Want to know why?
This...is why.
3 Volumes. Nearly a thousand pages. All Calvin and Hobbes. For those of you who are either not familiar with one of the greatest cartoons of all time, or perhaps scoff at a 24 year old nearly crying at receiving the entire run of the comic...well, the pity I feel for you is genuine. I wish you well and doubt seriously that our paths will cross soon. Needless to say, my parents are wise in the ways of gift giving.
Hannukah. Great holiday. I've eaten dozens of latkes (potato pancakes for the uninitiated among you) sang songs and dropped burning candles on my feet. Truly a great holiday. This is not to diminish Christmas of course, which I celebrated in style by not merely ordering a Hunan Triple Crown, but by complementing it with a soup, that if one listened closely, could be heard sizzling. Perhaps there was some sort of rice involved, I was preoccupied with a spring roll at the time.
Before I get on to travel matters, there are somethings that need sharing, namely, my uncontrollably cute siblings. My camera has been getting quite a work out capturing the various antics and quirks of these strange people to whom I am supposedly related, and I would be remiss to not include a few of the more choice shots within this space.
Without further ado:
Cutest. Girl. Ever
Look out! A head squishing monster!
wow....the floor must be REALLY comfortable
On to matters of travel.
I have now spent what I would consider a significant portion of my time in a wondrous wonderland of wonderful...ummm...wonderments. It is known as Midwest Mountaineering, and should any of the employees or the proprietor need a reference, perhaps a reference as to their character or their knowledge of even the most arcane bits of outdoor-sy type information, I would be more than happy to draft such a statement and sign it...with a flourish. In fact, I think that I'll keep one on file. I have needed to buy sleeping accoutrements, rain paraphenalia and a garment that covers the legs, I believe some of you refer to them as pants.
Anyway, as some people would say, "I got the hookup." Rest assured, I am not one of those people.
More simply; I'm all set.
Having now spent quite a bit of time in the nether regions of my house, emerging into the light only to hunt down, kill, and then microwave snacks, I am beginning to realize how difficult it is to not be around people that one knows who are not of direct familial relations. What I am saying is that I miss my friends. In a sense, it is good to get used to this feeling, as I will not be with people I know for very long stretches of time in the fairly near future, so this could amount to a type of training if you chose to see it that way. However I mostly feel just a little bit left out of the action of everything going on on the near constant stream of e-mails that I still receive from various amusing listservs. I can hear you all out there, saying "shut up Norm, you did this to yourself," and while I don't disagree, it does not make it much easier to know that.
And also...shut up.
Due to some things working out in my favor, I will now be taking the 12 day tour from Windhoek, Namibia, through the okavango delta, up to Livingstone in Zambia, which is apparently just a hop, skip, and a 4x4 ride to Victoria's falls. This should kick truck loads of butt and I only hope that my roommates previous experience with lions is not replicated. Or if it is replicated, that it happens the exact same way...in that the lion ended up leaving him unscathed. I feel that being eaten by a lion, though a worthy and interesting death, may, from the diers side...be somewhat unpleasant.
Also, I have recently heard from a distant voice in my past, one who is seldom heard from, but always welcome. His name is unimportant for these ramblings (though if you were to agree with someone twice quickly in succession and he were nearby, he may well pay you some attention) and so let me say to you all what he told me, that has me nearly a-twitter with excitement.
I was supposed to meet him in India where he is teaching. He has now informed me that as soon as I arrive, he will be quitting this teaching and we are going to do a little trekking in the Himalayas.
The Patagonia's in '05, the Himalaya's in '06. That seems reasonable to me.
My excitement is savory and delicious.
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