LIFO and Family Life

Since complaints about other members of the family are deemed appropriate in this blog, I thought I would write about what is bothering me at the moment: the fact that Roger somehow always manages to leave first for major trips. This means I am stuck with all of the chores like taking the cats to their hotel, canceling the mail and finding someone to water the garden.

The most extreme example of this phenomenon occurred five years ago, when we were moving out of our big old house and I found myself alone with several thousand cans of partially used paint that had been hoarded over the years. The dump would accept the paint only when dry and there wasn't enough time to simply open the cans and wait. The alternative, kindly suggested by the person who answers the phone at the dump, was to fill the cans with kitty litter. So I stood in the basement for several days, stirring kitty litter into paint cans and saying very unkind things about Roger under my breath. Kitty-litter filled paint cans, just in case you are interested, weigh a lot. The nicest effect was achieved with some sort of chemical litter that looked like little pearls--it swelled up into bigger Technicolor pearls when filled with paint. I recently stopped by the old house to meet the owners and see my old garden; they mentioned how pleased they were to have cans of the original paint colors left behind. I was tempted to ask if there was kitty litter in any of them, but refrained.

Now that I've told that story I have to admit that it isn't that bad this time. I mentioned the LIFO concept to Roger who pointed out that it is standard accounting practice and should be acceptable.

I leave tomorrow for Kigali via Entebbe. I am sure both cities are now calm and cheerful but both have such connotations of horror that I find even the sound of my route is anxiety-producing. The trip has had the usual glitches, particularly with respect to the visa needed to transit through Uganda. The first version of the visa was issued wrong, allowing me only one entry so the passport had to be sent back and a new visa issued; I quite like the drama of the canceled one, shown in the picture; the stamp says "Canceled Without Prejudice". This is by far the most used passport I have ever owned--it had extra pages to begin with and has recently had another section added; once I've filled that I'll have to get a new one even though this is only 4 years old; not bad going for my stage in life.

I am planning to travel only with carry on luggage; a challenge in these days of anti-liquid security. I had to go to the special section of the drugstore to find little toothpastes, little shampoos and conditioner, little sun block, etc. There must be a whole new industry of bottles made in 3.4 oz sizes, which is the limit. The pink bottle is Pepto Bismol, without which I would not venture to Africa. I couldn't find a small enough bottle and so had to buy three 2 oz. plastic ones and decant into them. Fortunately everything fits into the famous one quart plastic bag. But why is it legitimate to take six ounces of Pepto Bismol in three separate bottles and not to take them in one bottle?

The roses and clematis in the front are about to bloom--I go out hopefully every morning but they are clearly waiting until I am gone to have their party, like teenagers planning something really rowdy. No sign of deer but I'll spray with liquid fence one more time before I depart.