The days are counting down.

I have been steadily packing - clothes in one corner of the room, other stuff in another corner.

My online shopping is over. I think I could stay on REI.com all day. When that all arrives I will finally pack it into my backpack.

I have also been collecting, collecting, collecting soccer supplies - one batch of three bags has already been sent to Chance in Denver to bring over with him. The next batch will be packed soon and it will be heading over with the honorable James Szenher. And one final bag with a mixture of soccer equipment and Loan's books will head over as extra baggage with me.

Last week I spent a morning in the classroom of my ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Ritchie. She allowed me to come to her classes and talk with the kids about Cameroon and my project. We asked each of her classes to write letters that day (to help me start a pen pal program and further global cooperation) and at the end collected 89 letters - hooray letters!

I am excited. It is even more exciting knowing that Loan is almost there (I dropped her off at the airport at 5:15 a.m. yesterday and am guessing she is having her 15 hour lay over in Casablanca, Morocco, right now). Even more exciting is that I am done with my vaccinations (and no longer in a daze from any of them).

But until the time comes I am trying to enjoy my final moments here at home. On Friday I will be at Field Day with Lakewood Elementary where the kids will each get a few chances to shoot on me (and hopefully "the" Bobby and Emily's Tristan) at goal.

Riverfest is also this weekend and I will be enjoying the performances of three of my friends' groups - Christopher Denny and the Old Soles (6 p.m. on Saturday), Mammoth Orange (Noon on Saturday) and Silverton (6:15 p.m. on Friday).

I leave on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. for New York where I will be for two nights visiting Haynes. And I will head out to Cameroon on Tuesday.

When I get there, if I get there, I will write you.