Sunday reflections

We both hit a bit of an emotional wall today. Lynne has been unbelievably patient with the banking dilemma in which we find ourselves and innumerable other little aggravations. The short version is that we had a sum wired to here the first week of our sojourn. It made it here in two days (average) but because the bank didn’t recognize the number and because it was $30.00 less than what was wired it sat there in ambivalent never land for 17days. With the aid of some very indulging and diligent staff we (Lynne) was able to get this squared away and the bank will add interest and restore the original amount.

We of course are used to online banking and our bank here “offers” it but the short of this is that the traditional method of deposit/withdrawal in person is still such an institution that our online balance isn’t ever current so we have only a rough idea of our worth. If one is an “I dotter” and “T crosser” not unlike the woman to whom I am married this is uncomfortable at least and fraudulent at worst. We joke about “Botswana time” and the truth is that with gentle but firm persistence Lynne is slowly becoming a customer advocate in that the bank is eager to learn what her expectations are. And it takes a toll. So today there were tears from both of us as we had little to do for the morning other than dwell on the annoyances of the aggregate.

It’s easy to feel homesick for the efficiency and the familiar. We realize it for what it is, small stuff, but that doesn’t make it any easier to shake. Thankfully we have the Jones tribe just down the street that have opened their home and, perhaps even more important, their wireless connection so we can stay in touch. We thoroughly enjoy the company and hope we can at least pay it forward to the next soul(s) that moves here and longs for the familiar on occasion.

This evening we had an early dinner with the Jones and went to the local game reserve where they have incorporated the local sewage treatment ponds into the park and they were full of birds of all kinds; lots of new additions to my list. The ibis were incredible and everywhere. On the way in we saw zebra (with a new foal), wart hogs of all ages, impala, kudu, mongoose, monkeys of all sizes and mischief, and others I’ve forgotten. The termite mounds are huge and everywhere.

This week we’ll try to swim at UB and Lynne will volunteer at a local AIDS orphanage that should help get us out from behind our eyeballs. The week will be busy and will end with me on call on Saturday. And it’s OK as it still is what I/we want to be doing at the time of life we want to do it in. It’s rare a guy like me who can say that and see the love of his life move forward in so many new and different ways. We are blessed indeed…