tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30180072011-07-28T13:58:37.040-07:00/a m b o t c h k a/girl writerAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.comBlogger1611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1169601238089808562007-01-23T17:12:00.000-08:002007-01-23T17:14:00.406-08:00thirteen months...I've had a daughter since I last posted. She's adorable. Her name is Elizabeth Rae, and she was born August 11th.Other than that news, I've since gotten out of the Air Force and am writing a novel while taking care of Elizabeth. So... this will be my writing journal from now on (or that is my intention, at least).Cheers,AmberAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1133510508443604172005-12-01T23:48:00.000-08:002005-12-02T00:01:48.590-08:00I have this favorite pair of shoes (black mary janes) that I wear with nearly everthing. I've had them for so long, the strap was starting to fall off. So... while I was walking around Itaewon (in Korea) shopping for a new set of luggage, I decided I should look for a shoe cobbler. A man in a very nice, long cashmere coat asked if I wanted him to make me a coat, and I said "No, I need my shoesAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1133469177165494252005-12-01T12:23:00.000-08:002005-12-01T12:32:57.456-08:00I've been in Korea since Monday. It's similar to Japan, but a little dirtier and the food has more flavor. I went shopping on Tuesday and walked around the alleys and streets looking for good deals on leather jackets and souvenirs. One alley I went down must have been the spice market, because it had large barrels of bright red, yellow, and orange spices. There were bowls full of kimchee, andAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1131732172505134172005-11-11T09:57:00.000-08:002005-11-11T10:03:08.330-08:00Alright... I'm picking this back up. First, I'd like to suggest everyone visit my sister's blog, http://www.punkhaz.blogspot.com. She's in China teaching English to kids.Today is Veteran's Day, Remembrance Day, Armistace Day... end of World War One. Five times more American soldiers died in the three months the US participated in WWI than have died in the four years since the start of our Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1115923933752758652005-05-12T11:48:00.000-07:002005-05-12T11:52:13.756-07:00I am retiring this blog. This is for several reasons, one of which is that I just don't have the time or energy anymore but most importantly because I feel I need to focus on my novel. That means no journaling - whether electronic or hard-copy. This is a distraction; when I'm procrastinating, I'll write in here instead of on my book. At any rate, it's been a good long run, and maybe I'll Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1114626230668167262005-04-27T11:11:00.000-07:002005-04-27T11:27:01.063-07:00About an hour ago I was getting my eyes lazered. (How often do you get to say that?) They numbed my eyes, and then took out a scrub brush and cleaned off the epithelium (outer skin cells) and then the laser did its job. The only discomfort was when the brush was working... the laser wasn't painful and was very interesting.... after a while it seemed I was looking down a tunnel at a blinking Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1114122586389702152005-04-21T15:20:00.000-07:002005-04-21T15:29:46.390-07:00Last Saturday I bought a new computer... an iMac. It's fantastic and will be the computer I write my first novel on. Isn't that exciting?Next Wednesday the Navy is going to give me the PRK surgery -- lazer eye surgery. (For free.) It'll be painful, they say, but worth it. The thought of going from 20/400 to 20/20 is just plain exhilerating. :-) I won't have to think about contacts or Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1113520795206717712005-04-14T16:15:00.000-07:002005-04-14T16:19:55.206-07:00In LAX....at one of those internet kiosks....watching a man scrub the floor with a long stick that has a towel tied to the end, like an upside-down staff. Merlin the Janitor.I just wrote six pages for my new book. Of course...I must remind myself..."there is no poor writing; only poor re-writing." That means I can write and write for now, without worrying too much about clarity/perfection. Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1113380088583778012005-04-13T00:52:00.000-07:002005-04-13T01:14:48.586-07:00Things were a little different today.... starting at 4:15am when he called... he asked if I wanted to go sailing on Saturday, which was his little way of saying things will get better. Then I rolled over and went. I was nearly late to class...arriving one minute before 8. (It's my style.)After work I drove back to the hotel, changed into my swimsuit and laid out next to the pool to read some Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1113294226616286592005-04-12T01:11:00.000-07:002005-04-12T01:23:46.616-07:00do you ever see photos of yourself of happier days and wonder...how was i ever so joyful? do you ever scorn your previous self for being happy because the darkness of the world is embalming you? i am having one of those days. or rather, years.just a pointer: don't go on a business trip to Hawaii, alone, unless you're really happy in your relationship status, be it single or happily committed.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1112736714224815572005-04-05T14:25:00.000-07:002005-04-05T14:31:54.226-07:00Back at work... It's amazing how little work I do here compared to what I did in Iraq. So far I've worked on a PowerPoint presentation and planned next week's business trip to Oahu. The pace will pick up when I get back from Hawaii because I'll only have two weeks before my next business trip to Seattle and I have a lot of things I'll need to get done before I leave for that.A movie commentaryAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1112109248105954822005-03-29T07:08:00.000-08:002005-03-29T07:14:08.106-08:00i'm visiting my parents and sister this week in Charleston, South Carolina. it's a nice, warm, sunny day, and guess what i get to do now? mow the lawn. wonderful. mom said i can "work on my tan." i love how they pick this week to do house work.this may be my last time visiting them in Charleston as they're moving to Denver for about six months and then to Anchorage. Christmas in Alaska, my Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1111695850413339732005-03-24T12:22:00.000-08:002005-03-24T22:18:05.216-08:00and so i laughed...Which File Extension are You?Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1111516897198583962005-03-22T10:35:00.000-08:002005-03-22T10:41:37.200-08:00I started work yesterday, and it's going well so far. It is strange and different to be back, needless to say. The work day went by so quickly, too, now that I'm only working 8-hour days.The new shoes are great. We went running last night in the neighborhood, up and down hills, and my legs didn't hurt at all (still don't). I don't what else to say. Hopefully the house will get organized soonAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1111350070369851062005-03-20T12:19:00.000-08:002005-03-20T12:21:10.370-08:00just a quick update: house is still a mess, but getting slowly better. the roommate situation is a little improved. got new running shoes and am going to take the dogs on a run to the beach....Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1111201674893780462005-03-18T18:51:00.000-08:002005-03-18T19:07:54.896-08:00this has been the worst day since i left Iraq. i have broken down more times today than i can ever remember doing in one day before. i don't know what it is. so many things didn't work out today, plus it was gloomy and rainy and my roommate skimped out on me in my time of need to go to a movie with his girlfriend. now, the house is a mess with all of my belongings all about because i just Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1111171643993909842005-03-18T10:46:00.000-08:002005-03-18T22:26:16.753-08:00mammoth lakes valley1mammoth lakes valley1, originally uploaded by ambotchka.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1111170820564077482005-03-18T10:32:00.000-08:002005-03-18T10:39:55.556-08:00amber ridesamber rides, originally uploaded by ambotchka.at mammoth mtnAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1110948766530688222005-03-15T20:44:00.000-08:002005-03-15T20:52:46.530-08:00the Sierras are absolutely gorgeous in the spring. rolling, green hills beneath peaks of snow, speckled with pines. i went snowboarding and cross country skiing up at Mammoth the past few days and then drove to the western side of the Sierras (via Nevada since the pass was closed) to see family. the poppies have started to bloom, and it's warm and breezy here. why be anywhere else?adjusting Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1110308751849248362005-03-08T10:59:00.000-08:002005-03-08T11:05:51.850-08:00I am in El Paso, Texas. It took me THIS LONG to get here, but at least I am back in the States. I may be able to fly home tomorrow - I hope!Exhausted....Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1109788450828250422005-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:002005-03-02T10:34:10.830-08:00unfortunately, there is no pool here. oh well. tonight after my yoga class i was going to do some cardio, but they were having a boxing fight and the rest of the gym was closed off. i stayed to watch (nothing else to do), and i have to admit it was a little interesting.boredom breeds the desire to shop, so i spent some time in the PX today, browsing and getting the new Tori Amos and Ani Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1109610905531270962005-02-28T09:11:00.000-08:002005-02-28T09:17:18.626-08:00I have arrived in Kuwait...after a nice, gucci C-17 (from Charleston) ride.It feels so strange, being out of Iraq. Away from my friends.They said the next flight out of here that I can get on won't leave until around the 6th... so I suppose I'll be doing a lot of writing, reading, gym/pool.... and being bored. In a way, it's nice because it will give me a chance to unwind before heading home. Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1109572954859288522005-02-27T22:38:00.000-08:002005-02-27T22:42:34.860-08:00I leave Iraq TODAY.... that is, if I can find a ride to BIAP. Just wanted everyone to know...I'll continue this when I get home (hopefully in less than a week), but it will just go back to normal everyday life.Thank you, everyone, for supporting me while I was here...~ amberAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1109229318117184622005-02-23T23:07:00.000-08:002005-02-23T23:15:18.116-08:00The General finally released the group I came over here with... we're free to go home. (We were calling ourselves "detainees" for the past month.) Yet there's a catch -- the plane home doesn't leave Kuwait until sometime after the 1st of March (probably after the 3rd). I thought of leaving, and waiting in Kuwait where I don't have to work and will be able to relax, but then I thought about Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1109052383359246572005-02-21T22:02:00.000-08:002005-02-21T22:06:23.360-08:00guess what i get to do today?? out-process!!! it's SO exciting. i get to drive around and visit all the little places, like the armory and supply, to check out. i leave Baghdad next Monday and i can hardly wait! i don't know yet when i'll get home b/c it could take three to nine days getting there, but it doesn't matter. as long as i get to return to the real world, it doesn't matter if it Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1108493999631782762005-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:002005-02-15T10:59:59.633-08:00today i went to the "rug shop" over at North Victory and bought three Persian rugs... one from Qom, one from Naim, and one from Tabriz. they're gorgeous. the Qom one (all silk) is the smallest and has a hunting scene on it -- very...well, Persian-looking. the Naim one is blue and white, with a more geometric design, and has the family signature woven into the top. the one from Tabriz is Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1108294971066581622005-02-13T03:33:00.000-08:002005-02-13T03:42:51.066-08:00last night i went to a bonfire... i almost felt i was anywhere but here.this morning i separated out the things i want to ship home from the things i have to bring back with me to drop off at either Kuwait or El Paso on my way home. it took a while, and then i packed up one of my duffels with stuff for my TX drop-off...one bag is now ready to go. it was nice sitting in my room with the morning Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1108213251484639332005-02-12T04:55:00.000-08:002005-02-12T05:00:51.486-08:00just a few more weeks.... can't wait!today is one of those Saturdays that should be spent laying on the couch reading a good book...not being at work in front of a computer all day and all evening. sorry don't have anything extravagant to say.oh, i'm learning how to read Arabic. a bit late in my tour, you say? well, yes, you're right, but i don't care. it suddenly seems interesting. ok lame Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1107952864178271842005-02-09T04:36:00.000-08:002005-02-09T04:41:04.176-08:00on my way down stairs today the Captain called me "Heather." why is it that whenever someone calls me a wrong name by mistake, it is always "Heather?" i have nothing against the name, but it's curious that ever since i was little, that's the name people subconsciously think i should be called. i guess i look like one.
i'm working on writing a page-long piece about my experiences on Iraqi Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1107886027607716482005-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:002005-02-08T10:09:01.406-08:00some days are great, and some days i end up feeling like i got run over by a tank...this is one of those days.
for starters, one of the blogs i've been tracking took a sudden dive... the guy said he was going to kill himself, and it seemed serious. there wasn't anything i could do or any way i could contact him b/c he didn't set up the blog to receive comments or have an email address... so all Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1107762334047559712005-02-06T23:43:00.000-08:002005-02-06T23:51:09.816-08:00a mural at Camp Slayer, probably of the Iran-Iraq or the 1991 Gulf wars...
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1107707981553203342005-02-06T08:31:00.000-08:002005-02-06T08:39:41.553-08:00this past week has been a pretty good one... just three more to go until i'm out of here. (oh, and i plan on keeping this up after my deployment; it just won't be about Iraq anymore)
last night i went to the Brit house and watched Wales beat England in rugby. rugby has got to be the best sport out there....MUCH better than American football (never did get into that game). it all moves faster Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1107282031414304012005-02-01T10:17:00.000-08:002005-02-01T10:25:04.300-08:00time for another picture... this is the chapel at Camp Slayer. you can see my house straight ahead, on the water....
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1107072628715540982005-01-30T00:04:00.000-08:002005-01-30T00:10:28.716-08:00Sometimes... I just get so frustrated!!! Grrr!!! I had written a really good entry, and when I pushed "publish post" the page didn't load up correctly and I lost everything! I hate that!
Well... I mostly talked about the elections. Of course. It's a gorgeous day outside, and hopefully the majority of Iraqi people will show up to vote, defying the insurgents who've threatened them. So far, Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1106997337094230352005-01-29T02:56:00.000-08:002005-01-29T03:15:37.093-08:00Thanks for the comments, guys (comments with the pic below). I read that comment last night just before heading home and was not only stunned, but mystified. I racked my brain most of the night, in between being a little disturbed by the shooting going on and having just seen a lot of tracer rounds from my kitchen, wondering why someone would say something like that and then wimp out by just Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1106243974735799562005-01-20T09:57:00.000-08:002005-01-20T10:07:45.223-08:00Here's a pic of when I was at the Muff Bar in Qatar with my best friend and two guys she worked with there.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1106047751232220122005-01-18T03:18:00.000-08:002005-01-18T03:32:59.580-08:00don't really know what to write today... every day is much the same. from an outsider's point of view, i'm sure this is boring. i'm really just updating my posts to let you know i'm still alive.
ever since the dining facility bombing in Mosul, things have changed. no longer can you walk straight into any building without first getting checked by the MPs and clearing your weapon (i've not shot Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1105681828798511442005-01-13T21:40:00.000-08:002005-01-13T21:50:28.796-08:00the past few days there was a horrible smell in the big room I share with the other girls in our house (our little rooms are like cubbies, with blankets as doors). I couldn't figure out what the smell was, exactly, or where it was coming from, and as the days went by, the stench grew. It reminded me of the smell of the rotting cattle we'd ride by on horses in Bahrain when I used to live there..Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1105377235885841002005-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:002005-01-10T09:13:55.886-08:00The weather has been beautiful lately... cool and crisp, but clear and not too windy. Yesterday, just before sunset, I learned how to play cricket. It's really cool, and not that difficult...with a tennis ball. Having a real cricket ball flying at me would probably scare me off. I have some not-so-fond memories of softballs crashing into my cranium... Learning cricket is one of the benefits Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1105017177929684202005-01-06T04:48:00.000-08:002005-01-06T05:12:57.930-08:00 Today has been pretty good, considering... it's Iraqi Army Day, Epiphany, Orthodox Christmas Eve, and my own, personal, Quarter-Century Day. My co-workers gave me a plaster tablet copy of (I think) Hammurabi or something Babylonian, and I got some books (I love Bill Bryson). After work (we're getting off "on-time" tonight, which is early) we're going to the Camp Slayer Lion's Den for "karaoke Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1104747215673545872005-01-03T02:02:00.000-08:002005-01-03T02:13:35.673-08:00Came back from Qatar a few days ago... couldn't post anything there because this site was blocked (as were all the useful sites). Anyway, yes, Qatar was amazing. It was so odd to be out in the "real" world. I went from eating at the chow hall here with plastic forks to a restaurant in the Ritz with fine silver. Needless to say, I was speechless most of the time, staring out of the car windowAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1103964331004167922004-12-25T00:36:00.000-08:002004-12-25T00:50:59.886-08:00Merry Christmas!
This is the most different Christmas I've ever had, but it's not bad. I slept in an extra hour (believe me, that makes a HUGE difference), came in to work and called my parents while opening the gifts they sent (it was 1am there).... I got a really soft, cranberry-colored robe and some nice slipper (I really needed those b/c my house is freezing). Then I read through my emails..Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1103650401402836342004-12-21T09:28:00.000-08:002004-12-21T09:33:21.403-08:00Well, the LAST entry generated a lot of comments. No need to say more, except that yesterday and today were a little better. I got some sleep, which helped tremendously, and some of the officers and I fixed some of the problems that were going on over here. Things aren't perfect (are they ever), but we found some ways to lighten the mood a bit.
I got a box with Christmas cards from a middle Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1103456859982798522004-12-19T03:29:00.001-08:002004-12-19T03:47:39.983-08:00my morale today is the size of a flea, and about as resistant to being stepped on. i was talking to a fellow officer of the same rank today about life over here. he's one of those "have faith in the system" guys who isn't cynical and gladly accepts, sacrificially, whatever is dished out to him - and expects everyone to do the same. i told him of some of the things that go on in our work place (Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1103363168400737112004-12-18T02:43:00.000-08:002004-12-18T01:49:32.926-08:00We had a gift exchange at work, and one of my friends came as Sadr Claus... Muqtada al-Sadr is a Shi'a personality in Najaf.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1103045810042584572004-12-14T09:24:00.000-08:002004-12-14T09:40:02.760-08:00this is likely only funny for those who've been to Iraq, but i just had to put this out for public perview.... i picked only the best ones, and most of them apply to myself, which is scary...
You know you've been in Iraq too long when...
~ mortars land near your compound and you roll over in bed and think, "still way off, i've got another five minutes."
~ you actually volunteer for convoy Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102783624730680622004-12-11T08:43:00.000-08:002004-12-11T08:47:04.730-08:00The Twelve Days of Iraqristmas
On the _____ day of Iraqristmas, my Imam gave to me:
...the keys to a VBIED
...two foreign fighters
...three RPGs
...four new wives
...five golden Mosques
...six hostile sermons
...seven threatening flyers
...eight rusty AKs
...nine flaming fatwas
...ten pounds of C-4
...eleven men with small arms
...and twelve billion dinar!!!Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102690613723959092004-12-10T06:40:00.000-08:002004-12-10T06:56:53.723-08:00I guess fixing my image/sidebar problem will have to wait a few days. *sigh* I'm not the computer geek i should be, apparently.
Today i spent most of the time staring at my computer screen, trying to figure out what was the point of the project i was working on. that must happen to other people as well, right? i wanted so badly to go back to my bed and sleep it all away...
i got an email Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102319719877114742004-12-05T23:43:00.000-08:002004-12-09T21:37:10.993-08:00this morning was chilly, but i'm adjusting to the temperature. it's still not as cold as St. Louis was when i lived there. every day, the weather is cooler and clearer (the skies are a cold, deep blue).
saturday night was "salsa night." i went to take lessons and ended up dancing until 11 (i left early because i had to be at work the next morning). dancing and twirling around, i nearly forgot i Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102225245971468932004-12-04T21:37:00.000-08:002004-12-09T03:23:40.853-08:00Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102143672995311192004-12-03T23:01:00.000-08:002004-12-03T23:01:12.996-08:00FlickrThis is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102143099996251152004-12-03T22:38:00.000-08:002004-12-03T22:59:54.320-08:00Well, yesterday I took some time and wrote at length, and my post didn't save. *sigh* Oh well.
Believe it or not, the Marine General over here thought not wearing the black fleece jackets was rediculous as well -- so they changed the uniform standards for us over here (finally, someone in charge has common sense). I was warm walking to work this morning...
I am searching for ways to put pics onAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1102078933730339922004-12-03T04:46:00.000-08:002004-12-03T05:02:13.730-08:00Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1101626558290014712004-11-27T23:10:00.000-08:002004-11-27T23:22:38.290-08:00Another Sunday, another work day. The morale over at my new workspace is better than where I was before, but the bosses back in Victory don't want any of us to be happy over here... so my personal morale isn't that great. The leadership doesn't care about the individual soldiers at all, it seems. Nearly all the soldiers I speak with talk about when they can get out of the military... and I'm Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1101125836031480622004-11-22T04:07:00.000-08:002004-11-22T04:17:16.033-08:00Life continues over here.... I've been busy, but not in the frantic, irrational way I was over at Camp Victory. Here, work is the same, but I can set my own pace and even accomplish more. I'm happier here. :) dibriad@isg.mil for those of you who used to email me at my other work email address (like my friend in New Hampshire).
There was an article sent out about Fallujah, by Jack Kelly. He Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1100667804240908002004-11-16T20:57:00.000-08:002004-11-16T21:03:24.240-08:00I have successfully moved to Camp Slayer, into a house. There is a huge room partitioned off to make cubicles with beds in them, and my little cubicle-room has a sliding glass door (unopenable) right along the lake. It's beautiful, quaint, and much safer than that tin-can trailer. This morning's walk to breakfast was nostalgic, but I couldn't tell where the nostalgia was coming from -- BahrainAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1100246818463339272004-11-11T23:55:00.000-08:002004-11-12T00:06:58.463-08:00i've been unable to write recently because i've been sick and stuck in my trailer. the doctors didn't know what was wrong with me (weak, dizzy, strange creatinine levels) so they wanted me to go to the CASH (which is like M*A*S*H) at the International Zone. It took me two days to finally get a flight here, during which i was stuck in my trailer. well, the doctors here took some more blood Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1099371301819378322004-11-01T20:50:00.000-08:002004-11-01T20:55:01.820-08:00it's been raining. although i enjoy the familiar smell of wet pavement... i do not so much enjoy the mud. it's not just normal mud... it sticks to your boots and piles up and up so suddenly you find yourself two inches taller and walking on rounded soles. it's got the consistency of chocolate pudding mixed with corn starch.
the change in climate is welcomed, though. it suddenly feels, Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1099102019686844772004-10-29T19:05:00.000-07:002004-10-29T19:06:59.686-07:00www.mnf-iraq.com
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1099021999153220922004-10-28T20:47:00.000-07:002004-10-28T20:53:19.153-07:00this past week went by fairly fast. (a good thing)
yesterday was the lunar eclipse. i went outside to watch it for about 1/2 hour as the last sliver of the moon was blanketed in the earth's shadow. one of the girls watching it with me apparently had no concept of astronomy and was shocked when i said the eclipse was because we were between the sun and the moon... she asked, "so the sun is Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1098669742005583142004-10-24T18:59:00.000-07:002004-10-24T19:02:22.006-07:00I lost a co-worker yesterday in an attack. He was like an uncle to those of us who knew him here. He was just shaving in the shower trailer.... it was very sad, and we miss his gruffy smile. When I went home, sleep was nearly impossible. I kept seeing his face in my mind, and every little sound I heard made my heart race. We all got a sense of reality on Sunday.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1098573483332569662004-10-23T16:11:00.000-07:002004-10-23T16:18:03.333-07:00Yes... I'm doing fine. Work has just been super busy and I haven't felt like updating this. (Still don't, really.)
Back to running....had to quit rugby due to too many twisted ankles (not that I have more than the usual amount of ankles, but that the pot-holes on the helo pad were dangerous). We run around Lost Lake, which is about a 2 mile loop, and then sometimes add in another loop aroundAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1097790538988024712004-10-14T14:36:00.000-07:002004-10-14T14:48:58.990-07:00Two strange things happened to me tonight.... 1) As I was walking back to my trailer after a (cold) shower, I heard something strange. Waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of a cloudy, moonless night, I saw something move. It was like a small, long shadow. Eventually I saw it was a fox -- bushy tail, long nose, and staring at me. I froze, and it froze. I moved, and it moved. HavingAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1097465554434932732004-10-10T20:29:00.000-07:002004-10-10T20:32:34.436-07:00In the Army, commanders will usually say, "As you were" when letting their soldiers know to go back to what they were doing...
A man was reading from the Bible in church yesterday. He was either nervous or having trouble with his eyes, but several times he fumbled over the verses. Each time, he said, "As you were." I nearly laughed. Leave it to an Army Major to say, "as you were" while Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1096956685672572462004-10-04T23:10:00.000-07:002004-10-04T23:11:25.673-07:00I'll write more later... I just wrote an incredibly detail, long entry and the internet connection went out and I lost everything. I am very frustrated, so I'm going to leave now.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1096421024028616182004-09-28T18:09:00.000-07:002004-09-28T18:23:44.030-07:00Apparently we were lucky today. Just before I woke up, the building next to my work-place got hit with a rocket. It hit the building, then bounced off. Fortunately, it was a dud. EOD (Explosive Ordinance Diposal) came and disposed of it, but everyone was locked in the building until it was taken care of. It was about 50 yards from where I work. As you can imagine, when I got to work, the Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1096240900020393182004-09-26T16:08:00.000-07:002004-09-26T16:21:40.020-07:00I got to work tonight to find out I would be the only one in my "cell" until morning. I was just delighted. Let me explain.... we usually put out a product of pretty good analysis every morning at 0400. It's so well-loved that when our Lt Colonels shut off our product in the interest of other things, the General himself walked down here, looked at us, and said, "The Daily is back up." I'm Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1096170893492527372004-09-25T20:49:00.000-07:002004-09-25T20:56:43.803-07:00Next year will be better, she said,
kicking the gravel across the road
Next year couldn't be any worse
that's for sure.
She fell over and died.
Next year couldn't come now,
and she was fine with it.
Those that found her body
couldn't see the scarring
or understand why her
soul ran out.
I don't know what to call this...it's not exactly a poem. Oh, and don't think I'm depressed. I was just very Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1096066246105142952004-09-24T15:34:00.000-07:002004-09-24T15:50:46.106-07:00Writing so soon again? Yes, I am.
Have any of you ever ridden a bicycle at 2am? Last night was my 1/2 night, and on the way to the MWR, I realized I couldn't remember ever riding at that time before. There aren't any street lights here, but the glow from downtown Baghdad is strong -- the nights are a bit hazy. At 2am, there aren't any humvees or SUVs driving by. Or anyone else, really. Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1095734930607831602004-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:002004-09-20T19:48:50.606-07:00Yes, I know, it's been a while. I started working the night shift and it threw off my sleep schedule so I have been a little too tired to care about updating this. However... the night shift is definitely better. It's quiet, and there aren't many Generals up and about at 2 am asking us questions. I can actually read through all my emails and the traffic, which is unheard of during the day time. Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1094797814485814502004-09-10T10:30:00.000-07:002004-09-09T23:30:14.486-07:00Yesterday was my 1/2 day off...and I had intended to use the pool for the first time. However, much to my chagrin, just as I was leaving we found out we had to go to "full battle rattle." (Kevlar helmet and flak vest) The first thing I thought of was the pool. Dismayed, I mentioned, "well, I guess I can't go swimming now." One of the guys in my shop said, "Well, you could, but you'd have to Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1094449295360903352004-09-05T22:23:00.001-07:002004-09-05T22:41:35.360-07:00Now that my life has become rather routine, I've added some new things to it. Last Thursday, on my 1/2 day off, I played Rugby for the first time ever. It was way too much fun. Let me describe what playing Rugby here at Camp Victory is like:
First, as we arrived at the medivac pad, a few cars were lined up. They were waiting for the helicopters to arrive. The few stragglers who showed up early Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1093442338760047822004-08-25T06:47:00.000-07:002004-08-25T06:58:58.760-07:00A note from an Englishman written inside a Camp Victory 'sauna' (porta potty):
"No to the Euro. Keep the Pound."
I thought that was funny. Even here in Iraq, someone from England is concerned about their national currency.
I've received a few packages and email from people back at home, etc., and I want to thank you. :) It's always nice to get something, even a card. There are some people Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1093181914212179902004-08-22T06:24:00.000-07:002004-08-22T06:38:34.213-07:00American perspective can change here in Baghdad:
Last night as Monica and I were leaving the shower trailer, we heard a popping noise. She said, "Oh, look, fireworks!" Up in the sky were red trails of light streaming toward us. It was pretty, but alarming. I asked if they were tracer rounds or flares, and we both started walking as quickly as we could back to our trailer in our wet flip-flops (Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-109283536788905072004-08-18T06:04:00.000-07:002004-08-18T06:22:47.890-07:00My Grandpa Lincoln died the other day from what I think was a heart attack. It's been difficult getting ahold of anyone who knows anything (like my mother). Everyone went to California for the funeral... and I'm very far away in Iraq. I hope, above all, my grandmother makes it alright though this.
Work has been insanely busy. I didn't know I had it in me to work straight through for 13 hours Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1092227869824103752004-08-11T05:25:00.000-07:002004-08-11T05:37:49.823-07:00I have a some-what funny story: On Tuesday, I got some sleeping pills from the doc b/c I wasn't sleeping well on my cot (plus it's noisy in my tent of 20+ females). I slept very well that night... so well, in fact, I didn't even know four mortar rounds had hit somewhere nearby, waking everyone else up and shaking the tent. The mortars really aren't that frightening because we're all used to Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1091813057677441302004-08-06T10:06:00.000-07:002004-08-06T10:24:17.676-07:00I have been working SO MUCH the last few days. A 12 hour shift is really a 13 hours shift due to shift changes, etc. I read and read and read and read. By the time work is over, I generally walk home and crawl into my luxurious cot, then pass out. I've been told I get a day off next Thursday, and then the week after it'll be a 1/2 day off, and will rotate like that each week. Thursday seems Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1091440879418129332004-08-02T02:58:00.000-07:002004-08-02T03:01:19.420-07:00My address here is:1Lt Amber BrinsonMNF-I (C2)NIC/IFCAPO AE 09342 ....don't forget to add "USA" at the bottom if it's coming from a foreign country. :)
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1091359677897527172004-08-01T03:52:00.000-07:002004-08-01T04:27:57.896-07:00I was going to put some pics on here, but it's not working.... if anyone wants some, email me. I know it's the tedious way, but that's what happens here on Army posts in Iraq.
I must be getting used to the heat. I'm not saying it's easy walking 100 meters outside at noon, but I don't feel as faint doing it anymore. I'm also getting used to the temperature in our tent. I put a work order in Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1091119601001789812004-07-29T09:40:00.000-07:002004-07-29T09:46:41.000-07:00Camp Victory, Iraq! Finally. I left San Diego what, 11 days ago? Seems a lifetime ago. I'm not planning on typing much because I am extremely tired, need to shower, and really need to get to bed. Just letting you know I'm here. It's almost pretty outside -- such a drastic change from Kuwait, and it doens't seem as hot. At least, after eating dinner, it was only 95 degrees or so which is Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1091016558101911062004-07-28T04:54:00.000-07:002004-07-28T05:09:18.100-07:00I am in Kuwait right now. Either tonight or tomorrow we'll catch a ride on a C-130 and fly to Baghdad, so soon this trip will be over and I'll have a place to put my stuff (hopefully). It is unbelievably hot here. I'm sure everyone has said that before, so I'm just reassuring you it's that hot. Somewhere between standing in front of a hair dryer and getting blasted by an F-16 engine. Our Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1089916149566783402004-07-15T11:26:00.000-07:002004-07-15T11:34:35.866-07:00I leave in three days, so I've been running around doing lots of errands. I've had to go to medical, dental, and legal... had to get inserts for my gas mask ... of course, they said, "which gas mask do you use?" Never having used one before, and not having seen which one I'll be issued, I replied with a blank stare. Fortunately, there is a generic set of inserts. They must be so attractive.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-1085436222613869482004-05-24T14:58:00.000-07:002004-05-24T15:03:42.613-07:00It's been years and years since I've written on this site. So much has happened.
Let's not revisit it.
Today I left work around noon to come home and rest. (I have mono, again.) I haven't really done much except tool around online and chat with an old friend. My dog, Chewbacca, has decided (against my many "no"s) that the best place to nap is on my bed, next to me. I don't mind so much, Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-71383272001-11-14T23:29:00.000-08:002001-11-14T23:31:32.000-08:00To-night China found
his delicious will wouldn't break
the amber stars chortled in jest,
'you'll never touch it, hon.'
in frenzy feast
hordes of fish flesh
slide down
they hide like demons
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-70712892001-11-12T15:36:00.000-08:002001-11-12T15:36:27.926-08:00i'm working on a short story now, which is so-far titled "Waffle House" -- once it's polished up a bit more i'll send it off. hopefully i'll make something out of it and begin my dreams of professional writer-hood.
i bought Jewel's book of poetry today. i'd always avoided it because, well, she is a celebrity, and probably only got herself published because of it. after glancing through it a Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-66389962001-10-26T10:48:00.000-07:002001-10-26T10:48:46.473-07:00it has been two weeks since i've last posted anything. this is largely due to the fact i've been incredibly busy. the other fact is i totally forgot. i've been working on several ... projects. two of them are secrets for someone, and just incase this person reads this (which i doubt), i will not name them. anyhow, just posting to say i'm alive. i have run out of creative spunk for this.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-62885682001-10-12T07:44:00.000-07:002001-10-12T07:44:46.006-07:00friday. tonight is the Dining-In for my AFROTC Detachment. get to wear Mess Dress, yay.
Pensacola was absolutely devine. i had the happiest weekend. i can't wait until i can return.
the Russkii Klub is rocking along... the other members are as excited about it as i am. we're having a party tonight, after i return from Scott AFB and the Dining-In. Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-61064942001-10-04T08:16:00.000-07:002001-10-04T08:16:44.636-07:00i leave this afternoon for Florida, just shortly after my Theology class. this is going to be exciting. Navy Ball....wow. i'm wearing a navy ballgown with white gloves. he's wearing choker whites. we'll be quite the pair.
so the Russians have been attacked as well? an explosion in an airplane? oh my.
no new poems i feel like typing in here.
i'll be back on Monday.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-60476242001-10-01T19:44:00.000-07:002001-10-01T19:44:23.076-07:00we started the Russkii Klub today at SLU. :) it's going to be awesome. we gabbed a bit, then went out to eat at Dvin's, a local Russian restaurant. so far we have four members...but there are going to be lots more soon enough, when the word spreads. now i have a new Russian music cd...the band is called "Splin."
ran today, after the restaurant. my bike is hurt. it got in an accident whileAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-59830512001-09-28T15:12:00.000-07:002001-09-28T15:12:31.206-07:00i'm working on a poem. it begins with old, tsarist Russia (troika=trinity), goes into Soviet Russia, then into the rebirth of Orthodoxy. so far, it sounds like this:
//troika//
different
immediately, immediately
red lesson
second gathering.
and another, same style:
//three//
to talk among
to arrive
to shout
director of time
he looked
third
interesting.
i'm going to Triad's homecoming game Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-59673882001-09-27T21:08:00.000-07:002001-09-27T21:08:04.370-07:00i simply want this next week to RUSH by. i want it to be Oct 4th, so i can get in my car and DRIVE and DRIVE. i'm going to Pensacola. i'm stoked. it's going to be fantabulous. i'm going to the Navy Birthday Ball!!!
i went running at the indian mounds again. this time i took my roommate Carly and my friend Tom. it was nice to run with other people for a change.
i am tired. sleepy.
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-59039792001-09-25T07:16:00.000-07:002001-09-25T07:16:48.436-07:00yesterday was noneventful, although i did go for a run at sunset. i like running around the cahokia indian mounds. there's something mystical there, something empowering. there's nothing like being on top of monk's mound (the biggest one) and being able to see all around, with st. louis in the west, the mississippi river snaking along to the south, and the bluffs in the east. i feel like i'm Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-58723182001-09-23T19:40:00.000-07:002001-09-23T19:40:49.996-07:00Parks Guard Rifle Drill Team (yeah that includes me) marched in Dwight, Illinois' Veteran's Parade today. i was in the color guard, carrying the US flag. i was so proud. i love that feeling.
here's a really adorable poem my friend Valerii wrote for me. he's taken only one year of English, and it's such a good poem...
The sound which the forest gives
On a cold day of September
When the wind Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-58525252001-09-22T17:58:00.000-07:002001-09-22T17:58:48.163-07:00biked a lot today. fun. tired. i want to go running (*gasp*) but my ankles won't let me.
cut my hair today as well. spiky. it's about an inch long all over. i like it.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-58267852001-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:002001-09-21T09:21:34.240-07:00my physical was postponed until Tues.
here's a haiku:
the boy screamed out loud
(cantankerous fiesty brat)
--but he stubbed his toe!
Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-58030792001-09-20T07:13:00.000-07:002001-09-20T07:13:55.833-07:00Thursday. I woke up this morning feeling calmer than usual. Kind of Enya-ish. It's a nice change. However, I do not feel like going to class...
I feel like I'm forgetting something. What is it?
I have my AF Physical tomorrow. For commissioning. I hope they don't find anything wrong with me.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-57552702001-09-18T00:59:00.000-07:002001-09-18T00:59:04.276-07:00This summer I met an old man on a Greyhound bus leaving Biloxi, Mississippi who said something so obvious I had never before stopped to think about it. “Honey,” he said, “there is something every single human-being on this planet is guaranteed, and that is that there are twenty-four hours in a day.” I sat there in the darkness as we rode to Memphis and thought about it. Obviously, he's right.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-57552362001-09-18T00:54:00.000-07:002001-09-18T00:54:15.413-07:00i wrote this last month, when i was in Monterey. now that i'm online again (as of yesterday) i can post it....
For Greg
Were you happy
When you were a street kid?
Liberated, running on the
Roofs of Monterey?
Sleeping in Alcoves-by-the-Sea?
Hungry but meeting people
Who shared,
All the time knowing
All the time thinking
Of me
Warm and clean but restless
Not in a ’79 Mustang, curled in the seatAmber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-56195902001-09-11T12:21:00.000-07:002001-09-11T12:21:21.610-07:00may i have an early commission please? i am ready to go kill someone.
who are we declaring was upon? "war of the 21st century"Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018007.post-56013692001-09-10T17:49:00.000-07:002001-09-10T17:49:54.543-07:00ps my friend Zany Matt has been ignoring me. he will pay.Amber Loughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.com0