September 2nd,

One month and counting…

The pieces are falling into place. With Catherine’s help, I have started
packing my things up. The bookshelves are empty, my shrine is boxed up, my
various chachkis are packed away. The house is becoming zen-like in
simplicity. I love it. Ahsha is coming over in an hour to look over things
again, decide what furniture she wants out. I just cancelled my health
insurance in exchange for some different traveller’s insurance I am using,
which is remarkably cheaper.

But the big news is this: At some point today, I will supposedly have
deposited into my E-trade account, 492 shares of Eddie Bauer Holdings stock!
I’m not sure what that’s worth exactly, but you can look up the value of
EBHC online and figure it out. Right now I think it’s worth about 10,000
smackers. At long last, I will finally be repaid for the money they’ve
owed me for nearly three years. I have to say, it may have been a
blessing in disguise, for if I had simply received that money when it was
due, I probably wouldn’t have saved it to go on this trip. Many people
have asked how I am financing my trip. Well this is it. With this deposit
of 492 shares I will also receive the funds I need to travel for a year.
I had be acting on faith that I would see this money before I left on my
trip, and fortunately, it’s worked out. Perhaps it’s a lesson to be learned
about how some misfortunes can become just what we need.