first things first: i got the gecko out of my house, albeit it changed several different colors before i got rid of it. apparently geckos are the least of my worries here; i hear the flying cockroaches are really something to look forward to. great.

first and second days of training went relatively well. they were slightly overwhelming. we spent two hours going over how to live on a budget. not only was it terrifying, but by the time we were done, my eyeballs were literally dollar signs.

all my co-workers seem really nice, but i really get along with the people who are going to be at my site. that's a huge plus. the supervisors seem pretty cool, too.

getting around on my bike is going well for the most part. my speed keeps getting slower and slower. everything is really flat here, which is really nice, minus the big bridge that goes over the interstate. every time i think of it, my muscles go weak. at the bottom of the hill, i'm certain i'll never make it up. somehow i'll manage, but i'm glad today was my last day having to ride up.

i don't think i'd be quite so tired this early in the week if i hadn't gotten lost on my bike on sunday. planning ahead, i decided to ride my bike to our training site, just so i'd have an idea of how long it would take. it's just less than four miles, so i figured an easy twenty minutes at a leisurely pace. twenty minutes turned into a dragged out almost two hour bike ride. the streets aren't straight here, and i had much less of an idea of where i was going than i thought. i finally got to the site by the grace of God. i just prayed i could find a direct route home. i did, and it wasn't so bad. now it only takes me about twenty minutes.

besides the hill, the only other problem with biking is the fact that the roads are certainly not in top condition. the water damage from katrina, i'm sure played a large part of the problem, however because the city is not on solid ground, the ground often shifts. this causes houses and buildings to sag or lean to one side. just the other day, my landlord was saying how they'd have to prop up one side of our house. the roads are horrible. they sag, there's awful potholes, and patches that just don't match.

inspite of this, i really am liking riding my bike so far. i'm sure i won't be saying that the first day it rains, but at least both of the other americorps at my site have cars, and i'm right by the streetcar.

it's time to go eat dinner and crack a bottle of (cheap) champagne with my roommate to celebrate the fact that our hosue is almost in order. hurrah!