Im squared away. As much as I just talked about him, he is a great man. He really is. Just teasing him. Anywho, as you can see this COULD be a good day...we will see. Some country stars came onto base yesterday and did a show. Some guy last name was Worley and a couple others...I dont know, I really dont listen to country. Al Franken was here too though :) He did Saturday Night Live back in the day. Awesome guy. He ended up getting a massage beside me (well he was the next one over) but I was star struck what can a say ;) Ok ladies and gents. Oh by the way, where did everyone go? So now that Im over here 11,000 miles away and 9 1/2 hrs ahead everyone wants to just forget about me huh? Ill show you. Ill email you and remind you that Im here! hahaha. Thanks Nicole for staying in touch. Glad someone is thinking of me. HA!

Day 8

2004-12-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

Another quiet morning. Its about 845am and just waiting for my boss to get to work. Overheard cadre talking about a mortar attack on a US base in Iraq killing 20+ soldiers and civilians in a Dining Facility tent. Sure enough, checked on yahoo and there it was...the story about it. It makes me kinda worried about what can REALLY happen over here in the middle east and Asia. Not going to lie to you, I dont think about what can happen very much at all here. I got briefings when I first got to Afghanistan about how often we get fired and mortared upon and it just wasnt enough to really trigger my feelings about it. And now that I think about it, 2-3 times a month can get you thinking about it now. I heard that Taliban/Afghan insurgents have the worst aiming in the world, but they still try to kill us. 2-3 times a month being fired/mortared upon can still hit a soft target like a mess hall(dining facility). Lets hope it doesnt happen here EVER...not likely but lets pretend. Everyone is only a little shakened up over here for now. Sorry this wasnt a happy blogger but Im not exactly ecstatic right now either. Maybe tomorrow :) And Vanessa, havent heard from your mom in a few days...thats not like her lol

Day 7

2004-12-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

So far so good here in good ole Afghanistan. My boss was able to get me a computer here at work so it will make it MUCH MUCH easier to talk on my blogger now :) Today I dont have much time but starting tomorrow I can elaborate on my days here in Afghanistan. For my re-enlistment options, Im either going to stabilize at Ft. Meade, Md or go to a Stryker Brigade in Hawaii!! Yeah you heard it right. Its not promised to me yet but guess only time will tell. Regardless which one I pick, I should be at Ft. Meade at least till the fall next yr. Ok, this is gonna be a short blog. Sorry about that. Good news is that there is a massage parlor here on base :) I made an appt yesterday for 4pm today here. 50 min massage for $15! Ridiculous I know but they are cheap here. Ok ladies and gents, like I always say, keep those comments coming. :) Oh and Nicole, thank you for the poem, it was real nice. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers. :)