Not your typical dusty parking lot.

By order of the big boss back home, we each have a designated day off here on my team. My day is Saturday, so that’s the day I just kind of sleep in, lounge around, watch dvd’s, and chill.

This past Saturday, I went to the exchange with Shane—err—I mean, New Guy. I’ve been meaning to tell you all about the unusual parking lot demographics we have here on Camp Victory, and since I happened to have brought my camera and snapped some pics, this is a good opportunity to finally do that. You have to love a parking lot in which regular SUVs and cars park next to Hummers, 5-tons, and other armoured monstrosities.

The route to the PX was, as usual, quite dusty. With the sunny, beautiful, lovely weather comes a less-desired addition, and that is dust. The wind likes to kick up around here, and now that the rain has dried up, the cement-like earth it left behind is starting to crumble into loose sand…and sand blows. When it gets really windy for prolonged periods, we experience dust storms, and dust storms create thick, chalky, dusty air that coats our lungs and makes everybody feel congested. I’m just now getting over another “cold” that I am pretty sure was caused by the dust.

I bought some stuffed camels from one of the vendors and some lotion from the PX, and we headed back.

On the way, we noticed black, billowing smoke coming from the direction of the airport, and someone confirmed later that BIAP was burning. I don't know the details, but I hope the terminal is ok.