Three To Go...

Only three more days in town before I take my dog on an eight-hour bus ride to Shanghai! Woo-hoo, what fun. I can just see the thrilled look on the bus driver's face when I show up Sunday morning with a dog in its' carrier. It might be a really good day to pretend I don't understand Chinese. I can get by with a lot sometimes if the locals think the effort expended on trying to communicate isn't worth the effort. I just hope the dog doesn't bark or throw up the whole way. In fact, I'm hoping that for both of us. (I have a mean bark.) :-)

I'll be away from here for 4-1/2 months. I have to pay the landlord, pre-pay all utilities, shred documents, lock things away, clean house (uh, yeah, as if I expect it to be perfectly clean when I return), etc. My phones--both home and cell--are ringing off the hook with people trying to set-up appointments with me, and there is just no time. So heaped upon all else I have to do is a big load of guilt for having to tell people no.

I'm actually spending a week in Shanghai before flying to America (doggy bureaucracy...a week's worth if you can believe it). I even have had a few people trying to schedule appointments to visit with me in Shanghai--former students and such.

Quite seriously, I would appreciate your prayers on Sunday. Pray that I can move all my luggage (including the doggie) in and out of taxis and buses without any of it getting pilphered as it was last time I was in Shanghai. Pray that I will have all the required doggie documentation needed at the Shanghai vet and at the United Airlines counter on the day I fly. Pray that Mimi passes her doggie physical exam, because if she doesn't I'm stuck eight-hours away from anyone I think I can get to watch her while I am in America...plus I'd be really sad. Pray that the front desk of the Shanghai hotel won't deny my dog entry into the hotel; I talked to the sales manager and he reluctantly agreed to a dog staying in the hotel, but I dare not call him back to re-confirm for fear he might change his mind; I could only find one hotel in the whole city that would accept a dog that charges less than US$100 per night (I'm there eight nights). Pray that my visa to return to China gets to me in time--it's supposed to be ready for me this Friday. Thanks. I appreciate anyone who feels led to intercede for these mundane things that are pretty insignificant in the big scheme of things, but that are causing me a wee bit of stress at the moment! Ya know what I mean? :-) More news soon!