Mr. Robert

Experienced my first dust storm tonight. Somewhere in the middle of the afternoon I noticed it got a lot less sunny in the office. Looking out the window I could see what looked like haze rolling in from the west. As the afternoon went on, the haze got thicker. When I left work, it was dark. The headlights of the cars made the dust real obvious. It wasn't so bad that you could feel it on your skin. Nor did I have trouble breathing, but you could see it everywhere. Almost kind of spooky.

Good news is I successfully got some laundry done. I was told they would do it here at the guest house, but I was also told they would speak English and at least expect my arrival. I'd been debating how to request the service, and finally decided to just leave the dirty laundry piled on the bed since they make it everyday. It worked. Just before dinner, they knocked on my door with my clothes clean, folded and undershirts ironed. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. People to drive me around, people to cook and clean for me, whatever will I do when I get home?

Bad news is I think my bed has bugs. I don't have bites all over me and I don't seem to notice while I'm asleep, but as I sit here typing and watching TV I feel things - little creepy crawling things. I can't see them, but I feel them. I know they're there.

Speaking of medical things, I did call my Dr. office. The admin said the Dr. would call back and suggested I not take the rest of my Diamox. Sounds like a good plan to me. They did call back and said the symptoms I was experiencing were normal. Normal? Someone needs to contact Rite Aid and let them know their fact sheet for Diamox is wrong. I still decided not to take it. At least not while I have to be at work and conscious.

Something else I wanted to make note of - there's a pig sty outside my office. I guess it's not exactly a sty since animals run free here. It's more of a mudhole they congregate in. I tried getting a picture last night while waiting for the elevator, but it was too dark. This morning it's been too busy.

Which brings up another point. I've been doing the 9 - 8 work thing since I've been here. Most of the people do 9 - 6. The head guy of the group I work with stays till 8 or later, so I do too. It's also helpful to be in here that late as it coincides with the beginning of your day back home. Plus, what else am I going to do? Go to a mall? I don't think so. I get my playtime in on the weekends.

Now I'm just rambling. How about some more dinner?

Besides the actual food, meals are interesting. I eat breakfast at 8:30am, lunch at 12:30 or 1, then dinner at 9pm. Sometimes we go for snacks in the cafeteria around 6:30 or 7. Snacks are usually some kind of vegetable dumpling thing prepared by the caterer in the cafeteria.

- b