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From the monthly archives:

September 2008

Another Day in Baghdad

The temperature has been surprisingly pleasant in Baghdad. It still gets hot during the day, but the highs are in the low 100s rather than the mid-100s. The mornings are the best time because the weather is cool and breezy. The only problem is that the breeze stirs up the dust and causes it to [...]

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A Special Thank You to The Troops Serving in Iraq

I would like to take a moment to thank our brave troops who serve and protect the United States of America.
Since I’ve been in Iraq, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a few soldiers and marines and to see them in action. Many of these troops are 18 or 19 year old kids who [...]

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Back in Baghdad – An Experience in the “Red Zone”

We finally made it out of Al Asad. With sandstorms and plane delays, it’s very difficult to move around the country.
When we arrived at Baghdad International Airport (formerly Saddam International Airport), security guards escorted us to a bus that was waiting to take us to headquarters. A couple of guys from our party decided to [...]

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Heading to Western Iraq to Visit Al Asad

I have been in Iraq for several days and I’m starting to get over my jet lag. I encountered another problem, though – aching feet. I wore a pair of dress shoes which were not the best choice for desert terrain. I quickly ditched them and purchased a pair of comfortable boots. My feet feel [...]

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Mocha Dad in the Middle East

The past few days have been quite an adventure. I finally got a patch job done on my roof to repair the damage done by Hurricane Ike. After the roofers were done, I had to catch a flight to Dubai on my way to Iraq. The flight was 16 hours long, but it wasn’t too [...]

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Mr. Yuk

Today my wife and I took our boys for their pediatric check-ups. While we were there, the doctor asked if we had any “Mr. Yuk” stickers. I told her that we didn’t and she brought us a few to place around the house. When I looked at those stickers, memories of my childhood came flooding [...]

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Hurricane Ike: The Aftermath

Things are still crazy in Houston. Most of the city is still without power and many of the streets are impassable. Thanks to a cold front that arrived Sunday, temperatures have been in the 70s, so people have not had to suffer blistering heat.
Mayor Bill White ordered a week-long curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 [...]

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Surviving Hurricane Ike

We have survived Hurricane Ike. I’m thankful that no one was hurt and that we suffered minimal property damaged. Many Texans were not so lucky.
I wrote an earlier post about our hurricane preparations. Things were fairly calm then. As the day progressed, the situation quickly deteriorated. My house was full of people – my family [...]

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Hurricane Ike Approaches

I hate hurricanes. I was born and raised in Texas and have also lived in Florida for several years, so I’ve dealt with these storms all of my life. Every June through November, I, along with millions of Gulf Coast residents, go into high alert. But no matter how many hurricanes you’ve experienced, you never [...]

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Hi Daddy

Today, as I was cooking, I looked into the living room to see my wife, K holding our one year old, X. I smiled at X and waved. He waved and said, “Hi, Daddy!” K and I were surprised because this was the first time he had spoken so clearly. I was ecstatic. K, on [...]

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The Day That Changed the World

Today the nation remembers the horrific events of September 11, 2001. On that day, seven years ago, I was serving on a jury for a personal injury case. Since I arrived at the courthouse two hours early, I decided to get some breakfast. I arrived at the mall just as the second plane hit the [...]

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Mocha Dad: Mose Alexander

Periodically, I will feature a Mocha Dad who epitomizes what it is to be a real African American father. The first father in this series is my uncle, Mose Alexander.
Uncle Mose has been one the role models in my life. As a kid, I always looked forward to his visits. I loved to listen to [...]

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Victimized by Vomit

In the span of two weeks, I have been victimized by vomit three times.
The first incident occurred two weeks ago when I was watching the kids while their mother went to swimming lessons. I fed the baby his dinner, but he still seemed hungry. I searched the cupboard for some Cheerios and poured some on [...]

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Cell Phones and Washing Machines Don’t Mix

Let me give you a word of advice. Check your pockets before you place your clothes in the washing machine. I did not follow this advice and had to learn the hard way that cell phones do not like to be washed.
Today I was wondering where my cell phone was because I had not seen [...]

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How I Earned a Stainless Steel Coffee Mug

My wife and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary over the weekend. The 11th anniversary is one of those awkward years that don’t end in zero or five so there isn’t a lot of guidance on how to celebrate. To give you an idea of how benign this anniversary is, the traditional wedding gift for [...]

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