I followed thru on my decision ... NO work this weekend.  The family won.  Yeah.  Saturday was spent hashing and having a farewell party at our house (see pics), while Sunday was spent at Hotel Tropico having lunch including lobster (yeah) ... and then resting.  See the pics on that too. [ and don't foreget to see the pic on my best friend, Tom ].

I posted some pics from the last few days. The "farewells" are really gearing up with Decy and the girls leaving on Saturday.  Already this coming week we have every night booked and I think Decy has some lunches booked.  This doesn't include the approx 12-15 good-byes she had in late June and early July as folks left town and weren't returning before Decy left.

While it might seem that all we do is eat, drink, and party, that is not the case.  Its just that we have a very broad group of friends that cuts across companies, cultures, countries, and interests.

It is hard to say good-bye to so many friends. It hurts.  I know it hurts Decy and the girls more than me.  I am use to good-byes ... and none hurt like the pain when I have to tell my sons good-bye.

Right or wrong, I do try to rationalize the pain .... I've come to the decision that it is better to hurt when one leaves than to not hurt at all.  You see, if you hurt ... then you have made an impact on other people and they have made an impact on you ... the pain is the recognition of that "connection and bond".  As someone famous once said ... it is better to love and to have lost than to have never loved.  STILL, it hurts.

Tomorrow .... I work - starting at 515am.  I will stop at 7pm ... as there is yet again another farewell ... hosted by the Pakistani's here in Angola.

ciao ciao.