Speaking of E, he hit the big three-oh:
We were in B'More for the birthday visiting him and the SIL, who gifted him with some coupons, redeemable for, e.g., a viewing of the new Transformers movie:
I didn't really get him anything, other than a pen-knife that would fit on his keychain (it looks like a key, that's the hook). He and C will get their presents randomly, depending on when I find something that works.
C got a few cards that were pretty hilarious:
I borrowed one from her, actually, which had a prehistoric rock group of sorts on it (Far Side cartoon guys). On the inside, it said, "Did these guys play your prom?" That's kind of terrible, but also funny.
After presents, we played some Boggle. All those games of Text Twist instead of homework in graduate school finally paid off.
The next day (the fourth) was pretty relaxed, as we all slept in. We played some more games and ate out at IHOP, the one breakfast like restaurant that was open on Independence Day. Despite doing a brisk business, they were pretty efficient and got us seated in about twenty minutes.
C flew back to CBus from BMore, so Mom and the SIL took her to the airport after she was packed. 48 stinking pounds of luggage!!! 48!!! That's insane. And evidently the limit for travel, even international.
L emailed me over the holiday to let me know he was going to be insanely busy until I arrived and that I shouldn't expect to talk to him any time soon. This is when it kind of set in that I was really and truly about to go to Kenya, which is a good feeling. He assured me that the airline would have plenty of things to keep me occupied during the (long) flight, even in economy class. He said the last time he flew with them that the crew could speak eleven languages between them all. That's crazy, but maybe I'll get to flex my German some while I'm out. I'm actually returning through Hamburg, so I expect that E and I (another E, sorry) will have some fun with it.
I don't know entirely what to expect, but I'm optimistic that it's going to go more or less smoothly, and if not, I realized to that this is an adventure of sorts, and I can adapt to them well enough. The idea of getting stuck in the airport doesn't seem too cool, but I guess that's all right. I'll have to see if I can find a Swahili phrase book to get around with, but I'm under the impression that most people speak English.
L tells me that if push really comes to shove, I can bribe someone with a dollar to use their phone.
So, yeah, I'm excited. It's going to be a lot of fun, and finally some experience in a totally different zone outside my comfort level. AAAND the weather is going to be fantastic. It's already down in the 50s at night, which is pretty much in my awesome temperature range. I gather that our weather is supposed to be pretty hot in the upcoming months, also, so it'll time just right.
Every once in awhile I realize that I don't have to be where I am if I don't want to be, and that's a pretty liberating feeling. I'm not discontent—the good Lord knows I have no cause to be—but even so, there's enough provision there that when the time comes I'll be able to move on and out without financial difficulties.
R has talked about Chicago, and M is in Houston. D is in Albuquerque, and there are relatives scattered on the West Coast. I have friends around the country, and in some selected parts of the world, and while I'm not looking to move anywhere at the moment, today it feels as though I could practically anywhere and fit in quickly.
Of course there are ties here—karate, Bible study, good friends, and family. And I won't leave capriciously. But the time will come eventually, I think. I'll slake the wanderlust with some travels for now and make decisions later.
1 comment:
Sure rub it in for those of us for whom such freedom is not possible. I think I might dislike you intensely for that-and for talking about people turning 30.
I was disappointed in You're So Lucky. It was was quite blah-not to mention juvenile-besides which Jamie Rowe's voice had regained some of the harsher screechiness from earlier days which I felt he was well rid of-getting that trained out of his voice was the best thing he ever did.
I have pulled the album back out, and as I'm listening to it, I think it still overall rates no better than a meh. I don't know about the band/writing of course, but he has sounded better.
The weigh limit for luggage in Canada is 50 pounds-as they always remind me when they say "we'll let you go this time but next time we are going to have to charge you overweight fees". Whatever.
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