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| Hello friends and (distant) neighbors, | |||||||||||||
| I know it's been awhile since I have sent the update from the desert, but as I settle in to the job and my other pursuits; time has a way of slipping by. In case you were wondering, that's a very good thing. I now have less than 70 days before I come home in December, and big plans are underway for that trip already. I discovered a little-used but beneficial program offered at NSA-Bahrain, called R&R leave. It's sort of like the normal leave you earn, except in this case, the Navy buys your ticket to fly home and back, and your charged leave days don't start until you touch the ground at your destination, and ends when you step on the plane. It is kind of like getting three days credit because you spent them navigating the three airports and the eventual delays that are bound to happen. It is a very nice program for those of us who want to get home at least once in the year we are mobilized. By my figures, I will have been gone 156 days when I come back. I can't tell you how much I miss everyone. | |||||||||||||
| Work has been pretty routine, with a few exceptions. I am not going to Hawaii as was first planned; instead I am going next week to Djibouti. Djibouti occupies a very strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. Surprise, surprise, it is also an important military strategic location. The French have a very strong presence there, and I am going with my Lt. Commander to work with the French coalition. I am learning to say, "Je suis d�sol� de ne pouvoir vous aider" so they don't get their expectations up. | |||||||||||||
| The big news, although I am sure most of you know this already, is that Ann and I are getting married on the 10th of December. It will be a very small ceremony, as we have very limited time on my visit, and we are trying to make the focus the kids, Ann and me and the beautiful blended family we are blessed to have. It is a testament to how all four kids have been raised and how wonderful each of them are as individuals that they have chosen to embrace this with such enthusiasm. And hey, if Kapla can have five, how hard can four be? | |||||||||||||
| In early March, Ann and I are meeting in Rome and taking a ten-day vacation/honeymoon through Rome, Florence, and Venice. While in the Tuscany region we will take a one-day cooking class, so be prepared for some tasty dinner parties when I get back! | |||||||||||||
| Also, last week Ann and I both started the South Beach Diet, and I have to tell you, I can't believe how easy it is to do this! The food is fantastic, you can create just about anything as long as you choose the right ingredients, and it really is a great thing. I have lost six pounds in six days, but I feel I have tons more energy. I am running two miles a day and lifting weights as well, so all in all, I feel like I am getting much healthier and happier, which really helps the time go by faster here. | |||||||||||||
| I haven't done much exploring more than I did in the first month, but with the weather turning from Habanera hot to Jalapeno sorta hot, there may be more of that coming in the near future. A few times this month, I have walked out to go to work and felt a semi-cool breeze in my face. Of course, that's at 6:00 a.m., and by 9 it is still hot enough to bake bread (only whole grain bread, says the diet) on the sidewalk. I hear from the locals that come November, it gets down to the low 80's during the day and in the evenings they say folks even wear jackets because it ends up in the low 70's- Of course, no one from Wisconsin can hear that without cracking up and muttering "wuss" under their breath. But it will be nice compared to every day in the 100's. Still haven't seen rain here, but they say it will rain for about 15 minutes at some point in the year. What would it be like to be a meteorologist in Bahrain? You would work maybe once a year. The rest of the time, just videotape a forecast saying, "Sunny, highs in the 100's and lows in the 90's, back to you Hammed..." Finally, I have found the perfect job... | |||||||||||||
| Well all, take care, and drop a line when you get a chance. It's always nice to get an email or two from friends. I will try and send something out once a month or so to let you all know I am alive and well. | |||||||||||||
| Regards, | |||||||||||||
| Sean | |||||||||||||