Hooray, vw!!!

{{vw}} I am so impressed with you for making it to school.

meara, you'll need a water purifier rather than just a filter if you can't trust the water (filters will get out largish microbes but not viruses and other teeny things that tend to get in the water when humans aren't careful with their waste management). You can always boil water and make it safe to drink, but that takes time and a stove or something. You can carry iodine tablets, if you can take iodine, those will kill many things that can hurt you (there are some hard-shelled bacteria that iodine won't kill, but it gets all the smaller things), and if you filter the treated water you're quite safe (this is actually how most backpacking water purifiers work).

These are pricy but would take up little room and be light to carry. This is an iodine tablet alternative (I have a Sweetwater purifier, and I don't see why you couldn't use their solution with any filter, though of course they don't recommend that). I also like this. There are a lot of "filters" that are really just to improve taste, don't be fooled by them! I am also suspicious of the squeeze bottle style of filter/purifier because it seems like you would have trouble getting enough force to squeeze the water through the filter as the bottle emptied, but I haven't used them so I don't know if they've found a way around that.

I just got to school myself. vw, I'm so glad to hear you made it! Now that you are there, it's all downhill...

I really struggled to make it to school this morning.

First, I had a horrible dream that Joe came home from Iraq, said he didn't love me any more, and but that I could either stay around while he moved on to other women or take the baby and leave.

Then, I had breakfast, same stuff as always, but now I have this sour stomach feeling.

And, it's gray and rainy and I just wanted to stay home and watch what my Tivo had for me. But, I'm here. Blah. I can't wait to go home.

Yay vw!

I kind of want a second tattoo, but another part of me feels like one is enough. Plus, what I *really* want is a wrist tattoo of an ivy vine, and I know I stole that idea from Holly Marie Combs and would probably regret it in ten years.

{{Stephanie}} What a terrible dream. Subconciouses can be so mean sometimes.

I also had a hard time getting to work, but I have no reason for it. Just didn't want to get out of bed this morning.

My next tattoo should be a rat, but I haven't found a good image. I haven't gotten my life together enough for the goat (it's a deal I made with myself that I haven't quite lived up to, yet), but I qualify for the rat.

-t, was it you who converted to Judaism before you got married? If so, is a tat not a problem for your school of Judaism? If not, never mind. :)

Why a rat?

I have traveled in Egypt (and throughout the middle east) and bottled water/bottled drinks are very widely available. I wouldn't bother with a water filter if I were going to Egypt. I would, however, be careful about whene I bought food and avoid salad and unpeelable fruit.

I can't speak for Vietnam.

I am pleased for vw and Stephanie and eagerly awaiting the announcement that Princess Tickybox has arrrived in advance of her induction. 'Cause nobody deserves Susan's labor.

I've been jonesing for another tattoo for a while now. Maybe this summer.

VW!! You are totally amazing. Go you!

I can't wait to get my next tat. I want a dragon, but I need to find someone willing to design me just the right one--tribal, yet a little more personable--on my lower back, right above the waistline. I haven't found a single picture that is right yet, but I really want to eventually.