So Thanksgiving is the first family-based holiday I get to spend alone in Afghanistan.  I think back to some memorable Thanksgivings I’ve spent such as when I went to visit the Varnhagen’s in Denver where we went with the non-traditional Thanksgiving lobster instead of turkey.  I also think back to all the Thanksgivings in Collins, Ohio with Tim’s side of the family when Mary went out of her way to find and cook Tofurkey for me.  Needless to say, the Thanksgiving meal this year wasn’t close to being half as good as what I’ve had in the past.

However, there was a bit of good to go with the bad.  Yankee right fielder Nick Swisher and his wife Joanna Garcia Swisher visited Camp Eggers for breakfast on Thanksgiving day.  His wife is actually an actress mostly known for her role as Reba’s oldest daughter in Reba.  I recognized her from the short-lived show Privileged which I actually really enjoyed.  I mentioned to her that I liked the show and was sad to see it only last one season.  She told me that every female she meets tells her the same thing.

Anyway…back to Nick Swisher!   Of course I wanted Nick to autograph something.  It would be great to have my Yankee cap signed, but it was left at home.  Having him just sign a piece of paper wouldn’t be any fun.  The only thing I have here with the NY Yankee emblem on it is my laptop, so I got him to sign that.

Oh, while waiting for Nick to finish eating breakfast and come greet us, a guy walks up to us and says, “You probably don’t know me, but I’m the Under Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal,” and he gave us all a coin.  Kinda cool.

Of course, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without watching the Detroit Lions play football.  So, at 10:00 PM we sat and watch the kickoff with some non-alcoholic beer and whatever chips we can find lying around.   And no, I didn’t make it till the end of the game, but I did make it till halftime right around midnight.

So, all in all, Thanksgiving turned out to be a pretty OK day considering I spent it away from my friends and family.  Although, seeing the picture my friend Layla posted of my husband on Facebook of him enjoying Thanksgiving at the Officer’s Club with some good friends and having all-you-can eat crab legs did make me a bit envious.

So, I’ve been here for 2 months now, but it actually feels like four months.  Why?  It is because we put in over 80 hours a week.  Here is how a typical day looks:

0715 – Wake up and get ready
0745 – Leave room
0750 – Breakfast
0800 – Arrive at office
1300 – Lunch
1340 – Back to office
1600 – Go to gym
1730 – Back to office
1900 – Dinner
1940 – Back to office
2000 – Return to room for the night

The work day is from 8AM through 8PM, but there are breaks for meals and the gym.  However, just the thought that we are supposed to be working for 12 hours a day can really bring you down.  Oh, did I mention that this schedule is the same everyday except on Friday when we go in at 900 and on Sunday we go in at 1000.  All total, the official workweek is 81 hours, so my one-year tour is really two years in total work hours!