Less than a Week

So I leave for staging in 6 days. I have not begun to pack. But, I am mentally prepared to go, so I got that going for me. And, I don't need to purchase many more things before leaving. Also, I have these cool vaccuum bags to condense my clothes. Therefore, I have a new goal: to check only one bag, and then carry-on a backpack or something. This sounds like a realistic goal, but we'll see.

I'm going to a Georgian restaurant with Corinne tomorrow. T'bilisi, on the near north side, is listed in Roger Rosen's book as one of the top Georgian restaurants in the country. It might not have much competition, but I'm still really looking forward to it.

Apparently I cannot defer my student loans until November, even though I am no longer a student. This is slightly distressing, since I will be leaving the country next week and presumably won't be able to deal with it from there. But, I heard that we do something to this end at staging, and I have all the necessary forms, so hopefully things will fall into place. They usually seem to - but they wait until the absolute last possible moment before doing so. Oh well, them's the breaks.

I didn't notice this before, but apparently I get wads of cash as a per diem while I'm in Philly and then again in T'bilisi. For example, I will pocket over half a benjamin for "arrival." Since Katie is picking me up and I have no intention of paying her, this will be great. I guess some of Monday night's festivities are on me then (or, more accurately, on the government's buck. Sweet, sweet government excess. But really, it's better than that bridge to the uninhabited island in Alaska. At least an actual PERSON is benefitting from this. Multiple people, actually. Nobody turns down a cheaper party.). Additionally, I receive some sum requiring multiple 2-digit bills each day for meals and incidentals. I have not eaten this well since...well...never. I may incidentally be repaying my student loans with this money, since it will likely be enough to cover a payment or two. Or maybe I'll eat a lot of food. I think that's all for now. I hope to post once more before I leave, if I can find some time.



Tim