<1

day and counting....Still much to do, but I am not stressed or panicked. If I'm up all night, so be it. I have many hours to sleep on the planes tomorrow. Have to take the rubbage out to the basura in a little while. The garbage collectors have been sneaky lately and are taking the dumpsters away earlier than usual. Also have to drop off some cards with the neighbors and try to avoid being invited in for a drink; unfortunately my schedule will not allow this luxury. Then I'm off to pick up a couple more gifts at the shops in town. Was able to get most things yesterday when I took a trip to the coast, but want to pick some of the local olive oil and honey. Made dinner for M.A. last night. She's been a guest of ours for Christmas the past couple years, so it will seem strange not to have her around this year. We had a really fun time last night, and I will miss her while I'm away. Just spoke with Mr. James. He continues to be having an amazing experience and has many stories to tell. Today while working on the roof at one of the sites, suddenly a chair and table, complete with tablecloth, appeared, and the next thing he knew he was being served tea by a man in a green dinner jacket. He said it was totally surreal. The work on the sites is progressing nicely, and Mr. James says the workers are just great. T. gave Mr. James a copy of the Lonely Planet's guide to Pakistan before he left Frankfurt, and Mr. J says it has been a great help, lots of information on etiquette and so on. He's been reading the translated copy of the Qu'ran as well. Yesterday he left it on his bedside table, and when he returned from work, there was a rose lying beside it. He was very touched. The cough he had from the pollution and smoke has subsided for the most part. No tummy trouble at all, but then he has being using purification tablets and making sure he buys good bottled water. He learned his lesson in the republic of Georgia when he bought phony bottled water and came down with Crypto.... Okay, I'm signing off until I am stateside. Here's to a safe journey for me and everyone else out there traveling in the next couple days. hasta pronto, mylifeinspain