Normalicy

There is something strange about routines. I seem to have found one and I'm so glad that I'm figuring out the best time for all of the various activities a day brings. My mornings start with a workout, then a quick hiatus for breakfast (and blogging!), and then I head up to the hospital for morning rounds at 7:30. At 8 am we have morning report, a lecture on Morbidity and Mortality, a specific disease and how to treat it, or a presentation of an interesting case from the night before. I've been learning a lot. After morning report I finish up whatever I have left to do at the hospital and scurry home to teach math class at 10:15. The rest of my morning is free to do paperwork, sort out art class, and so forth and at 1 pm we either have lunch or go up to the hospital for another lecture. Afternoons are flexible except on wednesdays when I teach art class to the 4th and 5th grade from 3-4. In the evenings Carolyn and I always cook dinner together, which is normally a fairly involved meal, eat, and talk for awhile. By the end of the day I'm totally exhausted and I'm glad to have my days so lovely and full, even if I don't have quite the down time I was anticipating. 

Please, all of you in the USA - let the Steelers know that they're disappointing those of us who appreciate Steeler football in the compound. We've got too many Colts fans and Bengals fans and Patriots fans to deal with a bad season, thank you very much. My pride is already a little bit bruised.

One unfortunate side effect of living in Africa is the bugs. We get flies of multiple varieties, ants, general flying things, moths, small roaches, and the ever present mosquitos. No pincher ant sightings as of yet, though I know that we're doomed to being pinched at some point while we're here. I've discovered that fear of pincher ants makes a person do strange things - like running across the compound in the middle of the night so they don't have a chance to latch on. But as far as bugs go, I have a personal vendetta and deep, deep hatred for cock roaches. I'm glad we don't have them and am hopeful that the trend continues. In the meantime, though, Carolyn heads up the flying bugs seige while I focus on the long campaign against anything that crawls. If we have to open up a new "roach focused" arm to our strategy, then so be it. 

Love to you all!

Joanna