The Job Fair was, in some ways, even worse than I expected. Fortunately, I am a cheerful, positive person. It was quite entertaining in some ways. I've already had a call from Eric, from Primerica. He wants to interview me to train to be an agent or broker and sell financial products (insurance and mutual funds) to my friends. I would almost do it. It would cost $99. The problem would be trying to convince people to become my clients. I would be happy to help existing clients, but I just don't think I can recruit people I know to buy from me. Based on the number who came to me for taxes (1), I would probably starve.

I dressed in my suit, printed my resumes and headed out with Ray at 9. After I dropped him off, I drove to the Classic Center and got a parking spot on the street. How many hours should I pay for? Maybe two... I walked across the street and up the stairs and found a sign that said, Job Fair, 1:30-5...OK, now what to do for 4 hours? I retraced my steps and pulled out of my paid-for parking spot, ran by the bank and spent some quality time in the library. I love being in the library. I know how to find what I'm looking for...and there are nice people to help if I need them. It is quiet and the temperature is comfortable. There are comfy chairs or sunny desks, depending on my mood.

On this occasion, I greeted Aleta, who works at the check out desk usually. I climbed the stairs and walked into the Large Print section. (I like to read in bed after I take out my contacts). There are many ways to choose books. I tend to think the large print books have stood the test of time. They must be popular to be worth reprinting in this format. I generally choose books by women authors, not that I think no men have written books worth reading. I think I have probably read more books by men and I am trying to even it out. Also, there are way more books than I could read and I have to eliminate some of them. I learned that from Anne Camoratto years ago. I remember how peculiar I thought it was when she told me. I wonder if she is on FaceBook? I digress... I pulled out my cell phone and looked at my list on Good Reads. Over 100 books marked as to read...it took a while to find 3 or 4 in the large print section, meanwhile getting distracted by some other things, like Janet Evanovich's Twelve Sharp. What? A new one that I haven't read? Exciting. Then I looked in the card catalog (digital, of course)  for books about caring for older adults. I found a couple and settled down in a comfy chair. There was a backpack and sleeping bag next to the chair across the way, but no sign of the (one assumes) homeless person who had left them. He did come back after a bit and settle himself against the wall to sleep, with his jacket over his head. I wonder if the library keeps count of how may homeless people are there on any given day. It's certainly a pleasant place to pass the time, but I wonder how many days like that a person can stand. Does he have family that is worried about him and doesn't know where he is?

I had texted Becky to see if she could meet for lunch and she said yes (she almost always does). I found a parking space near Junkman's (which is closing, I've heard). It was another beautiful sunny day in Athens. I walked around to Porterhouse. Andy was at the front desk and it was crowded! Three mega-parties and several others. Becky got there after a bit. We ordered. Food took a while to get there. They brought me chicken instead of steak and the waiter insisted that's what I said...not that it was awful, but I didn't want to wait for them to redo it. We had a nice time, although I was a little nervous about the job fair, so not as good company as sometimes.

About 1:30, I walked back to my car and drove to the classic center. This time I parked in the deck..paid...walked across the street and up the stairs, and encountered a massive line. I walked to the end, stopping in the ladies' room to brush my hair and put it up in a bun (which remarkably lasted all the way through the line). I was between two gentlemen, younger than me, but not young. Many other people were young, especially black young people. A lot of them were very inappropriately dressed. I was the only one I saw in a suit. We slowly made our way forward. At one point, a security guard asked to take the line into another room. We waited there, but the people behind us just closed the gap. At least 8 or 10 people got in front of us. Annoying, but not worth complaining about...the security guard had disappeared...mission not accomplished. After about an hour and a half, I had to opportunity to talk to about 20 employers (along with all the other hopeful applicants). Most were not hiring office workers; some I did not ask (Caterpillar, for instance). I talked to one home health care company. They were not hiring social workers, only people who could clean, cook, etc. Not there yet...I talked to two temp. agencies...I talked to the Athens-Clarke County government and picked up info about some job openings they have. I talked to the Classic Center, where I have already applied to be an event planner. They will have mass interviews Monday and Tuesday. I talked to another company I applied to on line (in Watkinsville). She said they were hiring welders and she didn't know anything about the job I was talking about. Not very friendly either. I got back in my car, picked up my husband and went home.

I was glad to get out of my suit. I talked to my Dad and worked on supper. Unfortunately, I had to be at the UUFA at 5:30 for a run-through of the service this Sunday. It is for Earth Day and I am leading the meditation. It was fine and fun. Then I went home and picked up the Bean Snap and went to the Kenney Ridge potluck. There were about a dozen people, no kids. We had a pleasant time and some good food, including an awesome apple pie that Sky made. Ray arrived before everyone left. He had been at the Democratic Committee meeting. Mike and I bemoaned the fact that Jason Carter voted for the horrible gun law. I just can't bring myself to actively support him, although I expect I will vote for him against Governor Deal. It's just heartbreaking. I want to get out of Georgia. It's terrifying to think of what will happen when everyone starts bringing guns with them everywhere. Must clean my house, step one of the plan to sell and move. Or should I apply for jobs first?

Today was a lovely day, glad to be home. Cool in the morning, but hot out there now. Cool in the house with windows and shades closed. Ray slept in and we ate breakfast late. My Dad arrived before we went for our walk. I had started making a cake (mocha) for Ray to take to the Geology Banquet tonight. My plan was to make an apple cake as well. Grampa and I are going to a pig roast tomorrow and he could peel and cut up the apples, so it would be from both of us. Also, cookies for Robert's recital tomorrow. Sadly, I didn't really have enough sugar for the first cake. Planning fail. I filled in with a little brown sugar and I am sure it is delicious! (Click here for Recipe). Daddy and I spent a lot of time in the garden, punctuated by lunch with Ray (still lots of good leftovers; we finally finished the kale soup, much improved by the addition of ham left from Easter). Our box came yesterday, so we have more produce to use up. Grampa has a new plan for tomatoes. We are setting out 22, with a complicated system of tall stakes. We drove in all the stakes, i. e., I held the stakes while he climbed on the ladder and hit them with a sledge hammer...that's trust! Everything looks great, not much bug damage yet, no spraying (a source of conflict sometimes). We did have to put out some more traps for voles and put mosquito rings in the barrels of water to kill the wigglers. Sunshine, blue sky. Too hot to work, but pleasant for sitting among the baby plants and admiring.

After some time inside, my Dad left me to my own devices.

Alone now.
Water fills the tub.
Warm bath soothes.

And now I leave you to your own devices.

Job Fair Today

A beautiful evening--warm all night. I hated to go to choir. Potluck was slim. Good thing we brought rolls and a salad. I made rolls with the sweet potatoes left over from Easter, the ones I forgot to serve, so have lots left over. They are tasty and I brought home half of them and froze them. Yay!

It isn't light yet, gray outlines of treetops and the first birds are singing.

I am going to get myself spiffed up for the Job Fair at the Classic Center. You can't imagine how much I hate job fairs, unless you have been to one. Do your best to look terrific and talk to a bunch of bored young interns at tables in a big exhibit hall. Make copies of your resume and pick up business cards from people who have no interest in you and vice versa. Pay for parking. Walk miles in shoes that hurt my feet. Odds of getting a job this way: 1000 to 1 or more. And yet, I can't really justify sitting home doing nothing (OK, gardening, making cookies, etc.), when they are offering the job fair.

Better today

Yes, Day 3 of being home.

By yesterday afternoon, I was a little stir crazy. Ray made a lovely omelet with leftover ham, asparagus, potatoes, and, of course, eggs from our hens.

We went to the bargain movie last night: Frozen. It was a pleasant outing, although the movie was a little disappointing. There were some things I loved about it, like the strong female lead and the message about falling in love. The plot was a little lame, though. As Molli said, "it's for kids...," but I can still prefer Mulan, for instance. There was something of a reliance on dramatic special effects, which I find less impressive when they are animated. It was still worth going out for, though. Ray bought me Sno-Caps, even though I have been eating cake and other sweets too much.

On the way home, we stopped at Publix to pick up bananas. They had Easter candy on sale. You wouldn't believe how long I studied it, trying to decide whether chocolate on sale had to be dark chocolate...

Not much else happened yesterday. We get our walk every morning and I spend some time in the garden--between the time when the grass is still wet and it's kind of too hot to be out...at least an hour. Report: flowers on peas, potatoes somewhat frostbitten, surprisingly, onions, garlic doing well. Small carrots  and radishes, lettuces. Set out about 12 broccoli (maybe some are cabbage). Grampa is in the middle of setting out the tomatoes. The first few got frost-burned too. Two short rows of beans are looking good. Mostly I like weeding, sitting in the dirt, thinking about writing. Sometimes I take the spading fork and turn over a few chunks. Then I sit down in a new place. I study the weeds, trying not to pull up the Johnny-Jump-ups. (they're mini-pansies that we planted years ago and have reseeded themselves ever since.)

I listen to the chickens, scratching and making little noises. They seem to prefer to be near me. I have seen hawks and owls and smelled skunk a couple times, so perhaps they feel safer close by. I spend some time, usually after lunch, sitting on the porch, watching skinks and anoles and bees and listening to the many birds. Note to self: learn to id birds by song.

When I am on the computer, eliminating e-mails or otherwise, I listen to my favorite music. It's a good life, just needs a little more purpose. I am looking forward to Ray's vacation, soon. I hope we'll get a lot done around the house, but it always seems to go fast.

Liz calls every day around noon. Calls are pretty rare, even with the truck ad, and she is so predictable, I know it's her when the phone rings. So does Cameron. He barked today when the phone rang and I said, "it's Liz." Then I let him out (if he's not already on the porch) and he heads over to walk with her. If I haven't already, I usually eat lunch then. When she brings him back, sometimes we chat or I give her a cookie or other baked treat.

I'm going to get in the tub now. Somehow I managed not to do that yet today.

home again

Well, as expected, I am not feeling quite so cheery as the days go by and I am home alone all day today. However, one of my goals is not to spend time feeling sorry for myself...

My hand-lettered for sale sign--my mother would have done better!

It's clouding up and going to rain. I spent about an hour outside this morning. Not as nice as yesterday and my Dad wasn't here. Also Ray left earlier this morning. He is almost finished with his semester, so that is a great joy. Still lots of leftover food, so no cooking to do. 

I made some progress yesterday...throwing out old magazines and papers. In the process, I discovered that both our cars are unregistered since March 8. I'm glad we didn't get stopped! But annoyed about the fine for late payment. And amazed that I could lose track of something so important. 

Also, I am reducing the number of e-mails in my in-box by 100 every day (this is the 2nd day). 

Things that are great about being unemployed:

I can wear whatever ratty clothes I want--right now, it is shorts and bare feet! Over 70 out, but a little humidity starting. Also, eat whenever and whatever I like. 

Haiku from a few days ago:

Power out:

tree fell on the line,

starting fire.

I'm free!

It is a beautiful sunny morning here...everything is green now, the garden is growing well. It is my second day of unemployment. I have only one task for today, to apply for unemployment. Tomorrow I will look at job listings. I don't even have a reason to cook, because the house is full of food.

I always love my home, but this time of year, when the sun is streaming in, and it is warm but not hot, it is a real source of joy. It is clean today, because we had guests for Easter dinner yesterday. I was stressed for a couple days beforehand. Ray was gone all day Saturday, driving a van full of students 5 hours each way...in the rain. This meant he was not here to help me...and I worried about him.

Saturday morning I made banana muffins to take to a 3-hour UUFA meeting, which was fine. I did not find it as tedious as some. I drove home happily enough and ate some lunch (leftover Tunisian stew and cauliflower-cheese pie). I had time to scrub the sweet potatoes and put them in a pot on the stove before the phone rang.

My Dad is selling his truck. This is, generally speaking, a good thing. We like having a truck to haul firewood or manure, but don't drive it much. We now have 3 cars and a truck for 3 people. He doesn't really want to keep paying insurance and registration for 2 vehicles. And it is a shame for it to sit and not be used, really. We have tried asking friends and neighbors and placing an ad in the local paper. Now we have a listing in Auto Trader, as of Friday. I suggested that we use my home phone instead of his cell phone, in part because we have a family plan and use most of our minutes every month.

I had a call Friday night from a man named Mark. He seemed legit, so I called my Dad and gave him Mark's number. Unfortunately, it took me several tries to get him. Maybe his phone was somehow on silent. Eventually, Mark decided to drive here from Atlanta to look at the truck. Then, later, he decided to wait and come Saturday instead. Hence, the phone call about 1:30 Saturday. He was on his way and had tried my Dad but no answer. He was planning to bring cash to pay for the truck and my Dad and I were a little nervous, so I had agreed to go over to his place and be there when the buyer arrived. I spent the afternoon chatting with my Dad about lots of things, great and small. Every now and then Mark would call and give us an update. "I'm on Atlanta Highway, I'll be there in 15 minutes..." A half an hour later, "I went by the turn, I'm turning around, I'll be there soon..." Anyway, eventually he arrived. His wife, Emily, came in and sat with me while Dad and Mark drove the truck. Then Mark came in and they talked a bit. He wasn't happy that it was a standard transmission (although that was in the ad), he thought he would have to repaint the whole thing, which would cost him over $1000. He hemmed and hawed and finally offered $2000 less than the asking price. My Dad was pretty annoyed, he had already given him $1000 off. In the end, they left without the truck. We had lost most of the day and had nothing to show for it...except experience...and an afternoon spent together. We had been planning to go out to dinner to celebrate...but we went out to dinner anyway and had a lovely time.

It was after 7 when I got home. I turned the sweet potatoes on and baked a cake. I overcooked the potatoes, dumped them in the sink to drain, and left the cake layers cooling and went to bed. Ray got home before 10, but I was sound asleep. The next morning we were up early, cleaning and getting ready. I felt awful, sneezing and congested, although I am fine now. It must be the allergies that everyone complains about, although I have not had it before. We ate breakfast, I made the filling for the cake, and put meringues in the oven. I peeled the sweet potatoes and cut them in half and put them in 2 9x13 pans.

We drove to the Fellowship, sang at the first service and rushed home. We stopped at the store to get some milk. I felt a little better when we were home and working on getting ready. I whipped the cream and frosted the cake. I put butter and salt and pepper on the sweet potatoes and stuck them in the oven. We cleared and cleaned and got out plates and linens. Ray was vacuuming thoroughly when the first guest arrived, so he put the vacuum away and the party began. My Dad brought a couple bottles of wine. He got there early enough to work in the garden for a bit and change his clothes before company arrived.

Here he is now!

Rainy Night in Georgia

I am so grateful for my warm and dry home. I like the view of the greening trees, too. I am getting chilly and looking forward to lighting the fire when Ray gets home in a few minutes. He called me on the way to say he is stopping to pick up my prescription at Hawthorne Drugs. I hope that he doesn't have any problems on the road.

We'll have soup with kale...and cauliflower cheese pie that we made last night. Earlier I made oatmeal-raisin cookies for my Dad, who came and brought food: roast chicken and macaroni and cheese. I added a little salad.

No power
Tree fell on the line
Starting fire

Last night, I was at a meeting at UUFA. On the way home, I got texts from Ray. Power out...buy batteries...As I got close to the turning for Three Oaks Drive, I could see an emergency vehicle with flashing lights on Prospect Church Road...All was dark at home and Ray was asleep...no TV, no ice cream (didn't want to open freezer). But, thanks to iPad, I was able to read a bit before bed. I lit a candle and put it in the bathroom for a nightlight. At 3:30, I woke and got up and blew it out. The power was back! Another thing to be grateful for!

Tired

Tired and sore this morning. I didn't sleep as well as I would have hoped, had some bad dreams.

Yesterday morning, in addition to the usual routine, I made some lemon squares to take to UUFA. We were a little late leaving the house. Ray may have been out walking longer than he should have. Then I noticed the shirt I was wearing had some kind of stain on it--a short-sleeved shirt! We drove through town and had to wait for the run/walk, which I hadn't even heard about. 

We went to Rocky's house, way out off of Belmont Road. Their drive is long and bumpy, so we parked our little car and walked in, carrying a ham. It was a beautiful morning. We met five other people there for brunch, which was tasty: two kinds of quiche, French toast, cantaloupe, banana bread, mimosas...and ham. We enjoyed talking to people and admiring their house, all windows on one side, looking out on the woods. The house is filled with interesting art, plants, and photographs. The most interesting thing of all was talking to Rocky. 

We went outside and he released a young squirrel that he rescued after it fell out of the nest. They have fed it and kept it in a cage for a couple weeks. He is very worried about its chances of survival. There are lots of owls and other predators. He also has a feral cat in a cage that he pats with a stick. It is all black with gold eyes and seems larger than a domestic cat. He has dogs that bark and chickens that lay reliably all winter long! And he has lots of blueberry bushes and a small greenhouse with some great-looking veggies--mostly lettuce. He also showed me the pond and told the story of how he bought the land it is on when someone else was going to. And he showed me his art studio and some wonderful work he has done. 

We left about 12:30, riding in Jane's jeep out to our car. We drove to the library, where Karen S. was my partner for a Scrabble tournament, raising money for literacy. We didn't do that well in the first game, losing to Aleta and her partner from the library. Their team was called the Bookies. We were the UUse guys. The second game we were much luckier, playing all our letters to make "potions," and getting a 50-point bonus. Karen and I were able to play together pretty well. She is much better at making lots of little words for high scores, but she makes up words and doesn't spell as well as I do. We were the second highest team, when the scores for both games were combined! Unfortunately, our opponent was a "serious" player, who has competed in other tournaments and memorized lists of words. He played 3 7-letter words and challenged us successfully, twice. "Da" is not in the Scrabble dictionary. I thought it was another word for Dad. Karen played "carne" without my having time to object and he challenged that one. I didn't even add up the score...We got bags of goodies, including coffee (which I don't drink) and coffee cake (which I prefer to make myself than buy in a store). However, it was nice to win something for a change. I hope we don't have to play against him again next year! The odds of us doing as well again are not that good. It was fun.

(This is when we would have gone to UUFA, if we hadn't been in the final round. Ray took the lemon squares for me, as well as Karen's appetizer.) 

Karen dropped me off at my office. I only had to work for a few hours, 5-8. Ray bought us a salad from Loco's and came and ate it with me. We met our target again for Friday, but yesterday was slower. I don't think we are negative yet, but might be soon. (sad face) We did have one person come in at 7, so it was worth staying open (not that I have a choice about the hours). The other thing (that really made my day) was figuring out how to fix a tax return for one of my clients. He is divorced but the IRS said he still had to repay a homebuyer credit for a house his ex-wife owns. It was challenging, but I felt really good when I was able to figure it out. He is sick and really needs the money. 

It was about 8:45 by the time we got home. We had to feed the dog, close the chicken coop, and bring in all the baby plants. My Dad had been there working on the garden (and eating his lunch), leaving a note and some dirty dishes. I ate a little frozen yogurt and banana, watched some TV and was in bed by 10. 

Long day

It's hard to believe that tax season is almost over; only 10 days left. 

Ray had a haircut yesterday morning. We try to drive as little as possible, so he dropped me off at work on his way, even though I didn't really need to be there until 2. It was a little after 9. Becky and Pam and Wallace and Jane were there. The balloons were out, and the table was set up out front with flyers and candy. Pam drops her adopted (grand) daughter off at day care and comes on to work a little after 8 every morning. We are spoiled, because she does all the setup chores for us: blowing up balloons, putting out the sign, turning on lights and thermostat, making coffee. She had a customer already when I got there, a good sign. 

I usually start with the daily reports, unless there is some crisis I need to deal with, or a customer for me. The company has required us to have a receptionist from open to close for the last two weeks, which means I don't have to sit up front and answer the phones much any more. Becky greets people as they arrive and makes appointments for people who call. I thought we had a good day on Thursday, but I was anxious to see the numbers. We made over $8000 in one day! Part of that is some of the TPs (tax pros) working on complicated returns from previous days and finishing them up. Customers can drop off their paperwork, have it worked on, and then come sign (and pay), so the amount of money doesn't always exactly correlate with how busy we were that day. That meant we were over our year-to-date target by 2.7%. This is almost a miracle; we were down more than 30% earlier in the season and I doubted we would make it. I am hopeful that we can stay above our target for the rest of the year, but we'll see. 

I printed out that report and the accompanying graph showing us above the line, as well as some other reports, to put on our bulletin board. Every day, we have a brief meeting to look at the numbers and talk about how we're doing. Sometimes, it's like being a cheerleader or coach. It can be tricky to find a time when none of us has a customer, but it seems to help us stay enthusiastic. 

The most fun thing about yesterday (besides being over our target) was having a friend come in to get her taxes done. This is the first person who has actually come to see me, because I gave her my card. She is a good and fun person, but, as she said yesterday, the kind of person who should not have her own business. She is a tax professional's nightmare, with her fees received jotted down on a piece of paper, and folders of bills she paid for us to go through and add up in various categories. I was pleased that it took us less than 3 hours to do it all, and she didn't have to go and get something that was missing. She wasn't very happy that she owed money to the IRS, but if you have your own business, that is what will happen, unless you are losing money. In addition to regular income taxes, you have to pay self-employment tax (social security), which you will benefit from when you retire. I felt bad about how much she owed the company, but I certainly earned it. 

My Dad was waiting for me as we finished up, so I clocked out and took a dinner break. We walked down the street and had something to eat together. He filled me in on gardening and bridge and the important things in his life, and I didn't have to eat alone. The last two or three hours at the office were pretty quiet. We rarely have late customers show up without an appointment, and it seems silly to keep the office open until 8 or 9, but I don't get to set the hours. A fun thing we get to do at closing is total up the day's receipts (the computer does it for us), and see that, yes, we met our goal for yesterday as well, so we are still positive this morning. 

Ray was eating dinner with a guest speaker and other geology people, so he didn't pick me up until 9. I spent the last half hour or so next door in the grocery store, dawdling up and down the aisles, buying a few things and wishing I had brought my own car! He did bring me a slice of cake from the Last Resort, though, as a reward. We watched an episode of Wheel of Fortune and the latest Big Bang Theory while we ate it (with ice cream) and went to bed to sleep well. It is warm these days, so no heat needed or heavy quilt on the bed. 

spring happening

morning walk

Hi,

It occurs to me that writing a blog entry once every few months is a little like a digital Christmas letter. I am pretty sure my readers are all family members...

There are less than 2 weeks left of tax season, and consequently, of my current employment. As usual, I have learned a lot about myself, my interests and abilities. I have met a lot of interesting people. I am horrified to be working at $10.50 an hour, but thrilled to have paid off my credit cards. With my last few paychecks, I will reduce what I owe for my home equity loan. I feel better about being able to deal with the future...and, of course, I know lots about taxes, which will serve me well.





Spring has finally come to Athens. We had a cold spring this year, but I know we will soon be too warm. My Dad has been very busy planting and caring for the vegetables, with very little help from me. Peach trees have bloomed, peas and radishes are up, and he has set out many lettuces and broccoli, and started the tomatoes and peppers. The windows are open some days, and people are stuffy and sneezy from pollen...even me, which is pretty unusual. I keep thinking I am getting a cold, but apparently, it's just an allergy.

baby peas coming up along the fence

The news is pretty discouraging, with the state legislature passing a law that makes carrying guns ok...in bars and churches. It is quite terrifying. I will have to move, become a hermit, run for office, or buy a gun and learn to shoot it. (not really). Then there's the recent Supreme Court decision about unlimiting contributions to political candidates.

Last night, though, in spite of being tired and not wanting to take the time, Ray and I went to hear Morris Dees speak at UGA. The School of Social Work is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The current dean was a professor of mine, Maurice Daniels. He is African-American and has worked to publicize little-known civil rights figures and make sure the current generation learns the history of this fight. We saw part of a movie about Donald Hollowell and his work.

Morris Dees is 79 years old and very active and vibrant. I am jealous as my back has been bothering me some, and I worry a lot about the rest of my life. He grew up very poor. He did not use the term share-cropper, but I know he picked cotton as a teen. His parents wanted him to become a lawyer, because farming was a hard life. He was wealthy at a young age and founded the Southern Poverty Law Center. We heard about a few of his cases and the tireless efforts they have been making. He was funny, moving, and, most importantly, hopeful. I get so weighed down at how things are going, I really need to listen to people like him. (I just read that the Athens Justice Project is closing). About the recent Supreme Court decision, he said that when people like the Koch Brothers threw so much money around trying to get Romney elected, the voters said, "no. That's not the kind of president we want." He thinks it backfired. Perhaps he is right.

They work for women's rights and LGBT rights, as well as those of

African-Americans, and they do it using the legal system (and lots of money). He talked about a woman whose son was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, who forgave her son's killer in the courtroom, and even made the judge cry. The murderer testified against the Klan and the mother now owns their fancy headquarters.

On another front, Adrian is with Molli in Boston this week to attend his green card interview. Life can be very ironic. When his mother died suddenly in January, he was with her in Mexico. Meanwhile, his work permit had arrived in Boston. He has not yet used it. He has been arranging to become the guardian for Tamara, his 14-year-old sister, and settling his mother's affairs. He plans to sell her little house and they hope Tamara will be able to live with them and go to high school in Boston by next fall. She is having a tough time, as you can imagine, adjusting to life without her mother. Apparently, being a guardian does not give you any immigration rights...sigh. They have made several inquiries and it seems Adrian may have to stay with her in Mexico for months or possibly years. Meanwhile, Molli is plugging away at law school, but naturally misses her husband, not to mention that their plan involved him earning money to support them.