Strange News

Today I was officially offered a job to teach English at a school in Indonesia. Crazy huh, I was all prepped to go with the Peace Corps. Well, I talked with my recruiter and there is NO reason why I don't have an invite yet from the Peace Corps; I just don't. I only have until August 11, so I'm in a bind. Im not sure what to do. Do I take a job or have faith that my Placement Officer will send me an invite? Who knows what to do!? I called my PO under guidance from my wonderful recruiter Jen, and lo and behold his number is no longer in service! So far I have talked with people in Poland, Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey about possibly teaching English. Do I take a job teaching or wait? Jen said it might not come for MONTHS!!!! I was told in March about Ukriane, I'm medically cleared for EE, but still no invite. How weird. So people, Peace Corps might be a thing of the past! Since I should have an invite and I don't, I'm thinking that maybe I'm not supposed to go with PC. I don't know what to do!

More Pictures

The girls leave on Tuesday! Being as I am leaving; who knows when I will see them next! Ugh, they will probably be huge! I'll be old, gray and wrinkled! Ok, maybe I am being a bit extreme, but come on...they live in Panama! I'm watching Back to the Future with Reggie. Yeah for taking a dive into the 80's! I was 4 when this movie came out! I feel old! I'm 23 and I feel old; this is ridiculous!

Girls Girls and More Girls!

This is Grandma with my neices! We played in the yard on this day! It didn't last long. They are used to Panama hose water which is quite a bit warmer than our cold water! They are so cute! Today we went to the pool and lil Harmony went off the diving board! Oh and we went garage sale-ing and found a fabulous Thomas the Train set! Oh, and I just got a lil fatter eating my sisters super yummy apple pie. I finished the popcorn show, but I'll spare you any more details on that.

Word Verification

You can ALL reply now; IF you can copy the word correctly. I will add some amazing photos tomorrow...

The Secret Life of PopCorn!

1 cup of pop corn eaten plain has 31 calories.
The Native Americans grew over 700 varieties of corn.
I don't have any more cool stats because people are coming for a party.
We aren't having pop corn at our party.

Cinnamon

This is my cat drinking my water; so wonderful that I had my camera on hand. I mean for reals! It is a little irritating that my water was ruined. I was reminded of a scene in "While You Were Sleeping." Lucy (Sandra Bullock) puts milk in her cats bowl and then dips her oreos into the cats dish. I definitely don't relate to this at all! Sick, I'm not doing that. But I will miss Cinnamon while I am gone; if I get to go. I'm under OMS/Placement Review by the Peace Corps. Since I had Asthma ten years ago they are having some questions about where I can teach in EE. I have no idea what to expect! If I don't hear an answer soon I might use my TESOL certificate and teach abroad for a year. I really can't afford to just wait. So hopefully by next fall they will have found a place for me. They said it would take 2 weeks to figure this out. It has been one week. I should hear back from my Placement Officer next week. Only God knows where I will be this fall!

Miss Universe 2006

I was hoping that Ukraine would win. I had this amazing vision of all us Peace Corps workers gathering to watch it next year over there. I mean come on; world peace. Didn't Sandra Bullock (Gracie Lou Freedbush) say it was a "scholarship program..." Anyway, she didn't win and neither did my personal favorite, Japan. Puerto Rico won and that is just silly. She didn't even have good answers and she sooooooooooooooo wasn't the prettiest! Come on people we know it isn't about scholarships because they MAKE women parade around in bikinis! She had weird earrings, bad dress and a terrible facial expression. Oh come on!!! Maybe she will go on to do wonderful things with her years supply of hair care products from Farouk and shoes. Oh and a "line of bathing suits for her summer wardrobe from Thailand." Yah, how many swimsuits do you need per summer? Especially since it is almost August!!! Scholarship program yeah right! And what, she has a masters in jewelry design! Are you kidding me? Obviously it Wasn't chosen based on intellect. I mean Japan spoke 4 languages! And No talent competition. And Santino from Project Runway was a judge! Ha! and only 4 judges were from other nations other than the US; as if the US is totally in the know on Beauty. Oh yeah, like being the fattest nation in the world is sooooooooooo fabulous. Nope, to combat obesity we annualy watch annorexic women parade around partially clothed and say things like, "I find that the best source of nutrition comes from ice cubes." The ice cube diet otherwise known as "the detox diet." Of course if Japan had won I wouldn't be complaining about any of this. I'm mildly irritated.

The Zoo

We went to the zoo yesterday and it was Fabulous! It was a truly wonderful experience because the Millers went with us. The zoo wouldn't be half as fun without them. Marcela has a deep facination of trains and this gave us the welcome opportunity to sit down for a train ride. The gorillas were fabulous, the steep hills were not. Some of the exotic tropical animals weren't nearly that exotic for the Millers. In fact one of the "cool" animals people were flocking around, Angel announced, "Hey, those are the things that eat our trash!" haha, the beauties of living in a Tropical Paradise.

Anonymous Issues

If you check EVERY post, a company is posting a dumb comment. Today I received over 200 hundred comments from "anonymous" and I'm irritated. So, I hate to break it to people, but I HAD to change my settings so that ONLY bloggers could comment on my page. I'm sorry friends because I love reading what you have to say! I will try this for a few days and then maybe later I will give it another go. ugh, I'm irritated with the stupid business that is doing this. I'm sure they wrote some dumb program to comment on my blog! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I've been asked...

Well, a school in Mexico read my resume and... Oh yes, they want me to teach pre.school, offer a great salary, paid housing and Free Spanish lessons! But I turn all that down for kartofel (potatoes), hlep (bread), sneg (snow) , bolshoy loozsh (huge puddles) and the nizhniian shuffle (a way to "walk" on the ice so you don't fall). No really people, I Adore Eastern Europe and I am thrilled to be going there! And after visiting my sister in Panama, I'm soooooooooooo not cut out for rotting mangos! And my friend just got back from Cambodia where they ate fried spiders and squid! At least the food is NORMAL in EE. I mean sure, chicken body parts and skin floating around in my soup isn't my Favorite thing in life, but you can eat around it... And plus things like brains, gizzards and hearts can be passed off to the man you are eating with and make him feel macho. No matter the culture ladies, you can count on men wanting to be macho. Oh and the starving human attacking wild dogs that I experienced in Russia were oh so happy to eat my scraps! Remember this when you go to the market, nothing goes to waste!

Pampered Chef

I went to a Pampered Chef party for my friend. I'm not the small party kind of person; I went for her; I hope she understands this. I have problems sitting around and making small talk with women. I always end up eating all the finger food so that people will say, "Oh, she's eating." and not talk to me. Normally they talk to me anyway and I end up having to rapidly chew a fattening piece of goody before replying. Then you sit there trying to figure out what to buy. It can't take up too much space, cost too much or have more than two parts. It can't be pink, blue or any other color of the rainbow. It also can't have some cool way to collapse it. If the ad says, "It just pops right up!" don't buy it; they are lying! Nothing with plastic and screws just pops right up. Also, don't let people at the party try to help you. What they think is a cool dicer sounds to me like a quick way for me to lose a finger. All in all we got some cool stuff. Word to the wise for anyone going to Eastern Europe; BRING A BREAD KNIFE! You will eat A LOT of bread and most people can't afford knives. They run like 90 American bucks. Do what I'm doing; bring a knife and leave it as a gift when you leave. Wahoo!

Medically Cleared!!!!

YEAH! I am medically cleared to serve everywhere But China! Yeah! This is wonderful people! I am soooooooooooooo excited to have that over with! What a wonderful thing! I'm pretty stoked! Next on the list; we wait for the official invite...

Survivor

"If you were on Survivor, what would you choose as your luxury item?" My friend asked, her eyes sparkling in expectation. Being as I am a Christian I know what I'm supposed to say, and she knew it too. Technically it's called a Sunday School Answer. I'm supposed to say Bible. Right? And true, what could be more important than the Word of God on a deserted Island? But for the love people, I can't say Bible and be honest. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I slapped a hand to my forhead, squinted my eyes and turned my head and growled the answer, "toothbrush." I feel like a failed Christian, it's true; I'd bring my toothbrush. There, I've said it. Can I go to bed without reading my Bible when I'm so tired I can't see straight? YES! Can I go to bed without brushing my teeth? NEVER! Do any of you see a problem here!!!??????? I brush my teeth round figure 5 times a day. My dentist has limited me to 8 times a day. I can only brush with whitening toothpaste twice a day or it rips opens my gums. I have on hand 4 different typs of toothpaste at all times to cater to my moods when brushing as well as gum and tooth enamel preservation. It's an OCD addiction. I have two toothbrushes (you need to have some variety). I have two types of dental floss. I have two mouthwashes. I love clean teeth! So this is my pact. Every time I brush my teeth I have to say a verse that I am working on memorizing. That way, if I ever have to choose a luxury item I CAN take one of my beloved toothbrushes because scripture will be written on my heart.

Fremont Days

I put on perfume today. Why did I put on perfume today? I like to smell nice, or maybe it is just habit. No matter how you look at it no amount of perfume in all the world would have helped me today. I helped out at the Children's Ministry Booth while the temp soared above triple digits. All of us were experiencing mass drippage in the sweat department. And yet the children continued to climb through our puffed up obsticle course. Kids bounded through the course ignoring the way the hot plastic scorched their smooth baby flesh. Sticky hands gripped my capris as small bodies swarmed around. Moms came to the booth hands full of bags, fliers and melted snow cones. These women weren't faring any better than me and we joked about the sweat. Women are supposed to glisten; we weren't, and we knew it. And as they waited for thier kids to make it through the course, they were told about VBS, MOPS, and Preschool. What's a little sweat if these women can be blessed by these ministries? Thanks Jeff and Paula for making it happen!

Peace Corps Update #3

I talked with my screening nurse and she was very sweet. I am number 16 on her list of screening and she all but guaranteed that I would be approved by Aug. 11. It looks like I will be heading out. YEAH! It is WAY hot here in Nebraska. It is almost out of control!

Peace Corps Update #2

I need to be medically cleared by Aug. 11 in order for me to leave on the 29th of September as planned. My recruiter gave me some numbers to call; but I haven't heard back. I'm about to become REALLY irritating. My recruiter told me to begin gently prodding my screening nurse. I'm really hoping that Peace Corps will come through for me. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow I will understand the hold up OR receive affirmation that I am actively being screened... We shall see...

It takes all kinds...

Is this normal? First off, he's wearing khaki shorts with black socks and brown shoes. You think, freak accident right? But look closer at his ankles. Yep, I saw it too! A tan line! Is this what I think it means??? Does this poor man do this on a regular basis?

What to Eat

I've talked with many people about my upcoming life change, and many of them are concerned with what I will be eating while in Eastern Europe. I'm suprised at this! First off, look at what we eat!!! Above is pictured potato salad. Just look at it people! To be honest my Aunt makes Fabulous potato salad, but still... A lot of what we eat looks disgusting. Of course some food abroad is nasty. But I am so excited about eating Plov and Borscht again! yumm! Russia had the Best red peppers in the world! But I will miss food from home! I am bringing spices with me and I'm open to care packages full of spices and other yummy American food...

Weddings

While in Russia I took a lot of pictures of people getting married. Why you ask? First off it was beautiful! The brides in white with the white snow; it was all so beautiful and romantic. But this is what I found most interesting; due to the snow the brides dress stopped just above her ankle! Here in America women wear kicks and slippers and no one is the wiser. In Russia they wear beautiful boots and shorter dresses. Forget the long train people; this is siberia! The point of this is that I am travelling to a wedding and so will be MIA for a couple days.

It's a Waiting Game

I can't help but wonder if my file is lost. I know that it is not; everything in Gods time; right? Peace Corps said the best thing I can do during this time is to spend time with friends and family. Easier said than done, because people want to know details! You see, I have this allergy to penicillon. Perhaps that is holding the people up in D.C.; it held up my dr here... And then you hear other people in the Peace Corps saying things like, "If you can't handle waiting you can't handle the Peace Corps." Oh really.... And others saying, "They might have forgotten about you...be the annoying one and email..." Advice is relative. One thing I learned while living in Russia is that sometimes you need to stop and stare out the window. Many times I would wake up to find my thin host mother staring out the (okna) window. Her left hand held a hot cup of tea and her right arm held back the curtains while her hand rested on the cold window. Brown eyes turned to me as I walked beside her. "Sneg (snow) for now Laurychka, but the sun is coming." She was waiting. She's always waiting for the snow to melt, for spring to come, and her husband to come home. Sometimes we would wait together and she would comb my hair. The next 27 months will be waiting as well. I'll be waiting for the next email, letter and phone call. I will never forget running through the snow in my boots because someone had yelled, "Picma Laura!!!" I recieved a letter via post. I will miss home; it certaintly won't look like Nebraska over there! But yeah Exciting!

TransAmerican Run

I love running. I also love competition. So, if you are a cycler, runner, or walker go to this site. At this site we can race across America! You just log in the miles you've hoofed, and they put it on a map. Cool huh! I'm just starting so who knows how it will go. But, I think it looks pretty cool. It even comes with pictures and stuff like that. I am pretty excited. If you don't like competition; as friends we can help keep each other motivated! As most of you know, law school helped me get completely out of shape. I'm also goal oriented so this might help me. Come on people; think how healthy you will be after you've hoofed America! Yeah!

The Cluster Map

There has been some confusion about the Cluster Map. My cluster map shows up under "Links" on my blog. Red dots show up wherever anyone looks at my blog. ie: My sister lives in Panama. Hence I have red dots over Panama. I hope this clears up confusion about the cluster maps. I think it is fun to see where all my friends are! (Oh and I deleted my shooting pictures for Peace Corps reasons...)

My Host Mom

This is my host Mom and me. Her name is Olga (Olya) and I miss her so much! She is such a special woman. She only spoke Russian, but we managed just fine!

Beyond Borders

Bad film. I watched this film with my dear friend Amanda; we both majored in global poverty (Global Studies). We were excited about a human rights, economic relief, goodwill movie. Instead we got arms trade masked under medical relief and , selfish affairs masked under "we're helping people." Starving people exploited and hurting people ok. It was terrible. And then, the real kicker came once the film was over. This is due to the fact that the film was dedicated to all relief workers and those affected by war and famine. I resent that in total. The film mocked everything that REAL workers give their lives for. She (angelina jolie) didn't give her life for relief of the hurting and those affected by war and famine she gave it for her selfish lover. This was a terrible movie about adultry and exploitation hidden beneath a good UN movie. We were offended and more than slightly upset because this film came highly recommended to us due to the fact that we are International Affairs, justice junkies. I did not appreciate the mockery of this film.