Of all the *!@$@#* Luck!!!

Can you believe it? I get confirmation yesterday that we're leaving and then last night I get assaulted with this chest cold and wracking cough that leaves me on my knees almost unable to breathe! This is gonna really stink if I can't shake it before we go!

The GOOD news is that I get to spend some time with Hannah. Shawn was nice enough to bring her to meet April yesterday afternoon after work, (for which I really owe him a big thanks! That was a lot of time out of his day just to help me out, which I unendingly appreciate!) So, Hannah and I are gonna get some QT in this week before I go. Poor kid. She's stuck all week running around with me, working like crazy and hacking my head off. What a wonderful combination.

I haven't yet figured out how I'm gonna kick this cold. I come from the old school mentality that believe that medicine is good as long as you don't let it weaken your bodie's natural defense systems to where it can't fight off stuff on it's own. Hence, I almost never ever get sick.... but MAN what timing! Option A: Sit around like a lazy bum whining about it, sucking down Tussin-this and Tussin-that. Option B: Go get outside, work hard, play harder, and let my body beat this thing off on it's own. With less than 72 hours till flight time though, I'm less than convinced of either option's success. Worse come to worse, it's a long flight to Germany with me hacking all the way there until I can get to Tripoli to go to Al-Menshia pharmacy and get hooked up on some good stuff. Did I mention that prescriptions aren't necesarry for almost all drugs in Libya? Great system! I go over there.. point to my arm.. say "it hurts... I need percoset." Poof... I have percoset.

That reminds me, if any of you frequent travelers ever need a great pain-killer, they have this OTC medicine called Effervelgen.. it's like Tylenol from Hell. For reference.. it's not something you swallow; you take it like alka-seltzer, disolving it in water first, THEN you take it. I thought I was going to die because I couldn't read the stupid instructions (written in French) until it was too late. Only after I took it did the word "effer" in the name remind me that it probably meant something like "effervescent"... meaning it bubbles.... YUCK! Nasty stuff.... but man it kicks anything that's hurting. lol.. it's funny to remember it now. That stuff made my insides feel like one of those volcanoes we used to build in school for science class. I bubbled and gurgled and was in pretty much embarrassing misery for about three hours until I could expel all that "fizz" one way or the other.

Wow.. on to less embarrassing subjects:

I can't wait to see my friends again. I've emailed Tara and Mani and Shortround and let them all know that I'm coming and I've setup my Taxi from the airport already, so we'll see how it goes. I'd like to get a few of my Libyan friends together once we're there, so they can meet the rest of the American team. Our time in Tripoli is short as we have to get to the desert as soon as possible, but I'd imagine it will take me a couple of days to acquire the police stamps and the necessary VISA extension paperwork before heading off.

I hope I can meet with Sydnet and Khadija while we're there this time too. It's so funny to sit here in America and to actually have people I know and look forward to seeing again who are six thousand miles away. It's a thing I would never have thought about only two years ago. I'll get to see friends again, walk the streets of Medina Al-Khadima, take the new americans to see the gold district, tour the arch, walk Tuesday Market streets and listen to the vendors hock their wares. I want to take the guys down to the old store where we used to go for Schwarma, and introduce them to some Libyan cuisine. So far, I've only taught them one phrase they need to know, the most important phrase for any American in Libya; "Harisa la!" (It means NONE OF THAT HOT SPICY CRAP ON MY HAMBURGER!) lol.

(Pardon me.. I was just hit by a coughing fit that left my right lung pulsing on the desktop).. GOD that hurts!

Ok. Iv'e got to go get in the shower and hit the road. Hannah and I are going to meet Dr. Moe in Raleigh to get per-diem checks for the guys, so we can purchase our trip supplies before we go.

Until next time all!