Delays

Last week the folks tracking my medical tasks for the Peace Corps told me that since my physical was performed by a physician’s assistant it needed to be signed by a licensed doctor. Normally not a problem, but it turned out that my primary care doctor who oversees the assistant was on vacation. So, my medical clearance is delayed until that gets done, which now won’t happen until next week.

This morning the legal side of the Peace Corps wrote to tell me that my legal tasks, which includes my background check, is delayed because some agency has not gotten through checking me out. I think I understand it. Older folks, like myself, have much more background to check than those kids they tend to accept, so it will take a bit longer. Still, I’ve had so many background checks in my career you’d think the path would be well worn and easily travelled by now.

Either of these delays could push me out of being accepted in time to leave in April. Very frustrating because I can do nothing to accelerate the process. Patience. Patience. Patience!!

In the meantime I’ve been cleaning up, cleaning out, and setting up my life so that I can move quickly once I get accepted.

I also ran across a BBC show on Netflix called Africa and the first episode focuses on places in Namibia including the Kalahari. If you’d like to see where I’m headed (hopefully) then watch that episode.

Of interest is the first 5 or so minutes where they discuss an area covered by curious rings. The media calls them “Fairy Rings”. No one is quite sure what caused them to form. I hope to see this up close.