Finally!!!!!

We are FINALLY getting some moisture here in Kabul, hoping it will clear out the air. I'm hoping it will relieve my friend Chaput from having to send me more sinus cleansing packs.

Top picture, I thought captured two things: the snow/rain and picture of man wearing traditional tribal chief (forgot the name in Dari) coat. Okay, it's all about the coat. President Karzai is often seen wearing one of these coats and Asa tells me it's uncool for men not in a senior leadership position (tribal chief types) to wear one.

Bottom picture shows Massoud Circle (that's a picture of Massoud in the windshield). It's rare to see so few vehicles clogging this central point in Kabul. The moisture was a mix of snow and rain and snow and rain and... you get the point.

So, Asa and I had to leave the primary Ministry compound today for a meeting, walking down a dirt road. I'm used to the heavy, let's call it dust, on this route; however, today it was just mud and ruts. I had given Asa my LL Bean duck boots a couple of months ago which she most astutely wore to work today. Me, I had my regular walking shoes on... not such a good idea. Just covered in, let's call it, mud at the end of our travails of not slipping, sprayed by passing cars (that would not be good at all), or drowning in ruts filled with water. We're talking serious ruts.

Sadly, the rain we're getting is just not enough. They say it would need to rain hard for about two weeks to make up for dangerously low groundwater levels. Not sure I want to experience heavy rains though. The open sewers and dirt roads could not manage the lighter rain/snow we had today never mind heavy stuff.

Tomorrow is Superbowl Monday, starting at 4 AM. A bunch of guys are getting together to watch the game in our common room so I better get to bed early. I'm sure they will not be quiet so must plan to be up at 4 with them. Some of you know how very much I love football -- NOT!! They do not show commercials here which I always find the best part of the Superbowl. Sorry Ma.