Iraqi Puppies (24 photos, 1 video), by Kirsten Ellis

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Rescued!!!

Yesterday the Reed Security Company team came down here from Irbil to pick up ALL of the dogs, including the Mom!!!! Fatoon (the mamma) is headed to ATL to stay with Vicki and Casey and then with Fred and Ced!! Although I don't speak Arabic very well, I'm pretty sure she said she's very excited about it. The two female puppies have homes and we're still looking for homes for the remaining 5 males. So let me know if you're interested!!!!!! I'm sure mamma would love to have one of her pups close by to visit with. Anyhow, they are currently in Irbil Iraq and will fly back to the US the third week of April. I'll keep you updated as to how they are doing. We still need to fundraise money to get them all the way back to the US. I can't link anything in here, so please e-mail me at Kirsten_Ellis@hotmail.com or check out my facebook page for the link!! pass it around to as many people as you can!!

Operation Baghdad Pups

My SQ is on a mission to save the puppies here in Kirkuk. I found a group online called Operation Baghdad Pups which is a division of the SPCA International. They actually help soldiers get the dogs that they've befriended out of Iraq. It's EXTREMELY expensive, but it's doable. So we've set up a fundraiser page to save as many of them as we can.

Iraqi's don't see dogs as pets, so they don't exactly treat them very well. On top of that, they are living ON the airfield, so as soon as they grow up and romp around, they are going to be shot for safety of the aircraft. Unlike in the US when you don't adopt a dog, you know the chances of someone else adopting them is high. Here, we know that when we walk away, they won't be so lucky as to have another chance.

All of you know I'm really big into rescues, especially of adult dogs. So I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to see the mamma get a good home. She is SUCH a sweet dog and I hate seing her kicked around by the Iraqi's. She's not abused, just not treated very well. Everytime I go visit them she comes running up to me with her tail wagging. She just wants to be loved.

Anyhow, I wanted to send a HUGE shout out to Ced, Sarah and Alyson who have all donated!!! I hear that Ced has also collected donations from people at Stammtisch to thank you to ALL who donated. It means alot to me, and it'll mean even more to those puppies that we can save and bring home.

Missing my family

I'm not sure why, but lately I've really been missing my family. I'm sure it has to do with all of their fun adventures of blue sharpies on the wall, and cabin weekends and stories of my pups... in reality I think maybe I'm just jealous! I love seing pictures of normal things back home. Something as simple as kids playing in the grass makes me homesick now. But the good news is that as soon as I get back I'm moving to NC!!!!!

I'm really extremely excited about my move and can't wait to get there. Granted I have to go back to TX and pack up in about 2 weeks to move. Then I have to go to Altus OK to requalify on the KC-135 but eventually (Jan 2012) I'll be in NC and SUPER close to my family. Its going to be awesome.

I guess having so much to look foward to when I get back makes me miss home that much more. Before I was just going back to boring ol Del Rio. Now I get a brand new car when I get back, I get to pack up my house and move, I get to go back to flying my girl (the KC-135) and I get to spend more time with my family. Unfortunatley for my mom that also means that she'll have my dogs longer. However she has threatened me with the fact that I may never get them back. (they are kinda great dogs you know.) I dropped them off in Nov and in reality they won't come to NC until I have a place all ready to go sometime in Jan. Don't feel bad for them though, they LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE being in ATL. Just ask Vicki and Casey across the street!!! I miss my family and I miss my dogs, but I know I'll be home soon enough. I'm almost half way through!!!

Kirsten

New Ride

So I bought a new car today!!!!!! Yes, it's probably more than I need, but it's probably also the ONLY time in my life where I can afford the car that I want, and not the car that I need. SUPER excited. I'll pick it up in July in San Antonio and road trip in it to ATL in time for Mom's 60th Birthday!!!! Wooooohoooooo!!!

Iraqi Puppies

Iraq tends to have a dog problem in the sense that not many people here keep dogs as pets. They also don't spay or neuter them, so like America, there is an over population problem. The Iraqi firefighters on base here have been taking care of a female dog who recently had puppies. They are SUPER cute, but I'm really worried about whats going to happen once they start running around. Because of the problem they cause on the airfield, airfield management ends up shooting them if they are on the airfield. They don't really have a choice, but it's still super sad. I wish I could take them to a shelter or do something for them, but I dont think I can. PLUS it's against the rules as Americans to take in pets. You're not even supposed to feed them or pet them. So SSSSHHHHH. Still breaks my heart to think of what will happen to these little guys. Anyhow, in the meantime, we're bringing back extra fish and rice from the chowhall over to the Iraqi Firefighters. Who knows what they do with the food. :-D

Second Solo

I flew with my second solo student today. He was a little more nervous than the last one and ended up with a couple of more times around the pattern because of go arounds. Although he was nervous, he did great! Here are a couple of pictures. The combat turtle belongs to a maintenance guy in my SQ whose son gave it to him at the airport before he left the US. So I took him up, logged him some combat time and took some pictures. Enjoy!

Exfoliating

So who thought that Iraq would be good for my skin? Kidding!!! I ran 6 miles today and when I got done, I wiped my face and it felt like sand paper. Although I feel like I have softer skin out here i can only imagine what it's doing to my lungs.

On a happier note, I got my next assignment. I'm SUPER excited that when I get back to the US in mid July that I have 1 month left in Del Rio before I PCS. i got my 1st choice assignment to Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro NC. It's only a 7 hour drive to Atlanta!!!! I can go home on 3 day weekends, bring the boys (Dad is excited about that I know) see TRex and Ellis more... Im SO excited!! On top of that, I'll be 45 min away from Parkers BBQ in Wilson NC, 1 hour south of Raleigh and hopefully I can start taking biology and chemistry classes up there and eventually get into Vet School. I'd really like to go into shelter medicine! I have to requalify in the KC135 first but I'll get to NC sometime in Jan. SUPER excited!!

Sacrifices

My dad has been doing a push-up and sit-up for every day Kirsten is deployed. He must be up to 60+ every day by now. He doesn't have to do them all at once, just through-out the course of the day. Mom has given up Margaritas, which is difficult as they have Stammtisch at El Azteca every Tuesday night. Also, as we get into the warmer spring/summer months, I'm sure Rita will come out more and it will get more difficult.

I finally decided to join WeightWatchers while she's deployed. I had gained some weight since I stopped nursing and was really indulging my unhealthy eating habits. I have managed to lose weight every week so far. Sometimes it's not a lot, but at least it has consistently gone down. I have not really been working out, only modified my eating habits. It's a little embarassing to think that I was eating that bad.

Anyway, we miss you Kirsten and are excited that you will be on the East Coast soon enough.

Weight Loss or Weight Gain...

Sarah's company all pitched in and bought us some girl scout cookies.. and by some I mean 60 boxes of them!!!! We took some over to the Iraqi's and so far their favorite are the Thin Mints. :-D The SQ's favorites so far have been the somoas. Here are some pictures... notice the bulk under the "fat man's" jacket, and the lack of purple boxes on the table...