Snailkiller

So- Hong and I are slowly packing or tossing all our junk.  Man- we have so much stuff- mostly mine.  We really have to be done packing by the end of July so we dropped off some books and clothes to Hong’s parents house and some stuff will go to my mom’s house. 

I am so awake right now cause I had a very strong cup of Vietnamese french-pressed coffee this morning.  Whew- that stuff is strong!  I signed up for this body conditioning class at Laney Community College but the class is every day (Mon-Thurs)- I had to drop the class.  It takes too much time and gets too crowded. 

So, I found out that I start school orientation on Aug 29th so Hong and I get back from Thailand on Aug 27th at 1:50 p.m. and then Aug 28th at 7 a.m. I fly to Chicago where Niti will pick me up and drive me to Madison.  I’m gonna be so jet lagged.  I am bringing exactly three suitcases with me- which is like only 1/8th of my closet.  Hong is driving to Madison so he’s letting me bring another three boxes in his car.  All my summer clothes will be stored at my mom’s house.  Hong’s k-12 school friend has her wedding on Aug 28th so Hong will attend the wedding and start driving the next day to Madison.  It’ll probably take him 3-4 days.  Unless we sell his car then he’ll fly out and we just get another old car.

Anyways- I can’t believe I only have a little over a month to pack and get organized at work.  Yeah- work is crazy.  But we’re hoping to hire the new Grants Coordinator next week so he/she can overlap with me for 1-2 weeks and I can explain all about grants, etc. 

I’m ready to go home.  I’m having a Long Island at Unos with Vicky tonight- that is the best drink ever!  It has to be a Long Island at Unos though. 

This past weekend- I ate the most meat I have ever eaten- steak, chicken and pork!  Grant’s BBQ is pretty darn good.  Jasmine hosted a surprise graduation party for Janet.  We just ate, talked and ate some more.  Veronica’s potato salad was delicious too! 

Yesterday I made a day by day calendar listing what I will be doing from now until school starts in September.  Hong and I are really crushed on time- we plan to have our apt completely cleaned out before August- basically, no bed- nothing- just what we will be bringing on our Thailand vacation and what we will be bringing to Madison. 

I am so excited!  We bought our Thailand tickets yesterday- we depart Aug 16th and return Aug. 27th- just in time for Jen’s wedding.  It cost us only $931 per person for everything- including airport taxes.  We see that as a bargain since flight alone cost that much.  The tour package includes 5 nights hotel, round trip flight, free stopover in Hong Kong and tour activities and food.  We’ll just have to pay for lodging for the three nights extra we extended in Bangkok and 2 nights in Hong Kong.  So- if anyone wants to join us- let me know.  We are going through a travel agent in Oakland Chinatown.  Also- send me your snail mail address so I can mail you a postcard. 

We decided to fly to Madison so we’ll only be bringing the essentials- clothes, some CDs, our laptops, and shoes.  I just didn’t feel like driving for 4 days.  Hong is going to Vietnam in Oct with his parents so when he comes back to Oakland, he’ll probably drive his car up then.  We’re most likely living in campus housing for the first few months so I can just take the bus to class.

FYI: I am planning a going away party in Sacramento on Saturday, July 23rd.  It will be at my mom’s house or at the park. 

For those in southern CA, Hong and I plan to do one final road trip down south the second week of Aug.  So keep your calendar clear for our visit- you know who you are!

Alrighty- I’ll write more soon.