Adam's address and some pictures

Hi all...here is Adam's address for those interested in sending him mail/packages. Something I found out the hard way: don't forget that you have to fill out customs paperwork because the package is going overseas. Depending on your post office, they may want you to leave the box open before sending it, so they can look at what you've put in it and make sure it's all ok. Your best bet is to only send him things that total $50 or less, because it makes things much easier on his end, and it's less likely to be opened and searched in transit. Also, if you plan on sending something heavy, get one of the APO/FPO flat rate military boxes at the post office because no matter what you put in it it ships for one price (I think it's $11). Otherwise, it's getting weighed and if it's heavy, it will cost you a LOT. Make sure to check at the post office about things that can/can't be sent (or get the info online) and remember that certain things are actually illegal in Iraq and can't be sent to him there (this info can be found on usps.com...I can look up the exact link again if you can't find it). I'll let you know other little things I figure out as I go along :-)

Anyway, here is the address:

Traynor, Adam SSG

115th EN CO. (779th EN BN)

COS Marez

APO AE 09334

Write it exactly as it is here to avoid delays.

Also, I wanted to share a few pictures of what has been going on in my life here in Columbia. First, last week I went back to work at my beloved Career Center, located in the H. William Close building on campus:

I'd love to point out my office, but you can't see it because it doesn't have any windows :-) It's on the sixth floor and I love, love, love it. I'm still personalizing it a little bit this year, but it's just so nice to have a space all my own, and I'm very thankful for it, especially knowing that many of my fellow GA's have to share office space with many others. I'll try to take some pics of my actual office sometime in the next few weeks.

Next, because I've gotten a lot of requests for them, here are a few pics of the little monster we like to call Brady:

He sure does make my life interesting, but I can't imagine what it would be like not to have him. I just can't wait until his dad comes home and we can split doggie duties :-) Hope you all are having a fabulous day!

D

Mission: Building Something

Just wanted to give a quick update on what's been going on with Adam. His unit is the only vertical construction unit in all of the northern part of the country, so he's going to be spending a lot of his time off on "missions," building things off of his main base. For example, this week he's about four hours away from his main base, doing a big concrete project. While out on these missions, he doesn't have internet access but was able to give me a call last night and let me know things are going pretty well. He had the day off today to wait for the concrete to set, and he was very excited about getting some really good sleep. He hasn't given me a lot of details (probably on purpose), but I'll ask him about things when he gets back. When he IS on his home base, he's able to email me pretty much every day, and we're sometimes able to voicechat, which is nice because he doesn't have to use his phonecard or go to the call station and can just talk to me from his room.

I'm going to post his address in a separate post since a lot of people have been asking me for it. I'm sure he'd love to get some mail :-)

As for me, I'm back to working at the Career Center and classes begin this week. Tomorrow is the first day that I'm going to meet the U101 (freshman seminar) students that I'm co-teaching, and then Tuesday is Division/Univeristy and Program Orientations. Wednesday is our first career fair of the year, believe it or not, so things are really picking up. I don't mind at all though...it makes the days go faster (although it does also make the nights become shorter as well hahaha). Anyway, Brady is laying here next to me passed out on his back, so I think I'm going to scoop him up and put him to bed for the night, then head off to bed myself. Be well!

D

Moved to Iraq

Adam got in touch with me yesterday to let me know that he flew to Iraq in the middle of the night and is now living...get this...literally 300 feet from the building where he spent his last two months during his last tour in Iraq. He said it was a pretty surreal feeling, because not too much has changed, which is probably one of the reasons they are back there.

Things that are good in Adam's new digs:
*Only two guys to a room, not 50 to a tent (he's rooming with Brandan, his old roommate from Morgantown)
*Personal AC units for each room
*Real toilets (no more portapotties)
*More reliable internet
*No more hour and a half long lines to use things like the phone and internet

Things that are not so good in Adam's new digs:
*No Starbucks

No, no, I'm kidding. When I asked him that question early, that was really the only thing he could come up with, other than the fact that now they're in a combat zone, which they weren't in Kuwait. He said overall it's a big improvement. One thing they haven't gotten yet is their big toughboxes, which is where a lot of his things are packed. They do have the bags that they took on the planes over from the US, so he has some things with him, but he's missing his XBOX, which we know is oh-so-important! He hasn't been told what their first mission will be, but he said it's sounding like it's going to be "building something," which is shocking considering that they're a carpentry/masonry unit ;-) Overall, he says he's doing well, and he misses everyone a lot, and to send his love.