Coat Count
(Year Two)

This page counts the number of times I've worn my coat in Venezuela since moving here on August 8, 2003:

*August 7 - Arrived in Caracas ready for the coming year having purchased a new full-waterproof coat over the summer (for some unknown reason)

*August 21 - Who knew I could be so weak.  I went hiking this morning and it poured for 30 minutes.  I finally decided it was silly to carry a coat in my pack but not wear it.  I swear that the MINUTE I put the coat on, it stopped raining!  I think it must be some cosmic joke.

*September 8 - Alright... I wore it today but I have a VERY good excuse care of www.noaa.gov. See the photo below.  If you are keeping track then you know I am tied with last year's count.

*October 9 - Went up a Teleférico in the Andes and had to put my coat on at around 13,000 feet.

*October 31 - It is hard to get to Canaima (know for incredible waterfalls) without wearing a raincoat. In fact, I wore it from protection from the rain and from the rapids of the river.

*November 17 - Okay this is getting out of hand. I had to wear my coat today to go out for dinner. The locals all tell me that this is one of the worst rainy seasons on record.  Many of them are getting nervous that there will be bad mud-slides like there were in 1999. The rainy season usually ends in mid-October.

Final Official Count for Year One

I only used my raincoat in Venezuela 2 times the entire 2003/2004 school year!!

Archive (2003/2004)

In Alaska, hardly a day went by that I didn't wear a coat while outside.  This page counts how many times I've worn my coat in Caracas since moving here on August 8, 2003:

*September 19 - Had to meet someone for dinner during a heavy rain storm.  Coat worn approximately 10 minutes total.

*November 13 - Chaperoning a fifth grade class in the jungle, I gave up my long sleeve shirt to a student but needed something to keep me warm (up in the mountains) during our night hike.

*February 14 - I didn't wear my coat today BUT it is a RED LETTER day in the life of the coat.... My friend and co-worker Gerry has now worn my coat MORE times than I have in Venezuela.  Yesterday on our way home from the mountains, we had the windows rolled down and he slipped my coat on.  Previously he wore it twice on our trip to Merida (see December 6, 2003)

*March 1 - Don't get excited.  I didn't wear it. Just wanted you to know that the coat has moved into a suitcase for a few days just in case the political situation turns bad and I need to fly out quickly.  I'm sure it will be back on the lonely hanger soon.  Thanks for your concern.

June 13 - I will be buying a new raincoat when I am in the states this summer so I am leaving my old raincoat in Caracas. It may be missed.