On the home stretch

Hello! Wow have I been busy lately! This is just a quick update on my life...nothing too exciting, and unfortunatly no pictures to accompany it. Well, IST (in-service training) finally ended a couple weeks ago, and I went back to Segou. I spent two days working hard with Ndomo, a men's bogolan association, trying to create a buyer's kit for the Torono/Montreal trade shows they're participating in. Then, all the new SEDdies (business development volunteers) came to Segou for a "technical exchange." Yuri and I took them around to all our associations and tourism sites, and they all crashed at my house (I think there were 15 of them). I spent about a week trying to get resettled and back into a routine before 30+ people showed up to stay at my house this past weekend. It was the fourth annual Festival sur le Niger -- Segou's music festival. I didn't buy a ticket this year, but I did go around during the daytime and see the festivities. Overall, I think it was much better organized than last year's (especially the artisans' fair). And I was happy to host everyone -- it was nice to actually have the space to hold all those people. Last year it was a tight squeeze in my small house (I had two other girls sleeping in my bed alone last year). Everyone finally left Monday, and then yesterday I came down with ANOTHER fever! Grrrrr... It's my second fever in a month, and I think my 20th I've had since moving over here. Not fun. But, luckily it only lasted one day, so I was able to bike to work today (oh, and it's been over 105 degrees here the past few days -- cold season is officially over). Between all this, I've been working to submit a proposal for a leadership training my director wants to have this April (between us business volunteers and our counterpart agencies), and I've been doing other project stuff. I've also been co-organizing this year's WAIST trip (the softball tournament in Dakar, Senegal). That's been stressful...it's hard to organize transport and lodging for 50+ people in West Africa! And we leave in ONE WEEK! Crazy. Well, that's about it. Oh, and I just found out that our Close of Service conference is in June...which means I'm most likely out of here in July. I know I always say this, but time sure does fly. I can't believe I'm 3/4 done with my service! ooh, one more quick story: So I've been sick the past couple days, but I finally felt good enough to eat lunch today (about the first thing I've eaten since Monday evening). I still was feeling weak, and my friend Mary was in town, so she offered to pick me up a Greek sandwich at a restaurant and bring it over. I gobbled it up -- steak, lettuce, tomatoes, onions on French bread. It gave me enough strength to bike to work. So I get to work, get online, and find out that today is Ash Wednesday! D'oh!!