We made it! The move out of our apartment this past weekend went as smoothly as it possibly could have. We couldn't have done it without our indefatigable moving help! Thanks all!
Now Ashlee and I have pretty much taken over half my parents' house. My poor Dad -- he's finally managed to get the house "de-cluttered" and here we are moving in and putting our crap all over the place. I guess we'll be out of his hair soon.
As for our plans this week, we don't really have much going on. We took Hamish the good ol' Hyundai to the car shop yesterday to get a physical before leaving on our roadtrip this weekend. I felt a little guilty telling our mechanic that my airbag light has been on for a little over a year. It's never too late, I suppose...
We also had to update our resumes and send an "aspiration statement" to our future Mongolian employers. I hope they like us.
Other than that, we're headed out in a bit to meet Dad Pool for lunch and then my parents are taking us out for Mongolian BBQ tonight. It doesn't get more authentic than "Emperor's Mongolian BBQ." I'm sure Chingis Khan would approve.
P.S. - My dad read my previous post about 8 out of 10 people thinking that Ashlee and I are nuts. He wants to know who the two people are who think we're sane.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ends & Beginnings (Scott)
Wow -- this week has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Today is my last day of "official" work for the next two and half years (technically during the Peace Corps we will be volunteers), and we are moving out of our apartment tomorrow. Again, bittersweet is how I would describe this whole experience.
The sweet part is relatively east to describe. At this point in our lives, Ashlee and I feel as if the world is our oyster. We've been looking forward to this next chapter of our lives for years now. When we first kicked around the idea of joining the Peace Corps close to three years ago, we were probably eating breakfast at the good ol' freshers' cafeteria at the University of Edinburgh. At that point, the idea was so abstract and remote that, while it still excited feelings of fancy and wonder, it was just a mere possibility and, all in all, something that was not likely to happen. Now, at the tail-end of the application process and after navigating numerous hooks and snags, we are literally on the threshold of our future. No wonder the moment is pretty sweet -- it has definitely been a long time coming.
Now the bitter part is a bit harder to pin down. Essentially I have boiled it down to the fact that we are saying goodbye to pretty much everything that is comfortable and familiar to us. We've been in Newport Beach for two years now. We love our apartment and we got quite used to our jobs. We established some firm routines -- all the way down to the fact that every morning I would wake up and prepare tea and coffee while Ashlee would make our sack lunches. It is completely true that human beings are creatures of habits -- and now we are throwing all those habits out the window. We will be spending the next two and a half years swimming against the current. Come on. let's face it: while we think the Peace Corps is a wonderful idea, the plain truth is that 8 out of 10 people probably think we're nuts. They may find it admirable, and maybe even inspiring, but nuts nonetheless. The silver lining to the whole thing is that as nuts as some people may think we are, Ashlee and I both know that we are completely sane (the motto, I'm sure, of every lunatic asylum) and that we are doing something that makes us extremely happy. We're jumping outside of the box, we're swimming upstream, and we're making our own way -- along with every other appropriate metaphor alluding to Frost's road less traveled. And it will make all the difference.
At this moment, Ashlee and I also realize how blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends who love and support us, often unconditionally. We cannot tell them all how much this means to us. Thank you all.
The sweet part is relatively east to describe. At this point in our lives, Ashlee and I feel as if the world is our oyster. We've been looking forward to this next chapter of our lives for years now. When we first kicked around the idea of joining the Peace Corps close to three years ago, we were probably eating breakfast at the good ol' freshers' cafeteria at the University of Edinburgh. At that point, the idea was so abstract and remote that, while it still excited feelings of fancy and wonder, it was just a mere possibility and, all in all, something that was not likely to happen. Now, at the tail-end of the application process and after navigating numerous hooks and snags, we are literally on the threshold of our future. No wonder the moment is pretty sweet -- it has definitely been a long time coming.
Now the bitter part is a bit harder to pin down. Essentially I have boiled it down to the fact that we are saying goodbye to pretty much everything that is comfortable and familiar to us. We've been in Newport Beach for two years now. We love our apartment and we got quite used to our jobs. We established some firm routines -- all the way down to the fact that every morning I would wake up and prepare tea and coffee while Ashlee would make our sack lunches. It is completely true that human beings are creatures of habits -- and now we are throwing all those habits out the window. We will be spending the next two and a half years swimming against the current. Come on. let's face it: while we think the Peace Corps is a wonderful idea, the plain truth is that 8 out of 10 people probably think we're nuts. They may find it admirable, and maybe even inspiring, but nuts nonetheless. The silver lining to the whole thing is that as nuts as some people may think we are, Ashlee and I both know that we are completely sane (the motto, I'm sure, of every lunatic asylum) and that we are doing something that makes us extremely happy. We're jumping outside of the box, we're swimming upstream, and we're making our own way -- along with every other appropriate metaphor alluding to Frost's road less traveled. And it will make all the difference.
At this moment, Ashlee and I also realize how blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends who love and support us, often unconditionally. We cannot tell them all how much this means to us. Thank you all.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
sorry for all the weird posts, i'm home alone... (Ashlee)
(\__/)
(='.'=)
since we won't be here for Easter :)
(")-(")
(='.'=)
since we won't be here for Easter :)
(")-(")
lame-o (Ashlee)
the time warner cable guy is coming today, sometime between 10AM-5PM. (now, without even getting into the 10 reasons i hate twc) before having our own place, i really thought that this was some kind of myth; that utilities expect someone to be home ALL DAY long, waiting for the guy to show up and fix the box or pick up your stuff or whatever. but apparently, i have to be a stay at home mom, just to wait for repair people. darn :D anyways, i won't have any internet or tv til we get to the walnut-burt's house, and while i don't post that often, i do like keeping up with scott's posts! and creeping around facebook. and looking up more stuff on the internet for our trips. and just generally wasting time...
**so after posting this, i realized that i should just take the dumb stuff myself to the dumb twc customer service office. its worth it to have internet for two more days. i'm an addict. do they have IA meetings? :)
**so after posting this, i realized that i should just take the dumb stuff myself to the dumb twc customer service office. its worth it to have internet for two more days. i'm an addict. do they have IA meetings? :)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Interesting Things I've Learned About Mongolia (Scott)
The following are excerpts from our Peace Corps Mongolia Welcome Book, which we are encouraged to share with friends & family and which can be found at www.peacecorps.gov/welcomebooks/mnwb309.pdf:
- It's a very sparsely populated and completely landlocked country about the size of Alaska. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the east, south, and west.
- The Mongol Empire of the 13th & 14th centuries was the largest land-area empire in history. At its greatest, it stretched from Korea to Hungary.
- Ethnic Mongolians make up 95% of the population. The remaining 5% are mostly Turkic people composed of Kazakhs and Tuvans.
- Mongolian is the main language of Mongolia. It is written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
- Tibetan Buddhism is Mongolia's official religion.
- The current population is 2.7 million people. Almost 60% of the population lives in urban areas. Its capital city, Ulaanbaatar has doubled its population over the past 5 years.
- Mongolia is a land of contrasts: wild forests, alpine meadows, semi-deserts, vast plains, and snow-covered mountains.
- The Gobi Desert in southeastern Mongolia supports almost no vegetation and is sparsely populated.
- With an average of 260 sunny days per year, Mongolia is known as the "Land of Blue Sky."
- The summers are generally mild and pleasant.
- The average altitude of Mongolia is 5,214 feet above sea level. Ulaanbaatar sits about the same altitude as Denver.
- Increasingly, PCVs in Mongolia are living in gers (yurts). A ger is a round tent of about 20 feet in diameter, made of a wooden lattice covered with thick felt. The inside consists of one room with furniture around the circumference and a wood stove in the center.
- Mongolia is known as the Land of Five Animals - sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels. Today's diet still relies heavily on meat and dairy products. Fermented mare's milk is the traditional ceremonial drink. The main meats are mutton and beef, but Mongolians also eat goat, horse, marmot, and camel.
- Turning down food can offend Mongolians, who believe meat is necessary for survival in harsh climates. A vegetarian would have to become quite good at explaining his or her "strange" diet to Mongolians.
- The "worst case scenario" for winter is -40F with a wind chill factor of -67F. While this may sound unbearable, PCVs are given many strategies for "beating" the cold from their Mongolian neighbors. It is important to remember that millions of people, including hundreds of PCVs, live and thrive here in the winter. The winter is very sunny and usually windless.
- It is very important for PCVs to dress professionally in work settings. All clothes should be clean at all times. Typical clothing for men includes slacks, a collared shirt with a sweater or jacket, a tie, and dress shoes. Women tend to wear dresses or dressy slacks with blouse-and-sweater combinations and nice boots or high-heeled shoes.
- Professionals in Mongolia wear their hair in fairly conservative styles. Long hair on men is rare in the professional environment.
- It's a very sparsely populated and completely landlocked country about the size of Alaska. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the east, south, and west.
- The Mongol Empire of the 13th & 14th centuries was the largest land-area empire in history. At its greatest, it stretched from Korea to Hungary.
- Ethnic Mongolians make up 95% of the population. The remaining 5% are mostly Turkic people composed of Kazakhs and Tuvans.
- Mongolian is the main language of Mongolia. It is written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
- Tibetan Buddhism is Mongolia's official religion.
- The current population is 2.7 million people. Almost 60% of the population lives in urban areas. Its capital city, Ulaanbaatar has doubled its population over the past 5 years.
- Mongolia is a land of contrasts: wild forests, alpine meadows, semi-deserts, vast plains, and snow-covered mountains.
- The Gobi Desert in southeastern Mongolia supports almost no vegetation and is sparsely populated.
- With an average of 260 sunny days per year, Mongolia is known as the "Land of Blue Sky."
- The summers are generally mild and pleasant.
- The average altitude of Mongolia is 5,214 feet above sea level. Ulaanbaatar sits about the same altitude as Denver.
- Increasingly, PCVs in Mongolia are living in gers (yurts). A ger is a round tent of about 20 feet in diameter, made of a wooden lattice covered with thick felt. The inside consists of one room with furniture around the circumference and a wood stove in the center.
- Mongolia is known as the Land of Five Animals - sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels. Today's diet still relies heavily on meat and dairy products. Fermented mare's milk is the traditional ceremonial drink. The main meats are mutton and beef, but Mongolians also eat goat, horse, marmot, and camel.
- Turning down food can offend Mongolians, who believe meat is necessary for survival in harsh climates. A vegetarian would have to become quite good at explaining his or her "strange" diet to Mongolians.
- The "worst case scenario" for winter is -40F with a wind chill factor of -67F. While this may sound unbearable, PCVs are given many strategies for "beating" the cold from their Mongolian neighbors. It is important to remember that millions of people, including hundreds of PCVs, live and thrive here in the winter. The winter is very sunny and usually windless.
- It is very important for PCVs to dress professionally in work settings. All clothes should be clean at all times. Typical clothing for men includes slacks, a collared shirt with a sweater or jacket, a tie, and dress shoes. Women tend to wear dresses or dressy slacks with blouse-and-sweater combinations and nice boots or high-heeled shoes.
- Professionals in Mongolia wear their hair in fairly conservative styles. Long hair on men is rare in the professional environment.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Blast! (Scott)
According to our Mongolia Welcome Book, which is prepared by past PCVs, many items that we might need over a two-year span are readily available in-county. These items include clothing, toiletries, and other personal amenities. This made me feel a lot better about packing -- for some reason I have been having anxiety about settling in for a fierce Mongolian winter and realizing that I forgot to bring a heavy coat.
So yeah, I was feeling good -- until I read the part about how if you are over 6 feet tall, you are pretty much out of luck clothing-wise. Dangit...
So yeah, I was feeling good -- until I read the part about how if you are over 6 feet tall, you are pretty much out of luck clothing-wise. Dangit...
It IS a Small World (Scott)
Word has spread around my firm that Ashlee and I will be leaving for Mongolia. I have gotten many congratulatory emails and a few that were more personal. One San Francisco attorney told me that his son is currently a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) in Peru and that he'd like to talk to me about it.
Another of our San Francisco attorneys told me that he himself was a volunteer in Belize in 1990. His wife was also a volunteer in Thailand in 1988. Furthermore, in the 1990s his wife headed up the Mongolia/China Peace Corps desk at national headquarters in D.C. He also said he'd love to chat.
It just so happens that Ashlee and I will be in San Francisco in a couple of weeks. We are planning to meet with this attorney and his wife for a bite to eat. Isn't the world a small place?
Another of our San Francisco attorneys told me that he himself was a volunteer in Belize in 1990. His wife was also a volunteer in Thailand in 1988. Furthermore, in the 1990s his wife headed up the Mongolia/China Peace Corps desk at national headquarters in D.C. He also said he'd love to chat.
It just so happens that Ashlee and I will be in San Francisco in a couple of weeks. We are planning to meet with this attorney and his wife for a bite to eat. Isn't the world a small place?
Wow (Scott)
When the alarm went off this morning at 6am, both Ashlee and I wanted nothing more than to hit the snooze, pull our down comforter over our heads, and go back to sleep. But we got up. I realize that we won't be getting sympathy from anyone -- this is our last week of work, after all. Actually, Ashlee only has three days left -- I, on the other hand, will be sticking it out until Friday. Again, I don't know how we do it...
The fact that we are now Mongolia-bound still hasn't really sunk in yet. I guess it's partly because we have so much going on right now, and partly because this entire Peace Corps sojourn has been so long in the making that we can't quite get our heads around the fact that it is now staring us in the face. We do have plenty to distract us.
As mentioned above, this is the last week of work for both of us. We're also moving out of our apartment this coming weekend. We are currently about 1/3 packed. I'm confident that I can get the rest of my stuff packed over the next couple of evenings. Ashlee, on the other hand, has both Thursday and Friday off to get her things together. Fortunately, she's already taken on the elephant in our bedroom and she has completely cleaned out her desk, which was a bit scary.
Then, as if there wasn't enough going on, we sort of checked out this past weekend and went to visit some good friends, Erika & Sean, in San Diego. We had a wonderful time. Erika and Sean were gracious hosts -- they not only put us up for a night, but they also took us to the zoo, chauffeured us around downtown San Diego, and introduced us to their character-filled Hillcrest neighborhood. All around it was good food, good company, and good times.
The fact that we are now Mongolia-bound still hasn't really sunk in yet. I guess it's partly because we have so much going on right now, and partly because this entire Peace Corps sojourn has been so long in the making that we can't quite get our heads around the fact that it is now staring us in the face. We do have plenty to distract us.
As mentioned above, this is the last week of work for both of us. We're also moving out of our apartment this coming weekend. We are currently about 1/3 packed. I'm confident that I can get the rest of my stuff packed over the next couple of evenings. Ashlee, on the other hand, has both Thursday and Friday off to get her things together. Fortunately, she's already taken on the elephant in our bedroom and she has completely cleaned out her desk, which was a bit scary.
Then, as if there wasn't enough going on, we sort of checked out this past weekend and went to visit some good friends, Erika & Sean, in San Diego. We had a wonderful time. Erika and Sean were gracious hosts -- they not only put us up for a night, but they also took us to the zoo, chauffeured us around downtown San Diego, and introduced us to their character-filled Hillcrest neighborhood. All around it was good food, good company, and good times.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Details (Scott)
If you didn't understand my last post, Ashlee and I have been invited for service in Mongolia. Here are the details:
Country: Mongolia
Scott's Program: English Language Education & Community Development
Scott's Job Title: Secondary Education English Teacher
Ashlee's Program: Community-Based Health
Ashlee's Job Title: Health Specialist Volunteer / Health Extension Volunteer
Departure Date (approx.): June 12, 2009
Training Period: June 2009 - August 2009
Dates of Service: August 2009 - August 2011
So, Mongolia it is! It looks like we will be leaving California on June 12th, although this date is subject to change a few days in either direction. Our first stop will be somewhere in the U.S. for a couple of days to meet up with all of our fellow Mongolia-bound volunteers and to go over pertinent orientation information. Then it's off to Mongolia!
Our first three months (June-August) will be our training period. Ashlee and I will most likely be placed with separate host families. These three months will be spent learning the language, training for our jobs, and altogether learning the culture.
After training, Ashlee and I will be joining each other in our post, which will most likely be a rural community. Then the work will really begin!
Country: Mongolia
Scott's Program: English Language Education & Community Development
Scott's Job Title: Secondary Education English Teacher
Ashlee's Program: Community-Based Health
Ashlee's Job Title: Health Specialist Volunteer / Health Extension Volunteer
Departure Date (approx.): June 12, 2009
Training Period: June 2009 - August 2009
Dates of Service: August 2009 - August 2011
So, Mongolia it is! It looks like we will be leaving California on June 12th, although this date is subject to change a few days in either direction. Our first stop will be somewhere in the U.S. for a couple of days to meet up with all of our fellow Mongolia-bound volunteers and to go over pertinent orientation information. Then it's off to Mongolia!
Our first three months (June-August) will be our training period. Ashlee and I will most likely be placed with separate host families. These three months will be spent learning the language, training for our jobs, and altogether learning the culture.
After training, Ashlee and I will be joining each other in our post, which will most likely be a rural community. Then the work will really begin!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Benefits? (Scott)
Quite a few people have asked me if there are any tangible benefits to serving in the Peace Corps. I came across this in our "toolkit" the other day. It's a bit beefy, but there's some good info:
Prepare Your Friends and Family
Benefits of Volunteering
The Peace Corps is a challenging opportunity that offers Americans of every background enormous rewards. Should your family member become a Peace Corps Volunteer, you will be proud of his or her two years spent helping others. But for all the giving they do, it's important to know that Peace Corps Volunteers are also opening worlds of opportunity for themselves.
Serving in the Peace Corps gives Volunteers the chance to learn a new language, live in another culture, and develop career and leadership skills.
The Peace Corps experience can enhance long-term career prospects, whether a Volunteer wants to work for a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The Peace Corps can even open doors to graduate school.
For your son, daughter, sister, brother, or parent to venture to a far-away place for two years where they don't know anyone can be a cause for concern. Some people, who may have worked hard to get a child through college or struggled to bring children to the United States in search of economic opportunity, may feel disappointed when a son or daughter does not take a high-paying job right after graduation. Others might think that Americans should help improve the quality of life in their own community here at home.
The following information will help you learn more about the professional, educational, and financial benefits of service that await someone as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
PROFESSIONAL
The benefits of Peace Corps service last a lifetime, but you will start noticing them as soon as a Peace Corps Volunteer returns home. In today's global marketplace, fluency in foreign languages, international experience, and cross-cultural understanding are highly sought-after assets in many sectors of our increasingly global economy. The first three months of service in the Peace Corps provide cross-cultural, technical, and language training to help Volunteers integrate into their new overseas communities.
In addition:
- The Peace Corps' Office of Returned Volunteer Services (RVS) provides career, educational, and re-entry related assistance through its 11 regional recruiting offices and its Career Center in Washington, DC.
- Returned Volunteers have non-competitive eligibility status for appointments to U.S. government executive branch agencies for one year after their completion of service. This means that you can be appointed to some federal government positions without competing with the general public.
- Once you arrive in your country of service, you will receive intensive language instruction. Some Volunteers become fluent in more than one language.
- Volunteers develop the ability to adapt to, and participate successfully in, the culture of the community in which they live and work. These skills are transferable to any culture as well as to new professional and social settings back home.
EDUCATIONAL
- The Peace Corps offers two innovative programs to Peace Corps Volunteers: Masters International and Fellows/USA.
- The Master's International Program allows you to incorporate Peace Corps service into master's degree programs at more than 40 colleges and universities.
- The Fellows/USA Program offers Volunteers who have returned home scholarships or reduced tuition in advanced degree programs at more than 25 participating colleges and universities. In return for these educational benefits, Fellows commit to work for two years in an underserved community as they pursue their graduate degree.
Additionally, Peace Corps Volunteers may apply for partial deferment of many loans and up to 15% cancellation of Perkins loans.
FINANCIAL
Among other financial benefits, the Peace Corps offers:
- A monthly living allowance to cover your housing and other basic needs
- Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, including annual exams and coverage for both service and non-service-related illnesses or injuries
- $6,075 after the completion of three months of training and two years of Volunteer service
- A reasonably priced health insurance plan available after the completion of Volunteer service for up to 18 months
- 24 vacation days per year
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Foiled Again! (Scott)
I emailed our placement officer to politely pump him for info regarding our country of service and departure date, and I got a reply saying that it is agency policy to provide all service-oriented information at one time in an official invitation packet. So basically we need to wait.
When am I going to learn to be patient?
Never.
When am I going to learn to be patient?
Never.
The Luck of the Irish Worked! (Scott)
I got an e-mail this morning saying that our Peace Corps status has been updated. I logged into our "Peace Corps Toolkit" and got the following message:
The e-mail didn't say where or when we're going -- I guess we need to wait for an email or phone call. Exciting! Woo hoo!
Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer.
The e-mail didn't say where or when we're going -- I guess we need to wait for an email or phone call. Exciting! Woo hoo!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Luck of the Irish? (Scott)
Ashlee got a call from our placement officer last week -- he is forwarding our packet to a prospective host country. Apparently each country must approve the volunteers that the Peace Corps wants to send them. Ashlee was told that we can expect to hear the decision within "1 to 5 business days." This means that we will hopefully hear this week! Maybe the luck of the Irish will help us get our invitation tomorrow for St. Paddy's Day!
In other news, we've started packing up our little apartment -- which has brought about some mixed emotions. Moving out of our place in Newport is very bittersweet. On the one hand, we are incredibly excited about beginning this new and uncharted chapter in our lives. We've been looking forward to service in the Peace Corps for over two years now, and we are thrilled that things are finally coming together. On the other hand, however, our little apartment has been our home for close to two years now and we've gotten quite comfortable in it. Afterall, it is our first home together, and as Ashlee pointed out, these last two years will probably be the most stable and comfortable period of our lives for years to come. Who knows how many more times we will have to move before we finally settle down, buy a home, take on a mortgage, buy..er..adopt a dog, and start a family...
In other news, we've started packing up our little apartment -- which has brought about some mixed emotions. Moving out of our place in Newport is very bittersweet. On the one hand, we are incredibly excited about beginning this new and uncharted chapter in our lives. We've been looking forward to service in the Peace Corps for over two years now, and we are thrilled that things are finally coming together. On the other hand, however, our little apartment has been our home for close to two years now and we've gotten quite comfortable in it. Afterall, it is our first home together, and as Ashlee pointed out, these last two years will probably be the most stable and comfortable period of our lives for years to come. Who knows how many more times we will have to move before we finally settle down, buy a home, take on a mortgage, buy..er..adopt a dog, and start a family...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
I'm Just Not Cut Out for Business (Scott)
We sold our couch yesterday -- we even threw in the coffee table to sweeten the deal. It turned out to be quite the ordeal...well not really, I guess. I'll explain.
We posted the couch/coffee table package on Craigs List on Saturday afternoon. We only asked $125. To be honest, we probably would have just given the items away, but the little capitalists in us thought, "Hmm, any money we get we can use on our upcoming trip to San Francisco!" But yeah, even at $125 we thought we had priced the couch and coffee table to sell.
Within 10 minutes of the posting, we received three calls. The first caller, unidentified, immediately asked how old the couch was. I told him it must be at least 5 years old, but that it's still in nice condition. He told me, "Oh, sorry, but I'm looking for something new." A new sectional couch and a coffee table for $125? Dream on, buddy.
The second caller was a nice-sounding guy named Jimmy. He said he and his fiancee were looking for a couch and he wanted to come take a look at ours. Unfortunately, he said, he wouldn't be able to come out until the following afternoon. I told him that wouldn't be a problem and I'd see him about 1pm on Sunday.
Right after I got off the phone with Jimmy, I got a call from a man named Geoffrey. Geoffrey also sounded like a nice guy, but I had to tell him that Jimmy was already coming out. Geoffrey said he understood, but he asked when Jimmy was coming out. I told him the next day. "Well, I'd hate to step on his toes," said Geoffrey,"but I can come out now." And here's where I encountered my first quandary of the day: should I stand by Jimmy and wait for him to come out tomorrow, or should I invite Geoffrey out and try to sell the couch immediately? Hmm...
Being a nice guy, I told Geoffrey that I'd wait for Jimmy to come take a look -- if it didn't work out, I'd give him a call. After I got off the phone, I took our posting down from Craigs List and joined Ashlee in the living room for one last movie night with our favorite piece of furniture.
The next day Jimmy and his fiancee came out right at 1pm. They both seemed very friendly, and I thought, "Great, this is a done deal." I brought them inside and showed them the furniture. Jimmy sat on the couch and put his feet up like he owned the place. He said it felt comfortable and he was glad the fabric wasn't microfiber. He then turned a couple cushions over, looked at his wife, and said "Umm, I don't think this is couch for us." What?!? We exchanged pleasantries and he and his fiancee left, leaving Ashlee and I in our apartment looking dejected.
It's funny how defensive I felt about Jimmy's refusal to buy our couch. What did he mean the couch wasn't for him? What's wrong with it? Well, we didn't want to sell it to him anyway...so there.
Thankfully, I still had Geoffrey's phone number. I called him and gave him the good news that the couch was still available. He coyly asked about the other buyer -- and I said, "He's outta the picture. The couch is yours if you want it!" Then Geoffrey said it was already too late -- he had just put a deposit down on another couch.
Blarg! Yesterday we had a great couch and two buyers clawing over each other to buy it (or so I thought). Now today there were no buyers and we just had Jimmy's rejects...
Never again, I vowed, would I be a nice guy in business. From now on, the gloves are off and it's time for hardball...or something like that.
I went back to my computer and put the posting back up. Like fishing with dynamite, I got another two calls within 10 minutes.
The first was a lady from Huntington Beach named Cindy whose phone number came up as restricted on our caller ID. She was very chatty and said she was excited about the couch. She wanted to verify the dimensions to make sure the couch would fit in her living room. She said she would speak to her husband and she would get right back to me.
Right after I hung up with Cindy, a call came in from a guy in San Clemente with a pleasant-sounding Southern twang. He asked about the couch -- a few standard questions: How old? Any tears? Are we smokers? Then he asked if there were any other buyers. Oh no -- not this again, I thought. Being completely honest, I told him about Cindy and how she sounded that she wanted it, but she hadn't committed to coming out. No need to say more, said Brad-with-the-twang, he and his roommate were headed out and they'd be here in 35 minutes. Ok...
When Brad hung up, a call came in from Cindy. She said she got the OK from her husband and they were going to come out to look at the couch. Blarg! I had to tell Cindy about Brad and his roommate and how they were coming out right this moment. "Oh...I see...," sniffled Cindy. Reading between the lines, what I heard was, "And you sounded like such a nice guy, Scott..."
I hung up with Cindy and then went and spoke to Ashlee. "How do those Wall Street guys do it?" Here I was, feeling terrible about about hurting someone's feelings over a $125 couch. Man, I'm such a bleeding heart. But at least I'm honest with myself, I thought. I'm just not cut out for business.
The rest of the day went smoothly. Brad and his roommate showed up. They were both in their twenties, mildly tattoed, and with closely cropped haircuts. They loved the couch and thanked us for cutting such a nice deal. They said they were both broke military guys trying to make it in Orange County. I told them I could sympathize...after all, Ashlee and I are joining the Corps, too...
After we helped Brad and his roommate load the couch and coffee table up, Ashlee and I returned to our now-empty living room and threw some pillows on the ground. We made some tea and sat to watch Ashlee's favorite show, The Real Housewives of NYC (actually I think she likes the OC one better). Right when we got comfortable, the phone rang.
It was poor Cindy. Sounding really sad, she asked if the couch had been sold. Confirming her worst nightmare, I told her yes. "Oh...," she said, "I understand..."
Poor Cindy. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there...
We posted the couch/coffee table package on Craigs List on Saturday afternoon. We only asked $125. To be honest, we probably would have just given the items away, but the little capitalists in us thought, "Hmm, any money we get we can use on our upcoming trip to San Francisco!" But yeah, even at $125 we thought we had priced the couch and coffee table to sell.
Within 10 minutes of the posting, we received three calls. The first caller, unidentified, immediately asked how old the couch was. I told him it must be at least 5 years old, but that it's still in nice condition. He told me, "Oh, sorry, but I'm looking for something new." A new sectional couch and a coffee table for $125? Dream on, buddy.
The second caller was a nice-sounding guy named Jimmy. He said he and his fiancee were looking for a couch and he wanted to come take a look at ours. Unfortunately, he said, he wouldn't be able to come out until the following afternoon. I told him that wouldn't be a problem and I'd see him about 1pm on Sunday.
Right after I got off the phone with Jimmy, I got a call from a man named Geoffrey. Geoffrey also sounded like a nice guy, but I had to tell him that Jimmy was already coming out. Geoffrey said he understood, but he asked when Jimmy was coming out. I told him the next day. "Well, I'd hate to step on his toes," said Geoffrey,"but I can come out now." And here's where I encountered my first quandary of the day: should I stand by Jimmy and wait for him to come out tomorrow, or should I invite Geoffrey out and try to sell the couch immediately? Hmm...
Being a nice guy, I told Geoffrey that I'd wait for Jimmy to come take a look -- if it didn't work out, I'd give him a call. After I got off the phone, I took our posting down from Craigs List and joined Ashlee in the living room for one last movie night with our favorite piece of furniture.
The next day Jimmy and his fiancee came out right at 1pm. They both seemed very friendly, and I thought, "Great, this is a done deal." I brought them inside and showed them the furniture. Jimmy sat on the couch and put his feet up like he owned the place. He said it felt comfortable and he was glad the fabric wasn't microfiber. He then turned a couple cushions over, looked at his wife, and said "Umm, I don't think this is couch for us." What?!? We exchanged pleasantries and he and his fiancee left, leaving Ashlee and I in our apartment looking dejected.
It's funny how defensive I felt about Jimmy's refusal to buy our couch. What did he mean the couch wasn't for him? What's wrong with it? Well, we didn't want to sell it to him anyway...so there.
Thankfully, I still had Geoffrey's phone number. I called him and gave him the good news that the couch was still available. He coyly asked about the other buyer -- and I said, "He's outta the picture. The couch is yours if you want it!" Then Geoffrey said it was already too late -- he had just put a deposit down on another couch.
Blarg! Yesterday we had a great couch and two buyers clawing over each other to buy it (or so I thought). Now today there were no buyers and we just had Jimmy's rejects...
Never again, I vowed, would I be a nice guy in business. From now on, the gloves are off and it's time for hardball...or something like that.
I went back to my computer and put the posting back up. Like fishing with dynamite, I got another two calls within 10 minutes.
The first was a lady from Huntington Beach named Cindy whose phone number came up as restricted on our caller ID. She was very chatty and said she was excited about the couch. She wanted to verify the dimensions to make sure the couch would fit in her living room. She said she would speak to her husband and she would get right back to me.
Right after I hung up with Cindy, a call came in from a guy in San Clemente with a pleasant-sounding Southern twang. He asked about the couch -- a few standard questions: How old? Any tears? Are we smokers? Then he asked if there were any other buyers. Oh no -- not this again, I thought. Being completely honest, I told him about Cindy and how she sounded that she wanted it, but she hadn't committed to coming out. No need to say more, said Brad-with-the-twang, he and his roommate were headed out and they'd be here in 35 minutes. Ok...
When Brad hung up, a call came in from Cindy. She said she got the OK from her husband and they were going to come out to look at the couch. Blarg! I had to tell Cindy about Brad and his roommate and how they were coming out right this moment. "Oh...I see...," sniffled Cindy. Reading between the lines, what I heard was, "And you sounded like such a nice guy, Scott..."
I hung up with Cindy and then went and spoke to Ashlee. "How do those Wall Street guys do it?" Here I was, feeling terrible about about hurting someone's feelings over a $125 couch. Man, I'm such a bleeding heart. But at least I'm honest with myself, I thought. I'm just not cut out for business.
The rest of the day went smoothly. Brad and his roommate showed up. They were both in their twenties, mildly tattoed, and with closely cropped haircuts. They loved the couch and thanked us for cutting such a nice deal. They said they were both broke military guys trying to make it in Orange County. I told them I could sympathize...after all, Ashlee and I are joining the Corps, too...
After we helped Brad and his roommate load the couch and coffee table up, Ashlee and I returned to our now-empty living room and threw some pillows on the ground. We made some tea and sat to watch Ashlee's favorite show, The Real Housewives of NYC (actually I think she likes the OC one better). Right when we got comfortable, the phone rang.
It was poor Cindy. Sounding really sad, she asked if the couch had been sold. Confirming her worst nightmare, I told her yes. "Oh...," she said, "I understand..."
Poor Cindy. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there...
Yesterday (Ashlee)
Our couch is gone. I spent a couple hours yesterday lounging on the carpet watching "The Real Housewives of New York". After contemplating how extravagant our lives are here in America over the past couple weeks, I realized how much excess people truly have. I mean, who needs a Rolls Royce? or a mansion in the Hamptons to match your penthouse in NYC? or who needs a couch, for that matter, when pillows work just dandy? (that's a bit of a stretch, but you can pick up what I'm puttin' down, right?)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Grumpy is as grumpy does (Ashlee)
just keeping with the Forest Gump theme...
Why does the government insist on continuing a practice that was put into place to help farmers and their children during winter time?! Now, we work in an office all day so it doesn't really matter if the sun is up and if you don't, then you probably just start when the sun comes up anyways! who cares if its 5 AM or 6 AM! Now its just a cause for panic and losing an hour of sleep! Do we wake up on time for church? or wait until the proper "old" time?! AND now we don't even do it at the same time as some of the rest of the world (all of whom, don't even take part in the practice) - thanks Bushie. Whatever.
I'm watching "Jamie at Home" (the chef formerly known as the Naked Chef). Its awesome because he just goes into his English garden and makes whatever is fresh in units of milliliters and grams. I just found out how to make "Courgette (Squash) Carbonara".
Why does the government insist on continuing a practice that was put into place to help farmers and their children during winter time?! Now, we work in an office all day so it doesn't really matter if the sun is up and if you don't, then you probably just start when the sun comes up anyways! who cares if its 5 AM or 6 AM! Now its just a cause for panic and losing an hour of sleep! Do we wake up on time for church? or wait until the proper "old" time?! AND now we don't even do it at the same time as some of the rest of the world (all of whom, don't even take part in the practice) - thanks Bushie. Whatever.
I'm watching "Jamie at Home" (the chef formerly known as the Naked Chef). Its awesome because he just goes into his English garden and makes whatever is fresh in units of milliliters and grams. I just found out how to make "Courgette (Squash) Carbonara".
Friday, March 6, 2009
Life is Like a Box of Chocolates -- You Never Know What You're Gonna Get... (Scott)
...unless you read the labels.
Breaking our own rule about not wanting to seem desperate, we decided to call our Placement Officer to see what the deal is -- we mitigated our desperation by calling under the pretense of updating our address to Casa de Pool.
In typical Peace Corps fashion we found that our Placement Officer is insanely busy, and as a consequence, he is behind schedule on lining up placements. Long story short, we may not hear for several more weeks.
Well, what's life without something to wait for?
In other news, I'm not looking forward to how grumpy Ashlee will be when she realizes that Sunday is Daylight Savings Time and she will be losing an hour of sleep.
Breaking our own rule about not wanting to seem desperate, we decided to call our Placement Officer to see what the deal is -- we mitigated our desperation by calling under the pretense of updating our address to Casa de Pool.
In typical Peace Corps fashion we found that our Placement Officer is insanely busy, and as a consequence, he is behind schedule on lining up placements. Long story short, we may not hear for several more weeks.
Well, what's life without something to wait for?
In other news, I'm not looking forward to how grumpy Ashlee will be when she realizes that Sunday is Daylight Savings Time and she will be losing an hour of sleep.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
March Madness (Scott)
This beautiful March morning finds your favorite sojourners still in their comfy Newport Beach lives. There have been a few developments, however.
This past Friday we gave our landlord official notice that we will be out of our apartment by March 31st. We're planning to make the big move on Saturday, March 28th. We've been busy recruiting help -- we're blessed to have a large family with large vehicles. We plan to put the bulk of our things in a spare bedroom at my parents' house (thanks, Mom & Dad!). I don't think my dad has quite embraced this idea yet, but he'll come around...maybe. Then for the first leg of our new gypsy lifestyle, we will be moving into Casa de Pool in Laguna Hills (thanks, Dad & Edie!).
The other development worth mentioning is that Ashlee has been busy planning another roadtrip for us. In the middle of May, we will be taking off for the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park in Utah, and then a swing through Henderson/Las Vegas to visit our cousins, Gen & Joe, and maybe catch a Vegas show (I'm quite the lyricist).
I don't know how we do it.
This past Friday we gave our landlord official notice that we will be out of our apartment by March 31st. We're planning to make the big move on Saturday, March 28th. We've been busy recruiting help -- we're blessed to have a large family with large vehicles. We plan to put the bulk of our things in a spare bedroom at my parents' house (thanks, Mom & Dad!). I don't think my dad has quite embraced this idea yet, but he'll come around...maybe. Then for the first leg of our new gypsy lifestyle, we will be moving into Casa de Pool in Laguna Hills (thanks, Dad & Edie!).
The other development worth mentioning is that Ashlee has been busy planning another roadtrip for us. In the middle of May, we will be taking off for the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park in Utah, and then a swing through Henderson/Las Vegas to visit our cousins, Gen & Joe, and maybe catch a Vegas show (I'm quite the lyricist).
I don't know how we do it.
Monday, March 2, 2009
It's here! (Ashlee)
And I hope that my husband still finds time to talk to me with all those books he's got to read ;)
It's Here! (Scott)
It's here! My Kindle 2 came today! I'm still playing around with, but it seems to work exactly as I had hoped. Woo hoo!
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