2011 day 4 installment 5

2011 day 4, installment 5
Although a lot of you hoped that I might be too discouraged to keep blogging, I’m happy to say that it did get better with the 15 minutes of sleep I got after last writing…..so, you always have the option of not opening this report up……lot like a drug isn’t it….go ahead…you can stop anytime you want…at least that’s what you tell yourself….you need help!!
15 minutes of sleep? You ask. Simple answer, and as soon as I think of it I will tell you. That’s the problem with 15 minutes of sleep….thinking afterwards. So I lay down in a strange bed with netting over it…they told me it was for mosquitoes, but it looked more like salmon net….it might stop a B-52, but not anything much smaller. The city was quiet…to a deaf guy….but even then the vibrations would have challenged his ability to sleep. So this goes back to my ability to pick good lines to get into….evidently I can pick good places to stay, as well….Remember where this hotel was?? Right by the what?? The “big” what?? You can gouge an eye out, but it is almost impossible to make yourself deaf by tearing an ear off…but I was giving it serious consideration. Now, I’m laying there, trying to figure out where the H*** anybody would want to go on a bus at that time of night, while alternately praising Jesus and thanking Him for loving me……I take that verse about the mouth both praising and cursing pretty literally. If you don’t know about that, find a “honest” Christian and ask them about it. Jeeze, will I ever get to the point?? My brain tells me that it is dark and ‘you are tired’, go to sleep. But there is another thing at work….my body…it tells me it noon and I should get my lazy bone off the bed and have lunch….so, needless to say, neither won out. But I did tell my body that maybe a little nap would be good before lunch, and so dozed on and off until the jerk at the desk gave me my wake-up call at about my bedtime. He said it was 5:45 am. I asked if someone could come and get my gills out of the net. But I managed to get dressed all by myself since Sandy had gotten me Velcro shoes….didn’t even think about Victor.
Quick breakfast,,,,, the guy who was supposed to pick me up the night before was actually ready, and still had his sign that said “Marble Arch Hotel …TERRY KISER” He was taking no chances. I think I got him back though as after picking up my baggage (190 kg) on the way to the airport he made a phone call to the hospital to see if he could get in for a hernia operation. Got there, unloaded my baggage, prayed for healing for him and went through Security with my stuff. Made it through with just a minimal fondling …..she didn’t seem to like it and said that her job not mine….“what goes around, comes around” I said as she slapped my hands….are you believing any of this tripe???? It’s hard to know what’s true, isn’t it! I’m not even sure…. So I start to check my meager amount of baggage, and Baggage Check-in guy says “there’s a limit what this little plane can carry, you know!!” “Yes“, I respond, looking around my stuff, “but TIA” He knew right away that I meant This Is Africa, and that I intended to “help him out” alittle. So he weighed my stuff and whispered, “ I think we can help each other out.”………”I see that you only have 40 kgs and you are allowed 22 kgs for free….I have to charge you for 18 kgs…..if you know what I mean.” he said with his palm out. “So how much does 18 kgs cost?” I say carefully. “That would be $75.00 US, but I might be able to help you out, if you know what I mean.” “I look favorably on tips”. “How favorable would a $20.00 tip look?” I was starting to catch on. “I can discount $30.00 for being a Mzungu” he smiles, “but with a $30.00 tip it would cost you $14.00 to ship the items”. because then you qualify as a “Most Valuable Customer” he says looking at a chart that I couldn’t see. He really was starting to like me and I knew I had him right where I wanted him…..”Sign me up as a “Most Valuable Customer” “ I went in for the kill. “DONE” he says…”by the way, let’s let it be our little surprise for the pilot.” I left feeling so relieved, as I thought I’d have to bribe the guy….turns out I am a “Most Valuable Customer”
A couple of hours later, after a short delay, I headed to the plane. “what was the delay” I queried. “after loading the baggage, we noticed that the tires seemed low on air, so we had to fill them” The Stewa….Flight Attendant smiled. The pilot told me later that because TIA he appreciated having an extra long runway.
Landing at Kitale, I was thankful that the runway was not paved by the road paving crew, as it was almost flat and smooth…..not one dead animal in a pothole or anything. Jeff and Carla were waiting with my old friend Toyota. All three were glad to see me until the baggage was pushed off the plane by a bulldozer. I’ll make it up to Toyota somehow….maybe keeping Jeff from looking under the hood or something. We stopped in at English Lady.. She seem to remember me and said something under her breath...sounded Swahili with an English accent. I’ll bet Jeff has been tutoring her on the language.
Then we continued on to the Home. Since it really has become the dry season, and the potholes were empty of water, I kept a sharp lookout for wheel weights, as you know there is a strong market here. Can you believe it, we followed a truck that said on the back; “If you see me driving unsafely or speeding please call #######” Ha, I laughed, definitely an imported truck….either that or the ###### has been disconnected as a joke.
At the home, much to my amazement, the 82 kids were still there, waiting to ‘get’ me. Not only that, but since they heard I was coming back, they went out and found 7 more of the little snot lockers. Cripes they’re fast….I figured that my only chance was to make for Maytag and Whirlpool for a quick rinse. They just shook their heads and said, “at least the kids look clean for now”. This is quite a place….I mean it. I’m afraid that I might be able to ‘do babies’. The older kids immediately attached themselves to me…which, as it turns out, snot is kind of an adhesive….maybe you could use that idea as a spring board to better uses for snot. It was worth the hassle to get here.
Today, I worked on getting a direction and even got the table saw out and built a small box. Jeff is already eyeballing it for vacation home. I have a phone here and am able to contact the power company when the power tank is empty…..I think it’s using a lot of minutes of my plan. J & C are treating much better than I deserve….pray for them. If you have an opening in your prayer life, put this place in there…with 89 kids and a bunch of employees..there’s a need.
If you talk to Sandy, tell that I appreciate her sending 50 pr of underwear for ME, as Whirlpool and Maytag don’t do underwear…..

By the way if you don't 'get' this it's because no-one does...that and you need to go back the October posts...