Jackson Hurls - Not everything is Less Expensive - Persistent Drips

Yesterday I realized that Jackson is not entirely adjusted to the altitude. We went out for our morning walk and I noticed he was a little winded, but figured everything was OK. Since it was time for him to eat, I fed him and he gulped his food down, as usual. A few minutes later he decided he wanted to play fetch --and again this is not unusual --so we played a little fetch. After one of his last retrievals, he got this dejected look on his face, turned and walked out of the carpeted room we were in, and promptly vomited all of his breakfast! He then laid down and huffed and puffed for a bit longer. I figure it was a combination of the fatigue from the walk and the playing, plus having just eaten. Oh, well. Lesson learned. Guess we both need to be more conscious about adjusting to the altitude.

Jackson's vomitus was an inspiration for me to go shopping ...for cleaning supplies, among other things. I went on a long walk to the mall to get some sundries. It's amazing how many little things you need when you are setting up a house. Little things one takes for granted like toilet paper, hand soap, toilet brush, etc. It all adds up and you have to buy it.

While I was out, I wandered into a drug store and saw some of the dental floss that has an end you can thread through a permanent retainer, like the one I have on my lower teeth. I figured I'd get some. Not that I needed it right away, but I figured there it is. What a mistake! When I went to checkout, the tab was ridiculously high. I inquired what drove the price up and found out the little package of special dental floss was nearly $20. How insane is that. On the heels of that, I priced a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka (750 ml, standard size, not jumbo) and that was $65. Also insane.

The other weird thing about shopping is that the products I'm just used to running down the aisle and picking up are re-packed in unidentifiable ways down here or entirely unavailable. I spend much more time finding the usual stuff or looking for replacements. And the people here just linger in the aisles looking at stuff, so it is shopping cart mayhem in the aisles trying to get through.

While shopping I did meet a mother, father, and son team of missionaries from Oklahoma and chatted with them. The were shocked I spotted them as non-locals!

Last week was consumed diagnosing a couple of water leaks in diverse area of the house --hence the photo of water dripping. The place is brand new, so no one has turned on all the faucets, flushed all the toilets, etc. The plumber who was here last week swore that one leak was behind a shower, but I have figured out over the weekend that cannot possibly be true. I have now diagnosed the true source of the leak, which is the toilet, so it is much easier to repair. Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, now that I have saved the plumber lots of time figuring out where that leak was from, I returned home today to find another leak. This one is beneath my master bathroom sink. Some clean up and emptying of the cabinet awaits me later tonight, since the plumber arrives bright and early tomorrow.

Today was a long day of meetings and I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to grab a beer and pizza... then clean and dry!

More Ecuador adventures to follow tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you who have sent emails and called.

American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative

Several of you have asked about what it is I'm doing down here. Some have suggested (well, really only one has suggested it!) that I'm down here on some covert operation. Since I haven't really explained it before, and to spare you from doing independent research, I'll tell you a bit about the ABA Rule of Law Initiative.

The Rule of Law Initiative is a public service project of the American Bar Association dedicated to promoting the rule of law around the world with the belief that the rule of law is the most effective, long-term solution to pressing problems, including poverty, economic stagnation, and conflict, facing the world community today.

I am the Director of the Rule of Law Initiative in Ecuador, based in Quito. I have overall field responsibility for in-country programs, including grant-funded programs; manage international and local staff; identify program methodologies and develop long-term and short-term strategies and work plans to improve the rule of law in Ecuador. I implement, monitor and evaluate in-country programs and activities. I am responsible for financial oversight of all programs and for donor relations in-country. In cooperation with headquarters-based program staff, I draft grant proposals and undertake fundraising in-country.

The major program in existence before I got here was the criminal justice reform project. That project focuses on transitioning from the inquisitorial to the adversarial legal system, and we provide all types of support and training in that regard. Since I got here, I have been developing new programs, including (1) the women and children's rights project (focusing on how to prevent exploitation of women and children in the region, especially by better prosecuting human trafficking cases), (2) the anti-corruption project (focusing on measuring corruption in Ecuador as compared to the region and suggesting ways to improve anti-corruption efforts), and (3) the ethics project (providing support for judges and lawyers on how to improve the ethical guidelines and disciplinary processes to ensure the highest ethical standards in the legal profession).

Well, that's the nutshell version of what I do. Most of the time I am in government meetings and staff meetings and doing research or reading research on these topics. No day is the same, the work is very interesting and exciting, and the home office gives me great support to keep developing the projects. All in all, I couldn't ask for more.

The only thing that is a little rough is being out of pocket, in unfamiliar surroundings, and feeling a little disconnected from my fiends back home ...But then I'm just getting adjusted here, so I think that will improve with time. And then there is also the fact that the last few weeks I have just been hit with so many changes (work, travel, personal, etc.).

Then being away has its advantages, too. I am meeting new people and seeing lots of interesting things. Once I'm settled in here in Quito, I will start expanding out to see other things in Ecuador and the region, and that will be exciting. Lots of fun travel opportunities await down here not only in Ecuador, but also, neighboring Colombia and Peru ...not to mention all of South America.

Well, enough for now. Time for a local pilsner --which are pretty good, but the way --and some reading. Keep dropping in and I'll keep posting. See you all soon back here.

Is Any One Reading?...

...Because no one seems to be posting comments.

Back in Quito

I arrived last night about 11:30PM after a three week absence. When I stepped off of the plane I knew that I was not in Houston any more. The air was cool and crisp and a stark contrast to the heat and humidity I had been experiencing for the past three days. I do miss my Houston friends, but the longer I'm away in the summer, the more inhospitable June, July, and August in Houston seems. I really have loved the Quito weather so far and wish I could export some to Houston! Today was a little cloudy, but again no rain. It is now about 6PM and I am ready to go home but, since I don't have my internet connected there yet, I'm going to jot down some thoughts.

Jackson was great on the plane. He flew in the cabin with me for five-hour trip back to Quito and could not have been better behaved. We were also blessed to have a nice lady from Paris/Africa/Kauai sitting next to us. She is a free spirit whose father was a prominent developer in Washington, DC (read: she cashed in). She splits her time between an apartment in Paris, her house on the Island of Kauai, and an orphanage and school she set up in Swaziland, Africa. She is a nurse/midwife and avid diver, so she's on her way to do a course somewhere in Ecuador and then on to diving in the Galapagos Islands. She loves dogs, so Jackson could not have done better than to have her next to us. The flight crew and many assorted passengers (mostly kids) took turns wandering up to visit Jackson throughout the flight, which I'm sure annoyed all of the other passengers in the First Class cabin who wanted privacy and rest ...but Jackson loved it, so that's all that matters! Truth be told, I'm sure he would have been fine flying in the pet compartment, since he seems to go with the flow general, but it made me feel better to have him in the cabin.

When we landed, we got the royal treatment and they lead Jackson and me to the front of all of the lines saying that they did not want to keep Jackson waiting in line with the crowd! This was a huge help given that I had so much luggage and would have been waiting forever for assorted inspections. The vet at the airport in Quito who had to clear Jackson for entry just glanced at all of the papers that Stuart and I worked so hard to assemble --without an inspection and barely a look at all of the forms and vaccination certificates --and then asked if he could play with Jackson for a bit. I obliged and Jacskon again loved it.

My ride was very reliable and he was waiting when I walked out. He took us in his cargo truck to the apartment where I was greeted by Huira Cinche (pronounced WI rah SIN cheh), which means 'strong wind' in Qichua, an indigenous language of Ecuador similar to Qechua in Peru. Huiara is one half of my 'Y Tu Mama Tambien' realtor team and he was very accommodating in helping us move everything in. Of course, by the time I unpacked the basics and made the bed it was about 2:30AM, so a very long day for me.

Jackson has been resting at home all day and mostly sleeping. I have gone by several times to see how he's adjusting and all is going well. He likes his dog bed and the tile floors in the kitchen. He also has been wandering around checking out the various rooms. I plan to let him adjust at the house before I take him over to the office.

Today I was busy handling administrative matters, catching up on reading, and doing a bit more unpacking. I hope to have my internet and cable connected at the apartment within the next 3 days (probably more like Friday or Saturday, though) and then I will be more accessible to everyone. Until then, email is great and I love hearing from everyone even if it is just a quick 'howdy!' As you all know, the last few weeks have been hectic (and, at times, downright traumatic), so it is always good to hear from old friends.

I am tired after about 3-4 nights of not much sleep and too much travel for the past three weeks, so it is time to go see Jackson and wander out for some food. Look for more later this week.

Cross Country Trek on Sunday

I started out this morning in LA teaching Alec and Jordan how to ride bikes. That was ill-fated due to tire pressure issues and they fact that they are just little kids. Balance, nerves, and general inattentiveness made progress difficult, but they got a lesson on the basics that make for good bike riding.  After that, I headed to the airport for the trip to Washington, DC.

There was a brief stop in Houston to change planes and, in a totally random coincidence, my friend Ryan, who was traveling from Canada, misconnected on a flight and was stuck in Houston. He called me to say hello and, low and behold, I was a few gates away totally by chance. We got to meet for a few minutes and then I headed off to DC.

Arriving late, I made it to the hotel around midnight ...but still on California time, so I am wide awake. Tomorrow I have a full day of meetings, so I'm going to try to sleep soon. DC is a beautiful city to see from the air at night. I don't think I'd enjoy living here much, but the monuments and capitol looked great from the air as the plane approached Reagan National. The Lincoln Memorial at night is one of my favorite sites.

Visiting Los Angeles

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop.

The weather here is great, but the people are not.

After so many visits to LA for the past eight months, now I have one less reason to come back. 

On the bright side of things, I am enjoying my work here. I'm also enjoying spending time with Lori and the kids. Very grateful for that. 

...And there's always the Griffith Observatory. LA probably has other redeeming qualities, but right now I'm at a loss to think of them.

Back in Houston for a Bit

...And I must say it is hot and humid! One of the thing I remember most about my first week in Quito was noticing the diesel fumes trailing the busses and cabs. One of the things that I will remember most about coming back to Houston was that I noticed the summer's sweltering heat as soon as I stepped off of the airplane. I do miss the cool evenings in Quito and, while my secretaries complain about how hot it is when the daytime high of 78 is reached, I must say that is nothing compared to the heat of a Houston summer. It has cooled a little here now with some cloud cover and rain, but it is still really hot.

Still and all, even with the heat and humidity, it has been very nice to come back. To see friends. And to time in my house and sleep in my own bed, but I have not had that much down time. It has been a whirlwind of activity since I arrived Friday. I have been going out with my friends here and, though it has only been 3 weeks since I last saw them, it seems like it has been much longer. Friday I went out with Karen and Harold to a great dinner at Benjy's. We unexpectedly ran into another friend, Dale, at the restaurant, so that was a nice surprise. Saturday, I went out with Michelle, Drew, and Lisa for a belated birthday dinner, which was a very nice treat. Today, I went out to Sunday brunch with some of my cycling buddies. Lots of catching up to do in a short amount of time, so I've been staying very busy. Great to see everyone again and many are making plans to come visit me in Quito. I'll look forward to that.

I have also been running lots of errands preparing things for my departure later this week to CA. Still lots of things to take care of here during the week, including a few business meetings, but I'm sure I'll be able to get it all done. One of my big projects is a report, which I have been working on on-and-off most of the day. Still more to do there, but then I don't have to send the draft off until tomorrow! I will be busy working with the Quito staff even as I am traveling for the next few weeks. Fortunately Houston and Quito are on the same time zones, so that's nice. The next couple of weeks will be more challenging, though, as I move to West coast time and then Eastern time.

For now, some pictures of Houston, which feels so much more like home that the hotel room I have been occupying for the past 21 days. The Houston skyline from Memorial Drive, the De Menil Museum, and the Mecom Fountain at night, all some of my favorite things about Houston.