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

Author: place2place

  • splitting headache

    Forty eight hours into our R and R, visiting our friends Dave and Elisabeth and their two adorable daughters and equally lively and adorable Lesher parents outside Dijon, and we got an ambulance ride:

    Ambulance

    Stefan was outside, jumping over what kids say is a pet grave, he missed the landing and fell head-first onto the corner of the lovely Maison Brulée brick entryway.

    Maison_brulee

    He looked really impressive in the waiting room with his head wrapped in a bandage and his shirt covered in blood. Boy did that thing bleed. He has eleven stiches (that we can see, he has another layer under the skin) across his forehead and the perfect set up for a lifetime of Harry Potter disguises.

    Stefan_bandage

  • kindness of friends

    It’s been a full week since Dina and the kids left Niamey. Of course, it’s nice to have time to yourself and read the newspaper uninterrupted, not have to keep adjusting the volume to your liking on the stereo, go where you want to, and utilize the time however you want. But after a few days, the longing to be with your family and be near the people you love the most creeps in and starts to ache. You realize that these people give meaning and purpose to your life.

    Although it sounds as if I have this freedom, my friends here are a bit pesty and insist on inviting me out and involving me in their social affairs. I’ve only eaten at home twice in the past week. It’s nice to feel as though you are the center of attention though and I have had some great times with them.

    Last night I went to some friend’s house for dinner. We shared a very nice wine and then, they served lobster! It was devine. Appearantly, they were able to get it from a woman from Benin who brings fresh seafood from the coast about once a month. I have bought large shrimp from her before. It was a nice evening and we shared some stimulating conversation.

    Tonight, I’m invited to a party at my neighbors house. They want to go out dancing afterwards but I know that dancing here doesn’t even start until midnight. As our friend Jesse often says, "you go on ahead, I’ll try and catch up."

    Happy Birthday Stefan! I love you.

  • eager to go home

    It’s July already! We had a fairly active June with the kids finishing school and Dina’s Medevac to London. All turned out well; thank God for that! She handled beautifully and I must say I am deeply moved by her grace.

    Our neighbors (the Fullbrights) departed on the 4th. For 10 months we had shared some good times together. Our children played and swam, we engaged in interesting conversations, shared stories about our lives, and experienced Africa together. A sadness came over me when they left but I know that our paths will cross again in the very near future when we come home to visit and pass through Ashland.

    There was a ceremony at the Ambassador’s residence for the Fourth of July. About 1000 people with dignitaries and Heads of State from the Nigerien government came. The Marines carried the colors to the National Anthem played by the Nigerien Army brass band. The food and beverages were served on the back lawn overlooking the river. We are very well liked here and it was nice to see all the support and participation in the celebration of our Independence.

    Fridays are half days and I get off of work at 1PM. Dean came over with the best lunch of beef brochettes, french fries, and garlic rice that his cook makes. Dina finished packing herself and the kids. The driver came to pick them up at 9:30PM. They are now in France and will take the train to Dijon to visit with our Portland friends (The Miles) for a few days before returning to the States to be with family. I will stay here for a few more weeks and then fly to Washington DC for training at FSI. We’ll reunite in California and spend more time with family and friends as we head north to Portland.

    Being alone makes me really miss home.

  • three for the road

    Stefans_packed Well, tomorrow the kiddies and I take off for France. We can’t wait to spend a few days in Dijon with the Miles Family, our really good friends from Portland. I figure they will pick us up at the train station with a glass of wine in hand. And that’s just for the kids! A few days later we fly to Sacramento, a week in Lake Tahoe with my parents, a birthday party at Aunt Wowie’s cabin for Stefan–lucky Friday the 13th! A week at my parent’s in Paradise, California, 95969, a week in Davis and environs, San Rafael? Petaluma? Filmore Street in San Francisco? We’ll cross that toll plaza when we get to it. Mt Shasta to visit Peter’s dad and sister, quick stop in Ashland to visit the Fulbrights, then up to Portland until the end of August: Farmer’s Market, Powells, Powells, Powells, Hanna Anderson, Whole Foods, Uwagimaya, Yarn Garden, Hula Grill, New Seasons, Stumptown, Pizzacato, Sauvie Island blueberry picking, Finigan’s Toys, and the big public library. And best of all, all dear faces we love. Peter shows up about half way through this program. Makes you tired already, doesn’t it?

    Stefan says it’s going to be like going to a whole new world.

  • London Times

    London_cab_photo_by_josiah_mckenz_2Well, I had a little health scare and just got back from a whirlwind medivac to London. I had not one, but three lumps in my breast, and too bad it wasn’t four because then I could have named them Paul and Ringo, John and George, I loved my two-day glimpse of England that much.

    I made up for what I didn’t buy in Rome by buying two of everything in London, my suitcase was so overstuffed coming home. Oh my god. Waitrose. Brora. Cath Kidston. Up close and personal. It poured rain and I fell in love with a radio station with dj’s so funny I didn’t want to leave my hotel room. Between my doctor’s appointment and the embassy the cab driver–those cabs! What could be cuter?–I got see the most important sight in London: Madonna’s house, or one of them anyway.

    I was needle biopsied within an hour of hitting town–wait! wait! I’m not ready!–and put up in room overlooking Big Ben and Westminster Cathedral and the rooftops that Mary Poppins danced upon. Mammogram and ultrasound on day two of two. All clear that afternoon. Whew. So I dodged that bullet and two car bombs. Came home to read about the almost car bombing on the street I’d stayed on in my new favorite newspaper, the London Times. I can’t wait to go back, but under circumstances where my life isn’t flashing before me.

  • happy camille day

    Our Cameek is ten. Her favorite part of the party was playing a game they made up: one girl thows a towel and another one has to jump into the pool and catch it at the same time. I bought a ton of this locally made horse print fabric–most of these girls take riding lessons–and used it for the tablecloth, and I had it made into back packs for the party favors. The requested menu: hot dogs, which I couldn’t even find in this town until the last panic-y moment, potato salad and fruit kabobs. Chocolate cake with royal icing. I had to make the cake twice, it was a cracked pale pancake the first time around, but the second time it was perfect, if a bit lopsided. The leftovers are sitting on the counter calling my name.

    Camilles_birthday

  • retail therapy

    Since I don’t want to buy pants online, I haven’t bought a pair of pants in a year. Can you imagine? The reason we finally have money in our savings account? No pants buying. But Peter and I have so many pent-up shopping needs since the forced austerity in Rome and since we have been sitting here in the land of no shopping for ten long months. Can’t wait to get to France. And Anthropologie in Portland. And Goodwill. I’m going to go to Goodwill everyday. Peter’s on a classical music buying kick and he and REI are especially close lately. Here are my little online indulgences, I’m insane with waiting for them.

    Retail_therapy

    Tiny dolls from a 150 year old French company, perfect dress from agnes b, Nigella Lawson measuring cups I should have bought when I first saw them and held them in my hot little hands last summer.

  • my children did it right

    I have no expectations for Father’s Days. In fact, the whole idea of creating a holiday so that one can be honored and recognized as a father goes against my inner voice. "My kids truely love me and they are proving it today by giving me a gift on a day that every other kid is doing the same thing. I’m so lucky!"  I don’t get it.

    But some very fine things happened this weekend that I appreciated and my kids played a part in making it so. Friday afternoon, we had Dean over and even though Camille had her friend Auriron over and wanted us to watch them swim; she didn’t make too big a deal out of when we said, "no." Our neighbors took the kids to a party for Jennifer’s students and Dina and I were without kids, which is rare for us. So Saturday we spent most of the day just hanging out.

    I stayed up late that night watching a motorcycle race at Hangtown. It reminded me of my cousin Mike, who is one of the best friends I have, and how we used watch the races there. I woke up in the morning to Stefan saying in a rather loud voice, "I won’t wake papa up!" to Camille. And for the most part, he was pretty quiet so I got to doze for another hour or so. Dina made crepes for breakfast. Stefan drew me a really cool painting of a Duccati and Camille made me a beautiful card. They presented me with the new Pink Martini CD which we listened to together. In the late afternoon, Dina made buscuits and we met with a group of the embassy crowd and drove out to the dunes to have a picnic dinner. Folks brought fried chicken and salads, there were lots of desserts, wine, and plenty of food. A beautiful evening and we all headed home in the dark that falls almost immediately after sunset here. Father’s Day or not, my kids are great!

    Dunes__2Fathers_day

  • the special effects are amazing

    Embassylife_poster_2

    Approved by Ambassador Allen, the movie is ready to open at the Hail and Farewell party at the Ambassador’s residence in a couple of weeks. Here is a three minute version, the full length one is 26 minutes.

    I had a complete artistic breakdown when it came to putting the movie together. What I really wanted was a short time to attend film school at NYU. Then I tried to get over myself. Every thirteen year old makes a movie, you can too.

  • Bitten

    Early last week, I awoke in the night with an itch on my left thigh. I was in dream state so I’m not really sure how long after that that I realized I was bitten by something. There were two other smaller bites around my knee cap and they itched so bad I was cursing myself in Russian whenever I would even think about scratching myself.

    The mosquitos have been very infrequent lately and I couldn’t tell what bit me. Dina swore it wasn’t her. We don’t have bed bugs and I have not been bit like this before or since. The bite site on the inner left thigh was bigger than the rest and seemed to have a stinger in it although all attempts to remove it with a sterile needle and tweezers were futile. That site actually started to hurt and before I could say, "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoiconiosis" (meaning "black lung" and the longest word in the dictionary, according to Serge), the entire inner thigh turned red and swollen from knee to mid groin; cellulitis by God!

    Like a dog, I try to lick and heal my own wounds. I applied Hydrocortisone cream on it which helped the itch but the infection seemed to only be getting worse. I kept saying to myself that I would give my bullet proof Russian-Greek immune system one more day but by day #4, my left thigh doubled in size and turned as red as a sunburn.

    Saturday, James and I went to run the Hash and I wasn’t feeling 100% (Gee, I wonder why?). The run was on a levy through some rice fields by the river and by about one mile into it, I completely ran out of gas, got cold, wanted a sweater, and had goose bumps; odd sensation when it’s 100 degrees out. Now I know what this means (I’m a nurse practitioner) but the fact that my immune system was losing the battle made me feel vulnerable. When I got home, I popped my first antibiotic. Within 30 minutes, the redness faded by 50%. The swelling is almost completely gone now and I’m feeling pretty close to normal. Watch out for African bugs.