2 months

From HAD-DLDD Trip- 29.7-18.8

As of Wednesday, I have two months left in my service. I COS on December 1, then head to Cape Town and Paris for a few weeks before coming home on December 22.

Don’t mob me

I haven’t been good with writing posts. Just haven’t felt inspired. I was hoping my Mom could contribute a summary of the trip for my blog and I could add in pics, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Here is a link to the Picasa album with just about a fifth of the pics we took over the course of the trip. My Picasa account is officially pretty full, so I can’t put any more pics up right now.

HAD-DLDD Moz Trip 2008

I will say that I am excited to see everyone when I get home. It may take a bit of time to get around to see folks, but I will do my best in 2009. I will also be starting the job hunt (hooray, idealist.org) and I hope to see Obama’s inauguration in January. Republican, Democrat, Independent- if you think McCain has a chance in hell to win this election you better do what Ice Cube said… “chickity-check yo’self be’fo you wreck yo’self“.

It means Obama’s got it locked.

Anyway, I’m having a reflective last couple of months, making sure to say goodbye to those folks who have made an impact on me throughout the past two years. I’ll at some point post a bit of a catch-up entry to talk about September, October and November are going/will go.

One more thing: by the time you all see me, I’ll be SCUBA certified. I’m completing the last part of my certification on October 18th, after which I can dive to 18 meters without a dive master.

Anyone wanna go tickle some lobsters next spring? Just let me know

Take care all, and good luck to our Knights… they need every bit of it, it seems.

ok, tchau, ‘brigado.

 

when i get home…

selfish things i want to do when i get back to the states:

- Make a bacon, tomato and white cheddar grilled cheese sandwich with basil and oregano (or  4)

- See UCF in a bowl game.

- Watch ‘The Dark Knight’…5 times in a row.

- Clean up my Mom’s computer.

- Get a haircut.

- Play with one of those new-fangled Wii’s.

- Hop in a canoe and shove off for a few hours by myself.

- Hop on a bike and reacquaint myself with Sanibel.

- Go to Washington and see Obama’s inaugural parade.

- Of course, see the fam (stops in Ohio, Philly, MD and DC are a must)

I know I’ve been absent from the blog. I have a few photos from the National Cultural Festival which was held in Xai-Xai last week. I am trying to get my 30-second videos that I took up on a site so I can post them here as well. If you have any ideas on where I can do that, let me know.

Mom’s going to be here is T-minus 9 days and counting!!!! Expect some good stories from that. I am hoping to get her to post to the blog while she is here.

Latest plan for post-PC travel: Cape Town/Western South Africa. Fly to Lisbon, wander over to Paris (to see Morgan) then back Stateside. I talk big, so we’ll see how things turn out.

 

on the soapbox: Vote ‘No’ on 2!

I’ve been pretty reluctant to put forth a lot of opinions about things going on back in the States. It is somewhat hard for me to get a clear view of what is happening over there, so I feel like it would be wrong for me to give opinions about things that I haven’t researched.

However…

I get the Central Florida Future, UCFs student newspaper, e-mailed to me. I just read a story about a student protest against the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment. Say what you will about the quality of writing in student newspapers, but thank god this is getting coverage. I have two things to say about this:

1. I am glad to see UCF students taking part in voicing their opinions on campus. I was never the most involved student, but I went to Progressive Council meetings and tried to support causes that I agreed with. UCF is a relatively new school, but I like that the activist movements are developing roots on campus. Now to expand that coverage to the city!

2. This Amendment is an abomination; a ridiculous excuse for what some may call legislative action. It appalls me that this is even still an issue in our society, and the fact that it has gained so much support highlights the ignorance that exists in this world. Voting for this Amendment means a continuation of discriminatory policies like Jim Crow. I have no stomach for this type of blatant violation of human rights.

What, do people think it should be a privilege to love?!

It is every person’s right to vote for or against this Amendment, but it is not our right to discriminate against ANYONE based on sexual orientation!

I wish I could get involved in this more, but here are a couple links to get you started in becoming educated about this atrocity (along with the link that I have above to the pro-amendment website)

Equality Florida

Fairness For All Families

Florida Red and Blue

 

a word about our Knights

Tomorrow at around 8pm Moz Standard Time, I will probably be eating dinner in Maputo, probably checking out some awful rugby game or really old music videos (WOO! Bananarama!) at the restaurant near the hotel that I will be staying at.

Something tells me that the UCF-Tulsa game will not be available on even the best satellite TV packages, but I will be thinking of our Knights as I wolf down my cheesey bread and marinara sauce along with a liter of Sangria that is a staple of my diet when I am staying in Maputo.

Please, please, please, please, please, please, please don’t screw this up, guys.

I have been bummed about missing this first season in the new stadium. Chana has sent me a few pics from the tailgates and the seats where I would be watching the guys beat the crap out of everyone who entered (save for Texas, of course). It is worth missing, though, just knowing that despite being trounced and then picked out of USF’s football cleats like sod, we are doing pretty well and are in the conference championship for the 2nd time in 3 years! By “pretty well” of course I mean we have been extremely lucky to have this guy:

Mr. Smith has literally carried UCF to 9 wins this year (Israel, thanks for the memories, now make room for the new talent). I can’t wait to see how Smith stacks up against someone like Alabama or Mississippi St. from the SEC.

Oh wait, that’s assuming we don’t pull another fiasco like what happened in 2005 when Tulsa came to Orlando and beat us like the family mule (thank you Hunter S. Thompson for that analogy)

I’ll be rooting hard as long as I am awake and dreaming of Liberty Bowl glory!!!! It will make the coming week at training with the new volunteers that much less painful with a win this weekend.

Chana, you better text me when we win!!!!!