Random questioin as I take my first step towards Philly.... Why do guys have such long nose hairs? I have long nose hairs and I want to cut them but I don't know if those hair things work.... so I'm asking the public if they can tell if those things hurt or do they really work?

What a thought of a day huh?

Finally... Finally home. I've been home for about a month now and just as a expected... There are tons of things to take care of. I can't believe that I was able to pack away my life in about 3 days and now trying to get it back in order is taking over a month. From bills down to simple things like feeding the cat.... my little linux...(he's so fat now). I can't believe how times has flown by since I got home. I miss being at home.... but in a way I missed the fact that I didn't have to worry about bills for a month....

No matter how bad it ever is at home I know that I will NEVER go back to Iraq again.

Another interesting thought for today.... I can not believe how busy everyone's lives have become... I feel a little lost in the midst of it all.....

It's been a long time since I've really been able to update my Xanga. I feel bad that I haven't though because people really haven't been able to hear about my exciting life in Iraq. For this, I apologise. But let me reitterate..... IT IS NOT EXCITING. However besides all this babble. I'm actually seeing the light at the end of this stupid tunnel. This long, and windy, tunnel has an end.

It's looking like I may be out of Iraq by the end of then month, but home is still a whole different animal. I'll probably be stuck in Kuwait for another month or so just trying to out process. I alway thought that the army did things quickly and efficently. If ANY of you out there still have this belief, PLEASE strike it from your thoughts. Alright... I'll try to keep everyone a little more updated when I get another chance.... I miss everyone and especially my Nammie.

Control... That will be my topic for today.

I like being in control of my life. I hate the fact that I can't do what I want to do or wear what I want to wear because the army tells me that it's wrong. Now... I can understand logic and I can make very logical decisions. But the army doesn't believe that this is true. How is it possible that we can have people who don't even understand the concept of leadership lead? The idea really baffles me.

I want to be in control of my life again. I want to be able to go to bathroom without tell people where I'm going... is that so much to ask for? However, I've also realized that most of our lives are controled by someone else. So many americans drink themselves into a stuper after work because that is the only thing they can control, their body. I want to always have control of my life and let my decisions come from my little Minh inside me. I hope I never become a drone like so many people here....

Ok.. more to rant about later.

Ok... In general I'd like to keep you all updated about my life... but it's been so hectic that I couldn't really formalize a story that I'd like to tell everyone. These entire experience has sucked so much.. I have so much to tell. But I think I'll start with my most recent glimpse of death...

No crap we're still in war and my life is still in danger. But seriously, don't these terroist know when to stop? I've been use to mortor and missle attacks. Generally they don't hit inside the base because these idiots are shooting them about 9 klick out. However, this time.... they really came close. About 5 missles hit the base, and two of them hit about 70 meters from my tent. 70 METERS from my tent... Ok. ok... let me explain this to you..... a MISSLE the size of a LARGE watermelon can create a 25 meter crater.... now it can also have a kill radius of about 100 meter considering all the shrapnel that is thrown in the air......me.. I'm 70 meters away...

Do you remember those great cartoons where the roadrunner is being chased by the coyote? Ok, remember whenever he shot a missle a the roadrunner it would just fall right in front of it and not blow up......? THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED.... Just imagine this foot and a half long missle coming out of the sky and just going PLOP... Ok.. .this is when I look to the sky and thank god.... then I thank the idiots who trained these terroist because the FORGOT to arm the missle, or I wouldn't be here typing this... well maybe I'd be here just without a toe or a finger...

THANK GOD...... I'll post a pic of the missle when I get a chance..... I know that someone up there is looking out for me and my soldiers.....