Hey all, I am transcribing...

Hey all, I am transcribing this over my telephone and testing to see if this works. So, I'm actually speaking into my phone and it's going to transcribe onto my blog. If this works, it will be read and I think really you will be able to listen to what I'm saying right now. Wild. All right, let's find out. listen

KBO

So I'm in London for the holiday, visiting my sister and Matt. I'm staying in the Hyatt Andaz with my mother and step-father, Alan.

It's nice to be here... it's a bit strange rolling into a bustling city for the holiday. There is a different energy about everyone has they hurry to finish their Christmas shopping and get ready for the loads of food everyone is about to eat. What has been particularly interesting or weird is the area where we are staying is the same general area where I hung out 7 years ago when I visited London during my junior year abroad. The Hyatt is literally on top of the Liverpool Street tube station which I used in order to get anywhere I was going the first time I was here. Weird.

Anyway... I intend to put more interesting information than a small coincidence into this entry.

I went to the British War Cabinet Room which is located two blocks from Westminster. I don't think there are words that can adequately convey how great of a museum this is (and the museum website does a poor job of making it look cool). During the Battle of Britain and specifically the blitz on London, Churchill and his cabinet were forced to move into an underground bunker and manage the war from there. The bunker was reinforced with 6 feet of concrete and steal girders over the ceiling which was to protect against the German bombing raids. What makes the museum so amazing is when they vacated the premise near the end of the war... many of the rooms were untouched until the 1970s when it was decided to create the museum. Many of the original war maps are still up on the walls which chart the supply ships in the Atlantic. The detail is incredible, which includes one of the officer's sugar ration for his tea which was hidden in his desk all those long years.

The feeling of walking through the rooms and with so much of the area either untouched or restored to it's original state is gives a true feeling of what it must have been like. There were so many important decisions made down there and made under such strange physical conditions. I can't talk enough about it.

The only lame part of the museum is the introduction of wax figures... I know it brings the spaces to life for some people, but I think it's weird.

Oh yeah, while Churchill was PM all of his telephone conversations were transcribed by a personal secretary who was interviewed for the Churchill Museum. Apparently, Winston would end all his conversations by saying "KBO." Perplexed, the secretary kept on transcribing that each time, until someone told her it was best not to record that bit of info. Churchill was telling his ministers Keep Buggering On.

KBO

Bad iphone

The iphone
I don't suppose anyone really cares, but this is my list of the problems with the iphone. It is by no means complete, but it is my list of things I wish Apple would add in terms of functionality. I think the iphone rocks by the way...

• No multiple senders in SMS: It's only possible to text one number at a time. Most phones have the ability to add multiple numbers and text all of them at once. Not so with the iphone.
• Sideways keyboards: In some of the iphone applications there is a sideways keyboard, but the core applications can not rotate and make use of the wider keyboard.
  
• No pix messages: I think this is insane. There is no way to receive pix messages on the phone. In order to access a picture sent from another phone, one has to log into the Cingular website for picture messages. They give you an alphanumeric username and password that is difficult at best.
  
• No select, copy, paste nor cut for text: This is pretty standard on most other PDAs. There is no functionality to select then manipulate text. It would be huge for the iphone to be able to copy text from a text or an email and then paste it into a safari text box or contacts.
  
• No upload/download of images: You can neither upload an image from the iphone to a website (craigslist or a personal website) nor can you save an image from a website and bring it down to your iphone. Again, I think it's insane not to have this type of functionality.
  
• No video capability: I can understand the iphone is still in the first generation and perhaps they had to leave certain capabilities out, but this is pretty standard on PDAs now-a-days.
  
• Call contact from SMS: This is a nit-picky detail, but it is still kind of annoying. SMS messages for one contact all appear on the same screen in a chat-like format, which is awesome. The only issue I have is the "call contact" button is at the top of the screen and is not easily accessible if there are a lot of texts. Like I said, it is a small detail, but it would be great to see it fixed.
  
• No print capability: This is another function that would be great to have, but it isn't necessary. With all the wireless printing that is out there, it would be great to be able to print from the iphone directly to a printer.
  

The Essential Peace Corps Volunteer

***UNFINISHED***

In an attempt to collect information together, which I consistently forget, I am going to create and update this post with the things that (A) got me through Peace Corps and (B) would have made my life much easier.

You will have to keep in mind that I was a PCV in Mali, which is in West Africa, this list is a result of my experience there. Some of these items might not work for you, but I think they would work for a great number of volunteer headed to different countries. Take this list for what it is worth...

Please comment and correct my stupidity, and let me know if any of my links are bogus.

STUFF/Technology
This list is a collection of ideas and items which you should think about. Not everything will work and some of it is expensive, but you should know these options are out there. With a bit of planning, you could have a system that will work and work well. Not everything needs to be bought and brought over... believe me, you want to keep your bag as small as you possibly can.

1. Bug Tent: I had an MSR tent that I loved, which is no longer in productions, but there are a couple out there which many people use and love, which I have listed. They aren't necessary and it will depend on where you are posted. I waited until I was at my site and got one (someone was going home and they picked it up for me). It's a waste of money if you end up in a city but it might be essential if you end up in a village.
2. ipod: It's a no brainer, and I know you have already thought of it, but I might have some additions which could truly enhance your experience... First off, don't worry about power (I have posted info about that) and buy the biggest ipod you can get. There is a lot of down time and the more music/podcasts you have the better.
   
1. If I was going now, I would go to Itunes U and download as many full courses as I could. I listen to them now... with the amount of courses available and the amount of unstructured time in Peace Corps, you could get another BA. There are courses that relate directly to development work, but get all the courses you can. Some which might not seem interesting now, might save your life during the rainy season when you are stuck in your house.
   
2. I would go to All Songs Considered and download their entire concert archive. There is a ton of excellent known and unknown music there.
   
3. Buy a car charger for the ipod (check out this post)
3. Battery-operated tooth-brush: What can I say... my Dad is an orthodontist and he would say, "Your teeth are the best friends you've got." It has to use AA batteries.
4. Polarized sunglasses: The sun is harsh on the African continent, and you are about to live there for two years. They will get scuffed (look for a pair with removable lenses), but it is worth it. If you don't think so, you probably don't think sun screen is a good idea either... and that is evolution at work.
   
5. Car battery: This is the power option of the professional PCV. You will need to wait until you have been to your site and find out if anyone in town/village has a industrial-sized solar panel or generator. They will recharge the battery for almost no money (I think I paid 25 cents a charge). You will have to create a system to connect your stuff to the battery (which I go into on another post), but it is well worth it.
6. Pocket knife: There is such a wide range of knives out there, and I believe a knife has to fit the individual, which makes it tough to give a good recommendation. With that proviso, I like knives that are versatile (straight and serrated edges), fit in your pocket and can be opened with one hand (which for me is an in-line lock).
   
7. Mini Nalgene bottles: It doesn't have to be nalgene, but the small screw-top bottles can be perfect for sun screen, shampoo, spices, powders... you name it.
8. Digital or non-digital thermometer
9. Tent spray
   
10. Baseball and baseball glove
    
11. Duct tape
12. Carabeeners
    
13. Silk floss
    
14. Bar of soap
    
15. Tubes for bicycle
    
16. Mini speakers for ipod: Make sure it uses batteries and the batteries can be found in-country
    
17. Key chain pill holder
    
18. Micro lights
19. Seeds
    

Food

1. Gatorade Powder: It's awesome. Some Peace Corps Medical offices will carry it, but having it sent is pretty essential. It can be found in most supermarkets, but should be removed from its container and put in a zip-lock bag... It saves space and the zip-lock can be re-used (or at the very least, given to your host family... they will love it)
2. Kraft/Annies Mac 'n Cheese packets: Forget the macaroni, which can be found in most of the developing world, but that cheesy-powder goodness will change your life.
3. Taco Seasoning: It sounds weird, but it is a great all-around spice. I made a mean Taco Mac 'n Cheese during my time (email me if you really want to know how to use this spice).
4. Block of Velveeta Cheese: They are like roaches or twinkies... they'll survive anything
5. Pre-cooked bacon (I didn't know this existed until PC)
6. Cereal: I was partial to Lucky Charms.
7. Beef Jerky: I can't begin to talk about my feelings for beef jerky. Love just doesn't capture the feeling.
8. Toll house chocolate chips: They melted, but who gives a damn? They taste great!
9. Cake/brownie mix: The kind that you just have to add water and bake is so easy and it means the PCV in country doesn't have to go find difficult or expensive ingredients.
10. Pizza dough mix: I loved this stuff
11. Twizzlers
12. Taco bell sauce packets
13. Taco seasoning packets
14. Pancake mix
15. Parmesan cheese
16. Granola bars
17. Cliff bars
18. Pepperoni
19. Pudding mix
20. Mountain house dried meals
21. Bacos

Terrible Ideas List

1. Mini-solar chargers: Arghh... I bought one, and it never worked. Easily one of the most frustrating purchases, because it SHOULD work so well in West Africa... if there is an abundance of anything in that area of the world, it is the sun. Since I'm a scientist (and by that I mean I am not one at all), I have determined the heat from the sun warms the batteries, making them unable to hold a charge. Note: I would appreciate someone with some scientific authority to comment on this because it is true, but I have no clue why.
2. Ex-officio Gear: This is inclusive of all the poly-synthetic, quick-dry, breathable, wrinkle-free, zip-off crap... Not worth it. All your clothes will get ruined by harsh washing techniques, sand and the sun. Buy clothes when you get to country. There are a TON of options. Note: I did have a pair of zip-off pants, and they were stupid.
   
3. Nice Watches: The sand will penetrate that water-proof or water resistant seal, and you will cry. Buy a cheap watch in the states or even in country. What you will find out, in-country, is that time doesn't really matter (be careful... I feel an extestential moment coming on).
4. Toilet Paper: Your hand will touch your rear-end, and you can deal with that. If you can't, then buy toilet paper in-country. It is a waste of space to pack it in your bag.
   

Power off of a battery

The idea here is to use a battery as a power source for your ipods, mp3 players and other devices. All you need a car battery, a 12v power outlet with battery clips and your car adapter for your device (whichever that might be). It's a pretty simple system, but incredibly important not to mess up the positive and negative ends... it will fry your device. Once that happens, you are sunk.

1. Attach the battery and the power outlet (Again... be attentive to the + and - ends)
2. Attach your device's car adapter to the power outlet
3. Attach your device to the car adapter.

If you screwed up the ends... you will know very quickly. If you hear a pop and see a spark... whoops.

Diagram to follow...

I post

It was really this website that got me to post. It just made me feel good.

Well, Charley spent a very exciting weekend at Chez Todd. I don't have any cat food, so I just started cracking open tuna cans for him. He immediately fell in love with me (no surprise). He was pretty thin and was very hungry, so I assumed he was a lost cat. My neighbor told me he had seen Charley running around outside a year ago when he moved in. I felt real bad, and started trying to find his owners or a new home.

I came close a couple times, but nothing stuck. There was a really nice lady who wanted him, but couldn't because she had other pets and they would have needed to quarantine Charley for a week or so...

Anyway, his owner finally gave me a call after he saw one of the signs I put up.

I planned this whole conversation thinking the owner had mistreated him in some way... I was going to tell him the vet (who he did actually see) told me to call animal control if I ever found the owner (which he didn't say, but I think he would back me up). Anyway, I walked up to the door with the cat and instead of a broken down place with a terrible owner... I found an elderly couple who's cat has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition and periodically runs away when he has to take his medicine.

I happily returned Charley... Toby to his owners.

Does crazy stuff happen to everybody?

A cat just walked into my apartment. I'm pretty sure he's lost.



I'm calling him Charley.

DONE.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I got in an accident outside Nick's Mom's apt...

I was pulling out of a tight parking spot and I hit a post with the front-right end of the car as I spun the wheel. If I round the number UP, I might have been going 2 mph. That pretty much sucks.

I'm too chagrined to post a photo.

The Convincing

We (Nick Benore and I) just convinced Emily Clever to skip her flight and join us on the ride home. I think that's excellent.

The plan is to leave Iowa and head to Saline (outside of Ann Arbor), which is where Nick grew up. Then we'll head down to Philadelphia to drop Emily off... After all that, Julie and I will make the finally 2 1/2 hour trek to DC.


View Larger Map

As a scientist, I've calculated this will require my car to travel approximately 1,253 miles (give or take a 1/10 of a mile), and will take a grand total of 21 hours and 16 minutes. A full and detailed copy of the notes I produced in order to compile this information can be mailed to you upon request. Please include a self addressed envelope and $88.00 for shipping and handling (my notes are long).

Whiffle Ball rocks

Where I grew up... you could go to the barber's and get something called a Whiffle.

Anyway, we played 4 on 4 whiffle ball today, and my team won. It was awesome. Especially since I was working on a no-hitter for the first three innings. There were a couple grounders and pop flies, but I was actually striking people out. I kid you not... there were two guys I struck out 3 times each.

We also had a pegging rule, which Dan Bellrichard (owner and creator of Mali La 2007) used incredibly effectively. He was wearing a Malian booboo and would run at you with his booboo spreading in the wind. Then he hucked it at your head and you were out.

I love dogs... I want a dog

If I wasn't living in Washington, DC and I didn't live in an apartment that doesn't allow animals... I would definitely have a dog.

At Mali La 2007, there were probably 15 different dogs running around throughout the weekend. First off there was Liffy (something that looks like Liffy). Liffy was a border collie who was absolutely amazing at catching frisbees.... The dog was definitely OCD about chasing them, but it worked very well with me. I actually tired her out. I don't know what that says about me, though.

Then there was this Labra-doodle (this one does not look like him) that was nuts. He essentially ran away from everyone, but if you finally did get him to be friendly, he would shake his butt around and chomp his front teeth really loudly.

Uhhh... then there was another dog named Cia. She was a real small beagle who was definitely the most chill and friendly dog of the bunch.

I won't list them all, but if you want me to, I will.

Eye-Oh-Wah

So, I'm sitting at the 4-H camp in Decorah, Iowa and while my cell phone doesn't work, there is actually a pretty sick wireless internet. I've been here for two nights now, and I just assumed there wasn't going to be any access to internet... anyway, here goes.

Traveling from Omaha to Iowa was long... I picked up a passenger (Julie Westfall from Peace Corps Mali) and we headed East on 80 and then took 35 North. After that it was a series of smaller routes that took us through the very definition of small town America.

Easily, the best part of the drive was a gas stop in Huxley, IA. We ended up at a Dairy Queen (voted Huxley's best ice cream of 2007)), and I fell into a conversation with the people behind the counter about the ingredients for something called a Pizza Burger. None of the Dairy Queen employees could tell me what it was or what was in it (one of them told me it has flecks of white meat in it). Anyway, somehow that led me across the street to The Video Place and Tanning Salon. I don't know why someone ever decided to put those two things together but I like it... What's crazier is that they have something like 8 different stores across Iowa.

Since then, I've been hanging out at Mali La 2007 here at the 4-H Camp. It's pretty great. There are a bunch of people here from Peace Corps Mali and then a bunch of other people I've never met that are all connected to Dan Bellrichard. Dan was in Peace Corps with me and now lives here in Decorah.

We've been catching up on everything Mali.

Nick Benore and I have been dominating Badminton and I found the greatest flashlight in the world... Some guy here threw it in the fire for some reason and we pulled it out (still working), dumped it in the water (still working), put it back in the fire for a bit and then in the water one more time... Still works. I'm bringing it with me where ever I go. I can't tell who made it, because it's all melted, but whoever built that thing did a great job.

All right, that's it for now... I'm gonna come back and put some photos of it in an hour or so.









Sunday.... this is our proposed route back to DC.

Denver, CO (redux)

Well, I'm back here Denver, CO visiting Davis and Missy. I have now made the trip between Denver and Fort Collins three times and I will pass through one more time tomorrow before heading up to Omaha, Nebraska. It's high-time I visited another route out here in the US of A.

Life is good here, and there's no mistaking that it's because these two people are wonderful. Davis is starting his first-year of residency in the ED (Emergency Department for you laymen... ER is so passe!), and Missy has just finished law school.

Davis is busy as all get out... He started a 30 hour shift on Monday, only to get back today around 1pm. All I can say is that my "shifts" back at Saint Albans aren't remotely close to 30 hours long.

Missy, on the other hand, is in her semi-retirement phase between taking the bar and beginning work at a firm here in Denver (Missy: if you provide the name, I'll include it on the blog). The result is that Davis goes to work and Missy and I get to hang out.

Just before Davis had to settle in, on Sunday, for the night (before his insanely long shift) we headed out to Pints, which has the greatest scotch, whisky and bourbon collection I have ever had the joy of witnessing. I acquiesced to Davis' expert opinion and had two great scotches. I wish I were able to retrieve the names, but I've got nothing.

In the morning (yesterday), we headed out to Bergen Park for a run with their dog, Multsie (more on the dog later). Missy decided we should take separate routes... thinking we would run at different rates. WELL... I believe Missy ran, so that absolutely proves that we "ran" at different rates. optimistically, I made it out of view of Missy and then I began heaving violently. As I understand it, Denver is at a higher altitude than my lowly DC, and that might have made running a bit difficult for me. Instead, the dog and I took a leisurely walk along the trails provided at the park and then met up with Missy back at the car. We headed back to their place, had some sandwiches and then headed out to see Superbad. If anyone is interested in my expert review of the movie, send me an email and I'll give you the business.

I'm headed out to Omaha tomorrow to pick up Julie Westfall in prep for the Peace Corps reunion in Decorah, Iowa. Let's see if I can make it....

-Todd

NB: Of course, the dog... Multsie: Incredible. He's an 8 year old Chocolate Lab. He has just a bit of grey on his muzzle but is still active. I spent a lot of time (arguably a majority of my time here) playing with the dog. He'll rip apart a sheet of bubble rap like a champ and then do battle with a cardboard box like he's Muhammad Ali. Don't tell Missy or Davis, but I've kidnapped him and I'm taking him back to DC with me (is that wrong?).