Lots to love on Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! I am definitely feeling loved today, and here are a few reasons why:

* Last night, I slept for nearly 10 hours (I’ve been averaging 5-6 per night for the last month, and I was exhausted because I truly need my 8)

* I slept so well, in fact, that I don’t recall any of my dreams, which is a good thing since I took my first anti-malaria pill yesterday (I usually have such intense dreams that last summer I woke up and cried even though I knew the heart-wrenching dream wasn’t true)

* After going to sleep last night listening to rain, I woke this morning to bright sunshine and a beautiful blue sky

* IBM hooked me up with a wonderful new T61 ThinkPad – it is fast, light, has a nice size screen for a laptop, and I got some software upgrades in the process (including Lotus Notes 8) that finally have me “in the know” about why people are excited about some of our new software offerings

* Mohammed got my new computer up and running yesterday, so that today while I do other things, I can load software, burn CDs for archiving, etc.

* My new system works with the tiny 16GB Kingston flash drive that Marti suggested I buy (so much easier than CDs and an amazing deal at $25 – great idea!)

* Barbara sent me a Thanks! Award and I selected a solar charger with a variety of adapters so I can charge my electronics (iPod, etc.) easily in Africa

* Someone special got me a great new Nikon Coolpix P80 camera with superzoom (18x optical, much better than my current and beloved Coolpix 4200 with only 3x zoom)

* Marti loaned me a lot of great clothes (I don’t have many business or business casual clothes for 90 degree weather, because I get so cold in air conditioning), which will help when I finally get around to packing (I hope to find time to start that process tomorrow or Monday)

* Someone I don’t even know yet clued me in that there is a Corporate Service Corps team on World Community Grid (www.worldcommunitygrid.org), so I changed teams to support the CSC and as I type this, my spare computer power (and there is a lot of it on this new system!) is helping to conquer cancer while various other projects (Discovering Dengue Drugs, FightAIDS@Home, Nutritious Rice for the World, and The Clean Energy Project) are waiting in the wings

* You guys are leaving encouraging comments for me on this blog, THANK YOU

* I have received lots of phone messages and cards wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day

Hope you are all feeling loved today, too!