Staying and Going

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the tough decision Alan and I were facing last week. Good arguments were made, points raised, support given, both in comment form and via email. And while the vote is swayed 53% in favor of moving, Alan and I are going to defy you all and stay. If I'd given you the detail that it was an additional $400 a month would that have made a difference? I'll never know (unless you comment, and by all means, have at it).

Had that apartment not opened up, we wouldn't have given staying here another year a second thought. And it would be one thing if the increase was going to ourselves, in say, a mortgage, but it's another ball of wax because it's basically money down the drain. A drain that goes directly into the landlord's pockets. So, alas, we stay. And we're a little tight and cramped, and hot on some days. But we're also able to go to Vegas and Tahoe and Phoenix on a whim, so we think the tradeoff is worth it. I'd rather travel than have that extra closet anyway. Until another 100-degree day hits and then I'll be cursing my ineptitude. (I also let weather.com have it the other day with a feedback form for their inability to get the current temperature within 14 degrees. I can understand not being able to predict the future, but it's inexcusable if you can't tell me what it's doing now.)

So now that the big decision is made, it's on to thinking about the future, which includes a trip to Buenos Aires! Alan and I will be heading down to Argentina in late July to visit Alan's man-wife Joel, who is currently gallivanting around the great continent to our south. We'll allegedly be meeting him in BA where he will help us make sure we don't order intestines for dinner (or gain our trust and then steer us toward them...).

To make a long blog longer, Alan and I prepared for our trip to the foreign land today by being responsible travelers and getting our proper immunizations. We had to get yellow fever and Hepatitis A shots, and since I can't remember the last time I had any sort of shot, I went ahead and did MMR and tetanus.

Alan went first. Blue steel, he wasn't afraid.



You can tell that this one might have stung a little. Darn tetanus.



Smiling through the pain.



And this one actually did sting a bit, but I played it up for the camera.



I think you can be sure that you married the right person if you have a blast going to the travel clinic to get shot four times in the arm.