So, um, it's been awhile...

Wow, I just checked out my blog for the first time in weeks and see that my last post was 4 April. 4 April?!? Sheesh. Didn't realize I'd been away that long. I could spin a long story trying to make an excuse for why I haven't updated, but I don't see a need for that. Bottom line is that I've been busy preparing for our imminent departure from the sandbox and life has been hectic. I'm a few short weeks away from returning to Lincoln, and morale is very high, both for myself and the troopers in our unit. I'm sure most all of you know by now, but in case you hadn't heard our Squadron received a bundle of good news in that we're coming home to Nebraska about a month earlier than planned. My new goal is to be home by the 4th of July, and as it stands right now that should be doable. I can't discuss any hard dates with you all due to OPSEC, but rest assured that as soon as I can you all will know.

Life here at Anaconda just seems to keep chugging away. We've been busy getting our replacments set up for success, and now that they are here we're trying to show them the ropes and make a clean hand off of our operations. So far the process has been smooth and efficient. I'll share with you all a couple pictures, just to prove that I'm alive.

Receiving my end of tour award from our Squadron Commander, Lieutant Colonel Apprich.
Chief Regan gave each of the soldiers in his section a cavalry saber as a thanks for all our hard work over the past 22 months. Thanks to Mr. Regan for his gift!
Posing in front of our t-wall. Tradition mandates each unit to paint a t-wall concete barrier to mark the time they spent in Iraq. I think ours turned out just fine.

Grandma knows best

Wanted to take a moment to thank my Grandma Nancy for the huge care package she sent my way. Her box of goodies arrived a couple days ago, and my co-workers and I were impressed with the magnitude of her giving. Here is a picture of me standing next to some of the loot, which was proudly displayed for co-workers and guests to share in. Thanks Grandma!

Qatar

I'm back from my spring break trip to Doha, Qatar. I had quite a fun time, with plenty of relaxation and sun and a few beers mixed in as well. I was fortuante enough to take 3 different trips while I was in Qatar, including visits to a 4 story mall called the City Center (complete with ice skating rink and bowling alley), a trip to the Persian Gulf for an afternoon of sand and food by the ocean, drove SUVs through the sand dunes, ate lunch at an Iranian restraunt in downtown Doha, toured local shops and malls in Doha, enjoyed plenty of good food and slept in every day. All in all a very productive trip and a nice break from Iraq. I'll post a couple pictures for you all here, and I'll also include a link to my Facebook page which has about 60 additional pictures from my trip on it. Enjoy.

Feeding camels in Doha.
Enjoying a few cold ones with the guys.
This pearl is some big tourist attraction in Doha, so here is my touristy picture with the pearl.

Check here for a ton of other pictures from my trip.

Cotton Bowl

As Jim Morrison would say, this is the end my friend. I have to admit, this Husker football season meant more to me than any I can remember in recent memory. Sure, the years we won national titles were fun in their own obvious way, but this season was special in a different way. Being deployed to Iraq during an entire season of Nebraska football was very discouraging. I have attended over 6 seasons of Husker home games prior to this deployment, and after missing most of the 2005 home games due to our training at Camp Shelby I was pretty down about missing yet another slate of home games at Memorial Stadium. The football season, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. For the past 4 months I've been following the Huskers religiously, reading every news piece I can find online, tuning into every game that AFN broadcasts, even waking up at 3 a.m. to listen to a radio broadcast over the internet. The truth of the matter is that Husker football has given me something to be excited about and take my mind of our mission from time to time and deliver a little slice of home every football Saturday. Sure, I miss the excitement of watching the games live or with my friends, and you better believe I'm not going to miss a single home game next year. However, without Husker football over the past 4 months I'm convinced this deployment of mine would have been night and day different.

I'm disappointed that the season ended the way it did with two straight losses, but I'm thankful for the good times we had and I'm looking forward to next year. Can't ask for much more than that.

The mighty S-1 section, gathering in the Colonel's office for the Cotton Bowl match up with Auburn.
We filled up on Pizza Hut pie and German n/a beer during the game. Not sure why I'm standing here - I think Lucky just busted off a nice gainer.
The touchdown to Swifty - felt good at this point. Positive vibes all around.
SFC Kerchal bringing in some more beer. I think this picture is hilarious - Kerchal has a mischievous look on his face. The beers were pint size glass bottles. First time we'd had them. Pretty good stuff in an unusually large bottle.
I wasn't going to post this pic, because I'm fairly certain this is not my best look, but oh well. I was excited and looking forward to de-clawing the tigers. Unfortunately for us, the Huskers couldn't take care of business in the 2nd half. Time to look forward to the 2007 season.

Christmas time

Today is Christmas day, although being over here in Iraq it pretty much feels like every other day. Now that we've crossed the threshold into our 10th month of duty here in the desert, the routine day to day schedule has turned into a groundhog day type situation: it's the same darn thing, day after day after day. On special occasions (like Christmas) you need to throw a wrench into things in order to make it feel different, more important. Our unit's favorite wrench is a good bar-b-que party. On the evening of 24 December our unit had a Christmas grill out to celebrate the holiday. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Grillzila, breathing fire, ready to devour whatever cut of meat we throw it's way. Awesome.

Soldiers mingling about during the Christmas party. We even had a tree set up, with lights and candy canes and everything. Aren't we festive?
Everyone gathered around the plasma to enjoy holiday classics. Currently playing in the above picture is the outstanding Christmas Vacation. Right after this we watched It's a Wonderful Life. Good times.
Here is my choice cut of meat for the night, a thick and juicy 1.9 pound t-bone beauty just before it's tossed onto Grillzila. Delicious.
Grillzilla brought her A game for the festive event. My steak was cooked to perfection.
SSG Johnson, SFC Kerchal, SGT Kane, SFC Washington and myself, gathered around the table enjoying our food and taking in a holiday classic on the screen.

Close-up shot of your favorite Army man, getting ready to devour half a cow.

The remains of my fierce battle with the t-bone. Notice the high quality fork, sans one blade. The t-bone may have won the battle, but I sure as heck won the war. Terrific.

Grandma knows best!

Wanted to take an opportunity to say thanks to my Grandparents for the awesome Christmas care package they sent my way a few days ago. Grandma put together some peanut butter cookies, some peanut brittle, and a batch of snicker doodles to boot (my favorite). All were delivered in decorative Christmas tins. To top it all off, she even threw in a bright red stocking packed full with Salted Nut Rolls! Well done Grandpa and Grandma - I appreciate it very much!
Me with the prize - a Christmas stocking overflowing with Salted Nut Rolls. Terrific.

I wanted to take a picture of the tins full of homemade cookies, but before I could get that done my co-workers and I had polished them all off. So I had to settle with a picture of an empty tin - take that as a compliment Grandma!

3 years? Holy cow...

My how the time flies. As of today, I've been courting Nicki for exactly 3 years. I can't believe it's been that long. Craziness. To celebrate, I am posting a couple pictures of my better half and I for your viewing pleasure. Love you Nicki! The first picture on record of the stunning couple. This was taken at Nicki's mom's house during Christmas 2003.
Chillin at the welcome home bash my Grandparents threw for me when I was home on leave in July.
We look good, right? I think so.

It's Christmas time

Christmas is in the air, even here in Iraq. Our dining facility has had Christmas decorations up for weeks, and we've actually had a run of cold weather over the last few days, which makes it feel like winter (kinda). As we all know, Christmas just isn't Christmas without a tree. Well, evergreens aren't very common out in the desert, so any plans of putting up a tree to celebrate the holiday season rests on family and friends back home. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend Nicki's family has come through and delivered a little slice of holiday goodness to my roommate and I. The Blazek's sent a box of holiday snacks and goodies, highlighted by the pre-light Christmas tree they thoughtfully included. I wanted to put this post together as a thank-you to the Blazek's for their kindness. Here is the tree, in all it's splendor.

Close up of the tree. Gorgeous, no?

The tree is just so festive - it really sets off the room!

Carrie Underwood

American Idol winner and country music star Carrie Underwood made the trip across the big blue sea to come visit some troops in Iraq. She made a stop at Anaconda yesterday and SGT Kane and I were lucky enough to see her perform. Her show took place inside our movie theater, which seats less than 800 people. Due to the small size of the venue, the powers that be decided to distruibuite tickets to the event. Only those servicemembers who were fortuante enough to get their hands on a ticket would be able to see Carrie perform. Our base is home to over 20,000 people, so our odds of grabbing a ticket were slim. SGT Kane and I were optimistic we would somehow score one of the tickets, but I don't think either one of us figured we would both be lucky enough to snatch a ducket. A few things fell into place (thank you SPC Fleck and SPC Benes) that made the whole thing possible. Unfortuantley, the theater lighting is not very condusive to concerts and picture taking and what not, so most of my pictures didn't turn out all that well. I have another source for pictures though, and if that comes through I'll post some more later today. Here is a picture taken after the concert with Carrie, Kane and I and a couple other servicemembers.

Buffalo Meat

Our Squadron Commander is home on leave and we took advantage by throwing a Husker watch party in his office last Friday for the big NU - CU showdown. Too bad the Buffs aren't that good this year and the game wasn't very close, but it was a good time none the less. We subsituted our normal hamburger grill-out routine with pizza this time around. Things just aren't the same when our grillmaster, SSG Johnson, is not around. Anyways, here are a few pictures. Enjoy.

I was hesitant to post this photo, because it doesn't paint a very good picture with regards to how crappy it is over here. Plasma screens, plush couches, pizza hut pizza, beer - sheesh, football parties back in Nebraska aren't usually this good. Don't worry folks - this is the exception, and not the rule.
SGT Kane, SGT Hunt and myself ran down to Pizza Hut and picked up four large pies, to go. CSM Hall chipped in and bought beer, and bam - we had ourselves a party.
I can't even describe how weird it was to sit on a couch to watch a game. I'm telling you, it's the little things you miss when you're in Iraq.

Note: Nicki, I know you'll be upset that my gorgeous face is no where to be found in these pictures. Sorry, but I figured I would give the other guys a time to shine. Better luck next time.

Thanksgiving

For thanksgiving today, a few of my co-workers have set a precedent of putting out a "what I'm thankful for" post on their blogs. Of course, it would be rude of me to not follow suite and please my fans with a similarly themed post. However, I think it would also please my fans to see me put my own personal sarcasm spin on it. Because if you can't have fun with things (sappy thanksgiving posts are given no special favors) then shame on you.

What the Hammer is thankful for:

• To God, who makes this all possible for me. Thank you for keeping me safe and out of harms way in the most dangerous place on earth. I am grateful.
• I appreciate our chow hall, for going all out with an awesome Thanksgiving day meal. I felt like I was back at the farm chowing down ... until I scooped up some mashed potatoes off of my plastic plate with my plastic spoon. Kudos also for feeding me a steady diet of corn dogs during the week. Delicious.
• I'm thankful for Huskers Illustrated and their ability to keep me up to speed with all of the latest and greatest in Husker news. To be honest, I'm probably more knowledgable about Husker football this season than in any season I can remember.
• TV shows on DVD. I'm not sure who came up with the idea of putting TV shows on DVD, but whoever he/she is - you're my hero. The Wire, the Office, Sopranos, etc. You have kept me entertained and entranced during my time in Iraq.
• Sports. I could write a whole post about my unhealthy/passionate allegiance to grown men playing games, but the important thing is that between college football, NFL, MLB, college basketball, golf, etc. - I am never short of articles to read, games to watch and topics to debate in the office. The deployment would be crawling by without your assistance.
• Twizzlers and Salted Nut Rolls. My mid afternoon snack just wouldn't be the same without the help of these two wonderful snacks. Gracias.
• An awesome job. I sit at a desk in a hard building with a/c. The only injuries I have to watch out for are paper cuts. Things could be much, much worse.
• My 5th gen 30 gig iPod. Music is my life blood, and the iPod has blown my mind with it's ability to meet my every musical need. I commend you Apple. Now, if you're iPod phone is as cool as it sounds, I will really, really owe you big
• Last but not definatley not least I'm most thankful for Nicki, my rock of a girlfriend. She has to deal with my phone calls at all hours of the day and is forced to put up with an Army boyfriend who (once this deployment is over with) will have spent more of our relationship away from home in the Army than he has at home with her. Thanks for putting up with it all Nichile - you're the best.

Well, that's all I have off the top of my head right now. Hopefully everyone is able to spend the holiday with loved ones and if you're traveling to do so, stay safe on the busy roads. From the sound of it NE will be blessed with unusually warm weather and no snow, so go outside and toss a football or something and enjoy that weather. I've added some photos from today's thanksgiving blowout at the dining facility below. Enjoy.

Props to Benes for taking this photo at our Thanksgiving meal today. The look I'm giving is the universal "oh crap, Beans is taking my picture" face. Nice.

Pretty much the same photo as the one above, except not as dark so you can see more of the chow hall. It's not usually decorated like this with the fancy ice sclupture centerpieces and everything - they really pulled out all of the stops for us. This time around I'm rocking the "geez Beans, another picture?" face. Smooth.

Return to sender...

Way, way back on the 1st of June, I decided to send my lovely girlfriend Nicki a little present. She was a fan of the Desperate Housewives TV show, and so being the generous boyfriend I am I purchased the first two seasons of the show on DVD from the Iraqi bazaar. I then rolled on down to our local post office to send off my gift. Again, this was on 1 June, 2006. Well, I waited and waited and waited, but Nicki never reported receiving the package. I came home on leave in July, and the package still hadn't come. August went by, September past by - still no package. Well, at this point I felt comfortable making the assumption that Nicki would never see that Desperate Housewives boxed set. Of course she was distraught and crying in sadness, but we both found a way to move on and put the tragedy of the whole deal behind us. I've since sent other items through the mail, but have made sure to pay for a couple hundred dollars worth of insurance, for the added peace of mind and to hopefully avoid another Desperate Housewives type debacle. Well fast-forward to today - 15 November, 2006. A full five and a half months since I sent the ill-fated DVD boxed set Nicki's way. What do you suppose I received in today's mail?
Here she is - the package that probably has more miles on it than a 1992 Honda Civic. 5 and a half months! Craziness.

Apparently, there was a mix up with where exactly Nicki was living. This is kind of understandable, since she was in the process of moving from one apartment to another during this time period. That was back in August however ... where has this thing been sitting during September, October and November?

I still can't believe this package made it's way back to Iraq. I assumed it was long, long gone. Well, now I will re-label it, roll on down to the local post office and send this package of goodness off on it's way once again.

Haircut day!

Yesterday was haircut day for yours truly. Here are some gorgeous before and after shots. (Special thanks to SSG Johnson for taking these beautiful pictures - he operated this photo shoot like a true pro)
I grew out my hair a big longer than usual. The ladies Nicki isn't a fan of my longer hair look, but since she isn't here I can grow it out as long as I please. Within reason, of course - the Army (like Nicki) isn't too fond of long hair either.
Shazaam. $5 later, and back to the Army high and tight. Awesome.

I'll throw this out there - what do you all think is better:

• SGT Hanseling with long hair.
• SGT Hanseling with short hair.

Post votes in the comments section.

Before ... and after

Alrighty folks, sorry about the delay since my last post, but things have been a little busy around here lately and my blog has been forced to suffer the consequences. Since SGT Kane went on leave I've had to take responsibility for some of the things he usually handles, so my plate has been a little fuller over the last week or so. The good news is that Kane should be back in about two weeks. The bad news is that Kane won't be back for another two weeks. Hopefully I can keep the ship afloat until his return. That saying is so true - you don't really know what you got till it's gone.

On a side note, my beloved Cornhuskers are traveling West to take on the mighty Trojans this weekend, one of many mammoth college football matchups slated for this weekend. The good folks at AFN are broadcasting a live telecast of the USC/NU matchup for us to see. What a treat. I will have to make a small sacrifice of sleep, as the game will kick off at 4 a.m. local time, but that is a small price to pay for such an occasion. Go Big Red!

Today's photos will show off a little before/after action. We've been in Iraq for about 6 months now, and we've made a few small changes to our surroundings in that time. I'm working on a project that will give you an even better idea of what Iraq is about than what I've already shown you through this blog. Stay tuned for the details. Here we go...


BEFORE: This a shot of the business end of our office. SFC Kerchal's desk is in the back left, SGT Kane's is the back right and at the time SSG Johnson and I were sharing the desk off to the right.
AFTER: SFC Kerchal and SGT Kane are still in the same spot. SSG Johnson now has his own desk, off to the left, while I'm now all alone at my desk to the right. As you can see, we've put a lot of work and effort into showing our Husker pride to all who visit us.

BEFORE: This was the desk that SSG Johnson and I were sharing. This setup, combined with our shared living quarters, was just a little more time together than any two soldiers should have to share.

AFTER: I still have the second chair, but now it's just for guests who come to bask in the glory of my brilliance. Or at least that's what I tell myself. I've used the extra space to expand my empire somewhat, and I enjoy my hidden spot in the office.

Anaconda in pictures - odds & ends

Today's pictures won't cover any one thing in particular, but rather a couple of odds & ends that didn't merit their own post. Enjoy.

Here is our our chow hall. Food is not too shabby, but tends to get repitive. I hope to take some inside shots in the future.

The entrance to the beloved swimming pool.

Photo from my trip to the pool last week. Fairly busy lately, but the hot hot hot summer weather is starting to die down, and now we're just dealing with hot, which isn't too bad.
There is an outdoor basketball court and sand volleyball court outside of the gym. I've never used either one, but I've seen some folks using them from time to time.

Anaconda in pictures - movie theater

Today's segment of Anaconda in pictures takes us to Sustainer Theater, the movie theater here at Anaconda. Next to the gym, the theater has to be my favorite thing about Anaconda - possibly better than the swimming pool. The cost is nice (free) and the location is swell too - only about 2 blocks away from my trailer. They also do a surprisingly good job on the movie selection - we're usually fortunate enough to get plenty of first run movies. Usually we get movies here about 2-4 weeks after they arrive in theaters back in the States. On some occasions, we've even gotten them the same weekend (as was the case with the new Will Ferrell flick) or in some rare cases, we've even gotten movies before they were out in the states (as was the case with Superman). The theater itself isn't too bad. Seats leave something to be desired, and the technology of the screen and audio is dated, but all things considered we are very lucky to have such a nice place to kill time here in the desert.

Sustainer theater, in all it's brick and mortar glory. The building has held up well. I'm not sure how old the place actually is. Their is a Subway restaurant upstairs, but I've never eaten there. Supposedly the food isn't quite the same as you would get back home, and the DFAC puts together really good sandwiches - for free - so I haven't really had much desire to check out Subway.
The concessions bar at the theater. Baskin Robbins has as stand here selling the basics - shakes, sundaes, cones, etc. They will also sell you normal movie theater stuff (popcorn, candy, pop) along with some things you might not get at theaters back home (full-size pizzas, n/a beer, etc.) This is the only portion of the theater experience that has a price tag. Admission, as I mentioned above, is always free.
A shot of the stairs leading up to the Subway restaurant and the balcony section of the theater. Balcony seats are usually highly sought after, and Generals and other higher ranking folks tend to suck up a lot of the best seats. We usually sit on the floor level - our way of sticking it to the man, so to speak.
The theater does a good job of looking and feeling just like any ol movie theater back home. A little dated, but still the tried and true movie theater experience. On this night SGT Kane, SPC Benes and I were checking out the new Disney flick, Invincible. Good film - we all enjoyed it. This was last Saturday night, before the Husker game came on the radio at 11:30 p.m. We got pumped up at Invincible, then rolled back to the office to listen to the Huskers steamroll LA Tech. Good times.