Home Sweet "Can"....

I am finally settled in to my home for the next nine or so months.  The living spaces here at Camp Leatherneck (which we abbreviate LNK) are affectionately known as "the cans".  Officially, they are called Living Support Areas, or LSA's.   They are essentially modular construction type boxes set up as living quarters.  Think mobile home and you have the idea.  Each can is about eight feet wide and twenty feet long with a door at one end.  The floor is gray linoleum and the walls are grey metal.  The lighting is of course fluorescent and there is a bed and a window.  There is also an air conditioning unit, which is essential;  the weather here is already creeping just over 100 degrees and it is only June (ughh!)  There is of course a bed, but that is about it.  There is not any other furniture.  The cans are set up in two story rows of like ten cans each with maybe twenty or so rows in each LSA.  At the end of the rows they are cans that are set up as showers and bathrooms and those are fine.  Nothing fancy to be sure, but all I really do here is sleep and read so what more do you need right?

The good news is that just across the street is the exchange where I can buy rugs for the floor, a blanket or extra pillow, perhaps a small set of plastic drawers, plus various snacks and toiletries if I need to.  Along with the exchange there is a Green Beans Coffee shop (I guess Starbuck's placed too high a bid on that contract), an alterations shop if you need uniforms fixed, as well as a "morale center".  This is essentially a recreation area.  They show movies (with popcorn even), have several video gaming stations set up, pool tables, ping pong, etc. There is also a room where I can participate in the United Through Reading program where they video tape me reading to the kids and then send the DVD home for free.

Down the street from that is the chow hall.  There are actually something like six Dining Facilities, or DFAC's, aboard LNK.  One of them is right near the cans, and another is right next door to where I work so they are very convenient.  The food is extremely good too.  I am going to have to come up with a good exercise program to prevent gaining 10 pounds while I am out here!

So now you know all about the LSA's and DFAC's aboard LNK.  Don't you just love the acronyms!  Take Care everybody and I'll write more soon.