tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137081752011-09-28T09:56:12.654-05:00Rantings and ravings. Glimpses of my crazy life. Ramblings about my home in Port Lavaca, my work in Houston, my PhD progress at Texas Tech University, and everything around and in between. I also have a business in Houston (Amaya Consulting) and am working on a joint venture in Papua New Guinea (Herries Engineering and Technical Services). It may seem like madness, but it's a good life, and you are invited to poke around in it a bit as often and as randomly as you wish.Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.comBlogger3141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-19318683602032621322010-06-09T06:11:00.001-05:002010-06-09T06:11:48.316-05:00

New posting on my other blog.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-59508969838512165032010-06-07T18:00:00.002-05:002010-06-07T18:03:35.282-05:00

Although I don't use this blog any more, after Leo and Jess reported problems with being redirected to other sites, I do keep it up for those folks that check in now and then. If you want to see my most recent blog postings, go to My PNG Life blog and check it out. I just posted photos of my new apartment there, in case you are interested.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-8783969126565568432010-03-04T01:08:00.007-06:002010-03-04T02:15:18.797-06:00

I moved into my new apartment two days ago. Although it too is expensive, I like it SO much better than living in the hotel! I have some room to spread out here, I hear birds in the morning rather than sounds of construction, and I can cook and do laundry (well...theoretically anyway). I can't wait to get back to it and get settled in for the next 7 weeks of activities.Hmmm...what shall I tell

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-24120449236755445802010-02-26T00:18:00.005-06:002010-02-26T00:49:18.669-06:00

Everything up until now has been a bit random and hectic. Today has been what I consider a normal day. (Note: there are activities planned for the evening, so my opinion on this may not last.)I tried to sleep late (7:30) this morning but remembered that Leo must be home by now, so got up a 6:00 to give him a call. In case you don't know about a free program called "Skype", it allows you to call

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-27007217442419581552010-02-22T20:16:00.002-06:002010-02-22T20:23:51.175-06:00

I'm sitting in the airport in Brisbane now. (It's a beautiful airport, by the way.) We still have an hour-and-a-half before the flight leaves for Port Moresby. As soon as I get there, there will be one more hurdle, one more mountain to climb. The Visa system for getting into PNG is a little, well, different. I'm trying to get in on a business visa, which is a step up in complexity from a tourist

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-83846741163560512492010-02-20T17:40:00.003-06:002010-02-20T18:03:22.627-06:00

Most of my friends on Twitter and Facebook have been following my little adventures, but a few people only follow me here, so I thought I'd provide an update.Rebecca came to Port Lavaca on Thursday to help me pack, make sure she can cover for me while I'm gone, and go over some of the ExxonMobil project updates. In other words, in many ways, she's going to be me for a while. We had a good time

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-36767635893340180602010-02-07T07:43:00.003-06:002010-02-07T08:02:16.690-06:00

Rebecca and I are really working hard to get things settled before I leave the country. Still, I know there are things we are going to "miss", and others we are just not going to be able to get around to. This week, I have a business conference in Houston on Monday, several projects to bring to a close, a couple to make significant progress on, and 2 that must be started and taken as far as

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-69599467247811016722010-01-30T22:07:00.002-06:002010-01-30T22:14:23.888-06:00

Watch the moon rise over the water.Use the bright lights on my vehicle.Watch the deer feeding.Fish in the bay.See the milky way.Leave my door unlocked.Leave the keys in my car.Get a wave (country wave) from everyone I see when driving.Live in a house with no curtains or blinds.Hear gunshots in the evening and not worry about it.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-59591060289202270502010-01-30T13:29:00.006-06:002010-01-30T14:46:24.480-06:00

I've got my tickets ordered, am waiting on word about my new flat, and am chipping away at all the preparations for my move. As you can see from the timers on the right, I will be leaving the country less than a week before Leo returns from Nigeria. Poor timing is right! Still, I have a couple of big activities to prepare for in PNG, so I really can't afford to miss this travel "window".Here is

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-80559326866414377832010-01-23T09:21:00.002-06:002010-01-23T11:16:24.462-06:00

In this final "push" to complete the house, the ladder to the loft has been installed and the wood flooring in the loft will go in this week. Last weekend, we purchased two new pieces of furniture in the worst way possible...on a whim. I worried about the purchase immediately, worried that we'd made a bit mistake, until they arrived and I got to see them on Wednesday evening when I got home.They

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-84062450685451926652010-01-16T09:29:00.008-06:002010-01-16T09:59:02.234-06:00

I just thought I'd take a minute to post some photos of my almost-finished house. There is still one room that needs a lot of work--the loft, I am still missing that refrigerator that was supposed to be delivered before Thanksgiving, but otherwise, the left-over items are all small details that need to be finished. All in all, Leo and I have enjoyed this rotation home cooking together, working in

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-86184616814109000882010-01-16T09:04:00.002-06:002010-01-16T09:29:35.982-06:00

After the return of Leo just in time for New Year's Day, a wonderful time of celebration with my family, and a bout with a nasty cold that just seemed to not want to go away, my routine for the next 5 months started last week with the start of my classes. In the last week, I've read 5 chapters of materials, written a number of beginning papers (mostly introductions), created 2 new blogs to track

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-31948471451559515832009-12-26T09:20:00.009-06:002009-12-26T10:13:40.130-06:00

Jess, his sister Barbara, and I spent a wonderful Christmas Day together yesterday. The only thing missing for it to be perfect was Leo! We tried not to make too much food since there were only the three of us, but failed miserably. My refrigerator and freezer are both full now. I'm glad Leo will be home within the week to help me get rid of some of it!I had originally planned not to do any

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-30273430544633071322009-12-24T21:32:00.001-06:002009-12-24T21:32:16.800-06:00

Although I've thought long and hard over the past couple of months about whether or not to continue this blog, I've decided to give it one more shot. Our lives are quite busy, as everyone's are, but this still seems to be a nice way to keep everyone informed. I will also remind you all that a nice way for you to "interact" with me easily is to post comments here as well.2009What a year we've had!

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-70562758860507164012009-10-30T09:14:00.003-05:002009-10-30T09:36:57.552-05:00

We're finally to the "countdown" for Leo coming home, and, as ever, I am starting to get excited. There is a lot going on in my life, which is not unusual, but it is split across a wide range of area. I suppose I should cut to the chase here...I think I'm taking the long way around apologizing for no postings for many weeks.Next week, after Leo gets home and things settle in a bit, you can expect

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-40828565457017289692009-10-06T01:04:00.007-05:002009-10-06T01:46:44.172-05:00

We got in late and finally got to sleep around 1:30am. I was up by 6am, and Rebecca wasn't far behind. After breakfast downstairs, we took a little walk along the Esplanade enjoying the morning. The view from our room is really nice. (Remember to click on each photo for a larger view, then use your "back" button to come back here.)After the walk, I had to get back to the room in order to attend

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-70433255671676537562009-10-03T09:05:00.003-05:002009-10-03T09:53:10.367-05:00

Although I'm still too tired and have too many things left to do to get very excited, I know it's coming. We'll be boarding the airplane this time tomorrow. Our tickets are cheap and our seats won't be good, but it won't matter so much to us. We'll survive the trip, I'm sure.So, here's the way the trip goes down:Sun, Oct 04 - Houston to Cairns, 22 hr 35 min1 hr 15 min in Honolulu45 min and plane

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-86867714204658192932009-09-28T15:52:00.003-05:002009-09-28T16:14:20.051-05:00

Once again, things in our lives are keeping us so very busy. Even though I don't have the time for proper blog updates these days, I did want to post something the birthday party we attended a week ago. We drove out to the youngest daughter's house in Hardin in order to attend the "joint" birthday party for 9-year-old Madison and 7-year-old Mason. Honestly though, it was the little girls that Leo

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-11725191836640882762009-09-11T05:24:00.006-05:002009-09-11T06:09:41.793-05:00

Leo made it home just fine yesterday, and I was DELIGHTED to see him. We have a LOT of things planned for this "set off". On Monday, Leo and I are headed to Victoria to sign the contract to finish the work on the house. We are so EXCITED! It has been a long time.The first thing that will get done is the kitchen cabinets will be ordered. The man who designed our kitchen layout came up with a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-11884897884253160332009-09-04T14:33:00.003-05:002009-09-04T14:57:11.504-05:00

Rebecca (my daughter and office manager for my company) got our reservations all set today for our next trip. She and I are headed to Australia, by way of Hawaii and Guam. We'll spend 1-1/2 days there together, then I will board a flight for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Rebecca is going to hang out in Cairnes, Australia while I go on for a week's worth of business dealings. When finished, I'll

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-71803769880454576292009-08-28T11:38:00.008-05:002009-08-28T12:31:07.623-05:00

The real trouble with blogs is that when you get too busy to write, by the time you're ready to get started again, you have no idea where to begin! Remember, click on the images to see them in all their glory.- My newest granddaughter arrived on the scene 3 weeks ago. She's as beautiful as the others, but sister Zoe is under the impression that the baby is her personal property. - Brother-in-law

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-62560125118391950572009-08-16T20:54:00.004-05:002009-08-16T21:32:03.103-05:00

I spent the day at the hospital with Jess, and left at 4pm to go home, cook for the week, and take a nap. I'm at work now, taking a bit of a break to provide an update here.Jess has a wonderful new scar from the top of his head, just above his right eye, curving down to just in front of the center of his ear. He was curious about it, so I took a picture of it with my cell phone and showed it to

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-34619518316919515402009-08-16T14:40:00.002-05:002009-08-16T14:58:26.088-05:00

Jess has been moved into a private room now. Main 548 is a good spot. There is a lovely view of the a.c. unit from the window, but otherwise is roomy with a very comfortable chair. Jess is resting better now but sleeping a bit more than I expected. He had two surprise visitors, Johnny and Martha Ramirez. It was a lovely visit. I will sit with Jess a bit longer before heading off to work for a bit

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-69977359111470314672009-08-16T14:40:00.001-05:002009-08-16T14:57:26.663-05:00

Jess has been moved into a private room now. Main 548 is a good spot. There is a lovely view of the a.c. unit from the window, but otherwise is roomy with a very comfortable chair. Jess is resting better now but sleeping a bit more than I expected. He had two surprise visitors, Johnny and Martha Ramirez. It was a lovely visit. I will sit with Jess a bit longer before heading off to work for a bit

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-25841747483239909372009-08-16T14:40:00.000-05:002009-08-16T14:56:30.501-05:00

Jess has been moved into a private room now. Main 548 is a good spot. There is a lovely view of the a.c. unit from the window, but otherwise is roomy with a very comfortable chair. Jess is resting better now but sleeping a bit more than I expected. He had two surprise visitors, Johnny and Martha Ramirez. It was a lovely visit. I will sit with Jess a bit longer before heading off to work for a bit

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-56564897830807985362009-08-14T22:33:00.002-05:002009-08-14T22:42:19.606-05:00

I was worried about disturbing Jess when I went in at 8pm, but shouldn't have. We had a really nice visit. Lester came up as well, and by the time we left at a little after 9 Jess was definitely ready for some sleep. But he was his old self, joking and laughing, snoozing a bit here and there, and doing his best to make me smile. He has a bit of a "crick" in his neck and that seemed to be

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-16101959236971831972009-08-14T17:43:00.003-05:002009-08-14T18:03:43.158-05:00

Jess was starting to rest a little better when we left a bit after 5pm. Visitation is closed until 8pm, but I'm hoping to head back then. Again, his color was good and he recognized all of us with no problem. The nurse pointed out that the doctors keep things "flushed" out while they work, so there is often quite a build-up of fluids after surgery like this. She thinks that the drain is working

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-87048817430988143082009-08-14T16:23:00.001-05:002009-08-14T16:30:33.268-05:00

Jess is in ICU, is clearly in some pain, but looks good. He wakes up now and then and addresses me by name so I know he'll be fine, but I wish he wasn't in so much pain. More updates to come.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-48833855725707006302009-08-14T14:37:00.002-05:002009-08-14T14:45:26.352-05:00

Sitting in the waiting room now, waiting for Jess to come out of recovery and be sent to his next destination. Jess' Uncle Walter is here (and has been all day) along with his brother Lester. Son Trevor was here much of the day but went back to the hospital after we talked to the surgeon.Dr. Rose said the surgery went well, although it took the full 5 hours. He told us he put 2 titanium clips in

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-46707291694885773322009-08-08T16:11:00.002-05:002009-08-08T16:17:19.306-05:00

Life is CRAZY at the moment and I can't take time out. However, I'm on a break for a few minutes so I'll do what I can...have a new grandchild and she's a beautyat work right now in downtown Houstonrolling out a new database to a new group on Tues/Weddon't remember what 6 hours of sleep is likecan't believe Leo's leaving on Monday...we haven't spent any real time together!!!start class (Texas

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-26755368290440151072009-07-29T23:15:00.003-05:002009-07-29T23:42:58.407-05:00

Today I received a reply to my inquiries at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology. They are considering my proposal (only briefly sketched out at this point) for an "affiliation" for the purpose of my pursuing a Fulbright Fellowship. Although I don't feel particularly confident in my ability to obtain this prestigious grant, I have to admit that I felt the same way when applying to the

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-56817728538092660472009-07-29T09:18:00.007-05:002009-07-29T11:22:06.145-05:00

Grace Amaya Baldock. July 13, 1934 - July 29, 2009.Grace was my sister-in-law, Leo's only sister. Her life was divided into two large chunks when she suffered an aneurysm in 1984 that the doctors expected would kill her. Well, in the typical Grace fashion that was no real surprise to family and friends, Grace proved that she was just not ready to go yet. Still, the aneurysm did leave her changed

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-45752377275947033252009-07-26T09:23:00.002-05:002009-07-26T09:41:14.271-05:00

Life is throwing a lot of stuff our way right now. I'm guessing that we aren't the only ones in this predicament. I'm guessing some of you are snowed under as well.I do have a plan for getting out from under it, however. First and foremost involves finishing my current BIG ExxonMobil project. The trouble with this one is that I did not have access to the existing data when I put in a bid on the

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-37577251703014927262009-07-18T10:08:00.002-05:002009-07-18T10:22:26.240-05:00

What a terrible week. I began feeling poorly on Tuesday. Just irritating stuff, nothing drastic. But it kept me from putting in some much-needed work and has gotten me way behind. I thought I would be over it by the time Leo got home on Thursday, but it only got worse. I was finally able to go to bed Friday morning at 4am. Yesterday was bad as well, but things started loosening up which was my

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-45701178727676360612009-07-07T11:38:00.002-05:002009-07-07T11:49:38.096-05:00

Yesterday was an all day affair at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, but definitely not a wasted day even for me. As soon as Jess got settled in for his procedure I was able to set up my laptop in a nice, quiet, and hidden area of the waiting room and get to work. I focused on some literature reviews for class and occasionally switched to work for my joint venture pursuits. All in all, it was a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-54877305119582923812009-07-06T15:53:00.002-05:002009-07-06T16:00:29.182-05:00

Just got finished with a visit with the Doctor that worked on Jess. Other than the fact that we are running WAY behind schedule, everything went fine. The doctor took a look at the year-old scan and found that the aneurism WAS there then as well. This is good news as it means that this is not a fast-growing item, but something that's been hanging around for a bit.The Dr. said Jess did well, that

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-49632897805156591692009-07-03T20:12:00.002-05:002009-07-03T20:20:19.278-05:00

I get a bit "tickled" at holidays like Cinco de Mayo and the Fourth of July. You see, almost everywhere in the world tomorrow it will be "the Fourth of July". Tomorrow is the fourth of July in Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Japan, and even England. While only a few of us will recognize that it's Independence Day, all of us will recognize that it's the fourth of July.I know...silly, but it still makes

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-10191560563398284712009-07-01T12:59:00.002-05:002009-07-01T13:23:46.189-05:00

The Doctor's visit this morning went well, and most of the news is good. I'm going to post it the way I heard it here, but will probably have to make corrections (using Jess' input) on the weekend. Here goes...Dr. Rose was really a nice guy. He asked Jess all kinds of questions before sharing his thoughts, something I think is good. Lots of doctors are not as good as listening as they need to be

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-20423943139266843792009-06-27T16:55:00.004-05:002009-06-27T18:06:01.959-05:00

I'm at home for the weekend, pretending to be "normal". That is, I watched some tv, am washing some clothes, made a Walmart run, you know...normal stuff. Also, this is the first time I've turned on my computer in about 24 hours. Wow.Anyway, I've spent some time this week rolling my iPhone over to the new version (which I LOVE) and updating my apps (small downloadable "applications" that run on

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-43540242943632759292009-06-21T11:20:00.002-05:002009-06-21T12:16:23.909-05:00

I have a TON of men I would like to recognize on this Father's Day but will only have time/room to mention a few of them here.My own father: Charles Leon Bishop. My mother was the only one I ever heard call him by his name. I have no memories of us living together really; he was always the infrequent visitor to my home who would sometimes take us home with him for a weekend. "Chick", "Chicken", "

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-46309216748161796052009-06-15T15:44:00.002-05:002009-06-15T16:35:09.754-05:00

Leo's just getting ready to board his flight to Frankfurt. I'm sure going to miss him. However, we really had a WONDERFUL time together this set off. Not only were we able to attend 9 of the nephew's final baseball games, we were also there in Austin when the Danbury Panthers won their first ever 2A Texas State Champion title! (Note: This was their first time to advance past the regional level!)

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-67127407783509955272009-06-11T21:18:00.002-05:002009-06-11T21:30:11.271-05:00

In spite of the incredibly beautiful storm backlighting the view of the University of Texas Tower outside our window, we are having a blast tonight in Austin. The Danbury Panthers, including my awesome nephew Colton, beat the Ponder Eagles today to advance one more level in the playoffs. Tomorrow at noon they will compete against the team from Holliday for the Texas Class 2A Baseball Championship

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-31391392930884374322009-06-07T15:33:00.003-05:002009-06-07T16:45:19.536-05:00

I've waited so long to post an update...now I don't know where to begin! Guess I'll try to group my updates into categories and see how that works.Leo's New ContractYes, that's right. In spite of all our lovely plans for Leo to RETIRE [again] this November, we have changed our plans. Technically, his contract is up this month so we had to make some hard decisions. We thought we had it all figured

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-82696175081971007002009-05-24T15:43:00.002-05:002009-05-24T15:57:20.581-05:00

Okay, the title may have been a little misleading. I mean, first off I have fun all the time. Life is just a fun adventure. Secondly, I don't really segment my days into categories of education, work, and fun anymore; they are all the same thing. This weekend Rebecca is here with us in Port Lavaca and she and I are busy getting things set up for when she comes "on board" full time a week from

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-72812674099692469872009-05-19T06:23:00.002-05:002009-05-19T07:19:59.877-05:00

When I was introduced to the first students already in the program yesterday, their very first comment was, "oh, you're a zygote". Not only did I find this highly amusing, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized just how appropriate the term is. A zygote is, in essence, a fertilized egg. Although an egg is just the potential to become something, a zygote goes one step further. A

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-69916814783085821472009-05-14T09:46:00.007-05:002009-05-14T10:37:27.981-05:00

Ah...home again! Although it is short-lived and gives me no break in my work, it is very nice to be home again. As I drove home last night I was hoping that I would find Grace and Jess back home when I arrived. No such luck. Although I don't take the opportunity to visit with them nearly as much as Leo does, I really do miss them when they're gone. I am really hoping they will be back by the time

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-27421515111731553532009-05-11T22:40:00.002-05:002009-05-11T22:53:44.719-05:00

Staying tonight at my sis' house and thinking of the four back-to-back meetings I have lined up tomorrow. Think I will make the trip home tomorrow night if I can. I made reservations to fly out to Lubbock next week. I'm looking forward to the campus visit, but I'm a little worried, a little embarrassed about all the things I do NOT know about this pursuit of a PhD. Anyway, just wanted to put up a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-37532688967857631652009-05-08T14:57:00.002-05:002009-05-08T15:17:47.409-05:00

Although my trip to Virginia went well, I came home to another problem (work) that prevented me from attending the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston on Thursday. I was disappointed, but it was something I really needed to attend to. Oh well.Today I'm at sis' house working on a project with her. I will swing by West Columbia to watch my oldest nephew's baseball game tonight, then head home

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-44209047283667803232009-04-29T21:21:00.002-05:002009-04-29T21:48:36.405-05:00

The news is definitely good, all the way around. But there is a big monkey wrench in the middle of it all. I cannot believe I am going to have to make this HUGE decision without Leo's input! I am so afraid!I left Houston about 2:30 in order to get home in plenty of time to attend the annual "Bevo Bash". This is an event where the Calhoun County Texas Exes (those of us who graduated from the

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-70627493816294379802009-04-27T12:54:00.002-05:002009-04-27T13:06:40.829-05:00

I just got another phone call from Leo. That makes 3 already this rotation. This might be a record month for communication. He is also getting my emails, but can only sign on every few days or so. He sends me short messages as well. All of this while he is EXTREMELY busy means [to me, at least] that he is getting antsy to come home. What a shame. With 24 days left, he has a LONG way to go. It was

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-62978861822920981662009-04-21T12:36:00.002-05:002009-04-21T12:41:32.617-05:00

I'm in Houston this week and things are as crazy as ever, but I thought I'd post an update. Zoe was sent home Monday evening (finally!) after her leg started making significant improvement. She is back at day care today, and mom and dad are back at work. I understand she is feeling just fine.Leo just "pinged" me from Lagos, Nigeria. Seems he has arrived safe and sound as well. He'll sleep for a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-24723920329310519692009-04-19T01:07:00.003-05:002009-04-19T01:19:58.722-05:00

For the first time in many years, Michelle drove down to our place for a visit. What fun we had! Rebecca and Madison showed up as well since Madison's Saturday morning ballgame was rained out. I was able to get some work done while the family visited, but not as much as I hoped since the weather caused us to lose our internet connection. Hopefully, we'll get back on track tomorrow.Leo leaves on

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-15114019990713429382009-04-17T20:55:00.003-05:002009-04-17T21:58:26.300-05:00

Although I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Philippines, and definitely got the business accomplished that I needed to, I'm guessing that anyone familiar with the country at all is really wondering whether or not I noticed the, um, anomalies (or abnormalities) of the place as compared to, say, Houston. I can answer this one easily. Yes, I noticed.Although I will spare you the details of my "

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-75500722367492324002009-04-14T09:23:00.002-05:002009-04-14T09:50:17.157-05:00

After a very long day of battling over documents and working through business details, my new business partner and I decided it was time for me to leave the hotel for just a bit. We went to a very nice area nearby called Green Belt 3. We strolled past restaurants of every nationality and flavor, but finally settled on one called the "Red Crab".He started off by ordering shrimp fried rice, which

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-85167697577090319992009-04-14T02:20:00.000-05:002009-04-14T02:21:10.269-05:00

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-37505677298132354982009-04-13T06:07:00.003-05:002009-04-13T06:33:44.248-05:00

This has been one very long, but very productive, day. It seems that my new business partner and I have hit things off well. Even though we've worked together for months now, remotely, this was our first opportunity to meet face-to-face. For 10 hours straight we talked about goals, plans, researched background information, produced alternative scenarios, updated online collaboration tools, and

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-86533659757798727762009-04-04T10:42:00.003-05:002009-04-04T10:55:30.361-05:00

We finally decided on master bedroom furniture and had it delivered 2 days ago. So far, we absolutely LOVE it. We bought 3 pieces, the bed and frame, a nightstand, and an entertainment center. We hope to buy the tv soon, although we haven't had much time for it lately, so we are in no real rush. After that a couple of paint touch-ups, a light fixture, a chair and some artwork will finish the room

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-39266136726310540992009-03-29T14:36:00.003-05:002009-03-29T14:44:03.462-05:00

Honey (Leo) and I are having a great time together, although I will be leaving town tomorrow, leaving the state next week, and leaving the country before he does. [More to come on these later.] I did want to point out that other than the missing baseboards and one light fixture, another room in our house has been completed. We are so excited! Pretty, ain't it.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-39686127211383279132009-03-23T22:11:00.002-05:002009-03-24T03:38:55.979-05:00

Happy Ada Lovelace Day!As a sometimes blogger and a woman immersed in technology, when I heard about the Ada Lovelace Day pledge, I just had to join in. I made a pledge a month or so ago that, "I will publish a blog post on Tuesday 24th March about a woman in technology whom I admire but only if 1,000 people will do the same." The final count of actual blog posts will well exceed that number and

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-73698354812913983712009-03-23T22:04:00.002-05:002009-03-23T22:10:42.651-05:00

Oh yeah, I'm excited! Just a few more days and my sweetie will be home again!I've been so incredibly busy over the past couple of weeks, but still feel like I'm not getting as much accomplished as I should. I'm sure I'm the only person in the world that this is happening to, right? My new business joint venture is getting close to M/B-Day (make or break day) and I'm hoping we're going to answer

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-61841218351403612952009-03-17T21:16:00.003-05:002009-03-17T21:31:55.741-05:00

I got a warning message from Leo this morning, and verified it online tonight. It is possible that Leo's return will not happen as planned...it may be delayed by a day or two.The news story that explains the problem is titled Nigeria Oil Strike Looming and describes details of a planned strike in the country by blue- and white-collar oil workers alike. There are two reasons this could affect

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-84628269347320874162009-03-15T12:48:00.002-05:002009-03-15T14:25:02.790-05:00

As a follow-up to my last posting I DID find my wallet after all. It was quite embarrassing (in the bottom of a garbage bag full of trash) but thankfully I found it after taking time to think about where I had it last. Took me a full 15 minutes of going through my activities before I got the idea on where it might be and tracked it down. Whew!This weekend has been quite fun with daughter Rebecca

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-27079611231220471992009-03-09T15:37:00.003-05:002009-03-09T16:02:42.088-05:00

I had a rough week last week, what with opening an office, buying a new computer, getting things set up and more. That was followed by a really great weekend (except for the sore-throat-keeping-me-up thing) with my daughter Rebecca and granddaughter Madison spending most of it with me. Then came today. Some days should allow do-overs...today is one of those days.Although I planned to go in early

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-32229049686802181402009-03-04T20:04:00.002-06:002009-03-04T20:25:57.448-06:00

Yes, that's right...my company has just opened new offices in Houston. We are located on Mercer Street, near the ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company campus where my sister Ginger works. I am sharing the office space with another individual, but am very excited about the prospects. We are in a suite that is owned by a local custom builder, and so far the rest of the suite tenants seem to be very

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-43524096730643581772009-03-01T20:59:00.003-06:002009-03-01T21:03:13.596-06:00

Most of what I receive from Leo is little tidbits about what's going on in his life. He doesn't have time for more. I did receive a lovely letter today, however. I don't feel comfortable sharing his thoughts for the world to see, but I am going to break with tradition and share mine. I don't know why, but just thought you might like to take a peek. BeaHi sweetheart. I think I wish you wouldn’t

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-19581081892690394402009-02-23T22:38:00.003-06:002009-02-23T22:51:39.846-06:00

Leo and I spent the morning enjoying each other's company, then we took the drive in from Port Lavaca to Houston and I dropped him off at the airport. I was a good girl today. There were no tears.We had a long heart-to-heart this morning before we left home. I had begun to think about the fact that we prayed so hard for this job to be available for Leo, and now that it is a reality, I can't

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-79089155388966445102009-02-22T23:49:00.003-06:002009-02-23T00:03:31.889-06:00

I don't know what's come over me...must be getting old or something. Today I cried. I'm like an unbelievably tough old lady and I NEVER cry. But today I got to thinking about how much I miss Leo when he's gone, about how it is not so much fun without him here, about how I can't just pick up the phone and call him, and about how much I hate him being gone. And, I cried.He took it pretty well. At

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-42255710681742335272009-02-22T08:13:00.005-06:002009-02-22T08:55:26.081-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since my last posting. Yikes! So much has happened (you know, little things, fun things) that I don't know where to start. I guess I'll start with the fun time we had last weekend when for the first time in YEARS two of our girls and their families came to our place for a visit. What a BLAST!Weekend Family Visit:Left to right: Lee, Rachael, Madison, Shannon,

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-61069637734491094462009-02-03T17:38:00.002-06:002009-02-03T17:44:49.859-06:00

I had to spend the weekend in Houston taking care of some business, so by the time I got home yesterday morning, I just could not bring myself to get back to work. I know it's silly, considering all we have to do, but Leo and I have basically been sitting around and enjoying each others company for the past two days. We've made a couple of trips to town, we've engaged in some light-hearted

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-56881231488439721612009-01-29T08:31:00.002-06:002009-01-29T08:37:35.853-06:00

Just taking a minute for a quick post here. Yup...Leo's on his way! He called me last night from Germany and we got to talk for almost 20 minutes. That was so very nice! When he calls me from Escravos there is a huge delay in the transmission so it's almost painful to try and hold a real conversation. We usually end up with one of us talking non-stop while the other listens, then trade off for a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-9430804569120885422009-01-26T08:19:00.002-06:002009-01-26T08:35:51.784-06:00

I got to talk to Leo on the phone last night for a couple of minutes. It was the first time in a long time, and it had taken him about 20 minutes of dialing and dropped connections before it actually worked. The harmattan is wreaking havoc on them and interrupting a lot more than communications. But it is not something that comes, stays, then leaves but rather a weather condition that is always

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-65871136410724441312009-01-22T01:27:00.002-06:002009-01-22T02:07:01.910-06:00

It's 1:30am as I sit here in my Houston apartment thinking "What am I still doing up at this hour?"The first problem is I have an awful lot on my mind, and on my plate, these days. The second is that I have gotten my days and nights swapped around again and can't seem to go back the other way. Because I really like working alone, and find that I can generally get so much more accomplished that

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-40518461002629246172009-01-08T21:39:00.003-06:002009-01-08T21:50:01.708-06:00

Yup...big announcement, right? Rachael (our youngest) and Lee have four lovely, lively children now. At 8, Madison is a real sweetie and often runs herd over the others. Red-headed Mason is 5, a sweet-natured boy and tons of fun to be around. Kaya is 4, stepdaughter to Rachael but definitely part of the family. She is petite and sweet and we adore her as well. Zoe is the newest at 8 months.

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-74707968425396276022009-01-02T00:20:00.001-06:002009-01-02T00:20:22.847-06:00

Every day between 1¹and 12pm, I watch my mailbox closely. That's usually when Leo gets a minute free and drops me a line. I sometimes find out about the weather, sometimes about the work progress, and occasionally about some mischief that he's been involved in. But I ALWAYS find out how much he misses me and how he longs to be home again. So, I stay up a little late and wait on his message. It's

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-27429149732222891842008-12-31T22:12:00.003-06:002008-12-31T22:34:43.944-06:00

As the US prepares for the ball to drop in a couple of hours, other parts of the world have already been-there-done-that. Weird, don't you think?I am celebrating New Year's alone in Houston. Splurged by going out to Whataburger and eating the first burger I've had in more than 3 months. It was SO good! I thought I would be lonely/sappy tonight, but that's not really the case. Leo has been in

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-33343386499394817712008-12-30T18:58:00.005-06:002008-12-30T19:26:24.993-06:00

For those of you who have seen my laptop, you might be tempted to think it's no laptop at all. First, one of the fans in it is broken, so I have to use an external fan pad for cooling. Second, it's got a monster 17" monitor on it along with a full (numeric and all) keyboard, so it is really huge. Third, it weighs a ton. Fourth, I generally set it up with a second monitor running. Fifth, because

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-38573264473149870022008-12-27T07:56:00.002-06:002008-12-27T09:00:36.782-06:00

As we make last minute preparations for Leo's leaving today, a note from a coworker indicated his trip back into Nigeria may not be as straightforward as before. The harmattan has arrived."For a few weeks each year, the shifting winds roil southward out of the Sahara Desert, drying out West Africa's air and darkening its skies with sandy grit. The dusty wind grounds planes, coats palm trees in

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-7045982883783987042008-12-25T22:46:00.006-06:002008-12-25T23:24:22.425-06:00

It's been an incredible week, full of incredibly good times. Today, however, I'm in a poopy sad mood as we prepare for Leo's imminent departure. He leaves on Saturday.Last Friday, Leo and I drove the 190 miles to Liberty to pick up 3 of the grandkids. We left there and drove 225 miles to Jarrell so the kids could go spend some time with their Aunt Becca and Uncle Shannon. When we discussed it

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-59495792101349773942008-12-21T12:24:00.002-06:002008-12-21T12:49:35.812-06:00

In case you are wondering why I've been "silent" on the blog for a while I will admit now that it is [mainly] because I've been POUTING. My beloved iPhone was stolen from me while attending a conference in Houston. Man, I really LOVED that thing! While I was not that surprised when Leo's phone was stolen from him in the wilds of Nigeria (yes, I know that is a remark dripping with prejudice and

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-13471892334435014122008-12-04T21:20:00.003-06:002008-12-04T21:31:33.945-06:00

Yes, Leo made it home safe and sound and I couldn't be happier! I have 3 days off with him before I go back to work, but I'm guessing we're just going to lounge around a bit and relax. If it's not too windy out, we might even get a chance to put a couple of lines in the water and try for some delicious trout or flounder.While he was gone, I ordered some materials for a friend of his who pastors a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-24556510130941037322008-12-04T10:11:00.003-06:002008-12-04T10:13:09.640-06:00

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-81795599774524448852008-12-03T15:01:00.003-06:002008-12-03T15:18:16.727-06:00

My flooring arrived today, and there is a LOT of it. I just HAD to break open a box and take a look. You know how it is. You buy something after seeing photos on the internet, and a 4x4 panel of it in the store. I mean, how does that let you know what you are buying? So, Jess and I took one carton and laid some pieces out on the floor for a look-see. All I can say is "Wow!"The floor we chose is

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-28700660136272835992008-12-03T08:33:00.003-06:002008-12-03T08:56:15.513-06:00

I'm so excited that Leo will be home in little more than 24 hours! What I'm NOT excited about is that a mild case of my BPV returned in the night. Yuk! For those who don't know, BPV is Benign Positional Vertigo and is a lot more annoying than it is painful or dangerous. My first bout with it some 4 or 5 years ago was really bad. I experienced nausea, nystagmus (a weird sensation that Leo likes to

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-43377997915542031602008-11-25T07:37:00.004-06:002008-11-25T08:21:50.999-06:00

Leo and I have been married for almost 20 years now, and although we generally don't make a big deal about birthdays or other holidays, this is the FIRST TIME we've been apart for one of our birthdays. I don't like it. I don't like it at all. In retribution (although it is not Leo's fault) I am going to share some things that I know about Leo with you all. :-)Leo was born on November 26, 1948 in

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-36762037171770056612008-11-23T10:04:00.002-06:002008-11-23T10:19:12.384-06:00

Rebecca came to work for me this weekend, and we really had a good time. We actually tackled 2 projects, 1) cleaning/organizing the pantry, and 2) finishing the guest bath. Okay, I know it's only 50 square feet of work down and 3,000 more to go, but hey...it's a start!Check out the finished product on the guest bath. Remember, when you come to visit, this will be your bath! :-) Anyway, we also

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-76550417407054183152008-11-21T10:35:00.004-06:002008-11-21T11:05:37.965-06:00

Like Leo, I hesitate to even post this information, but I think it is important to share with friends and family. Besides, I am hoping your prayers will work to keep Leo and his co-workers safe.Yesterday, Leo's facility was under attack. No one on his side of the battle was hurt, although it is believed there were casualties on the other side since two of the 10 attack boats were sunk. Leo loves

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-85746375569648869682008-11-19T20:15:00.002-06:002008-11-19T20:21:46.508-06:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that Leo's 60th birthday is coming up. On November 26, he will celebrate in Nigeria with his friends. When he gets home on December 5, he and I will have another celebration as well. In our emails, we both agree that missing Thanksgiving together will be harder than the birthday thing, but at least we have Christmas.There is one caveat, however. Things have gotten a

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-18480335988085724632008-11-19T20:05:00.002-06:002008-11-19T20:15:45.904-06:00

Two weeks until my sweetheart comes home and the house is an absolute wreck. Well, that's really to be expected considering all the construction that's been going on there. I had hoped to have wood floors in before he got home, but the delivery has been postponed (back order) until mid-December. They wanted to know if I wanted to pick a different one. "Are you crazy? It took us WEEKS to settle on

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-85408295532816404252008-11-17T00:56:00.003-06:002008-11-17T01:22:53.835-06:00

Believe it or not, I have had very little interest in the iPhone since it came out. Although I do like tech toys, I generally don't like to get them just because everyone else is. The iPhone is loved by many people because of the fact that they can enjoy tunes and videos on it as well as making phone calls. Well, I have no desire to listen to music or watch videos on my telephone, so I've been

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-34722168228404121042008-11-16T15:20:00.002-06:002008-11-16T15:26:39.238-06:00

Drove home this chilly morning and found a beautiful day waiting for me back in Port Lavaca. I had a WONDERFUL weekend spending time with my daughter Rebecca on Saturday. We went window-shopping together ALL DAY long (something unusual for both of us) and really had a lot of fun chatting, scheming, planning, and just spending time together. Now I need to schedule some of the same "together time"

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-85934703368350458212008-11-15T09:42:00.003-06:002008-11-15T10:00:59.034-06:00

I hate it when a busy week comes along and I don't have time to post anything. It just means that when I finally get the time, I really don't know what to post. I mean, do I try to catch everyone up on everything or do I just hit the highlights. Gee...can I even REMEMBER the highlights!?The week was good as far as Leo is concerned. He had a couple of chances to interface with me (quick emails

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-46289844812143237152008-11-09T19:05:00.002-06:002008-11-09T19:23:14.281-06:00

I've got my last load of washing ready to go in now, have prepared my food for the whole week and packed the truck with all my "goodies". It's time for me to head back to Houston and it feels like I didn't even get a weekend.Tomorrow night my sis and I are going to the University of Houston to listen to a lecture. The speaker is Thomas L. Friedman, author of The World is Flat and The Lexus and

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-37175778937108734862008-11-08T13:07:00.002-06:002008-11-08T13:12:59.868-06:00

Yes, that's right. In the crazy world of Nigerian plant start-ups, the powers that be have seen fit to provide Leo with a way to keep in touch. Now, I wouldn't start thinking of sending a bunch of emails to him if I were you as having access is not quite the same as having TIME to access it. But still, don't be surprised if you find a random email from Leo all the way from Nigeria.I had a really

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-80958450616306796782008-11-04T22:13:00.002-06:002008-11-04T22:29:24.179-06:00

I was slightly disappointed to find that the voting for my precinct had been moved from the County Barn (my absolute FAVORITE place to vote!) to the K.C. hall. Still, two sweet little old ladies and four cardboard voting slots were still the voting method, so the casting of my quaint rural vote was still a good experience. I have avoided all television coverage of the election (definitely no

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-15321425351775212722008-11-03T22:07:00.002-06:002008-11-03T22:18:03.152-06:00

Well, he's well on his way now. According to the flight tracker, Leo is well past Newfoundland and still has another 4 hours to go before arriving in Frankfurt. We left home at 10:45 this morning and drove to Houston. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Chili's, near the airport, then I pulled up and dropped him off at about 2:45. From there I headed to the apartment to pay the rent and pick up some

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-63545940911593286912008-11-02T18:53:00.003-06:002008-11-02T19:17:43.928-06:00

It was so wonderful having Leo home for a few weeks, but it has come to an end. I will take him to the airport tomorrow, and he will be in Germany by Tuesday morning. Although I keep telling myself it will be better if I don't cry tomorrow, there's no way for me to know what will happen. For those of you who don't know me well, the truth is, I'm not much of a crier. Sad movies don't do it for me,

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-28070305536197017042008-10-27T23:26:00.003-05:002008-10-27T23:32:24.919-05:00

It's nearly midnight and I am so tired, but it's been so long since I posted an update, I just HAD to post a few words. Life is good and things are going well, but I am working hard which is really typical for this time of year with me. I wanted so badly to take off this week and spend it with Leo since he will be leaving on Monday, but it was not to be. I have to be in Houston from Wednesday

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-46204174731935871562008-10-16T12:32:00.002-05:002008-10-16T12:44:28.261-05:00

No, really. I mean, this time we are really going to get to work on the house and I'm expecting us to make some real progress. The biggest question is, how long will the money hold out?Leo got in touch with the brother of a close friend who was in a good spot to take over on some construction work. He and his helper came by to meet us yesterday. We were impressed. The guy was not a braggart, but

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-85609798495106336222008-10-12T13:56:00.002-05:002008-10-12T14:03:52.498-05:00

Ever since Leo's been home, he's been telling such wonderful stories about his adventures in Nigeria, and all points between. He has a real respect for the "nationals" he's come in contact with and has made several close friends among the "expats" as well. Although my emotions have swung both ways when it comes to the issue of letting him return to Nigeria, I am very much comforted by the fact

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13708175.post-83313629334401239532008-10-10T11:42:00.002-05:002008-10-10T11:44:42.052-05:00

He looks good, seems to be healthy and happy, and doesn't have to leave again until November 6. I keep calling out from my office, "You still there?" which I'm sure is annoying him. I have to go in to work in Houston on Tuesday, and at the moment, I'm wondering if I can handle the 8 hours of separation! :-) Yup...my baby's home!!!

Bea Amayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01347639371490580928noreply@blogger.com2