Three More Days...

I know that Saturday, March 4th is actually in five more days, but I have to go on Friday afternoon as there are no flights that would get me into Philly in time for my afternoon start time there. Soo... I have three full days to get stuff done. I've got a LOVELY new laptop that I'm exploring. It is just another unexpected treat from my doting father. He always knows the best electronics to get...sigh! I was jotting things down on my To-Do list just now and I've got a lot of stuff to do. Little things, but they add up. I thought I'd be a little bored here and go stir-crazy with anticipation. I got my language CD-ROM to work in my laptop and now I can actually hear the spoken Arabic!! It is going to help immensely once I get the time to sit and study. Aaak!!! Time for bed.

All My Bags Are Packed...

But only until I get to my parent's house. Then, I'll re-pack for MOROCCO!!! I've been visiting my BEST FRIEND EVER all last week. It was a lovely time. She has a lovely life. It was rather refreshing to go live it with her for a while. Perhaps I do want to settle down someday and have some kids... I took the train there, and I saw some interesting sights: -half of one of those deli rotisserie chickens sitting on a barrel in an alley by the train tracks in California somewhere -a building with the word "douche" painted in 12 foot high letters on one side. I always thought the vagina was a self-cleaning organ. -gorgeous orchards filled with blossoming trees in the morning sun -a man in a train station who ran around shouting obscenities at no one, but he looked strangely like my dad -a seemingly well-mannered man cutting his steak like a four year-old -a skeevy guy asking my seat mate if she wanted a massage to pass the time on the train, because he'd "taken a few classes on massage therapy" -a man who, after watching about half the film "Walk The Line", told another passenger, "Yeah, this is Pride and Prejudice." -little kids waving at the train, and then looking shocked when I waved back at them -large numbers of burned-out cars in ditches -the remains of a bonfire in a orchard in Chico, complete with old lawn chairs, empty beer cans, and a styrofoam cooler The train was really cool. Slow, but cool.

I Give Them My Car, They Give Me Money.

That's how I tried to explain CarMax to my niece last night. She kept saying that I drove back home with her because "Kye car broken." I don't think she gets the whole idea. I love her. I was tired and I put my head on her carseat for a minute and yawned. She patted my cheek and said, "Kye tired?" in a sweet little voice, like she was mimicking us talking to her when she's tired. It was so cute. Then, she squealed and pushed me off of her carseat. I have to sit up straight, it's not the right way if I'm leaning on her carseat! And, I have to zip my jacket up all the way. That is an important part of her world- full use of clothing options. If it zips, by golly, ZIP IT. If it has a hood, put it on. If there are gloves in the pockets, put them on. If you are using your sneakers as slip-ons by just folding down the heel, DO NOT LET S-BOOGIE KNOW. There will be a long negotiation period regarding not only the proper way to wear sneakers, but also your lack of socks with said sneakers. Eventually you will be approved to leave the house, but only after a few disapproving looks. yeesh... It's like I'm living with a mother. Not my mother, because my parents were perennially apathetic about our personal style. As long as it wasn't technically illegal, then I think it was fine with them. Anyhow. I sold my car. I quit my job. I'm leaving on a midnight train to Georgia. I'd rather live in his world, than live without him in mine. Hee hee.. Actually, it's a 9:30 train to Oregon. yaayy!!!

Yes, I Cried.

Tonight was my last night at work. I'm not sure where I'll be when I'm done with the Peace Corps. I don't know if I'll come back here. It was a great last night, though. I'm sweaty, my back is killing me, my pee is dark yellow from dehydration, and I ate chocolate cake, ice cream, and chips and salsa for lunch. That's a good lunch, right? The only reason we had time for that was because we were celebrating me leaving. Then I got to do two emergency C-Sections and a delivery all in about four hours time. Yaayy!!! It was chaotic bliss... Actually, I was in the OR coming down from the high of the first crash section when I got really teary-eyed. I love being a part of saving lives like that. I love it when it all just falls into place. We are watched over on L&D. Things are always going crazy, but there's a little undercurrent of calm that the chaos rides on. Even when it doesn't all turn out roses. It's still there. I guess it's hard to not feel that kind of peace in a place where the veil feels so thin sometimes. I am going to miss that so much. I don't think I'll have those great big adrenaline highs in the Peace Corps, but I do hope I'll feel this good about the last two years of my life when it's all over. P.S. We definitely did not eat that food sitting at the desk. We definitely took it into the breakroom (on our lunch breaks) and ate it sitting down with our feet propped up. Just in case JHCO wants to know.

Nat-a-tat-tat...

Yaaaaayyy!!!! My friend and former roommate from BYU FRESHMAN year is POSITIVE FOR HCG!!!! That means she's got a bun in the oven. She's gonna have a baby!!! She apparently called me about five days ago, but my voicemail didn't register the message until yesterday. She's about 11 weeks, due end of August. I'm so excited for her. She got engaged about six months ago, married in November, and was planning to get pregnant soon after that. I can't believe that just six months ago she was just getting engaged. She got married, bought a house, and got pregnant in six months. Holy crap. Where am I going to be in six months? MOROCCO, baby!!! I was just saying that I'm so happy for her, and now I get to live vicariously through her. Not that I didn't have enough friends having babies as it is.... Or just baby having exposure.... 4 more days of it now :-( It's just different when it's one of my old roomies. Life can go so fast. I am so excited to get started on the Peace Corps phase. It is going to be amazing. Things are going to be so different when I get back. I'll have a butt-load of toddlers to greet me, that's for sure. With loads in their butts... That reminds me, it's time to go babysit for my favorite niece, S-Boogie. The connoisseur of fine Nativity scenes...

My Name Is Stress....

I've had a stressful past few days. Some loose ends that were tied neatly have unraveled, but they will get worked out. I had a going-away lunch with my co-workers today. It was for me and another girl, and also for this month's birthdays. It was lots of fun, but now it's really real that I'm going to clock out one day and not come back, possibly ever. I really have no idea what I'm going to do when I'm done with PC. I absolutely LOVE where I work and the work I do there, but it is hard to be 26 and single in UT. It will be even harder to be 28 3/4 in UT and single. We'll have to see. And, I know that you can never go back to the past. Things and places change. People change. I'm sure I will change. Hopefully for the better. I am just going to miss all those guys so much. They are like my sisters. It's like I've got 100 sisters there. And Dads. I tend to think of all the women I work with like sisters, even if they are technically old enough to be my mom, but I think of the men like Dads. Some of the doctors (we don't have any male nurses) are young enough to be my brothers, but I just feel like they take care of me. I work with such a great team. I'm gonna cry if I think about it too much... I have a friend that lives in Austin, and he just told me that Lance Armstrong lives there, too!!! I told him that now that Lance has broken up with Sheryl Crow, I can date him. I told him to tell Lance if he happened to see him that I would be living in Morocco for the next two years, and that he could come see me there. That would be great!! MMmmm.... Lance Armstrong....

Waiting....

I have three more days with little scheduled in them and then about three weeks of jam-packed FUN. And then.....Morocco. It makes me feel like I have to get all my loose ends tied up in the next three days, and according to my many lists, I've gotten most of that done. I just keep having this awful feeling like I'll forget something HUGE and have some big mess going on when I'm halfway around the world. Or, that it will cost me a couple of thousand dollars, when if I'd just taken care of it before I left, I'd be fine.... I suppose this is normal for someone who is leaving everything she knows and loves for the complete unknown for about two years.