República Dominicana

To complete the "Presidente beer teaser" post from this past Wednesday, here's the scoop:

Early early early on Saturday morning, Chris will make his way from Greensboro to Charlotte to Miami to Santo Domingo to Barahona. The Dominican Republic.

WHAT???

A North Carolina medical team goes down once a year in February to Barahona, Dominican Republic on the southern coast fairly close to Haiti. One of the pharmacists on last year's team contracted dengue fever and, understandably, was not too keen on returning in 2008. Our friend Greg, one of Kimberly's Wake Forest classmates, went on this trip in February 2007 (similar to one Kimberly went on during nurse anesthesia school back in October 2006) and mentioned months and months ago that there was an opening. Chris, to the surprise of many, immediately jumped at the chance to go. Now, after months of planning, meetings in Winston-Salem, medical supply acquisition, Hepatitis immunizations, live Typhoid vaccine in the Gordon refrigerator, and malaria prophylaxis, the time is finally here.

Saturday February 16 to Sunday February 24. Nine days in the Dominican helping out at clinics in sweaty and dusty bateys (neighborhoods). And with the recent flooding late last year from storms Noel in October and Olga in December, the help is needed all the more. After each day's hard work, the ironic sustanence of choice for this medical team is (hence the teaser) Presidente beer with Dominican (and Cuban) cigars. Barahona's 10-day forecast is basically the same day to day: highs of 88 and lows of 67 with a 20% chance of rain. Ahhh...

As a result, The House of Gordon will be on hiatus until Chris returns. Kimberly is a house and content editor and not a physical typist in our little endeavor, so the bloggish internets will be silent until Monday the 25th. Plenty of pictures and hopefully a daily diary to be posted then.

Adiós. Hasta luego.

As an aside, Major League infielder Julio Lugo is from Barahona, so maybe I can scout a good kid for the Indians to sign. Last year's trip included a few games of béisbol (as seen below), so it should be fun.