EAGLE VS. STOKES

I enter week three of my training in the same way I entered the first day-with a slew of unknowns. I just finished doing a set of pushups in my room cell block C style. No cushy gyms, hot tubs etc. here. Just the floor and my fastly shrinking body...well related to muscle shrinking...I am pretty sure I have consumed enough rice and beans to secure the next pant size will soon be in my grasp. I can eat a heaping mountainous plate of the stuff and be hungry one hour later....rinse and repeat style......so I just eat. Perhaps it is because I am home sick and perhaps it is because it is a comfort.....if they had bon bons here I would be chowing down omega moo style I am sure. Last weekend we ventured to Marasca (spelling-forgive me to all the genuine Peruvians that may glance at this-none-I in fact could not spell or tell you the place if a large weapon was placed to my dome at the moment.). However I can tell you it was quite an experience-travel 30 minutes on the paved highway and double

I have now been in Peru for a bit more than a week but today buts the first full seven days that I have been within my home stay. It is a bit past 8 AM and it is Fathers day-Padre Un Dio. The odd thing about being away and realizing of course it has only been a week is not that I miss things terribly- it is the simple fact there is no remedy available. My father lives a bit more than two hours away from me in the States. I most likely would not have even seen him today but when I called him yesterday from a pay phone I was only able to leave a voicemail and when realization that I would not even get to speak to him set in it kicked the wind out of my sail a little bit. So I have attempted to remedy the situation by watching what I believe to be my favorite film "Stand by Me" in my mind it represenents and romaticices what growing up in the 1950's would be like. TV but only in doses and every event was a new one--things that had never been seen or imagined brought

In an attempt to be pro active I have traveled with my dad to Washington-DC to be in a geographicaly sane position to report to a hotel by noon in Downtown. Driving through York, Baltimore, and then into DC by noon would have been a bit to stressful for myself-added on with my dad would have been like two withdrawing meth addicts within a cardboard box with the promise of a hit located somewhere within. So after yet another tearful goodbye to my stepfather (who I missed physically this morning when I stopped by), my sister, nephew, and niece we departed. Not before we (Philip, Philip, Kaleb) stopped by to my niece's school for a final lunch and emotional meltdown. My niece was not melting down because of my departure although I am sure she is sad or will be about me leaving but because she is scheduled to go to the dentist on June 20th. I have never seen her more agonized-after sitting silently in the midst of the crowded lunch room she suddenly lunged across the table whaling that