The Great Toby's Bid List Predictions:

Some folks look at tea leaves; some throw bones; some use a crystal ball or Tarot cards.

Me? I use cat litter. Courtesy of The Great Toby, I have received a divine prediction that my posting will be in:

Africa!

We received our bid lists today, and sure enough, there were three countries on the African continent listed. There were also two in China, four in Spanish-speaking countries, two islands, one fancy-schmancy Euro city where they like to waltz and a country that usually kicks our butts in women's gymnastics. I'm not totally comfortable with how much we're allowed to say, so I'll leave it at this for now. But I believe that Toby's undeniable prediction may prevail. One classmate looked at the picture and turned it sideways, saying perhaps it was Australia, but then changed his mind when he realized that Toby intentionally put it in portrait perspective. Which then prompted another classmate to add that she believed it would be in Saharan Africa, because after all - he wrote it in sand.

That's all for now; I've got lots of homework and further prognosticating to do.

Feeling better and getting more excited!

Day one is in the bag

Dodger, Toby and I survived the trip back East, it seems. Although I may add "barely" to that. Dodger has adapted quite well although he has become extremely clingy. He's sitting on my little hotel desk with me now. Toby is pretty upset and spends his time behind or under things: the bed, the toilet, the ironing board in the closet. Poor guy. Unfortunately, I've caught a nasty cold, so really the transition from the comforts of home to the unknown world of you-know-what has been a bit rocky for each of us.

So today was the first day. I'm exhausted. Not because of the day, but because of the night and the utter lack of sleep. Toby feels coming out of hiding at night and the two of them jump on the bed, off the bed, on the bed, on my head, under the covers, off the bed etc... ALL NIGHT LONG. I'm trying to be the consumate poised professional during the day, but man, it's tough without any sleep!

I know I promised that this wouldn't be all cat-chatter, but we've been given a vague, yet stern, warning about what we say in the public forum. So many of my classmates are uncertain about what we're allowed to talk about and what will get us blackmarked in our first week. I apologize for the lack of meaty details, but this is the reason.

Today was mostly HR processing, but tomorrow we'll get to hear our bid list. The list I've been day-dreaming about since May 2009! My classmates each have different ideas of what they'd like to see, which is good, because if we all were determined to go to a particular country - a bunch of us would be sorely disappointed. I have one other Washingtonian here with me, and she brought her large dog, so we are each hoping for no-quarantine countries. Some folks have spouses in the FS already, so naturally they're hoping to go to the same place as their significant other, or at least the same country.

I did rise above my pity-party this morning when we were sworn in at Main State and given our ID badges. The speaker welcomed us into the fold and told us how we've just accepted not a job, but a whole new life. That was pretty darn cool, I've got to say.

Okay, I'll head out for now. Big week ahead of me starting tomorrow.

G'night all,

But what I meant to say was...

Me again,

I'm noticing a bit of stage fright when I find this blank blog screen. I dribble out some stuff and only later do I remember what I wanted to say. Okay, now Toby is sitting on my left hand (he's 16 lbs) and so this is becoming increasingly difficult to type, but I wanted to add some stuff that I thought of while writing to an OMS pal, Laila. Here it is:

Having a nice night of listening to some old tapes (yes, tapes, as we only have a little tiny boombox left for entertainment. Oh, and the $20 TV that Tim broke down and bought at Goodwill tonight after ours was packed up while he boasted, "I don't need no stinkin' TV - think of how much reading I'll get done!") I digress. Anyway, it's the Guess Who and old Doobies tonight to help make me feel all sentimentally 'merican (or Canadian... details, please).

Can you tell I've had a pint of cider already?

My pack out is done. I had only 150 lbs of air baggage and barely the minimum of household effects to go on the slow boat. I may be the first person I know whose stuff is taken by pirates on some unnamed cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. Anyway,  the mover guy had lots more boxes, packing material and - apparently - time, 'cause when he was all done he said, "Well, is there anything else you want to add?" which prompted me to scurry about the house gathering a paltry armful of random items like Steve Martin leaving home in "The Jerk."  Of course, now that he's gone, I'm finding all sorts of things. Like my tape collection.

Yes, this timeline feels like skiing (okay, you didn't say that, but many of you said that time goes by quickly):  At first it's all slow and you're pushing on your poles to get moving, and then before you know it the slope gets really steep and you're moving far too quickly.  So now it's the second-to-last night in Snohomish. Two more showers in my favorite bathroom. Okay, in my only bathroom. I think I joined the Foreign Service solely in the hope that someday, perhaps if I'm really, really good, I will live in a home with two bathrooms. Maybe. Yes, truth be told -THAT is why I joined the FS, to get a cool free house. In Djibouti.

I learned today that there will be 12 OMSers in my Specialist Class. This means that our bid list will have 12 cities on it. I was hoping for a few more, but it seems that the supply is smaller than the demand. In fact, they just opened the OMS position AGAIN, which makes three times in one year. I'm tellin' ya' - this is a really, really cool opportunity and all you have to be is a US citizen and between 20-60 years old... it's worth a look: http://www.careers.state.gov/   The OMS window is open through the end of the month, I believe. Any of you with office or administrative assistant experience should consider it and maybe you, too, will have two government-supplied bathrooms.

In Chad.

Okay, 'nuff said. Wonderful Tim is waiting on the couch where we can watch our new TV.

It's Getting Closer

There is just today (Thursday) and tomorrow and then Saturday morning will find me, three pieces of luggage, a laptop bag and two cats en route to SeaTac. My stuff within the house has been packed, to include the TV and DVD player (sorry Mike!) and my mother and I spent the day yesterday color-coding stuff for Tim's pack-out this summer. I'm living out of my suitcases now which, oddly, is a nice relief. When there are so few choices (what to wear, eat, do for fun), I find I'm relieved of the whole decision-making process. I have two pairs of pants now that aren't business-attire: jeans for today, black cords for tomorrow, jeans Friday, black cords Saturday... repeat. What to watch on TV? Well there's no TV now, better finish that book instead. It's kinda' nice.

On a more sentimental note: I just read my pal Heidi's entry from today (see "Foreign Obsession" in the links to the right) and all I want to say is: ME TOO! 

For those who have heard me talk about this whole Foreign Service idea, then plan, then the details of the exams and essays ad nauseum - I think you all will understand how much this means to me to be where I am now. I don't have to knock on wood anymore when talking about the prospect; it's real. Tim and I confidently say, "We should do this or that when we get to post" and unless I do something really, really stupid -it WILL happen. Heidi noted in her entry today about seeing the roof of the White House while she was in DC for her final oral assessment, and I felt the same way upon seeing the Capitol. I looked at it and said, "I will be back!" (Not like Ah-nold does, though. More like Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde," but not in heels. Anyway...)  I told my examiners that day that I wanted to serve the US in some capacity, and that since I was too old for the military and too slow for the Olympics - the Foreign Service could be my ticket. I love being on the Varsity Team now, the Major Leagues; I am filled with pride to be moving on towards this new challenge.

Before any of you lose your lunch due to the sappiness-factor here, please know that it is all you all's fault!  My friends, family and co-workers (and most of you fit into at least two of those categories) who have encouraged my gypsy ramblin' ways and who never told me that I couldn't do something.

You're all coming with me in ways both big and small, and probably ways that you're completely unaware of.

Next stop: Eastern time zone.

Procrastination

The movers are coming tomorrow, and not just for the survey - for the real thing: all my belongings in cardboard; newly empty rooms in the house; final decisions made of what I need now and at my first post; borrowing Tim's toothbrush and wearing the same socks for the next six days (I might need to rethink that last bit). Also, I have to do a dry run on my luggage packing to make sure it all fits in the suitcases that will go on the plane. The rest will go in my UAB (unaccompanied air baggage - NOT, as Tim notes - the University of Alabama - Birmingham!) or my HHE (household effects - the stuff I won't see until post). But you may notice that instead of doing these fun, fun tasks - I'm here at the kitchen table writing this instead.

To back up a bit: the trip to California was great. I got to see four of five siblings, my dad and my step-mother, not to mention my second home-town of Sonoma. Saying goodbye to Pops in the driveway left me a crying mess. My sister Eden took me to the bus-station sized Charles M. Schulz (yes, of Peanuts fame) airport in Santa Rosa, and sent me on my way with a baggie of homemade cookies and a snapshot of the two of us with the larger-than life-sized Lucy statue.  I took one last big breath of warm California air and got into the little plane for Seattle. My flight was ten minutes early in landing and my bag hit the carousel as I walked off the plane - all was moving smoothly.

And then I got to my truck in the off-site parking area and got screwed.
No, really, there was a massive screw stuck into the tread of my left front tire and the tire was flattened down to the rim. Tim, coincidentally, had a flat while I was away, too, but his was discovered while driving on 405. (Could this have something to do with the ongoing feud that has recently heated up with our neighbor over her free-range chicken? Hmmmm....) Fortunately I've kept up with AAA and they had me back on the road in less than an hour.

My new in-cabin cat carrier arrived while I was away. It will be Dodger's little personal RV for our flight on Saturday. It's sized to fit under the seat, and technically, Dodger does fit inside it. And by "fit" I mean as my foot fits in my sock, but with some creative tail placement, I think he'll be okay. I've been putting cat nip and treats inside the carrier and leaving it on the living room floor in an effort to make it seem comforting, familiar and inviting to him for when The Day comes. Yeah, it's not working so well.

I'm also torturing myself with the "last-time" blues: Last time Tim and I watch "Amazing Race" on the couch together on Sunday evening; last time I prune my roses; last time I watch the fog drift in past my kitchen-window; last time I ... oh, knock it off and go pack your stuff!