Advertisement
Published: August 28th 2009
HIP HIP Hooray! Hello to all of you beautiful people. Thanks for sticking with me through this ordeal. I can see the light at the end now.
My spirits are high, Marie is snoozing, and I'm loaded for skeeters with Off!
Dr Baume, I could kiss that French man, at Polyclinique is a very cool dude. He says BABY IS FINE. It will be up to me to vacinate in USA.
"So, zeez were very bad men, and crazy men, and zay were locked up, but ze people said 'No, we do not wish to pay for zem to be incarcerated,' so zey were set free. So now we must be very very careful when we talk about adoptions."
He's about 6' 2" and weighs about 90 lbs. Picture a French looking Abe Lincoln.
Say it with me like Yul Bryner in The King and I: "Your Mister Lincoln."
Anyway, am in Kinshasa now with PASSPORT IN MY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Am staying at MPH (don't know what that stands for) but it's got something to do with the Methodist Church.
Am healthey and being well fed. Well fed. Might put back on some weight.
Officially shaved off the passport beard; just kept the jazz patch. Marie likes it. When she rolls over waking up in the morning she feels it and without opening her eyes says, "Baba."
We're having a great time, she is unbelievably smart and can mimic anything I do.
Today, after our walk, I poured sand from one shoe. She took the other shoe and poured the sand from it! HA!
She still cries out for Mama Regine which is only natural, so I walk with her in the backpack ( thank you John and Nikki Snow) whenever she starts fussing too much. Not everywhere and not always of course, but plentuy often.
Strolled by the Presidential Palace today. Nice view of the Congo River. Many armed guards said I can not walk there, so I chose not to.
Talked my broken French to many cool people. They believe the adoption is a blessing from God.
Bought K.M. a new t shirt and jump suit for 3000 Congolaise Francs. ~ $1.50 USD.
Yesterday was the best day yet. After the great check up at hte Clinique I went to the Embassy and dropped off the documents. My diaper bag is now about 3 lbs lighter.
Anyone have the conversion for LBS to Kilograms? Please advise. Combined, Marie and I weigh 86 KG.
Anyway, the US Consul, David Boytle, is from PITTSBURGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA! He's 50, we talked sports for a while then VISA.
The official interview is this Wednesday the 2nd. Then the VISA will be issued the following Monday. But wait, the following Monday is LABOR DAY SO NO ONE IN AMERICA IS WORKING THAT DAY, SO I GET TO STAY IN CONGO FOR AN EXTRA DAY! I laughed when he told me the Embassy is closed Monday.
So, Tuesday the 8th I pick up the VISA. From there, I go to DGM (Congolaise Immigration office) to ask them for permission to take the baby out of the country. I suppose they could say no, but David says with the Embassy's blessing (VISA) they say "yes." This final step takes an additionl 48 to 72 hours.
Only after that can I book the flight home.
So, not sure exactly what day I will be exiting Congo, perhaps Sept 11th, my Good Woman's birthday. That should be fun.
Anyway, gotta roll before I lose the server or the server loses me, whatever that means.
Not sure how to get info to UNUM re: FMLA. Tom Ashworth, you can relate to my situation, please advise. Thanks. (I'm having difficulty accessing email, or I would have sent you a private message.)
C. Tell Mom I Love her and will be home soon. Hello to the Binders! Hope you enjoy lunch with Mom.
So, are the Pirates in a Pennant Race?
HA! I just made myself laugh.
I'm still laughing.
Still laughing.
Peace and Love to all. Keith.
Still laughing.
I Love You Rachel. Over and Out.
Still laughing.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.145s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 5; qc: 43; dbt: 0.0481s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Tom Ashworth
non-member comment
Unum
Unum contacted and updated, as is Pamela. Take care...love the international holidays. I had 12 Ukrainian holidays that fell while i was there and delayed things...three at the very end. Light is at the end of the tunnel-you and the baby are almost home.