Michael posting for Erika

So Erika has had very little to no connectivity for the past while. I spoke to her a few times yesterday and the day before because she finally had access to an MWR phone. Unfortunately, these things are set with 15 minute time limits for soldiers to call home with, and this one kept cutting off at 5 minutes, so each call back we kept talking faster and faster.

Anyway, she has been SO busy and running around SO much that she sounded more tired than I have ever heard her before. In typical Erika fashion though, she was staying up late and working hard and still wasn't complaining about anything. I think she is invincible. One time in college, we had so much work to do that we were awake for four straight days without sleep. It was her final design project in Architecture school, our last semester, we had a combined total of 40 credit hours and all of our exams were loaded up together, plus it was one week before our wedding and graduation, so the amount of stuff that had to be done was just way more than either of us could possibly get done in the time we had, but she stuck with it and inspired me to push myself farther than I thought I could go, and we kept plugging away until we got it all done (and everything went perfectly too by the way).

Anyway, she wanted everyone to know that although she is tired, she is hanging in there and really appreciating everyone's support. There is SO much work to be done there, and with the fast pace of work in Iraq, needs come up unexpectedly so sometimes there just never seems to be enough resources. I worry about that and the stress that it puts on the people trying to do the work.

Without our full support and the right resources, they will never be able to complete their mission, and denying them the right tools to do the job is demoralizing and frankly unjust. Enough of my politics though.

There is a chance that she may be able to come home early in order to re-group before going back. If that works, she may be home as early as May 7 or 8 but would have to turn around and go back in about two weeks. We'll see, as her schedule is completely out of her control.

I was reading a quote in a book last night from Tommy Franks to the leader of Bahrain in the lead up to the Iraq war that seemed quite fitting for Erika. It went something like this, "I go where I'm told to go, but no matter what, I win where I go."

That about sums up Erika and her mission right now.

M

P.S. Anyone that wants to come by and visit or take me out to dinner is welcome anytime! :)