Thursday, February 24, 2011

Goodbye, Holden


"A watchdog is a dog kept to guard your home, usually by sleeping where a burglar would awaken the household by falling over him." --Anonymous

Last night we bid farewell to our faithful companion of 7 1/2 years.

As newlyweds, we figured we could have kids only if we could keep a dog alive. The only mistake we made was giving her a man's name; a mistake we repeated with our firstborn daughter, Alex. Fortunately we got things figured out by the time the boys arrived.

She is with her new family in West Seattle, and I have a feeling she'll have a spectacular new life.

We, however, are a little misty-eyed today. This saying goodbye thing is going to be rough on us.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Passport Office


"Well, you soul selling no good Son-of-a-shoe-fittin' fire starters! I ought to tear your no good perambulatory bone frame and nail it to your government walls..."
Roger Miller from Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn


Yesterday was attempt #2 for Alex and Isaac's passport renewals.

We arrived 16 minutes before closing, and the "workers" told me that they were done with applications for the day. Done. No time to staple the photos to the applications and take our $210. And there wasn't even a line.

What kind of childhood did these people have to grow into such cold-hearted people?

Eric escorted me out of the office and said, "If you think this is bad, wait till we get to Africa."

In Rwanda, Eric had Malaria and needed an exit visa to leave the country. He paid the $50 fee, and the clerk wouldn't issue the paperwork, because he didn't have any more receipts. It was 4 pm on Friday, and Eric would need to come back on Monday. Nevermind that Eric would miss his flight and/or DIE before then. Rules are rules.

That day Eric convinced the clerk to make an exception. I wish he'd done that yesterday too.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Two More Months!

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

I love travelling with Eric; I’m not so sure about my kids. A 2 ½ hour trip to Portland is torture. I can’t imagine 20 hours on a plane.

So given the high probability that I’ll abandon them somewhere between here and Zambia, I’ll attach a tag to each kid:

Alex. Chatty. Loves pink and sparkles. Hates bananas. No allergies.
Isaac. Active. Loves to climb and run. Not a fan of onions. No allergies.
Oliver. Contortive. Loves his truck. Asthma. Repaired heart defect.

But our journey to Zambia isn’t until the end of March. Eight weeks. Between now and then we have lots to accomplish.

On the docket tomorrow: Shots for kids at the travel clinic!