Happy New Years!!

Happy New Year to everyone from all of us here in Kandahar. Today being New Years day has been an exceptionally quiet day here on camp. Yesterday we worked briefly and then had the remainder of the day to relax. Not much happens here on camp New Years eve for the Canadians since it is a dry camp, there were a few party's around but for the most part very low key. The Dutch however...they apparently know how to throw a party. Just around supper time we were told to report to work for a "meeting" of sorts with all the Canadian brass, the curious cats were buzzing. All the party animals were hoping and expecting the annual 2 beer at New Years, as in the past the troops serving here were all treated to 2 beers. So, we show up all anxious, not me so much, I would have had one and then shared my second with someone on my crew, only to find the big "brass" give us a brief on something operational. Hmmmm, New Years Eve at around 8pm to brief the troops, I guess the work really never quits, even during this time. So, after a quick 10 minute meeting, we depart for the tent line to play some poker, only my 3rd game ever, didn't win, but I certainly didn't bail near the beginning. We were now approaching midnight here and I was getting tired, So, I decide to go to bed, much to my crewmates displeasure, I got crap from all angles about not staying up to celebrate the new year, I soon realized what I should be doing, got up and dressed and joined my team at Canada House for hand shakes and hug for the ringing in of 2009. Soon after a quick walk about greeting people around our tent line I retired to bed, waking this morning to chat with Lana and Olivia for the countdown, but what I forgot to realize was that they are 9 and a half hours behind. So I sat and waited, and boy am I ever glad I did, at 11:45pm Ontario time, Olivia asked Lana if she was going to put me on webcam for the countdown. As little as something like that, brought a tear to my eye, the sun was up here and I was surrounded at my table by American Marines..those are the tough guys, and I cheered and blew kisses and spoke as if I was in the room with them. At that moment, I did not care who was watching and listening. It was a definate high moment on this trip. A BIG Thank You to Olivia for singing the song "Cover Girls" to me. After I was done, I packed up and wished the big burley Marine dudes a Happy new Year and they returned the cheer.
So, it is now 8:18pm new years day and all my family back home are getting ready for New Years dinner at my sister Shelly's house, I hope you all enjoy and stuff your faces, Unfortunately I will be sound asleep while your eating, Otherwise I would join you!! Quick little update on our mail situation, we have heard that there is 20 bags of mail in our "safe zone" so, If you pray, say a prayer for us that we will get this mail tomorrow. Thank you all, and may you have a great 2009, I know mine will be!!

Support The Troops
~M

Another day!!

Good Morning all, I have been holding out a couple of days in hopes I could update once we received our Christmas parcels from home, unfortunately, they have not yet arrived. It's a little unfortunate that they did not make it for Christmas day, but I know that some things do take priority over mail. Troop movement especially this time of year is a priority and I do know because of the weather lately back in North America, a lot of flights were delayed so there is a bit of a back log. So, today is day 4 in Kandahar and things have been going pretty good, food is the same but the weather has definitely changed. It goes down to about plus 3 or so, some mornings there is a layer of frost on the puddles and is pretty crisp while I am out chatting with Lana, during the day it goes up to about 20, t-shirt weather for sure. Christmas day, we were treated to a sit down served dinner in the mess hall, it was a nice having the senior NCO's serve us our dinner and I might add, the dinner was awesome, turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings!! Our work schedule here has been pretty steady and I am certainly not complaining, the best way to get through time here is to work every day. The only problem with that is you lose track of days, yesterday being Saturday, I emailed Lana at work wondering how her day was going, I hadn't heard from her after a few hours which was out of character and I started getting a little concerned, finally I saw Victoria online and asked her.....then it clicked, DUH, it's Saturday. She decided to sleep in :) I asked her in her email if she was at work, and her response to me after a bit was..."yup, working on getting my butt out of bed"
Any way, not much else is new, same old Kandahar, hopefully we will see a mail shipment in the next day or so, otherwise my wife is going to call someone important! LOL I will certainly post an update once the mail arrives, I can tell you we are all anxious to see what has been sent!! Till next time...

Support The Troops
~M

PS: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our fallen soldiers. Our other family members (our brothers and sisters) over here, especially during this time of year!