Five of Six

Wooosh.

I've been working on application essays since before Christmas, and I am finally, almost, very nearly finished. So far I've written and submitted essays for Columbia and The New School's MFA programs, for NYU's mouth-watering Cultural Reporting and Criticism journalism MA program, and for the dual MA in journalism and folklore at Indiana University (which required two separate applications). The only one left to finish is the application to Syracuse University's Arts Journalism program, but that isn't due until Feb 1.

Man, it's a good thing no one came to visit over Xmas break - I was a sad, stressed-out sack. But now it is a day and a half into 2007, and I'm DONE FOR NOW! and overdue for a little rest and respite. Tomorrow I'm going to Sighnaghi, where C and I will stay through Georgian Xmas (Jan 7) and a ways beyond that.

Jess, who is living at the Sighnaghi house right now, tells us that the water pipes (ingeneously routed outside the house, and not insulated) have frozen, so no running water for the downstairs half of the building -- which happens to be where C and I stay, and where the washing machine and warmer kitchen and bathroom are.

Oh, well. We'll be dirty, mostly, and our clothes will be dirty too. But at least my atrophying limbs will have a yard to work in (however frozen - I can still rake leaves and chop wood!). And I'll get to spend a solid week far from the unchallenging, warm, internetted confines of the apartment, which I've scarcely left since I dug into the aforementioned application essays.

A whole bunch of people are going to use our apartment while we're out of town. Loma, and his girlfriend Ash, have been vacationing in Turkey right how; Loma asked if he could use our place as a B&B for a week in exchange for some cash. I'm cool with it, as long as he doesn't eat any more beets in bed! We only have one fitted sheet - no more beet juice thereon, SVP! Jess' dad and sister are also in town, and they'll be heading into Tbilisi as we go to Sighnaghi. They've been in Sighnaghi, though, and are way overdue for a hot cozy shower and whatnot.

How to celebrate the start of vacation? C wants to go out to dinner; I want to empty the fridge. Who will win?