Oh

I just thought of something.

To go on this trip, I'm going to have to take time off work. (No, that isn't the part I hadn't thought of yet, silly...) I was planning to use two weeks of vacation time and request a four-week leave of absence. I'd be paid for the first two weeks, but I wouldn't get anything for the following four.

I think I can deal with that. There are certain bills that need to be paid whether I'm here or not, but there are others that will drop if I'm gone. I'll still have to make my car payments for the time I'm away. My car insurance, on the other hand, I may be able to suspend while I'm out of the country. I should be able to sublet my room while I'm gone, but I'll have to get a puppy-sitter. If I combine the two, I can probably get about half rent in exchange for s0me of the puppy-looking-after duties.

All in all, I can live without four weeks' pay. I think I can. It has just dawned on me, though, that I'll be sacrificing my bonus.

Where I work, we make a base salary plus bonuses. Our bonuses can account for roughly half of our income. They are paid out in two lump sums: one for the first half of the year and one for the second half. In order to qualify for bonus, the entire period must be worked. By taking a four-week leave, I won't qualify for bonus for the first half of the year.

Blink. There went a fifth of my annual income. (Apologies to those who read this earlier. I'm usually quite good at math. Honestly...)

And that's on top of the four unpaid weeks.

That's a lot of money.

The resolution of issue number two

Issue number one
Re-work blog: check

Issue number two
Crap! Crap, crap, crap. My passport. Haven't looked at it in a while. Think it expires before the trip. Crap. Must get new one.

Shouldn't be a problem, right? Wrong.

I need a guarantor. Canadian citizen and resident. Member of certain select group of professions: doctor, lawyer, engineer, professor, pastor... Somebody I've known for at least two years.

Crap. I know several people who fall into the approved categories. I haven't known any of them for two years. I've known my pastors for a year and a half. Maybe they'd lie. Right. Crap.

Hmm... I'll look up the criteria for a guarantor. Maybe they've dropped it to one year. Maybe I'll be reminded of somebody I've forgotten to think about. Maybe pigs will fly. Crap.

What's that? Right there at the bottom of the list? Veterinarian, eh? Sweet! Saved by Beandog's health issues.

What's next on the list?

The re-rebirth of Beandog

Hmm... I wish I could remember what I wrote here yesterday before my computer ate it. I have a feeling it was good. Crap! Oh well.

I'm thinking about going to India this spring. The purpose of the trip is to spend three weeks volunteering for the Missionaries of Charity, the organisation started by Mother Theresa. Frankly, the idea scares me. It's completely unlike anything I've done before.

I was feeling pretty torn up about whether to go or not, so I held a vote. I didn't want to colour the issue with details, though, so I didn't offer any. I asked people one single question:

Should I stay or should I go?

I waited for the votes to flood my In Box. I received a total of eleven before declaring the polls closed. One gave a conditional no. Ten opted for an unconditional go. At that point, I figured I had no choice but to at least make an effort.

Thus far, I have taken the all important first step: modifying this blog for use as a travelogue. I'm going to document my efforts for future generations your amusement no particular purpose at all. If I'm successful, I'll then document my journey.

I have a few issues to resolve before I'll know for sure if I can go, but I'm working on them.

• I talked to a doctor, who told me that with increased levels of asthma meds, I should be fine for a few weeks.
• My annual bonus is due in a few weeks. I'd prefer to talk to my boss about taking a leave of absence after he decides how much I'll be getting.
• I'll have to take an unpaid leave, so it could potentially be a very career-limiting move.
• I'll have to sublet my room, arrange for somebody to look after my household responsibilities and find a puppy-sitter.
• I'll have to deal with all the paper-work and logistics of everything.

Aside from the whole leave of absence thing, it's not insurmountable, but it is work. I'm working on it.

But I told the guys co-ordinating the trip that I don't work with babies. I draw the line at breakable humans.