We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.

Hey everybody!!

This has been a weekend of talking to a lot of people I haven't talked to in a while, which was nice!! My grandfather turned 85 on Friday, so I got to talk to him and my grandma for a while. They're doing well. Crazy as ever, but healthy. :) I made sure to wish him "Many happy returns," as he always does to me on my birthday. (OK, I've got to explain for all of you who don't get the joke. People say "many happy returns" for birthdays, but it's funny because my birthday is Tax Day, April 15th. Also, my mother is a long-time employee of the IRS... So, it's a joke I've been hearing since day 1, but now it's more of an inside joke with my grandpa.)

Then, on Saturday, I got to talk to practically everyone I've ever known... well, not really. However, I called to say hi to my brother at his birthday party. He's turning 30 on the 5th, which is exciting. It's finally getting to a point in life where I can be glad I'm the younger one!! :) Just kidding, Geg. However, it sounds like the superhero themed bash was a huge success. I'm utterly jealous of all the cool themed stuff that I heard about. I'm hoping that they will recreate the moment after I get back. They had Greg the superhero posters and t-shirts and all sorts of cool stuff. I think I need to hire Amy as a party planner. Oooh!! Better yet, I need to hire Amy as a wedding planner!!! All of the bridal party can wear superhero costumes, but I get to be Rogue from the X-men. Sandip would probably want to be Wolverine, but the two don't really go well together. I suppose that since I've already bought my dress, I should stick to the plan. Still, Amy always plans the coolest parties.

Anyways, it was nice to talk to my brother for a while. I'll probably call him on his actual birthday as well. That's the 5th to anyone who is interested. Send him an e-mail or something. He's turning 30, so you've got to get to him before his memory goes... All right, bad jokes about being 30 are done. NO! One more: My brother is 30, flirty and thriving!! (13 Going on 30) OK, now I'm done.

However, crazy of crazies, all my Columbus friends from school were at my condo last night!! I gave permission, so it was OK. However, that doesn't make me any less jealous of the party time. They used the new grill that Sandip snuck in while I've been away, and it sounded like a really good time. I'm sure they all had pickles, so you KNOW that I would've been happy. However, the really cool thing was that I got to skype the party and say hello to everyone. The sound between the two sides was terrible (they were all sitting kind of far away from the rinky-dinky microphone Sandip has), but still I could which blurry blob was which. I would say it was a success. I'm hoping to convince everyone to do it again sometime when I'm not only a few hundred pixels (in 4, black and white images... Sandip really needs a new computer). Hopefully when I get back we can have the blow-out bash of the century so I can see all the people that I've been missing.

Well, anyways, I got to talk to a lot of people this weekend. I'm not sure if I felt better or worse afterwards. It was nice to talk, but I initiated all of it... Plus, I missed 2 birthdays and 2 parties!! Lame. Who has the audacity of having a birthday when I'm not there?? OK, that's crap. But it did make me feel a little more homesick. However, the good news is that I only have 2 weeks here!! That is also the bad news, in terms of work and also that I will really miss Peru as soon as I leave. Hopefully that just means I'll come back soon.

OH! I almost forgot to explain the title. Part of it is a comment on my massive amount of purchases here and on ebay in the past few weeks. Bad Sarah!!! However, the other part is Madonna finally acknowledging her MI roots. Not even just Detroit, either!! She specifically mentions being born in Bay City or, at least, the article does. High Five to America's High Five!! She made a documentary and presented it at Traverse City. Anyways, here is the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080803/ap_en_mu/people_film_festival_madonna;_ylt=AvyzGkSGt6BIxVmso4z2mCVxFb8C

I'm going to head out. I think I have a plan to use some of my hard earned grant money to get someone else to transcribe for a while!!! Nice!!! We'll see if it works. Anyways, that means I am free to do more interviewing today... yay?? I hope everyone is doing well. I'm in the home stretch, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good e-mail now and then. Especially if you all still expect me to bring you all back llamas. I have 8 requests for personal llama delivery service... that deserves an e-mail at the VERY least. I would say a care package, as well, but this last one is going on two weeks!! Well, instead, I will just expect to be showered in pickles when I get home.... Haha!! That's a vivid image. I'm imagining something like the scenes in movies where they throw all of their money into the air, but with pickles... That would actually be painful, getting hit with all of the pickles, pickle juice in your eye.... wow. Never mind about the showering me with pickles...

Love you all!! Miss you!!!