Senior Moment

I looked around my office Friday and realized something: with 335 days in theater, I've been my here the longer than any of military personnel. I took the title because a guy who arrived in Baghdad a month before me just left. Funny thing, I've sort of become the "answer man."

Here's how I know I've been in Baghdad too long:

1. People look at me with a frown on their face and say, "Are you still here?"

2. Different people with the same frown say, "When do you leave?"

3. When someone can't find a person or a phone number, they say to me, "You've been here for a while. Do you know how to reach so-and-so?"

4. Nearly all the Peruvian guards speak to me like we're old friends whenever and wherever they see me. They've been teaching me a little Spanish.

5. When the guys at the coffee shop in the palace see me coming, they start making my drink and yell "Hey, Tall Cafe Mocha!!" I think they are referring to the drink!

My time has slid a few days to the right as we say in the military. In other words, I'll be here a few days longer than expected. But with about four Sundays left and the temperature dropping a bit, this should be no sweat (pun intended)!