Outside temperature at 10:30AM.
(That's 1030 for you military types.)
Now, 106 degrees isn't so bad if you're standing on the Las Vegas Strip waiting for the next pirate battle or volcanic eruption.
Or, if the A/C in your building is working. Ours is not. It's been out since last week. It really wasn't too bad, until today. We thought about making prank phone calls to Iraqis to tell them that we couldn't come to work because the a/c in our building was down, and that it was too hot to walk up 6 flights of stairs, but we were afraid someone in the US media might find that insensitive, and I don't want to be the next Lindy England. It goes without saying that the Air Force personnel in our office suggested that, if we must work at all, we sit in our Suburban with the a/c on all day and conduct business from there. But, then someone would say that wasn't environmentally friendly.
So what can you do?
Drink water. Lot's of it. Have a look at today's consumption alone.
It's a good thing my mission this morning was scrubbed, because I would never have made it out and back without a bathroom stop...and it's not as if you can pull off the freeway when you finally see a gas station that "looks clean".
How will I cope with the Iraqi heat for the rest of summer?
Two words: GREEN BEAN.
I really am beginning to believe that all roads during my tour will at some point lead back to the Green Bean. Not only does the Green Bean purvey fine coffee products (an update on that in a moment), BUT...what could soothe the warrior spirit more than a frosty fruit smoothie. Seriously, if the Spartans had Green Bean fruit smoothies in their fight against the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae, they might have prevailed. It was the Hot Gates, after all.
(See how I tie this all together, bringing the ancient forward to reference the modern Iranian interference in Iraq? More on that at a later date, but my Grandmother always insists that an educational purpose should balance the purely frivolous...so here is yours: Fruit smoothies could have changed the face of the ancient world. I stand by my claim. )
Seriously...have a look. How could you NOT resist?
And finally, I have been challenged. (I know some of you are thinking, "you're challenging? No kidding". That's OK...I know who you are. Kathleen.)
After my usual triple house coffee this morning, I realized that hot coffee (and I mean Rob-sized portions of hot coffee -- some people call them kegs, I call them hearty doses) and Bag-city heat don't mix. And really, aren't there enough jittery people around this town already? So, an Army captain and I made a pact...I will give up coffee, and he will give up dipping Copenhagen. DEAL!
Frankly, there is very little that a soldier could challenge me to do, that I wouldn't do just to prove the point that a sailor can be every bit as HOOAH as a soldier. Don't ask me what that means, because I have no idea. The Army has no idea, but they all insist on being HOOAH, even to the point on eating....HOOAH bars.
Again, how could I make this stuff up?
So as of this morning, I am once again clean. Caffeine free.
Happily, I have discovered the joys of Green Bean fruit smoothies. It's the best $5 investment I can imagine.
