The hardest thing about putting everything you own in storage for two years is deciding what stays and what goes to charity. Clothes not worn in three years, wash and donate. Ditto small appliances and little tsktoksi dust collecters. Then the real packing begings.  Today my sister and her husband, four of their sons, daughter  and [...]

With Super Tuesday coming up, I realized that there are many things I won’t miss while in Vanuatu. Political ads top the list. I don’t watch TV very often but when I do (I love House, even the reruns) the ads are for Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama and Ron Paul. Same ads, over and over again. [...]

I got my Peace Corps invitation today, YAY! I’ll be in Vanuatu as an Agro-enterprise Advisor.  Orientation is April 10 - 12, Pre-Service Training is April 12 - June 19, service ends June 2010. I most likely will be on a remote island without electricity, so this blog will fade away. But if you’d like to be [...]

Hooray! I faxed my stress test report to Peace Corps on the afternoon of the 25th and got an email the next morning - medical clearance. And another email saying “We wanted to get in touch with you to congratulate you on receiving your medical clearance and therefore, for completing a very important part of the [...]

I did it! I signed up for http://www.nanowrimo.org/ It all began with the periodontist appointment. I decided I needed to have something to think about during the predicted three hours of scraping, rather than wonder what the hell the hygenist was up to.  So a story emerged and now I think the small story will emerge [...]

Nothing is easy. After extensive medical and dental exams I sent off all the forms to PC on Sept. 26. On Oct. 9 I got a letter from the dental office - You need to visit a periodontist for evaluation and definitive treatment. Did that, have one more appointment on Nov. 19, and if I’ve been doing [...]

In the hopes that I will someday enter the peace corps I’ve started to eliminate things from my home that I no longer need or haven’t used since I moved here over three years ago. Thank goodness I have an outlet for stuff that is still worthy of a home, my co-worker David is helping [...]

I drove to Dallas on Sunday, there were several thunderstorms along the way and I pulled off the highway to wait out the downpour. I do not like driving in strong wind, strong rain and whipsawing semis speeding beside me.  There was no rush to get to Dallas, the interview was scheduled for 11:00 on [...]

Well this is it, the last Harry Potter book.  I’m amazed that our little independent book store has so many pre-orders reserved with a credit card. We don’t try to compete with the big box stores, Amazon, or even Kroger with their deep discounts. Ours is a modest 20% and most customers are surprised we’re [...]

This is fun, I did fairly well - 8 of 10. How did you do?