samhain

i must confess that i was not all that optimistic about the halloween party’s going all that well, given our circumstances and the many rules we were handed before securing permission from multiple layers of  bureaucracy.  however, i was wrong.  we had a good turnout and good participation in dressing up and playing games.  i felt like a good time was had by all.  when the time came for giving awards, the committee found “nacho libre” to be the scariest,

the elderly redneck woman to be the funniest,

the psych patient to be the most original,

the “one night stand from hell” to be the best duo,

and bret michaels was given the “sexiest costume” award. 

thus, my streak of 10 years of winning an award at halloween costume contests continues. 

bret also won the “name that tune” competition, though he was accused of stealing the playlist ahead of time (to which he replied that his having “rocked out” for >20 years has given him an intimate knowledge of song lyrics, artists, and introductory chords). 

he did not receive kind treatment during musical chairs, however, though his quick elimination allowed for taking pictures of the other participants. 

desert hoochies

mav and goose

spidey and venom

a flashy cardiologist

we received a large box of supplies from the atlanta convention and visitors bureau; my colleagues were very happy to get the home-baked treats, and i have made the stuffed dog our AEOT mascot, despite the General Order 1 prohibition against same.  we also received six boxes from buckhead church that included slimjims, cookies, gum, CDs, and DVDs.  additionally, they sent several items of young women’s clothes that we gave to the CASF (i’d been told they needed some for this age/gender group) for patients, and a bunch of school supplies (crayons, pencils, pads, etc.) that we gave the base hospital for iraqi children who are treated there.  both organizations were very grateful for the contributions.

as i’m sure all have heard, we aerovac’d general dorko this week. 

a couple more pregnant ladies as well, both filipino contractors. i’ve had several conversations with the medical personnel in our flight about how much the number of aerovacs has dropped this rotation.  this certainly is a good indication of how progress is being made here in the overall mission.  i hope our numbers continue to be significantly lower than those seen by past rotations as we enter the winter season.speaking of seasons, the highs this week are projected to be in the 80s, and lows around 60.  we’re all very ready for relief from the three-figure highs we’ve had through october.