Waiting

My laptop is still set to Central Standard Time, so when I start working, it's just past midnight in Missouri.

Throughout the day, I watch the minutes tick by and wait for my people in America to wake up and fire up their computers.

Of course, I occasionally get a little excited and jump the gun, as when I accidentally skyped my dad in the middle of the night. Luckily he didn't hear the ringing.

During my daily countdown, I'm often reminded of a vacation Trevor and I took to Lake Malawi with our friends Mathias and Helen and their daughter Essy, pictured here with Trevor. Essy was quivering with excitement about the beach but also threatened within an inch of her life not to wake up the parents. Instead, she would get up at the crack of dawn, gear up in the ensemble you see pictured here (yes, including the water wings, though Lake Malawi is about 2 feet deep at this beach) and creep to our bedroom to stand in the doorway and stare us awake.

It was remarkably effective. And, as you can see, at least one of us was always game to trot down to the water with her.

He's also pretty gracious about it when I get a little too anxious and skype our landline at the crack of dawn.

As I write this, it's 6 a.m. in Missouri. Are you awake yet, Trevor? Huh? Are you?