My favorite person at Bagram Air Field is an experienced deployer (Kosovo, Iraq, and here) who keeps me on the straight and narrow.  She sent me great advice emails before I left home, and since I’ve gotten here she’s been a valuable resource for information about everything from how to find my way around the base to how to get the best deals at the bazaars.

The other night we went to the local spa, she for a manicure and I for a pedicure:

As you can see, she doesn’t care to have her picture taken.  And my attempts to trick her into looking toward me while I’m holding a camera are always foiled:

Camera-shy is the only kind of shy she can be accused of.  You know how you need people in your life who will call you out when you need to be set right?  When you’re messing up or deluding yourself or not seeing the whole picture?  Ms. Diann is that person for me — a no-nonsense straight-shooter.  She can deliver a one-line zinger so sharp you’d swear it will leave a mark, but she doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body.  She just tells it like it is.

Example:  we’re walking to the DFAC for lunch one day and we pass by the Airman’s Attic.  She tells me it’s a “thrift store” where you can turn in uniform pieces that don’t fit anymore and replace them with other sizes if you gain or lose weight.  I’ve dropped a few pounds since I arrived and my trousers are getting a little baggy, so I say, “I might have to go in there and get some smaller pants if I keep losing weight!”  Without missing a beat she shoots a look at my ass and says, “You got a ways to go.”

KA-POW!

You can’t get mad at her:  she’s always right!  If I ever need the unvarnished truth, she’s the oracle I consult.  We have a lot of fun together, and I’m so glad she’s taken me under her wing.  And I’ve discovered if I’m very patient, and always keep my camera in my pocket, I might catch her in a rare, camera-ready mood:

Note the nice manicure.

MM