The Good, The Bad, and The Pineapple Dinosaurs

So...Let's see here. Since I left off, it's rained more. It's gotten colder, which is nice...a bit more like Christmas. We don't go out much at night so I haven't had a chance to see if Mosul does it up big in the Christmas lights department...but I keep trying to get interest in going on a Christmas light tour. Sadly, I can't generate much of that. They keep saying the same thing...something about Muslim country this, Muslim country that. I don't understand it. Whatever.

Yesterday was officially 3 months out of country. Really, it seems like last week we flew into Kuwait, so hopefully the time continues to fly and I make it back to Texas sooner than later. I'm in the middle of putting together a "quarter-in-review" of sorts for the folks back home -- a pictorial, if you will -- so when I finish that, I'll try to post it here. In looking back over the course of the last 90 days, I've seen some good stuff, bad stuff, and just plain ridiculous stuff.

Good Stuff: I got promoted. I'm bigger, faster and stronger. I love my job more than ever.
Bad Stuff: People keep blowing stuff up around me. I'm starting to think they just don't like me.
Ridiculous Stuff: A giant pineapple dinosaur at our Thanksgiving meal. Apparently they left out the part of the Pilgrims defeating the pineapple T-rex with the help of the Native Americans in history class. Also, the Texas Rangers were in the World Series. Ridiculous.

I must say that I have enjoyed the last 3 months. It's been good for me in many ways, and hopefully, the next 3 quarters of this journey will be just as good if not better. We continue to see progress up here in the north, and it's exciting to be here during such a pivotal time in this nation's history. Here's to hoping all of this continues.