Back in the groove

7:45 PM Central Afghan Time

Last night I arrived back at Kandahar Airfield, with great relief. Life at Tarin Kowt was fun, but very high-tempo; I think I may have done more direct hands-on field ops during 24 days at TK than I did in my entire year in Iraq. KAF is a bit more tedious but a lot more comfortable.

Two things in particular help my current frame of mind. First, the guy who was filling in for me left on the same ring flight that brought me back, so I don’t have to share an office with him, and — much more importantly — he vacated the quarters I had been using before I left, so I’m right back where I started with very little changed. Second … the laptop problem I had at Tarin Kowt? where it wouldn’t power up, wouldn’t do anything? Once again the problem simply vanished, with no apparent cause and certainly no explanation. So, I’ll once again be able to work on personal projects at my leisure, watch my remaining DVDs (I haven’t even started on Alias Season 4 yet), and resume writing without wondering when and how I’ll ever be able to key in the text.

It also doesn’t hurt that the supply of Red Bull here is both more plentiful and more readily accessible.

I didn’t do much of anything today, just sort of drifted around and let myself settle back into the routine. Tomorrow I intend to resume writing on the story that (at 12,000 words) I let languish while I waited for conditions — and my mood — to improve.