Afghanistan Day 38: Camp Eggers (29 June)

Eggers Typical Day (without convoy):  

0430 Wake up, check email
0500 Shower, Dress in uniform (slush time in case shower u have to walk to is in use by others when u arrive)
0530 check email, prepare materials for the day (battle armor, teaching stuff, research, laundry)
0600 eat something or try to blog or floss your teeth
0630 leave for work ( this requires two- four local national security to walk me down the street)
0700 work in hot, smelly, dusty conditions without break or bathroom until 1200

1200 stand in line (mostly in the sun) for 25 minutes of the 30 minute unpaid unlunch (no bags allowed in chow hall, so gotta figure out where to leave gear prior to lunch) while poo trucks remove black water next to chow hall.  Conclude lunch by discovering something u consider edible and then battle flies for your right to consume it before they do.  They out number u, are faster, and more experienced.  Might just wanna use ur time to pee, if u can find a place that isn't occupied already or being emptied by poo trucks.  Plan accordingly- most stalls will not physically fit u inside- no body armor, and knees against the door!  Be careful to not gain an ounce of weight because you won't be able to climb inside the stall, period.  Beware that the toilet seat is not attached and will fall off if u bump it and probably land on the backside of your legs. Your weapon, which CJ7 mandates you must have with u at all times, will likely clock you in the face when you lean over to undo your uniform buttons.   Hassle.  My vote- go turn in laundry!

12030 walk back to work in dusty, hot, still smelly conditions and work without a break or bathroom until next meal time. 

1700 (5 pm)  you again stand in line for your unpaid meal time.  if you go over your 30 minutes, you must make up the time after wards.  Prepare for battle against flies.  Nobody tells u about the crafty speed devils, but they are ready and waiting.  Choke down sumthin and report back to work.  If you showered ever in your life, you can't tell.  you are slick with sweat. 

2000 (8 pm) you are done with work, maybe.  All the shops on base are closed, so hopefully you didn't need to go to the finance office, BX, post office, local national shops on base, barber, laundry service, or anywhere else for that matter.  Internet traffic is in critical demand and traffic swells from 6 pm to 6 am, so forget uploading photos or having skype for more than a few seconds at a time.

2030 arrive at billeting.  open door.  step inside.  something crunches in the dark.  turn on light.  discover a bajillion ants all over your floor.  they are eating your flip flops that you must wear to and from and during showering.  what kind of ants eat rubber?!  commence ant killing and ant prevention strategies until
2050. 

2050 chew off your own arm.  offer it to ants.  blog about it.  or exercise.  or pee.  or sleep.

Repeat!  You have no days off.  No breaks. only 2 unpaid 30 minute meals during 12 hour shifts. You work all holidays.  Weekends do not exsist.  You smell bad.  You are congested.  You have a headache.  Everyone works shoulder to shoulder- literally- in a small, cramped, sagging, improvised office.  Dial-up internet works sometimes.  Cellphones work basically never for local purposes, networks are busy or messages just fail to send.  By the way, you live with your boss.  Not only do you get to be together for the entire work day and meals, but you also get to spend the majority of your "off" time together. 

Highlights of your day:  germx, kleenx, brushing your teeth (with bottled water of course since the water is non-potable), and sleeping while war happens around you and earthquakes support the general efforts of life to prevent you from resting properly. 

Today I spent the entire day in the toasty "clam shell" for Combat Life Saver training.  This certifies me to give IV's and volunteer in the clinic.  I did very well with the giving of the IV part and horrible with the receiving an IV part.   I am needing one final type of ID before I will be fully operational as an escort, convoy commander, mission commander, and CLS.  Soon to be fully equipped.   Tomorrow is more book writing.