The first sighting

Well it is my penultimate day at work and they had a full tray of baklava, donuts, and a slew of sweet fruit. I got some great gifts and a new travel companion. I won't be surprised to see him pop up our upcoming travels. This is truly one of a handful of jobs I will miss after leaving and recall fondly. A great group of people and very engaging work!

A storm before the calm

Officially only one week of work left!! It remains hectic, but that helps the time fly by. We start tutoring ESL again after a long christmas break. After we finish working we'll be helping out in both the morning and afternoon classes. This will go beyond the needed 30 hours to get qualified for the Peace Corp, but Tracy and I have really taken a liking to it. Sometimes there is a hesitation about going, but we always leave in an inspired mood. That certainly bodes well for our possible teaching aspirations.

In other news the Packers have made it into the Superbowl and we were able to watch the game down at Flannigan's on Bardstown Road. John and Marion met up with us and everyone enjoyed themselves. The plan is to watch the Superbowl at their house.

Turkey Bowling in the New Year!

Setting aside all ethical quandaries related to the sport we wrapped a frozen turkey in duct tape (is there anything that stuff isn't good for?) and sent it towards professional grade bowling pins. Lots of people turned out and it was a great time. They had a couple of mini-kegs full of home brew and Tracy got a fire going. We ended up staying out till 2:30 AM and I'm feeling a bit rough this morning, but would do it all over again in a heartbeat. As Rowan would say: "Good Times. Good Times."

Medical...again

On Tuesday John & I heard back from the OMS and we have some follow-up to do.  A few things were missed on our medical forms, I need to write a few personal statements (allergies, migraines, etc), and I will need blood work again.  Apparently my liver readings were abnormal.  Hopefully it will go well this time, although I do have to say it worries me that it was abnormal enough for them to want to review it.  Hopefully they are just ultra cautious.  The lucky thing is that I am no longer taking any acetaminophen and will be off antibiotics by then.  I am also making sure I do not drink any alcohol between now and then, better safe then sorry.  Wish me luck, my fingers are crossed!

Volunteering

The programs I volunteer for started back up this week after a holiday break.  Although I have come home at night a bit more exhausted, I really missed working with people again.  The childcare program (Home of the Innocents) had it's most hectic week yet with more young kids than I have seen there before.  Some of them seemed to be fighting a bit of a cold too as everyone was a bit crankier than normal.  I am really going to miss the kids as well as some of the parents.  Many of them really are good people trying to make the best of the situation they are in.  As for the ESL tutoring, this is the first week I have been without John.  Having a second volunteer really made a difference with helping everyone who needed help.  I can't imagine how hard it would be for a teacher in such a large class without a volunteer.  Next week is going to be nice because I will be able to be in the ESL class on Mon. and Wed. rather than just one time a week.  It is nice getting to know the individual students well enough to know their level and needs.  As I work with everyone I imagine how we will feel in their situation.  It's a little scary not being able to communicate the basic things, let alone being able to have the deeper conversations people have with friends.  I really need to study harder.

John and Monkey

John has finally found a kindred spirit.

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Changes

It has now been 2 weeks without either cat.  Specs has gone to live with our friend Jason who has another cat, Mocha.  We visited them last week and they seem to be slowly getting used to each other.  Specs is such a chill kitty that he seems completely at home there although Mocha is still a bit stressed.  Hopefully in time they will become friends.

Our Christmas photo with the cats...they loved it!

Work is also winding down as both John & I are both done at the end of this month...2 more weeks.  It's an odd  feeling to know that in just a few weeks we will be homeless (as of Feb 14) and traveling.  Our plans to visit family, camp, travel and just explore life are starting to feel like reality rather than just a theoretical idea.  I know I have lived off of very little money before and we really shouldn't have a problem doing it again.  It is odd and liberating to be embarking on this kind of journey after being so extremely secure in life that we haven't had to worry about finances for so long.  If for some reason we are unable to get in the Peace Corps, I know that we will be able to start over in a new direction that will hopefully be bringing us to where we want to be in life.  Work has always partly defined who I am and I hope in the future who I am will define my work instead.

As the time is nearing that we will no longer be in Louisville I am realizing who and what is most important to me as I will dearly miss my family and my friends.  I fear that some connections will slowly dwindle as well as that I will miss some of the important moments in people's lives.  I especially worry that any of this will have a negative impact on Rowan and that I will miss some of the big stuff in his childhood.  Living close to him I have been lucky enough to really know him and be able to share so much of his life.  I am excited about the future and do not want to lose the past.