Madam Secretary

Thanks Faith

Of all the "poets" I thought would impact my life, Faith Hill was low on the list. But "if my heart had wings, I would fly to you, and lie beside you as you dream."

Don't Worry Little Luxury

My ascetic tendencies first came under attack when I discovered the Brooks Brothers non-iron slim fit dress shirt in 2004. The latest addition to my list of former luxuries is smart wool socks. I bought them at the suggestion of the REI shoe salesman in anticipation of Pakistan monsoon season. I will never again wear any other sock for any occasion.

Smart wool socks. Put them on your Christmas list.

On the Bright Side

Stomach settled. Food delicious. I am getting in the best shape I've been in since high school. I just ran a comfortable 27 minute 5k today. Urdu is really hard to pronounce correctly, but I am picking up a lot of vocabulary. Chmgadar on the porch this morning.

I have all kinds of time on the weekends for reading so I have been studying the history and culture of Pakistan. Fascinating, by the way. An epicenter of a lot of international realpolitik; more so than I think most people realize.

I miss Katie and the kids terribly. Everyone says I will get used to being away, but that sounds even worse than missing them.

New Normal

Welcome to Pakistan! Would you like some chicken with your salmonella? Also, A/C broke and it was literally 100 degrees in my bedroom last night. On the bright side, as I think I have mentioned before, there is staff to wait on my every whim. Alas, what good is a whim-waiting staff when you have no one to whim with? Sigh.

A bomber targeted a US consulate vehicle in Peshawar today. I am fine and not in any immediate danger. Peshawar is about 100 miles west of Islamabad.

I'm looking forward to 112 degrees next week. I've never experienced anything over 108 (every day this week has matched that personal record, by the way).

Day 4

I have been assigned to an energy infrastructure audit, which is the topic in which I am most interested. Here's to small victories!

Also, remember way back two days ago when I said it was weird having household staff. Yeah, I'm used to it. I ordered an unbelievably delicious Pakistani potato crepe with yogurt and mango juice for breakfast. Then came home to a clean room and washed, folded, pressed laundry. "Sir, I will take a Diet Coke in my bedroom." One minute later, a Diet Coke in my bedroom, served like a vintner's treasure.

Day 2 (only 363 to go)

The power goes out every four hours and I presently have no running water. Also, getting accustomed to having staff is harder than you might think.

Islamabad

Twelve-foot walls topped with barbed wire. Armed guard in the security tower. Five-person household staff. Rides to and from work in an armored car, leaving at a different time and taking a different route every day. This is my new life. It is strange.

The News

My departure to Pakistan was moved up one month to May 4. We were waiting until one month to go before telling the kids. Suddenly, one month to go was upon us. So we told the kids.

Maddie seemed to be taking it well at first but then asked if I would be here for her birthday. No.

Sobbing.

Then I said to Caleb, for no real reason other than I've seen it on TV or something, "You'll be the man of the house while I'm gone, buddy."

Until then he had been aloof to Maddie's distress. Tears welled in his eyes and he fought to keep cool. "But I don't know how to been a man of the house. I'm only a five-year-old."

"Yeah, buddy, that's OK. Your job is to be a five-year-old."

"I'll be the five-year-old of the house."

Then he was fine.

The Days of Our Lives

DC Metro Bus arrival times are give or take 10 minutes. Because of the Metro rail schedule, five minutes later at the bus leads to 15 minutes later to work. This makes me crazy.

Unbroken. Holy smokes what a great book.

We spent Presidents' Day in patriotic patronage of American institutions such as the cinema, Burger King, and Old Navy.

To Raise a Child

I was trying to guide Maddie through a goal-setting process for the new year. I figured I would find something easy; something on her level. I asked her if she wanted to paint. Not so much. Collect Barbies? Apparently that's for younger girls, not six-year-olds.

Finally she interrupts my torrent of suggestions: "Dad, I just want to collect money."

I assure you Mr. and Mrs. Retton were never as proud of Mary Lou as I was of Maddie at that moment. I have raised a capitalist! Are there happier words?

So I explained to her about bank accounts.

"You mean I give the bank money and they pay me for doing nothing?"

"Well, not nothing. They pay you to provide capital which they package together into big enough pieces to pursue profit- and value-generating projects with tangible social benefits such as building homes and starting businesses."

She had the slack-jawed look she gets just before falling asleep. "I mean, yeah, they pay you for doing nothing."