While we were waiting...

My friends, Debbie & Chris, came to visit me last weekend! Here is my photographic proof that I have been doing something other than waiting by my email for an update.. We went out east to go apple and/or pumpkin picking, then to a winery.. It was a good plan.. So good, in fact, that EVERYONE else on Long Island had the same plan.. And I think we were all even going to the same farm.. Tons of traffic hampered some of our plans, but even still we had a fun day (I swear we did-- Deb, why aren't you smiling??)

17

That's how many times a grown woman (me :)) with a full time job can check her email during the course of a business day.. Yahoo, Opt Online, Gmail.. Yahoo, Opt Online, Gmail.. Yahoo, Opt Online, Gmail.. One of these days there is going to more than emails from Classmates.com and John McCain (he REALLY wants my vote)..

Families are starting to travel!

Families headed to Karaganda have started to get their invitations (congrats, Amber & Jason!) and will be traveling in less than 2 weeks.. More will go by the end of the month (yay, Sonya & Brent!).. Warning to family & friends: this doesn't mean anything for me (but we can always hope :))

The Silence is Deafening

No word yet.. And that seems to be the same story for a number of other people, if their blogs are any indication.. After a flurry of excitement four weeks ago-- Karaganda is open! Summer vacations are over! Files are being processed again! Families will travel soon!-- there is a lull once again.. One family has made it to the MOE, another family was assigned to a region, but that's all I've heard.. Anyone out there have any news?

Waiving the white flag in the packing war

This is what my guest room (now nursery) looked like before I tried to start packing...

And this is what it looks like now!

Clearly, it is a good thing that I am not getting my LOI anytime soon-- just look at this place!! And I am getting less organized instead of more.. I have 5 suitcases of varying sizes going right now-- 3 that could be checked baggage and 2 that could be carryons.. More actually, if you include the computer bag that was part of my original carry-on plan and the diaper bag I will bring on the 2nd trip.. So, every few days, I try to fit all of my stuff into these bags, I measure them, I try to lift them, I check off things on my packing list.. And every few days, I am sent to the depths of despair by the realization that the solution that I was convinced was going to be perfect(!) has somehow been twarted by the regulations of an airline or by the suitcase itself.. Anyway, when I walked into the room last night I saw this mess, I just had to laugh-- and I thought some of you might too..

And then there were trucks..

Or what do you think about this one? Helicopters, planes and firetrucks-- and stars, for some reason..