"They say it's your birthday!"

Wow. I never really expected to have such a great birthday 7,000 miles away from home and yet God provided! He provided in so many ways but more than any other, in the love that was evident in care packages, notes on FaceBook, and messages left on Skype. Rachel sent a half sheet of her freakin'-awesome cookie cake and my mom sent all the trimmings for a rockin' "Transformers" party. Thank you, everyone for making this a special day.

A "Transformers" party in my office, complete with an amazing Confetti/Angel food cake that my mom had shipped from GA! She may have forgotten forks (something that we are definitely not lacking over here) but she made sure to include icing, 32+1 candles, hats, a "Birthday Hero" ribbon, the "Happy Birthday" banner, plates, napkins, and those funny things that roll-out when you blow into the open end. This birthday was definitely more than meets the eye!

My mom also sent several presents, probably the most exciting of which was a copy of The Reagan Diaries". Reagan is quickly growing to become my favorite president and one of my favorite leaders. I can't wait for this semester to be over so I can devote a lot of time to exploring this man and specifically his devotion to God and his wife even more.

Finally, but certainly not least, I received special letters from Rachel and all three kids. I am not sure why this photo uploaded like this, but maybe that's how Hannah Joy really wanted me to view it! Anyway, along with these special letters from each of them, I received framed 5x7s of each of the kids and enough Mentos to open a 7-11!

In a strange twist on the typical birthday fare, at least three folks sent me care packages that also had two-ply toilet paper! I guess there are at least a few folks reading my blog!

In Him,

David

The joys of traveling

I am currently in Kapisa Province working on getting a project started. The trip was pretty short notice and I made it out here in good time. My goal is to be back at my "home" camp by my birthday, but there is no guarantee of that.


Traveling has its perks as well as costs. I get to see a lot of the country, but sometimes I get stuck places that I really don't need to spend a lot of time. For instance, on my last trip the other engineer I was travelling with and I got stuck for an extra six days at a pretty isolated location. It gave me a lot of time to read and watch movies but very little time to do work because I was almost completely disconnected. Additionally, it gave my coworkers back at my "home" camp plenty of time to figure out a great prank.


So, upon returning, I found the below image waiting for me!

I'm guessing I'll find something else exciting waiting for me after this trip, though I can't imagine how they'll top this!

Two-Ply

I am a firm believer in simple pleasures. In Afghanistan the simple things please me even more. Chocolate chip cookies, light on demand, running water and WiFi are just a few examples of simple things that I take for granted back at home in Alabama.

Recently I was taking my regular sojourn to the LSS (Latrine/Shower/Shave) CONEX (a big metal box used for shipping stuff) which is really not that bad compared to other latrine facilities I've been forced to use. There is very little room to sit down, close the door, and take care of business, but at least we have them, and they are well-maintained. Until yesterday, however, I was forced to tidy up with single ply.

Over time, I have grown accustomed to certain luxuries. Fresh Alaska Salmon, not-from-concentrate orange juice, 110" movies at home, and two-ply, quilted toilet paper are on a short list of "must haves" in my household - anything less is substandard (in my humble opinion). Since being deployed I have been forced to "suffer" without these things with no suitable subtitutes. The sandpaper that disintegrates as I "finish off" that is passed off as toilet paper is pretty much reprehensible, and yet I deal with it. And then I had a very pleasant surprise waiting for me in stall number 2 of my favorite LSS yesterday afternoon - half of a roll of two-ply.

No, it wasn't quilted. But it was a wonderful change nonetheless. I'm saving this sacred roll now for special occasions - the first of which was a photo op (shown above). I think you will agree with me that this is a terrific boost for my morale. Away from family and friends, yes. Missing some finer things, maybe. No two-ply? Not anymore!

Prince Caspian Pre-Post

I haven't seen Prince Caspian yet, though I definitely plan to and will gladly post a review, but I did read a recent review on IMDb.com written by someone who was very disappointed in the Christian/religious themes throughout the film. Even though most of us probably know that Lewis was maybe the most noted apologist of the 20th century, this poster didn't seem to. One of the responses made me laugh out loud.

By FabHckyBbe, "Complaining about Christian themes in CS Lewis is as stupid as reading Agatha Christie and complaining about all those darn mysteries."

Not very nice, but funny.