Bon Voyage 4-miler

A week ago, I got up at 4:30 AM, worked for half an hour, then ran 4 miles. What could possibly have compelled me to get up that early on a Sunday, when we don't have a hard shift change and I can be a few minutes later than normal? Yes, you guessed it: a free T-shirt!

1LT Michael Olsen organized the "Bon Voyage 4-miler" footrace as a last hurrah for our unit in the Camp Victory footrace sub-culture. It was a surprisingly well planned and well run race - not surprising because I expected any less of Michael, but because everything seemed to work behind the scenes and it all seemed effortless for him to execute and organize it. He and his crew of 30 volunteers (me among them) pulled it off and kept our flag from being dragged from the flagpole in front of our building by a disgruntled mob of hungry/thirsty/T-shirtless/etc runners. The T-shirts were also quite well done, sporting a simple design and a good background color. I won't mind wearing this one around!

My time was a few seconds over 27 minutes, which puts me in the 6:45/mile range - not too bad, but considering all the time I had to improve my run times, I should be running like 5 minute miles by now. I guess I should just accept it and embrace my inner Cinnabon.

Without further ado, the pictures:

Yep, that's me in the picture, running the last footrace we will get to run in Iraq!


... and this is me with my roommate Bob, the proud owners of free T-shirts. Bob didn't have to run to get his, he just volunteered to register people before the race and hand out XL T-shirts at the end. I realized too late that all this time I could have been volunteering to help for the races and still getting the T-shirts!! Oh well, at least I burned off some Cinnabon.


Here's the newest addition to the collection, front and back:

When It Rains, It Pours

I posted a couple months ago about how mail works over here in Iraq, which is really a "best effort" extension of how it works back home; the military post offices here collect mail from us and inject it into the mail system at home, and from there we wait the requisite time for delivery. Priority Mail, for instance, takes 2-3 days normally, so if we use it over here, it is however long it takes to get to the US, plus that 2 or 3 days. Getting mail from the US to here works the same way, only in reverse, with mail addressed to my ZIP first getting delivered to the Army, then flown here by them or a contractor on a best effort basis.

I mention all of this because I got four packages today, some of which have postmarks from two weeks ago!!

So, without further ado, the first package I got was:


Shoelaces. I opened this one on the spot at our supply office, since I got an email that an order came in. Yes, I really got a plastic envelope with two sets of shoelaces in them (bootlaces to be more precise). The Army set up this system to replace uniform-related stuff in country that wears out and ... (ok, I think no one cares about the shoe/boot laces).

I took the laces and went back to my housing unit, where I discovered my roommate, Bob, had picked up my mail for me - the other three packages, which I did not know were waiting for me at this point. He reminded me as I gleefully started cutting them open that he recently carried a large metal pole for some distance, which was currently providing us Internet (I knew I would not live that one down for a while ...). I assured him that if these were what I thought they were, I could repay him in spades!

So, the second package was:




SALSA!!! Yes, like the "precious" One Ring from Tolkien's classic, I knew it immediately when I saw the lids of the iconic jars Tonya picked in which to "can" them. I spent a few minutes telling Bob the importance of what I held in my hand, the history behind Tolteca, and how I could not get this salsa even when I was in Maryland. I guess if you are outside of driving distance from Tolteca, you might as well be on the moon if you are trying to get salsa there. Yet, here was a jar, in my hand.




The verdict: it was still good! Obviously, I did not have a reference dish of salsa to do a more scientific comparison, but really, it tasted great. I guess I don't necessarily want to know if there's supposed to be a difference when you perform the canning process if I can't tell as I'm devouring it. Still not convinced himself, Bob took a taste:


... and score another one with the broad side of the chalk for Tonya and Tolteca (but I'm still not forgiven for the metal pole incident). In all, she sent 12 of the jars, which hold a reasonable sitting's worth of salsa (probably about 2 dishes in the restaurant), and rationing it out I go through about a half-jar at a time.

The third package was another bag of chips from Tonya, pictured to the left in the next photo. That brings my stock to three bags, which each supposedly have around 220 chips.

The fourth package was yet another huge surprise ... a birthday party kit from Kathy!


Yes, that is a cake in the middle of the box, and the jar to the lower left is frosting. There are a couple of containers of "drizzle" in there too, which I guess is supposed to go on top of the frosting from what I read of the instructions. There are plates, candles, and little confetti, all emphasizing that it will be the "Big 3-0" for me in a couple of days. I'm leaving it as sealed as I can until Friday, when I will decorate a little, borrow a lighter from the smokers next door, and do a field-expedient birthday celebration!

One of the best parts of the kit was the DVD with pictures of Kathy and Matt making the cake - there are a few pictures of John feeding Matt lunch and getting him ready for the hard afternoon of quality testing (what other expertise does a guy with cheeks like that have?), then the lunacy of baking a cake with a 17-month old is chronicled in a series of pictures of Kathy and Matt working at the island in her kitchen. There were about a dozen prints, which I taped to the wall by some of the other pictures.

There were also Kathy's classic baked goodies in with the kit, which did not make it quite as unscathed as the cake and the salsa:


The Oatmeal Carmelitas on the top shelf and the Poppy Seed Bread on the bottom right didn't get mushed, they got baked more! It has been around 105-110 here for the past week or so, and the postmarks on the boxes indicate they've spent at least two in transit. I didn't see anything wrong with the OCs or the bread, so I put them in the fridge to firm up a bit. Bob thinks that aside from sticking to the bag a bit, they're going to make good midnight snacks (we are flush with things like microwave popcorn and small candies, but these are a meal!). The Pumpkin Bread on the lower left made it just fine, albeit a bit warm, so it's going in the fridge for a bit too.

Whew! What a great birthday I'm going to have in a few days!! Thanks Tonya and Kathy!

P.S. By the way, thanks for making the runs to the Post Office, John ... I noticed the customs forms mostly seem to have your name on them!

Chino Youth Museum

The cousins were so excited to see Matt on Tuesday! They had something extra special planned for the kid...

Our weekly playdate had missed Cheekfeast last week due to transportation issues. To see pictures of the cousins playing at the waterpark, view album here: http://picasaweb.google.com/mtsadsad/SplashPark?feat=email#

Zach did a great job in the water and of course the girls really enjoyed themselves. I'm sure Matt would have a great time so we'll have to revisit this event especially with the summer heat we're expecting to get. James' blog mentioned 120 degree temperatures in Iraq and while we don't expect to get there, we'll still rub it in when we're splashing in the fountains with his kid.

Since the big girls are pros at daytrips, Kate and Ashley planned a special tour for the boys. Zach was excited but Aunt Shannon grumbled at getting up so early. Props to Aunt Tonya who made all the arrangements to get up at dawn and fight traffic to pick up Matt. Sidenote: I am definitely open to commuting arrangements, suggestions and/or ways to share transportation if anyone has ideas!

I heard the car ride was a thrill for Matt who was excited to see Aunt Tonya. He used many new words to describe things he saw along the way including "truck" and "car". Matt talked Aunt Tonya's ear off and she couldn't get a word in edgewise! Once we all finally got to the secret destination, the Chino Youth Museum, the kids were antsy to get out and play. This is a great museum designed for kids that is truly interactive. Here is more information about the museum: http://www.chinoyouthmuseum.com/

When we arrived the kids all split into different directions. Kate immediately befriended another little girl, Ashley went to explore the science exhibit, Matt headed for the stairs (of course) and Zach found a quiet corner to take his nap.

The museum is designed so the kids can explore on their own but moms can still keep an eye on multiple wandering kids. We explored the solar system, a playhouse, a new water stages exhibit, police and firefighters jobs, house set-up, barn with slide(!), mail system and a coloring center.

Again, I say this every time but its great to see the different developmental stages with these kids. Kate organized the tour through the different sections, Ashley used all the tools and buttons to manipulate features, Matt was so excited to experience something new he ran everywhere and really had a chance to use his new words, and Zach newly mobile walked on his own and explored simple movement tasks like opening doors and climbing.

I always enjoy going to the museum and even got in the action. Tonya did me no favors by taking pictures to capture the moment! No, I'm not sick - I just look horrible in the photos. And drumroll... here are the pictures with captions to describe the events better than I can narrate: http://picasaweb.google.com/mtsadsad/ChinoYouthMuseum?feat=email#slideshow/5329847591245060546

Four kids five and under up at dawn and overstimulated. Well, you can understand we took an early lunch at the water fountain. Kate and Ashley obviously have great motor skills and understand boundaries, Matt has good motor skills (loves climbing!) and learning boundaries, Zach is just feeling comfortable walking and can't escape so the boundaries are not an issue. But the boys try to keep up with the girls and go everywhere they do, so the aunts looked alternately like pack mules and traffic cops. Needless to say we found a quiet spot on the grass for lunch.

Again, the girls finished lunch quickly and went to play while the boys take twice as long. But this gave Matt the chance he was looking for to steal Aunt Tonya. He sat in her lap and wouldn't budge. He was very attached to her and wanted her in his sight every moment. While he has definitely bonded with the gang, the activities are still new to him and he wanted the comfort of Aunt Tonya. But poor Aunt Tonya had to manage to carry Matt (who we know is not a little waif) and contest with Ashley who was not jealous per se but was trying to figure out her role not as the baby in the mix. Despite my lamentations, it really was a fun day - and naps were had by all including the aunts!

Hometown Hero 5k

Everyone, meet the next F-R-E-E T-shirt:


Last Saturday, my unit put on a 5k "fun run" called the Hometown Hero 5k. The race was held the same day in both Iraq and back in Delaware, and the times are being compiled together to determine the winners, wherever they ran. It's almost like the 15k that the 146th Signal Battalion from Florida put on a few weeks ago, except that one was a HUGE race in the US, and this one was pretty much a local event. The Delaware National Guard hosts a series of runs each year, and this one counted as one of the series.

It wasn't a particularly good run for me - I've had a couple of fairly busy weeks, and going to the gym has declined from a 4-day a week affair to a 2 or 3 days a week, even reaching a low of one day last week. Getting back into the swing of things is painful, but I only declined 16 seconds on 3.1 miles, so I guess it's not that bad. It was a lot harder to run this one though, and it was slower!

Here's me crossing the finish line:



Yes, I'm actually wearing the T-shirt for the race, which may be another reason I didn't run so fast - I already had my prize at the start of the race!!

The obligatory group photo. I'm not even going to try with the names; the people in the photo are from my unit (261st Signal Brigade). The one gentleman I would like to point out is Captain Linden Boyer, the guy on the far left, who put most of this thing together (and who I can thank for ... yes, the T-shirt :)

Great day

I had a great day today! But since it's 10:04 pm and I'm due back at the hospital at 5:30 am, I'll be brief by summarizing the events of the day:

(1) Slept well last night. Got up and rounded on my few pediatric patients with a positive outlook on the day.
(2) Attended rounds with the team. Helped put in a central venous catheter with one of the surgeons. She walked me through it so that if I ever had to do it on my own ....
(3) Went to the OR with one of the patients. Did the intubation, then scrubbed in for the case. The surgeons let me participate!
(4) Finally ate some breakfast - cinnamon raisin bagel with a mocha latte (=coffee with hot chocolate). Didn't get around to eating the remaining breakfast - hard boiled eggs and pear.
(5) Spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out if my patient with the amputation has neuropathic (aka "phantom") pain. Once I determined that her pain likely is neuropathic, I spent a considerable amount of time learning how to treat it. Once I had gained that knowledge, I spent a considerable amount of time figuring out if we - given our limited pediatric pharmacy resources - even can treat it. Turns out that we can. Wrote the order.
(6) Saw a medic from my unit for chronic cough. The CO had sent her to me because she didn't feel that she was treated appropriately in the outpatient clinic. Looked at her XR and gave recommendations.
(7) Tried three time to put a feeding tube down the patient with the amputation. Had to have four people hold her down in the process. Two-year olds have mighty strength when they think that you're going to hurt them!
(8) Gathered various fruits for the patient since her tube feeds do not have enough daily fiber. Was able to locate and cut up green apples, pears, plums, dried cranberries, raisins, prunes, and dried blueberries. Served them all to the patient and implored her brother to help her eat some of it.
(9) Talked for about an hour to the PA who first treated with patient with the penetrating head injury. He was doing a routine humanitarian mission in the area when a local Afghan man brought the patient to him. He had a minimal medic bag, but was able to intubate and stabilize her before the flight medics arrived to bring the patient to the hospital. It was an amazing story and I very much enjoyed hearing it from the horse's mouth.
(10) Made some uber-ramen for dinner. I had to put it into three cups for microwaving because I couldn't find a bowl big enough!
(11) Called the pediatric neurosurgeon when one of the patient's ventricular drains began to leak (a ventricular drain is a pop-off mechanism so that some of the spinal fluid will drain off if the pressure in the head gets too high). Assisted in fixing the drain.
(12) Went back to the little girl with the amputation to find that she had eaten almost an entire pear, half an apple, and two prunes. Success!
(13) Checked the orders for all of the patients for morning labs. Don't want to miss anything or draw any labs that are unnecessary. Checked in with all of the nurses in the process (a habit I got into as a resident; I found that if I checked in with the nurses before going to bed, I could avoid getting paged overnight ....).
(14) Returned back to the barracks for a very quick combat shower and to hit the sack.

So that was my day! It was more busy than the average (mostly because I made it that way) but very rewarding and even fun!