HA!

never say never.

i experienced 2 of the most life altering experiences i've ever had at the age of 5. how many of you remember when you were 5, much less having life altering experiences.

the first was when my mother informed me that i couldn't be a hobo. see, that's what they were called when i was young. there was a house on the western edge of town where they hung out. i guess i've always had a wandering soul. when i asked her why i couldn't be one, she said, "well, girls aren't hobos, and it's not safe."

i, being 5, did not understand why i couldn't. . .never thought of how i would eat, where i would sleep. i was 5.

the other experience was when my mother told me i needed to start wearing a shirt. what?!? okay, this was a bigger WHY?!? "because," said mom, "you are a girl, and girls wear shirts."

"okay, that's it. i don't want to be a girl anymore!" how the heck can anyone get along in life if they can't be a hobo and have to wear a shirt! good heavens. the only other thing that was more disgusting is when i learned about periods and sex. yuck!

well, i've overcome a few things since then. i now wear a shirt.

but i did get a twisted sense of accomplishment when i called my mom last week and told her she was WRONG!

i am a hobo afterall. :-)

don't tell me things don't change.

can't wait!!

to get home. i was done here about sunday, i miss my family, i miss my house, my dogs, my bed.

i miss making my lists of things to get done before mexico, when i need to be back to be able to be prepared for baja. i need to pack for both.

i'll have a real good idea about what i need for camping in baja as i am planning to camp the whole time in navajoa. i hear there is water, possibly a shower. if that is the case, i'm golden.

i'm not exactly sure what i'm going down there for, what path my life will take down there, but i'm open. there is a reason for this and i just need to be patient enough for it to be revealed. i've never been very good in the whole patience department. :-) i'm more of a "git-r-done" type of girl.

hopefully i can bribe my hubby into getting my dakar trip worthy while i'm away. so many places to go, people to meet, so little time!

saturday

we attended church services and had a wonderful surprise by the unexpected attendance of w's brother. s f we visited with a couple of people and then had lunch with w's mother's faithful friend, charlotte. it was nice to visit with her.

back to the room, i finished my book, spent some quiet time in the hotel.

since my departure to navajoa has been pushed back to sunday, i am a bit more relaxed about the things that still need to be done at home before i leave. i will definitely relax and enjoy this trip more.

it's cold here, and windy. i'm trying to store it up and save it as i know there are still a few a few warms ones waiting for me at home and in mexico.

back in montana

we're in montana visiting mother roberts and brother roberts. both have birthdays this week and who better to start up the celebration than us?

we ended up an a nice hotel. if you remember last time we stayed in a rather ghetto super 8. it was hideous.

but this time it's an independent with high speed wireless internet, hair dryer, iron/board, etc. i'm sure it will be quite a stark contrast to next week's accommodations of van or tent camping.

how did i ever have time to work! my trips are beginning to stack up. montana, mexico mainland, mexico baja. . .

it really sucks to be me!!!

i continue to be amazed

at the depth of the human heart. the outpouring has been nothing short of phenomenal. my van is so full in one brief day that i'm beginning to get nervous about having enough room. and still they talk of bringing more. . .

i can't wait to see the looks on the kids' faces. very little of it is toys, most is necessities, sheets, towels, personal items. but when you are without anything, they will be thrilled, i'm sure. lots of blankets to keep them warm this winter, socks, clothes, etc. and. . .money. money to spend on food at the costco in mexico. i'm thinking rice, beans, powdered milk, flour. i'm sure more will be needed.

my faith in people continues to soar.

wow

many, many thanks to my friends that have offered your money donations to these orphans. i will take every dime with me to be used for the children and their needs.

i will take lots of pictures and let you know where they all end up living. hopefully we can get them all settled before i have to come back.

the cool thing is that 100% of your money will go directly to the children themselves. . .there is no middle man/woman in this situation and the returns will be immediate.

thank you from the bottom on my heart.

life

the absolute best thing about my life, is that it's mine.

wow, that's sounds seriously egotistical, but i've got to tell you, it's the absolute truth! and i am blessed to have it, every single minute.

this past weekend i attended a women's retreat through my church. it was held in prescott, az. now i am a spiritual woman, but my relationship with God is mostly between Him and i. that means i'm not too interested in sharing Him unless i think the other person can benefit.

i also don't believe that the "label" of the church is as important as your belief in God Himself. whether you are an episcopalian, catholic, lutheran, methodist, baptist, i don't really care. the label on the outside of the church is of less concern to me than what's held in your heart.

as you know, if you've read my last few blogs, my contract was unexpectedly terminated due to last minute funding cuts. but where a door closes. . . i couldn't help but think of my favorite bible quote. . .Jeremiah 29 11-13.

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

as i sat listening to the next presentation at the retreat, a dear woman took the microphone and told the story of a small orphanage on the eastern side of the sea of cortez. it had recently been leveled and condemned leaving some 20 - 30 orphans to fend for themselves once again in their short little lives. help is urgently needed to find suitable housing for these children until a permanent structure already under construction in najavoa, mexico could be completed.

no one asked for a nintendo or mp3 player. they asked for food. they need eating utensils, cooking pans, the basics.

are you putting this together? me = no job. me = cargo van. me = free time. me = passion for helping children.

it's a match made in heaven.

i leave this week to visit w's mother in montana. we return the following tuesday. on wednesday, i am loading up the van and heading to parts south. obregon or navajoa, i'm not even sure where yet.

i've got a passport, wheels, a pair of strong hands and a loving heart. i think we can make a difference in someone's life.

And so it begins

i have done what i needed to do. i update my resume and reactivated it on dice. that's the extent of my job search until after i return from baja. :-)

today at lunch ye and i were discussing what needs to be done to the dakar to make her road-worthy.

he will switch one of the the gps mounts to the dakar, hook up the battery pigtail. (not for use with the electrics, but for the air pump, should that be needed.) my windscreen got broken, so i think i need a new one of those. i'll throw on the saddle bags and load my camping stuff into the duffle and secure it on the back seat.

camera, charger, i'm golden. i also bought a camera mount for my bike. i'll bet ye will be able to mount that one for me too. cool!

Employment, or lack thereof

i have never moved on from a job that i ended up wishing i had stayed. that is especially true since i have been contracting. there are people that i miss, but the ones that matter stay in touch anyway and move from the category of co-worker to friend.

i have one of those at this assignment. we'll continue to be friends.

that said, every single time my contract comes to an end, i have this momentary panic attack. . .who will ever hire me, i will never work again. i think everyone i know gets that feeling.

this time i know the other side. this time i'm going to update my resume, file for unemployment and go through the steps. but this time i'm also going to make my plans and enjoy the time i have off. all too often i have frittered my time off away worrying about working again.

so, i'm going to address my sorely neglected house and get some projects done that are bordering on "invisible". i'm going to finish my back treatments, i'm going to spend some time with my grandchildren. . .then grandma is taking a vacation!!

grandma (nana) is taking a trip to watch the 2007 baja 1000 that starts in ensenada, baja california mexico and ends in cabo san lucas. what fun!

and this will be my first trip on the dakar. i purchased this bike after returning from our last trip on the sv650s and not being able to take the road to laguna san ignacio. i was a cranky princess. :-) i don't know the planned route yet, but am not unwilling to blaze my own trail if need be.

so this unemployment stint could work out to my advantage. . .