Greetings everyone,
In tonight’s update, we learn of a woman who saves, a man who matures, and a Piglet who “eats it.” Photos and stories below. It’s all terribly exciting.
First off – WE’VE MADE CONTACT!! The phone rang today at about 1pm and it was Tricia. Calling from a disposable cell phone in Guatemala. It seems the phone card we bought before she went doesn’t work DESPITE the fact that the AT&T goon with whom she spent 20 minutes on the phone assured her it would work outside the US. We had a nice 17 minute conversation before the phone ran out of minutes and cut us off!.
She is doing well. Food is good – all homemade. Rooms are a bit utilitarian, but what do you expect. They’re over there building houses for a reason, right? First night there, she was able to help the 15-month-old granddaughter of their hostess. Kid had been having diarrhea for the past week. Doing well, so that was good. Tricia provided some guidance and recommendations for supportive care. She told me that the Guatemalans are not very affectionate with strangers and that it takes a long time for them to warm up to you. Needless to say, she was getting hugs and kisses from this family on day one! She’s out to save the world, one family at a time. You have to admire that.
They are going on a coffee tour tomorrow. I imagine she’ll come home with so much coffee that they’ll detain her and “thoroughly” search her for drugs!! Clinic starts Monday. She did make a point to rub in the fact that it is 80 degrees and that she is getting a sunburn. She’ll be the only person in Washington DC with a tan when she gets back! It’s not fair.
Speaking of sun, we haven’t seen ours for three days now. We got about 29 total inches of snow over the past 30 hours. That’s about an inch an hour – just what they promised. I spent Abby’s naptime outside shoveling around the car so I won’t have to work so hard to get out later. They did come and plow our street – 10 FEET IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I now have a 20 foot wide by 10 feet deep by 2 1/2 foot high area to clear before I can even GET to the cleared road. And, that assumes that the car will be able to drive on the roads and get through the tight turns they dug out for us!! Good times. Photo below of the car BEFORE the plow came by.
When I was growing up in New Mexico, I loved the snow. Couldn’t get enough of it. Every time it DID snow, Dad would complain about the hassle and extra work it caused. I always thought he was such a wet blanket during those times. Turns out – he was right. (that’s a hard sentence to write!!) Snow sucks. Especially when there is about 16 TONS of it between you and automobile freedom. It’s a shame I don’t have a new Camry, I could just blast my way through with the sticky accelerator.
Abby and I have been living in squalor (see photo below) ever since Tricia left. PJ’s and “leave-it-where-it-falls” mentality have been the rule, rather than the exception. I still have a week before I have to clean up. Why put everything away if she’s just going to get it all out again???
Okay, enough ranting. On to the photos.
Enjoy,
J
If anyone can save the world one family at a time, it will be sweet Tricia!! You had guts (lack of judgment?) putting up the living room photo, though! I LOVED the little nose print in the snow – so dainty, just like its owner. Thanks for sharing a collage of your day. Stay warm!
Jake,
Great photos — I’m with Mom however —you’ll pay a price for the living room photo!!!! Abby is simply too cute — a veritable “Michelin Piglet.”
Lots of love,
Dad
p.s. I TOLD you that snow $^&#%# !!!
Jacob,
Your blog had me laughing once you started talking about living in squalor with Abby, the living room picture had me cracking up! Your pictures are great at always, especially the action shot of Abby face planting! She is gorgeous, her tiny nose print in the snow is too cute! I’m so glad Tricia is doing so well in Guatemala, I can’t wait to hear her stories when she returns!
Love and miss you guys,
Carley
As usual, your pictures are the “Greatest”, and I look at them over and over, one better than the other because they also tell a story—Love them. Remember the story of the little boy at the beach who was throwing star fish back into the ocean and the man came up to him laughing, and laughing. “there are hundreds of star fish here that are dying” he said. “What is your point”. The little boy picked up a starfish and threw it into the ocean and said “that one is saved, took another and said “that one is saved”—That’s our Tricia Saving the world one family at a time!