Written 10/01/2008

I have been in this country a total of seven months and in general I can’t say that it has felt a day over seven weeks. It’s unbelievable. However, don’t misinterpret that statement to have one simple meaning. On the one hand, it says that I have been quite busy (most of the time anyway). And on the other, it means that I am still settling in…which just might continue to be the situation throughout the entirety of my service. I continue to learn a host of new cultural aspects, government activities and policies, about social roles and expectations, etc. Not to mention, there exists a never-ending process of self-change and learning about myself.

There have been several occasions when I have thought about returning home permanently. To be completely honest, there are days when I put to questions the true impact of my efforts here. However, even if I question everything, even the reasons I came, I can’t find anything wrong with that. In fact, I know that the very reality that I can choose to go home anytime is what keeps me sane. Never has it been clearer in my life that everything stems from the roots of a decision. And although there may be circumstances which make me want something more than another option, I know I at least have the capacity to decide what I want.

Today I was able to get in touch with a volunteer friend of mine who shared with me that two volunteers recently “early terminated” their service. One of those volunteers arrived with my group to the country and was working in the IT sector. The other volunteer was six months away from the completion of her service and worked in the environmental sector. Both of these volunteers were strong, educated, hard-working young women that I had the pleasure of knowing briefly. I don’t blame them for their decision (I really can’t blame anyone who decides to leave) and instead I admire them for the months they dedicated to serving their country in one of the hardest jobs I think an American can ever undertake.

My stay in this country, however challenging at times, has thankfully gone by rather quickly. I have enjoyed some beautiful experiences such as falling in love and getting back in touch with true nature. And at this point in time I have passed that mark to where this country will forever represent something special and fragile in the overall collection of my life experiences.

As far as my work here, things have recently begun to gain significant headway. I have continued with the children’s English courses and will be concluding them in late November with a graduation ceremony. I formed an environmental youth group called Brigada Verde and we will hopefully be having our first community fundraiser in early November with the proceeds going towards a few learning activities and a camping trip. While working with this environmental youth group, I am planning to start a community gardens and composting project. I have acquired most of the needed seeds and am now simply soliciting funds for garden fencing which is unfortunately necessary due to the typical home being so accessible to chickens and turkeys. In addition, I have written a number of grant proposals with the hopes of getting a few projects off the ground that are more financially demanding. It is too soon to know whether my proposals will be funded but I am hopeful at this point. Soon I will begin a literacy course for adults in my community and would also like to plan an educational workshop/presentation over the environment for youth and adults.

Of course, everything I have mentioned I am hopeful that I can complete on the timeline I have set for myself. Nonetheless, I am flexible enough to understand that in my situation, timelines can mean very little; in a place where customs and familiarity rule over all else.

Until next time, miss you all,

Love Kimberly.

Written 08/28/08

Hello everyone, greetings from the D.R. I apologize that I have not been writing consistently but my situation makes it difficult. Tomorrow I officially reach the six month mark in country and I find it unbelievable. Up to this point, time seems to have gone by so quickly and now is when I feel it slowing down. A lot has happened and I have experienced so much these past few months that I must assume that the more challenging moments of my service are still ahead. In fact, I honestly am just now starting to feel the weight of full-fledged culture shock. In the beginning, the intrigue of the challenge to adapt some how numbs you from perceiving the full impact of the changes you are experiencing. Instead, your consciousness is so preoccupied in excelling, “making it,” and “staying in the game” (not as though this really were a game) that you cannot fully realize the changes you have undergone.

That period is over for me.

Right now as I sit in my home all alone and write this blog entry to candlelight in my simple yellow notebook as it pours and thunders outside, I realize what I must grow comfortable with for the next 20 months in order to carry out my responsibilities in this country. I do not feel that I still have to adapt to the conditions of my surroundings because for the most part I already have. For example, if I am at home and there is electricity I am well aware that after 7pm I have to keep candles and matches readily available no matter what because the lights WILL go out sooner rather than later. I know that I have to pack up all food tightly or else ants, roaches (that are humongous by the way) and mice will invade (as has already occurred several times). In addition, I am aware that loud bangs on my roof that wake me up in the middle of the night are avocadoes and oranges falling from the trees in my yard. I can truly say that I have grown accustom to these aspects of my day-to-day living but unfortunately I not yet comfortable and that is something I have to work on because I know that if it continues to linger it can potentially jeopardize my experience here.

Anyway, as for my experiences, I have completed and presented my community diagnostic which means I know the projects which will make up the body of my work during my service. I have moved into my own small home within my community and although I love the privacy I also dread the solitude (which I recognize pretty much go hand in hand in my situation). In addition, I have fallen in love and am planning to get married before the end of my service. Not to forget, my invaluable companion, my six month old dog Vicki, is still my relentless supporter and follower as we walk and work in the streets (or rather dirt roads) of Rio Grande, Altamira.

During the next few months I plan to initiate a number of projects. Among them is an environmental youth group called Brigada Verde (“Green Brigade”), a literacy course for adults, a community gardens and organic compost project, and a community domino tournament to raise funds in order to carry out educational activities with the youth group. In November, I will be completing the 6 month cycle of my English courses as well as taking a pair of teenagers to a national environmental youth conference. The months ahead will be full of hard work and challenges and I am not invincible. I know that I am in for some serious ups & downs (especially mentally and emotionally) but I can only reassure myself that I am completely capable of doing this job and then hope that I never forget it.

I am beginning to see why the Peace Corps calls this work “the toughest job you’ll ever love.”

Love,

“Verenice” (what most of the people in my community call me since Kimberly is a very unfamiliar and strange name)

Written June 20, 2008

Finding my place and getting to work…

I have been in my site for a little over a month now and the true colors of my responsibilities (present and upcoming) are beginning to surface. Recently, I have been attending a variety of local group meetings belonging to Participacion Cuidadana (Citizens Participation), the Junta de Vecinos Don Simon (Neighbors Club of Don Simon), and the Consejo Communitario de Salud y Medio Ambiente (Community Advisory Committee of Health and Environment). Surprisingly, (in contrast to what we were informed is the norm for countryside communities during training) there appears to be a large amount of local action and involvement in my community. Due to this local desire to act and initiate projects, I have found myself overwhelmed with invitations to events, meetings, and presentations. Practically everyday involves some sort of formal meeting, informal reunion, office visit, home visit, or planning for an upcoming visit or meeting. Just yesterday I attended an informal presentation by the doctor that heads the local policlinica (policlinic) which is not a hospital or clinic by any means. However, it is the closest public health resource where residents of low economic resources can go to at the very least have a face-to-face consult with a medical professional. Having never met the doctor before I was immediately surprised at his youth. He reminded me of Peace Corps volunteers, the majority of us just out of college, young, enthusiastic, altruistic, and willing to work for practically no pay at all. The doctor’s presentation focused on the common cold (which has been rapidly spreading) as well as dengue. At the end of his presentation, he took the time out to speak with me personally and request that I involve him in any or all of my major projects as he reminded me that health and the environment share a very delicate and codependent relationship.àI couldn’t agree more!

Last Saturday, all of the necessary conditions including good weather and public awareness enabled me to give a community presentation to explain what I would be doing for the next month and a half. Basically, now that I have lived within the community for over a month, I feel comfortable enough and am familiar with enough residents to do home surveys and most of the other components of the required community diagnostic. From now until August, I will be collecting a mountain of information about community groups/associations/cooperatives, public institutions, local natural resources, important and abundant crops, seasonal weather patterns, critical environmental needs and threats, etc. All of this with the final goal that by early August I will be able to make well-rounded recommendations for the most needed and desired projects; which will be my focus during the next two years of my service.

On another note, it has been two weeks that I have been teaching English to children and teenagers on Saturdays and Sundays. Honestly, teaching English was not something that I was planning to do during my service but my attitude at this point is... "if the community wants it…then Kimberly is going to do it" (limits of course would apply if personal safety and values would be compromised). I am happy to report however that at this point it has been a pleasure. I teach six different sessions which are each an hour and a half long and have a total of about fifty students. More than anything, giving English lessons has given me the opportunity to get to know the youth of my community on a much more personal level. One of the saddest discoveries I have made thus far is that a significant amount of youth in my community is illiterate. As children were rushing to register for a session of English with the "Americana", a number of them had to be turned away because they could not write their own names in Spanish, much less read or write. Obviously this has sparked my interest in discovering truly how many adults, children, and teenagers are illiterate and later initiating a literacy campaign and courses. On a small scale, I have already begun. There is young boy that lives a few houses away nicknamed "Pincho." He is ten years old and he can not read or write. He often skips out on school and instead goes out to work in the fields with farmers to earn whatever little money he can. His parents moved to the city and left him to live with his grandparents and an uncle. Honestly, it would be an understatement to say that they have overlooked the young boy’s needs emotionally and educationally. It is now a routine that anywhere from 7-8pm Pincho will arrive at my house, eat supper with me because he is hardly ever fed at that time, and will learn a new letter of the alphabet, its sound, and a few small words using that letter. There is so much motivation and vivacity in this young boy that has been so disenfranchised by his own loved ones and community. I can’t help but feel that it is I who is benefiting more from his company and example than vice versa.

Well, to close up this reflection on my experiences recently I would like to say that although sometimes I feel like a single tree trying to make a difference in a jungle…you then have experiences that teach you just how much you are capable of. For example, although I plan to involve myself in a number of projects and initiatives having to do with the environment, health and education, if all else fails and the only thing I manage to do is teach a young boy to read I would not look back at my service with regret.

It’s always a pleasure sharing…take care and keep me in your hearts as you are in mine.

Love,

"Kimba"…new nickname given to me by a fellow volunteer.

This is my host sister Ana Hilda Rosario.

This is my host sister Natali Rosario.

Written on 5/26/2008

Hi everyone...here are just a few details of my day to help you get a better picture of my world...

Every morning is spent doing some sort of chore like hand-washing some clothing, picking up some of the loads of trash that surround the house (due to the lack of proper solid waste management systems), bathing my puppy Vicki, washing the dishes, cleaning the house or getting a cooking lesson from my extremely knowledgeable host sisters.

Meals are like clock work…when I wake I always have a tiny cup of coffee just to help me fully gain consciousness and about an hour later I have breakfast. Anywhere from noon to one in the afternoon lunch is never MIA and typically it is the heaviest meal of the day…a nap usually follows shortly after. By 7pm dinner is ready and by ten the desire to sleep is tugging at my eye lids. I am planning to start a daily exercise routine soon either early in the morning or early in the evening. I typically spend a few hours during the afternoon in the office of COCOSAMA (Consejo Communitario de Salud y Medio Ambiente) which is the organization that solicited me to work in the community. Soon I will start my community diagnostic and give weekly English classes to youth and adults that are interested so that I can familiarize myself better with the residents of my town.

What I love…

My mosquito net that protects me from bugs all night long, having candle-light conversations at the dinner table in the middle of night when the electricity is out, the sound of rain on the zinc roof, spending some serious quality time with my puppy Vicki, saying hello and smiling at absolutely everyone I encounter in my community, drinking three tiny cups of coffee throughout the day, taking my daily nap after lunch, buying pop in a glass bottle that I later have to return (you know I like less waste), having to hang-dry my clothing, having two amazing sisters after a lifetime of being an only daughter.

What I could live without…

The need to unfailingly apply and reapply bug repellent, observing practically everyone litter without thinking twice about such a heinous habit, the colony of flying ants that live in the refrigerator door, searching for a decent phone signal for over a half an hour to make a 2 minute phone call, getting cat calls from men the age of my grandfather.

What I miss from home…

The drive home from work at midnight from O’Hare to Calumet City-while the streets are dark and the city lights are bright-when there is no traffic and I get to play and sing along to good music, visiting a nice restaurant with good company, television, my home’s comfy couches, can openers, microwaves, Mexican food, familiar snacks, and the list goes on and on!

Don’t misunderstand me either…I couldn’t be more pleased to be where I am right now.

Mucho Amor, Kimberly

Written on 5/14/2008

Hi everyone! I know it has been a long time (practically two months) since I last wrote and I apologize. Peace Corps DR has been keeping my respective group of volunteers extremely busy; also notable is the fact that my site in the “campo” (countryside) does not have internet or reliable electricity for that matter. Last time I wrote my group still had several weeks of CBT training left and now that point in time seems a distant memory. Basically, I am happy to report that I have since successfully completed my training and have been sworn-in as an official Peace Corps volunteer here in the Dominican Republic since May 8th 2008. At this point, I have spent almost an entire month at my permanent site and as of right now life is slow and tranquil.

To summarize my present state-of-being…I am safe, quite a few pounds lighter, intimidated by the responsibility I have willingly undertaken, head over heels for one of the most interesting men I have ever met, slowly integrating into the day to day lives of yet another Dominican host family & community, exercising my “maternal instinct” with my newly adopted, four-legged daughter Vicki (that is 4 months old), and I’m sincerely missing some of the smaller joys from back home like hot water, accessibility to food variety, cable TV shows, personal home computers, reliable electricity, and comfy home couches (amongst millions of other things). At this point in my life I cannot quite express an extreme since of “pride” that I was born & raised in the States, however, I most definitely grateful for the overwhelming privilege it has been. No matter what statements I have made in the past to acknowledge this very same truth, it has taken these past 3 months for me to truly appreciate the contrast of living and being that is possible depending on where you reside in the world. It is a reality I recognize I will come to familiarize myself with even more so during the next 2 years of my service. Honestly, I look forward to making this truth a permanent part of my consciousness that will follow me throughout my adult life.

Moving forward, as far as training was concerned, I cannot emphasize enough just how much practical knowledge I have gained that I plan to put into practice almost immediately. Fortunately, the benefits of training did not end with the things I learned but I also made friends with a large group of amazing people in the Cumbre community where CBT training took place. The community officially became my second home (second only to my new community where I will be working) and I could not stay away long as I have already been back to visit after having left only three weeks ago. A very important fact of the matter is that 2 weeks before leaving the community I met Isaac who would shortly after become my boyfriend. As of right now, the whole relationship is new, fresh and intriguing (as they always are at first) and I am actually hoping it will be my stable life-line for the next two years as I realize I will be in deep need of emotional stability. I have great hopes anyway!

Changing pace…my group’s swear-in was on Thursday, May 8th 2008, (shout-out to Miss Eboni Brown whose birthday was that day and whom I could not get in touch with) and it was simple yet appropriate. The U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic was present and actually swore-in my group of volunteers; other local & U.S. officials were present as well. During the past three months, I have come to grow extremely fond of some of the volunteers in my group and sadly I have not gotten to know others all that well. Nonetheless, many of us plan to either bond or keep up the current bonding as we all explore the country by visiting each other’s sites and homes during the next two years.

My site…

Aside from the week-long visit to my site several days before swearing-in, I have now been here since 5/12/2008. I have been assigned to work in a small countryside community called Rio Grande Abajo in Altamira, Puerto Plata located about an hour outside of Santiago (the second largest city on the island) on public transportation. I am replacing a previous volunteer named Margaret that just completed her service in March of this year. From what I have gathered, it appears that she focused her efforts on the building of more efficient wood-burning stoves and the instillation of sand bio-filters. During the next three months I will be conducting a community diagnostic to learn and evaluate what pressing environmental issues facing the community will be the focus of my primary and secondary projects. The diagnostic will also serve as my opportunity to get to know the people and resources in my community and will allow me the chance to earn their “confianza” (trust), which is tremendously important in any country where someone is planning to do development work on a local, grassroots level.

As of now, I recognize that Rio Grande Abajo is a community whose largest source of income is agriculture (with the most important crop appearing to be cacao). Also from my initial observations, there will also be a need for me to develop projects in solid was management & water sanitation. Of course, as a volunteer I must remain open to the fact that anything I plan is never set in stone…which is definitely a change in pace for me. Here’s to an exciting two years to come!!!!

Love you guys, will write as soon as I can.

Kimberly

Hi everyone,

I know it has been a while since I´ve written anything but please believe that it has been with good reason. After having been in country for 3 weeks I completed core-training in Santo Domingo (the capital) which focused on topics such as health, saftey & security, culture, language, politics, etc. Upon completion, my group (which is made up of Community Environmental Development volunteers) was sent to CBT or Community-Based Training which takes place in the ¨campo¨ (countryside). Therefore, I am currently living in a very small rural town of about 300 people outside of the city of Santiago called ¨Kilometro 15¨ which is near the better-known town ¨La Cumbre.¨

Initially, it was pretty difficult getting accustomed to the sudden change in venue just as I was growing fond of the family and location in Santo Domingo. I have now been here over two weeks and the shock phase has greatly diminished. Here in KM15 things are quite different. I have two young host sisters now and a younger host brother. I also have an entire community of strangers that all happen to know my name as well as the family I am staying with. Few of the homes in town have generators unlike most homes in Santo Domingo so when the electricity goes out...it really does go out. The community has running water every three days, so the days spent waiting for that third day are managed with water rationing (water that was obviously saved up in large barrels from the last ¨water-day¨). The variety of food is limited...but I have quickly learned that when you are truly hungry pratically any food is great food. I happen to share a room with my two younger host sisters and although I have grown very fond of them, the fact that they are curious about my every word, action, and movement has become quite a test of patience. I really never considered myself that fascinating but it goes to show the interest other people can find in the small details about you.

Well, I could write forever about the small differences I deal with day to day but that would be a bit much. I would much rather discuss training at this point. For example, in the past two weeks my group has covered such topics as informal education techniques vs formal education techniques, community gardening, composting (also built a compost), eco-tourism, SWOT, group presentations, etc. We also completed community diagnostics (using PACA tools), studied a variety of different trees and plants, and completed a three-day workshop at a developing eco-tourism site founded by a Dominican NGO called SOECI (during which we climbed the highest mountain in the region). CBT has also consisted of learning productive fundraising techniques and has also helped us learn how to work with youth, specifically within the context of creating local volunteer youth groups focused on environmental initiatives called ¨Brigada Verde¨ groups. Even today we covered something new...which has gotten me really excited. What we covered was stove construction and the reason I am excited is because I think I have found what I want to focus my service on. Basically, stove construction is one of our environmental initiatives because large populations of Dominicans still use wood-burning stoves, especially in the countryside where wood sources are readily available. Unfortunately this has led to a great deal of deforestation in areas where these stoves are used because of their substantial and inefficient use of wood. Therefore, the stoves that Peace Corps teaches us to construct actually requires the use of 70% less wood then the convential wood-burning stove and they are healthier for the cook because they incorporate a chimney which funnels the smoke produced directly outdoors. Tomorrow we are scheduled to complete the stove as it is typically a two-day endeavor. I am not 100% sure at this point but I am extremely interested in making stove construction a leading project of my service along with environmental education and youth.

Besides training and the details of day-to-day life...there is so much more that is going on. I am constantly finding myself simultaneously fascinated and disappointed at so many of my discoveries. One day last week the volunteers were allowed to spend a few hours visiting local schools and assessing educational techniques, standards, learning environments and so forth. Although I can sincerely recognize that I am in no real position to judge the Dominican educational infrastructure (as I did not study education nor am I well-versed in the area), I will not shy away from saying that I was appalled. Unfortunately, the educational system of this country is an entirely seperate conversation which I am sure will require my attention at another time during my service. Another frustrating aspect has been consciousness over solid waste management almost everywhere and anywhere I go...simply because it is non-existent. Trash is everywhere...garbage cans no where...surrounded by an abundance of people that just can´t or don´t want to make the connection between the two.

I was totally caught off guard as I was speaking with my mother on Sunday night when I suddenly witnessed my youngest host sister bend a styrofoam case down the middle then throw it down the side of their property where garbage seems to have been collecting for ages. I immediately looked at her and said, ¨la basura va en zafacon y no en la calle¨ (trash belongs in the trash can and not in the street), for which she looked up at me and smiled. It´s times like this that I have to remind myself why I am here and why I am going to stay here.

Gotta run...but I am always thinking of you guys!

Love, Kimberly

I recently got the chance to visit an active volunteer in the field for about 4 days last week. I was not all that excited at first (typical of my outlook lately), but soon realized I was in for quite an inspiring set of days.

After acute nausea on the bus ride to my site, I hopped onto a ¨motoconcho¨ for about five minutes and ended up at my volunteer´s host family´s home. She, however, no longer resides with her family and has instead opted to leap out on her own...partly because she would then be able to chose and cook the food of her choice. After visiting her extremely humble home, we rushed out to the major grocery store in the largest nearby town. She explained to me that based on her experiences she was sure I wanted a short break from beans and rice and therefore proceeded to pick out some obvious American favorites. To state it plainly, I got a small taste of home during those few days (as far as food is concerned).

During the next few days I had the opportunity to sit in on a few community meetings consisting of eco-tourism guides and artisans. My volunteer also guided me through a local trail in the East National Park which contained one of the most amazing treasures towards the end of the walk. Not only did I get to swim in a very dark, bat-filled, freshwater cave but I got to enjoy the sights of cave drawings as well. All I can say is that it was quite inspiring.

Downside: Unfortunatly, during the time of my visit, my volunteer slowly started to realize that some of her belongings were missing. Ultimatly, she came to the conclusion that her home had been broken into at least twice which brought to mind (my mind of course) some serious concerns surrounding security. I am still not sure what to make of this but I daydream of getting placed with the perfect family that I will not want to leave during the entirety of my service...wishful thinking I know.

Due to the robberies, my volunteer and I were sent to stay at a hotel in the nearest community...which also happened to be a tourist hotspot. Of course, we were able to enjoy very rare commodities for the Dominican Republic (that of course I had always taken for granted) such as cable television, air conditioning, and a warm water shower. I also spent a few hours on the extremely nearby beach but of course not all is perfect in Eden...there actually was no sun by the time we got to the beach.

Anyway, what was the strongest lesson that I took away from this visit?

Well, I recognize that even with all of my recent doubts, I have the ability to do this job and make the necessary sacrifices...but best of all...I really want to do this (and not because the beaches in this country are phenomenol...in fact, I´m not much of a beach-lover).

Gotta run...but will write again as soon as possible.

Mucho amor,

Kimberly

Hey everyone,

I am relieved that I finally have the opportunity to write about my first few days in the Dominican Republic. It will be difficult to put everything about these past few days into words but I will try.

Family: I am staying with a small family of three women...one is my ¨Doña¨ and the other two women are her adult daughters. They have all been extremely attentive and comforting. What is somewhat difficult is communicating with them. Although I speak fluent Spanish, our Spanish is not the same and so I can´t always get my point across. Also, there is alot of indirect communication used in this culture and I have slowly begun to realize that when I am being asked something I am actually being told to do something or respond in a particular way...almost like overt hinting.

Training: Our training center is amazing. I feel as though we (the volunteers) are provided with so much support and resources that there is no excuse to fail training. We spend most of our day (8am-5pm) at the training facility and have the rest of the day to ourselves...of course we are encouraged to spend most of the remaining time getting to know our host families, the community, how to get around and so forth. Yesterday, a huge group of us spent a few hours after training drinking and socializing while playing dominos at a community ¨colmado¨/ street shop while passers-by starred at the ¨Americanos¨...and of course commented quietly to themselves. Every afternoon isn´t always as relax.

¨Everyday Living¨: Everyday living and the changes in it as compared to my everyday existance in the U.S. is what has been the most difficult to manage as of right now. My showers consist of a large bucket of cold water and most meals are a play on rice, beans, and an amazingly small portion of meat (usually chicken or salami). I typically sleep with a small fan on all night because air conditioning is totally unaffordable for my family. Throughout the day, I carry my trusty handkerchief because sweating profusely will be an absolute certainty. Public transportation is a daunting reality that either means getting into a small four door sedan with seven people or riding in a small minivan-like truck called a ¨guagua¨ which is always carrying twice its capacity.

Anyway, I am really just taking this adventure one day at a time right now and hope that I slowly learn to cope better with the challenges I face day to day.

Promise to write again as soon as I can.

Luv Kimberly.

On Tuesday, February 27th I headed off to Washington D.C. for staging (better known as orientation) and met some of the most stimulating and accomplished young souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. On the taxi ride to the hotel I looked to my left hand side and through the glass of the taxi cab window I witnessed the impressionable sight of the EPA building on 12th Street...I smiled (only some of you may know why). From all corners of the U.S. the other volunteers and myself were brought together with a shared goal and desire to accomplish the unfamiliar. For two extensive days, the ¨Monroe Room¨ at the Washington Plaza Hotel was filled with an excess (37 to be exact) of talented, driven and generous young professionals that have focused on a common goal. I must admit, no matter how corny, it was an impressionable pair of days that have set a strong foundation for what appears will be the two most difficult years of my life.

One of us did not make it and ultimately chose that it was not the best time in her life for PC...hopefully we don´t lose anymore members of the family...myself included.

Will write soon about my first few days...they have been ¨interesting!¨

Luv, Kimberly (don´t be afraid to comment)

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for dropping by! My blog is under construction right now so i'm sorry for the appearance. Promise I will get it up and running soon.

Luv, Kimberly