i miss...

pesto!

I hate pesto on my pasta but i miss it in my eggs, on my bread, on my pizza.  2 months and one week until pesto :)

navy guy

The Navy guy I wrote about a few posts ago who had the stereotypes for California has been telling people on the FOB that I'm really a liberal undercover reporter from CNN.  Apparently his unit believes him so they're not big fans of mine.  I'm waiting for this rumor to get around the whole FOB.  I'm preparing myself to be called into the Sergeant Major's office to explain myself.  I swear I try to stay out of trouble!

Another DFAC story:

The army labels our food by color.  Red is foods you should limit, yellow food is ok, but they want you to load up on green foods.  There are posters around the DFAC explaining the colors and what they mean and each label for the actual food has a color.  I'm sure this would be helpful if the people who put the labels on my food knew what the colors meant.  Last week my onion rings were labeled as a green food.  I thought I was going color blind so I starred at it for longer then was normal.  I'm sure the people in line behind me just wanted me to move but seriously?!  

DFAC

I feel like there is something messed up about putting "Cheeseburger in Paradise" on the menu at the DFAC.  

half way point

I am half way done with my time in Afghanistan.  I'm starting to think of the things that i'm excited for back home.  Number one on the list is this guy:

I'm also excited about having a bed where you don't feel every spring, sushi, not being called ma'am all the time (I know that's weird), female friends, being able to eat while wearing flip flops (shoes in the DFAC have to be closed toe and with backs), not having to walk outside for the bathroom, 

i'm employed

I'm employed again! i'm employed again!!  It kind of lost its appeal after the first hour but at least I'm back to earning a paycheck.  

bite suit and unemployment

Thanks for the reminders about the ice cream this week!!  I got in there and had a bowl.  It was one of the highlights of the week.  Right now I am technically unemployed.  Our contract has to be approved my Congress before we can start working again soooo I'm just hanging out in Afghanistan with nothing to do.  I loved that when I told people I was unemployed they immediately thought I'd broken a rule and told me not to leave the wire.  I love what my friends think of me :)

Since I had hours to fill I went down to the k-9 compound and put on a bite suit and let the MP dogs attack me.  As multiple people pointed out this probably wasn't the smartest idea for someone who is afraid of dogs.  The dog pulled me down at one point and got really close to biting my face soooooo my fear of dogs is still intact!  

things I miss

ice cream cones and thrift stores.  I always forget that Fridays are ice cream day at the DFAC and I miss it.  I'm determined to make it this week!  If anyone reads this blog could you send me a reminder thursday night! thanks!!

high maintenance

I just had my coworker cut my hair in my office using a febreeze bottle filled up with water and office scissors.  It came out much better then I expected!!  After this nobody can call me high maintenance!

?

Can I blow this up to poster size and hang this on the door of my office??  Ya its one of those kind of days.  Sorry I don't care when you're classes start, when you sent things in, or when you're leaving the FOB.  On top of that I work on a base where men out number women 10 to 1, I'm probably not going to find you as charming as you think you are.  Saying, "what if I smile for you"  will just irritate me and make it less likely that I will go out of my way to help you!

a good day

reasons why today is awesome:

1. the guys who do our laundry are back!  they've been gone for over a week.  We've had to do our own laundry lately.  My coworker won't stop making fun of the fact that I didn't know which were washing machines and which were dryers.  In my defense I knew what most of them were there were just a few that threw me off.

2. The coffee shop got in a shipment.  They'd been out of everything except ice tea and drip coffee.  They didn't even have sugar.  Today they have it all in.  I can order a smoothie or a white chocolate mocha.  AHHH overwhelmed with options!

3. I was in line at lunch and I was talking to some Navy guys behind me.  One asked where I was from and when I told him California he said he could tell by my Toms, my headscarf, and my jewelry.  He then asked if I listened to Indy Rock, liked coffee shops, and was I really an undercover reporter for CNN.  I love the stereotypes my state has!! When I asked where he was from his friend responded with, "he's from someplace where they sleep with their cousins"  I guessed Kentucky but it was Northwestern Florida.  Either way  I am way happier with the stereotype of Indy Rock and coffee shops then I would be with the stereotype of sleeping with our cousins.

4.  I started the day blasting a little backstreet boys and having a mini dance party in my office.  One of my coworkers was less then thrilled when he walked in but it made me happy!

5. We went to a DFAC on the other side last night for dinner and I grabbed kiwi to eat later.  So I have two kiwis sitting on my desk waiting to be eaten! they're almost too pretty to eat.  oh I love me some kiwi!

6. I got a package in the mail today!  It doesn't matter what the package is I get excited to see a box with my name on it!

Okay that's about all for today but it is only noon here so hopefully this good luck keeps up!

Room Tour

So I finally got around to taking some pictures.  Here is my little 8 foot by 8 foot room.  It's cozy.  I like it.  If you've ever sent me a card or a picture its on my wall.  Along with a Michelle Obama poster and an Obama postcard.  I tried to make it my little liberal haven in my conservative world.  I also have toy story sheets.  Most people make fun of them but my nephew thought it was cool!  I have my own space but the walls do not go all the way up to the ceiling so you can hear everything.

The painting on the wall is at the end of the hallway.  I'm not sure who did it or why its there but I thought I'd show it to you guys.  

another food post

I actually planned a whole post that wasn't about food but then yesterday and today happened.  Afghan food has been one of my favorite foods for as long as I can remember.  I was so excited to come here and get amazing Afghan food.  The DFAC does have Afghan food sometimes but it is pitiful.  Yesterday a friend of mine shows up in my office with a paper towel. I asked him what was inside and he said because you're always sad you don't get real Afghan food.  Inside was beef kabob wrapped in Afghan bread.  AMAZING.  Tasty doesn't even begin to describe it!  I'm still on a food high from yesterday.  The deliciousness doesn't stop there though.  My roommate has been on R & R for the past month and she got back this morning.  She spent her R & R in Macedonia and Turkey.  She has homes in both countries.  When she got to work today she pulled out a box of Baklava for us.  The delicious food just kept coming.  I'm a very happy Kerry today and Nate and Teuta are two of my favorite people!

chipotle

I have a chipotle App on my phone.  No judgement please!  I have been bringing my phone to the gym with me when my ipod is dead and its happened three times that my hand has hit the app.  When I look down at my phone there's a delicious looking burrito covering the entire screen of my phone.  Its a sick joke the universe is playing with me.

Also related to mexican food our DFAC had guacamole the other night and it was delicious.  It scares me that I find the DFAC guac delicious.  I'm scared for my reaction when i have real Mexican food when i go home.  My coworker told me I should probably get the mexican food to go since my reaction will probably make others very uncomfortable.

another post about oreos...

So I promise to get more consistent about blog updates! Its hard to write updates when the only thing that changes around here is what's served at the DFAC.  I was telling someone the other day that I had no idea Afghanistan would be so boring.  He pointed out that given the alternative, he'll take boring.  I have to agree boring is good.  Our px recently got a shipment in and it included oreos.  I like living someplace where the availability of oreos brings me so much happiness.  I take oreos for granted at home but getting them into the px made my whole day.

cravings

All I want today is some oreos and a lemonade.  I went to the PX but as usual they were out of everything.  I'm debating whether its worth it to order oreos since i'm sure by the time they get here my craving will have passed.  On a side note I spent the morning wearing flip flops and a skirt and it definitely put a smile on my face.   It may sound vain but I miss my closet at home.  

food hoarding

When I get back to the states someone needs to keep an eye on my food hoarding habits.  I have a drawer full of ranch dressing, honey mustard dressing, peanut butter, soda crackers, anything packaged that the DFAC has I have started to hoard.  I've been told that in the winter it gets so cold that trucks can't get in and the DFAC becomes pretty pathetic so people here tend to stalk up for that.  I feel like i'm living in the pioneer times stalking up for those cold winter months.  Its a necessity at the moment but I want to make sure I never qualify to be on the hoarders show so just keep an eye out when i'm back in the states.  I appreciate it! 

surprising

So my parents have been sending me care packages mainly full of snack foods and various things from home.  If you know my dad you know that he likes to add random things to the packages.  The first one contained sticky banana slugs, the second one contained books about juggling and magic, and this last one had a few random frogs thrown into the mix.  I'm a little surprised there haven't been any bird books.  Being a zoology major all the cars contain bird books so if you're randomly driving along and you see a bird you can pull over and quickly identify it.  I'm surprised I do not have a birds of Afghanistan book in my possession right now.

Vegas Homesickness

I was just waiting in line at Green Beans Coffee.  (I didn't actually want anything but I needed a bunch of straws for a craft project I'm doing)  The guy in front of me made a comment that its not hot here compared to where he is from.  When I asked where he was from he said Vegas.  I got really excited and we got to talking about all the amazing food places in Vegas.  Now I can't stop thinking about Capriotti's, Osakas, and slot machines!!!! AND he agreed with me that the landscape here reminds us of Las Vegas.  

latest craving

I'm getting yelled at about not updating my blog enough but there's not a lot going on here.  The only thing that changes seems to be the food.  Today, I am craving Zucchini.  Last week, I would've done terrible things to have a fresh avocado.  This week is Zucchini.  I don't even like Zucchini but it is all I can think about this morning.

I really need to take pictures of this place so I can stop posting about food!!

future menu

So i'm already planning my meals for when I get home:

Day 1
breakfast: dad's chilaquiles and bloody mary's
lunch: in-n-out burger
Dinner: Burrito and a margarita

Day 2
breakfast: Katy's Korner and mimosa's
Lunch: Uncle Yu's
Dinner: Sushi

Day 3
breakfast: jamba juice
Lunch: jerry's beef burgers
Dinner: corned beef and cabbage

Day 4
breakfast: french toast and mimosas
Lunch: Bake sale betty's
Dinner: dad's Flank Steak

only 5 more months till i get to eat all this deliciousness!