27 SEP 05: Hawaii Beach Shot

This is what I looked like back in the end of July when I was on leave in hawaii with my wife. As you can see when you were long sleeves and pants and boots all the time the only thing tha ends up with a tan is your face an hands. So I spent a few days attempting to get some color on me so i will not look quite so translucent.
So if any one is looking for a new action hero let me know. My time in this war is coming to an end.

26 SEP 05: Fire

Well today was another fine example of how Saddam got robbed. There was an electical fire in the palace. So we did the whole fire drill thing. The ironic part is that the fire alarm system has a short in it and goes off like everyday around the same time. So those of us who work in the palace have all become desensitized to it. So they had to send people around to tell all non essential personnel to evacuate the palace.

No I did not evacutate. I guess I am considered essential personnel. Shucks.
So after some time and the smell of an electrical fire smoke wafting through the palace they finally called everyone back in.

Now for the really funny part. An hour later at about lunch I was heading for lunch I exited the palace and heard the fire alarm go off. That is so army. We routinely take something that works fine and fix it until it is broken. So I got a good laugh.

Well life her in Iraq still sucks but at least it is finally starting to get a little cooler. Which means it is not 90 degrees by 0700 hours. It is almost 80. The overall temp still gets to 100. But man does 100 feel great compared to 128.
So as Usualy I remain.

25 SEP 05: Final bell at end of the final round

Well I have finally decided to give up coaching the boxing class. I have done a lot of work standing up the program that has gone for 9 mos and been very successful but I have grown weary of some of the stuff that goes along with taking on other instructors.

Over the past couple of months it has been more work then it should be to go and instruct. Coaching is alot like soldiering and teaching. You have to love what you are doing and when you don't love it anymore it is time for me to hang it up.

I found I have grown weary of people talking and joking around in class especially when I am trying to instruct. I enjoy one on one coaching alot more. It is more beneficial for the student and the instructor. Cause the instructor get the benefit of not having to deal with distractions and a student who wants to learn.

Good luck to my replacement. I hope he balances it all as well as I did.

on other random news. Wladmir klitsko won by unanimous decision last night over Samuel Peter. Which goes to what I was saying all along that samuel peter has not fought any real opponents yet and that he would be in for a shock when he went up against someone who wanted to box.

Well if you are still in the fight just keep punching.

23 SEP 05: The little things make you happy

Okay so you know you are deployed when the stupid stuff makes you happy. Like a few days ago I finally got a bike. I am not sure how much longer I will be here in FOBBIT land and even if I did know I could not put it on this BLOG. But because I live way back at the back end of the biggest trailer park it is a solid 1.5 mi to and from the palace that I work in. My shortest walk is from the palace to the gym which is about 7 minute walk. Everything else is a minimum of 10 mins. So I have basicly been looking for a bike to ride since I got here in JAN. Well I finally bought one a really nice one actually it is a Diamond back response.
Now all I have to do is figure out a way to get it home.
Maybe I can stick it in the connex. Or maybe I can disassemble it and bring it back in a duffle bag.

21 SEP: STRANGE MEETING HIM IN IRAQ

So I ran into Billy Blanks. A real live action star. Martial arts guy. If you don't recognize him from the over a dozen films he has been in you may recognie him from Taebo. He created it and the buisness that goes along with it. He is truly successful. Not to bad for a fellow dyslexic. My theroy is the learning disability forces you to become someone who is willing to learn through failure because learning by the book is seldom an option. Faliure is a better teacher anyway. Finally I met someone over here that has done something I want to do. Action movies.

21 SEP 05: COACHING

This is me coaching SFC Doria. He won his fight by KO in the third round. As you might notice my hands are wrapped that is because I fought about 7 fights after SFC Doria. Although my outcome was not a good as SFC Jose Doria.

18 SEP 05: Results of the fights. (Sooner lose worldwide)

I hope to follow this up with pictures soon. Well the ring parts got her the night before the fight. so I spent the better part of 4 hours sweating in the heat assmebling a ring with the help of some guys from HHC 20th en co. So we put the ring up the night before the fights.

So you guys want results.
I trained 6 guys to fight:
SSG Marvin: won by unanimous decision
SFC Doria: won by TKO
SSG Evans: lost due to a dislocated shoulder but was ahead on all three score cards when the fight stopped in the first round.
SSG Crabtee:KO in the first round
SPC Crawford: won by decision
SPC Hall:KO in the 2nd round

Then there was me who was foolish enough to get in the ring with not having trained up. I paid the price. But I did not get KO or TKOd. I lost on points on all three score cards in a lopsided victory for the guy who had trained harder. Lesson well learned. Maybe I should listen to myself more.

15 SEP 05: WEIGH IN

okay so I am holding fast at 191 at the scale at the gym. But alot of people think it is a little heavy.

14 SEP 05: Holding my breath

So as many of you know I have run into several problems putting on this boxing event. So the lastest update is this. The 20th Engineers and CPT Ojeda and his boys have created a ring that will survive any mortar attack on the post. Solid construction.

But as of yesterday the truck with the rest of the ring parts was supposed to leave Al Asad yesterday morning. The report I recieved yesterday morning was that the truck with the ring did not make it here like it was supposed to. Okay is everyone as ready to throw in the towel as I am. But again I have been holding on to a small glimmer of hope that some how the ring would arrive.

Why do you ask? Why would I hold on to faith inspite of it all. Simple cause I am a fighter. I have been behind in a fight before. Some of you that watch boxing have seen what I am talking about. You see the guy getting pounded for the first 9 rounds of a fight. He goes back to his corner takes a seat and sits down. His trainer says "man the only way to win this is for you to Knock him Out! So go out there and knock this mutha out."

Then the fighter goes back into the fight and for the first minute or so you see him still taking a pounding. Then something remarkable happens the fighter getting pounded finds some little happy place in his mind where no pain exists and he just starts fighting like his life depends on it. Then Wham! Just like that the other fighter goes down from some hook or over hand that he never saw and does not get back up.

Don't believe me? Watch Ali vs Foreman The rumble in the jungle.

So I learned along time ago the fights don't always go to the better fighter sometimes they just go to the fighter who just keeps fighting.

When all things are equal the fighter with the most heart wins.

So I am waiting. The ring will arrive on time.

11 SEP 05: Another Day of Infamy

For those of you that know me know I have some pretty strong feeling about patriotism and fighting for freedom.

I heard a comment once that I thought was very representative of America. One of our greatest strengths and weaknesses is that the country as whole tends to have a short memory. Short memory is good for forgivness and the healing of old wounds. Wounds that have torn apart other countries.

But I encourage you in this day of infamy as was 7 DEC 1941. To always remember what happens to America when we forget to be vigilant against Evil. Someone comes here and kills a bunch of americans.

Remember Evil Flourishes when good men do nothing.

This is a noble cause and the only weapon the enemy has is fear. Remember fear can never kill you.

God Bless America. America, Don't go quietly into that good night, do go down without a fight.

The tree of liberty must be replentished with the blood of dictators and patriots alike.

Don't think for a second that the enemy is not among us. They do their best to look like sheep so guys like me the sheepdog charged with guarding the flock have a hard time finding them. But eventually the sheep dog will sniff out the ones that don't belong.

Don't be afraid to fight.

Sometimes you have to stick to the fight when you are hardest hit, it is then that you mustn't quit.

Don't forget what they did to us. They did not kill soldiers taken an oath to die fighting. The struck the flock the people who only wish to live life and be left alone and pretend their is no evil in the world.

So don't ever forget. 9/11 is what happens when we forget to be vigilant.

07 SEP 05: Life in the desert

Well I may live in a palace but as you know life in a war zone is not with out its problems. Water for the palace is out. So we have to use porta johns. Which is not to bad for me because I am on the ground floor. But I remember how much of a pain it used to be when I was up on the 3rd floor of this monument to a tyrant.
Don't get me wrong I am not complaining. The quality of life here is 100% better than when i was in Afghanistan back in 2003.

We got a great box from the Voigt family out of Minnesota. I wonder if they are getting snow up there yet? But SSG Cundiff says thank you for the Instone. In case you are wondering he is the one who towers over all the rest of us in the group photo that is posted on the site. In case you are wondering he is 6'5" he is not standing on a box or on his tip toes. Thanks for your support. I kept the Muscle milk this time. I was the lowest. Thanks from all of us that you support.

Well the mornings are getting cool. I am told that it is unusal for this time of year. But the last two mornings it has only been 79 when I come in at 0700 hrs. It has also during the day it is only getting up to like 105. So we have been pretty happy. Infact the wind even seems to be cooperating because it is a nice cool breeze. Usually the wind here is like the hot blast when you open your oven.

Hey in a war you get exited about the little things like mail, and friends. Stuff like that.

Okay time for me to get on a soap box now. I saw yesterday on the net that SEN Clinton is calling for 9/11 committee on katrina. Please right your congressman and senators to stop the finger pointing. The cost of the 9/11 commision cost way to much and did very little to fix the problems. I don't think our governement can really afford to waste a couple billion dollars to do nothing. Tax money needs to got to the war and finding terrorist and to the victims of katrina. Not to a bunch of politicians who are just trying to place blame on everyone but themselves and the beauracratic mess they have created. So please write your senators and congressman and tell them to stop the maddness.

5 SEP 05: Ring Update.

Okay so I will have to post a picture of this Colassus of ring. The ring is totally made out of wood. It is portable although the ring weighs approx. 1 ton. The fights on the 17th should be spectacular, considering there is a full moon so with the additional light brought in by the moon and the other lights there should be plenty to see by.

Sadly almost all of my girls fights are gone. I might luck out and have 1. But we will see.

4 SEP 04: WEIGH IN

Well the official weigh in I weigh 190 lbs. I will have to do my measurements to see if I am gaining muscle or putting on fat. I will keep you posted.

1 SEP 05: The Crew

This is a picture of most everyone you are supporting with your care pacakges. My female SGT is currently on leave.

Front Row: left to right: CPT Vick (me), SPC Turping (now SGT Turpin, aka Turp), SSG Sauceda.

Back Row: left to right: SSG Cundiff(the really tall guy), SPC Berlin.

So now you know who we are.