Also, this:

I'll be leaving for Indonesia in 2 weeks.

What, didn't I tell you? It's going to be difficult, and weird, and good.

I'm going to Banda Aceh and a few other areas that were smashed to bits by the tsunami last year. A volunteer organization is sending a bunch of us to find out how the rebuilding effort is going.

I'll be posting my culture-shocked observations to http://www.bitlink.ca/mccs/ when I can, during the 2 and a half weeks that I'm there.

When I come back, I expect to be thoroughly ass-kicked, having observed real struggle. So, no bug up my ass, but maybe a parasite up my colon. I'll also be broke or at least badly bent.

This has been a shake-up summer, my darlings. I've seen thousand-year-old rock paintings and heard heart-breaking songs by a South African genius. I've dumped a canoe into damned cold water. I've changed a diaper. I've run 10 k without puking my guts out. I've let my heart be alternately eviscerated and coated in honey.

It's been a year since I donned cougar ears. Have I learned anything? I have my doubts.