Waiting for the Wife in Danang

The good news is that I am almost caught up on my investigation reports.  With the movement and spotty connectivity in the hotels, it has been difficult to get my reports done.  We are in Danang, now, and all of those other issues are resolved. We have a couple of more cases in the area, but we don't have to change hotels.

I am really looking forward to September 1, because Diep will be traveling down to spend a couple of days here before going back to Hanoi. I enjoy her being here because I think she enjoys this beachside resort more than I do. I often feel like I am wasting a hotel room because I simply don't get out the way I should.

One of the best things that happened to me on this trip is I managed to fix my mouse on my work computer.  I was having problems with the left click button, either having to mash it hard or find the sweet spot to make it "click".  Sounds like a really small issue, and normally I would just simply have purchases a different mouse.  Unfortunately, our office laptops are locked down so hard, we can't even add a simple piece of hardware like a mouse without a special admin privilege.  Anyway, I never really realized how many times I used that left clicker until the issue popped up.  The thing was driving me crazy every time I had to open a file, rename a file, copy and paste, etc.  Finally, I realized it must be a piece of sand or some other object inside the mouse that was causing the issue. The mouse is super small and has no intuitive way to get into it, but I shook it a bit and blew into the opening where the wheel had a gap on top. It lodged whatever was stuck free and things have been smooth ever since. Not just smooth with the mouse, but it seems like everything is just easier now!

Some good news on the furlough front since the last time I was on this site.  Instead of 11 days of unpaid days off this year, the USG cut it down to 6. I did my six before ever coming on the mission, so I am good to go. No doubt, the furlough hurt me less out here than those in the U.S., but it still hurt.  We get used to a certain income and when that income is cut, things get sacrificed. Even if some people - present company excluded - have that government worker mentality of doing just the absolute minimum to get by, they still have families and commitments that they have to provide for.  The whole furlough thing is just unsat.  I hope someone fixes that soon.

I have some plantar fasciitis that I am nursing right now, but it is getting better by the day. I am not helping things by trying to run here. Other than that, things are going well. Weather in Danang is beautiful and it is great to be alive.