Night time

Night time, quiet time in the sandbox...are you kidding me? I went for a little "me time" to the latrines at about 11 pm and you'd think there was a party going on. A simple 5 minute trip took a half an hour by the time my buddy's got finished chatting it up with me. I don't talk much -Yuk, yuk!...and it's pitch black out there. My night vision has returned, but just in case for the real blackout nights I'm still carrying around my gifted flashlight from my buddy Nette.

Light is a big deal here. I've requested an outdoor light so that my patient's can stop stumbling up to our doorstep at all hours of the night. It just kills me when they come for..say... woke up vomiting...and by the way, I hurt my ankle trying to find your door. I just give them a bucket, put them on the stretcher and tell them to hike up their leg and expose it. Visual here...you have got to picture the dumbfounded look on their face! We only work for 12 hours a day...Ha!Ha!...(I crack myself up sometimes!) My bunkroom is in the clinic, so my patient's have the added benefit of 24 hour access to me.

Darkness, the neighbor next door had a very late night and went beddie-bye without even thinking about his poor little medic buddy next door. He did not leave a light on tonight. So not only can't my patients find the door (if they so desire), it also sucked big time for me, because it illuminated the port-a-potty nearby for the mignight nature call. So, will have to tramp down to the real latrines when nature calls... decisions.

Nature and night time, quiet time. Time for scorpions and spiders and all other creepy crawlers to come out and hunt for my leg. That's what it feels like. Today I took the scenic walk around the place and we climbed a hill where there were tons of little camel spiders. They're ok when they're the size of a couple of ants, it's when they get bigger like the size of my hand. They walk on hind legs with their little pinchers arms posed for you and they are fast! We stomped around trying to smash them and they were mostly able to avoid certain death.

Day or night, something is always happening around here. It makes for an interesting adventure and I know I will eventually leave the sandbox and return home...or maybe to a new adventure! Stay tuned...

Rain days

Geezzzz, when it rains, it pours. I was thinking of hitting the hay early tonight and checking out the new movie I just bought, "Act of Valor"...stupid thought. I should just run around knocking my head on wood...here comes the rain. The refrigerator broke with thousands of buck-a-roos of drugs. Thankfully, we caught it before the temperature dropped reducing all to rubble. I was able to find enough refrigeration elsewhere so that the stuff wouldn't go bad. So, while we're fumbling around stashing the drugs in coolers and getting rid of the drugs- temporarily that is... and trying to submit very important! must do! right now! this second! for the head office paperwork..and then the repair guys walk in causing more commotion... and a very official inspector type person (banging on the door) demands something for a headache- who also refuses to be seen, (sorry- ever heard of the PX?)... in walks a young guy that doesn't feel well. Poor fellow, (so sorry, I don't feel well either). Quick exam by my partner and when I heard the ominous words, " can you check this out?" I knew no bedtime for us tonight! Sure enough! Who ever heard of a 20 something having a cardiac event bad enough to get him flown out in an all exciting Medavac. We have! Seriously, I don't want to go that way, but it looks so exciting on MASH, (my all time favorite show). We have it all in Afghanistan. So if you're looking for excitement and don't mind waking up to stare death square in the face- come on over! It beats EMS anyday, (except for Detroit where you get shot at daily for pennies).

Speaking of death, it's mouse season here in the sandbox. Springtime and sandstorm time where all critters human or what not, who like to mozy on out and stretch their legs and enjoy the day. I am fortunate enough to have the best in vector control just down the pathway from my hut. They are doing such a great job that those pesky rodents are hiding under my hut and dying. Please someone tell me why they only die after dark and when I'm comfy in my bed? It's a digusting smell and one that I'm sure will forever stay lounged in my sensory brain complete with the alltime awlful smell of the Poo Pond. I'll have to wait for the real rain to wash it all away. Hey! I think we got jipped... (correct slang spelling for cheated as I am attempting to be PC. Did you know that G-Y-P-P-E-D is a racial slur against gypsies? Never can be too sure when the Profiling Police will be around. And as I run on... I'd like to take a pass on the rain too!) Literally, everything washes away here and floods and it's a mess. I'm glad I've missed the worse of it. So goes it- stay away rain! I'll just end here as it is a bright, cloudless, sunny day and it's time to enjoy it!