Drug Dealing

My how times have changed. In my younger days, $1400.00 worth of drugs looked a little different.

There may have been more girls around. Or perhaps not. The lighting was also a little dimmer. Regardless, events over the last week have convinced me that I'm in the wrong business. We have been injected, poked, and prodded with more things than I can name. My hesitation to take out a second mortgage is the only thing that prevented us from being innoculated another round of "optional" vaccines that would have doubled what we have already spent. We went to pick up our prescriptions at London Drugs yesterday, and as we tried to pay with my credit card, the message "call for authorization" came up on the terminal. It seems that the system flagged this as an "unusual purchase" because the total was so high! We did get it straightened out with a phone call to the call center, which, ironically, was probably in India.

So now we have 7 months worth of anti-malaria meds for four. E-Coli infection preventatives. Innoculations against Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B. Diarhea medication (why one would need this in India, I have no idea...) and its companion, electrolytic restoratives. Pain killers. Sterile needles. Sunscreen. There are probably more things that Laurel has catalogued in a spreadsheet somewhere that I am blissfully unaware of. I long for the days when drugs were fun. And cheaper.

The other photo is a shot of our mobile documentary film-makers kit. Everything fits into a series of Pelican cases, which are watertight and could just about be dropped from 30,000 feet and be just fine. There's a field mixer, 3 wireless mic transmitters and receivers, a shotgun microphone, numerous cables, 30 AA rechargeable batteries, a camera mounted light and battery pack, boom pole, tripod, Universal AC adapter/transformer, and so on. The camera is a Sony HVR-Z1U HD camera, fitted with a Century Optics Wide Angle lens. It's broadcast quality stuff. I also bought 50 hours worth of high grade video tape yesterday that added another 750.00 to the fun. Ouch. As you may have surmised from this shot, we are taking very little clothing with us. A change of undies and socks each, and a couple of pairs of shorts. We're going to buy all new clothes in India, and probably abandon them on the way back.

So. 8 days to go. Much anxiety. Panic to get things done. House packed. Bills to pay. I'm freaking out a little bit that I'm committing financial suicide by taking a year off in order to import a bunch of exotic parasites. I'm waking up at 5 AM a little more than I would like. On the other hand, this could be the coolest thing we've ever done, and the start of a new career for Laurel and me.

I just don't know.