Is free shipping too much to ask?

I really, really need to order some things from Target.com. Things I really, really need, such as plain white T-shirts for both Laura and me. And a new bedskirt. (I also really, really need to order some school supplies that are ridiculously difficult to find here, but those aren't offered online.)
But although some of the clothes I need are part of a "free shipping if you order $50 worth of crap" offer, the bedskirt I decided on is not. So I just refused to complete my order because of something like $7.42 in shipping.
Yes, I know I'm cheap. And yes, I know I really, really need those things -- and won't be able to buy them here.
But I also know that I spend enough at Target when I'm in the States that they should have a free-shipping-for-diplomats program.
At some point I really will place the order. But for now I'm dwelling on becoming a really, really grumpy old woman.

Apparently I sound Canadian

Or so a woman who called my office on Thursday told me. I've never thought of Canadians having a certain accent, just words and phrases they use that Americans don't.

The pot calls the kettle black

Today's the last day of school for Laura, and over the past few days her teacher has been sending things home. This was in a folder she brought home yesterday, although I don't know when she said it or what it was about.

Peter Cetera, anyone?

I won't be going to his concert this weekend, but I thought this e-mail from our friend/co-worker Phil was hilarious. (Steph is another of our co-workers, and I think he did finally persuade her to go.)

All –

I’m trying to con Steph into going to the Peter Cetera concert this coming Saturday at the oval and wanted to see if anyone wants to join us. It starts at 7:30pm and there are a handful of ticket options (I think I would probably opt for the cheaper seats). It features Cetera, Jon Secada, and John Waite. I’ve found that b-list concerts in strange places are one of the most enjoyable parts of the Foreign Service (Whitesnake in Slovenia was particularly memorable, for example).

Let me know by OOB tomorrow if you are interested and I can grab tickets. See below attachment for more info.

Do I look like Emmylou Harris?

My friend Bill thinks so. I guess we should take a vote.

A bit of good news

U.S. Embassy employees in Trinidad soon will be getting a slight increase in their cost of living allowance. Woo hoo! My plan to start buying fresh milk imported from the U.S. can come to fruition -- assuming the stores ever have any.

No, I didn't eat it

I was accosted by a rather large crab in my driveway Saturday night.
OK, so perhaps accosted is a strong word. But I was surprised to see it there. Although our house backs up to the river, there's a retaining wall, so it's not like it could have climbed up the bank.
Later, one of the little toads that hangs out on our side patio came into the house. To escape from the crab? I guess I should have asked.
I really didn't plan for this blog to become so wildlife-centric. But hey, it beats talking about work. Port of Spain's post report update soon will be available on the State Department's intranet (and most of it on the Internet, too). Yep, it's fascinating reading.

My life becomes a Hitchcock movie

This morning on the way to the embassy I commented to Kevin that I saw a buzzard on top of a lamp post by the road along the coast. I didn't think much about it. But then on the way home this afternoon, there were buzzards on almost every lamp post, and on almost every one it was a group of three. Most were standing with their wings outstretched, perhaps an effort to dry off because it's been raining most of the day. Regardless of why they were doing it, it's kind of strange to see flocks of unattractive birds hanging out above one's head.

An analysis of my movie-viewing habits

The American Film Institute has released its list of the top 10 movies in 10 different genres. I haven't seen many of them, which won't come as a shock to those who know me well. I just don't watch that many movies.
And admittedly, some of the movies I'm claiming to have seen probably weren't watched all the way through.

Animation. This is the only category where I'd seen every movie, including Snow White, which the AFI ranked first. (I must give the credit for our incredible Disney DVD collection to my mother-in-law, Jane.)


Romantic comedies: City Lights was first. Haven't seen it. I've only seen two of the 10.
Western: Despite my horse-centric and redneck upbringing, I don't think I've seen a single movie on this list.
Sports: Raging Bull was first. Definitely haven't seen it, and all I know about it is that it's about boxing. I have seen five of the 10 here, though.
Mystery: Vertigo is ranked first, and I have seen that -- but only one other.
Fantasy: Of course I've seen The Wizard of Oz, which is No. 1. In fact, I've seen six of these.
SciFi: 2001: A Space Odyssey is first. I know I watched it, but I don't remember much about it. But I've seen two of the others.
Ganster: I've seen The Godfather I and II, which are first and third on this list.
Courtroom drama: I guess it's a good thing Kevin isn't practicing law at the moment because I haven't even seen To Kill a Mockingbird. In fact, I've only seen one of these 10.
Epic: Last but not least, I've seen eight of these -- including No. 1, Lawrence of Arabia.

My toe survives a run-in with a tree porcupine

When I think petting zoo, I think goats and ponies. At a birthday party we went to yesterday, it was more like a monkey, a tree porcupine, two bunnies, a couple of guinea pigs, and some large tortoises. Oh, and a pair of large boa constrictors or pythons, which the handlers were wearing as boas.
And yes, the prickly little animal did bite my toe.
At an earlier birthday party, Laura got to go down a waterslide something like 7.2 zillion times. Her toes were more damaged by all the concrete on the ramp up to the top of the slides than mine was by animal teeth.
Later in the day, we went to a production of High School Musical at the international school, and then I went to a going-away party for our military liaison officer and his wife at the deputy chief of mission's house.
And at the end of all that, I needed a nap. And we even skipped a later going-away party.

Apparently I'm looking old these days

An exchange Laura and I had before church today:

What year were you born? 1972.
Was that during the war? Which war?
World War II. No, my parents weren't even born until after World War II.
But then I explained that it was during Vietnam, which led to a discussion of what Vietnam was -- and is.

Later, at church, a new elder fresh out of the Missionary Training Center struck up a conversation with me. As white Americans we really stand out, so people always ask where we're from, and he was no exception.
I told him Texas, and he said he was from Salt Lake City. So I mentioned having graduated from BYU. He asked which year. 1995.
So then he was trying to figure out whether I went to college with his parents.

Happy Father's Day

Kevin's tidbit of advice for Laura today:
"No matter how much bigger and stronger you get, I'll always be stronger than you."

A not-so-good first

Laura got sunburned yesterday. She doesn't look like a lobster or anything, but of course it was my fault, and I do feel bad.

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe

I've always had a fascination with Zimbabwe (along with Algeria and Tunisia, but I'll have to save those for another day). I've never been there, and I can't even say it's high on my list of desired Foreign Service posts. But I still find it fascinating.
All the recent news -- even if you have a very loose definition of recent -- has been negative. It's quite depressing, in fact. I'm interested to see what happens with the presidential runoff in a couple of weeks, but I don't think it would be too shocking if the status quo was maintained.
I've read a few books in the past couple of years about white families who raised their children in Zimbabwe. These were people who lived there pre-independence and who tried to stay. But in a lot of cases, they lost their farms, their African friends turned against them, and it just got to be too hard.
A few weeks ago, I read Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. It's by Alexandra Fuller, and the thing that alerted me to it was seeing an interview with her in which she said the landscape around her current home in Wyoming reminds her of her former stomping grounds in rural Africa.
I've been to Wyoming many, many times. It's mostly desolate and certainly not what I have ever imagined Zimbabwe to look like.
But this way I guess I won't be surprised if I ever do go there.

Proof that our family sometimes eats meals together. At the table.

This is courtesy of my friend Ann, the wife of our embassy's deputy chief of mission. It was taken at our turtle-watching excursion hotel, Le Grande Almandier, at breakfast yesterday.
I highly recommend the homemade coconut bread.

Lesson learned: No more red Gatorade on long car trips

You can use your (parent-minded, avoiding-property-damage-when-children-get-sick-in-the-back-seat) imaginations as to why I'm offering this advice.
But hey, life goes on.
Yesterday morning we left for a less-than-24-hour trip to Grande Riviere, Trinidad, to watch leatherback turtles nest. It was very educational and great fun. Plus, we got to hang out with many of our embassy friends, as the trip was organized by the Community Liaison Office. (Yes, that would be me and my partner in embassy fun and organization.)
So, we saw mom turtles and baby turtles and unattractive vultures. And Kevin and Laura had an unfortunate tumble in the surf yesterday afternoon that didn't involve turtles. Of course, Kevin's back bore the brunt of the injuries involved. OK, all of the injuries. Neosporin to the rescue!

I'm now on Facebook

Between my copy editor friends and my Foreign Service friends, there was a rush of activity. So I figured heck, why not?

He looks nothing like this anymore ...

or maybe he does.
My baby brother, Thomas, is getting married tomorrow. He's hardly a baby -- 26, to be exact -- but I remembered I had this photo and needed a reason to post it.
That's our sister Amanda with him. I haven't thought about it before now, but Laura looks kind of like Amanda did back then. ("Back then" was in either late 1987 or early 1988; I remember because Nicole and I were taking photos for a school project.)
So, even though I won't be in the Columbia Temple for the ceremony tomorrow -- thanks to living overseas -- congratulations to all involved.
And really, Dayna, you can't say we didn't warn you ...

Half and half, anyone?

Today I was in the grocery store and saw that they had half and half. I just had to buy some. It's not available every day -- in fact, this was the first time in the almost eight months we've been here that I've seen it.
OK, so I already had a plan to make homemade ice cream even before that moment. But it's always a good day when dairy products that are up to my ridiculously high standards are available.

Too bad this didn't happen closer to Halloween

Now that she's lost both of her top front teeth, I think Laura looks like a vampire if she has her mouth open at a certain angle. (If you click on the photo, you'll be able to see it better.)