I got a call from Matt today and we talked for 30 minutes. He was given a free phone card from an AT&T representative. Thank you AT&T for that wonderful call.

Iraq is about 2x the size of Idaho. Where he is there are some hills but it is mostly flat and very, very dusty. It will get in the 40-60 in the winter time but summer will be 125 during the day. It was cold this morning at about 45 degrees.

He tells me that the food is amazing and plentiful. There are more non-USA people there where he is then there are soldiers. Many from the Pacific Islands. They serve the food for them and do a wonderful job. The kitchen is huge and they have won his heart with the pumpkin pie. He LOVES pumpkin pie and has it every day. He eats 3x a day and breakfast is omlets, bacon, hashbrowns, and lots of pancakes. He gets all the Gatorade that he can drink. The Hot sandwich, like a subway, with cheese bread is a favorite.

He has been there for a couple of weeks and the time has been going by quickly because he has been very busy. His day consists of PT in the morning for an hour - pilates is tomorrow. He then gest showered and goes to breakfast. Then work - the vehicles are in bad shape and need to be repaired and cleaned. Power washing will take an hour per vehicle because of how bad they are. Dinner is about 5:30/6PM. After dinner is down time with talking on the phone, using the internet, and playing air hockey and foos ball, which he is becoming very good at.

They have adopted a cat "Nuts" is his name and he looks like Pongo, who was white w/brown spots. He has seen heards of camels from a distance but not one close up, yet.

He is still in a temporary room because his unit is moving to another spot on post. He will have a room similar in size to Jeni's room. He is planning on getting the internet but it is dial up and will have access to satelite TV.

MATTHEW DEPLOYED

Matthew was deployed this month. He left Ft. Leonard Wood (Fort Lost in the Woods), MO, the first of October. His orders are for 15 months with a scheduled R&R in September 2008. He called and has now arrived at his duty station in Iraq. He had some problems with change of climate, food, etc. He is doing better and expects to be busy working on vehicles that need repair. He says that the sand is fine and gets in your throat, nose, eyes, ears, etc. He said that it was 110 degrees during the day and 85 at night. He said that he was safe, the food was great, and he was in temporary housing, waiting to get moved into his permanent quarters. He is 9 hours ahead of Moutain Daily Time.