"Wound cleaning guy Adam"

I had a slow start today. I found myself not wanting to get out of bed. I heard children getting up and moving to school, and that usually gives me the signal that I have a good hour and a half to sleep yet. 

The workers continued working on the main gate. Henry was trying to get a hold of a vibrator to get all the air out of the concrete, but “the deal fell through”. It seems that the machine was broken. I was pleased that he knew what “Honeycombing” was. So many construction sites I have seen are plagued with concrete that was not set into the forms very well. This gives the appearance of a honeycomb when the forms are removed. The gate will harden overnight, and tomorrow we should be able to open our man-door, but we should leave the form boards on the posts for some time. 

While the workers were doing that, I had a list in my head of some things to do, so I actually climbed the extension ladder and screwed the sheet metal of one of the homes to the trim boards. I noticed the other day in a wind storm that they were lose; flapping. They make a lot of noise in the wind. I also put a hook in the showering stall, and replaced the faucet where we get city water... for the third time. The kids are hard on things. I started to clean the home that I have been sleeping in. I figure now that I am the only person on my little team that is remaining, I should give the place a nice cleaning. I came across a number of papers that looked like they were supposed to go home with Bruce, Julie, and Susan, so I ended up transferring them to my computer and double checking them. While I was doing this a few of the younger girls snuck into the room and started talking to me. I brought out some paper and crayons to keep them occupied so I could finish what I was doing. It worked, but I ended up getting down on the floor and coloring myself, so in the end I just couldn't resist the temptation of unbridled coloring and creativity. 

Around 3:00pm I figured I should walk down and check on what was happening with Henry and the workers. They were moving the “Hard Core” into the trench that they had dug yesterday. This has got to be some of the hardest work. They were picking up the massive rocks and carrying them by hand over to the trench and tossing them in, one by one. I had a flashback in my brain to the construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt where everything was done for the most part by hand. It was then that my phone rang. It was a missionary boy from a family of church planters here in Uganda. They actually live just down the road from me. He wanted to let me know that I was invited to their house for dinner for the evening. They are a family of 6 from Texas. I was to be there by six o’clock. Naturally I accepted, and was there by 6. They made a potato soup with bacon and toasted biscuits with melted butter...  it was very delicious. Just as I was about to leave, the rain came, so I stayed a little longer and played a card game. The bike that I eventually rode home belonged to our cook, Francis. It is one size fits all; that is if you have really long legs. The seat felt like steel wrapped in thin plastic and promoted chaffing, but it was faster than walking. 

Now that Medic Joe, and Nurse Julie are gone, I am “Wound cleaning guy Adam”. I don't get the swarm that Julie and Joe got, but I get a few every now and then that look like they took a good spill. The scrapes have an even thickness of antibiotic ointment spread over them and the tape on my bandages are always at right angles.

I caught another mouse in the Pump House this evening. I turned the light on, and after I walked in and paused; trying to remember what I was there for, I saw movement. Whatever it was moved down into a hole that was on top of the control box of the pump and filter skid. Big mistake on his part, cause that is one way in, one way out. I put a bottle on the hole so he couldn't escape, and looked for a way to contain him. There was a shoe box nearby that I had brought down to the pump house earlier, which was perfect. So I slowly opened the door and used a screwdriver to herd him into the box. I then closed the box behind him. Now what? I have a mouse in a box. I couldn't think of anything, so I set a nice heavy chain on top the box, and locked the place up for the night. I figure I would leave a little excitement for myself in the morning. 

Off to bed; un-showered, and mildly sweaty. I promise to my someday wife that I will shower before bed.