So Many Things, So Little Time

Hi there, Friends! Have you missed me? I've missed you. It's been a whirlwind of activity around here the last few days. We've been having some serious fun, and I just haven't had it in me at the end of the day to sit down and visit with you. And even now I don't have time to tell you in detail about all that we've been doing, so you will have to settle for the highlights and a slideshow. There are tons more pictures on flickr, if you're interested, and of course you can e-mail me or leave a comment if you'd like to have more details.

What we've been up to:

• Make-your-own-moqueca party--picked out lobsters, cut tails off lobsters, cooked lobsters and turned them into yummy moqueca, followed by guava cream cake for dessert.
• Lots of park play.
• Used all my tiles in one of our Scrabble games, giving me my all-time best score, but only a narrow victory.
• Finally captured a photo of the safe salesman's set-up.
• Had dinner at a fantastic little restaurant, loaded with atmosphere and yummy food.
• Rented a car and had our first Brazilian driving experience--attempted to go straight from a left-hand turning lane, almost got hit by a bus, almost hit a bicyclist, navigated by laptop and made it everywhere we wanted to go safe and sound.
• Accidentally visited a minimalistic art gallery, which turned out kind of cool and also made us laugh.
• Visited the train museum and dreamed about making a home out of an old train.
• Shopped at the big fancy grocery store that is not within walking distance, taking full advantage of our rental car.
• Had a couple of wild entries and exits from the parking garage at the apartment.
• Discovered the secret to Brazilian military success: Train in Speedos.
• Drove up into the mountains to hike at Pedra Azul and take in the sights at Vista Linda.
• Witnessed what sounded like the painful death of my camera. Will be learning how to take still shots with the video camera.
• Wilderness potty experience.
• Goat road block.
• Ate something called "bobo" (which is very much like moqueca, only way better) and Creme de Papaya at this quiet little beach restaurant about 4o miles south of here.
• Shell hunting by moonlight (and beach light).
• Sorted through possessions to see what we could send back to the States with Jeff's parents. (They apparently sorted through them again at the airport, but were eventually able to take them all along with them after shuffling them around).
• Said a tearful good-bye to the grandparents.
• Experienced a rockin' storm--complete with sky-to-ocean lightening, wall-rattling thunder, dime-size hail and water coming in even with the windows closed--after just having had a conversation with Jeff's parents in which we said "We have never heard it thunder here and we have never seen lightening, even with all the rain."