Live Simple.

To be deployed is to learn to live 'simple'.  Real Simple, like the magazine that I had subscribed to for a year, except this kind of living is only the simple kind and can't be complicated any more by infomercials, telemarketers, and other influential outliers.  No distractions disguised as flashing lights and expensive things.

While the personal letters have been coming in slowly, I have been so honored as to receive a couple of forwarded loan payment letters and bills for the house I'm not currently sleeping in.  To get bills and payment letters for a lifestyle you aren't even living is like getting a free book in a foreign language... you just don't care.  If the electricity in my room goes out without notice, you know the power outage is only because they need to run maintenance in order to keep it going for the few residents we are living south of the runways.  I walk to work rather than driving 10-15 minutes like I did on the Rock (Whidbey Island).  I pass the gym, chapel, mini mart, and the laundry drop-off/pick-up facility on the way to headquarters.  Yes, you're right, I said it's a drop-off/pick-up facility.  So to emphasize how simple life has been made to focus our undying attention on the war itself, our laundry is done for us.  Our food is made for us.  Sure, cooking and doing laundry may be a perishable skill, but we can't stop flying either--another perishable skill... I digress.

I have no television in my room, I catch glimpses of football scores and indie music videos on the screens of the DFAC (dining facility) while I enjoy a hot meal and dessert on the side.  I study during the day and read a little of my "smart" books in my room before turning in to an episode of How I Met Your Mother or my newly acquired DVD set of Entourage, Seasons 1-4.  The difference between here and home is the amount of things 'to do' on the list of lists.

To close off the blog, the OPSO and MO here just received in the mail 2 packages containing a blender, chickpeas, tahini, and various ingredients to make hummus.  How awesome is that? They plugged it in and just started mixing and blending away.  And with that... they had hummus.

Until next time.