From Polliwog to Shellback (or the aviation equivalent if there is one)

I've lost track of dates and times already. It is approximately a quarter after 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning in the misty hills of Rwanda. Its beautiful here. I wish I had taken photos when the airplane was landing in Kigali. But there was the whole luggage debacle in DC and my camera ended up in my checked baggage.

Yesterday after I arrived and made my way through customs with a couple hundred pounds of cheese and other vittles. Heidi, Evan and the kids took me out to eat for grilled tiapia. It was some of the finest fish I've ever eaten. It was brought to the table whole - skin, bones and head. And we ate it with our fingers :). I wish I had a photo... but again my *%$&^$&% camera was in my *@##$^%$%&^ luggage.

When we finally got home (about three hours later because Rwanda restaurants operate on their own time frame), Heidi and I spent a couple of hours rummaging through my luggage. Everything made it except for one ziplock container of freeze dried peaches which exploded...then the humidity got to the peaches making them very sticky. So, sticky peach bits all over everything. Could have been worse I guess.

Shortly after 8:00 pm I had come to the end of my sanity and crawled into bed with "New Moon". I finished 'Twilight' before Rome with like 10 good reading hours left in my journey, but AGAIN... UNINTENDED ITEMS IN THE CARGO HOLD OF THE AIRPLANE!

Right after I took an ambien, and was preparing to shut off my light and go to sleep, mama Sol (sister of Luna), Peter the kitten, and Coco (daughter of Sol just here for a visit) came tear-a$$ing into my room......chasing....an enormous....cockroach. It was about two inches long, an inch wide with feelers adding another 2-3 inches, and I nearly ripped my own lips off. The offender was ultimately smashed and flushed, but not before leaving me too anxious to fall to sleep.

Once I did, however, I slept great.

This is a new house for Heidi and Evan that they just moved into yesterday before I got here. I found my camera but only a a few photos right now to share, taken here at the house:

This is Peter:

This is Heidi's kitchen sink...it is so nice and HIGH! It comes up to my hip bone:

I would give anything to have this much cupboard space:

If that weren't enough, she also has this pantry:

And the kids (cause that is why I'm here after all!):