Now this is a great surprise…

For the second year in a row I find myself on active duty in a different country on my birthday. Today I requested and received the day off to relax. My intent is to sleep all day… To my surprise several other folks have different ideas. Instead I was treated to a day out and about around the IZ with friends; from the crossed sabers, to FOB Liberty, to the Chancellery to raise a flag. Follow that up with a huge email campaign from friends and family and then a surprise birthday party from my hoochmate… complete with birthday cake, a DFAC full of warriors and State Dept Types singing Happy Birthday and a wrapped gift from the Haji shops (DVDs of BattleStar Gallactica). Thank you Dave, Ryan, and Katie for not letting me sleep through the day and forcing me to have a little bit of fun in an otherwise peculiar location. Thank you mama and daddy for the obvious reasons. And I especially want to call out the wonderful elf (also known as my girlfriend) who continues to surprise me day after day with all her generosity of time and loving support from the home front. Something tells me she had a heck of a lot to do with the spamming campaign that filled my email box as well as the great blog posting on the site. It’s easy for folks to forget that there are two of us on this deployment… I may be facing the physical challenges here in the combat zone but the she’s facing the same day in and day out challenges vicariously through me at home. The isolation is the same for us both. It means a lot to me, I love you darlin.
Like last years Birthday party at the sushi boat shop this yeas birthday is memorable. I suppose I am well on my way to living 99 different years instead of the same year 99 times. You all gave me a wonderful day that I will keep near and dear for the rest of my life. Thank You!