Cool (and Thrifty!) Internet Fashion

For the first time ever, I actually bought something after clicking on a web ad that caught my eye. Apparently, I was the target market. I bought this bandeau dress from American Apparel in black. I was sold on the bajillion (okay, 15) ways to wear it and all the positive reviews. Watch the instructional videos--it can also be worn like a skirt and with a little creativity, a shirt. If I like it enough, I might go back for it in another color. I also bought the sheer jersey scarf in light blue, since $15 more got me free shipping. It also has 15 purported ways to wear it, but some of them are a tad sketchy. Frankly, I'm not sure I have the cojones to walk around in public with a band of fabric wrapped around my chest and pretend it's a shirt! I also got these adorable (and comfortable) shoes from DSW online (YES! They're ONLINE now!). I had tried them in the store, but they were out of my size, so I just came home and bought them. They're cute enough to warrant the $5.95 shipping, I think.

At least I have a stamp in my passport from Barbados now

I'm back from Georgetown! Sorry kids, no pictures this time. Actually, I took a whole lot of pictures, but they're of things like curbs and pumps and storm drains--not something my target audience (hi Dad!) is looking for. The trip was uneventful and mercifully short--we finished quickly and left a day early. The flights home were uneventful (well, unless you count having my backpack soaked by some mystery source of water while in the overhead bin an event), but the number of times I went through immigration/checked my bag was comical. I got to Cheddi Jagan Airport in Guyana at 3:45AM, got my ticket, checked my bag, cleared immigration, and got frisked by security. Then I flew to Barbados where I cleared through immigration, picked up my bag, cleared customs, got my onward ticket, re-checked my bag, cleared through immigration again, and went through security (seriously, Barbados, this is very inefficient). Then I flew to Miami, where I cleared through immigration, picked up my bag, cleared customs, re-checked my bag, and went through security. At least handling my own bag every time I landed gave me confidence that it would be on the carousel in Washington!

Off to Guyana

I'm off to Georgetown tomorrow morning. I'm not exactly excited about going, but at least we're staying in a better hotel this time! We're doing a topographic survey, so I'll be outside all week in the best possible weather conditions: 90 degrees and raining. Awesome.