Final Countdown

I am headed for Colorado in two days.  I can't say I'm headed home, because if I had a home in the US I guess I would say it is Salt Lake.  But my brother, mother, cuñada and nephews live in CO, so that is where I am going.  I hope to have enough money to be able to go to Utah for a week when I go home in June.  I miss my friends there.

Yesterday I was taking out the garbage and I realized I will miss this place when I am gone.  I think I will be excited to come back.  Everyone here keeps asking why I'm only going for two weeks.  Mostly it's because I have a cat here.  Two weeks is the longest I feel comfortable leaving her in someone else's care.

They also tell me to relax and enjoy my vacation.  Yeah, right.  I have so much to do I'll be lucky to get it all done in 2 weeks.  I have to take care of tax stuff while I'm there, sign a bunch of legal forms, do a ton of shopping (with no money - that should be really fun), spend quality time with family, and somewhere along the way find my Christmas spirit.

I am excited about one thing.  Usually I don't really like New Years Eve.  I used to either work, or stay home to avoid drunk drivers on the roads.  But this year I am looking forward to ringing in the new year with a friend from high school, his wife and family.  We haven't seen each other since the mid-eighties.  They just moved to Colorado 6 days ago from Germany.  He is in the military.  I am looking forward to catching up and spending some quality time with them.

When I get back the house should be in full working order, with electricity upstairs, running water downstairs and a few other last adjustments complete.  Looks like I will not be betting cable or internet in this house.  It is so remote there are only two companies who service this area and their prices are outrageous.  Lourdes said I am welcome to come by their house whenever I need internet and there is internet at the church.  But this will definitely change my blogging habits.  Usually I spend a couple hours in the evening working on this blog.

I am hoping to have a car soon after I get back.  Jairo has been searching since July with no luck.  I am tempted to ask him if we can just go to a dealership.  But he really doesn't want me to spend the extra money I would pay there and I really don't have the money to spend.

Today I am going out to lunch with my friend Raquel.  At some point I will get together with Evelyn Michelle.  She is home, visiting her family on Christmas break from college in the US.  Marcella, my landlord's daughter who is going to take care of Jetty has been fully briefed.  So all I really need to do is put a few things in a suitcase and head out.  Since I don't have many warm clothes here, there is not much to pack.