Nature of the beast

My job is incredibly interesting, as I've stated several times in my little blog here. My counterpart, SFC O'Neal calls me a little city manager. It sure feels like it sometimes! If I were a betting woman, (which I'm not!) I would be able to bet that 5 out of the 7 mornings I go into work, there is someone waiting on me to help them, I have several missed calls and for sure countless emails. So, there isn't ever settling into the day or even the morning... It's waking up, putting the worn out uniform on, putting on my boots that are still too big for me, putting on the shades, cap and slinging my weapon around my shoulder.. And enjoying the 45 seconds of silence it takes to walk from my tent to work (and that's if there isn't anyone along the way)! 

Typically, I love my job. But on days like today, I struggled. One of these days, I'll try to document a typical day :) but, we have a water tank on the FOB that gives us running water to one of our main locations. Well, it has struggled to stay together the past few days. Pipes were busted, and then it was a pump. One of those problems where it is one thing after another. I have learned the mentality that it IS going to be okay. It'll get fixed, no sense in getting all upset over it. But most people don't see it that way. They want it fixed as soon as they get done complaining to me. The way I see it, we need to be thankful we have running water, period! It's not the only shower, it's just the most convenient shower. I understand convenience. I like it myself. But come on Soldier, we are in Afghanistan and it could always be worse. 

Sometimes, there are just more important things to be angry about. One of four showers having some problems just isn't one of them. First world problems in a third world country. So, stuff like this tends to get under my skin and naturally I'm the one that falls on sword because I am the representative for the contractors. It is the nature of the beast to assist with things that I see worthy, and even the ones I don't see why I have to jump through hoops to make happen. :) 

So, ahaha, magic! The showers are fixed now :) I took myself one, and put on a little bit of makeup because even in sunny Afghanistan, sometimes you have to make your own sunshine :) xoxo