Track the Price Adventures!: November 2008

Today is just one example of the crazy days that keep on comin'! I cooked dinner for ten, spent the afternoon out practicing language and (bonus!) tracking down things like red paper I can use to wrap Christmas presents (and even BOWS!), made some new friends (one girl gave me her phone number... while I could only understand half of what she said to me, I was very excited!), got accousted by beggars, sent my husband off on a three-day trek, and took my three year old to the hospital for a broken arm. THAT was exciting.

At the hospital you pretty much have to do everything yourself, and if you don't ask, they don't tell you anything about the whole process. I was SO blessed that, while my husband was gone, I had an ex-paramedic, a nurse, and a grandma to help... all friends I've met here. The grandma stayed with the big girls (they were happy!) and the other two went with me. I took Laney (in her newspaper and duct tape splint) to the squatty in the dark (not the first time, but definitely more difficult with the arm to consider). She pottied on her jeans, which was extra gross considering I was carrying her like a baby... but that was nothing compared to lots of the things we saw. Families were wheeling their loved ones in and between buildings, smoking and holding the IV's up simultaneously. The hospital doesn't feed patients or many other things we would consider essential, but this was a nicer hospital -- it had sheets. One poor lady came hobbling out from a back X-ray to attempt to get on a gurney with no brakes (luckily my friends jumped up to steady her AND the cart...). Laney's "cast" is pretty flimsy, but I am thankful that at least the meds made her stop sobbing. The kid has a pretty high pain tolerance. I thought of my Aunt Laurie as Laney sang "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" at the top of her lungs while being casted. She was quite the attraction, in her "I Love NY" t-shirt, and I think every mobile patient and family member in the building was gathered in the hall watching.

Matt is in a hotel room on the mountain tonight with no electricity. He had a run-in with a rat in the bathroom, and I can't wait to hear the stories from his bus trip.

Yesterday we went searching for a Christmas tree all through town (no success - although we did find A tree, a Charlie Brown special for about $110). We met a guy on the bus with his hunting falcon. He was Mr. Tuff Guy and didn't seem very intersted in chatting at first, but we ended up cracking his shell and learning all about his bird and the process. Turns out the bird was the same age as Laney! (She thought that was pretty special and we had to take their picture together.) Matt got a little hurt pride when he said he'd like to go hunting sometime and the guy said he wouldn't be able to keep up with the bird ;)

We now have hot water! (Except when the electricity's out.) We are taking regular showers!

Thanks for holding us up another day!