Happy Thanksgiving!

I worked on Thanksgiving and will be going to work shortly. But I am thankful that when I do have to work holidays I was fortunate enough to have a team of colleagues who are more like my sisters and a brother. Sure, I missed the yearly crowded house at either my mom's or dad's side, the number of first cousins easily going upwards of 20, the freshman college boys playing basketball or football, the girls going shopping with the under 30 uncles (hard to think of them as uncles as some of the cousins are older than they are), the middle and high schoolers playing video games, the elementary and pre-school ones playing imaginative games that none of the adults can figure out, and the adults pouring over sale papers, arguing about politics, and cooking up a storm, or the mass exodus from the crowded house to the movie theater to see the perennial extended fantasy holiday flick, all before the massive meal where either we all commence to drinking tea, finding corners to nap in, or flock to the video store to rent something to occupy our time.

arm pains

The blog is still alive. I've meant to write but my laptop was undertaking a sea voyage or something and I finally got it back yesterday. I saw Ft. Lauderdale all torn up three weeks ago, the Airport Wyndham Hotel without electricity or hot water (I arrived Oct. 31st way after Hurricane Rita) and was told it may not resume until Nov. 8th. But I've been back in DC for last week and a half so no more tropical hurricane ravaged places for me.

Both of my arms are INCREDIBLY sore. This is the first time I've had three shots at the same time. The left arm hepatitis A and flu, the right arm tetanus. In a few weeks I'll be on so many pills they'll constitute an entire meal: typhoid vaccination, malaria pills, etc. This is all in preparation for my trip to India, which I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT!!!! I just have to get through writing three papers before I jump the gun, pack my bags and go without a care to finishing this academic semester.

It's definitely trepidation mixed with overall excited. The last time I went to the South Asian continent (Bangladesh) I HATED it. My family went on a open return ticket and every time my mom returned to the flat without a set date to go back to the U.S. I threw a tantrum and screamed. I was all of 11 years old and really could not handle the heat, humidity, mosquitoes, stench, weird native Bengalis, giant flying cockroaches, two weeks of dysentery, pick-pocketing and beggar children with missing limbs. I think I'm a mite bit more prepared this time around, and its been 14 years!!! I'm ready to go back. With woodsman strength OFF! a month's supply of anti-diarrheal and a set return ticket. Don't get me wrong I am excited but prepared.

hash

Saturday afternoon, away from DC, somewhere tropical without a car, and at the mercy of those I was visiting I decided to give in to two things I'm not particularly crazy about: drinking beer and running. Yes, I was supposed to do both at the same time. Since college I've been told about a peculiar club that likes to run and drink beer at the same time, singing bawdy songs, and partying afterwards. Billed a "beer drinking club with a running problem," I met with the local hash club. No, not that kind of hash.

We set off into the hilly scrub land, avoiding large cactuses, and trying to get through a few bogs left by the rain a couple weeks ago. Vistas of the sea whenever we managed to get to a ridgeline. I can't say I finished the 6.2 mile trail the hares set for us, I dropped my contact lens (seems to be a recurring experience whenever I'm on TDY in this part of the world) in the last 1/2 mile of the run. Then the mosquitoes descended. Screw the contact lens. A 'virgin' runner, I can't say I see myself doing this again, although now I can say I've done it and crossed it off my list.

The point of the group is to be silly, social, and have fun. I like to think clubbing and concerts takes care of that for me. The ribald singing and all that was good but I've decided I'm more of a dancing martini girl when I want to be goofy. Or you know re-enacting Lord of the Rings on a ridgeline on Harper's Ferry ...