Ride with Zulu!
Zulu is rolling this year, and you can ride with them! Too cool. I don’t think we can swing the fee, but my one Mardi Gras wish is to get a coconut this year.
Los mosquitos sanguinarios
They’ve found me.
I have approximately 10 so far (all from the last two days) and lament that more are, inevitably, to come. The two huge red swells on my right hand are by far the worst, although the bloches on the underside of my upper arm (resembling bruises) have the potential of drawing uncomfortable questions. Those damn mosquitos, bloodthirsty little insects, have sniffed me out.
Of course, Will and Paul are fine. And with me around, they will remain so. I love the open windows and breezes, but damn those mosquitos!!
Signs your child is no longer feeling ill
1. He re-discovers his love of the game “run in circles until I fall down”
2. He only eats food that has been thoroughly mashed, swirled, and chomped off a utensil
3. He starts to request chocolate in his milk
4. He sings to everyone from his stroller as you make your way down the aisles of the grocery store
5. Rather than fall asleep the minute his head hits the pillow, he sneaks to the door, waits quietly, and whispers “boo!” when you, assured that he is asleep, go on to tuck him in
Surprise!
Sometime late last summer, I began to subscribe to the “Living in Peru” newsletter for expatriates. I knew that we were thinking of spending time in Peru for my disseration and wanted to start getting my head around how we would do it. I used the classifieds, newsgroups, and listservs available to subscribers to find the house we’re renting, our childcare, and more.
A little more than a month ago, subscribers were asked to participate in a survey about the newsletter because they wanted feedback from readers. I participated. Like many surveys, there was the draw of a “give-away” associated with participation, and like most times I do surveys, I didn’t think anything of it. (Side note: as a social scientist, I always try to participate in surveys when asked. I feel it is my professional duty!)
Bottom line: I won a weekend stay at Hotel Laguna Seca in Cajamarca, Peru!
We’re still trying to get our head around the whole thing. What a surprise! The tickets are about $100/each (not sure yet about the cost of Will’s ticket) to fly to Cajamarca (it’s about 500 miles north of Lima, in the Northern Andes) but it’s a great opportunity and at least the hotel (and breakfast) are free! Wow — what a surprise!
Looking down to the coastline. We love to walk along the cliffs each evening for sunset. Tonight we had pizza out — Will was feeling better and we didn’t feel like going back home just yet. We also took some pictures with the travel bug on the coastline for Paul to post to the geocaching site to show that we are using that bug! 
Making the Announcement
It’s been over a month since I took those darn comprehensive exams. I’ve been subtle about it thus far, but I’m tired of it. The bottom line…
*I passed.*
I actually found out right before Christmas but was sworn to secrecy. People are starting to find out about my marks in a variety of crazy ways, so I thought I’d go ahead and make the announcement. Formal results have to be certified by the department director and passed down to me via written results, which I won’t see until we are back in the States, so I don’t know my exact “grades” on the questions. But passing means I got decent marks on everything — I won’t need to retake any part of the exam. It hasn’t really sunk in yet and probably won’t until I see the official letter. But still… passed is passed. Go me! 🙂
