Week 19--Progress

Well, progess continues on the hospital. Some major milestones were passed in the last few days. The hospital in now tied in to the main water lines for the FOB.



Later it will be tied in to Prime Power. No generators, except for backup power. Ah, the luxuries of progress.

One day we will be providing healthcare in a clean, dust-free environment. With no leaks and no puddles when it rains.

And the basic plumbing is in place.



One day we will have indoor plumbing. No more walking outside in the rain to go to the bathroom! What a luxury.

And the foundations are being poured.



And as you can see, the foundations and the plumbing are interconnected. We had a quick meeting before the plumbing lines were laid and the foundations were poured to ensure we had sinks and toilets in all the right places. It gives new meaning to the phrase, "locked in concrete"!



Other construction projects on the FOB are also ongoing. The true meaning of our "Brick and Mortar" buildings was revealed in one look at a ongoing project.



"Brick and Mortar" acccurately describes the buildings in which we live. As I said in a previous post, all this work is done by hand. It's interesting to watch. It still reminds me of the area at the County Fair where they show you how they did things "back in the old days".



I guess we're going to be here for a while. All over the FOB improvements are being made. One day we may even have paved roads! And indoor plumbing in our living quarters! And peace in Afghanistan! Okay, maybe I'm just dreaming, but dreaming is okay. It's what keeps you going when you are here for twelve months, or fifteen, or more.

On days like today, when the sun is shining and the work is at a reasonable level, I love being here. On other days, the sun does not shine and the work is more difficult, and I feel differently. Of course, it really doesn't matter how I feel, the work goes on, the patients arrive and depart and the days tick by one after another. It's way too early to start counting the days until I go home, so for now home remains a theoretical concept to be pondered and debated, but not anticipated. Not yet.

Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting the troops and the families, wherever you find them.

Phillips Out.