rantings and photos and such--50 days

I will never claim to understand the workings of computers and networks and so on.  The human body is much easier to understand, I think, than a darn computer.  After writing in my last post that I had all but been banished from accessing blogs, you can imagine my surprise when I was reading Momastery (a mommy type blog) and realizing I could somehow again access my own.  Not sure why or why now, but whatever, I'll take it.

We are down to something just over one month until the day I will LEAVE here.  When will I be home?  Another question entirely, but I'm hoping that it will be before St Patty's day.   The 50 days above is  counting until the 18th of March.  An arbitrary goal, but a goal nonetheless.  I hope to be eating corned beef and cabbage at home with my little Leprechauns!

As the time ticks away, its getting harder and harder to sustain my motivation.  I'm pretty well over it.  I know that there is still more that I can do, but my focus is squarely on being home. Period. 

This deployment has been too long.  I try not to get bitter when I think of all my Air Force colleagues and their 6 month deployments, but its tough not to think I somehow drew the short straw.  I think that one day, I may look back and at least find some way that I am proud to have been here, proud to have helped this country make itty bitty baby steps toward a brighter future.  For now though, I'm pretty much ready to leave here and never look back. 

Because of my now non-existent issues with posting, it's been a while since I've posted photos.  Here are a bunch to try to catch up, no real theme-just pictures.

touring the Qalat nursery, which is run by women!

Aerial view of Qalat flying into the FOB

The burqa clad women at the nursery, along with their children

Medevac

Inside a greenhouse at the Nursery.

The view of what most of Southern Afghanistan looks like.  Not much green.

Our little mascot on one of our trucks

Another Aerial shot of Qalat and the river

BABIES!!!

Some young Afghan girls we visited at their home-school

Saying goodbye to our interpreter Roazia--such a brave young lady. 

Ok, a few posted, a few for whatever reason did not.  Now that I know I can get on here though, I'll try again later.