Personal stuff

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the long silence, but lately life has been very busy... and, at times, far too still.

I've been playing a lot of "catch up", both at work and at home. Amazing how much dust can accumulate in just two months. (Forget the broom... hand me the shovel!)

I've also been trying to ready myself, physically and mentally, for my big move this upcoming weekend. You never really realize just how much junk you own until you try to move it.

At the same time I've been settling into our new office in Zone 7 of Guatemala City, and getting back into the swing of communicating with my coworkers through the spoken word instead of email. I have to admit that I'm still tempted to hit the "send" button at the end of every one of my sentences... which gets kinda weird when I'm actually nowhere my computer.

Busy, right? Well, except for this past weekend when I "became one" with my couch. I was so wickedly ill that I only ventured outside once for some much needed groceries. And many boxes of kleenex tissues. I watched so many hours of cable t.v. that I could actually feel my willpower ebbing and my IQ dropping. I finally had to pull the plug when I found myself listening to George Bush speak about New Orleans and couldn't muster the strength to throw anything at the t.v. set.

Unfortunately this nasty bug is just beginning to circulate. Silvia, one of my coworkers, had to go home early today because of her nonstop sneezing, runny nose, and dizziness. And, in case you're wondering, yes... she blames me. (So I wisely decided not to tell her about the next stage: the body-wracking and soul-shaking, please-god-make-it-stop constant coughing.)

One of the final reasons that I haven't been filling this journal full of Guatemala news is that I, like the rest of the world, have been watching in horror as the devastating events have unfolded in New Orleans. When my friend Karla and I visited my Dad and Barbara there in July... I simply fell in love with the people and the place. The images of death and destruction were so overwhelming that I felt my best response would be a respectful silence filled with prayers for all the victims of this tragedy.

My Dad and Barbara were lucky enough to escape the city on the evening before Hurricane Katrina hit. They are safely living as "refugees" at the home of Barbara's son in Alabama. (I'll be calling them tonight, so I should have more info tomorrow.)

So, that's what's happening in my corner of the world. I'd love to hear from you!

Rob

Tags: Guatemala, New Orleans, Katrina