I heard your complaints.......

Ok ok, I hear you loud and clear, I am not updating enough! Well, to be perfectly honest with all of you I didn't think you would be interested in the day to day struggles of lock down at the embassy, renting a car, getting your pool running, fixing the alarm system so it doesn't randomly go off, and of course getting the car that we purchased prior to arriving out of the shop! So here it is and please hold your yawns!
Lock Down at the Embassy, WTF? I went to the Embassy for an hour meeting as I was going to leave I noticed that the friendly Marines that usually manage the door are dressed in full combat uniform with large guns. I was a bit startled but kept on moving... As I went to open the door Marine says, "sorry mam we are in lock down". I should have noticed something was up, the area by the door was pretty crowded with annoyed looking civilians and the Head Honcho of US Security was in the bullet proof glass enclosed room in the front but again who knows - this could just be another day in SA. But no, this was not a normal day - the South African Military went on strike and the SA Police demanded that they go back to work - Military said no and set garbage cans on fired so Police shot rubber bullets at them. We are all in the Embassy which is a Huge concrete fort so one is oblivious to anything going on in the outside world. So, we couldn't hear see smell that anything was up. It was about 1 1/2 miles away but they wouldn't let any of us out. So, 3 hours in lockdown - no bar, no internet, bad cafeteria coffee.... When we were finally released there wasn't one bit of gratitude we were all disgruntled Americans jacked up on bad coffee!
Renting a car in South Africa. No one here ever says no it can't happen until you have been on the phone for at least 3 different conversations.... I need a car that is automatic not because I can't drive a stick. (yes, Cathy if you are reading I know the clutch will never be the same but I can do it) But, I cannot drive a stick lefty. My brain is just not that sharp. So, after MANY conversations with Avis and many hours of waiting around the car arrives at the gilded cage only to be stick shift. I of course send the man and the car back to their mother ship. I go back to square one and try Hertz they originally have nothing but after 4 more phone calls a BMW becomes available - so we take it. I jump immediately into the car (I have been home for 4 days figuring this out) and go for a spin and to the local grocery store. The car is fast and sporty and I am driving slow and grandmotherly like. The cars behind me don't realize that I don't really know how to drive this car properly, ie fast and I don't have my Diplomat license plates to hide behind so the drivers are honking at me - a bit unnerving to say the least! I did make it to Woolworths (our WholeFoods) and get the family some milk!
As far as the other above items, I won't bore you with the dirty details but things are slowly slowly getting fixed.
The UAB shipment (unaccompanied air baggage) showed up yesterday. Huge deal for the kids because I forgot to pack any of the boys toys in our 18 suitcases so they haven't had much to play with. I am happy to report that MOH, Dave took me to the Home Depot store here and we (he) built shelves and the play room is up and running. 3 very happy children!