Last Birthday in Iraq

"At least you know this will be your last birthday in Iraq" (written to Mark 6-5-06)

Yes, that's how my boss looks at it - the only Memorial day in Iraq... the only birthday in Iraq.... the only fourth of July... the problem is that no day is any different than any other. It's ground hog day here every day. I mean, yeah, I go to Camp Liberty, or to the IZ, or even some other places, but it's all the same.

I have a little program that calculates how many seconds you have to go (29,650,949), how many meals you've had in Iraq (71 down, 1029 to go), how many craps you have taken in Iraq (12), etc. It tells me that as of now I have completed 6.49% of my time here. Twenty-four days down and 343 to go. It's hard not to get the feeling of just doing time, you know. And I haven't even been here a month yet!!