Thanksgiving Stuff

There are vehicles assigned to different departments in the hospital that we are allowed to borrow when they are not in use.  There is one of the local bazaar markets called ECP1 that is about 3 miles west of the hospital. We try to gt a car when we need to go there. This is the dental clinic's car.  I really like driving it even though we can't go over 15mph.  It is not legal in the states because it has no air bags.

The seats in the back are safari style.  These are the picture frames we were picking up at the bazaar.  

As you drive on the north side of the base you come to the exposed perimeter fence.  Just beyond that fence is open Afghanistan.  

You may be asking yourself, why would they only have that little fence with razor wire on the border?  The answer to that question is MINES!

These pleasant looking open prairies are mine fields placed here during the Russian occupation.  They still work after more than 70 years.  Most of the rockets that hit the base are shot off over this area because there is nothing in the way but there is also nothing very important on this side of the base. 

You can barely appreciate the pretty sunset over these closed bazaar stalls but it was beautiful.  Dr Landreth and I went to pick up our frames pretty late.  We were the last non-native people in the area and it was pretty creepy.  Like going to the circus after closing time.  As we walked in there were two Afghan men sitting by the entrance.  I didn't hear them but Brian said that as he walked passed they said, "Be careful".  That would have spooked me but I was still bartering for a better deal but Brian just wanted to get out of there.

These are the typical bazaar stalls in the safety of daylight.  They deal in a lot of precious stones and wood and textiles.

One day before Thanksgiving I was working on some things and some of my co-workers asked if I wanted to run to the bazaar with them.  I said no and kept doing my stuff.  When they got back they showed me what they had done-- so for future reference if anyone asks you if you want to go anywhere the answer is YES.

The weasels from the OR having a great time without me.

Two of these guns are mounted on both sides of this helicopter.  600 rounds a minute, each round has a charge in the tip causing it to explode on impact.  The kill radius for one round is 20 meters.

Brian and the machine gun.  I bet no one would say 'be careful' at the bazaar if we had this puppy.

Christina Chuchura one of the OR nurses in the cockpit. 

Breakfast waffles for Thanksgiving.  Pretty tasty way to start the day.

This is the line in the hallway for round one of Thanksgiving feasting. The thumbs-up guy is Matt Vanderhoek a new anesthesiologist I worked with in San Antonio. 

Sparkling grape juice.

Still cafeteria style service but the food tasted very good even though it was served with an ice cream scoop.

My favorite thing was real mashed potatoes.  We have the instant kind all the time but I never eat them.

Thanksgiving is not complete without the yams, no marshmallows though.

The assembled masterpiece of my first plate. And yes that is mac n cheese.

I really wish this was a better picture. This is most of the OR crew getting ready for the walk-through of one of the distinguished visitors that came through on Thanksgiving.  We have a pretty great team.

This is Admiral McRaven, one of the four star commanders of the Special Operations Corps.  I was pretty impressed that he chose to spend his Thanksgiving with us.

This is Ashton Carter the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defense.  He and his wife came to visit as well.  Both of these important individuals put on aprons and served the soldiers Thanksgiving dinner.  There is a tradition in the military that I am told dates back to Napoleon of the gifting of personalized coins.  High ranking people have a coin minted with their name and position on it.  Lots of people collect these and they play games to see who has the highest ranking coin.  The looser has to buy the other guy a drink.  Each of these guys handed us each one of their coins.