Life In "These United States"

Random Thought/Quote/Musing of the Day:

(have a good one? send me yours for tomorrow! :)

"this is a giant block of whatever is most difficult for you to carry & trust me on this, you'll carry it more times than you can count until you decide that's exactly what you want to do most & then it won't weigh a thing anymore"

Question: When was the last time KAAOT (the other OPLAT in the NAG) had an explosion?

Answer: The last time someone welded on a pipeline that had oil running through it.

Question: What are they doing beneath the platform about 25 feet below and 25 feet over from my CLU?
Answer: Welding on a pipeline that has oil running through it.

Forget the Iranians, today I am scared of the welding skills of the Southern Oil Company. I am anxiously awaiting the hum of the generator powering the welding tools to cease so I can sleep peacefully.

Here's how said chain of events unfolded:

I was coming back from work this AM to put away laundry before lunch (because I don't have to wash or fold it myself, thank you Uncle Sam for paying people in Kuwait to do my laundry for me and return it neatly in plastic bags).

I rounded the corner to my CLU, only to see a large gathering of SOC workers, and CDR Balzano (aka the "Godfather" of ABOT) running around directing them all. (He speaks almost no Arabic but somehow they all know how to listen to him. He is a reservist and in his civilan life he is the senior Republican staffer on the Senate Armed Forces Committe- awesome!) Well it turned out that there was a large hole in one of the pipes coming out of the ocean bottom that oil runs through. The only way to get to it was to remove the metal sheeting/floor and lower someone down there to do it. However, an RSL (ready service locker) which stows ammunition was strategically (and rather inconveniently!) located on top of the metal sheeting that had to be removed. The remainder of the morning was spend un-bolting, craning, moving, and re-bolting a large RSL full of live-ammo.

That tan-ish area (like that narrows it down, all of ABOT is tan and blah), in the bottom right part of the picture is where the RSL (the white thing) was.

Here is the RSL careening through the air.

By the time I came off watch, I could see the blazing light of the welding below the grates.

So, anyways. Continuing the "dog & pony show" of DV season here on ABOT. Yesterday, we were joined by the "Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs", Mr. Price B. Floyd.  It's funny because if you say it all in one breath, you first think, "The defense of public affairs? Is it under attack? Who are we defending public affairs from?"

But seriously, he has an AWESOME job description. I think I would like to be the DASD (PA) someday.  Obviously a lowly O-2 like myself  didn't get much face time with him, but he did tour the TOC while I was on watch so I got to shake his hand. He told the CDRE he wants to get a major media outlet to ABOT because it is a good chance to show the public that the military is actually making progress with the training/transition of the Iraqi military (I guess there is a lot of negative media about the progress they are making on land?) Anyways.

Today, we had a visit from RADM Carol M. Pottenger (yes, Carol, a GIRL!) who is the Commander of Naval Expeditionary Combat Command. She is the first woman to make Command and the first woman to make Flag (Admiral)- WOWZERS! Apparently she is also really into meeting and mentoring younger female officers but unfortunately she arrived late and I was on watch, so again, all I got was a handshake.

We have FOUR+ more Admirals more visiting over the next few weeks. ABOT is second only to Hollywood; the place to see and be seen!

Alright well, that is about all. I have gotten SO many sweet emails from family & friends the past few days- THANK YOU! As far as the age old question- what can I send you? The answer is I don't really need anything so please do not spend lots of money, however, if you have old magazines laying around (or maybe if you happen to swipe some from places that seem to have piles of already read magazines laying around- doctors/denists offices, gyms, nail salons, etc that look like they are going to get ride of them) we would greatly appreciate them. I love reading magazines on the elliptical, it is pretty much the only way I can motivate myself to work out. I am not picky at all- anything goes, even if it weeks/months old. The Little Beavers are also huge fans of: ground coffee, candy, and cards. But seriously, you don't have to send anything. But my husband is awesome for the 2 seasons of Gossip Girl (over 1,800 minutes!) on DVD he sent. Escaping ABOT into the world of high school Manhattan socialites? Yes please!

And just went you thought it couldn't get any worse than ABOT, you could be stationed on this Iraqi Patrol Boat:

Also, every day there is 2-4 hours of "Defender Training".

Defenders are those little Coast Guard speeding/patrol things you see in harbors; they do harbor security, etc. Well, we sold a bunch of them to the Iraqi's and we have a large Marine Expeditionary Security Force and a bunch of Coast Guard people out here training the Iraqis on how to use Defenders as pickets to defend the oil platforms. They look like a lot of fun zooming around and they currently have 3 that train daily here at ABOT.

Hopefully everyone has got caught up on the blog. I promise I will do my final round of trivia questions shortly. I swear I don't just lay around and blog all day but when I'm not working, it is my FAVORITE thing to do. Seriously. I am loving writing. I usually work from 0730-0930/1000 in the morning then I come back and clean up and blog.  Then I eat early lunch and stand watch from noon-6pm. After watch, I eat dinner, go back and finish up any emails I need to review, then work-out, respond to all of the wonderful emails I get, and skype. Alright, well, off to bed- miss you all!