Synchronicity Which Hopefully Doesn't Point To Famous Last Words!

It's all about timing. Just days after I finally made my decision to leave this place, we got an eviction notice from the JASG! Synchronicity, man, you can't beat it. Granted, it's about the third one they've tried to give us since May, but I feel that this time they mean it. No really. I really believe it this time, I swear.
Anyway, the company is of course not giving up just yet, but I think that they will have to in the next couple of days... If they don't tell me soon to begin removing all of their assets from this property by the eviction date (October 26th), they run the risk of having everything confiscated by the Iraqi government, and I'm not sure that they are prepared to take that risk. So we will see. Anyway, no one can say it hasn't been a long time coming... Phil was arrested November 15th? 2005, and we were forced off of the 600 Man Camp in early March. We haven't done an honest day's work since, and it's October! So basically we've been on the edge of the precipice for nearly a year.
Anyway, I'm in a mental space where, and please excuse my French all you more delicate readers, I really don't give a merde! I want to leave!
The camp is a ghost town these days... all of my friends have already left to begin their new work in Kurdistan, except for a very few essential people including S. He, being my most valuable friend and employee, has stayed on here just to help me tie up some loose ends before he cuts loose for the Northern greener pastures. I know that he reads my blog from time to time, so I want to give him what all the young people are calling it these days; "props". Good luck to you S, and your family and friends. You deserve all the good stuff that comes your way. Just try to avoid people who want to pawn off funny money on you in the future, and you'll be alright!
Anyway, other than that I don't have much. I did want to say that Route Irish, (The 6 mile stretch of road between the Interzone and Baghdad International Airport) which once upon a time was widely considered to be the most dangerous road in the world, has had it's status downgraded to the safest road in Baghdad. I only bring it up because of my description of it from my trip to Kurdistan post. I'd said that I knew it was alot safer these days, but apparently I had no idea how much. I've been asking around in the last week or so, and it turns out that there are checkpoints at every entrance and exit from the road, where all vehicles wanting to utilize the road get searched. And as I'd seen when traversing it this last time, there are alot of military vehicles posted all along it. They've also been busy installing a fence with barbed wire on either side. "Who cares?", you may be asking yourself. Well, I personally feel a certain stretch of relief over this. If I am truly about to leave Baghdad for good, then I have to negotiate it one last time. I have been on it many many times in my three years here, but you know. The cop that gets shot on his last day before retirement, the soldier that bites it on the convoy home... these are clichés for a reason! It's just nice knowing that it ain't what it used to be, is all. Here's an apropos picture: The entrance to the BIAP, with Flying Arab on one side, and a last look at GBG on the other!

Flying Man, here I come!

Comments

[TF]

Where ya gonna go?

[messiestobjects]

Well, that's a loaded question, really. I'm still getting over the shock of finally being allowed to leave! I have an idea, but no concrete plans just yet. I don't really like to talk about future plans too often as it's always better for me to wait and see... things almost never go the way I think they will. I will be posting about it soon enough, I'm sure!

[Dad]

Well I should read your blog before I send e-mails asking questions you've already answered... Look forward to hearing where you might be headed. Any home visit in those plans?

[messiestobjects]

As one of my favorite authors likes to say on his web page: RAFO! (Read And Find Out) This is a spoiler-free zone!