Routine

Yes, I know that I haven't posted in a while. I feel like I don't have anything particularly interesting or exciting to report-- I'm busy with work, the weather is still crazy (brief snow flurries on June 5, extremely hot last week, cold and windy today), and the locals still turn into mutants when they get behind the wheel of a car. What used to be prime blogging material has become normal, a sure sign that I need to get out of Astana for a while. Next weekend I'm planning a trip to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which will surely jar my routine.

Perhaps another reason that I'm less inspired to write is that I'm homesick. I realized this the last few days, when I noticed that I was tired of meeting new people and only wanted to talk to people I already knew. I'm sure this is a temporary phenomenon (otherwise, I'm in the wrong line of work). Again, I think I just need to get out of my routine for a while. Plus, it's summer, and I really want some juicy all beef hot dogs on the grill, with just a little bit of black running down the side, served in an Aunt Millie’s bun, and some crispy corn on the cob with butter and salt, and a thick chocolate milkshake with whipped cream on top. That would solve all of my problems.

Mmmmm... chili

A few weeks ago several of my friends from church came over on a Sunday afternoon for chili. It was the first "real" thing I've cooked since I've been here (the meal involved me going to four different stores to find all the right stuff). Fortunately, it turned out very well; unfortunately, there were no leftovers. You can see some pictures here.