Bleary-eyed and Out-of-touch

Nancy Sherman is back in-country. I met her at CLJ yesterday afternoon, and drove her "home" to Oradea, where she is going to be spending the next month on her extended Fulbright grant. The original idea was for her to come to the apartment to sleep off her travels, then catch a train to Oradea today. But I love to drive, and she was up for finishing the trip in the comfort of a BMW rather than in a dirty rail car.

So, we headed west. We had a light dinner at the same roadside restaurant where I met the folks with the trumpet violin back in October (See "Half-Told Tales"), and found it as pleasant this time as last.

We arrived in Oradea at about 10:00 PM. It took a bit of finding to locate Kate Palmo's place. Kate is the Peace Corp volunteer who has been working in Oradea this year, and with whom the Sherman-Hayes family had become good friends in the fall. Nancy will be staying with Kate this next month. After a bit of undirected searching, Kate came out to Dacia Boulevard, and walked toward us, until we met up. I towed Nancy's big suitcase as far as the lift door in Kate's bloc, then bid my farewells, and turned back toward Klaus, and home.

The trip home was smooth. I trailed a small van at conservative speeds as the in-a-hurry types roared by us. For fun, I dialed Shirl in the US on my Vodaphone as I drove, achieved a great connection, and we chatted about family business until the phone ran out of Euros. I arrived home in Cluj at 1:09 AM. Not bad at all.

This morning I have spent here in my office at UBB, working on an exam. Now, I am off to Iulius Mall to buy more time on my cell phone!

Tomorrow: Sunday golf with Vasile Tamas in Pianu de Jos! I cannot wait to see the Paul Tomiţa Golf Course in good condition. It should be at its best tomorrow, as there is a tournament there today. I shall report.