The San Diego Zoo

We had a fun afternoon at the San Diego Zoo on Friday. Saw some nice animals... ate some yummy little dippin' dots... saw snakes and birds and things with large horns. Always a good time at the San Diego Zoo.

Fiddle Camp

Chris, Mark O'Connor, Katie
Originally uploaded by KatieZVoss.

hehehehe

camp

hehehehe

it was fun

this is Mark O'Connor....

the camp was called Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp

or the Mark O'Connor Strings Conference

I'll let you figure out who he is if you don't know.

hehehehehe

Fiddle Camp Day 1: Traveling is a beautiful thing...

What else, waiting...

Yeah, it seems every few minutes our gate is changed, and our flight is scheduled to leave a little later. Currently, we're going to be arriving in San Diego at 2:17am. (Instead of the scheduled 11:35). So much for making the shuttle. But at least we have our toys. And I'm not talking about the violins ;)

SouthEast Asia, January 2006

So here's the BIG Katie & Jim Peace Corps News. There were no countries "on our list" (places we're qualified to go) with departures before next year. Our placement officer felt the best option was a country she's in charge of placement for, in Southeast Asia, leaving early January.

She sent us the assignment descriptions. We've decided to go.

Our placement officer cannot officially invite us until August 15, but the position is ours if we choose to accept it.

So, after thinking we were going to have only a month or two to prepare to leave, we have 5! I don't know if that's good or bad...

Maybe Mike Won't Be Left Alone Afterall

So, after 15 weeks of waiting for Medical Clearance from the Peace Corps, it finally came. And as we suspected, we are limited to countries that can accommodate asthma--because Jim has mild asthma.

Jim was able to contact out placement officer, who confirmed that we were scheduled to leave in September for Kyrgyzstan.

Unfortunately, Kyrgyzstan cannot accommodate volunteers with asthma.

So. She told Jim that on Thursday, all the placement officers have a meeting to discuss what openings they have, and she will try to find an assignment for us, leaving as soon as possible. There are like 26ish countries that can have volunteers with asthma.

If she doesn't find a place for us on Thursday, we will find out Monday morning when she calls Jim at work. There is an opening in Southeast Asia that we could have leaving January 11. There is also another opening in March, I don't remember where that one is, but Jim would do business instead of community development.

We haven't decided if we're willing to wait until January, or March to leave.

But I know I said I'd keep folks posted... so... until Monday!

4th of July Sun

4th of July Sun
Originally uploaded by KatieZVoss.

Had a good time with grandparents, Tom, Mom, Dad, Christi, Moni, Grant, Jim...and Mike.

Sigh.

Eugene Pro Rodeo

Look closely at the biker...
Originally uploaded by KatieZVoss.

And you thought Jim looked naked... take a closer look at this biker we saw at the Eugene Pro Rodeo this evening. We decided he probably didn't have any cool tricks, other than riding naked.

I'd never been to a rodeo... Jim made fun of me, said, "WHAT? You've never been to a Rodeo before?" And I was all like, "Well I'm sure there are lots of things you've never been to." "OH? LIKE what?" "Um, uh... um.... I bet you've never been to the Miss Oregon Pagent!"

I win, sort of.

Jim's Nerd Score:

"What does this mean? Your Nerdiness is: Definately not nerdy, you are probably cool."

Damn it. Why does he get to be so cool?

Cats and a Truck named Myrtle

My neighbor with the cats and a truck named Myrtle is sunning himself on his front lawn--reading a book and sitting on a blanket.

My neighbor with the redheaded sons is manicuring her lawn.

The tenants in the house of the strange man whose bike has monkey handle bars are all moving away.

And I am listening to Cake in my small apartment with the blinds shut, and all my teaching boxes on the porch waiting to be moved into the garage.

I need to sweep and mop and vacuum and empty the dishwasher. I need to return my library books. I need to buy a tri-berry pie from Costco and corn on the cob. I need to do my laundry. I need to return the kitchen garbage to its place under the sink.

But what I really need.

What I really really really need.

Is to hear from the Peace Corps. An e-mail, a call, a letter in the mail. To know where I will be in 2 months. And to know if I truely need a job. Truely? Do I? And when will I be moving out of this small apartment where I listen to cake, and think about what the other 36 residents of my block are doing. I need to know.