Uganda Update

I'm slowly acquiring the things I'm going to take to Uganda. It's amazing how fast you can fill you luggage with things for a trip. I'm trying to minimize my needs for the sake of taking as much as I can for my friends. I've been really busy with life in the midst of getting ready to go and thus haven't been able to keep postings going here. I'm sure that I won't think of blogging my trip. I learned from November that such lofty goals are for the birds...

So, until I have time to write again...

I'm cheating. I have two blogs...

Here's a copy of my results from last week. I lost no real chest measurments last week, perhaps one inch in my waist. and maybe an inch in my waist. I might have lost 1/2 inch in my hips. Now I think the loss in my thighs is good because I lost 1.25 inches in the upper and 1 inch on the lower. I'm thinking maybe MM has figured out how to measure me. Is there anyone who can give pointers on actually measuring consistently! I'm frustrated.

If I assume the chest loss recorded last week was a farce and the upper arms thing was invalid as well, then I've lost 9 inches total. I'm not convinced that these measurments are real. That's 3% of my inches lost!

We'll see what next week holds...

T-Tapp Week One Results - Measurable

I have no idea how T-Tapp works, but I'm here to say that it works for me. I hope no one comes along to challenge my thinking about this. I have enjoyed working out. I am enjoying the results of working out. And, I enjoy not taking up all afternoon to do it and there are visible results already.

The list of areas I'm measuring along with last weeks and this week's measurements are present with my comments. I lost 5.5 inches overall in the past week. I may have lost more but my measurer isn't to thrilled at the idea of measuring me.

....................1/2/2008..1/10/2008
....................Inches....Inches
Bust/Chest ..........40.......36.75...good
Waist ...............37.5.....36.5....good
Abdomen .............41.5.....37.5....great
Hips ................42.......41.5....well enough
R Upper Thigh .......23.......23
L Upper Thigh .......22.75....23
R Lover Thigh .......17.5.....16.5....good
L Lower Thigh .......17.......17
R Calf ..............15.......15
L Calf ..............15.......15
R Upper Arm .........11.75....14......What?
L Upper Arm .........11.75....13.5....What?
....................294.75....289.25
................................5.5.inches lost in one week.
Weight (lbs.) ......158.......157.4

What happens when you are innoculated...

You aren't supposed to get Yellow Fever or Hepatitis A or B. But in the mean time, you get miserable. I haven't had a shot in years and by far this is the worst I've felt ever. Would someone please remind me to get the follow up shots when I return so I don't have to do it ALL over again next time I go (there will be another time, God willing!).

This afternoon I was most miserable. From chills to aches and pains. I know this is normal and much better than the diseases themselves.

I was able to double check my itinerary and I'm on Northwest Airlines all the way and my seats are confirmed and near the potty!

How do you carry water you like while travelling? You don't right? Yeah, that'll be the biggest bummer because I've been downing 1/2 gallon a day quite regularly. Of all the things I'll miss, that'll be the one thing I miss the most. Anyone want to find a portable distiller for me to take?

It's the little things isn't it. Also, if you'd remind me that I'm really glad I got the required immunizations, I'd be much abliged.

I'm so glad you asked...

I have been not blogging because I've spent hours and hours searching for flights to Uganda!

I couldn't decide where I should share this news first (I'm sure I just moved to the bottom of the list since I didn't stop some of my friends to share with them). I have way too many options. There's my local group of friends. Then there's facebook and sparkpeople (but I don't know that group of people IRL - except two!) and an entire e-mail group. Therefore, I started here.

For my readers who don't know(all three of you, how could you not), I have a dear friend and her family that are Servants in Uganda. They've been there for 6 months and will be there for at least another year or more. They can't just pack up every 6 months and journey home, so I'm going to them.

I've never been a planner. I knew for a whole year that I was going to go to visit next month. It took me until today to buy the tickets! Am I afraid of commitment? Probably. But as of today I'm going to Uganda. In essence, I'll be gone for two weeks right smack in the middle of February!

This marks the 14 year anniversary of the first time I traveled overseas, and it was in February then, too. So twice in my life I'm celebrating my birthday on foreign soil.

Please pray for us. MM and L, M and S will be together for two weeks. They'll be fine together, but it can be stressful. Pray for the river to stay within it's banks. Pray for my traveling safety as I'll be going alone (unless someone wants to go with me!). Pray for our deck to be built soon. I know it's a distraction from what is going on, but the deck would really help.

Also, check this out:

http://www.t-tapp.com/home/index.html

I don't have a fancy link that'll show the T-Tapp logo or anything, but there's the link anyway.

I was going to wait until I had more comments...

but, that will take too long and Christmas season will have passed. Besides, I have pictures to share.

A friend of mine had a Christmas brunch with a white elephant gift exchange. The rules of the game are somewhat complicated, but apparently if you are the first to open a gift your choices of gifts is limited only by what others bring. I liked this game, this time. I was #1. There was some discussion about the ethics of stealing a gift from another participant (why can't I put "player" in there?). We wondered if sugar coating it into "going along with it because it's part of the game" or trading (which it really couldn't be called that!) would somehow make it right. In the end we just played the game with a guilty conscience at practicing stealing from one another... Would someone comment about this dilemma, please?

In the end in exchange for a Spanish-English dictionary (is it really a dictionary?) I acquired/stole/left with a beautiful chrome and glass shelf that is close enough to what MM wanted that I don't have to hear about it for the next 30 years.
This spot on our wall used to be empty. We have all white walls (with a ever so slight shade of rose - but for you decorators out there - it's white) and white appliances and light tan (really it is colored) tile and a white tub with white tile and white toilet and white... Well, you get the point. So the chrome is our friend. But to me that's not the best thing. It was fun watching MM put it up. All I had to do was threaten to put holes in the walls and he was Johnny on the Spot. Now way would I be allowed to put the shelf up on my own. Never mind that I'd have probably not shown my kids how to trust Jesus in all things...

OK, that was a sad confession but it's true. However, what I did get a niche in my testosterone laden house with only one bathroom (I don't need it changed, really. I like it this way.) where I can store my girl stuff (not all of it!). Note: heretofore I didn't not need said shelf as I had no "girl stuff" that needed its own shelf. It was all community property and didn't deserve special treatment. But MM in all his creativity came up with one gift for Christmas that he could get for me - a CHI. The shampoo and conditioner etc was not his idea - it was my second mother's idea. She's a professional hair stylist and what she says goes.

This is M. Some have not quite figured out the naming system I use for my boys. It's S, M and L. As in Small Medium and Large. Someday, God willing, they'll all be large compared to me, but they'll always be S, M and L. So this is M. He's a little silly around the camera and we still love him!

So now I have a new niche in my bathroom where I can store my stuff out of little one's reach, I don't have any climbers to speak of... The ones that can reach don't because they are girly.