So, I’m writing this entry form a room in a residence hall at Makerere Univeristy, Uganda’s largest and most well-know institute of higher education. It’s 9:00pm. I should be home by now, but it’s raining and really cold out. Yes, it is cold out.

I was supposed to meet one of the kids I sponsor for secondary school and discuss his educational future. Secondary education is not free in Uganda. Access to quality education is not easy in Uganda, but it is especially complicated when you are from a rural village, your relatives are poor, and you are an orphan. I’ve been assisting Geoffrey for over four years now. He just completed his ‘O’ level, and he wants to continue with his ‘A’ level. As I was saying, I was supposed to meet him in town, near the university campus, but he did not show up, and I could not reach him by phone.

When my meeting did not take place, I called my friend, Tinka, and he took me over to the university campus where they are having some kind of bazaar. I’ve been on the Makerere campus a few times, but never at night and never to a student function. I was pleasantly surprised at how much it resembled any student function on every other university campuse I’ve visited. Of course, there were Ugandan twists (stands with roasted goat’s meat and others selling hair extensions), but it was like I’d walked back into my days at the university. I LOVE UNIVERSITY LIFE. I look forward to being a student again just to be on a campus and feel the energy that thrives in such an environment. When will that day be? Who knows?

Who knows?

So I'm a part of a running club that meets every Monday evening at 6:00pm for a run and dinner afterwards, the Kampala Hash House Harriers. They call themselves a "drinking club with a running problem." Going out on the hash is something I look forward to every week. There is no specific location for a run, the starting point changes each week, and I get to see parts of Kampala that I would probably never venture into otherwise. Some weeks we jog through the most elite areas with high walls and uninviting gates. Other weeks we are making paths through the slums, dodging small children and women cooking on their charcoal stoves. It's good fun, and we provide free entertainment for the local residents who often get a kick out of seeing a group of people running through their neighborhoods. Some of the hash locations are a little bit off the beaten track, and finding the venue is half of the fun.

I've been doing the runs since September of 2006. My friend and co-teacher, Kat, introduced me to the group, and I'm so glad she did. It has been an excellent way for me to meet new people in a new city. I've also gotten myself back into shape and shed at least 10 pounds since I came back to Uganda.

I actually look forward to Mondays.

On! On!

THE BOOK MEME!
1. Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror? I cannot say I’m into any of these genres. I especially hate when sci-fi and fantasy are woven together like Terry Brooks’ books.
2. Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback? I like ‘em all. I’m in a hardback phase right now. I have to get all my favorite books in hardback. If a book is just fluff and read for leisure, then paperback is my preference.
3. Amazon or Brick and Mortar? I visit Amazon.com at least once daily.
4. Barnes & Noble or Borders? None of them in my part of the world. Kampala has a GREAT bookstore, Aristoc. You can find me there on any given Saturday.
5. Hitchhiker or Discworld? Never read either. Don’t be disappointed.
6. Bookmark or Dogear? Dogears belong on dogs, not on books. If you want to end a friendship, bend a page in a book you borrow from me.
7. Magazine: Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction? I will probably never read any of these publications.
8. Alphabetize by author, Alphabetize by title, or random? I really do this. I’ve separated all of my fiction and non-fiction books, and they are alphabetized by author and then by title.
9. Keep, Throw Away or Sell? I keep most of the books I read. However, a good book must be shared. I lend out and give away.
10. Keep dust-jacket or toss it? Toss out a dust jacket? Never.
11. Read with dustjacket or remove it? If I’m taking a book to read at the beach, the dustjacket will be removed. Otherwise, it usually stays on.
12. Short story or novel? Novels. I find it hard to get into short stories. An exception is David Sedaris. I love his books.
13. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? I love Harry Potter. I’ve read at least four of the Lemony Snicket books, and I plan to finish the series, but they are not as interesting to me. I had a very difficult time getting through A Bad Beginning. I did not like the writer’s style.
14. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I usually try to make it to the end of a chapter, but that is not always possible. Sometimes sleep wins.
15. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time?" Once upon a time… At this point a fairy tale is just what I need.
16. Buy or Borrow? The library I have access to is very limited, exclusively children’s books. If I want something more mature, I must by it.
17. Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse? I usually go on recommendations. However, I pick up quite a few just from browsing at the bookstore or online. I read book reviews and always read about I book that I tell myself I must buy, but I never do.
18. Lewis or Tolkien? Is there any comparison? Tolkein’s books are superior. However, neither author writes in a genre that I prefer, so I’ve not read much of either of them. I read all of the Chronicles of Narnia. (I’ve taught The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.) I’ve also read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy a couple of times. I tried to read the Chronicles of Narnia again, but Lewis’s writing style frustrates me. I just cannot force myself to read his books.
19. Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)? Collection. I mentioned Sedaris earlier.
20. Tidy ending or Cliffhanger? I like things to get wrapped up neatly; however, a good Cliffhanger can keep a conversation going until the next installment.
21. Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading? I’m more of a nighttime reader. Of course, I read at other times of the day if I’m able or the mood hits me, but I usually take a book down to the local coffee shop and relax in the evenings (especially when the power is off in my neighborhood.)
22. Standalone or Series? Is the series good? If the series tends to drag on, I’ll get bored and stop.
23. New or used? I like new books. Hate bent spines.
24. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. I discovered it at Aristoc last year. I really loved it.
25. Top 5 favorite genre books of all time? I’m not sure what is meant by genre book, so I’ll list my top 5 books of all time.
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban by J.K. Rowling
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alexy Haley
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
26. Favorite genre series? I cannot think of a series that I would say is my favorite. I mentioned before that I love Harry Potter. It is one of the few series that I’ve read all the books (so far).
27. Currently Reading? Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer.

Old romance

is just an old illusion.

Too bad I can’t just chop it up and feed it to a man-eating plant from outer space that I keep in the basement. That would be too easy. Who wouldn’t want one? They’d be ‘bigger than hula hoops’.


The guy sure looks like plant food to me!

The guy sure looks like plant food to me!

The guy sure looks like plant food to me!

A-B-Cs

of Me

A- Available or Single? Oh, so sadly so.
B- Best Friend? In theory or for reals? I’m working on it. Trust issues. I hate being ditched when the weather is no longer fair.
C- Cake or Pie? I like cake.
D- Drink of Choice? Water. Nice and cold.
E- Essential Item? Toothbrush. They don’t call me ‘yuck mouth’ for a reason.
F- Favorite Color? Green.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Not a bit Gummi fan; however, I prefer bears.
H- Hometown? White City, FL: as sad as it is.
I- Indulgence? Chips (French Fries).
J- January or February? January. It’s all about new beginnings and not train-wreck love affairs. Two of the greatest women living were born in January: my grandmothers, Tressie and Inez. Love ‘em. I was also born on the 4th.
K- Kids and Names? GOOD LORD!
L- Life is incomplete without…? Me.
M- Marriage Date? Are you kidding me? If it existed, my mother would be sooooooo happy.
N- Number of Siblings? Five.
O- Oranges or Apples? Apples, definitely. Oranges are too much work. I don’t like eating around seeds.
P- Phobias/Fears? Spiders. I think I’m afraid heights. Me. Of all people. Why?
Q- Favorite Quote? “If you give up your dream, you die” from Flashdance.
R- Reasons to smile? A witty remark from a good friend.
S- Season? Summer. I, like some, like it H-O-T.
T- Tag 3 people? I don't tag. It’s so annoying.
U- Unknown Fact About Me? I working on making myself more of a mystery. Intrigue will hopefully make me more attractive to that special someone. This means I am trying to withhold unknown facts about me. You’ll have to get to know me well to discover them.
V- Vegetable You Hate? Brussel Sprouts.
W- Worst Habit? Chewing my nails. I getting better at avoiding fingers to mouth. Tired of parasites.
X- Xrays You’ve Had? Other than teeth x-rays? I can only think of my wrist and arm.
Y- Your Favorite Foods? I love eggplants. I love good food. For this reason, I end up cooking a lot. I only eat out when I cannot prepare a certain dish so well or it is just too much trouble to prepare.
Z- Zodiac? Capricorn.

Good

in the

sack.



It had been so long since I'd done it that I almost didn't remember what to do. Luckily, it's like riding a bicycle, and once I got started, the technique came back to me, I gained momentum and finished quite well--not as quickly as I thought I would.

1986

5th grade was so simple. Bon Jovi played our anthems. We did not get the meanings exactly, but just knowing the words to the songs improved our social ranking.

1986 was the year I first developed my crush on Erin. My heart was broken; she fell for my brother, then my brother's friend. Erin and I remained good friends throughout our teens.

Twenty-one years later: My heart has once again been broken, and I'm trying to move on. There is a new crush. I hope this one is as much fun as 1986. I feel like a 10-year-old boy again.

Where's Erin?
I'd love to chat