I'm slowing down a bit now

I have been going for so long so fast that I'm starting to feel it.  I never seem to get to writing here until after 10:30 at night.  But usually it's around 1:00 am.  I must take better care of myself.

So a little adventure on Wednesday that I forgot to mention..  We had gone out to do a food shopping and supplies for when we get back home and upon returning home we backed into the driveway only to smell smoke and see smoke directly behind the hill in front of us.  I looked at my dh and said, "GO!"  We live on a dead-end loop, and there aren't any house on that side of the hill. So we go flying around the loop and up the hill, and yes, there was a fire and the fire department where I am a volunteer was attempting to bring it under control.  A contractor who had cut many trees down to build houses didn't want to take the effort to bury the stumps.  So he had this huge pile, about feet high and 15 yards long, and he decided to burn it without a burn permit and the regulated size of only 3 feet by 3 feet.  And yes , it started to get out of control.  So,I had my husband drop me off since he was driving, went to the trunk pulled out my fire boots and trousers, slipped them on, and said "see ya later" to my dh, and went to work.

Almost 3 hours, four tanker runs to get more water, & 2,800 gallons of water it was finally out.  I reeked of smoke.  So I walked home stripped off the gear and hopped into a shower.

Next little drama is information fro my agency: "We will do the best we can to advocate for a consulate appointment on our target date of Feb. 10; however there are many families requesting consulate appointments that week in order to complete the process before CNY. If the consulate cannot grant that date, the next available date to request will be Monday, Feb. 22 (meaning you would receive the girls’ visas on Wed. Feb. 24, and could leave late Wed. the 24th or any time after)."


And folks THAT means we will have to stay in China an extra 11-13 days more than was planned.  And that will be costly.  I know there are worse things to be stuck in China during Chinese New Years, but from various aspects it would make things quite difficult.


But in the greater perspective of things, it is so small to the human suffering that is happening in Haiti, which is quite unfathemable.