The "Six Degrees of Un-Separation" Project

UPDATE: The Project welcomes TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, WISCONSIN, ILLINOIS, IOWA, MISSOURI, MARYLAND, DELAWARE?? (I can't quite tell.... could be NEW JERSEY or CONNECTICUT), NORTH (or maybe SOUTH?) CAROLINA, OHIO (possibly PENNSYLVANIA depending on what side of the state), WASHINGTON (possibly OREGON--it's hard to tell on the map), and CANADA. Canada deserves a special shout out as the first non-US country. Can the Universe deliver Europe? Well, that's really not such a tall order for an amazing Universe, is it? So, I say yes it can! Bring on Europe!

Something very, very SPLENDID (That's for you, Kuj!) happened today. I asked for what I wanted, and I got it. It was so cool, that I want to do it again. Can y'all help me out?

The Backstory: Some people spend spring break in the Caribbean. Some spend it in the Hawaiian Islands. I spent my spring break getting dental work done and romping with preschoolers in germ-filled McDonald’s playland tubes while I slowly regained the use of my Novocain-frozen face-- which is almost certainly why I have spent the past two days suffering from what I think is, in all likelihood, the bird flu. (And not even a cool bird like the red-tailed hawk or peregrine falcon, either. Probably just a common crow with a cough.)

But there is good to be found in anything, right? Even in foul fowl flu.
(Hang on--I need to pause while I appreciate the alliteration and homonymy in the last three sentences. Annnnnnnnnnnnnd, I’m done.)

The flu has, in fact, brought me three WONDERFUL things:

1. Karla with a K and her generous offer of a novel. I hope you are feelin’ the love right now, Karla, because I am sending it your way! I love you AND your Captain Morgan. (See my comment in the previous post.)

2. The first time I have had alone with my husband in the seven months since our last child was born. Sure, I was dripping snot and moaning in delirium, but my mother offered to take the children away from our disease ridden home for the night, so I think that counts as a date!

3. The time to figure out how to put a cluster map on my blog (scroll down to the map of the world on the right hand side). This map puts little red dots at the location of every reader who looks at my site.

This last item brings me to my next point. You know how they say the universe will give you what you want if you just ask for it? This is what I am asking for:

Universe, I would like a virtual (not viral-- I have had enough of that, thanks) spring break. I want to see the world represented in little red dots. I want my little cluster map to be filled with dots on every continent. I want to see South America, South Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, Pacific atolls, the French Riviera, Ireland, Bali, Austria, Thailand—you name it, I want to see it dotted on my map! Heck, I want to see New York City and Seattle. I want to experience Alaska! I want to see the North AND the South Pole. I want to see Egypt and Ecuador and Arkansas. I want the Dakotas! I want Canada and Cuba and Costa Rica. I want Washington D.C. and Paris and Berlin and Moscow. I want Scotland and Stratford-on-Avon and Switzerland. I want Italy and Iceland and Iowa. I want the Springfield’s – all of them! They say that we are only six people away from everyone on Earth. Okay, Universe, put me six people to Thailand. My father is on his way to Bangkok right now. I think it would be a hoot if I got there (virtually), first. Send me your little red dots, Universe. I’m ready for the challenge. Go.