Ready to Work

Again, it has been a while. I have taken a good long break and am back from what turned out to be a three week holiday season a bit fatter, a bit more tolerant to alcohol, and ready to focus on what I came here to do over five months ago.

Overall the end of 2009 went well. My last fundraising trip was relatively relaxing and successful, although the poverty in Sacramento knocked me back to reality a bit, a topic that I am sure I will explore in later posts. We celebrated Brian’s 29^th birthday (yes he is old!) in what may officially be The Best Birthday Day Ever. The first half of the day we spent driving around California’s Napa Valley – we wandered upon one of the few open wineries which happened to specialize in sparkling wine and, pretending to be posh, did a tasting. Five samples, a cheese platter and another glass of wine for good measure later, we stumbled out and into the car. Where we promptly fell asleep in the parking lot for two hours, Brian with his jacket over his entire head and I with an eye mask on - classy. Thanks for the eye mask Joy. I used it. The second half of the day (after we woke up, groggy and slightly hung over) was spent at…Six Flags! That’s right, six hours of no lines, it being winter and all. We did every ride at least twice, on some we were the only ones there, albeit in hindsight for a reason, since the last two hours it was pelting rain which feels even peltingyer when you are flying down a track at 60mph. My face was raw for seven days but it was worth it. Again, The Best Birthday Day Ever.

“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?” Satchel Paige via Dad.

Christmas in Ireland was good, although it didn’t feel like Christmas. It was the first year since I think ever that I didn’t watch White Christmas or read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. Instead, I got drunk on Baileys and ended the night in an Irish sing-a-long. A great night admittedly, but not Christmas. But it was okay, different country different customs and so I just pretended it was a good night out. Which it was. And then another fun night out. And another. In the end we had 4 nights off of drinking out of 18. In between it all Brian graduated with a Masters in Construction Project Management and we both managed to catch up on our Irish soaps and fried food eating.

And now I’m back. And, thanks to many of you out there, I am nearly finished with my fundraising efforts and therefore able to fully commit myself to doing what I came here to do –prepare myself as best I can for 2010. Along those lines I have already acquired every medication known to man. Having done that, I am now able to turn my attention to studying. First up – learn about and create lesson plans on Nutrition & HIV/AIDS. Now let’s get to work.