GREETINGS FROM THE COSTA DEL BASRA

[No8]

All's as well as can be expected in the desert living in a metal portacabin.  It reaches a cool 49/50  during the day and gets down to a chilly 30/35 at night.  Yesterday hit 50 with 70% hunidity.....a sauna....the doc stopped everyone doing any physical activity not directly related to work.  I had to give the 10 mile run, 2 hour hill sprint session and gym workout a miss !!!  But I will get around to it next year.  Have been getting some training in but work is currently 14 hour shifts, except Sunday morning when we get a lie in until 1200 !!!!  I appear to have found a bar, however, it will only serve me 2 beers a day....on a ration card !!!!!  I will have the drinking prowess of Sailor on my return.  Getting a cracking suntan on my arms and face but I suspect that most of me will remain white.

I've yet to get a look around the whole base, however, I believe that the tour Lion may be going flying some evening soon.  I have the Blackpool key holder and thermometer up in my room.  It lets me know that when I walk into my metal oven it is roughly 45 C at 10pm, after 30 mins of a very noisy, inefficient air conditioning unit, it drops to about 29/30.  The Blackpool Tower has made it into work, including the sand in the base !!!! a bit of british sand in the Iraqi desert makes all the difference, I'm wondering if I can sell it to some gullible Iraqi ??

Keep training hard, I'll see those of you playing in the seconds in about 6 weeks.

Thanks to all who have phoned Holly, took her out on the piss, invited her round for an orgy (I was a bit confused over that one, as I hadn't negociated rates ).  37 days left !!!!

 

[Traxsuit]

Mate I look forward to playing 2nd team rugby with you in about 37 days tim!?!?!?

[Skinny]

Good to hear from you Mark, sounds like your having a great time, look forward to seeing you back at training at your physical peak. Be safe!

[Dave Mitch]

Keep your head down and watch out for mole hills on the road side.
Hope you took plenty of de-orderant with you.

Mitch

[Mr Bridge]

Actually the weather here has been quite bad with it raining, but it looks like the sun may come out and it may hit a very uncomfortable 21c.
Could I ask a favour could you get me one of those "I know someone who went to Basra and all I got was this lousy t shirt" if not a Tank!!. If you bump into Charlie Charles tell him to come back as his mum said he only took one pair of pants....and George has asked is it a nice beach and can you see the sea!!
Take care and see you when you get back, remember there is finage for lateness..x

[Mandy]

Afternoon No8, sounds like you are having a really good holiday! You can trust all of us to look after Mrs P, i was particulary impressed with the orgy, no rates needed,  i think it was a freebie

Enjoy the remaining 37 days and look forward to seeing you burst onto the field for the 1st game! Watch out for the friendly fire.

[Jon Stevens]

Hey buddy, good to hear you're keeping well!  Look after yourself and we'll see you in a month or so. 

[happyhooker]

Wow I have just returned from 2 weeks in the Greek islands at a cost of around 2k sound like youre having much more fun and you get paid for it
keep safe m8 and hope to see you soon
JB

[Bigtrev]

I am sitting down in an air conditioned office, drinking my cold water thinking of you and reading all these soppy messages. You should hear what they're really saying behind your back!

The orgy was a bit of a let down really I hear. 1 girl and 14 blokes is a bit of an imbalance, but Quintas and Tucker offered up their services to be receivers!

See you soon

[No8]

UPDATE 1 FROM THE DESERT

Lads, I'm feeling the love....or is that Holly ??

Quote from Sir John Nixon - Commander-In-Chief British Forces in Mesopotamia April 1915 - January 1916...

"When the devil created hell it wasn't bad enough, so he created Basra and added flies"

An incitfulful man even though he died in 1921.

Anyway, training not going well, it's now limited to before 7am and after 11pm.  Between those times it's been hitting a cool 50+. At this rate I may be starting a thirds team   Any takers.
I think the airconditioner in my room is about to give up.  It's straining under the heat and has started making wierd clanking noises. 
Have not managed to offload the tower yet, ungrateful gits so it still sits, pride of place in the office.  You may wish to check out the news tomorrow, there has been a little incident down here that well may hit the media !!!!!

Highlight of the day.....I saw a frog.....even the animals out here are confused, it's probably the lesser spotted certain death frog ??

Downer of the week....bar resupplies from Kuwait are held up at the border.....bar nearly dry....

It's good to see that Quintas and Tucker are still pushing back !!!!

35 days to go.......

[clubman]

hi 8 or a low 5

I didn't know the French were there as well!!!!

Clubman

[clubman]

http://crazyfrog.yourebustingmyballs.com/shoot_the_crazy_frog_mini_game

If you don't like frogs you'll like this

[clubman]

8

Keeping with the frog - Was he "knee deep" in the sand?

Clubman

[Neil]

Developments in the cosy town of Basra...

"""In Basra in the south, armed groups attacked the city council, in what reports say may be a move to avenge a tribal leader killed on Tuesday"""

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4797323.stm

[Dave Mitch]

Sounds more like Central Watford every day out there, but with less Chavs.