past few days

[kareina]

Long hours of work, all night, every night. I seem to work best at night, so have gone nocturnal. Last night I finally finished up the latest revisions on chapter five, including some new information and new figures which will make writing parts of chapter six *much* easier, then did a walk, my yoga, read my 1000 words a day, and went to bed at 08:40, feeling pretty good about having accomplished all that. Slept deeply and peacefully till 14:00, when the Italian embassy called in reply to an e-mail I'd sent them. (I had forwarded them a message from the university, which said that she expects to receive my visa authorization on Thursday 28 May and will sent it via DHL to me so that I can take it and my passport to the embassy down here to get the visa itself affixed to the passport.) I had already turned in my visa application complete with passport to the local Honourary Consulate here in Hobart, who then sent them off to Melbourne. At that time I'd had a tentative booking which had me flying out of Hobart the first week of June. Which is why the embassy guy called me--there is no way I would be able to fly out that soon--I can't leave the country till he gets the visa into my passport and the passport back to me. Granted, looking at what still needs doing for thesis work, I'd already revised my goals for departure to heading out of here on time for West Kingdom A&S the weekend of 12 June, instead of the first week of June. Now, looking at the calendar, and talking with the embassy about realistic times for paperwork to be shipped over here and visas making it into the passport and passport making it back to me, I'm thinking I should revise the plans again and give Kingdom A&S a miss and try for June Crown instead.

What do people think? Would I get to see those of you in the West whom I love and miss at Crown? Is there a camp which could take me in and give me a place to sleep and other basic necessities that I wouldn't be able to bring with me on the international flight? Is there someone who could get me from the airport to the event?

How about Portland people--if I were to spend the following Monday and Tuesday +/- Wednesday evenings (22/23/24 June) there would I get to see everyone there I'd want to see?

Seattle folk: is the weekend of 26 June a good time to see people?

I'd hoped for a month in the US, and it is looking like I'll be lucky to get two weeks, but however long it is, it will be good to catch up with folk...