The Hooch

Nate has moved into his "hooch" (permanent quarters). He has a mailing address now, so if you'd like it, please email me, and if your name doesn't rhyme with Pruce Jee (like this blogger), I'll send it to you.

He bought a 27" TV, fridge, and microwave from a departing soldier and got his room mostly organized. The closet could apparantly use more order, but now that he can watch DVDs there's not much chance of that happening. He is anxious for internet access to reach his housing area. The 1/2-hour allotments at MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) aren't quite enough for him to stay caught up on email and Facebook.

They are hoping to move into their office this week. They're also planning a prayer breakfast sometime the end of October. Nate expects around that same time he and the chaplain will begin visiting the FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) where other elements of their battalion are located. The chaplain from the 63rd Signal Bn (the unit they're replacing) never took a convoy anywhere, flying to the FOBs instead. Nate expects they will do the same.

He has visited the base theatre (a for-real movie theatre just like in the Grand ol' USA) a couple times, and likes to hang out at MWR or the USO (United Services Organization) with other soldiers in his unit.

More gnews, in his own words...

This last week I went to the gym every morning (M-F) that was mandated by SSG Walker, despite my plan to do so on my own anyway. Theres a "Cross-Fit" class Sunday-Friday which is *really* good. Its kinda a circuit training class, where each day there will be a different set of stations you rotate through, many using weights of some kind, others simply push-ups or sit-ups, and others more of a cardio station (jumping jacks, etc). This last week I did it MWF, and did weight training Tuesday and Thursday. This coming week SSG Walker is having us do running (treadmill) MF, cross-fit TTH, and weight training Wednesday. I wish he would give me a little more freedom in setting up my own workout program... Id continue to do Cross-Fit MWF in the morning, then run (treadmill) in the evenings MWF, and do weight training in the evenings on T & TH. I can't run outside here... the air is just too bad. The air quality is really, really bad, and even on pretty "clean" days I sometimes find myself breathing very shallowly by the end of the day. Some days my lungs will hurt if I breath normally, and Ive been wearing my balaclava almost every day... when most people only wear them during and a couple days following a sand storm.