scrambling to finish & pack...

I haven't been very good at communicating lately, so here's a quick update.

It's Sunday afternoon, I'm working in panic mode to get a project finished up by tonight. Still doing modelling and need to finish figures, tables and the report before I go (I've worked way too many hours this week and will hopefully sleep tonight). This project was supposed to be done in February, but...

But it's worth it because I'm headed to Peru / Bolivia tomorrow (Monday) morning (getting a ride to the airport at 6:30AM). I fly into Lima at 12:30AM the next day and Mel flies in at 12:35AM. I planned it this way because one of us speaks Spanish and the other doesn't. HINT: I live in the Mission here in SF, which is 2/3 Mexican, but the only thing I know about Spanish is how to ask for dos cerveza.

Lisette & Paul were in from LA this weekend and they just picked me up for a quick REI trip where I helped the economy by dropping $480 on stuff. Really just stuff. Nothing too exciting. A pair of $100 sandals, a pair of pants, a couple shirts, and dozen or so little things I grabbed off the shelf. And the $480 was after a $60 membership thingy. Good thing I don't go to often.

I'll be back in SF on May 22. Your guess is as good as mine as to what I'm doing then. I might be going to Florida for a few weeks of field work, but I haven't had this confirmed. And I've put my name in for some work in Mumbai, India, but have no idea about this or even when the work starts (they're looking for 6 month to 5 year placements and I don't exactly fit the bill, but who knows). If I get back and there's no great work that calls to me (there's always work) I'll either stick around SF and work or go see the family in Winnipeg or...? Or not come back from Peru :) I have a wedding near Toronto in mid July so tentative plan is to be in Montreal late June / early July.

Also giving serious thought to spending August in London / Paris (sister & kids are going to be there and I'll join up with them). I've talked with the London office about getting work in the London office and I was supposed to push on that this past week but have been too busy. So maybe it will just be a vacation.

Anyway, that's a bit of a brain dump from me while the model deletes river nodes (that's geeky computer talk for my computer is grinding away... just ignore me...).

sunny california

Just a quick update post. I have to do this because I've gotten a couple phone calls lately from people thinking I was in Montreal (EST). And I'm in San Francisco (PST). So getting pre-8AM phone calls is brutal :) Actually, for some sad reason this Sunday morning, I was actually awake to take the call... what's up with that??

So I have a few safety courses and annual medical for work that all must be done in April. So I convinced the company to fly me down. And I figured since I was coming down, may as well stay for the month. So I got down on Wednesday and have been having fun since (Sam is responsible for taking me to an open bar private event on Thursday night and causing severe damage; the croquet picnic with kegs in Dolores Park was my own doing). Unfortunately this next week is going to be painful with work - I've got a few hours to do today (Sunday) even :(

Just to put it out there... the plan for the next few weeks... heading up to Redding tonight or tomorrow morning to finish the Kitchener office modelling work that I've been working on (and struggling with) for a couple months now. Then back to SF (a friend is out of town and I'll be making good use of his apartment). Then down to LA for a week (another friend out of town). Then back to SF and back staying at Miriam's place (they have a separate suite in the basement that is absolutely sweet!) and other friends (I nearly subletted a place for $1000, but with a couple friends out of town and some travel, I'm hoping I can be cheap and still comfortable without being too imposing on friends). And there's talk of a trip to Peru in May that may or may not happen and may or may not leave directly from SF. That's as precise as it is right now - plans as always may and likely will change.

Okay, busy day... I must go book my LA ticket (which might involve me having to go to the airport to use a voucher), get a rental car for the trip to Redding (and climbing next weekend), do a few hours work and drive to Redding (3hrs) today. So what that means is... I'm now going to a coffee shop to have a bagel, coffee and read the news paper. Why do now what you can do later? :)