A Month

We've been here a month. Actually we've been here longer than a month but today is the last day of September which means that we've been here for a whole calendar month, plus a few more days.

As you've been reading, this first month has been marked by lots of different experiences. Some are good, some not so good. I think the best part is that it's gone by pretty fast.

We have a saying here that, "Every day's a Monday" and it certainly feels like it. I don't know how to describe it other than every day you go through that first day of the week, first day back to work, first day of forever feeling. While each day is certainly different, it still feels like a Monday.

Because every day is different, it helps to pass the time. Here are some of my little tricks. Janae sent me with my weekly medicine reminder. You know the kind, the plastic box with seven compartments to put your pills in? At home, we each have one and she puts our multitude of daily vitamins in them. Well I brought mine so every Friday I load mine up with my daily vitamin, my glucosimine with condroiton, my Vitamin E, my Naproxin, my fish oil (I hate that one), my garlic (I'm getting low and will have to have Janae send me some or order some on-line) and the myriad other little pills and vitamins I've got to put it. So when I take my pills, I can see the days dwindling down each week.

Then there's my work. I've got a schedule of where I go and when. I can't tell you the details for security reasons - you never know who's reading my entries and I don't want them to know my travel plans, but each day I have a different location and different legal officer to meet with. For instance, today I'm meeting with....Oh yeah, can't tell you.

Then there's the chow hall. Thursday night is Italian night. Thursday night last, we had spaghetti with really thin Prego spaghetti sauce - not very good, in addition to other things Italian. Friday nights are grilled steak and lobster tail - no kidding. Last night I had this big ole steak, some ribs, two lobter tails, a baked potato, salad and Baskin Robbins ice cream with chocolate and carmel sauce - and I wonder why I gain weight here?

Let's see, how else do we mark the passage of time?

Tuesday is bazaar day. The local vendors come in and set up a bazaar where they sell locally made things. Since some of you are going to be the beneficiary of things local for Christmas, I'll keep that quiet. What I can tell you they seel, since you won't be getting any of these things, are knock-off sunglasses and watches, bootlegged DVD's - they're the ones where people take video cameras into the movie theather and record the movie, copy them and sell them. The best ones are where people get up and walk out of the theater in front of the camera. It's pretty funny. They also sell rugs - none of you are getting rugs so I can tell you that. They've also got a tailor there who makes really great suits for a really great price. I actually bought one and it turned out really nice so I'll be buying a few others.

Then there's church. We hold sacrament meeting on Sunday nights and priesthood on Thursdays. Those are usually good days with good meetings.

So there you have it, that's how I tick off the days.