Dreams

So ironically enough my husband has been lovingly reminding me to blog as his blogging excitement levels have become much more motivated. So instead of the situation in the beginning where I felt like I was pushing a donkey up a hill in getting him to blog, he's now the one pushing me. His previous title referred to something called "superfatting" which is a soap term. Basically when making homemade soap you need to have enough oil to lye ratio so that the soap isn't irritating. So superfatting is where you increase the oil by about 5-10% of what's called for just to make sure you have enough oil bound to those pesky lye molecules. It also makes a much more moisturizing soap, and the best ratio of superfatting is one that leaves your skin feeling moisturized sans greasy. Another way to superfat is to lessen the amount of lye called for in a recipe and keep the oil called for the same. All in all it's pretty simple. Typical of Michael's style, he really loves the word superfatting. He claims it's a military term that's used in regards to the chow hall where everyone goes to "superfat."

So I've got a doctor's appointment on the 27th. This is the one that changes my working profile. Pretty cool. I'll be doing radio watch after that for a few weeks, more than likely. Then when they feel I'm ready for full duty, I'll be going back to my original routine. I'll really miss this time off, that's for sure. I am kind of looking forward for work again, but I'll miss having time to read in the mornings, or take a mid-day nap, or have lunch with Michael. We've gotten a lot of extra time together from my injury, and it's been really nice. So our time will be cut into while I'm back to doing what I do.

We've been talking about apartments and furniture and cooking in a real kitchen again. Things we're looking forward to when we get back. I really miss the real world. We talk about hiking trips, kayaking trips, camping trips. Michael finds pictures online of all the places he wants to take me to. They're absolutely beautiful. So we have a lot to look forward to once we get back.

My Calculus class is moving along at its own pace. It's not quite as fast as I'd like it to go, but I'm getting there. The important part is that I'm understanding what I'm learning. So certain parts move a bit slower than others. I find doing extra problems, step-by-step helps.

Speaking of Michael...YES he is writing a book, and Hancock House has been keeping in contact with him about publishing. It's pretty cool, and I'm very excited for him. The book is called, "50 Uses for a Bootlace." I don't know if any of you know what paracord is (also known as 550 cord) but he has come up with well over 50 uses for bootlaces made out of paracord. The cool thing about paracord is it has these "guts" of thin, white string that make it so useful. His latest knot tying extravaganza has been making fish/bird netting out of these "guts."

Michael came home with dinner, and he's, "pretty much the most professional saran wrapist." He's currently trying to get our ice-cream out of its wrapping. He also wants to know the internal strength of each one of those 550 cord guts is. Our internet is currently down, slightly frustrating, so I'm finishing this thing up and saving it in a word document until I can post it properly.

Anyway, all is good on the home front. We're moving right along. It's hard to believe that not only is today five months of marriage, but in about 2 weeks we'll have been in our Mesopotamian paradise for five months as well. We've almost hit the halfway mark. As I go back to work I'll be breaking in a pair of new combat boots like Michael. I really hope they don't cause the blister damage that Michael went through, and is finally starting to heal from.

Well, I think that's all for now in the Woolley household.

R.

Sandals

Well...I have had these sandals for 3 deployments now. I got married to Rachel wearing them too. I doubt that she's going to let me wear them at our "fancy" wedding with this suit, but I think they'd look good.

I actually had over 24 hours in a row off last week to be with Rachel..very cool..We solved world hunger, cured cancer and fixed the economy, watched some haj copies of flicks, flossed or fangs, drank coffee, mastered entry-level sudoku ( I just lied)...and slushed it up royally...

Rachel is punching holes in about 500 pages of study materials to put in these colorful binders she got in the mail. She is wearing my "power-bracelet", it pretty much makes you better at whatever you're doing. Right now she is a masterful hole-puncher and super-wife.

She said that I am a donkey in her last blog, which from my recent research tells me that I am a domesticated ass. We all have goals...

it's 1921...I just returned from the outhouse, plastic, not porcelain, (closer)...it has got to be 130 degrees in there...it's between 90 and 100 at dusk here...the muezzin is doing his thing off to the SW... I actually like the sound of it.. I know what he is saying/singing or at least I used to know...I don't completely agree with it but I still like the sound of it...They are trimming/pruning all the date palms here lately and it seems that there has been a second blooming of acacia/mimosa/locust from them smell, which is a relief...

My blister is healing, not so annoying. Rachel's thumb is looking so much better, good enough that it doesn't make me sick when I eat. Trauma doesn't bother me unless it's someone I love.

We got another care package from "My Grandma..." very sweet..

Back later to finish this I need to go fetch chow...

Super-fatting...yea baby...

Good news...I got a second letter from the tentative publisher of my bootlace book, still encouraging...I hope that the economy doesn't influence whether or not they print it. I'm going to tell them that this book is EXACTLY what the ecomony needs...it could solve world hunger....along with my next book..."50 Uses for an Inner-Tube"...

I have a nice stingy blister on my right heel from breaking in some new combat boots...fun...

I have been coveting this Kum adjustable brass manual pencil sharpener and this other Alvin brass bullet manual ps...I just look from time to time, I use mechanical pencils anyway. Rachel uses art pencils...I dream of meeting all of her sharpening needs...

I found a thimble for my sewing kit, my last one was stolen from me by Josh Marples when he was contracting for Falcon Security up in Mosul in 2007, he borrowed my needle vial too but I really only miss the thimble. He said it was to sew a ghillie suit..maybe he is still sewing? probably not... I am a simple man, but I am still a man..don't ever steal a mans thimble...dang dude...

I looked up the difference between burros, donkeys, asses and mules...just in case someone asks...I also had a Ukrainian tell me that if a cat has 3 colors or more it's a female. I was like "..what about tigers man? or leopards?" He said" house cats"...anyway he was right according to the cat experts on the internet.

Rachel is still the Mesopotamian Scrabble Champion. She is the Sudoku Reigning Champ as well. She is just too humble to tell you all...so I did.

Is there some reward or prize for all this writing? It does serve some purpose , right?

Anyway, be safe. m

Entrepreneur

Well, my recent escapades on the internet have let me to the topic of eco-friendly, green products and the like. A few days ago Michael and I were discussing making our own soap, and the benefits of it. We wound up reading about how soap is made, the differences between homemade and manufactured soap, etc. It was incredibly fascinating. Well, that spurred a whole series of ideas for me. Homemade soap? Why not try other homemade cosmetic items that are good for the body as well as the environment. I also had some ideas in the clothing industry that would be along similar lines.


Anyway, I think it would be something worthwhile to invest in, or at least see where it can go for various reasons. One, it's good for the planet. Two, more and more people are becoming aware of their footprint on the earth and want to lessen it. Three, larger companies are trying to find cheap ways of creating the same thing that are more directed towards fooling people with some fine print. So I think it would be worthwhile to create wholesome, organic products that are worth a consumer's money. Plus, it would be rather exciting experimenting with things like this.

This whole thing is very inspiring. I've found some rather amazing review sites that not only go into what organic beauty products are worthwhile, but also do entire entries on different ingredients that are no-nos as well as major yes's. It's pretty incredible the information that's out there. A lot of ingredients I discovered are also not that well known to a lot of the cosmetic industries, and have some pretty incredible qualities.

But the big thing that's come of this is to be much more aware of what you use on your body, especially cosmetics. There's some really neat make up out there that's 100% organic. So I'm definitely interested in seeing what can be created through my own means. Of course, all of this will happen once we're back from the desert. It's still nice to dream.

Michael grabbed a bunch of movies today from the local shop. Two dollars for a movie ain't bad, I must say. He recently stated in his head, "Man, I am married" while picking out a couple chick flicks for his wife. But he also assured me he's confident enough in his manhood to pick up a few girly flicks for me. He kept bringing home action film after shoot em up film, and I gently informed him that the next time he goes to the video store could he please pick up something a bit more...calm? Romantic comedy maybe? Please?

He gave me this funny look and I told him that it's not that I'm not enjoying the movies you're bringing home, I am as they are very good, but can we mix it up? He felt that was a valid argument. So now we watch a romantic comedy, mixed with a good drama, mixed with an action film. The rotation is quite nice, and covers all areas of film.

I think that about covers it for now. Back to my research and precalculus class, Hooray!

Sudoku...JNT

Japanese number torture. It should be Sadoku, as is SADistic. Many people don't know this but sudoku is named after Japan's version of Guantanamo, a small island off of the S. coast of Japan used as a penal colony since WWII through a memorandum of understanding between the USMC and Japan. Torture, deprivation, exposure to the elements, harsh unforgiving treatment by overzealous brutal captors...all for"fun". I actually did a year there back in the 80's. We called it "the Rock" back then. The locals call it Okinawa, which I am certain means Sudoku in Japanese. I came to this realization as Rachel taught me the ins and outs of this diabolical # crossword puzzle that we do for "fun".

I hear that carcinogens are released from plastic bottles into the water they contain when they are exposed to sunlight. Our drinking water is palletized and sits in the sun non-stop from when it is made over at the H2O plant here on Victory until it is dispersed around the FOB or LSA and eventually brought into our room. At the least it is exposed for at least 2 solid weeks to the sun. I wonder if I have reason to be concerned?

We are good. We are planning our mid-tour leave and what we want to do when we return at the end of this trip. Rachel is dozing/healing...the A/C is off for generator maintenance...2 hours now every Wednesday...We had our first 24 hours together uninterrupted, so cool. Rachel is tearing through the Bible these last two weeks, before it was at a moderate pace of a chapter or two at a time, now it's by book... She is also bracketing our finances and plotting the $ future for us. Bill Gates look out.

Have I mentioned that She is NOT a morning person? I am.

Our neighbor is a burgeoning guitar maestro. Our CHU is a trailer box divided into 3 partitions by, I think high grade rice paper and paint, with 3 separate doors. We share a roof and floor and the audio from video games and action movies, unattended but faithful alarm clocks, ruminations of the best deodorant and socks, un-oiled hinge squeaks and the gentle rocking of the trailer on its gravel and sand foundation.

I have been working on some dance moves that I aim to dazzle Rachel and the tribe with at our next wedding...I give her a little hint and taste of them from time to time but I am holding back the good stuff...pizzazzle-zing...boo-wop-bop...bop..

Anyway, just wanted to catch up..do my part..Rachel's awake got to go...

This was a lovely weekend. Michael and I got to have almost the entire weekend together. Such a continued amount of time has been pretty rare due to conflicting schedules when we first arrived. With my thumb in its healing state we've gotten a lot more time together since Michael comes by with lunch and eats with me.



So as of late I've been waiting for my class to start. It's supposed to start tomorrow, but I have YET to see my book. I think they mailed it kind of late. So hopefully I'll get it in the next couple of days. My time I've decided to fill with blocks of different things so that I feel like I've accomplished something by the end of the day. I mix the fun with the necessary/not so fun so that I don't feel so overwhelmed by the necessary/not so fun and then just eventually skip it all and go straight to the fun. Hah!



Right now I look crazy because I've got on these rubber gloves over my hands that have been smeared with vaseline. I leave them on for about an hour and my hands are nice and silky. It's a pretty nice, cheap trick. With all of this dry air around, my cuticles have taken a beating, plus my thumb enjoys it too. I soak it in peroxide for awhile and then put my moisturizing gloves on and poof! My hands aren't dry, scaly things that create more issues than necessary. I also have a bad habit of picking at the skin around my nails, which drives Michael crazy. So now when I start to pick at them, I put on the vaseline and the gloves. When I started doing that Michael's response was: "I positively reinforce this course of action."



My thumb is healing along nicely. A whole ton of dead skin just peeled off today. I spent about an hour getting the stuff off and trying to cut it away neatly so that it's not so grizzly. It's actually beginning to look more and more normal. I'm just waiting for the nail to fall off. It came off completely from the injury, and they stitched it back on to protect the nail bed while it heals (the nail bed got about 4 stitches on it). It's ready to come off, but the scab underneath is what's holding it on right now.



I've been researching things I can learn how to make for sellable goods. Maybe on Etsy. Of course, all of this is speculation right now. Also, I'd like to make it kind of a side project. Hopefully it won't take on too much of a life of its own. Michael and I were reading about soap today.

One cool thing I found was a brides across america thing where various bridal retailers would hold various wedding dresses in their shop and give them away for free to brides/fiances who are either in the military or married/engaged to men in the military. Cool, huh? To qualify either you or your husband/fiance or both have to be on active duty statis and have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Yup. I think it's pretty awesome. And it might not work out for me, but it's just good to know it's an option and it's out there.

Anyway, I'm coasting along just fine. I'm pretty excited about my math class. I'm finding a new interest in school due to finding my way career-wise. So that's nice. I think next I'm going to take a psychology class. I've organized all of the different careers I'm interested in and combined which classes are mandatory for all of them and then when it starts to branch off. So that way I get the foundation completed so when I decide to specialize, that part is already knocked out of the way. Well, not much else going on. We're happy and getting through this adventure very well. So...TTFN, ta-ta-for-now!

Care packages

You all have no idea how many care packages we have gotten, I don't even know...I lost count at 10 or so...Rachel's tribe have sent more boxes in the last 4 months than I have gotten in 3 trips here...it is humbling...and amazing...I am the benificiary of their kindnesses...I thank the Lord for the boxes of goodies, Rachel's family and the mail system here that has drastically inproved..I can remember getting a box of decaying food sent at Xmas in '04 that showed up in the middle of '05...Anyway, very cool being married to a leafling with a tribe who holds her so dearly...We have all these pics from magazines they've sent up on the walls, very groovy...blah blah blah...