Tastes Like Chicken



Skyping home from my CLU

  Sigh... I just got done Skyping Kerry.  She called at 9am, just after dropping the boys off at school (which is 6pm here).  Today was my day off so I was back in my CLU waiting to hear back from her.  I had called them all on the phone earlier, a little before 7am their time, and woke them up this morning - it was nice to get the boys up and going.  I chatted with them for a few minutes each and gave them lots of love and encouragement for the day... kinda like as if I were there.  A video Skype call to a mobile phone is even more fun as we get to move around and see each other - really like I was there.
       I just got a couple emails from guys at work too.  They wrote to check up on me and asked for my address (BTW, it changed to a different box# Maj Kevin MOOSE Dydyk - HOAAC / "YODA"; PSC 831 Box 0008 FPO, AE 09363-0008).  Not that I need anything - a card would be great to put on the shelf there next to my bed and some photos to hang on the wall.  I asked the guys instead of sending anything it would be cool if they would go play ball with my boys and check with Ker to see if there are any odd jobs needing to be done.  It's no fun to not have family around, but it is good having my Air Force family there when we need em.  Thanks guys.
    The Air Force is a small community - I ran into SPLIT Mulhare the other day.  He is stationed as a deputy group commander in the UAE and was here to check on some of his folks in our neighborhood.  He and I worked on the last airshow together at Sheppard AFB - he is going back there this summer as a commander!  I also bumped into WIZ Graber - he and I were stationed together in Aviano, Italy 10 years ago; I've got him to hang around with for a couple months.  Another weird connection happened - PYRO Havens, another Aviano cronie, saw on my Facebook page that I was in Djibouti.  She has a place for rent at Maxwell AFB, Alabama and was contacted by a possible renter - the French exchange officer, Lt Col Richard "Andy" Gros, who is going there for school this summer.  It just so happens that Andy is stationed here in Djibouti as the Mirage fighter squadron commander; Djibouti has an agreement with the French for national defense.  She gave me his name and said I had to go meet him.  By coincidence I bumped into Andy at a meeting I had to go to over there on the other side of the runway in the French Compound.  Last night he was very gracious and invited me and another US officer out to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town.  After all I've been telling you about this country you're probably thinking how fancy can a place in this poor East African nation be?  Well I was shocked!  Downtown on the water there is actually one really fancy joint - the Kempinski Palace Hotel.


Kempinski Palace Hotel

   We ate there at the 'Lac Assal Restaurant' with his family, wife Nedjma, son Ekouan (9), and daughter Isciane (7) - who drew me this lovely picture!
  It was a great dinner set up buffet style (yes another buffet!) - no 5 slot tray for this meal - though you could go back and take as many plates as you want... I was good.  We had a nice bottle of French red wine, some nice cheeses and meats for an appetizer, the desserts were delicious - I actually partook in some for a change as their macaroons looked too good to resist.


For the main course there was a saute bar where the chef would prepare a chicken and or clam stir fry as well as a handful of unique dishes.  Among other things, for the first time ever I ate frog legs - Yum, tastes like chicken; really succulent chicken.  Where they got the frogs from I have no idea, but they were good!  Sure beats the chow hall food.
  On that note I think I'll leave you and go watch my TV series that Ker bought me on Amazon..."The Walking Dead."  Hope there are no Zombie frogs in this episode - I might not sleep tonite!