I'm getting settled here in Manas. It's kind of a shame we'll only be here for a few days. The pluses of being in Manas: it's not Afghanistan, we get 2 beers a day, there's a Catholic chaplain, the food isn't bad, there's plenty to do (mwr, decent wifi, coffee shop, massage parlor, shopping, burger king/pizza hut/kabab express, library), hot showers, free laundry. The minuses of being here: open bay barracks filled with girls that don't know how to keep quiet when people are sleeping, tiny bathrooms that you have to walk through snow and ice to get to from the barracks, endless snow and ice. I can't really complain about being cold, because all the "buildings" (aka tents/shacks/huts) are heated and warm.

Probably going to be leaving here in the next day or so. I guess it's not too bad. I'm so glad I've got my shipmates traveling with me. It's nice to have some company. I guess we're flying in a big ol' military cargo plane. It should be interesting. I think the Captain already left last night. He got some "I'm an important guy" hook-up. I'm kind of glad we get a day or two here, it gives us time to relax after two days of travel.

So Lent started yesterday. We were lucky and got to go to Ash Wednesday services here on base. I'm doing pretty good on my fasting so far. And I've given up drinking unnatural things (like soda).

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