I was all set this morning to tear into a rant on traffic... AGAIN.... after spending 45 minutes going about eight miles and the lack of foresight by building on both sides of the one road with one lane each way. I filled up my fuel tank yesterday again, after only 211 miles. That's a 90 mile-per-tank DROP since I replaced the fuel & air filters, spark plugs, spark plug wires and oil lube & filter job I did the other weekend. Maybe this weekend I'll replace the distributor cap & rotor and check for any engine diagnostic codes, see if I can figure out what's what.

I get into work and check my email, with the thoughts of a traffic rant post in my head, and I see I had an email from my friend James who's over in Baghdad at the moment. The good news is that since he's sent out an email, he's still alive. I can't think of a more dangerous job to take than a Close Personal Guard or whatever it's called that he's doing. The pay is good, but you can't spend it if you're dead, y'know?

The first paragraph has this lovely tidbit of information:

The ' Bomb Average ' is now up to (according to CNN...) 4 to 7 bombs / week!!!!!! 2 days back I had a close one. You see untill recently normally ' a close one ' meant it detonates within 200 - 400 metres away from you: This one went off 200 ft away from me!!! Apparantly some guy pulled his car into the outer perimeter of the Green zone and wasnt being let through by the security forces. So, as you do, he got back in and blew the car up...

Of course, you get back in the car and blow it up. as you do... Gotta love the British Humor.

At night here its seriously quiet. Everyone behaves. No bombs, riots, gunshots, assassinations, its all good! Come day light - AND ITS ON!!! So, we were doing the same thing basically - The Rounds - checking up here and there. When suddenly We see a couple of flashes about 120ft away and then hear a sound that we havnt heard before... A weird metalic " thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk " on the exterior of the vehicle.

Thankfully they're in an armored vehicle, but still... Here in Cayman this weekend is a long weekend, as the third Monday in January is National Heroes Day. Something to look forward to. James on the other, has this to look forward to...

Got the Gen. Elections at the end of next week. Im generally a fairly positive and optimistic individual, with a hopeful out look on life......BUT ITS GONNA BE A FULL ON BLOOD BATH! Im talking ' Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino & Mel Gibson ' Blood bath!!!!!! Really, I hope Im wrong. I hope the elections come and go with minimal eyebrow raising....But will it???... God knows what the insurgents are planning - what they have already planned - and what they are waiting to carry out! Like I said....Never a dull moment.

He also mentioned a dream he had where he was out in the desert on Patrol, a flat, featureless snooker table as far as the eye can see, and then... he's on West Bay Road and turning into Lone Star for a beer. I guess you dream about the things you just can't have over there... Speaking of things you can't get over there...

Talk about a lack of things.... There are no Women over here.... Well, there are, but they all dress like ninjas! Dosnt do shit for me! I couple of my mates have accused me of being caught eyeing up the occassional camel!!! - It hasnt gotten that bad...yet...

Insert your own "What are you doing? usually we just RIDE THE CAMEL INTO TOWN" punchline here :)

Any way lads and ladesses, Im off because Im doing Grave yard shift in approx 45 mins and it takes me ages to just get ' dressed ' for it! So, I hope you are all well and stay that way.

So keep ya selves nice! Manly hugs and arse pinching aplenty.

95f during the day, -5f at night, body armor, comms, gps, weapons and ammo, yeah I can see how it takes as long for them to get dressed and ready for work as my old girlfriend did. As far as the hugs and arse-pinching goes, this is coming from the guy who wrote "CONGRATS STEPHANIE" on my ass in super felt-tip pen before my underwater strip show for that stagette/hen party I did a few years ago. :)