2009 Begins...

Hey everyone - I hope you all had a great New Year. Mine was boring but thanks to my brother it wasn't as bad as it could have been...thanks Matt :)

Winter has finally started to set in here. It was 12 degrees today and two days ago it was snowing. We are a month behind supposedly. By this time last year it was supposedly 15 below. It's nice though to look out and see snow covered mountains instead of the brown mountains we've been looking at for the past 2 months. It makes me want to go skiing though!

I've been busy working on setting up the women's clinic. I have established a woman's clinic in our Aid station on base (with the help of one other female here). We spent all night doing it - it looks amazing though. We can treat anything from minor cuts, deliveries, to surgeries in that room. It's only to be used by females and no males are allowed in it. Me and Jess have also set up the woman's clinic outside our base. It's primitive but we will be going over there 3 days a week and holding clinic hours. Word of us has spread and many females are coming from as far away as the Pakistan border. It's really exciting. It goes against the Taliban's teaching so as one Captain on base put it - "you two are doing more to destory the Taliban than any patrol or mission that the Army does." Makes me feel good that we are making a difference!

I got to deliver a little girl yesterday - the baby was so cute. I got some pictures that I'll try and post tomorrow of the women's clinic and the little girl.

Yesterday was occupied by not only delivering a baby but declaring war on the mouse that decided to move into my room. I heard rustling on my food shelf but was trying to convince myself that the noise was coming from outside. WRONG! I tracked down SSG Wirth to help me find this stupid mouse and we started digging through my shelves. We didn't find the mouse but the mouse sure made a mess of my Ramen noodles. He also decided to go to the bathroom on ALL of my shelves. So I went and come some traps and I may have overdone them. I have 6 set up in my room alone not to mention all the ones I put outside of my room. As of yet the mouse as outsmarted me and has avoided my traps, I will however triumph if it's the last thing I do. I kept waking up last night thinking I heard it....it's taunting me I know it!

I hope everyone is doing well I'll try to post again soon