9 November Surprise

So there I was, still drowsy from a relatively successful nights sleep, walking around to get to the shower and I hear this, uh, sound. Not so sure if it was my head playing with me or some Marine prankster, but it had to be the best sheep impression I have ever heard in my life.

I take the bait, glance to my right and sure enough, there is a sheep. No, I mean a real live sheep.

I gotta wake up!!! I shake my head a little, squint my eyes and look again... it is moving. It is a sheep.... in Ramadi.

Now I am not one for farm animals, and certainly not one to just walk up to some strange farm animal that I have never been formally introduced to (my mother taught me better than that) so I just walked in and took my shower.

After I was done, I noticed that a few other Marines had found the sheep too. "That your sheep Gunny," one of them asked. "Nope, not my sheep," I retorted.

We chuckled and pondered for a few minutes before we went about our separate ways.

Come to find out, it was one of the interpreter's sheep. He had picked it up to have, um, over for dinner, the night after the Marine Corps birthday.

Immediately I thought, "I ain't eatin' that sheep," and then I started thinking about steak, chicken, salmon.... CHEESEBURGERS..........

OK, I will give the sheep a shot... I mean I will taste it if they offer some to me. Although they never did, we did share some cake with them. It was a really good ceremony with some Marines I will never forget.

We cut the cake with a Bayonet! How totally fitting for a band of warriors, deployed to a combat zone, don't you think?

(That piece on the right was ALL MINE!) There were several of these cakes, so there was plenty to have for breakfast the next morning.

The Marines who drink got to have two beers a piece, courtesy of 2/9's SgtMaj. Those of us who don't drink were standing ready, just in case something went down... It didn't and all was well.

.... a sheep.....

Semper Fi,
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