2004-08-15 - 9:54 p.m. - waiting on news of who is Pres. of the country to which I'm moving

I'm making this short as I've already had my break today - didn't pack /clean quite as much as I had hoped, but I needed some down time - I was about to go insane.

I went to my philosophy class for the last time, and the people there are just so dear - we range in age from 16 - 80's...it's an awesome group and I felt very loved as they each gave me a hug when they made their individual departures. I will miss my Sunday morning classmates/friends.

After a wonderful lunch with my dear friends I went home to work more on my packing. It makes me never want to move again which a scary thought given that I'm leaving the country! Speaking of which - I just checked to see if the recall vote on Chavez was in yet, and it's not. I'm so curious as to what type of situation I'll be going to. If he is voted out, they'll have another election in a month to vote in a new Pres., but Chavez said he'll run again. People had to wait hours in the blazing hot sun just to vote. Some even got up at 2:30 a.m. to get to the polls and start waiting for them to open up. I'm very impressed. Here in this country , we have it easy by some states (at least Oregon) having mail-in ballots for our convenience, and still, so many people don't make the effort. It's almost as if we've had this right for so long that we've forgotten what it took to earn this right; instead, we just take it for granted. I wish everyone could read/see what the Venezuelan people did today - I applaud their efforts regardless of how they voted. I just hope our election in November has a great turn-out, and you know I'll have my absentee ballot in. I wish we could have recalled Bush 4 years ago.

Enough about politics - I had a great break by seeing my two favorite local performers this early evening at the Portland Bite. Wade McCollum performed with his band, the Inbetweens, and was great as usual despite the poor sound system. He did that God on the Edge of Town song again he said he borrowed from Dan Burns. I spoke briefly with him afterwards and he hopes to have it on his album, but they have to cut the demo, shop it to record labels, etc...so who knows when it'll be out. It amazes me how much talent he has and yet how down to earth and connected he is with what's real and important in this life. Namaste, Wade - I see the God in you.

I also saw my favorite statue performer, and I was so happy that my best friend who was with me got to see his contact juggling act. She took our picture together - I've taken tons of him performing but never had one of us together. I'll have it on the film I'll end up developing in Venezuela. It'll be nice to have those memories when I get homesick.

Sometimes I think, "what am I doing? - leaving all I know and love for this great unknown? And for a country who might have just outsted their president????" Life's an adventure, I tell ya, and if it isn't, then you have to create one.

Back to packing/cleaning.

30-something - 2005-03-01
the holding back the the flow of tears - 2005-02-20
song survey - 2005-02-15
song for the day...or perhaps the year... - 2005-01-25
something new - 2005-01-24
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