The Botzer Way

The Clambake was, as always, a blast. I'm stealing Katie's computer right now, but I thought I'd take a quick sec to provide at least a smidge of entertainment.

And here you have it, the Botzer's version of the "Do Re Mi" song from The Sound of Music. Ahem:

DO With which I buy my beer

RE The guy I buy beer from

MI Is who I buy beer for

FA The distance to the store

SO I think I'll have a beer

LA lala lala lala

TI No thanks, I'll have a beer

And that brings us back to

beer beer beer beer!

It should really be sung out loud, so you had better all be singing. Anyone else have some good drinking songs?

Back in the 21st Century

Yes, I've been slacking. No, it's not my fault. I was in the middle of nowhere sans internet and cell service. Other than the TV and newspapers and other people occasionally getting reception, it was basically like living in the stone age. With plumbing and electricity and a coffeemaker.

Last Friday my family minus one brother headed up to my grandparents' place in upstate New York. Their backyard looks something like this:

And when I say "something like" I mean "exactly like" since this is their backyard. One of my favorite views on the planet.

The rest of the week has been spent with a view like this:

Needless to say, I haven't accomplished much. I did buy and send postcards to everyone who asked for one and some who didn't. Except the Gheys, I will have to find one now that I'm in Niagara Falls, but that will have to wait until after the Clambake.

So there. That's what I've been up to. Today is Clambake prep, which includes building tents, retrieving tables, cutting back growth from the path for the hayrides, a collapsing bouncy castle, and babysitting my 4 month old cousin who is about as energetic and talkative as I am (which is to say, he isn't, and babysitting him is like watching grass grow, only waaaaaaaay cuter).

A final note, since I've been driving a lot lately, I've gone through quite a few CDs. It's a good thing this trip is solo, since I like to sing in my car. Loudly. So, here we have it: Top Gear (my favorite show about cars) voted this song the best song in the world to drive to. Ever. Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now"

OMG PACKING CRAZY AAAURRGGHH!!!1!

In case you were wondering, a combination of packing everything I own haphazardly, moving at the end of May, never fully unpacking, then packing half of the things I own even more haphazardly, and moving over the course of three weeks means

• I'm living out of my drawers stacked on top of each other in my parents' living room (my dresser is in the basement),
• I have to tiptoe over dishes, books, and shoes to find my new toothbrushes (which were obviously packed among DVDs, bracelets, and a Belle from Beauty and the Beast pen),
• Packing to go on a month-long vacation is exponentially more involved than it would normally be, and
• I used to have a purple dress. It seems to have vanished into the ether. Or it's in a box somewhere.

In other news, I talked to Alex at CCS today, he got me oriented a little with the organization and what to expect in the coming weeks. Mostly what I garnered from the conversation was to not worry too much that I know very little Spanish. Un poquito. I don't know if that's how it's spelled, but spelling isn't the thing I'm worried about.

So, the road trip starts tomorrow! I'm stopping in DC to drop off keys with Molly (sadface) then heading to Grandma and Grandpa's in Binghamton. One of my favorite places on the planet.

While we're on the topic of driving, and to give you incentive to keep coming back and checking out my blog, I'd like to share one of my favorite driving songs. It's impossible not to dance along, especially while stuck in traffic. I dare you to try.

Also, before I go, be sure to e-mail me your addresses at umwtallyb@gmail.com so I can send you a postcard!

Ah, the tourist's life

Today was spent taking advantage of being around all the bitchin' architecture and gridded layout of our nation's capital (seriously, I never get lost here). And lunch with Trav, which is always fun (mmm Chipotle. I'm so excited to be eating rice and beans all the time in Costa Rica) (arroz con frijoles?). Also, losing a soccer game (two if you count that Brie, Jacqueline, and I helped out a team playing before our game..."helped"...). But it was good to see my Blue Steel ladies on the field before I take off.

I'm going to have to keep this short, my legs are so sad from wandering around on concrete all day and then playing two games, and it's distracting me from forming complete sentences. So, my parting words: go here please please please! I've raised 17% of my program fee, which means I have...shit...83% to go! That's a lot of percent!

Technology is my enemy

Have I sufficiently spammed everyone into hating me? Hope not, because I'm gonna do it again right now! Only, since I seem to be having trouble with links, I'm going to direct y'all back to my facebook page to click on the link that I posted and beg you to sponsor me in my trip to Costa Rica. Tax deductible!

In case my single sentence wasn't enough, who would like some details? Assuming you are all answering in the affirmative, here we go.

Two mind-numbing office jobs in a row were more than enough to convince me I really don't belong in a cubicle or sitting pretty to welcome old stodgy people. Not having much experience with anything else led me to that wonderful invention: The Internet. I could kiss Al Gore right now. But I won't, 'cause I'm classy.

After some random searches, I decided to check out volunteering abroad. I found Cross-Cultural Solutions, whose website can be reached (appropriately enough) at http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org so go check them out if you get a chance. CCS has been around for 15 years, started after a guy visited a friend in the Peace Corps and decided he wanted to do something similar, only different. It's a charitable non-profit with sites in developing countries all over the world, and it sends people like me to these places, trains us, and sets us loose to help how we can.

Having no discernible skill, I'm really not sure what I'll be doing when I get there. Most of the programs involve things like childcare, elder care, community development, HIV/AIDS awareness, women's empowerment, and teaching English.

As those of you who clicked my link (loooove you) know, I'll be leaving October 17th for 4 weeks. In the meantime, I will be raising money via suckers like you (I kid, you are intelligent and amazing and probably have at least $10 to spare), visiting friends and family in the mid-Atlantic region, and temping while living with my parents (hi Mom!).

For the people wondering where my road trip will take me, here's a quick rundown of the tentative schedule:

July 31 - Head to the Adirondacks with the family

August 6th ish - Head to Niagara for pre-Clambake festivities

August 8th - Clambake! Woooooohoooo!

August 11th ish - Head to Dayton/Lawrenceburg to see my darling friends the Gays and the always fabulous Katie. Also some sort of Indiana Jones related event. There may be costumes.

August 15th ish - Head to Charlottesville to see Crispy and Puzzle Piece if she's there. They don't know this yet, so this part is very tentative.

August 16th ish - Richmond for favorites: Xtine, Trav, maybe Stone, whoever the heck is there when I'm there

After that at some point, Brooklyn, Boston, and Binghamton.

Hopefully this has answered all of your questions about what the eff I'm doing, and if not, well...freaking...ugh...ask away!

There seem to be some rumors floating around...

That I quit my job, hate my life, am running away, etc. And, unfortunately, they're all true. Which is why I've started this blog. Because my facebook status updates are not an efficient enough method of me to get across to you, those I love, exactly what is going on with my life.

To recap: in April, I up and quit my job as a copy editor because the job was boring and the place was full of the worst kind of drama (you know, relationships, break-ins, ridiculous fights, other people getting drunk and throwing up on me, the usual), and I had something else lined up, something that promised to be much more exciting.

Of course, this turned out to be a lie. My new job as a legal assistant was horrendous and torturous, and after two months of calling my mother crying every night, I was offered an out. Mom gave me the okay to quit my job, take some time, and figure my life out. As long as Mom and Dad approve, I figure I'm good to go. They're very reasonable people.

So, the very first week of July was my very last week at the Evil Law Firm of Evilness, and since then I've been moving my stuff out of my apartment, helping my roommate find a new roommate (because if I'm going to suck at life, I'm at least going to try not to drag others with me), and planning an elaborate road trip that has been cut by approximately 90%, mostly by reality.

Oh, and also I decided to go volunteer in Costa Rica for 4 weeks.