Back from the USSR

Yes, I'm Back from the USSR. I wonder if I'll ever be "Back in the USSR"? Great song - the first one on the White Album.

I spent a week in Raleigh and am now in Beaufort, NC, relaxing, reflecting, and rearranging my future.

It's good to be in a place where I can take care of my health with no hassles. Aside from their ancient health superstitions and concoctions, preventative medicine isn't practiced in Azerbaijan - at least not that I saw. Granted, in the US preventative med isn't practiced as conscientiously as it should be, but we are a good century ahead of most of the world in our basic understanding of the effects of medicines, exercise, sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and the like. Just staying clean - having clean water to wash myself and my clothing in feels like a luxury now. Taking a shower (whenever I want!) is overly awesome. Using a washing machine and having clean clothing every day feels absolutely decadent.

After I spend a few weeks visiting friends in Beaufort, I plan to do some traveling. I don't know how far I'll get or where I'll go - at this point, I'm just planning to go to the mountains to see my mom. She just had knee replacement surgery and could use my help. The rough winter took down a lot of branches and she needs them cleaned out of her back yard forest, so I'll get a much-needed workout. Then I might visit my brother over by Dallas. We'll see.

This should be my last entry in this blog. When I'm ready, I'll start another one under another name. All of you connected to this blog will receive an email telling you where to find it. It will cover my travels in the US.... they may not be as interesting as my Azeri adventures, but who knows? Wait and see....

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