New routines

So, here I am, doing a lot of nothing. I can't figure out why I am so busy. I am on 24h call again tomorrow, and we have an OR case to do--yeah! The internet and phones were down for a few days--they do that when a soldier becomes "an angel" here. Still going to the gym a lot, then walking to and from the dining facility--that seems to take all day. Working on CME/CEU things--we do presentations to each other a few times a week. Went to country dancing again last night. That's always fun. Usually there are only 5-6 girls there dancing, and the rest are men, mostly marines--which means I get to dance a lot. They have karaoke every Thurs night, but since I need some alcohol in me to sing in front of people, and there is none of that here...........
TTFN. Thanks again to everyone who writes, and sends me cool stuff. I really do LOVE hearing from home. I feel very far away (duh, I guess I am).

Pictures

Here are some pictures. First one is me in the OR (obviously). 2nd is the flight in on C-130, and the 3rd is our living area--trailer by my right had is girls bathroom/showers, and my left arm is over the barricades in front of our trailers. We got called into the OR last night, didn't get done until around 3am. I love it though, because that is why I am here. The helicopters are coming and going all day and night, and we had an osprey land last night. They are so loud, it sounds like they may land on our roof. I am on call for 24 tomorrow. The weather is beautiful here. I love hearing from you all, thanks to everyone who writes :-)

Turkey day

Hello everyone. Hope you all had a nice thanksgiving. It really didn't feel like turkey day here, but we ate turkey dinners and then took naps. We had more OR cases today, and then a multiple trauma situation in the ER. At least it keeps us doing something. I took some pictures of the thanksgiving festivities, but I am having trouble uploading them. The internet is very slow at times. I will be in touch.......

Made it to Iraq

I am here at Al Asad, arrived 6 days ago, and did my first OR case today (only the 3rd general case since we arrived). No traumas yet, which is good news for our soldiers. Things have really slowed down in all the hospitals over here, which is good although it makes life boring for us. There are K-9 military dogs, and if they require surgery, they get shipped to us too, and we do their anesthesia. Cool, huh? We wear military uniforms, and combat boots into the OR. We must be in full uniform and keep our weapons on at all times, which is also weird to carry guns around a hospital. I am posting some pictures--all of the above were taken in Kuwait (I think you can click on a picture to see it bigger). Iraq is not quite as desolate as Kuwait, but it's a desert. The sand here is so fine--like powdered sugar, and it never packs down. Everywhere you walk, you get a puff of dust following you, and you are always covered in dust. This is the "rainy season" which translates to possibly 3-5 days of light precipitation each month. Its dryer than Utah! It's also hot here, and we have to walk almost a mile to get to the dining facility, if you want to eat. The days are around 85+ degrees, and the nights cool off to the 40's. I have been busy getting settled in my CHU (container housing unit, aka trailer), and doing some in-processing here, and learning the computers, etc. We went through the OR to see all the supplies we have, and where everything is located. We go to the gym everyday, which is another mile walk to get there--the only thing close is the hospital, everything else is about a mile. We are having fun, we laugh alot. There are dance lessons, guitar lessons, karaoke night, and tons of stuff to do, and of course lots of walking. It's definitely a different life here. I will keep you all updated. Thanks again for reading and commenting. love you all........

Life at Camp Buehring

I was trying to upload some photos to my computer, but I am having technical difficulties. I've been here in Kuwait for almost 5 days now. It is so weird here. It's flat, and hot, and nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. We went out to the range again to shoot, and on the way back I saw tanks, and camels--will post pics later. One of our docs brought a golf club and balls and he was practicing in the sand today. We are bored, and anxious to get to our destinations. But they really have a lot to offer: stores, a theater, gym, Starbucks, KFC, and the other day the girls and I went to the spa and got our eyebrows waxed and had manicures. We had to do rollover training where they put us in a humvee, and then roll us a few times, and we have to get out upside down. It was fun--like a roller coaster. We are here with the Royal Army and Air Force from Britian. They are very interesting to talk with. It's nice to have such commraderie with them. Hope to be out of here and on our way in the next 24h. I will be in touch. Thank you for writing, I love to hear from you all, and to know that someone is actually reading my ramblings........
love, ali

Movin' out

Well we are departing this country for another soon, so I don't know when I can post again. I have been so busy here with training. Yesterday we got to shoot guns, crawl under fences and hop over walls, and throw hand grenades--that was fun! We had to do all of this wearing body armor and helmets--I don't know how our foot soldiers carry all that around in 130 degree heat over there! We are all very tired. In my mind, I am now starting the process of coming home. Only 100 days? +/- a few???
Love you all, keep in touch.

Made it to Ft.Benning

Well it only took 20 hours, but I made it here to the processing center. My flight from Seattle to Atlanta had to make an emergency landing in Kansas for a medical emergency on board, so we got to Atlanta 2 hours late, therefore missing my connection to here. I then got bumped off several flights, until I showed my orders and shed some tears, they finally put me on an overbooked flight. Of course my bag didn't come with me, but I have it now. Just ate "chow", and have to organize some stuff for tomorrow. Hope to be on a flight out of here by Saturday. My BOG time doesn't start until I get to Iraq, so the less time I am here, the better. I met up with some of the doc's and CRNA's I had met in Texas this summer--they are good to look out for me. Gotta get some sleep--good thing clocks go back tonight.