The F Word

In a phone conversation this week I was asked what I do for fun. My brain went into emergency mode trying to come up with a good answer. Fun? The best I could come up with was "Well, for MWR I try to work out...and read. "

And in that answer is maybe the saddest thing I can think of. I've reduced myself here to a life so lame that I can't even use the word "fun."

I can't believe I used "MWR" in place of "fun." MWR is a military program providing "Morale, Welfare, Recreation." Downrange (here) the program is run by KBR, former Halliburton subsidiary, as one of its many, many lucrative government contracts. In addition to DFACs, water purification, fuel operations and other services, they run the gym, the Velvet Camel, and an MWR building which has movies, books, pool tables and other largely underused entertainment resources.

But real fun? I guess I hadn't even thought of it.

A lot of soldiers play video games. A lot of pirated movies get watched. I've deliberately watched two movies since I've been here. (A number of others have been inadvertently viewed while they were playing in the TOC. ) But that wasn't really for the fun of it, more to stop thinking about work all the time.

I have my trusty Louisville Slugger here, the XO stick, and I'll occasionally go outside to take a few cuts to remember what it feels like and dream of softball league glories.

Oh, and I did see a group of soldiers taking turns trying to throw rocks into a bucket. That may have been 'fun.' I wasn't sure.

Update: Up until this week I've been avoiding the occasional games of RISK that go on, for fear I actually might have this 'fun' and lose my edge and miss out on some of the 'not in any way fun' that makes up the rest of the day. Anyway, last week I participated in what is probably the second game of RISK I've been a part of. So, to be fair, I have to report that I did attempt some 'fun.' I should also report that in the following game on the Fourth, while attempting more 'fun,' I did inadvertently achieve total world domination. So maybe I ought to be careful what I get involved in.