...about this video, that was posted as a sequel to "Death By Bureaucracy" (which I linked to in my last post). Obviously funny, but sadly sooooo true. Anyway, had to share it!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Some Linkage Love
Ivan took someone to the airport early this morning, so while I wait for him to get back I thought I'd share some fun links. FYI, these links are all over the map!
A wonderful post on having the right attitude about your house, that lines up nicely with the mission statement we recently developed for our home:
Interesting concept. My initial reaction was "Cool!" Then I thought, "That's a little scary." So what you think? Good idea for foreign countries/companies to be able to have a floating "city" off our shores?
Laughed 'til I cried while reading this. Seriously. April articulates exactly how I have felt on a number of occasions. Makes me grateful that our most recent experience with immigrations was wholly positive (although I'm still waiting for my national ID). Favorite line: " I deeply desired to curse her with a plague of paper cuts and then squeeze lemon juice on her." (No, missionaries are not normally so blood-thirsty, but the paperwork most countries require often push us to.our.limits.)
And finally, if you're at all interested in architecture, you might want to see how knowledgeable you are by taking this quiz. Although I've been learning a lot over the past year as I've read a number of articles on the topic over on Houzz, I only scored a 60. Still, that's better than I would have scored a year ago! [And if I'd gone with my first instincts, I'd have scored an 80. When will I learn not to over think things?!]
A wonderful post on having the right attitude about your house, that lines up nicely with the mission statement we recently developed for our home:
Our home is a haven for family and friends, a place where they feel welcome and comfortable. Our home is a light-filled, open space, clean and uncluttered, with beautiful things that have special meaning and speak of the people we love and the places we've been.This wordless post made me smile.
Interesting concept. My initial reaction was "Cool!" Then I thought, "That's a little scary." So what you think? Good idea for foreign countries/companies to be able to have a floating "city" off our shores?
Laughed 'til I cried while reading this. Seriously. April articulates exactly how I have felt on a number of occasions. Makes me grateful that our most recent experience with immigrations was wholly positive (although I'm still waiting for my national ID). Favorite line: " I deeply desired to curse her with a plague of paper cuts and then squeeze lemon juice on her." (No, missionaries are not normally so blood-thirsty, but the paperwork most countries require often push us to.our.limits.)
And finally, if you're at all interested in architecture, you might want to see how knowledgeable you are by taking this quiz. Although I've been learning a lot over the past year as I've read a number of articles on the topic over on Houzz, I only scored a 60. Still, that's better than I would have scored a year ago! [And if I'd gone with my first instincts, I'd have scored an 80. When will I learn not to over think things?!]
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The Good Life
I'm taking advantage of internet at the hotel to post a couple photos. We're at our annual missionary conference, enjoying beautiful weather, wonderful food, and great fellowship with our co-workers in Argentina and Uruguay.
I kept forgetting to take my camera to the dining room, but I finally remembered at lunch today. That was the appetizer: a luscious roll of roasted chicken and a small mound of potato salad. Sooooo good! I enjoy cooking and love having people in our home for meals, but it's also nice to go some place and be pampered :) And the food here at the Berna Hotel has been lovely.
[Am I making you hungry yet?]
The weather couldn't be more perfect, either. The nights are cool and the days are glorious! It's been in the 70s all week long, so we've been holding most of our sessions out on the covered patio, near several trees that are changing colors.
What fun to have internet right in our room too! Only problem (and I wouldn't exactly call it a problem) is that we're too busy to use it much. If we're not in a meeting, we're spending time with friends that we only get to see once a year. This time with them is why conference is always one of the highlights of our year.
[Am I making you hungry yet?]
The weather couldn't be more perfect, either. The nights are cool and the days are glorious! It's been in the 70s all week long, so we've been holding most of our sessions out on the covered patio, near several trees that are changing colors.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Ivan's Amazing Adventure
Ivan had the opportunity to travel to a part of Argentina he's never been before: the province of Salta, way in the north of the country. Here's one of the photos he sent via his iPhone:
That's him, Pastor Steve on the left and Steve's interpreter on the right with part of their Sunday lunch (a fish called surubí). They also had 'gator milanesas (yes, alligator), something called kabsha (I have no idea what that is, and can't find it in the dictionary so guessing it's an Indian dish) and the brownies I sent along. Oh, and the day before they had puma for lunch (yes, mountain lion).
To be very honest, I am glad I didn't go along. Not sure I could handle those menus. Glad God didn't call me to northern Argentina.
I haven't talked to Ivan, but he's kept me supplied with photos. Like these...
He traveled up with Pastor Steve (from San Francisco) to visit a missionary Steve's church supports in Rivadavia. They took a bus to Metan (about 10 hours) and then were picked up by the missionary and transported the remaining six hours in her truck over dirt roads.
Just thought you'd enjoy hearing about his adventure too.
To be very honest, I am glad I didn't go along. Not sure I could handle those menus. Glad God didn't call me to northern Argentina.
I haven't talked to Ivan, but he's kept me supplied with photos. Like these...
Lunch was prepared in a brick oven.
The alligator before being sliced up for milanesas.
Pigs roam free on the street. Wonder why pork wasn't on the menu?
He traveled up with Pastor Steve (from San Francisco) to visit a missionary Steve's church supports in Rivadavia. They took a bus to Metan (about 10 hours) and then were picked up by the missionary and transported the remaining six hours in her truck over dirt roads.
Just thought you'd enjoy hearing about his adventure too.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Roof, roof
No, that's not my dog impersonation. Ivan is fixing the roof over the kitchen today! Two friends drove two hours to help get'erdone. Only it won't be completely done because we don't have enough chapa. It's a specific style (we bought a bunch used and it was almost -- sooooo close! -- enough to do the whole roof (bedroom and kitchen), but we ran 1meter x 2-1/2 meters short :( Ivan checked all around town, and then went to Cordoba yesterday afternoon and looked all over there, but came up empty-handed.
This morning he had a brainstorm, but too late to do anything about it today. The kitchen roof needs three strips of chapa, each strip one meter wide by a little over 6 meters long. We had enough to do two and a half strips, so Ivan was hunting for that elusive last 1/2 strip. But he realized instead he can just do the entire last strip with a slightly different chapa. And he did see at some at one of the places he checked in Cordoba yesterday.
So the plan is to do what he can today while he has the help, and in the next couple of days we'll go back and pick up enough to do the final strip.
After the rainiest spring/summer/fall in many years, we look forward to having a more watertight structure! It doesn't leak every time it rains (must be the way the wind is blowing?) but it happens often enough that we're anxious to have it fixed.
Getting the roof over the kitchen fixed is not the only roof-related item on Ivan's "to do" list. He has to also install flashing and I'm not sure what else. And figure out what's going on over the bathroom, because we're still having issues in there too.
Don't you think fixing an existing building is more frustrating than new construction? Because you have to fix previous mistakes which, we are finding, can be significant.
I guess we'll find out! We're hoping to be able to start on the new house next year. Then we can compare the experiences.
Thankfully the skies are clear and no rain is expected until Sunday. I am so over the rain! I think this must be what it's like in Ireland... or Seattle, maybe. Seems like we've had as many rainy days as sunny days over the past few months. Happy we're heading into what is (typically) the dry season.
But even if it's not as dry as in past years, at least we'll be a little better prepared for the rain. Yay for solid roofs!
This morning he had a brainstorm, but too late to do anything about it today. The kitchen roof needs three strips of chapa, each strip one meter wide by a little over 6 meters long. We had enough to do two and a half strips, so Ivan was hunting for that elusive last 1/2 strip. But he realized instead he can just do the entire last strip with a slightly different chapa. And he did see at some at one of the places he checked in Cordoba yesterday.
So the plan is to do what he can today while he has the help, and in the next couple of days we'll go back and pick up enough to do the final strip.
After the rainiest spring/summer/fall in many years, we look forward to having a more watertight structure! It doesn't leak every time it rains (must be the way the wind is blowing?) but it happens often enough that we're anxious to have it fixed.
Getting the roof over the kitchen fixed is not the only roof-related item on Ivan's "to do" list. He has to also install flashing and I'm not sure what else. And figure out what's going on over the bathroom, because we're still having issues in there too.
Don't you think fixing an existing building is more frustrating than new construction? Because you have to fix previous mistakes which, we are finding, can be significant.
I guess we'll find out! We're hoping to be able to start on the new house next year. Then we can compare the experiences.
Thankfully the skies are clear and no rain is expected until Sunday. I am so over the rain! I think this must be what it's like in Ireland... or Seattle, maybe. Seems like we've had as many rainy days as sunny days over the past few months. Happy we're heading into what is (typically) the dry season.
But even if it's not as dry as in past years, at least we'll be a little better prepared for the rain. Yay for solid roofs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)