Tuesday night. Another very full day. I'm sure my neighbors wonder what I am up to exactly. I keep leaving and coming home with many bags. It's probably not a bad thing to keep your neighbors wondering. I mean if they ever have to describe me on the evening news maybe they won't just say "she was always so nice and quiet". No, my neighbors will be able to say "well, she always brought in a lot of bags".

I have started thinking about things I will miss when I am in Kazakhstan:
1. The way the garbage men on my street play a game of "Toss the Garbage Cans Wherever on the Street You Can" on garbage day. Extra points if they land nowhere near a yard.
2. Target. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes knows I will go through Target withdrawal. Target will likely have to fire a few people without me here to shop.
3. American Idol. I wonder what if there is a Simon Cowell in Kazakhstan. I'm sure Simon speaking Russian would still be Simon.
4. Flip Spiceland. For you non-Atlanta people, he is a weather guy here. Actually he usually manages to get on my nerves every morning but come on. You have to miss someone who, though above the age of five, voluntarily wears a red blazer.
5. Mellow Mushroom. Enough said.
6. Sweet tea.

OK - enough for today. Just trying to get in the habit of posting each day. Back to my to do lists.

It is officially one week until I leave on what is without doubt going to be the trip of a lifetime! To say that the last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind is indeed an understatement. :-) Ever since I received that amazing call on December 19, 2003, telling me I was to arrive in Kazakhstan on January 6, I have been scrambling around trying to make sure I get everything done. I have been steadily marking things off my to do list. Most things are simply a matter of planning and have not been too bad. Well, unless you count my visa picture which made Michael Jackson's mug shot look like a cover for People Magazine. The visa picture lady diplomatically asked if I would prefer to have another picture taken but after I had already waited for 40 minutes for the first one, I firmly declined. The good news is I did receive my visa and passport back on December 24, so I guess the good people at the Kazakhstan Consulate office must not have been too frightened.

I truly don't know how people manage to continue to work after receiving travel dates. Thank goodness I had already taken vacation this week, but I seriously could not have finished everything I had to do if I had been working. As it is, I am having to carefully plan each day so as not to waste any time. I think I have now bought all the cold weather paraphernalia I need. I have become a regular at REI! The guy selling me the bulk of the stuff asked where in Siberia I was going. Ahh, he was quite surprised to find out just how close I am going to be!

Ok - so back to my big ole' list of things to get done. Just had to see if I could get this up and working. More tomorrow. Did I mention that I leave in one week?? :-)