Household Basics

"Housework, if you do it right, will kill you." ~ Erma Bombeck

My group has been conversing a lot more in the last few weeks as we near our trip departure. I found out that the only other girl has dropped out of the trip so I will be living alone with two guys. Oh joy!!

And I have to admit that I am worried that my housemates may subscribe to the Erma Bombeck theory of housework. We were offered the option of engaging help for the two months that we are there. For the cost of $300 total, $100 each total, $50 each per month, we will have someone four days a week to do grocery shopping, light housekeeping, cooking, and laundry - which must be done by hand. On Fridays and the weekends we will be left to our own devices. The guys weren't exactly sold on the idea but I insisted since housekeeping issues could cause problems between us upfront.

I was disappointed to find out there is a travel alert for Timbuktu for Americans. Supposedly we can still go since we are not "official Americans" (paperwork doesn't make me an official American?) but the Embassy advises against it at this time. While part of me thinks the Embassy is likely to be overly cautious, I don't want to be the idiot who ignored warnings who ends up begging for the Marines to come get me.