The masons got the inside of one of the toilet pits plastered and the other one was about half finished when we left this afternoon. John got most of the walls put back up that we had to tear down because of a costly mistake but it looks better now. They plan to put the toilet floors in tomorrow. Steve built the forms for the clean out openings this afternoon. We also went to the market and bought some round buckets to use for the form for the squat pit holes. We picked out some of the lumber we had left over from the pavilion project and took it to Kulkpeni for them to use for supports to hold up the metal roofing sheets that they are going to use to contain the cement they will pour for the floor. Hopefully they will have everything that they need to cast the floors; we bought the rebar last week.
After we left the job site and were headed back to Yendi I told Steve that he had to turn around because we had to talk to John, the mason, because he was fixing to make another costly mistake. We discussed wall placement to separate each of the toilet rooms but we forgot to remind him that the last room had to be bigger to accommodate the handicapped. It is to be larger with a larger door. The pit area will be the same size as all the other toilet rooms but the floor will be larger. We explained to John that he would have to dig an outside footer to support the wall. He knew we had talked about it but he had forgotten and had not worked out the logistics of how to do it. He was surprised, laughed and said, “How did you think about doing that just now, now?” We laughed and said we were happy that we remembered before they put up a wall that had to be torn down! He said he was learning much from his “international contractors”! Ha!
Ms. Lydia, from the Standard Chartered Bank, called this afternoon and said that they needed Timothy and Mr. Iddrisu to come to the Tamale bank with their Ghana cards for verification. Please, last week when they told us to come, we point blank asked her if Mr. Iddrisu and Timothy needed to come with their documentation and we were told that they did not because their Ghana cards were on file and that they did not expire! Today she said they had to come because even though their Ghana cards were on file, they could not retrieve them so the men had to come in person to the bank! Please, just makes me want to scream! We were planning on going on Thursday to Tamale so we will take them with us; we will be there all day and we will send them back to Yendi on the bus.
Take care and have a great day!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
Let me tell you about the grasshopper escapade! I saw a huge grasshopper fly past me heading toward Mom! It was so big that I was not even going to try to catch it; it might hurt me! Its wings looked like it was a small bird! When Mom saw it, she sprang into action! She actually caught that ginormous grasshopper in mid-flight! Pretty impressive for a plump lady! Then she started that, “Hey, Skeeter, look what Mom caught for you, I have a big surprise for you! Come here and see what I caught!” I am no dummy! I already saw what she caught and it did not look any smaller in her hand! She came over to me and said, “Now, Skeeter if you are not quick it will get away from you!” Now, that sounds like the best idea ever! She brought it to me and it was looking straight at me with those shifty beady eyes and I was not happy! She held it out to me and I slapped it! She gave it to me again and I grabbed it and promptly threw it down! I believe in catch and release when it comes to something that big! Let’s set it free so it can go forth and multiply! But that poor grasshopper did not stand a chance! As soon as it landed Mom was on it again! She brought it back to me! What, did she not get the message that grasshopper was not on the menu today? She said, “Oh! Skeeter you let it go; well, it won’t get away from you again!” Then she did the unthinkable; she put the grasshopper under her foot and squashed it! I climbed up into the little tree to get away from it! Mom then pulled off one of its big hind legs and presented it to me! I reluctantly took it from her but it was still wiggling and I threw it down. You know those grasshoppers can bite if they want to! She then removed his head and offered me the body! Nope, it is still not good enough! At that point she probably could have roasted it with salt and butter and I would not have eaten it. About 15 minutes later when the thing was completely dead Dad came out and showed it to me. I revisited the grasshopper and once I knew for sure that it was no longer moving, I started nibbling on it! I did not eat the wings or the legs; the legs have sharp spikes! I did not eat much of it; it is still lying out there on the veranda; my hope is that the ants will find it and carry it away before I have to see it again!
Talk about a traumatic childhood! I need a therapist after those events!
Love, Skeeter
