twenty-something years of "what have you been up to?"

homing from work

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In a week and a half, I leave Niger as I found it: without internet access.

Unable to even get a call through to our internet non-provider, I finally sent our gardener, Pierre, out with the car to go ask, WTH? He came back with news that last Friday's huge storm had knocked down their tower, and with an uber-Niamey kind of repair schedule: it won't be fixed tomorrow, maybe the next day, which is a polite way to say maybe never. Or maybe really the day after tomorrow!

Meanwhile the number of admin details overwhelms.

The kids and I leave for Paris on June 24th. Stay two nights, land in Sacramento June 27th. Which confuses me, because I only have two nights of hotel reserved. Another thing to look into. Spend until the 10th in Sacramento-Donner Lake area, depending totally upon the kindness of my sister and brother-in-law. Drive to Portland with my parents. Peter arrives in Portland the 8th. Peter plans to drive back down to Northern California to do the Mt Shasta-San Francisco-Disneyland?-Davis circuit. I don't know that I will go. Right now I'd rather just sit by myself in Portland, although I do want to see everyone, I remember how awful I felt last year after doing that same grand tour. Everyone was mad at us, I felt we slighted everyone, we'd lived out of suitcases and were exhausted when we left. I'm thinking of just staying in Portand and riding my bike around, seeing friends there and wandering the aisles of Powells, stocking up on little things to send to Moscow. Peter will drive up to Portland around the 28th and we are there until the 10th of August, when we go to DC for a week. We leave for Moscow the 16th, arrive the 17th.

I was going to get off the plane in Sacramento and buy an iPhone, but I guess now I'll wait until the 11th. Arrrggg.

What are your summer plans?

Comments

6 responses to “homing from work”

June 11, 2008

Amy in Malaysia

Can I come stay with you this summer? our grand plan of seeing everyone has started. We were up at 2 am and the SIL is already slighted that we said no to dinner tonight (and her kid is sick)

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June 11, 2008

MamaLana

It’s another (sad) fact of Foreign Service Life: everyone feels slighted and is angry at you while you’re exhausted and just ACHING for a little U.S. of A. time for yourself. We always longed for home leave and hated it at the same time. Talk about mixed feelings!
As far as screwed up administrative details go, they always seem to work themselves out. Happy landings, my dears! T.Lana

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June 12, 2008

melissa

You’ll be landing in Moscow when the Chordas Clan will be in Costa Rica on the Caribbean beach!
As long as you are in a bookstore-then I guess it’s ok if you miss out on the davis trip 🙂
And I hear those Iphones are getting cheap

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June 13, 2008

Kathy Moore

How horrible to feel you slighted everyone and they were mad. You are simply loved and your company sought after! That’s a good thing!!! We will be in Portland until August 2nd, when we leave for the Holt Campout. Back on the 10th of August. I can understand why time in Portland alone would feel great. And we are here to give a little “Christmas in July” to the kids, if that works into the schedule. Looking forward to seeing you as your schedule allows! Love, Kathy

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June 15, 2008

Clay

Hi guys,
Yes, I know the feeling well – have experienced it in full force.
But, you know that if you skip Japan on your home leave that we are going to be totally pissed!
I was worried about the Humboldt fire in Paradise. I hope your family is okay.
We are enjoying a cool June in Mito, Japan.
ps. I hope you can bring my babies to Portland, and my mother can pick them up.
Safe packing, safe return, safe relocating to all of you.
clay

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June 20, 2008

Mom

My summer plans are you! Whatever time I get will be a bonus and I promise not to get mad. You will have such little time here and I feel for you. It’s like when I go to Sacto and don’t see everyone. Some feel slighted.

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