Dan: Surviving Iraq @ 120 In Shade

We got to talk to our son in Iraq today who called us on the occasion of his mom’s birthday. He talked about a few tips for making life in the desert more comfortable. If you want to feel cooler when it’s in the 120’s outside then visit one of the outhouses for awhile. It’s in the 130’s in there so when you come out, 120 something feels pretty good (for a little while anyway). Also try and get your shower time in the daylight. After dark the scorpions and camel spiders like the shower room as well. He never did like spiders and I guess camel spiders have about the same body and hair mass as a German Sheppard but aren’t near as user friendly. Full post below .

Question: Describe the most miserable place that you’ve lived?

We got to talk to our son in Iraq today who called us on the occasion of his mom’s birthday.

He talked about a few tips for making life in the desert more comfortable. If you want to feel cooler when it’s in the 120’s outside then visit one of the outhouses for awhile. It’s in the 130’s in there so when you come out, 120 something feels pretty good (for a little while anyway).

Also try and get your shower time in the daylight. After dark the scorpions and camel spiders like the shower room as well. He never did like spiders and I guess camel spiders have about the same body and hair mass as a German Sheppard but aren’t near as user friendly.

He said he had to deal with his negative feelings about spiders the other day though. He’s one of the guys in charge of the supplies for the kitchen-cooking area of their outpost. One of the other guys he was supervising on KP duty came and told him, “…uh, English, I’m afraid we’ve got a situation in the kitchen.” A situation? Then the guy showed pictures he’d taken on his cell phone from about 3 different angles of this HUGE camel spider. So he had to do his duty and said he went in the kitchen and kicked the spider in the head a few times and squished it with his GI Joe boots and told the guy he could carry on. I didn’t ask how he got the spider debris field off his boot…