I must tell you about this. For those who hate to hear of Government waste, perhaps you should stop reading now.

I grew up in a family of nine kids and was raised to appreciate everything you had.  Food was a gift not to be wasted, and we felt lucky to get a belly full of food.  It was Pop’s hard work and business ethics that provided for us.  We learned not to complain, nor did we have a right to.

My core job is protecting the classified information of the US Government, so when there is a visit by a high level official, if that individual wants to read classified material, we have to be there to protect its access.

Last week, there was a NATO summit in Antalya, Turkey.  Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to be there, so we had to be there.  If he should want to read a classified cable, it would be our job to keep it secured.

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, comprises of 28 countries of North America and much of Europe, was formed on April 4th, 1949.  Once a year, they have a summit to listen to each other ramble on.

The Summit was at a 5-star resort on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  Weeks before, people from Washington DC and Brussels, Belgium, where NATO resides, came to survey.  Usually, there are several pre-pre-survey teams that arrive.  Then the pre-survey teams arrived followed by the survey teams.  I kid you not.  There are many people who make special trips just to survey the 5-star hotel to see if it will be good enough for the Secretary of State and his entourage.

In addition to the Sec State and his people, there will be a magnitude of support people.  Security, networking, clerical, transportation, baggage handlers and the typical gophers.  All these require rooms to stay in with meals and incidentals.  Also included in this will be flights and vehicle expense.  Diplomatic Security had a half dozen people there to protect the Secretary.  Local guards from the Turkish Embassy and Consulates were there to protect our Ambassador to Turkey who would be attending.  I was told there was an issue with rooms, because the advance team requested 80 rooms and could only get 30.  This was just for the Secretary’s entourage!

The week previous, 6-10 people from the Embassy went down to Antalya to start preparations.  The networking crews installed internet in a room with printers and computers just to use as a control room for operations, and secure connections were in place.

My task was to set up cameras in a corridor of the hotel where the Secretary will stay, leading to where classified information was kept.  Cleared Americans came in and set up a series of computers and printers.  Copy machines were brought in and set up.  Food, bottles of water, clerical supplies and furniture were brought in.  Individuals printed up signs designating which way was what and hung clocks on the wall showing the time in Washington DC.  Every contingency was studied to make sure nothing would go awry.

It took me a few hours on one day and a few on the next to do my work.  Included in that was setting up the recording and monitoring system where several Marines would be posted.  The resort I stayed at was next door and it was a 10 minute walk from one to the other.  So, once my job was complete, I sat out at the pool bar with cigar and drink until it was time to go and undo all I had done.

When the day arrived for the dignitaries to start arriving, about noon that day, the hotel/resort went on lock-down.  Only those having the previously acquired security badge were allowed to enter.  I would love to have taken pictures of all this, but it is extremely uncomfortable to take pictures of the local Jandarmas (local police with no sense of humor) standing around in body armor holding automatic weapons.  As vehicles rolled in, each was inspected by nervous dogs and armored security people.

I had just finished the last installation of the cameras and headed out the hotel.  I passed dignitaries coming off the elevators with baggage, entourages and bodyguards wearing bulging overcoats.  As I continued through the lobby passing the concierge, reception and out the front door, I clashed in dress.  Everyone wore three piece suits and shiny shoes, whereas I wore denim jeans, dirty tennis shoes and a Ronnie Eaton T-shirt; but damn, I felt good not being one of them.

The Secretary arrived at 2am that night, flying directly in from Moscow.  He attended an 8am breakfast giving his speech, then left to catch a flight at 10:30.  Eight and a half hours.

That was it.  It was over.  Everyone jumped up and down on the success of the visit.  In everyone’s hotel room, gifts were placed commemorating the Summit.  That day, I removed my setup, packed it up, loaded it in the vehicle and headed home.  Got to Ankara and went back to work.

There were all the other countries who participated in the Summit, but the Sec State visit was the only one we were there for.  Still, I was amazed at the amount of time and resources for a quick 8 1/2 visit to Turkey.

Several years ago, while working in Moscow, we witnessed a visit of the President of the United States.  This visit to Antalya was pale in comparison to that.  I am truly amazed at the waste associated with these visits, and will always be.  My dad, who grew up and survived the Depression, would be astonished if he were alive.

Sorry Pop.

For all you good people, keep your head up and kick butt.  D.

This is my favorite season.  It has the dangerous storms, lethal lightning and horizontal rain.

About 10 years ago when we lived in Texas, we had an incredible storm roll through the small Texas town.  The next morning, as I laid in bed trying to get the eyes to open, my wife came into the bedroom to hand me some coffee and casually said, “Honey, what did you do with the swimming pool?”

“Huh?”

“It’s not in the backyard.”

“Huh!”  Then I thought she is probably pulling a joke on me, but got to thinking, why would she come up with such an outlandish comment.

I jumped out of bed and realized why she had the outlandish comment, because it was indeed true!

The swimming pool was no longer in the backyard.  When we went to bed the previous night, it was there and now it’s not.

So, I adopt my casual attitude like I knew what happened all along.

“Well, honey, what probably happened is … well it was, it is …..” …and I let me voice trail away.

Below is what the swimming pool looked like, minus the pool.

And this is what I found when I stuck my head out into the alley. The camera picture was blurred and I’m sure the situation had something to do with it. The pool was almost empty with about 3-4 inches of water, but was still sucked up and tossed over the fence.  I took it apart since the majority of the metal was bent and gave it a proper burial at the landfill.

Yeah!  I love this weather.  Keep your feet anchored to the ground and head up, so you don’t miss any of it.  D.

Working overseas, we meet many good people and a few stinkers.

There is a young lady down the hall from my office that drops by to visit and drink coffee every morning.  At least once a week, she has an interesting tale concerning her twin 5 year old sons.

One Monday morning, she came in and I could tell she had a ragged weekend.  She sat quietly, and then casually commented, “Did I tell you my kids ran away from home the other day?”

“Ah, no!”

“Yeah.  They took off out the front door and the nanny ran after them.  Outside, they split up and each went a different direction, and the nanny couldn’t catch either of them.”

I waited, not knowing what to say.

“We had the local guard force looking for them, and the Security office was out trying to find them.  I was worried sick!”

I assumed they were indeed found, so I said. “Where did they find them?”

“Oh, they were in a bookstore in the mall.  The one that has a bowl of free candy.”

And she continued. “They had to slip though the perimeter fence of the apartment compound and cross a very busy highway to get to the mall.  I asked them how they were able to cross the highway, and they said, ‘Oh, we held hands.”

Then she stated, “I was so distraught, I didn’t know whether to be relieved or angry.”

I did notice that she seemed to have a bit more gray in her hair.

Kids.  That had to have taken a year off her life.

Kick butt, D.

… and it’s only Monday.

Late Saturday night, Terese left her purse in a taxi here in Ankara.  After getting home I jumped on the phone to get debit and credit cards cancelled.  I sat on the phone for 20 minutes listening to something resembling music that just grinds the mind when all you can think about, is getting the cards cancelled before someone books an all expense paid trip to Mars.

Finally, some character named Renaldo came on line.  He sounded so laid back, I could have sworn he was smoking pot while talking to me.  I think I could actually hear him taking long draws from an illegal substance, and by the time I got off the phone, the room seemed rather unusual.  Almost floating.

Remember the couple who recently got married here?  Allison is a Foreign Service officer and Serkan is a guard at the Embassy.  I explained our predicament to them, and Serkan jumped on the phone and within a few hours, the purse showed up at the Embassy gate.  Everything seems to be intact, although the debit and credit cards are no longer valid.

For those in the family, if that happens to you, remember the information listed at the end of the notorious NAPE list.  Those are the numbers I called.  Just be patience when listening to the droning music and then talking to someone who sounds stoned.

Kick butt.  D.

… to the post below, I wanted to share a story I found some years back, called The Dichotomy.

Click on this to jump to it:  The Dichotomy

Spent the last two weeks traveling to Adana and beyond, then home; then to Istanbul and now home again.  Be here for at least a week or two.

I had thought a predominantly Muslim country would not celebrate Christmas, but they do.  Below are pictures I took of some of the decorations for the season at the high end hotels we stay at. Note that all of these were taken during the week after Christmas.  Long after most Americans remove their decorations and start thinking of Valentine’s Day.

As I stated in so many words in the past, the Turkish food is incredible.  And for me, that is not a good thing.  Very difficult to only eat half portions, but I am starting to win the battle.  We traveled Southeast from Adana to do some work in a city that is well known for its food.  Below are a few pics of the cuisine.The one above was the main dish.  I forgot to take a picture before eating it, but know it looked much better at the beginning.  I stayed at a hotel that looks like it was renovated from an old fort a century ago.  I do like the decor.Below is a picture taken from the hotel window in Adana, of the sunset across from the canal below.Luckily, Turkey is civilized enough to have its share of Starbucks restaurants.  There is one that sits on the Bosphorus Strait.  This is the body of water that divides Istanbul, and is also the division between the Continents of Aisa and Europe.

This restaurant has the best view of those I’ve been to.  It has four levels with the lowest sitting on the water’s edge.  We stopped there a few times for coffee in the mornings and I got a few pics. For those who choose to come visit, if we make it to Istanbul we will stop there.  This is an incredible city.  I could easy retire there.  The only big negative I see is the traffic.  The volume is so high, people working at the Consulate know it will be 30-60 minutes of driving in the morning, and 45-90 to get home in the evenings.  But if I am truly retired, it wouldn’t make any difference to me.

Until next time, keep kicking butt.  D.