Nick Update!

I have received a few phone calls and a couple of e-mails from Nick over the past week (one week down-HOORAY!!!)  He tells me that they are very much still in limbo.  He's been sleeping in a "bay" with about 200 other soldiers, but should (hopefully!) be moving into his permanent "home" within the next two weeks.  He said that despite the fact that this base in Kandahar has been in existence for several years, it is a model of inefficiency.  There might be many amenities, but there are so many people stationed there, that there is a wait for everything.  A typical wait for food at the mess hall is 15 minutes...ugg!  So it's taking him much longer than usual to get even the simplest tasks done.  All of his soldiers are looking to him for answers to their questions (and there are lots!), so his "to do" list is endless.  He flew for the first time last night, and said that it felt great to get behind the controls again.  He promised that they weren't doing any dangerous maneuvers!  We've discovered a couple of  interesting facts about Afghanistan--it is 9.5 hours ahead of me here in Tennessee; and that they drive on the right side of the road with the driver seated on the right side of the car...Just a couple of examples just how different things are in that part of the world.

Helicopter Boy Update: He has called his mother!  Hallelujah! (Unfortunately that hasn't stopped the e-mails; how am I supposed to know what the "task organization" of our company is?!?)!  I can thank my husband for reminding him, upwards of 20 times a day, to reach out to her.  When Helicopter Boy asks if she has sent another e-mail, my trusty hubby's response is always, "Probably."  What a good man he is looking out for me and my inbox! ;-)