Government Passport, check and check!

I started out the day going to Passport Immigration Photos on Broadway & Glisan, to get some passport photos. Whoa. Just a few days ago (Saturday night at midnight) two people got hit and killed by a bus right outside the place. There were balloons and pictures and candles. Sobering. The lady who took my picture was really nice-she's originally from Bulgaria and came to the US following her brother who was escaping from communism. She said Bulgaria's a nice place to visit (good food!), but not so good for the people who live there ($2-300 per month, which I guess is better than Cambodia...$20 per month income). What can we do? She liked that I was going into the Peace Corpse (how she pronounced it), and told me to come see her when I got back. Why not?

Then at around 6pm I was walking briskly to the UPS store to mail off my passport and Niger visa applications, when on the way in I bumped into the UPS guy, who took my envelope (Peace Corps paid the postage) and TOTALLY made my day. It was that easy: something going perfectly right. I've been all discombobulated since I got my invitation on Sunday. I can't focus on anything, I feel like I have a million things to do (almost true) before I go, and I feel like I'm trying to move through mud. Now I guess I've got to start learning Hausa and Zarma, some local languages in Niger for which the Peace Corps has so awesomely provided me online lessons. Rock rock on.

Niger!

I'm so excited...I got my invitation today to be a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger! I'm going to be Community & Youth/English Language Educator, which means I won't be working in a classroom, but with community members and kids in after-school groups, tutoring clubs, etc. WOW! It's going to be so much better than what I was expecting-a huge challenge but an awesome adventure! I'm going to be reading up on Niger a lot between now and July 7th! Here's a start:

Niger Wikipedia Article

Current Affairs with China

Can't wait!

...and waiting...

Are you ready for the whirlwind?
Are you totally prepared?
Are you scared?
Jump in.

One Tetanus Shot Away...

...from a Peace Corps invitation! I got word last weekend that they're reviewing my medical file and that's all I'm missing. I'm going to hear within a week or two, I feel it! I just have to head to Safeway tomorrow for the booster ("Yes I'll have a pint of ice cream, a bottle of wine, and one Tetanus booster please!"). I can't wait! (for the invitation, not the needle...I'm not masochistic!)

Otherwise, I'm reading sexy books (Game Change), hanging with family (Uncle Lee: "I don't care what a person's sexuality is as long as they don't scare the horses." Aunt Jeannie: "My mom was the best read person who ever existed!" Alisha: "I'm moving to SE. I'm awesome!"), drinking delicious wine (we cracked the 2002 Vieux Magon from Tunisia that I lugged across the Med to France and my mom brought from France to here...it was YUMMY!), and planning for a kickass last hurrah across the West (Moscow, ID; PDX, OR; Santa Cruz, CA; SoCal? Reno? Seattle?) to span weeks if not months. People are like: "You just got back!" I'm like: "Peace out, Sarah Palin!"

I went to Joel's first birthday party. I hope he has 99 more. Hannah and I bought him books...can't start 'em too young! Gotta inspire today's youth to intellectual greatness! One of the books was fuzzy-hooray tactile! He was about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Definitely got my kid fix for the...year. :)

Did I also mention that last weekend involved brunch 3 days in a row?? Mimosas, bloody Marys, eggs, sausage, smoked trout, good company...could a weekend get any better? (Bijou Cafe, Broder, and Jake's Grill were the venues lucky enough to be graced by my presence)

That's all for now...hopefully I'll have big big news coming soon soon soon!