My Sweetie

I spent some time yesterday chatting w/ my frau back in Mannheim. It was nice to see her doing well, although the refresh rate of the camera occasionally caught her in a silly moment. She was able to show her baby-belly, it's unmistakably a baby now as opposed to just being a bit "poochy". I wasn't having a bad day or anything, but it really boosted my day to talk with her. She seemed to be in good spirits.

I see that an old friend from my college days has found my blog! Howdy Justin! It's nice to be able to keep updated with what's going on back in Pullman.

As far as work is concerned, today I was assigned my first real project: IHTC Phase 3. We're adding some network drops at the court house, so now I'm officially able to say that I had a direct hand in the Saddam trial, minor as it may be. Unfortunately, this does mean that I'm going to have to start briefing my boss's boss on our progress, that's going to suck. Adds another meeting to my already long list. I also read on a Czech news website that there's talk of moving the trial because the current presiding judge is either calling it quits or thinking about it. I don't know what impact that would have on our project, but it would be frusterating to have put in all this work only to have it go to nothing.

Speaking of news, I read another headline from a news website in Cuba (that seems to be down more often than it's up) that the Green Zone (aka IZ) took some mortars yesterday... I haven't been able to actually read the article yet (site's been down), but I didn't hear any booms or bangs. When a mortar is launched it sounds nothing like what you see on TV. On TV you see a troop drop a round down a tube, turn away, and plug his ears followed by a dainty "THOOMP" ... this is Hollywood. In reality, when a mortar is launched the dainty "THOOMP" is more like a very loud "THBOOOM!" even at the distances that the bad guys launch at us from. It sounds a lot like a car bomb ... if you've ever heard one. It's not like all the sudden you hear an explosion and wonder, "Where the dickens did that come from?" Not to mention the whistling sound the round makes as it sails overhead. The good news is that if you hear it comming (the whistling) it means that you're probably ok because of the way the soundwaves travel and if you don't hear it you probably won't remember not hearing it.

In this picture I hear the mortar, but the building doesn't and wouldn't even if it had ears and the ability to hear. =)

During the last mortar attack (New Years), I was sitting outside at a picnic table with my boss, CPT Grane, when we heard the launch. At first I just thought it was a car bomb and commented that "something just blew up". About a second later I looked up at CPT Grane and his eye's were as big as saucers. Not being privvy to his thought process I wondered why. When I heard the whistling go flying over I thought, "Where have I heard that before...", for a brief second, I had a flash back to my training the day when we went to the artillery show with 155mm howitzer rounds flying over us. In the second part of that brief second I was shook by the shockwave of the explosion, then I saw CPT Grane dive to the ground as another "THBOOM" was heard. Following his lead I rolled backwards off the picnic table and landed with my left forearm on the concrete walkway behind me giving it some good scratches. I heard the following impacts as I went to put my vest and helmet on. I think only two people were injured in that attack.

Anyway, with the upcoming announcement of the election results we're expecting some more unpleasantness from everyone. Those that win will probably celebrate by shooting small-arms into the sky, those that lose will pout by launching mortars/rockets.

I'll try and post again before the day's out.