Bob's Turn to Go to the US of A
Monday, 13. August 2007, 00:23:24
Blog for the week ending August 13, 2007
TUESDAY, August 7, 2007
Bob and I went to the Federal Police this morning to deliver my request for a foreign registration number. We went to the travel agency to pick up Bob’s tickets,
and had lunch at Chão Cerrado.
We did some shopping for gifts for Bob to take to the USA. We ended up at Gringolandia, where Bob had a Portuguese class. I ran into our friend Divino... and his horse.
We went home, and Ricardo, Eliana, and Ana Vitória stopped by for a visit.
WEDNESDAY, August 8, 2007
Bob and I stopped by the Federal Police this morning, but my RNE number hadn’t yet been processed. We walked to Heidi’s house, where we watched Bianca and Lexy eat breakfast.
Heidi went with us to our accountants’ office downtown. We were there for 90 minutes working on Gringolândia business. Bob and I went to Chão Cerrado for lunch, but Heidi had to hurry off to get Bianca ready for school. Bob went to Gringolândia for his 1:00 Portuguese lesson.
I went to the print shop to pick up the first batch of leaflets for Gringolândia. I went to Gringolândia, and Heidi stopped by, too. After Bob’s lesson, I went to our favorite ice cream place, Fulô do Cerrado to get ice cream to go
and chicken-like gourds,
which are headed to Ohio. Bob and Heidi watched the movie “Brazil” while I went to visit Dona Sirlene on my way home.
THURSDAY, August 9, 2007
Bob likes to pack the morning of his trip, so that’s what he did this morning. Bob watered the plants, and gave me instructions on how to water them while he’s gone. Around 10:00 a.m., Ricardo and Eliana showed up in Brian’s recently-purchased car.
We loaded up the car and headed to Brasília, a two-hour drive away. I was very impressed. Except for a short stretch just outside of Anápolis, the double-lane divided highway to Brasília is now complete.
We’ve been waiting years for the work on the highway to be completed.
It’s dry season now, so the scenery looks just like our TV when the color went out... muted shades of green and brown.
When we got to the Federal District, we stopped in the town of Riacho Fundo so that Eliana could visit with her sister and twin-baby nieces.
Ricardo took Bob and me in to Brasília, where we met our friend Pedro for lunch at A Oca Da Tribo.
http://www.ocadatribo.com.br/HISTORICO.asp
Even if it weren’t a big huge doughnut-shaped hut,
it would still be my favorite restaurant.
They have a huge vegetarian buffet.
I had pineapple-mint juice...
All four of us went to the airport after lunch.
It was now only 90 minutes until Bob’s flight, and I was concerned about the time. Ricardo dropped off Bob at the curb, and we walked about 30 paces to the TAM check-in counter, and in 5 minutes Bob’s luggage was checked in and he had his boarding pass.
I was amazed. We had about an hour to do some impulse shopping at the shops in the airport.
Finally the time came for Bob to board the plane, so we said our goodbyes. We waited for Bob’s plane to take off... which meant more time to explore the airport.
The big huge observation level of the airport has a bunch of shops, and a movie theater.
If I’m ever stuck at an airport in Brazil, I want to be stuck there. They even have an “alimentation plaza”.
After Bob’s plane had left, Pedro wondered what we should do next. I suggested a trip to the nearby zoo, so that’s where we went.
I was impressed with the number of bird species they had. The toucans made me think of the late Toucan Sam, one of my favorite pets when I lived in Brazil in 1987.
I wanted to let the toucans out, just so I could take better pictures of them.
The tiger had the same kind of hammock that tigers in the wild have... I think.
Look! Now the tiger’s waving to us!
And is that baboon smoking?
Is the sign in the restroom directed at animals or people? “Please use the toilets for your physiological needs, not the floor/ground.”
I feel less sorry for zoo animals here in Brazil... since the weather here is closer to what it is back home in Africa, or wherever. It’s not cold and freezing like it is for the poor zoo animals in the northwest.
We left the zoo right around sunset. I miss life in a big city, but the traffic jams are something I don’t have to deal with in Anápolis.
Ricardo and I picked up Eliana and I got home to Anápolis in time to watch my 9:00 pm soap opera.
FRIDAY, August 10, 2007
This morning I spent about ninety minutes at the Federal Police office. The computer wasn’t cooperating with the agent who was helping me, but I finally left with my RNE number, which gives me legal standing as an immigrant. It's the same number I had when I lived here in 1987.
Now I just have to wait 15 months to get my card with the number on it. The agent gave me the number in Brasília to call to insist that I need the card urgently, so that I don’t have to wait so long to prove that I’m legal.
I had lunch downtown, and went to my favorite furniture store to order another file cabinet and bookshelf. I stopped by the tattoo studio to see Heidi & Lexy.
Heidi wasn’t feeling that great, but I convinced her that she wanted to go spend the rest of the afternoon sitting around at the Unimed health insurance office.
I was able to sign her onto my health plan as a dependent, and because she works at CCAA English Center, her exclusionary period is shorter. She’ll have access to doctor visits starting Monday, it sounds like.
I went for a walk with Lexy. She loves flowers... even if it is just grass that has gone to seed.
How do we always end up at the bakery?
In the evening Bob called. It sounds like he’s having a good time with family and friends in Ohio.
SATURDAY, August 11, 2007
In the morning I did some cleaning and worked on some business stuff. I walked downtown for lunch at Chão Cerrado. Jeise, one of the workers at the restaurant, told me how sad Bob had looked when he came to lunch without me when I was in the US. Now it's my turn to look sad.
I watered the plants today, and did some laundry. I spent most of the afternoon working on Gringolândia business... going over receipts, and that sort of thing. In the evening I got a call from my brother, sister, and mom in Oregon. They were meeting with Dad’s kidney doctor, and they called me to include me in the nearly one-hour discussion. It looks like Dad will be discontinuing dialysis and getting hospice care in the coming weeks. I wish I wasn’t 6,260 miles away.
SUNDAY, August 12, 2007
This morning I followed the regular Sunday morning Kevin-and-Bob routine, even though Bob is 4,400 miles away. I meditated, and walked to Ferreirinha for lunch. Then I walked home. This is when my routine changed.
Ever since we’ve lived here, I’ve been telling people that we had a self-cleaning home. It never got dirty. It was clean all the time. Then Bob left. I should have been suspicious when Bob gave me a little orientation before he left. He showed me where he stored the cleaning products. He showed me how to run the dishwasher and the washing machine. So, little by little I’ve been doing housecleaning. Today I swept the upstairs. I always thought we had such a little home... only 1,500 square feet, including the garden. But, when you have to polish it every day, it seems much larger. Only 19 more days until Bob returns.
Bob must be the one who inspires me to take photos, since this weekend I hardly took any photos at all.
My other project this weekend was unpacking and hanging my tie collection.
MONDAY, August 13, 2007
I cleaned house and took care of business while I waited for the file cabinet to be delivered this morning.
Wow. Our home office looks so much better now.
At noon I met Heidi for lunch at Chão Cerrado.
She’s feeling much better these days.
She told me to try the bananas in white sauce with onions. Not bad.
My first plate of food was good, too.
Heidi presented me with four cornmeal-fennel cookies that she and Bianca had made for me.
Each cookie had its own name. They were delicious.
Heidi and I walked to the print shop, but the business cards weren’t yet ready. They did have another batch of 1000 flyers for me. I walked Heidi back to the tattoo studio, where we worked on the school calendar for Gringolândia, and where I took pictures of Lexy.
Lexy and I took a little walk to the bakery.
I somehow ended up at Gringolândia after that.
Célio has been taking care of business.
He hung the two white boards, and waters the plants. He was also there when the cable guys hooked us up to cable... with channels in English.
Gringolândia proudly displays posters from Oregon.
I had other projects to do at the school, but there was also some hold-up... We couldn’t find a big enough drill bit or the internet folks put us on hold forever or the sign guy didn’t come by...
I walked home at sunset, though it doesn’t seem so much like home with Bob in the US.
TUESDAY, August 7, 2007
Bob and I went to the Federal Police this morning to deliver my request for a foreign registration number. We went to the travel agency to pick up Bob’s tickets,
and had lunch at Chão Cerrado.
We did some shopping for gifts for Bob to take to the USA. We ended up at Gringolandia, where Bob had a Portuguese class. I ran into our friend Divino... and his horse.
We went home, and Ricardo, Eliana, and Ana Vitória stopped by for a visit.
WEDNESDAY, August 8, 2007
Bob and I stopped by the Federal Police this morning, but my RNE number hadn’t yet been processed. We walked to Heidi’s house, where we watched Bianca and Lexy eat breakfast.
Heidi went with us to our accountants’ office downtown. We were there for 90 minutes working on Gringolândia business. Bob and I went to Chão Cerrado for lunch, but Heidi had to hurry off to get Bianca ready for school. Bob went to Gringolândia for his 1:00 Portuguese lesson.
I went to the print shop to pick up the first batch of leaflets for Gringolândia. I went to Gringolândia, and Heidi stopped by, too. After Bob’s lesson, I went to our favorite ice cream place, Fulô do Cerrado to get ice cream to go
and chicken-like gourds,
which are headed to Ohio. Bob and Heidi watched the movie “Brazil” while I went to visit Dona Sirlene on my way home.
THURSDAY, August 9, 2007
Bob likes to pack the morning of his trip, so that’s what he did this morning. Bob watered the plants, and gave me instructions on how to water them while he’s gone. Around 10:00 a.m., Ricardo and Eliana showed up in Brian’s recently-purchased car.
We loaded up the car and headed to Brasília, a two-hour drive away. I was very impressed. Except for a short stretch just outside of Anápolis, the double-lane divided highway to Brasília is now complete.
We’ve been waiting years for the work on the highway to be completed.
It’s dry season now, so the scenery looks just like our TV when the color went out... muted shades of green and brown.
When we got to the Federal District, we stopped in the town of Riacho Fundo so that Eliana could visit with her sister and twin-baby nieces.
Ricardo took Bob and me in to Brasília, where we met our friend Pedro for lunch at A Oca Da Tribo.
http://www.ocadatribo.com.br/HISTORICO.asp
Even if it weren’t a big huge doughnut-shaped hut,
it would still be my favorite restaurant.
They have a huge vegetarian buffet.
I had pineapple-mint juice...
All four of us went to the airport after lunch.
It was now only 90 minutes until Bob’s flight, and I was concerned about the time. Ricardo dropped off Bob at the curb, and we walked about 30 paces to the TAM check-in counter, and in 5 minutes Bob’s luggage was checked in and he had his boarding pass.
I was amazed. We had about an hour to do some impulse shopping at the shops in the airport.
Finally the time came for Bob to board the plane, so we said our goodbyes. We waited for Bob’s plane to take off... which meant more time to explore the airport.
The big huge observation level of the airport has a bunch of shops, and a movie theater.
If I’m ever stuck at an airport in Brazil, I want to be stuck there. They even have an “alimentation plaza”.
After Bob’s plane had left, Pedro wondered what we should do next. I suggested a trip to the nearby zoo, so that’s where we went.
I was impressed with the number of bird species they had. The toucans made me think of the late Toucan Sam, one of my favorite pets when I lived in Brazil in 1987.
I wanted to let the toucans out, just so I could take better pictures of them.
The tiger had the same kind of hammock that tigers in the wild have... I think.
Look! Now the tiger’s waving to us!
And is that baboon smoking?
Is the sign in the restroom directed at animals or people? “Please use the toilets for your physiological needs, not the floor/ground.”
I feel less sorry for zoo animals here in Brazil... since the weather here is closer to what it is back home in Africa, or wherever. It’s not cold and freezing like it is for the poor zoo animals in the northwest.
We left the zoo right around sunset. I miss life in a big city, but the traffic jams are something I don’t have to deal with in Anápolis.
Ricardo and I picked up Eliana and I got home to Anápolis in time to watch my 9:00 pm soap opera.
FRIDAY, August 10, 2007
This morning I spent about ninety minutes at the Federal Police office. The computer wasn’t cooperating with the agent who was helping me, but I finally left with my RNE number, which gives me legal standing as an immigrant. It's the same number I had when I lived here in 1987.
Now I just have to wait 15 months to get my card with the number on it. The agent gave me the number in Brasília to call to insist that I need the card urgently, so that I don’t have to wait so long to prove that I’m legal.
I had lunch downtown, and went to my favorite furniture store to order another file cabinet and bookshelf. I stopped by the tattoo studio to see Heidi & Lexy.
Heidi wasn’t feeling that great, but I convinced her that she wanted to go spend the rest of the afternoon sitting around at the Unimed health insurance office.
I was able to sign her onto my health plan as a dependent, and because she works at CCAA English Center, her exclusionary period is shorter. She’ll have access to doctor visits starting Monday, it sounds like.
I went for a walk with Lexy. She loves flowers... even if it is just grass that has gone to seed.
How do we always end up at the bakery?
In the evening Bob called. It sounds like he’s having a good time with family and friends in Ohio.
SATURDAY, August 11, 2007
In the morning I did some cleaning and worked on some business stuff. I walked downtown for lunch at Chão Cerrado. Jeise, one of the workers at the restaurant, told me how sad Bob had looked when he came to lunch without me when I was in the US. Now it's my turn to look sad.
I watered the plants today, and did some laundry. I spent most of the afternoon working on Gringolândia business... going over receipts, and that sort of thing. In the evening I got a call from my brother, sister, and mom in Oregon. They were meeting with Dad’s kidney doctor, and they called me to include me in the nearly one-hour discussion. It looks like Dad will be discontinuing dialysis and getting hospice care in the coming weeks. I wish I wasn’t 6,260 miles away.
SUNDAY, August 12, 2007
This morning I followed the regular Sunday morning Kevin-and-Bob routine, even though Bob is 4,400 miles away. I meditated, and walked to Ferreirinha for lunch. Then I walked home. This is when my routine changed.
Ever since we’ve lived here, I’ve been telling people that we had a self-cleaning home. It never got dirty. It was clean all the time. Then Bob left. I should have been suspicious when Bob gave me a little orientation before he left. He showed me where he stored the cleaning products. He showed me how to run the dishwasher and the washing machine. So, little by little I’ve been doing housecleaning. Today I swept the upstairs. I always thought we had such a little home... only 1,500 square feet, including the garden. But, when you have to polish it every day, it seems much larger. Only 19 more days until Bob returns.
Bob must be the one who inspires me to take photos, since this weekend I hardly took any photos at all.
My other project this weekend was unpacking and hanging my tie collection.
MONDAY, August 13, 2007
I cleaned house and took care of business while I waited for the file cabinet to be delivered this morning.
Wow. Our home office looks so much better now.
At noon I met Heidi for lunch at Chão Cerrado.
She’s feeling much better these days.
She told me to try the bananas in white sauce with onions. Not bad.
My first plate of food was good, too.
Heidi presented me with four cornmeal-fennel cookies that she and Bianca had made for me.
Each cookie had its own name. They were delicious.
Heidi and I walked to the print shop, but the business cards weren’t yet ready. They did have another batch of 1000 flyers for me. I walked Heidi back to the tattoo studio, where we worked on the school calendar for Gringolândia, and where I took pictures of Lexy.
Lexy and I took a little walk to the bakery.
I somehow ended up at Gringolândia after that.
Célio has been taking care of business.
He hung the two white boards, and waters the plants. He was also there when the cable guys hooked us up to cable... with channels in English.
Gringolândia proudly displays posters from Oregon.
I had other projects to do at the school, but there was also some hold-up... We couldn’t find a big enough drill bit or the internet folks put us on hold forever or the sign guy didn’t come by...
I walked home at sunset, though it doesn’t seem so much like home with Bob in the US.
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 13. August 2007, 17:59
I am happy to finally be able to read your blog. I was not able to earlier because of the poor old computer I had, which met its timely demise during the fire.
I'm always inspired by you both, so thanks for doing it. I have begun looking forward to each installment. Once I get my own replacement computer, I will really go wild.
I love you guys.
Kisses!
Kumbi.