Finality

13 Days for me. I calculated it at 356 hours until I am in my sweethearts arms. I am ready to be there now.

I don't know what it is, but I am just done, mentally I am not here at all. I just wanna be gone. I'm sorry for all of you who have to be here with me these last days, I promise I will try to enjoy it, and I know that I will miss you very much. Hmmm, it sounds like I'm already saying a farewell, well I'm not, not yet. But since I got back from my weekend in Grand Popo I haven't been exactly the same. I have 4 shifts left, and tomorrow is only partial. Well maybe. Remember that Presidential invitation to a dinner at the palace? It's on again, and has only been postponed twice so far, it should be tomorrow, and if so I get half of my shift off to go. Thanks Murray. I am of course more doubtful than those people who were not here those many months ago when this scene originated.

James S. the DayVolunteer who works at reception is going to become crew on the 23rd, he is so excited, and I am really excited for him. He's had a hard time this last little while, the people that really took him under their wings in the beginning of the outreach are all gone now, and it's up to me and Hannah to help him along. He is a sensitive soul, and of course there are cultural differences, but he has been an invaluable addition to the reception team. Not many know this, but I was fully ready to pull a 'Rudy' and lay my epaulets on the Pursers desk if James wasn't accepted. I'm glad it didn't shuffle that way, but I wouldn't have minded a change in this last month.
I think I've done most of my souvenir shopping now, I am well aware of what money is being spent on these trinkets, and I am almost out, we'll see what life is like at home being broke. That is a lot to think about too, and something I definitely need prayer regarding. Going home I have no place to stay (I don't want to impose on my parents hospitality too much) and no job, as mine convieniently reached the end just before I thought I was coming here, and all other jobs were just stop-gaps. I think I'll get a travel insurance refund enough to insure my scooter for 3 months, that gets me mobility, but in winter, on a scooter. It's been done 3 winters before. So yeah, prayer.Despite that I am very excited to finally come home. They say home is where the heart is, and that would have to be true. No matter how comfortable the toilet seat is at my parents that is no longer my home. My heart has found me a home, and I am ready. My sweetheart is picking me up from Seattle airport on December 1st *sigh* We will take our time getting back across the border.

I think that is all I have in me at the moment. I'll intersperse pictures to liven it up perhaps.

Touristy

One more to go! Ok, well...

I've done a few things while here, some of them I've posted about and some I've not. Some of them happen to be touristy things, and so I'll post pictures and describe them, because it is easy, and because it is what people like, win/win!


I went to a football match! Benin vs. Mali, a World Cup qualifier. It wasn't that exciting actually, they tied in the end and that's the only time it had much action, the last ten minutes, but I'm glad. Had Benin lost I dunno what sort of 'reaction' there would have been. Note the barbed wire encircling the field.

I've gone to play frisbee pretty regularily. I was out of commission for a couple weeks, so I went and took pictures one time.

I gave blood. Not too touristy a thing to do, but my name was called and I had to be brave. We only do whole blood here so the recipient was just in the next room in surgery. I'm O+, if you know what I mean?

This last weekend I arranged it to get the latter part of my friday off to coincide with a ship holiday long weekend. It was cool. We went to Grand Popo and stayed at Awale Plage for a couple nights, 13 of us, in a few bungalows near the beach.

There was a pool of course, and we played a fair bit in the water. It was PJs birthday and he got an inflatable volleyball net.

There was also the beach where Ben and I made a sandcastle. It rained the next morning for a number of hours and so our creation passed away.

We saw some nice sunsets, no sunrises though, I sleep too much then. I like this shot.

On the Saturday evening we got to eat by the pool. All the resort staff were dressed a little like pirates and it was all decked out in lights. The power went out a couple times, but hey, it's Africa...

This is our group, sans me since I'm taking the picture. I ate barbequed prawns, with the shells completely on. I was hesitant at first, but they were tasty ;) Even the steak was good, though I've been without good steak for 6 months.

Overall it was a very nice and relaxing weekend, too bad we had to get back to the ship.

But not before finding and playing with another Praying Mantis, hmmm, did I not blog about the couch?! I should I guess, maybe when I'm on my way home, lol.

That's it, pictures. Now I think I have to go make a trifle, oh the trials of this life.

Oh, and just 27 days left until I come home ()!!!