Thursday 1st July

Today I are be mostly doing........not very much !

The diary of my day starts with waking up early and deciding that as I'm off to site and I was knackered the last time I came back, that I would go to the gym at 6 o'clock. Those of you that know me well will know that I don't mind getting up early but that the gym is probably a step to far. You'll be pleased to know that I survived, had breakfast and went to the office. I was expecting to go to site straight away but was asked to go in the second batch who were going via the airport to pick up the boss who was flying in to watch the handover of the first phase of the accommodation.

He took nearly 3 hours to come out of immigration etc.......I had long since fallen asleep in the armoured car by then. It's now nearly 12 when we get through the various checkpoints to get out of camp and we are in the middle of a sandstorm. The weather code changed to "red" and we all turn round and head back the 200m to the gate, through the various check points, weapons unloading etc. and back to the office - which is deserted because everyone else was now stranded on site in the middle of a sandstorm !

Consequentially I have been brushing up on my Arabic, reading the Middle East pages on the BBC website and ......... most of you won't believe this, went to the gym for a second time !

We have been warned that Thursday nights (the night before Muslim Sabbath) have in the past been and excuse for the locals to throw the odd piece of rocket propelled ordinance at the yanks down the road, and that the sandstorm will give them even more of an excuse - so I'm looking forward to watching some fireworks later (although I suspect if there is any it won't get past the computerised chain guns that are set up with heat seeking sensors to take them down - which should be nice !).

I'll try and sort some photos out tomorrow but I'm a bit limited on what I can take them of here and I tend to forget when I get to site. I will definitely make sure that I get one of the complete Russian tank turret (along with other bits and pieces) which is laying just outside the site gate !

Today's inventory:

3 cigars (so far, probably need another one later)
0 units (although there is a bottle of Champagne knocking around, to be opened following the successful handover of the 1st phase today, but as I don't actually like the stuff and I'm not that desperate for a drink yet, I'll probably give it a miss)
0 money spent
2 trips to the gym (I might have to say that again - 2 trips to the gym)

Oh, one last thing, you'll have to put the marching bands on hold, and change the date for the party - today, following consultation with my wife, I have agreed to stay until 6th August (6 weeks rather than the original 4).

Toodle pip - X (and a big X for all my friends in Wales that are following this - I know who you are.......)