Excuses

Sunday, September 15

We didn’t make it to church today.  I don’t have the typical excuse. I did not oversleep or have work to do.  My alarm clock did go off and I had no kids to get ready. My excuse. The bumper fell off and a herd of cattle blocked the road.  Maybe not typical but true. And I was sad to miss it.

Melissa, Amelia, and I rented the car and decided to go to Flood church in Lilongwe, eat, and grocery shop.  We didn’t need to leave before 9 so I lazed in bed later than usual and then enjoyed a slow cup of coffee and a little breakfast.  Melissa, the girls, and I headed out a little before 9. I was excited to wear a new skirt that the tailor made out of a local chitenge.

On the road to Amelia’s, there are several gullies, rocks, and concrete barriers.  At some point something snagged the bumper and then we were dragging it. We called the car guy and he came pretty quickly.  The bumper appeared to have had this issue a time or two before. He went back to his car and pulled some old speaker components out of the trunk.  I was wondering exactly where this repair was going. He took screws out of the speaker and then screwed it right into the side of the bumper and fastened it to the rest of the car.  He gave it a harsh tug and pronounced it good to go. Not how I would have done it but...okay.

The best part was that he pulled up with music playing and left his car on during the repair.  Brandina and I danced to the music and the others joined the dance party. The car guy thought it was funny and as we pulled out he offered us a flash stick with his playlist on it.  So cute!

So off we went.  At the first turn however, a large group of cows blocked the road.  We waited for them to pass very closely I might add and then went on our way.  Several tanker trucks and a hundred bicycles later we arrived in the city. We were however about 35 minutes late and realizing the spectacle of th 7 of us walking in we decided to just head to lunch.

We were able to have a lovely lunch.  I enjoy playing the role of temporary Aunt with the girls and love that they desire to hold hands, show me things, and skip and dance.  Additionally, my debit card worked at the ATM which is a big win. AND, I got groceries!!! I may just be overwhelmed by my options this week.

We headed back to Nkhoma and had a relaxing afternoon.  Everyone was busy making plans for the week. We have some more new guests arriving and so my room was switched.  I got an upgrade and now I am in the delux room. This means a big bed and a mosquito net that I don’t have to tuck in-really nice feature.  I also got to talk with Wayne and Chase. I continue to feel better as well.

I am ready for another week at work!!!!