Sunday, January 14, 2007

Gearing up for Spain

Well, this week will mostly be spent preparing for the big trip to Nerja, Spain, to see our stinters from Lithuania, Croatia, Russia and France. Hopefully next year we'll add Italy to the list.

What needs to be done to prepare you ask? Well, we have to buy gifts, first of all. That's right. It's a sort of Pavlovian, psychological way that we condition people to feel good when they see us. Some people will demand cash. Others like a thoughtful little something (like if I were to bring them a magazine from the airplane). Still others just want me to pat them on the head and say, "Good boy, John, good boy!" But this all requires some forethought and careful planning.

Also, of course, there is the packing of bags, which I am undeniably expert in now. They should have a reality show. I can not only put everything in the bag, I can lift it and tell you how much it weighs. Incredible.

We need to plan what we will take to entertain ourselves on the plane, too. Krista spent a little time today loading her iPod. I won't need to spend much time preparing for that, since I know what I will be taking for fun and entertainment: HEBREW HOMEWORK! I'll be translating the book of Ruth.

These things will take up most of the week, since we leave on Friday. In addition I will be calling Bryon and Emily in Venezuela. I thought I would make this known publicly so that their friends could call ahead and warn them to turn off their cel phones.

Okay, kiddies. My wife is missing which means, I suspect, that she has gone to perform the evening ablutions. Which is my cue to go.

And for all those lurkers out there, those sad souls without a blog who never comment but only read with secret delight, let me just say this: "Blog not, lest ye be blogged." Um. Yeah. So true, so true.

9 comments:

  1. I wouldn't mind getting one of those sweet mystery novels when you come to Spain.

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  2. Dude, could you guys bring some half-eaten snack packets of flavored rice crackers, peanuts, and pretzels from the plane? That would be great.

    Seriously, we are so excited to see you guys. And don't bring anything for us that you wouldn't want to cart around the Moroccan desert for a week.

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  3. Could I get some Scooby Snacks too?

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  4. I don't think you can leave for Spain with the toilet paper of broken promises stuck to the bottom of your shoe.

    How the heck did the Collide conference go? You can just say "This one guy spoke and here's a link to his website....".

    Or can you? You tell me. You're the Greek!

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  5. Shoot, now I HAVE to get gifts too. Dang GREATER Northwest! Always one-upping the Great Plains Int'l.

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  6. I blog. . . whatever that means. You can read about my life at masterstoryweaver.blogspot.com

    (did this already get sent? These things confuse me sometimes.)

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  7. Hey! Could you bring us some goodies like peanut butter and snow? Ooh, and I could really use a good loose leaf english breakfast tea...

    Oh wait, we'll just be getting the phone version of you. That's ok, I'm honored anyway :)

    Make a special effort to give our international family of stinters much love from the VZ crew... especially John. But he gets the "special hug" from me.
    Have fun in Spain!

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  8. It's snowing really hard today. Gifts for the stinters may actually turn into, "Things I Found Around My House."

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  9. "...a magazine from the airplane..." That's gonna amuse me all night.

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