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Monday, June 2, 2008 marked the three week anniversary of China’s horrific earthquake that has killed almost 70,000 people and destroyed millions of homes; leaving over four million people in Sichuan province homeless. Along with the extremely high death toll, which continues to rise on a daily basis, close to 20,000 people are still missing. Due to the constant (and sometimes overwhelming) amount of new information that is being sent my way, either from Peace Corps, teachers, students, friends, or the locals on the street, I had started to tune out much of the material that was being presented to me. My focus was to teach, nothing more and nothing less.

Went to a reception at the U.S. Embassy in the Green Zone. One ambassador-level official (not Ryan Crocker, the formal U.S. ambassador to Iraq) was leaving, and another ambassador-level official was taking his place.

The foreign press was invited to the handover.

It was my first time in the embassy, housed in what once was Saddam Hussein's main palace. We went through the ususal six to eight ID inspections and body and car searches, then walked into the coolest place I've yet been in Baghdad. Cool, in terms of temperature. The A/C was blaring full blast, for which all of us emerging from the 106-degree heat were grateful.

3:20 p.m.

Just spoke with Kevin Spillane, state Sen. Jeff Denham's spokesman, who said they've spent the day around the district speaking to groups and voters.

"Everything sounds very encouraging," he said. "Of course it's not very scientific."

Denham started off in Merced, where he and his wife cast votes against the recall. Denham continued on to Salinas to speak to the rotary and is now on his way back to speak with some supporters in Merced. Then it's north to Modesto for the election night soirée.