Why No... Pink Eye and a Trip to the Doctor Were NOT On My To-Do List Today ...

... though how quickly they made it onto the list when I came back from the school and saw that the little guy's left eye was not only crusty and gooey, but red and swollen on both the top and bottom lid too. Thankfully the RMO (Regional Medical Officer) was in town, and after a quick trip to the Consulate, along with a full examination, it was determined that Conjunctivitis was our diagnosis. Oh. The. Joys.

Of course, we now had to add more things to my ever growing To-Do list that weren't originally on it. Like finding the medication to fix said Conjunctivitis... which is either drops four times a day for 7 days OR ointment twice a day for five days. Which one would you choose? Hey, me too! But guess what?? They don't HAVE that medication here. I know this after going to four different pharmacies. So a quick phone call back to the doctor to let him know that we couldn't find the medication, and we now have a replacement prescription... which doesn't really matter because it's not like I need the physical prescription to get the medication anyway. Are you still following? So, we got lucky the fifth time around and picked up not one, but two tubes of the ointment. Why you ask? Because it's probably only a number of days before someone else here gets pink eye, and I need to be prepared.


It never ceases to amaze me that as our departure becomes much closer, my To-Do list continues to grow. Here's what's been keeping us (who am I kidding) me busy for the past several weeks:


Pre- Packout Survey Completed ... ✔

Pack-out scheduled for next Tuesday - Thursday ... ✔

Airline tickets booked ... ✔

Dog booked on flight, and several arguments had with Lufthansa and United about why they won't let me pay for the ticket until the day we fly out ... ✔

Trip to the vet to get the USDA health certificate, only to get there and discover that if I was going to have 4 x the number of tests done for her clearance did I need to be there thirty days in advance. Rescheduled dog's USDA health certificate appointment for 8 days prior to flying ... ✔

Rented cheapest, yet biggest car possible for the first week in Newport Beach ... ✔

Teeth cleaning appointments made for everyone for next week ... ✔

Fifth appointment scheduled at the dentist to begin the work on my crown ... or so we hope ... ✔

Two School Board meetings this month down, two School Board meetings to go, Head of School interviews completed and Head of School selected and TBA soon ... ✔

Shopped for every possible trinket, fabric, bangle, and cloth until the credit card melted ... ✔

Increased our renters insurance and confirmed transit insurance for stuff going to LA, Baghdad, and storage ... ✔

Haircut appointment made at salon in LA on third day back ... ✔

Secured rental house for the school year ... ✔

Narrowed down car selection for purchase on our first (maybe second) day back ... ✔

Talked with buyer for car at least five times, who surprisingly STILL wants to buy it despite it's non-working condition ... ✔

Finished making fourteen hats for the kindergarten class graduation next week ... ✔

Booked the taxi / van to pick us up at the airport in Los Angeles, and secured in the reservation that we're making a pit stop at In N Out ... ✔

Transferred everything to the school for the final yard sale tomorrow (where whatever we don't sell we'll be leaving there) ... ✔


WHEW ... SO much done .... yet there's still plenty To-Do on the list:


Schedule OB/GYN appointment with doctor who delivered Gray

Secure PO Box so we can change our address

Schedule all three kids well check ups at the Pediatrician in Newport Beach

Start Gray's 1 year immunizations

Buy teachers end of year gifts

Sort, pack, launder, and organize stuff for move next week

Fill out loan paperwork so we have everything ready to purchase car upon arrival

Pay and cancel all phone bills, internet, and cable bills

And last (for now), but definitely not least ... Purchase the de-worming medication for all of us ... yes ALL of us ... 3 days prior to departure


Let's just hope we leave the worms behind ... It may seem like a lot, but it'll be done by the end of the week. A little agita, a lot of stress, but we're nearly there.

Sixteen days until departure.