This and That...

Well, since I can’t post pictures for some unforeseen reason, I guess I will post an entry without them. Sorry.

This morning I started out the day by noticing that there was RIP in my tire! Not good. Not good at all and not only dangerous but an added, unwanted expense. It seems that all I have done lately is spend WHOPPING amounts of my supporters money on various, unplanned things (I can’t even say, “my hard earned money!”). I am naturally cheap and it just hurts to spend money…

Anyhow, I’m really glad that I noticed it and really thank God that it hasn’t exploded because who knows how long I’ve been driving it like that! I brought it to work and got all lined out on where to take it and Scott even called the place to make sure that they had the kind of tires that I want/need and got the price. Then, he and Jerrod even changed it for me and put my spare “donut” on it, so I’m good to go. Whew! I’m familiar with the area where the tire place is and although it’s on the other side of Kampala it’s not hard to get to. I’m going to get them all replaced since the other three are pretty worn too. It makes it a little easier knowing that they are all worn out and I’d need to have replaced them within the next six months anyways. Too bad cars have to drive on four tires…

A monumental event from yesterday was Ella’s first skeeter kill. That’s right. At the tender age of 3.5 the child has killed her first mosquito! I have never seen such an enthusiastic mosquito hunter and this time she actually had a squashed little corpse to show for her efforts. Way to go L!! You make your old Mom proud!

Since I boasted about one of Ella’s accomplishments I guess I will brag about one of my own. Several weeks ago I fixed my oscillating standing fan with… a toothpick!! Yes indeed, a toothpick. Not ductape or bailing twine but a little wooden tooth picker. And the fan’s worked great ever since!

Tomorrow Ella and I are heading into Kampala to get new tires and to try to finish up getting her birth certificate. Last Tuesday, with the help and incredible driving and PARKING skills of my friend Lisa, I was able to get the birth certificate paid for, but that was it. And we were all impressed that I was able to get that much done!

This involved a lot of rigmarole, as only those of you who deal with African government offices can imagine. Sadly, (for me) the birth and death certificate offices are on the fourth and fifth story of the NSSF building, so I really got my exercise that day! The whole process of simply getting the thing paid for before it can be processed required a trip to a specific bank (in Kampala traffic no less), standing in line at that bank, hunting someone down at the NSSF building (Paul, who was supposed to print me a receipt of the bank receipt in order to turn in with my birth certificate application), waiting for him to return, then being told that the printer in the building had broken, Paul was going on leave and to come back tomorrow and ask for Jane! Ahh, the joys of working with government bureaucracy…

So, we’ll have given them a week. Hopefully L and I can get the darned thing processed tomorrow. Then comes the dreaded process of getting her passport application completed, with signatures from every local chairman imaginable. Augh!!!!