I am still here at CPIC (the press center) waiting to leave at 0530 to board another helicopter which will take me to Al Asad….finally! Col Caveman Holzworth should have an escort waiting and then the fun begins! I am SO ready to begin my reports with the Pensacola trained Marines there. I am sure Caveman has a full itinerary for me and I look forward to sharing it all with you.
The Press Center has been great. I have had internet, phones for reports, food, showers, and movies. We have watched one DVD after another waiting to pass the time. I have been sharing the center with reporters form all over who are in Iraq to report for different newspapers, tv, etc…. There was a group of Iraqui TV journalists here earlier and now a couple of British reporters just came in to get some sleep before heading out to report some more. Drew, a writer for Stars and Stripes, has been here longer than me. I’m not sure if he is waiting for a flight or what. He doesn’t talk much but he has been letting me use his adapter to plug in my computer to charge. The outlets are different here and I didn’t bring an adapter. I also needed it for my hair dryer.
I finally got to take a shower after not having one since Saturday morning….yuk! The showers and bathrooms are in a trailer and it is a lot like taking a shower in a shoebox. Very little room to move around but after 2 and a half days…it was heaven!
I have to brush my teeth using bottled water which is kind of weird but I am used to it now. So far, I am the only blue-eyed blonde girl around. Even in the group of military women who are working here. Everyone is very nice…but I still stand out.
There are some Iraqui’s working here. I was searched by a few already coming into the press center. One is particulary enamored with me after finding a female “product” in my pants pocket. I guess she thought it felt kind of like a weapon and didn’t understand me when I was trying to explain what it was. Finally she reached in to pull it out herself and laughed really big when she realized what it was. I told her you can never be too safe when traveling! I think I am her new BFF.
About 2 hours until I board. I hear I may be riding over to Al Asad with presidential hopeful John McCain who is visiting the same place I am. That should be fun!
More to come….thanks for reading
