Quick! Before I change my mind!

In many ways, it would have been a relief if they'd just come out and SAID, "You're too old. You can't come." I would have been outraged to the point of litigation, perhaps, but at least I would not have had to make a decision.

But now the ball was squarely in my court, and I felt more than a little queasy with that burden.

And I could feel myself getting queasier, so I wrote the check for the NON-REFUNDABLE deposit, and I MAILED IT!

That action, naturally, set off in Scott a frenzy of air fare searching, and the sound of his computer keyboard being beat into submission (why DOES he type so violently?) echoed throughout the house.

As for me, I began work on things they said I needed, like INSURANCE! Insurance for unpleasant sorts of eventualities--though, now that I think of it, what kind of insurance would NOT be for unpleasant eventualities? Like getting injured so badly I'd have to be AIRLIFTED to the nearest metropolitan area, which is . . . . . . Phnom Penh! Six hours away by car!

I called our doleful insurance agent Al. Maybe he's not really so very doleful, but I always associate him with the doleful role he played in Oliver! in high school 40 or so years ago--yes, that IS small town life!

Al did not carry the kind of insurance I needed, but I did come away with an invitation to speak to Rotary when I returned! That too is small town life.

The other thing Scott and I did was mentally collect the expressions of friends when we told them what I was going to do. Now I wish I'd photographed them. Maybe I can still find somebody who hasn't heard and get their photo for this blog. Hmmmmmm.