December 08!

For those of you not paying attention to the calendar, it is now December... again, no matter how you slice it, we are now one month closer to going home!!!

Today is also day 39 on our pull-up challenge. I am starting to feel pain in my elbows, but that just means I am starting to work. As any boxer can tell you, not all pain is gain, so I will listen closely to what my body is telling me and adjust accordingly.

In order to lessen the pain, I am doing more sets with fewer numbers. I was doing 20 in one set and then finishing off the rest with a second set. Now I am doing sets of 10, a few hours apart. It seems to be working.

Last month started out really crazy and started slowing down there near the end. We are expecting things to get more active around the middle of December and probably slow down there at the end with the onset of 2009, the implementation of the newly signed SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreement) signed between the U.S. and Iraq.

If you follow international politics at all, you need to get a copy of that agreement and read it. It is relatively short (about 18 pages) and outlines what both countries are responsible for. There is some legalese in there, but it isn't too bad.

Semper Fi,
m