Nothing to see here folks...

We are plodding along. Beloved cat Theo passed away recently, so I was bummed about that yesterday and today. He was a very distinctive cat. We sometimes joked that he possessed a mix of traits from me and Emily: small head on huge body, black hair but fine and soft, a delicate meow and surprising speed. He liked to greet people at the door, but wasn't exactly an extrovert. Anyway, he was a good cat and we miss him. His life didn't start out great and he had some handicaps along the way. We met him near a golf course and left him in rural Ohio. I mostly remember him sitting on my chest and purring. Rest well furry friend...

On other news... we are re-engaging, ratcheting up, and escalating our medical inquiries. I just wrote to a friend of a friend in the States who is a nephrologist to ask for any advice they have (in English!) and we have an appointment with the main local expert I've been able to find for Tuesday. I also have written to a coworker whose husband is at the main national hospital. So, we may not have results soon, but at least we'll have some people who are experts and can review Eva's file with us. Yes, it's a little overwhelming, but probably less overwhelming than doing nothing for the next six weeks or so. Barb said she'd look into babies and weight gain, which also sounded promising.

That's our life. I feel like it's August and we should be enjoying leisurely travel and lots of time relaxing, and instead it's just a sprint of a month. I did five hours of class today. On the other hand, all the children are enjoying themselves. Sam is reading a book nearby with running commentary in local language: "He's wearing shoes... You're not wearing a hat?" I still admire his crisp little tones. It's the little cloth book with a mouse where you can practice tying strings, zipping and unzipping, fastening buttons, putting things in pockets, etc. This has been a good week for Sam because there's been a huge tree-removal truck on campus several days pruning and typhoon-readying the campus. Tonight a coworker came over and did bubbles with him.

I'm doing okay. I've started a novel, so that it a nice way to escape a bit. I have to be careful when I start books, but now seems like an okay time. I also have some overdue projects I hope to work on tomorrow. That's what we're up to.