Getting back to Iraq

Saying my goodbyes wasn't quite as hard as I expected it to be, mostly. Hugging and kissing the boys before they left for school was hell. I still cry just thinking about them. I'm gonna miss them so terribly much. I went to breakfast with my son and his wife, then we dropped her off so she could get some sleep, I went in to use the bathroom, and then hugged her goodbye, but made it fast so I wouldn't have time to let it sink in too much. Then at the airport I had my son drop me off at the departure doors and I hurried to get my stuff together and hug him and run before I broke down. Actually, I didn't quite make it. I was in tears as I went to the flight desk. OK, so it was harder than I expected it to be. I left half of my heart behind when I walked through those automatic doors into the airport.

The flight to Kuwait was agonizingly long. First I had to go through security and with two brand new titanium knees. I set off all the alarms. So I had to be "wanded" then patted down. Then they opened and went through everything in my backpack, they checked my shoes and laptop for explosives residue, they checked my pockets and put my cane through the x-ray machine. After they determined I was not a threat, they let me put my shoes and coat back on and I put my back pack back together and took my cane and moved on down to my gate.

I had asked for a wheelchair between flights because I had been under the impression that the airports were very big and the arrival gates were quite a distance from the departure gates. In Chicago, they called for a wheelchair at the last minute, and when I got off of the ramp, I found out the departure gate was just two gates away from where we arrived, so I figured I would walk to it. It would have been ridiculous to have to get a ride that far. As I was walking I saw someone bringing a wheelchair, I asked him if he was for Gate C2 for me, he said that he was, I told him I was sorry, but just found out that I was only walking a few steps and thanked him, he very gruffly said "I was on my way!" I replied, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was so close to the other gate." He huffed and then turned around and walked back the way he came. I didn't really think much of it, maybe he was having a bad day. Then we arrived in Washington and someone was waiting on the ramp for me with a wheelchair and told me it was a long way to the next gate. It was. She informed me that the airport used to have the moving sidewalks but they got rid of them, and there were ramps everywhere, she was huffing by the time we got to the gate. I got out of the chair and thanked her profusely telling her I would never have made the walk. She kind of hung around for a minute. I figured she was making sure I was OK. OOPS!! She started to turn away and very disgustedly said "I thought I would get a tip!" Oh!! Great!! I never thought of a tip. So THAT is why the other guy was so upset! I HATE when people act that way. I admit I never thought about tipping her because I assumed it was a service provided by the airlines, she hadn't been the most pleasant person to begin with, and even if I had a clue it was the kind of service you tipped I probably wouldn't have wanted to give her much at all. But I was guilt tripped into opening my purse, which I knew was not going to produce much of anything. I found a single dollar and about another dollar and forty cents change. I told her it was all I had. Again the huff, and retrieval. Glad I won't be needing services like that anymore. I still want to get in touch with the airlines and ask about the policy on tipping for wheelchairs. Do I sound spiteful?? I never knew that it was appropriate to leave a tip for the housekeepers at hotels until my daughter was a housekeeper for a while and told me that some people were nice and left good tips, she was never too upset about the ones who didn't because she realized most people never gave it a thought. Since then I have left tips for the housekeepers.

Well, anyway… I made my flight from Washington to Kuwait. It was a long flight and in Kuwait I had to get in line and wait for my VISA, then I had to go through customs and they made me open my suitcase because there was a glass bottle inside. It was one of my supplement bottles, I never thought about it being glass, everything is plastic these days. I thought. As I opened my suitcase I found that one of my other bottles must have broken because there were little pink "footballs" all over my clothes. I couldn't locate the offending bottle immediately, but it didn't seem to be a problem any longer, they told me "OK. You go now."

One of the guys I knew from my company was waiting for me and we made our way out to the car and got through traffic and to the Villa in decent time. He told me we just made it, in another half hour the festivities would be starting for their Independence Day celebration, oh yeah! I remember that from before! I was so excited to be sharing the experience with them since we helped them attain it. As things get wound up the traffic gets almost impassable due to some street closings and everyone coming out to participate.

I was shown to my room and had it all to myself for the night. I found the bottle that all the little pink "footballs" had come out of, it was a cap that snapped open accidentally, nothing was broken, however my mouthwash leaked, and even though I had put it into a plastic bag it got my pant legs wet on a pair of my new jeans. Good thing we have a washer and dryer here.

After settling in and sending some emails, I went to sleep. I slept like I was drugged. For two whole hours. Ever hear of blind chickens? That's what we have next door. Or maybe roosters. Whatever they are they crow at all hours of the night and day. JOY. Then when I got to sleep, I woke up about three times dreaming that I was wiping my grandson's dripping, snotty nose. Then I dreamed that the villa I'm in was a gigantic mansion that somehow I got lost in. Problem being, I was naked. I was so very lost. The mansion was so very big and winding and I couldn't find my way back to my room for love or money. No one seemed to notice me. I was in a total panic. I woke up sweating. But very happy that I knew where I was. Then when I realized I was happy to know where I was, I also realized that happened to be Kuwait, and that happened to hit me pretty hard. Here I go again. As I said in the title: Round Two!

So next morning about 10 people showed up for HR in-processing. That lasted for almost the entire day. Later I found out that I could try to sign up for an Embassy flight out, that would be Tuesday. I should be ready to go by Tuesday.

Maybe not.

Whatever the holdup is on my paperwork, I won't be leaving Tuesday. But that's OK. So far, as of tomorrow I will have been here in Kuwait a full week. I'm so excited!! I'll be able to watch the elections.

My next flight would be Thursday. That really bites! Over an entire week in Kuwait on Kuwait pay. After finding out that the last check I got from workers compensation was in error and they took it back out of my checking account, I realized that my whole entire sign on bonus will be used to pay back owed monies. I am completely broke, I have a $20 bill in my purse that no one can give me change for, no one can lend me money and I'm not eating because I can't go out anywhere without maybe getting lost, and everyone has things to do so they don't want to help me. I take that back, one of the guys staying here offered to lend me some money. I told him I'd appreciate it and if they could let me know when they are going out for food, I'll let them know what I want, then get their address so I can send the money back to them… umm… ok… it sounded good, it just didn't happen. I'm scrounging and finding cereal, milk, fruit juice, one of the guys left a rice dish, and the lady next door cooks and accepts American money, but she's been on vacation in Egypt. Well, I'm certainly not starving. I've got a "winter coat" that will last me a few more weeks before I start getting too weak to move.

After I get to Victory I'm going to go to the gym and work out, and then when I go home after a year or two, I'm going for that laser body surgery. No cutting, no needles, just laser that melts away the cellulite and contours the body, even replaces the elasticity in the skin! I can't wait! By then all my extraneous bills will be paid off, all my extraneous fat will be burned off, we will be in good shape financially, I'll be in fairly good shape physically… and no one can tell me to stop helping my kids, they're MY kids, and we are a team. Anyone who thinks they have a right to say otherwise… you know where you can shove it