Tomas, can you hear me?

Keeping our eye on Tomas. Tomas if you are listening- go away. Thanks.

Thanks

Thanks to everyone who signed the Action day petition. There is always more work to be done. So check back.

Starved for Attention. Rewrite the story.

You know what goes really well with accessible, clean water? Food. Please sign.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF):

Right now, the food aid system provides nutritionally inadequate foods to malnourished children under two years old in developing countries. Help Doctors Without Borders fight the double standard in food aid. Sign the Starved for Attention petition to help rewrite the story of malnutrition for 195 million children around the world. http://bit.ly/195mill

Picture by Franco Pagetti

Blog Action Day 2010

1 in 8 people don't have access to clean drinking water. That is 1 in 8 on the planet. Not over there somewhere out of sight and out of mind. 1 in 8 people on the planet. Think about it. Do something about it. Sign the petition. Help make clean drinking water a right. A Human Right.

42 days until I leave for Pakistan

Hi all. I have set up a mobile link. Let's see if this works

Back in Hattiesburg.

We stopped in Hattiesburg to check on our friends, the residents that continue to live with water and soil contamination, and to see how the case was progressing. Although there are currently no new developments, which is frustrating for everyone, the folks here remain steadfast in their resolve. There strength is admirable and inspirational.

It's raining.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

There is no end in sight.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

And thousands are without shelter tonight.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

Tarps and Twine will not do.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

And will continue at least through June.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

That’s where I met a baby only a few weeks old.

It’s raining in Port Au-Prince

And she can’t protect him from the cold.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

I wonder what they will do.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

But I don’t see it on the news.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince.

I wonder what we can do.

It’s raining in Port-Au-Prince

And I ask you to feel the rain, too.

It’s Raining in Port-Au-Prince.

Home from Haiti- one week and counting...

I've been home from Haiti for over a week but I still think about it every day. The images in my mind are a mix of rubble and faces. I can't understand why it is not covered in the nationally televised news- I have to search for articles online. I mean did a miracle occur in the last 7 days that cleared away all the destruction and poverty? Right, I didn't think so. But, I do know how Tiger did in the Masters and that Jon and Kate are at it again.

I gave my first informal presentation on the trip last week. I think it went fairly well. Next time I just have to get through it without choking up. For now I am planning for when we go back and trying to learn Creole. The couple of phrases I learned before I went down are not nearly enough.

And...this summer...I'm going to take on Arabic...but that is a story for another time.

Be sure to check out the You. Me. We. sites- I posted some new stuff.

Scariest part of the trip...

No, it wasn't being pushed or enclosed into a sea of people or the loaded shot gun that someone dropped 3 feet away. It was the cockroaches in the bathtub!

I said I would do it...

So remember when I said I would write the personal stuff (like vomiting) in this blog and leave the bigger picture stuff for the org page and blog? Well here it is...I did vomit on my own shoes. We visited Jacmel yesterday. It is about 2-3 hours away by car. In some places- there are not real roads. In others, the road is cracked in half by the earthquake, and the rest of the way is up a mountain- 4000 feet above sea level via windy pin curves on blind, narrow one lane roads. Point of reference for some- think Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau.

Kathy and Tracy assure me the trip was no longer than 3 hours one way although I am convinced it was closer to 6. I think that my poor time guesstimate was brought on by my need to have our driver pull over every 20 minutes so I could dry heave. I took drugs but they were not working...motion sickness won out. I felt like a kid on family vacation again. The trip was miserable but I knew that it was worth the pain. Thankfully on the way home- Tracy hooked my up with better drugs and we had a great Haitian lunch- so my stomach was at peace. But I still think the ride was longer.

T-minus...

We are ready to go. Our bellies are full from our last certain meal. We are tucked into bed and already for sleep- although it may not come easily. We are excited and nervous.
Haiti...here we come.

Really cool merch!

Sshh...don't tell. I'm not supposed to tell you yet, but if you go to http://www.cafepress.com/drlpc you can buy merchandise that supports our org and you'll get to see our new logo- all before we have even launched! But you didn't here that from me.

We are getting there...

It's definitely starting to feel real. In one week I have to start the malaria vaccine. Not something I ever thought I would say but definitely adds a hint of excitement to my life. And let's face it. This is as close as I am ever going to get to being Sydney Bristow.

This weekend we are going supply shopping. Again many many thanks to those who donated money. It will be a tremendous help.

Also this weekend the packing begins. And, I imagine the endless internal debates about how many extra socks, is 3 bottles of hand sanitizer enough, can I get away with my flimsy rain poncho...

The excitement is defintely rebuilding for me. I got an extra spark today because we got to see a draft of the logo for You. Me. We. It was awesome and I can't wait to share it with all of you. I know I promised an official launch. It is coming. It will be before we head off to Haiti.

Ok. That's all for now. Stay tuned.

Ready for trip to Haiti?

Ready?! I have very ready. I have been waiting and wanting to go since January. I have a living room full of camping gear and water tabs. I do have to admit, after all this waiting...it almost doesn't seem real.