Iraq - Day 5 Don't Miss this Post

Wow, is it day 5 already.  I guess this trip is going by quick enough.  Actually, I feel like I have finally arrived now that I have a logon to one of the two systems and I have my stuff.  Today is also the first non-dust storm day I've seen. 

It was great fun last night putting my stuff away, making my bed with MY sheets, putting on some decent sandals, taking MY medications, etc, etc, etc.  Just brushing my hair for the first time in almost a week was a pleasure.

That struggle made me think about the things that I have at home that I don't have here and what I miss.  I'm still just getting started here, but I've drawn some interesting conclusions.

I don't miss TV.  I would like to have seen Tiger win the US Open, but I don't feel like I missed a lot.  I can still get my news from the internet like Drudge, MSNBC and the Observer web sites.  I don't miss driving.  Driving around town can be a major pain even without the high gas prices.  I like to walk to work in the morning and I haven't had to walk back after work as yet.  I do miss my shower every morning.  The showers here would suck if they all worked as there are supposed to, but they don't.  Some leak out the sides. Some don't stay pointed in the right direction.  Some stalls don't have shelves for soap and shampoo.  I like having time to read in the evenings.  I could make time when I'm home, but I'm too easily distracted.  Maybe I can keep doing that when I return.  I don't miss the rain, but I'm not fond of all the dust that is on everything here, so I guess you could say that I miss clean things.  Of course, I miss my wife like you wouldn't believe.

It is now about 3pm Baghdad time.  Over the past 3 days at this time of day, I've been fighting a major need to sleep.  The urge would get so bad that I would nearly fall asleep while on my feet.  You know that feeling when you jerk back awake from the edge of sleep.  That's where my afternoons have been.  But not today.  Yes, I've adjusted to the time difference and I do have my own stuff which lowers stress, but I don't think those things are making the difference.  I think the Welbutran that I take makes the difference.  I started taking it at my doctor's suggestion and, man, does it rock.  I don't tilt at poker (much anyway) and I'm much more alert and generally feel better.  Is that because I'm clinically depressed?  I don't care.  It looks like I'll be taking this stuff as long as I want to be a productive member of society (another 2 weeks or so).