October 2008

Hi ya'll,

Just thought I'd drop you all a note and get everyone updated. Turns out that issue that put me in the ER right after we arrived here in sunny San Antonio wasn't epididimytis. After 3 ultra sounds and one CT scan it was determined that I have 2 hernias and a lodged kidney stone. Cool! Here I thought I was some kind of low pain tolerance wussy. To now like ...Holy Crap!!! Anyway, I go in on Tuesday (Election day) for the hernias. They do a laproscopic procedure blah, blah, blah... In case you are interested, I did the early voting here in the bright red state of Texas. I did my best to give it a slight shade of purple.

So, not to be left bored with ourselves but on Tuesday one of Sherry's co-workers told her that the Iraqi citizen who acted as the translator for the ER in Baghdad when he was there, was now in SATX. Turns out the guy had taken him up on his offer of "if you are ever in the USA look me up." Well, Sherry's buddy has 3 kids and the Iraqi has his wife and 3 year old daughter. So guess where they are now. The guys name sounds like Hanni, the daughter's name sounds like Lenna and at the moment I forget the wife's name. So they are both trained Physicians. He obtained his MD in Iraq in 2003. He tells me that working as a Doctor in Iraq is a very dangerous occupation. So he took the opportunity to work with the Americans as a medical translator, which was a lot less dangerous, at least during working hours, and actually paid better, because he actually got paid.

They arrived here yesterday after traveling for 5 days to get here. Baghdad, Amman, NYC, Charlotte NC, SATX. So they have slept a lot so far. They both speak English very well. The little one is as precious as any 3 year old girl.

They are hoping to obtain their MD credentials here through some kind of training. In the meantime they'll be looking for work and a place to live.

So remember, while the economy may be going to hell in a hand basket... THERE IS STILL A FREAKIN' WAR going on.

Oh yeah, back to the mundane. Sherry and I went to Sea World on Saturday evening. I actually went on the roller coaster. I was proud on myself in that I actually breathed during the ride. I had to though, because I needed air to keep screaming. My eyes were closed for virtually the whole ride. I am sure to you roller coaster enthusiasts(Gerry) that this ride was way down on the thrill list. Heck, it looked so sedate, I thought I'd be able to take pictures on the ride just by looking at it. (Turns out they won't let you bring cameras on the ride.) From the first peak you can see my house. Just about the time when I was zeroing in on my house we stopped going up and I looked down...that's when the screaming started... I don't remember much else. After the ride they have that place where you can buy a picture of yourself on the ride. Sherry saw it and said, "You should get that. It looks like you are smiling, I don't know how they did that."

Well, you all take it easy. Oh one more thing. The weather here is absolutely heavenly. Blue sky, low to mid 70's. I'm telling you I love this.