Sasa by Proxy, Part Deux

Don't get excited folks -- still Josh, the ghost writer. I just got a very brief note from Sarah who apparently was able to email me but not update the blog. Hmm...I should have known I'd be authoring this thing for the next year. Anyway, the email was short and written in a choppy "..." format, similar to when Superman is pleading for help after being exposed to his radioactive green nemesis. Need help...kryponite strong...losing...strength. Good news is that the info, albeit short-winded, was all positive, so here's the quick update from Supergirl:

Seems they found a house that Sarah claims is "better than Hoyne Street." For those who don't know, Hoyne is where Sarah and the girls live in Chicago, and it's a great, spacious place, so I'm imagining she must have luckily happened upon Tanzania, 90210. Not sure when they move in, but if/when Sarah sends some pictures, I'll upload to the blog (note: this requires said Sasa to a) take photos, b) upload them via memory card to her laptop, c) find an internet connection, d) attach them to an email, e) press send. Which one might not happen? f) all of the above. But let's hope for the best!). Word from Jodi (sister of Dayna who is over there with Sarah now) is that the hotel has been great, so they clearly aren't wanting for nice accomodations.

Looks like Nell and Pearl start school Monday, and all are thrilled with the International School. The report is that it's an amazing place with lots of outdoor space and turtles (not a typo, she said turtles). The girls are excited as they get to wear uniforms to school, and are apparently already applying their newfound Swahili to communicate. Word is that the teachers are great and have been very helpful and welcoming to the Wood-Prince transplants and their Block/Rosenberg tag-alongs.

Sounds like the motley crew (copyright, Jodi) of Sasa, Nell, Pearl, Dayna, Gabby, and Noah are en route or currently taking part in a 3-day safari, so the communication will probably be even less until they get back to home base. Hopefully some pictures and fun stories will come with the next update -- can you imagine all of those kiddos seeing those animals up close for the first time? You can certainly tell from Sarah's email (and Dayna confirmed) that she is in her element, thrilled to be there, and that they all have carpe diem on the brain and are soaking it all in every second of the day.

Until the next update from Dian Fossey in a minivan, enjoy the day and know that Sarah, Nell, and Pearl send their love to all.

Sasa by Proxy

I'll liken this first entry to when Johnny Carson had a stand-in on the Tonight Show. Why? Because this isn't Sarah -- Josh here, folks, giving a quick update, as Sarah emailed me that she had no clue how to access this, her blog. Shocking, right? In true SWP fashion, she'll blame the endless travel and jet lag, but we all know that IT just ain't her bag. Provided that Tanzania has some sort of wireless tower built in to the neck of a giraffe, you should be getting the updates straight from the red headed horse's mouth in no time (and by no time, it might just be that: no time). But until she finds some morsel of technological civilization, here's the skinny from Chicago headquarters:

I got an email from Sarah from the Amsterdam airport, and she, Nell, Pearl, Dayna, Gabby, and Noah were hunkered down at the local McDonald's, where some golden arch separation anxiety was about to set in. Not so much for the Rosenberg clan, as they'll return to the Super Size mecca known as the US of A in a few weeks -- but for the ladies Wood-Prince it'll be a McFlurry drought until sometime in mid-2008, so it was HappyMealPalooza for Nell and Pearl. However, despite the McFamiliarity, it seems Nell and Pearl dubbed the international fast food experience "a bit weird."

Prior to their arrival, the ever imaginative and sometimes hallucinogenic Nell claimed with steadfast determination that a UFO passed by their plane while in flight. Sarah thinks it's due to the fact that she had yet to sleep up until that point, but no matter what caused her "vision", I'd expect an extra-terrestrial themed new novel from Nell sometime this fall. Watch out JK Rowling, this girl will see your Harry Potter and raise you two fairies and a Webkinz. But seriously people, overall they are brimming with excitement, especially the kiddos, despite less than favorable plane seats and the reality of several more hours of cramped travel.

So there you have the update from the first stop on their journey. By the time this first guest-DJ blog entry gets posted, Laverne and Shirley and all their kin will probably be crammed inside a 6-person van with the rest of the village making their way to the Comfort Inn & Huts where they'll set up camp. Hopefully the next entry you read will be from Sasa herself. But that means she needs to turn the computer on, get an internet connection, and figure out how to make a blog entry. If that all happens, the Gods, indeed, must be crazy. Stay tuned...