camel spiders
hi there. not much going on today... it's my day off. yesterday, chad found a huge camel spider in his shirt sleeve after he'd put it on (five minutes after he put it on). we were in the van and he just jumped up and started slapping himself and trying to get his shirt off. when he shook it out, a camel spider with an abdomen bigger than a golf ball fell out. it was pretty funny, but i guess you had to be there. it was a female, so we joked about it laying eggs in his shirt. now you don't see him wearing it as often. i've still got a few days before i leave, but it's getting closer. i guess that attack the other day was worse than i knew (http://www.pigstye.net/iraq/article.php/20040618075821647). i feel terrible for the families of these soldiers. all these deaths are senseless, especially because they were probably just hanging out and trying to relax between missions. you just don't feel safe anywhere here. well, my time is up on this computer, so i'll talk to you all later.
posted by Ben at 6:57 PM
4 Comments:
Dear Ben,
When I read your lastest posts I can barely take a full breath. I cannot imagine the terror you feel when the attacks come. It's time for you to come home and try to regain some sense of security. Do you have a firm departure date? Heather from the 148th said you would be home on the 28th. Is your whole unit leaving as well?
Please keep your helmet close and hang on to the fact that within days you will be home. I feel and am absolutely powerless to insure your safety and I won't breathe a full breath until I see your handsome face. I love you and miss you deeply.
Pam
Sweet Ben,
Uncle Brian told me where you were a few weeks ago. When I read all you {MOST ENTERTAINIG & TERRIFYING)have written and wonder, why the hell didn't somebody tell me in December? Maybe they thought I couldn't take the stress. They are so right. When I read your previous account, I finished and I was no breathing. No air was moving!!
I got a card from your Dad a couple of weeks ago. I put it with some important suff that I have noot seen since.
Yesterday (Father's Day) we buried my father-in -law's ashes. He died Feb 10th. He was 93 and completly with it until the end. We gave him some morphine and he went to be with Jesus. He served for 3 years in North Africa and Italy in WWII. I asked him,once what he and his buddies (all doctors from the U of M Mpls Campus) did with their time off in the middle of North Africa. He looked at me and said,"tried to stay alive." You ask a stupid question, you get a stuip answer! Yesteday at the service the Priest (yes,my husband's family is Catholic)my Mom would turn over in her grave if she really knows the bullshit that I put up with! But Peter and I are Baptist & my sister-in -law is a Jew. She said the same thing about her deceased Jewish father. SoI felt tlittle bit better. But the priest included "our troops in Iraq." Another sister that knows where you are leaned over and hugged me. Sure wish I could pass that on to you!
I forwarded your Blog to a friend of mine who writes for the St Paul Pioneer Press & and have a radio talk show. Very cynical guy who enjoys the refreshment of the truth.
I am praying to the God of my understanding that you will be home safe and sound very soon!!!!Peter's partner Col David Hammlar just came back and presented us with a flag flown over his unit of flight surgeons in Qutar in memory of Dr Jerome Hilger. Very nice guy. LBG Little brown guy,as a patient described him! I read your Mom's response to the attack blog. . . what you don't put that poor woman through!! Your dedication is amazing,it is hard to picture you in the military. You a such a baby. You have a long life ahead of you and you are a very smart young man (I know because I know your gene pool pretty well). I know that you will continue your formal education as your Mom especially should be a perfect role model. I wish I could saw that for myself, but I did put my husband though his surgical training. He fianally got his first job when he was 33 or 34! His VA application asked hime to list his previous jobs. He asked;" the summer jobs?" the human resourse officer said,"no, juist real jobs." When Peter said I've never had any." Her response was,"you are 34 years old and you have never had a real job????" His response was no, but I have had 27 years of schooling." She rolled her eyes. . . Ben,your creative writing skills are amazing-I am so impressed. I sure know where that sense of humor came from! You will be ok when you get back,but if you need help reassemilating ,I have friends and family that survived Viet Nam that might be of help. Please email me when you are coming or come home linda@mcg.net. I want to be there to pass this hug along. I love you man, and I know another thing your Mother taught you; how to survive in the worst of situations! Your life is treasured more that you will ever know! Love, Auntie Susie, Uncle Peter and cousins Stacy and Lindsay
Oh my my, my typing is horrible! I didn't do so well in high school typing class (female only) either! I guess I should be practicing,practicing,practicing. . I will follow your entries to keep up to date on your return time. You can't be expected to email EVERYONE! Sorry about all the typos,I am obviously very spoiled by spell check.
Love from Uncle Brian too,he is not on line so I printed your blog and mailed it to him :-)
XXXXX Did you know I am also a Grandma. My grandaughter is going to be 5 in October. I would love you to meet her. However, recalling back when I was your age and I thought 46 was REALLY PRETTY DARN OLD, and I passed that up about 6 years ago!
Sweet Ben,
Uncle Brian told me where you were a few weeks ago. When I read all you {MOST ENTERTAINIG & TERRIFYING)have written and wonder, why the hell didn't somebody tell me in December? Maybe they thought I couldn't take the stress. They are so right. When I read your previous account, I finished and I was not breathing. No air was moving!!
I got a card from your Dad a couple of weeks ago. He is living in Detroit. I put it with some important suff that I have not seen since. I feel terrible that I have not had a chance to write him back.
Yesterday (Father's Day) we buried my Father-in -law's ashes. He died Feb 10th. He was 93 and completly with it until the end. He was really miserable and the hospice nurse (me) gave him some morphine and he went to spend his etermal life with Jesus.
He served for 3 years in North Africa and Italy in WWII. I asked him once what he and his buddies (all doctors from the U of M Mpls Campus) did with their time off in the middle of North Africa. He looked at me and said, "tried to stay alive." You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer! Yesterday at the service the Priest (yes,my husband's family is Catholic),my Mom would turn over in her grave if she really knows the bullshit that I put up with! But Peter and I are Baptist & my sister-in -law is a Jew. She said the same thing about her deceased Jewish father. So I felt a little bit better. The Priest included "Our Troops in Iraq." Another sister that knows where you are leaned over and hugged me. Sure anxious to pass that on to you!
I forwarded your Blog to a friend of mine who writes for the St Paul Pioneer Press & and very cynical guy who enjoys the refreshment of the truth.
I am praying to the God of my understanding that you will be home safe and sound very soon!!!!Peter's partner Col David Hammlar just came back from Itaq and presented us with a flag flown over his unit of flight surgeons in Qutar in memory of Dr Jerome Hilger. Very nice guy. LBG Little brown guy,as a patient described him! I am now wondering if you worked with him?
I read your Mom's response to your discription of the attack blog. . . what you don't put that poor woman through!! Your dedication is amazing, it is hard to picture you in the military. You a such a baby. You have a long life ahead of you and you are a very smart young man (I know because I know your gene pool pretty well). I know that you will continue your formal education as your Mom especially should be a perfect role model. I wish I could say that for myself, but I did put my husband though his surgical training. He fianally got his first job when he was 33 or 34! His VA application asked hime to list his previous jobs. He asked;" the summer jobs?" the Human Resourse Officer said,"no, just real jobs." When Peter said I've never had any." Her response was,"you are 34 years old and you have never had a real job????" His response was no, but I have had 27 years of schooling." She rolled her eyes. . . Ben,your creative writing skills are amazing-I am so impressed. I sure know where that sense of humor came from! You will be ok when you get back,but if you need help reassimilating ,I have friends and family that survived Viet Nam that might be of help. Please email me when you are coming or come home linda@mcg.net. I want to be there to pass this hug along. I love you man, and I know another thing your Mother taught you; how to survive in the worst of situations! Your life is treasured more that you will ever know! Love, Auntie Susie, Uncle Peter and cousins Stacy and Lindsay
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