I'm not a doctor ....

But I get to be on-call for the next 7 full days. I can't multiply 7 by 24 right now ... what is that, 168 hours? Cool.

As a Disaster Assessment Team member, I can be called upon in case of disaster. Usually, house fire.

So, why on call so much before I leave to Cali?

I want to earn the t-shirt.

You have to respond to three fires before you get the Red Cross t-shirt, and five fires before a vest.

I want the freakin vest. I want the t-shirt, and I DAMN sure want the kit of all the paperwork that the leader gets to keep and carry. (Oh ... I need to go find my name tag ... wonder where I left it ...)

So, short of going around arsoning over the next few evenings, I'm going to hope to get called upon in case of any unfortunate situation. Our trainer guy, an Americorps volunteer from Minnesota, is so calm and not detail-obsessed - so hopefully I'll get to go out on some calls with him until I feel like I've got it under control.

Unfortunately, I feel like hell. I guess whatever I caught in Nica isn't staying in Nica - it came along in my gut, and explosive diarrhea is the joy of the day. It's started really taking a toll on my energy - I definitely feel icky, though Pepto Bismol tablets perk me up a little. So, I'll go to the doctor tomorrow, and I freakin HATE that whole stool sample thing. Blech! Just shoot me up with something strong and I'll be all good.

I went to DMV to get my motorcycle endorsement. I got there just after 2:00, then stood in line until 2:35 when I finally got my number to be called. When did I get called? At 3:59. When do they stop testing? Before then (to be finished by 4:00). WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME???

Whatever - I was prepared - I read the newspaper and the DMV manual for the exam and a book and people-watched. Not wasted time I guess, but it's still exasperating because now I have to go back over there. I was pretty proud of myself, getting 10 errands done today, two of which involved speaking Spanish. At Beraca, when she brought me the menu and I said I already knew what I wanted and just ordered beans and tortillas and horchata, she really didn't believe me. I had to repeat myself five times before she would scoop up some of those beans for me. I do think that they are the very best beans I've ever had anywhere. Yeah yeah, it may not sound like good food for somebody with GI ills, but I felt better in Nica with just eating rice and beans. And that lunch was PERFECT for me - it's the only thing I've been able to eat without ... consequences. So, no more making fun of Honduran horchata - even though it's not made with rice, it's apparently as good for the stomach.

Oh - and I finally got a new phone! It took me three stops to find THE PERFECT PHONE, but I finally did. Woo hoo!



Oh, and maybe THIS explains why I make $7/hour. Sigh.