Well Piss On All Ya!

That's right, I am now the official Incirlik Air Base Drug Testing Program Administrator. That means I am the sole urinalysis tester. For all practical purposes I am actually the Program Manager as well. On paper, the Program Manager is our new OIC but since I am the only one actually in the office doing the testing and coordination I would say I am doing both jobs. So I am now the NCOIC of the Mental Health Flight, the base DTPAM, and also perform the Demand Reduction Program Manager duties. I was crunching numbers the other day and I calculated our Mental Health staff has shrunk by 42% since I first arrived. Since July of 2007 we lost our Family Advocacy Outreach Manager, our New Parent Support Program Nurse, our DoDs school alcohol and drug counselor, our child psychologist, our Demand Reduction Program Manager, and one mental health technician. Now I will get a tech back in June of 09 and we did regain a new Child psychologist, but I also see the potential of loosing two more positions so a 42% reduction hurts hard.

So when Karen and I are at home I try as hard as I can to forget about all the work stuff. We have been busy trying to get our back yard looking nice. Here is Katie and Karen in the back before dinner. Don't let the banana tree fool you. There's something about a banana tree that can make everything look like paradise. Trust me it's another world beyond that fence. but that's the whole idea. A paradise backyard. It's a little blurry but I was trying to get far enough away to capture the effect of the whole yard:

Karen has started back to work at NAF and Katie is at the CDC. Karen actually was moved to the corner office of Building 833. Well, she had the corner office and now she has the one next to it - but they are both NAF offices. Normally, the Air Force sticks NAF in a really crappy location so Karen and her boss, Rada, are happy to have one of the best views from the building. It's actually a commander's office that somehow went vacant.

Katie is thriving at the CDC. All the ladies love her and she is always busy. They actually had her make an art project last week. hopefully, I can get a picture of that soon. If you want pictures of Katie, you should know where to go for that. If not - just ask.

Slinky is busy doing his best to help out with his little sister. Here, he inspects Katie's new exosaucer:

I finished my 30 education units to recertify my alcohol and drug counseling certification. Now it's time to take the 6 unit CLEP before Christmas. Octonodecembuary is almost here!

Flashing Before Our Eyes

Well it seems like I won't get time to post as often as I like out here until we get home internet. When we do find time to go to the library, I have just enough time to post the daily photos of Katie. Remember, you can find those at: http://adayinthelifeofkatiedwyer.blogspot.com .

There is some interesting stuff going on at work and some nice changes to the house. Karen and I are going by the club on the way home from here to get a Club Card application. Gives you a discount for the internet. So after we get signed up and buy a modem we should be good to go.

Karen had a bunch of neighbor wives over for margaritas and I am trying to finish up my distance education hours so i can recertify my CADAC (Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor) . I some how crammed in 30 education hours in the last two weeks.

It's starting to drop out of the 100 degree days in southern Turkey now. Once we get some snow up in the Tarsus Mountains it should be really nice. Unfortunately, this is the time of the year all the farmers burn their fields and the air is REALLY bad in the afternoon.

Hope to write more soon.