Ms. Jessie Goes to Washington

The day has finally come for me to bid farewell to my lovely hotel room in Miami. I'm heading back up to Washington today. I'm not sure how long I'll be there but, given the pace at which things have moved so far, I have a feeling there will be plenty of time to visit with friends and family before our onward assignment is nailed down. It'll be nice to be in familiar territory and out of this heat. 

Hope to see you all soon!

The Writing on the Wall

Perhaps you've been reading Bob's blog and already know but here's the scoop: I will not be returning to Bolivia. I suppose we should have guessed this sooner but the doctors are not comfortable sending me back to a high altitude post. And so we bring to a close our very short tour of La Paz. I believe I lasted just over 3 weeks at post. Of course, I've done about 8 weeks here in Miami already but I'm not sure we get any credit for that.

Bob and I both have our regrets about not being able to complete our time in Bolivia. We've been preparing for this since before we were married. Heck, I never even saw an alpaca! At the same time, this isn't such a bad time to be leaving La Paz. The search for a new overseas posting is already underway and we may have additional news to release within days.

While Miami doesn't have alpacas, it does have wild parrots. The other day I was a little too slow with my camera and didn't catch the parrot on my window sill. How many times do you get a second chance like this?

After this guy took off he joined about 10 of his friends to cruise around the nearby parking lots. I had no idea parrots travelled in flocks.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

As we continue to sort out my fate here in Miami, it appears as though the situation in Bolivia has deteriorated rapidly. Several short days following Bob's return to La Paz, president Evo Morales demanded that ambassador Goldberg return to the U.S. A few days after that, martial law was declared in the Eastern region of the country. This trouble has been a long time in the making but it is surprising how quickly it has boiled over. And now, our happy little posting in a remote South American country complete with a little adventure in the mountains is not looking quite the same as it once did.

It seems to me that the trouble has remained in the east and that there is no danger in La Paz. While Bob had restored life to at least two of my herb plants in the living room, he is not sure he's going to stay there long enough to reap the rewards.

Happily, Another Near Miss

First Fay, now Ike. Never before have I had the opportunity, or need, to learn so much about hurricanes. Interesting stuff. Especially when they stay off-shore. Even though I've never experienced one overhead, I'm pretty certain that the farther away they stay, the better off I am.

I'm sure Miami is lots of fun in February. I remember that spending Spring Break in the Keys was most certainly a good time. But the gray sky and strong wet winds brought in from the "dirty side" of Ike just aren't doing it for me this time. If nothing else, my hair has seen much better days.

Bob returned to Bolivia last weekend. He's very happy to be back in La Paz. Hopefully I can join him soon.

Making the Most of It

Last week I met a new doctor. The exam went well. I felt good. He thought I was responding to treatment well. Everyone was happy. Then, as he began describing a recovery plan that appeared to require a permanent change of address to this tropical locale he must have noticed a distinct change in mood cross my face. I launched into the whole "I'm supposed to be in Bolivia" story and everything started to get a bit more complicated ... luckily, he was willing to work with me on a plan B.

To make a long story short, in exchange for what I thought was an excessive amount of blood, the doctor is going to rerun all my tests and let me know just what plan B is in two weeks. Yep, two more weeks.

To help pass the time, and just to be good parental units, mom and dad came to visit last weekend. It was nice to have them around. And nice to have access to a car. We actually got to do some sightseeing. Other than the local Chili's and the Cheesecake Factory across the street, Bob and I really don't get out much.

One overtly warm afternoon we visited the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens. I wouldn't say that our group was made up of extreme plant enthusiasts but we did enjoy the scenery. The free tram was a godsend (as was the free admission offered to crazy people who visit on ridiculously hot Sundays in the summer). The frozen lemonade wasn't bad either. There were some really pretty spots and, if I actually knew what I was doing with my camera, I think I could come away with some things worth hanging up. But in all seriousness, this place is best visited not in August.

The next day we visited Vizcaya, a house and formal gardens built by James Deering in 1916. The house has the appearance of an Italian estate and really is quite something. The humidity and sea air are too much for the artifacts inside the home so, unfortunately, they have had to install central air conditioning throughout the entire house. Although this alters the historical integrity of the tour, it made for a much more pleasant afternoon. 

The house really is quite something but even more impressive may be the boat landing and grounds. Especially when you consider that they get completely flooded as each tropical storm or hurricane passes by.  The house is owned by Miami-Dade county now and I have a feeling they do not devote quite the resources to upkeep as Mr. Deering did in his day and still the grounds are quite the sight.

On the other hand, maybe they are just waiting for hurricane season to end...