"Back to life, back to reality"

Sing it with me, "Back.to.liiiiiife. Back.to.reality. Back.to.liiiiife. Back.to.reality."

We had a nice little break in Michigan. Six days away from the chaos. But....those six days have come and gone and the chaos has since returned. I think I'm getting used to it. Or immune to it. Not sure which one.

Friday, the day after we got home last week we had dinner guests over. Now, under normal circumstances that wouldn't be a big deal. But Isaak returned home two days before we did, and when he tells me he's going to "clean up" for me before I get home....well, lets just say we have different versions of clean. So I was cleaning up from Isaak being home alone for two days. And then being gone in general for six. And then trying to stuff all of our still packed luggage and van full of new stuff, somewhere, anywhere, before our friends arrived. Six hours later the house was kinda okay.

Saturday morning/afternoon was an Ikea run for cheapie essentials.
Saturday evening/night was a Mulan play.

Sunday morning was church.
Sunday afternoon was another mad dash to Costco to drop some more dough for our consumables shipment.

Monday was another brutal dentist appointment for me for my scaling and root planing (that is a serious deep cleaning where they scrape underneath your gums and clean your teeth down.to.the.roots.) You're suppose to be numb when they do it. When they did the right side of my mouth a few weeks ago I was. But the three shots I was given in the mouth...didn't work this time. So I felt every.single.scrape with that viscous metal cleaning claw. It was absolutely horrible. But in true weird Melissa fashion...I helped myself endure by telling myself the whole time, "well, at least you're not having your teeth pried out by terrorists. Now that would really hurt. This is nothing compared to that. So suck it up and deal."

And I did. (for the record...I think I would make a great motivational speaker. :~) )

Monday later on Isaak took the afternoon off work to ship the Jeep to Africa now that we officially have orders. But, in running with our current luck.....

-we found out we couldn't ship the car because our title doesn't have USAA's name on it.
-in order to get USAA's name on it we had to go to the DMV to get a new title
-Isaak goes to the DMV to get a new title
-DMV is randomly CLOSED for the day

Yup. That sounds about right.

Tuesday, today, I found out that my tourist passport that I've had for 8 years has the wrong date of birth of it. Huh. Never noticed. But before I can apply for a new passport I have to wait three weeks for the military to make me another diplomatic passport because they messed up the first one. It should only take another three weeks for the military to finish my diplomatic one before I can apply for my tourist one. And since it only takes roughly six weeks to receive your tourist one that puts me getting my passport the second week of August. When we're suppose to be in Africa.

Yup. That sounds about right.

Still on today-had to run back to Public Health today to get paperwork authorizing us to have the rabbies vaccine, because the immunization clinic won't let us come back in to get those vaccines without a piece of paper, highlighting "rabbies" on it. You know you're in that office a lot when the guy comes out from his cubicle and says, "oh, the Burkina Faso lady." Yip. Back again.

I haven't heard back from the Pediatric Infectious Disease doctor on base for the girls malaria meds. It would be MUCH easier just to take them to the base clinic (AGAIN) to talk to the required specialist. But, easy doesn't seem to be in our life equation right now. So I was on the phone for forever today trying to get them a referral to be seen off base, at another base, to go to a different Infectious Disease doctor.

Yup. That sounds about right.

I have an eye exam later this evening....can scratch that off the "to-do" list. Pending any unforeseen disasters.

Spent a few hours this afternoon organizing our stuff to sell in a yard sale on Saturday. It's our last free weekend. Might as well. :~)

And just for kicks to top off the crazy chaos our life is enshroud in....when we got home this afternoon, Sydaleigh slammed Marvelly's hand in the driver's side door. I could see it was going to happen. But before I could yell to Syd to stop, or reach across the car to grab Marvi, the door was shut, her hand was in it, and I could see it in the passenger window sticking out the other side. Those were the slowest three seconds I've ever ran getting to the other side of the car. Luckily Syd realized what happened immediately and opened the door back up before I even got around the car. Thankfully, it slammed her hand underneath her knuckles. It's pretty bruised, and swollen. But she can move her fingers so we don't think it's broken. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!!!

"Back.to.liiiiife. Back.to.reality. Back.to.liiiife. Back.to.reality."