Forget that emotional roller coaster cliche; Try an emotional Bunjee Jump.

We found out that there was a possibility for getting funding for this crazy plan, we invited Chris to join us in Africa and cracked open a big bottle of champagne. Eric has been taking a crash course in camera, lighting and sound equipment that culminated in a $2500 purchase yesterday (the first of the grant money!). We've been reading books on social franchising, health care in the developing world, franchising, documentary film making and interview technique. I began to distill our efforts into a very rough outline (I believe "treatment" is the industry term, but my knees quake when I think of including myself in the film industry category...scary scary scary.) and perhaps sent it out preemptively and almost blew the whole thing. I worded it strongly when I was still sort of nosing out a position and irritated some key people. Thank god nobody else read it. It was demoralizing, although good to have out on the table, I suppose. All of this, of course, in the midst of wedding mania, invitations and dress fittings and dealing with this crazy wedding planner at the Loring and the plans for the rehearsal (Note: none of these ridiculous wedding planner worksheets say a word about the rehearsal plans. A major oversight if you ask me. These things are almost like a pre- wedding!)and I can't find an attractive blue paisley tie to save my life. How hard can that be? I ask you. I thought paisley was classic. Also, packing and deciding which things to keep and which to sell...Meanwhile our little cat is hobbling around shaking his little pathetically bandaged paws and we are trying to cram in visits with all our favorite Chicago people before we go. Had a fabulous dinner with Michelle last night. Frascas again, and this amazing Sopprasatta pizza and a glass of very sweet champagne. Sopprasatta is like pepperoni, (which I confess I thought was an item so deliciously sinfull that it could not be improved upon) except sliced thinner and saltier and richer. It was wonderful. I can't believe we only have three weeks here. And I guess it feels like a bunjee jump because some moments I feel euphoric; I can't believe our good luck and how exciting it all is, and then some moments I feel terrified; there is no way we will survive all of this, not to mention get it all done and then in another moment I feel a surge of energy and adrenaline and I'm buzzing around taking care of business. I just hope that damn elastic doesn't snap.