Dixon Details

Many of you have been asking what my dad is doing in Iraq.

Well.

This one's for you.
That's how I roll.

When I was little, I eagerly looked forward to "Take your daughter to work day".

I loved it.
Probably more than most kids my age.
Maybe it was the unlimited amount of office supplies at my fingertips.
Maybe it was missing a day of school.
Most likely it was getting my dad all to myself for one full day.
Or so I thought.

One particular holiday
as I like to call it
was when I was ten.

*Side note*
My dad has worked for the Army Corps of Engineers for as long as I can remember.
Yes, the same Corps of Engineers that had that minor levy problem during Katrina.

He had nothing to do with that . . .

He's a civil engineer.
What's a civil engineer? one may ask.
Well, I'm not sure.
So we'll say he's an architect.

He designs awesome buildings.

And he's very good at what he does.
Really.
*End side note*

So imagine my joy when on that sunny day in September, I followed my dad to work.

I imagined sitting in my dad's office,

chatting about the end of the fiscal year,

sipping water from the cooler,
and occasionally answering phones.

Oh, and for sure playing solitaire.
Oh yes, I was excited about that one.

Hmm, not exactly.

From the moment we stepped off the elevator . . .

IT.WAS.CRAZY.

"Blaine, meeting in the board room, 8:00."

"Blaine, do you have that proposal?"
"Blaine, I'm having problems with my budget, can you help?"

"Blaine, how on earth does this coffee pot work?"

It took him most of the day, but he solved all the worlds problems.

And ate lunch at his desk.

I like to think of that day as a reality check.

For a ten year old.

Corporate America is not rainbows and butterflies.
My dad works harder than any other human being I know.

And believe it or not, the experience was a good one.

Even though I cried when we got home.
It taught me much respect for this man I call Father.

And his experience in Iraq follows suit.

He is there for six months rebuilding Baghdad.
Rebuilding everything.
Schools, hospitals, and all sorts of Iraqi infrastructure.

Does he HAVE to be there?

No.

Does he feel safe?

Yes.

Does he hear gunfire?

Yes.
And was worried at first.
Then he realized it was the soldiers on patrol testing their guns.
Silly Dad.

So yeah.

To say he's my Hero is an understatement.

Here are a few pictures from his adventure thus far:
His five star living conditions.

Might be a little bit smaller than what he's use to . . .He filled all those himself.
Okay, not really. The "body armor".
The whole "armor of God" lesson miiiiiiiight have new meaning to him now.

So there you go.
Some may say I'm a tiny bit proud.
You better believe I am.