Ah, wonderful Fridays.   Glad it is finally here.  After about a month of short work weeks (due to a messed up vacation schedule) it seems strange working all 5 days of the work week (excludes work I do on Sundays).  Thus, Thursday was a bit of a difficult day.  However, with it now being Friday ... and the weekend just a few hours away ... I will be fine today.

At the office, I'm slowly pounding out the presentations and submitting all the required year end data.  There is so much to do ... and so many new activities for 2007.  Seems like I am already behind.  urrrgghh.

Looks like Decy and I are finally getting into a routine on "normal spending" .... the transition from Angola to Indonesia has been difficult .... between buying cars, furniture, dealing with pent up demands (nothing available in Angola for 4 years), visitors (Daisy, Stela, boys), Christmas ... it has been very hard to get a handle on expenses.  Although I know precisely how much we have spent and and on what things, it is still hard to separate out normal vs unusual ... and then extrapolate into the future ..... its like the "fog of war".   However, Decy and I caught up on the finances over the past week ... and I was very pleasantly surprised. Doesn't mean we are over the hump and there are no issues .... just means that for once there were no "negative surprises".

One thing is very clear .... there is a substantial cost premium to live an American lifestyle in Indonesia.  Many things are incredibly cheap .... but if you want a car ($25k-$50k) ... and put gas in it ($400/mo for two) .... and air conditioning ($900/mo electricity) .... and broadband access ($225/mo) ... then you pay dearly.  Based on that last 3 months of expenses ... utilities, staffing, phones, security, gas, auto mtse, etc ... basic "infrastructure costs" are running close to $3k per month ... and that is after paying cash for the cars.  Food/groceries is running about $1,500/mo but I think about 1/2 of that is (a) buying misc for the house/kitchen and (b) the initial "stocking up" on many things.  Then, of course ... there is the dining, entertainment, gifts, vacation, medical, massages, salons, etc .... we probably need another 2-3 months of "run time" before I get a good understand of the overall cost of living here.

RE more personal things ... Decy, Chely, and I are starting to exercise a bit (each on our own) ... seems we all feel the need to "tighten up" just a little bit. For me, I am focussing on my stomach (sit ups) and some free weights.  Its not that I have a big belly (I don't) its just that a few sit ups can help tighten up what I have.  As for Thasya - well, she doesn't need to exercises ... she has a dragon in her tummy that absorbs everything she eats ..... growing at about 4 inches a year for the last 3 years .... she is now about 5' 6" and still stretching to the sky ...

*** Seriously considering going hashing tomorrow .... its been a long time.

ok, enough of this.  I need to eat some fruit (my breakfast) and wrap things up so I can go to work ... besides ... it is ALREADY 506 am ....

ciao ciao