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thatcrazycajunThursday, 23 October ● 7:30 PM
Steak dinner prepared at home after a brief jaunt to the store for fixings, with dinner viewing being the Battlestar Galactica: Razor extended DVD.
Friday, 24 October
Spent the morning at the Junction shopping mall once again after dropping the Songbird at her office, having a French toast breakfast at the Java House along with coffee and bottled water, and using their Internet connection to catch up this journal, reduce trouser bankruptcy at least somewhat, check e-mail and await SB's early departure from work. Finally got the call to go pick her up and got to CDC/KeMRI about 1:30, then had to wait 90 minutes longer when SB was notified that one of her incoming new assistants had arrived at the airport and no one had arranged for her to stay anyplace. Since no monies can be disbursed for a hotel stay, even on an emergency basis, without prior approval through channels, SB offered the poor lady a guest room until Monday in her capacious, US Embassy-provided home, of which you will see pictures shortly. (Gods know she has the room! The place has three floors and four bedrooms.)
Finally springing SB from her office, the driver was asked to ferry us back home so she could see what was in the pantry and fridge and grab a cookbook, then back and forth between the Junction and a local market to buy dinner makings. You recall in the last entry that I mentioned we were to host SB's boss Becky and her husband Jono, head of CDC's overall Kenya force, for dinner; this was our frantic, last-three-hours effort to get the house tidied, throw a meal together, ready the third-floor guest room and set the table. Fortunately for us (less so for them), the couple were late due to getting lost and called to get help. By the time they finally rang the doorbell, I was changed into some reasonably presentable fresh clothes, the new tablecloth and pads were laid out and the food was almost ready. (My throat and lungs were, of course, still sore and fluidic from bronchitis, despite hopes that the rest I had gotten the day before would rally my poor beleaguered immune system. So coughing loud and often was still SOP for me.) The conversation was pleasant and somewhat political (Becky and Jono share SB's and my leanings, luckily) and they marveled over the food, which was delish (walnut-crusted tilapia with string beans in garlic and rice, plus salad and Key lime bars for dessert, all prepared by SB with Your Humble Correspondent as sous-chef).
We were finishing up the main course when the doorbell rang again. Our impromptu lodger, a nice young lady from the States named Jessica, came in and was promptly served her own portions of the meal and her bags spirited upstairs. Once everyone was fed and coffee and tea were served, Jono dragged Mary upstairs to show her what he considered a hilarious customized MoveOn.org video for Obama he'd gotten that day, while Jessica and Becky talked shop and admired the cats and I cleaned up. Finally, we adjourned to the living room where Mary sang "Psalm" and I struggled with "A Simple Country Doctor" (I wrote it for my normal un-sick voice, dammit!) before B&J begged off due to a scheduled out-of-country flight at four o'stupid ayem. Jessica stayed up with us awhile longer and invited us to sing more, discussed SF and fantasy with us and finally bid us good night.
Saturday, 25 October ● 10:30 AM
Morning came and SB had the bright idea to fix beignets using the Café du Monde mix she'd brought over from the States (and which, by the by, you can order here) and asked me to help. Big, BIG mistake. I set the cooking oil to heating too soon and it started burning; and since I had neglected to turn the stove fan on, smoke started polluting the kitchen, the dining room and my lungs, causing me to cough hard enough that I ralphed up my coffee all over the hardwood floor. After I was given a chance to recover and the mess was cleaned up, SB chased me out to the patio for fresher air. Once the air inside had cleared somewhat, we went back in and finished making the beignets, served them al fresco on the patio table and a marvelous time was had by all (including the cats, who got a rare chance to prowl in the garden). We then chivvied Jessica off to the mall for some final time alone together before, all too soon, the hour came for the taxi to be called (Francis, SB's driver, was ill today and could not drive us) and SB and I to head to Kenyatta Airport's KLM gates, where we said our last emotional kwaheri ("farewell" in Ki-Swahili) and she saw me off on my long hegira back to the Land of the Fee and the Home of the Paved.
Despite SB's fears, there were hardly humongous lines for the security and ticketing checkpoints, and I got through fairly quickly. Now sitting in the gate waiting area, where Net access is next to nonexistent for anyone not using the airport's private staff network and the plane is almost an hour away from boarding. Jessica will keep SB company the rest of the weekend at least; they hit it off so well that SB plans to try persuading her to stay longer, for 2-3 more weeks at least until more permanent arrangements can be made. I hope this happens; SB needs all the friends she can get in this life she has chosen...especially ones who hug easily.
And I never did get to cook her that gumbo. Sigh. Oh, well, there's always next time...
Sunday, 26 October ● 5:13 AM
Sitting in Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam after a relatively peaceful flight from Nairobi. (On the floor next to a firehose, ackshully; only place I could find an electric outlet without someone sleeping in front of it.) Five hours to my connecting flight back to Atlanta, where![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sffilk has kindly offered to pick me up for the drive home. Called SB via Skype to let her know I got here safely; she tells me there's all kindsa nifty stuff down the hall I should check out, such as a food court, a free museum and showers, and I probably will when things start opening up for the day. Hope everyone else had a great weekend, at OVFF or not; will make the concluding post in this series once I am back in my apartment and have settled down a bit.
Steak dinner prepared at home after a brief jaunt to the store for fixings, with dinner viewing being the Battlestar Galactica: Razor extended DVD.
Friday, 24 October
Spent the morning at the Junction shopping mall once again after dropping the Songbird at her office, having a French toast breakfast at the Java House along with coffee and bottled water, and using their Internet connection to catch up this journal, reduce trouser bankruptcy at least somewhat, check e-mail and await SB's early departure from work. Finally got the call to go pick her up and got to CDC/KeMRI about 1:30, then had to wait 90 minutes longer when SB was notified that one of her incoming new assistants had arrived at the airport and no one had arranged for her to stay anyplace. Since no monies can be disbursed for a hotel stay, even on an emergency basis, without prior approval through channels, SB offered the poor lady a guest room until Monday in her capacious, US Embassy-provided home, of which you will see pictures shortly. (Gods know she has the room! The place has three floors and four bedrooms.)
Finally springing SB from her office, the driver was asked to ferry us back home so she could see what was in the pantry and fridge and grab a cookbook, then back and forth between the Junction and a local market to buy dinner makings. You recall in the last entry that I mentioned we were to host SB's boss Becky and her husband Jono, head of CDC's overall Kenya force, for dinner; this was our frantic, last-three-hours effort to get the house tidied, throw a meal together, ready the third-floor guest room and set the table. Fortunately for us (less so for them), the couple were late due to getting lost and called to get help. By the time they finally rang the doorbell, I was changed into some reasonably presentable fresh clothes, the new tablecloth and pads were laid out and the food was almost ready. (My throat and lungs were, of course, still sore and fluidic from bronchitis, despite hopes that the rest I had gotten the day before would rally my poor beleaguered immune system. So coughing loud and often was still SOP for me.) The conversation was pleasant and somewhat political (Becky and Jono share SB's and my leanings, luckily) and they marveled over the food, which was delish (walnut-crusted tilapia with string beans in garlic and rice, plus salad and Key lime bars for dessert, all prepared by SB with Your Humble Correspondent as sous-chef).
We were finishing up the main course when the doorbell rang again. Our impromptu lodger, a nice young lady from the States named Jessica, came in and was promptly served her own portions of the meal and her bags spirited upstairs. Once everyone was fed and coffee and tea were served, Jono dragged Mary upstairs to show her what he considered a hilarious customized MoveOn.org video for Obama he'd gotten that day, while Jessica and Becky talked shop and admired the cats and I cleaned up. Finally, we adjourned to the living room where Mary sang "Psalm" and I struggled with "A Simple Country Doctor" (I wrote it for my normal un-sick voice, dammit!) before B&J begged off due to a scheduled out-of-country flight at four o'stupid ayem. Jessica stayed up with us awhile longer and invited us to sing more, discussed SF and fantasy with us and finally bid us good night.
Saturday, 25 October ● 10:30 AM
Morning came and SB had the bright idea to fix beignets using the Café du Monde mix she'd brought over from the States (and which, by the by, you can order here) and asked me to help. Big, BIG mistake. I set the cooking oil to heating too soon and it started burning; and since I had neglected to turn the stove fan on, smoke started polluting the kitchen, the dining room and my lungs, causing me to cough hard enough that I ralphed up my coffee all over the hardwood floor. After I was given a chance to recover and the mess was cleaned up, SB chased me out to the patio for fresher air. Once the air inside had cleared somewhat, we went back in and finished making the beignets, served them al fresco on the patio table and a marvelous time was had by all (including the cats, who got a rare chance to prowl in the garden). We then chivvied Jessica off to the mall for some final time alone together before, all too soon, the hour came for the taxi to be called (Francis, SB's driver, was ill today and could not drive us) and SB and I to head to Kenyatta Airport's KLM gates, where we said our last emotional kwaheri ("farewell" in Ki-Swahili) and she saw me off on my long hegira back to the Land of the Fee and the Home of the Paved.
Despite SB's fears, there were hardly humongous lines for the security and ticketing checkpoints, and I got through fairly quickly. Now sitting in the gate waiting area, where Net access is next to nonexistent for anyone not using the airport's private staff network and the plane is almost an hour away from boarding. Jessica will keep SB company the rest of the weekend at least; they hit it off so well that SB plans to try persuading her to stay longer, for 2-3 more weeks at least until more permanent arrangements can be made. I hope this happens; SB needs all the friends she can get in this life she has chosen...especially ones who hug easily.
And I never did get to cook her that gumbo. Sigh. Oh, well, there's always next time...
Sunday, 26 October ● 5:13 AM
Sitting in Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam after a relatively peaceful flight from Nairobi. (On the floor next to a firehose, ackshully; only place I could find an electric outlet without someone sleeping in front of it.) Five hours to my connecting flight back to Atlanta, where
sffilk has kindly offered to pick me up for the drive home. Called SB via Skype to let her know I got here safely; she tells me there's all kindsa nifty stuff down the hall I should check out, such as a food court, a free museum and showers, and I probably will when things start opening up for the day. Hope everyone else had a great weekend, at OVFF or not; will make the concluding post in this series once I am back in my apartment and have settled down a bit.
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Date: 2008-10-27 01:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-27 06:26 am (UTC)Glad you had a good trip and time together... here's hoping you read this safe at home.