Crazy couple of days!!

Well, the title of this update pretty much sums it up, we have had a run of days that really all gelled together, which is not uncommon here at times, but it does throw you for a loop . It started shortly after we hit the ground when we got news that we had lost three more soldiers in Afghanistan, I would have to say that it is the most draining of all things we do over here, whether it is here in the safe zone or in Kandahar. Here in the safe zone we accept the bodies with a full Repatriation (ramp ceremony) from Kandahar and then usually the next day we send them on their way back to Canada with another full Repatriation. There is no separation between the two ceremonies, the emotions are just as intense for both. I say it every time, I hope it will be the last! The rough part of the last couple of days was the repats were both at 2am and we also had work during the day and other obligations (duty) during the nights as well. It may sound like I am complaining, I am not, just trying to put in to perspective the events of the last few days. So, I mentioned in my blog on the last trip that here in the safe zone we were lucky if we got two days of rain a year because of the climate, well winter is here, this morning while chatting with Lana on MSN and watching the hockey game in the mess, I was raining so hard that Lana could here it hitting the steel roof and it was so loud that I couldn't even hear the TV announcers. It rain enough this morning that could rival the rain we get back home all fall. Our patio area was completely flooded, computer speakers were drowned with water in a container. It was like we had been hit by a major storm, well I guess I guess we did, did not expect that at all. By noon the sun had come up, 30 deg Cel and just the remnants of the "flood" were left behind. It was quite the scene.
We got some bad news last evening, we found out that our crew was going to be split up again, 5 of our guys went to Kandahar early for operational reasons, no information on whether they will be coming back here or they will just stay there till we all get there. The sucky part about that is, we were separated quite a bit last trip and we were hoping to stay together this trip, but I guess that is the cost of doing business. So we are 8 days from Christmas and It doesn't even feel like it, the staff here has decorated the camp with Christmas trees and lights, but I hate to say it, it's just not the same without snow. There is no Christmas buzz in the air. However, we will make the best of it, I can tell you one this is for sure, I am really looking forward to Christmas eve at our house with family and friends, I just hope the Internet cooperates with us that night. I will be participating via web cam as well as Christmas morning with my girls!! So that's about it for now, I hope thing stay somewhat calm and I can update more often, Take care all and till next time!!

Support Our Troops
~M