Mom left for Iraq last Friday, and we managed to talk for a few minutes before her cell phone cut out. It made me a little teary. Neither one of us is good at the emotional farewells and so on. But she’s there, safe and sound, and I just got this:
A quick note before I address the e-mail (through the slow connection we have here) to say that we arrived safely. The flight over the Atlantic was great (lobster, good wine, fabulous service, great cheeses) and the bag made the transfer to Amman. I don’t have much of an impression of Amman except for light colored flat surfaced buildings spread over hills in the desert air.
On to Baghdad on the C-130. Not an uncomfortable flight except, possibly, for the lack of restrooms (a bucket in the back doesn’t cut it for me) and the landing in Baghdad was smooth.
Unfortunately, we missed our helicopter and no one goton the later helo flight, so we waited for the Rhino. Ate in a good cafeteria, enormous, barbecued pork ribs (o sin!) and fresh salad for me. The Rhino, this armored, lumbering small windowed metal plated bus, convoy came in late and we arrived here about 4:30 a.m. Long day, to say the least, but I made some friends and acquaintances.
The C-130 flight and Rhino was enlivened by Jim Biggus, an FSO of somewhat but not greatly younger years than I, who will be in Kirkuk. (Jim has a splinted finger. Someone broke it when shakinghis hand good by. I joked that this was the difference between State and USIA–I have my shotgun bruise.)
I will be here in Baghdad two or three weeks, it turns out. My “hooch” is much larger than advertised, a good 10 x 15. Functional.
And that’s about it. I’ll sign off and try to do the Pamlico News. Love you both, Me
After I read False Impressions, scavenged around for a copy, and sent it to my mother for airplane reading, I got this book from her in the mail. Crossed paths, indeed. Freund follows three early American antiques from the time they are made to their latest sale at auction–and he delivers a tale not just of the pieces itself, but the history of American antiques, the stories of famous antique dealers and buyers, and a crash course in certain aspects of furniture making. Granted, he meandered all over the place, and didn’t often end up where he started (or even in the general vicintity). Even so, this was very fun, very interesting … and very addictive.