We almost never go out on NYE.  I’m a terrible drinker.  If I drink I throw up.  I keep trying to do it well.  But I’m crap at it.  Once I tried to keep pace with my best friend in Tanzania at her place and she wound up feeding me chocolate cognac or something at god knows what time.  Boy oh boy.  I was wishing I was dead.

Yesterday my husband showed me how to “silver” bottles using silver nitrate, sugar, and ammonia.  We have been collecting bottles here from the garbage dump in our compound.

Our long, slow holiday is over now, essentially.  One more day together until my guys return to their daily routine.

Here in Shanghai we have zillions of canals.  When I work out in the morning I see men pushing long wooden barges and scooping vegetation out of the water.  Last night I couldn’t rest so I bundled up and cruised down to one of the three canals that borders our compound.  It was foggy and the heat was coming off of the water and it was raining slightly.  Someone has put a slider swing under an umbrella on the dock there.  So I got to cuddle in and watch the water awhile.