Another week gone by.

Well, it's been (roughly) one week since my last post. It's been a fairly fun-filled week, but I'll get to that later.

First, I need to quickly address some issues I've been seeing in my email and in the comments section of the blog. This may be unpleasant, but it has to happen. I do not now, nor at any time in the future will I have the mustache again. I am as clean shaven as the day I was born. It's not that I have anything against mustaches. Frankly there are a few people out there who look good with a little under-nose hair. I think my step-dad looks great with it. Many of history's greatest tyrannical dictators just wouldn't have been the same without theirs. Stalin even famously had a guy imprisoned for making reference to his. Unfortunately, I happen to fall into the other 99.87% of males who suffer from the malady of "if I grow a mustache, I will only end up looking like someone who would attract a police escort within 100 yards of a junior high." Most men with this unfortunate condition are also cursed with a family who is supportive enough to stand behind them quietly while they go through their little Burt Reynolds stages. Thankfully, I am not. I did find it odd last time that all of the 'stache supporters were anonymous (with the exception of Michenna, but I'm pretty sure she just liked it because Tricia didn't) while the haters were very public and open with their opposition. So long story short (too late!) the 'stache is dead.

Next item for the soapbox: I really appreciate everyone writing to expound on my virtues as an essayist. However, as everyone who really knows me will know, I am a shy, introverted person by nature and tend to get uncomfortable when praised so lavishly. Regardless of how true it may be or how deserved such praise (and much, much more) really is. I guess in other words, you're making me blush and it's embarrasing.

All right, on to this week's activities. On Monday night we went out on a training flight to try to hone my tactical flying skills. Unfortunately we were forced to return to base about a fourth of the way into the flight because for some reason the fuel fumes in the back were bad enough that our second crewman was feeling nautious (sp?). Now, the 60S is a beautiful piece of fine machinery and for the most part is fairly fume-free, but there is always some smell since the aerodynamics of the air flow around the engine tend to push the exhaust fumes directly back into the cabin in all but the highest-speed flight regimes. This time, however it was a little more than we were used to dealing with. So we turned around and came home. No harm, no foul.

About 2 hours later I was called back in from my trailer because the 1st Up crew was launching on a medevac and we needed to go stand 2nd Up while they were gone. The medevac they launched on was from the clinic right next to the trailers so the helicopter flew right over me on their way to the pad. I decided to stop to watch them land -- I know I do it for a living, but it still gives me a thrill to be around these machines. I quickly realized my mistake as I watched the dust cloud from the rotor-wash come screaming toward me and ended up swallowing about a pound of the desert's finest. It was still cool to see them land, once I could see again.

At about 2300 they informed us that we would have to come back in again the next day at 0500. This time we would actually be the ones flying into Iraq to do the medevac. Now, I love flying, but doing so while sleep-deprived is not high on my list of favorite activities. Thankfully the flight was uneventful and I was able to go home and sleep afterword. Then last night I was on the PM watch and got to watch the Kentucky - Tennessee basketball game on TV. I really didn't care who won, but it was good background noise and it turned out to be a great game.

While I was on watch I was unable to feed my latest addiction. As you may recall from my first trip to Happyland, we fight boredom here with no less resolve than Davy Crockett at the Alamo (the heroic Davy, not the cowardly one some historians think may be more acurate). During the last trip I got caught up in "Battlestar Gallactica" and "Entourage" to pass the time. This time around I got my hands on the first season of "House" and may never be the same. If you've never seen it (as I hadn't before I got here) I would recommend giving it a try.

All right. That's my update for now. So until next time something exciting happens, I hope that you're all doing well. Take care.