Catching up

Hey folks, I am the worst at this blogging thing. Or at least I have become the worst. Sorry about the gigantic window of silence that you have from me for the last few months. Well, my lack of posting has not been because there hasn't been anything new and interesting, but on the contrary, it's been so crazy that posting on my blog has been the last thing on my mind. This post could be the longest thing ever, and I might regret this later, but I don't really feel like getting into a ton of details. So here are the big things that have happened.

The biggest, of course, is that I proposed to Cveti on April 2. She said yes and we are engaged now. It was a long day involving a lot of walking, but it was a great day none-the-less and totally worth it. We plan on getting married here in Bulgaria and as of now, we aim for after Molly's wedding on Sept 23rd. Hopefully, Cveti will be joining me on a trip back stateside for Molly's wedding where she will have the overwhelming chance to meet the whole family. Of course this depends solely on obtaining a visa for her to visit the states.

Cveti and I have both quit smoking. Some of you probably didn't know it, but we both were smokers. Bulgaria has very cheap cigarettes and smoking is the norm. Unfortunately, in my quest for cross-cultural acceptance, I developed the nasty habit of smoking. It has been hard for us, but we both have quit and it is coming up on one month without a cigarette. I've also quit drinking alcohol because nothing goes better with a beer or rakia than a cigarette. I don't need that temptation. While I was on this role of quitting all sorts of vices, I decided to start exercising on a regular basis and eating more veggies and healthy food. As a result, I've probably lost between 15-20 lbs. Not bad for an old man like me.

I am extending my service officially until December 14, 2011. I was supposed to come back to the states at the end of July, but due to the circumstances here, I am staying for a few extra months. The good news is that when I come back, I won't be coming back alone! I will be bringing my lovely, soon-to-be wife, Cveti. It will be right in time for the chaotic holiday season too!

I am working on scouts stuff mostly here and I have been named the leader of the older (13yrs+) patrols until we can find someone to replace me when I leave. It's been interesting and it promises to continue.

We had our close of service meeting last week. It was a ton of fun. It was the last time that all the B25s (my group) will be together. In the next 6-8 weeks, they will start leaving the country and move on to bigger and better things. The meetings were great and some good memories were created.

I guess that's all for now. Sorry I've been so lame with this, but we got a wedding to plan now!

I'll catch ya'll later

Rory