criplomats

Everything has been Charlie-centric this week, getting him settled in, etc. As you can see in this photo, he’s pretty relaxed! He’s had a big week going to the vet, an outing to PetsMart (where he learned about automatic doors and shopping carts), riding in the car, and staying home alone at times. He and Flavia are slowly being introduced although Flavia usually hides when she sees him. Fingers crossed they will get comfortable with each other.

John and I went to a Hendrix alumni event this week in Hot Springs at 501 Prime. It was fun to see a few classmates!

I drove to Little Rock on Tuesday to meet Ann for lunch at Star of India – we had a great two-hour visit! Samy, the owner, always astounds me when he asks how is “Brother John” when he hasn’t seen John in years!

Charlie and I dropped John off at the airport in LR on Thursday at the crack of dawn. He went to a gaming convention in Columbus with our old friend Sean from Monrovia. They had a big time and enjoying playing board games and meeting some of the game designers.

Pamela came down Friday night and spent two night with me while John was gone. We had fun just sitting on the balcony, eating McClard’s tamales, and watching “PeeWee Herman as Himself.”

We’ve enjoyed a wet week earlier in the week, but the last few days have been just humid and hot. John and I continue to enjoy “Line of Duty,” and I re-watched “The Intern” yesterday.

After wanting a doggo for a long time, we finally took the plunge this week and brought home Charlie from the Garland County Humane Society on Wednesday. He’s small — a 8.5 pound Chihuahua-terrier mix — and around four to five years old. He’s settling in just fine and we are loving having him in the house. He hasn’t met Flavia yet — we’ve been keeping them separate for now. Fingers crossed they’ll be OK together! Charlie is pretty chill. He’s been enjoying going for walks, sitting on the balcony, and just chilling:

Last Sunday, I went to David and Alison’s for dinner in their gazebo with PeeWee and Rebecca B – nice! John was in Little Rock with his brother Phillip on a nostalgia tour, looking at their old schools, houses, church, cemeteries, etc. It sounds like they had a great time and I’m glad they had time together.

Kelly Hight came for dinner on Tuesday. John grilled up some delicious Weldon’s steaks and we enjoyed catching up with her.

It’s been a rainy week. I’ve worked in a few yoga classes, and had coffee afterward one day with a new woman in class, Becky. We’ve spent a lot of time at home getting Charlie used to his new digs, with occasional runs to the grocery store, etc. I think we’re both still de-stressing and we’re enjoying the downtime.

I finished reading “A Wilder Shore,” by Camille Peri, a biography of Robert Louis Stevenson and his remarkable wife Fanny. We finished watching “Dept Q,” which we enjoyed, and are now into a British show called “Line of Duty.”

John and I spent the week decompressing and adjusting to the new time zone. We spent lots of time just relaxing, reading, and enjoying the view. It still feels a bit surreal!

I made it to yoga twice this week – so nice to walk in and see friends! We’ve spent some time with David and Alison, including Sam’s pizza yesterday for David’s birthday. Alison and PeeWee invited me out for shopping and dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf on Wednesday. John and I enjoyed massages with Janet at Effective Massage (she’s so good). Thursday I got my hair cut in Maumelle, then met Muffy at Hendrix to see Ann’s incredible reading by first responders – very moving. Yesterday John and I braved the downpours to go downtown for the Running of the Tubs world championship – pictures to come! Big fun!

It’s good to be home!

Friday was my last day with the Foreign Service (or at least as an employee)! I’m officially retired. I was happy to share a going-away celebration at work with my colleague Puri (short for Purificación) on Thursday, followed by the embassy’s hail and farewell happy hour at the quincho (BBQ area) for everyone coming and going this summer. I was touched by the nice tribute. I also got this certificate that goes with the flag the consular managers gave me:

Friday we said goodbye to our lovely Pilar who has taken such good care of us and Flavia for the last three years:

Thursday evening I met Rachel S and Lea at Corte Comedor for a great steak. Friday Lorena came for our last weekly massage – boy will we miss that! And Saturday morning Juli came for my last mani-pedi — another home service I will miss mightily! After that, Lea and Jose popped in for a final goodbye and to pick up some things they can use as they go into packout.

I was completely blown away Thursday evening when I got a link to a goodbye video that Dan K and Lea put together with some of my favorite people around the globe! What an incredible gift that left me in tears.

Friday night, the sky put on a lovely show for us:

Saturday night, we flew from Buenos Aires to Little Rock, via Atlanta. Despite my incessant worrying about Flavia, she did great on the flight. I booked an extra seat so she and I would have a bit more room (she can’t fly business, boo) and everything was super-smooth. Our fabulous vet Leticia had done the paperwork for me and all I had to do was check in at the government animal control counter ahead of checking in with Delta – no problems! And everyone at Delta was super-nice as well. Until we are wheels up, I’m a nervous wreck with her but everything was fine and she was a trooper!

We had a quick visit with David and Alison before John and I crashed. I was thankful that Alison had put salad and a roasted chicken in the fridge for us, because we were so exhausted, I don’t think we could have made it to the grocery store! Flavia gave us a bit of a scare as the sedatives we gave her on the flight wore off – she was limp as a noodle for hours, but this morning she woke up fit as a fiddle and crying for breakfast!

We are glad to be home. Buenos Aires was a good tour, but with many hard days. I leave the Foreign Service very proud of what I’ve accomplished and I look forward to the next chapter!

We were thrilled to have a wonderful lunch at Cabanas las Lilas today with John’s former colleagues and their wives. We first met them back in the ‘90s and it’s been so fun to see them periodically while we’ve been in Buenos Aires. We laughed a lot and enjoyed an excellent meal.

Yesterday we also had a nice lunch with Christian and his wife Sara at Anafe. Christian works for me and we just hit it off when he arrived last year. His wife Sara is super interesting – her former career was as an actress in NY and in London and I’ve always wanted to get to know her better. Afterward, I went to the crafts fair near the Recoleta Cemetery. I bought another ruana as a gift for a friend at work made by this lovely man – I have one that I love. His mother taught him to weave and his work is excellent.

The big news of the week was our packout! It lasted three very full days, but now the house is empty and echoes! We had an excellent crew, thank goodness. Flavia is not happy and has taken to sitting in the corner in a guest bathroom in protest, bless her heart. I can’t wait to get her to Hot Springs for a couple of months of quiet.

We were back to work Thursday and Friday. My desk is getting cleaner and cleaner! Friday was an admin day with no visa applicants, so we took the opportunity to watch Frank and Sean (two of my officers) play in the embassy tennis tournament – lots of fun!

Here are a few photos from the week!