My daughter Joanna continues to amaze me as I watch her on Skype each day. She just turned five months old and she is already sort of crawling. She uses her knees and elbows to lift her bottom in the air and then she'll lurch forward. She'll repeat the process rather quickly -- knees come forward, bottom goes up in the air, and a lurch forward. It's not classic crawling, but she gets from A to B in a hurry and she can't be left alone on the bed. She moves like a speedy caterpillar. I see a Phuong-like grit and determination in Joanna's actions, whether it's attempting to crawl or trying to take off her socks so she can suck her toes. And there's such glee and joy in Phuong as she chases her daughter around on the bed and makes sure Joanna doesn't suck her toes or fall off the bed. I can't wait to get back to Vietnam to see my wife and daughter. I hope Joanna still recognizes me. I hope Phuong still recognizes me, too.
My eyes, which have high pressure that causes glaucoma and eventual loss of vision, are in pretty good shape, all things considered. But examinations, new glasses and eye drops cost me a small fortune -- about $3,000 out of pocket since I don't have health care. I looked into health insurance but the payments were over $300 a month. Can't afford that over the long haul, but I have enough money to cover my eye treatment and yearly trips to the United States. (Thank you VMG!) I've been staying in Yellow Springs, where I have a house. Yellow Springs is nice enough, but it's very expensive and property taxes are very high. It's like a resort town. I tell everyone in Yellow Springs, also a very liberal town, that President-elect Trump is going to write me a check to cover my eye care and miscellaneous expenses on my trip to the U.S. That line barely gets a smile in town.
I had a wonderful visit on Saturday with Anthony and Amelia, my former co-workers at the Dayton Daily News newspaper, which laid me off in 2008. Anthony and Amelia are good people and good journalists. I loved seeing them. I should send the DDN a thank-you note for laying me off. I ended up getting a master's degree, teaching in Peru and then Vietnam, where I met my incredible wife Phuong and had an incredible baby girl (Joanna). Most of the copy editors I worked with in Dayton either moved on or were laid off. Newspapers are dinosaurs. But I discovered I really loved teaching, so I don't hold any grudges or harbor any ill will toward the newspaper industry. Quite the contrary.
I'm preparing to leave the U.S. It was wonderful to see friends (John, Eve, Ron, Andy, Jane, Tommy, Anthony, Amelia, Laurie, Lynda) and my children Jessica, Caroline, Jack and Alec. Planning a shopping trip with Jessica tomorrow. Vacation isn't over yet.
I stayed at the Springs Motel in Yellow Springs and the manager Robyn is one of the nicest people I've ever met. She found my misplaced cell phone, got milk for my coffee and bought me Yoo-Hoo chocolate candy, all while listening to the White Monkey whine about anything and everything for a couple of weeks. Thanks Robyn, you're wonderful.
It's been cold lately (lows of 25 Fahrenheit / -6 celcius). We had a dusting of snow Saturday morning. Ah, December in Ohio.
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