Dust...It's What's For Dinner!

I can hear actor Sam Elliot's deep voice intoning the tag line from those beef commercials, except talking instead about the layer of fine, brown dust that gets into everything here. There is absolutely nothing on this FOB that doesn't have a bit of Iraq on its surface. Doesn't matter if it's indoors or outside, the faint sepia tone gives the dust's presence away to the trained observer. Toilet paper has a layer of dust on it, which sort of acts like talcum powder I suppose, but the intriguing part is that even when you unroll it, there is dust 30 sheets under the surface. I bought a packet of M&Ms this evening, and when I opened it, there was dust on those multi-colored morsels. Thankfully, the dust also melted in my mouth, but not in my hand. The taste is subtle, with a hint of cinnamon and camel dung...it would really be complemented by a nice dry Riesling, if we were allowed to consume wine here.
We had another sandstorm today, and by 3:00 p.m. the sun was a dim orange bulb. I've noticed that my exposure to all of this dust and sand has given me a constant minor cough...probably giving me all of the benefits of smoking without the expense of actually buying cigarettes. Add in the constant smoke from the burn pit on the north edge of the FOB, and I'll sound like Sam Elliott myself by the end of my tour here.