A snoot full of dirt
When I got up this morning I went through my middle east morning ritual of coffee, checking email, taking a crap and then showering before dressing. Even though I take a shower when I get in from all the heat, sand and sweat I still take one every morning just to wake up. I just don't feel right until I have had that shower. I even did this when we lived at the Hotel California at BIAP back in 2003. Of course that was a John Wayne shower but it was a cleansing experience none the less.
Coming outside I saw what I detest. A friggin sandstorm had snuck in overnight and was lingering in the area. This means less heat because of the diffused rays of the sun but it also means limited visibility, everything coated in it and the inevitable snootful of dirt. You can pick some world class boogers over here. I know that most people don't talk about such things but I am always amazed an the footlongs (they seem that big!) that I pull out late in the afternoon. I don't like wearing a dust mask all day and I know from training that more than 99% of the particulates are bigger than 5 microns so they don't get down into the alveoli where long term damage happens. They just coat you nostrils, inner air chambers, back of your throat and cause you to sneeze, cough and dig for gold.
This also brings back a flood of memories from Taji when we would get walls of orange sand blowing down from the North of Iraq and we would get socked in for days at a time. Taji, I think about it all the time. Sand and boogers make me think about Taji, so does Burger King and Pizza Hut.
You may wonder why they do that but it is because that was all the fast food we had for a long, long time. I actually just got sick of both of them and still don't go all that often to either. Especially after getting a nose full of dirt.
I think tonight I will shower, SKYPE Mrs. MiG and little MiG and then put tape along my windowsills. If I get a whopper (not from BK) I'll take a pic and post. Who knows, I might make the Guinness Book of World Records for biggest booger. God, my momma would be so proud.
Coming outside I saw what I detest. A friggin sandstorm had snuck in overnight and was lingering in the area. This means less heat because of the diffused rays of the sun but it also means limited visibility, everything coated in it and the inevitable snootful of dirt. You can pick some world class boogers over here. I know that most people don't talk about such things but I am always amazed an the footlongs (they seem that big!) that I pull out late in the afternoon. I don't like wearing a dust mask all day and I know from training that more than 99% of the particulates are bigger than 5 microns so they don't get down into the alveoli where long term damage happens. They just coat you nostrils, inner air chambers, back of your throat and cause you to sneeze, cough and dig for gold.
This also brings back a flood of memories from Taji when we would get walls of orange sand blowing down from the North of Iraq and we would get socked in for days at a time. Taji, I think about it all the time. Sand and boogers make me think about Taji, so does Burger King and Pizza Hut.
You may wonder why they do that but it is because that was all the fast food we had for a long, long time. I actually just got sick of both of them and still don't go all that often to either. Especially after getting a nose full of dirt.
I think tonight I will shower, SKYPE Mrs. MiG and little MiG and then put tape along my windowsills. If I get a whopper (not from BK) I'll take a pic and post. Who knows, I might make the Guinness Book of World Records for biggest booger. God, my momma would be so proud.
posted by flythemig29 at 5:05 PM
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