Mail Call

Being deployed has a different rhythm to it than life back home.  For the most part, every day's the same here.  There's chapel services every Sunday and random weekly meetings, but much of the week/weekend distinction is lost as you're on duty 24/7 in one capacity or another.  There's a long-running joke amongst soldiers over here that there are only 3 days while you're deployed.  The day you show up, the day you leave, and Tuesday, which is every day in between.  (Don't ask me why they chose Tuesday, but that's how it works... "Every day's a Tuesday". ) 
Anyways, one of the things that really adds something new to our day is mail from back home.  Lately, it's been pouring in.  In the last week, I've gotten a number of letters from folks from my church back home in Hampshire, from folks from our church in Waynesville, and a number from various relatives and in-laws around the country.  Christmas presents from home came in as well this week, which added to the pile.  (Don't worry Mom, they're still sitting unopened in a neat pile on my bookshelf!)  I even got a few pieces of the ever popular "random mail".  Someone in our hospital has a contact with some schools in Minnesota, so we've gotten stacks of letters from elementary school students in Minnesota.  It's been fun to read those and to write back to a few of the kids. 
Of course, I'm not the only one who's been getting lots of mail.  We've seen alot of interesting stuff come in to other people in the clinic. I think the weirdest was the box of ugly Christmas sweaters that one of our medic's mothers sent her to wear for our upcoming Christmas party with its associated ulgy sweater contest.  (Trust me, these were bad.  I know there's a number of teachers out there reading this.  Even you guys wouldn't wear some of these.) A different medic, SPC Braa, holds the record for pure volume of mail recieved.  I think she's averaged at least 1-2 boxes per day since I've arrived.  I'm not sure what they're packing them all, but her friends back home certainly keep here busy.
Work continues to go well, and I'm settling into my role.  It's starting to be more and more like work back home.  I even squeezed in a derm procedure and a few sports physicals today.  That's all for now, talk to everybody soon!