Why can't we have anything nice?

Happy Fuck America day everyone! That is what I was told today is being called on the streets by the average Iraqi civilian. It's real name is "national sovereignty day". The june 30th deadline for the US to hand over the majority of security and combat operations to the Iraqis is finally here. Fireworks were displays were fired over Baghdad in celebration of this land mark day. Anyways, by coincidence today, our schedule was clear so pale horse (our call sign is pale horse)platoon spent the morning at the pool. Despite the fact that it was a total sausage fest we had a good time relaxing in the refreshingly cool water. We got some laughs at the expense of our two black platoon members who spent the majority of the time in the shallow end. Halfway through our time at the pool we even had the treat of seeing a cute asian girl come and lay out in the sun. The reaction on most of our faces when she walked in was probably something similar to 30 starving male lions seeing a deer. After we regained our composure, we went back to what we were doing before, stealing some occasional glances in her direction. Needless to say the experience helped me actually feel like a civilian for the first time in a long time. I should have braced myself for what was next. Because there is no such thing as a perfectly good day here in Iraq.

Shrugging off the encounter, we return to our rooms to find out that the power is out, along with the AC. My reaction? Why wouldn't the power be out? For everything that helps us forget how miserable we are, there are 10 things that pop up in our faces to remind us of how much Iraq sucks. It's 110 degrees outside, and yet it feels slightly cooler outside than in. After going to lunch I returned to my room and striped down to my boxers and laid as still as I could on my bed with my eyes closed and my door open. This was less a feeble attempt at taking a nap, and more of an attempt to enter a calming trance like meditation. Just when we had enough, we got dressed again and started to head out. Destination: the pool. Fate smiled on us though, because we were delayed in leaving because we had to wait for the geriatric member of our platoon code name "ODB" to get ready. As we were leaving the power came back on. ODB is the hero of the day. If we hadn't been forced to wait for him, I wouldn't be sitting here now in my air conditioned room listening to the sounds of WWII as Doc plays company of heros. ODB, you are a true american Hero.