Dusty Days

Well friends, it is hot and dusty.  Normally, there is just a haze that we can't quite seem to shake.  Occasionally, we will get a blue sky day, but it is more likely that it is sort of a brownish/tanish color.  The really fun days are when the wind is crazy and we have one of those shamals I wrote about earlier (for those of you reading on a regular basis).  I broke my camera on vacation, but have been given pictures by some of my coworkers. 

The following pictures were taken one crazy morning.  On this particular day, I had gone to the pool around 5 to swim laps before work.  It was a beautiful morning on the drive to the pool.  As I was swimming laps, I noticed a storm headed our way.  It wasn't rocket science, instead of the sun getting higher, it was getting darker and more ominous.  I kept swimming and would check at the end of each lap.  I wondered when they were going to call it a day.  Finally, they kicked everybody out and pulled the cover over the water.  Before I got back to my room, visibility was less than 10 feet.  It was insane.  My hair was disgusting that day.  It didn't really matter, everything was filthy, but still, chlorine and dust do not make for a good hair day. 

The school is in the cloud

Students on the way to class

An early morning dark hallway

Normally, you can see everything.  The power isn't on when we get to school and it doesn't come on right away but it is never this dark.  I just wanted to give you an example of the extreme.  Love, M.

Uh-Oh

"What seems to be the problem officer?" Ok.  So I didn't really say that.  I was thinking, "I cannot believe I am getting pulled over.  I haven't done anything wrong."  Well, according to the MP I was impeding the flow of traffic.  That's right, I stopped briefly to see if a woman I work with in the Air Force needed a ride on a hot day, and I was issued a ticket.  Just goes to show that nice girls finish last too.  Just kidding.  My ticket was handled.  We fought the law and won.  It will no longer be going on my record.  But, it was something I thought you guys might find interesting.  Yes, it is possible to get a ticket which will add points to your license while living on a base in Iraq.  Drive safe-M.

Total Lunar Eclipse

We had a total lunar eclipse last night.  Rumor has it, in the last 100 years, there are only 3 that have rivaled it in length.  It lasted approximately 100 minutes.  For all of you in the States, you never even had a chance to see it.  Don't feel bad, I slept right through it.  I didn't even know it happened until this morning. Luckily, I have some pictures.  You will see why it is sometimes called a "blood moon."

Lots of Love, M

Overdramatic? Who Me?

I like to travel.  I LOVE to go new places and see new things.  I am finally starting to figure out that the actual getting there part, is not my favorite.  This is particularly true of when I have been living abroad and am on my way back to the states.  I can remember overreacting to something minor every single time I have returned home after living in another country.  I will say, this one takes the cake.

I left Kuwait around 2a.m.  I had not been to sleep so I was already a little tired.  Before takeoff, I sat on the plane thinking about how cute the little boy was in front of me and how good it was to finally be headed home.  The plane took off and what seemed to be about 3 minutes later, before the seatbelt sign was off, that cute little boy was jumping up and down in his seat-yelling.  Oh geeze.  It only got worse from there.  Children I had not even noticed before were jumping around and making more noise than I thought possible.  I really did try my hardest to block them out with my ipod, it just didn't work.  A couple of hours in, the same little boy was using the armrests to swing back and forth on.  He woke me up.  I was not a happy camper.  I sat up, put my face as close to his without being super creepy and slowly shook my head no-a gesture that is universal.  As I leaned back and closed my eyes, I smiled on the inside about how funny my mom would have found that-I am pretty sure I learned it from her.

Not much changed on the remainder of the flight.  It was pretty chaotic.  I know that the flight attendants on that flight deserved a raise.  I don't know that I could have had the patience they had.  I arrived in Istanbul around 6 in the morning.  I was super tired at this point and had 11 hours and 50 minutes until my next flight.  I really wanted to change my ticket.  I waited in the Passport Control line...for twenty minutes.  No joke, every single time we moved forward, the person behind me ran into me.  Every. Single. Time.  Really, pretty much the last thing I need after very little sleep, screaming, disobedient children, is some jerk repeatedly running into my backpack because they can't figure out how much space I take up.  I was so mad-and tired.  I turned around a few times to give them the "Run into me again and I will cause you so much bodily harm, they will need at least 3 ambulances to get you out of here" look.  It didn't work.  It didn't even work a little bit.  The family was too wrapped up in themselves to notice me.  Finally, I reached the front of the line.  The agent asks me how long I will stay in Turkey.  I reply, "There is not a flight out of here early enough."  The guy thumbs through my passport, looks up and says, "Visa?"  WHAT?  I don't have a visa.  I just want to change my ticket.  I don't want to be here for a single second longer.  He says that I have to have a visa and points to another line.  "Nice one Matia.  Way to drop the ball."  I think.  I had no idea that it was about to get much worse.

I get to the visa line and they want to charge me 20 dollars for a visa.  "20 DOLLARS?  I just want to check about changing my ticket so I can get out of here.  I don't want to stay here.  I just want to go home.  I need to go home."  I say.  This guy points to a third line.  A desk with people who are supposed to help people like me with transfers.  I go wait in this one.  I get to the counter and they listen to my story for about 8 seconds before turning away and listening to someone else who has just come up to the counter.  Really? REALLY?  I just couldn't get a break.  One guy tells me to go to the end of the counter.  I do.  I start over with my, "I just want to get out of here" story.  This one assures me that there is absolutely nothing they can do to help me-really.  I turn around and someone promptly runs into me.  I have had enough.  More than enough.  It was my breaking point.  I didn't yell or scream or get mad.  I was just really tired and really wanted to go home.  I cried.  Big time.



Now, I needed a hotel room.  I had been confident that getting out early would not be a problem so I didn't make a reservation anywhere.  Wouldn't you know that the airport there is FULL of people who would love to take you to a hotel somewhere.  It all seemed just a little shady to me.  I am sure that it isn't really, but I was past seeing the good in the situation-way past.  I eventually decided that the only thing to do was go outside, wait for a hotel shuttle bus, and go get a room.  I certainly wasn't going to get anything else accomplished inside the airport.  The first two buses didn't pan out.  No room in the inn.  The driver of the third kindly called the hotel and let me talk to them.  Yes, they had one room left and for a small fortune, it could be all mine.  At that point, I really couldn't take anymore.  I had reached the end of my rope.  I didn't care.

The Courtyard Marriott of Istanbul Ataturk Airport is the best place I have ever stayed in my life.  The woman who checked me in, is the nicest person I have ever had to deal with in my life.  The elevator was the nicest elevator I have ever ridden in in my life.  I think you get the picture.  I was so glad to be done traveling-for the next 9 hours.  But really, it was amazing.  I had a room on the 17th floor.  It was beautiful.  I didn't have to wear shoes in the shower.  I went swimming in the pool in the basement.  I had an amazing breakfast.  Slept like it was my job, and went back to the airport at 3a.m. not hating Turkey as much.  That hotel saved lives that day.

There you have it.  The story of my meltdown.  It makes me laugh when I think about how ridiculous that day was.  I am sure it would be funnier in person, but this will have to do.  I was a mess, but I survived.  Love, M.

View from the top-well, one floor down anyway

Greatest hotel room EVER.

A beautiful bathroom

Hip Hip Hooray

I know I promised more stories of vacation.  I will get to them, I promise.  But, this is great news.  I talked to Kyle this morning before I went to work.  He informed me that the Coast Guard approved his application and that he has his Captain's License.  He worked really hard and is looking forward to taking people fishing on the river.  I know that I am really excited for him and thought that you guys might be too.  So, if you know Kyle, tell him Congrats.  It is a great accomplishment.

Warming Trend

It is getting to be pretty warm here.  I think it is hot, but I have been assured by MANY people that this is nothing.  I don't doubt them for a minute, I just prefer not to think about August.  Just now, as I was leaving the D-Fac, I ran into a man whom I met on the way to Kuwait. We recognized each other from around the neighborhood.  We also arrived back around the same time and exchanged stories of great vacations.  So, I ran into him on my way out of dinner tonight.  We talked about the weather and he mentioned that he has a thermometer on the outside of his CHU.  He said that today it was 114F but I should wait until August.  Apparently, once last year, he read 144F.  I think he must have had sweat in his eyes-the lines were blurred.  144?  I am pretty sure I would melt...or at least my shoes will.