Part of my job involves creating funding packages for projects so that they can be approved and money can be released to support the project. This includes determining an estimated cost for the project, and in the case of something I'm currently working, I needed to call a vendor in the US to get estimates on some parts. I call the corporate headquarters, and the operator transferred me to the company's government representative. And then the phone call became interesting.

I gave the woman my name and told her that I was serving with the US Army in Baghdad, Iraq and was looking for some estimates on parts. We spoke for about five minutes, and I gave her my email address so that a salesperson could contact me. She asked, "And where are you located again?" I told her again that I was in Iraq, and her next question blew me away. "Can you spell that?"

"I-R-A-Q." I promise you that I kept my voice even.

"Thanks, I just wanted to make sure I got it right."

Amazing. I could go into a diatribe about American situational awareness but I won't. Nontheless, I retain the rights to one of the greatest work-related stories in the history of the J4 (or so I like to think).

On another note, I'd like to introduce you to something very special.

Isn't he handsome? I wish he had a name!

I received him early on in my deployment, and despire daily watering, he refused to grow. My colleagues admonished me repeatedly; "You need to throw that away! It looks like a piece of (insert expletive)!"

"No! My mother-in-law gave it to me!" Note the loyalty in that statement.

I prevailed in spite of their mockery. About a week before I returned home on leave, he started to grow. By the time I left, there were eight blades of grass atop his brown head. When I returned to Iraq, he had reached maturity. MAJ Iijima, a mother of four, had turned her affinity for nurturing life into a green thumb. We added the glasses because with them, he resembles my boss.

My husband says I'm easily amused. What do you think?

Anyhow, we're slowly preparing for our eventual transition with our replacements and most people seem to be in fairly cheerful moods. More to follow in the future!