NOT 'A dark and stormy night.'

That's only a working title, by the way. It's too cliched even for me.

Well, it's the start of week 4 here. It's getting hotter now, which is not fun, because Balad is a lot more humid than Kuwait(though not as humid as Iowa...). The DFAC is getting it's air conditioning fixed, so I can eat my food in comfort... haha. For those who haven't heard, I've been moved from ammo to fuel, Class V to Class III. No big deal, the job is basically the same, it's just different stuff you're tracking.

I'm training for an attempt at a half-marathon in September, because where else can you find a free half-marathon? yeah. free. I have set a goal of doing the Chicago half-marathon when I get home. Why not the Dam-to-dam, you say? Why, because it's Chicago, of course! And I've wanted an excuse to see the windy city in a season other than winter for a long time. Haha.

Got my first letter yesterday, unfortunately, it's sender will not be getting a reply, because there was no address on the envelope, only a name. But my offer still stands, send me something, and I'll make sure you get something in return.

It seems like I'm going to wind up getting one half day off every weekend, but I can't say that for sure. Not that the extra 6 hours really gives me that much more time... I've been taking more pictures, and I should have enough to load up an album on Facebook sometime in the next couple weeks or so. I would be taking more, but I'm really not doing anything I can take pictures of. Most of the work we do is classified, and I don't have time for much else, unless you want to see me working out.... ew. If I was working doing something hands-on, you'd see more pictures. *shrugs*

And now, an excerpt from my current short story/character profile, which has a working title
'A dark and stormy night'

It was one of those nights where Chicago seemed to be touched by the Otherworld- the Celtic spirit realm. And while the Windy City has its share of Supernatural influences, none of them are near as friendly as the Fair Folk of British lore. When I began my vigil, the low-hanging clouds caught all the light from the streets, reflecting it back down on the city's inhabitants, filling almost every nook and forgotten alleyway with an ethereal glow. As the night wore on, the weather turned worse. I smelled the lightning and the rain long before it began, and when it did, it came with a vengeance. Lightning tore across the sky like a war between the pantheons and sheets of rain came down a man would be drenched almost before he left his door. It was the kind of night where the energy of nature made you feel truly alive. The kind of night that was perfect for a fight.


Give me your thoughts, critiques, etc. And hopefully the whole thing will be ready to post soon.

Take care, I miss you all.