Weekly Pic--Everybody Loves a Brown-Eyed Girl

Hogar de Esperanza

Trujillo, Peru

March 2009

Talk About Your Slow Service

The following is a "web exclusive" from the online edition of the Hometown Herald.

[HOMETOWN] — The drive-thru of the [Hometown] Whataburger at 6400 [Main] Street was closed for nearly an hour when a man fell asleep at the ordering box Friday morning. Whataburger employees said they called the police after the man blocked the lane with his car and appeared to be asleep at around 12:30 a.m. [Hometown] police removed the man and transported him to the County Justice Center. The lane remained blocked until a tow truck could move the vehicle.

Honestly. I did not make this up. The man FELL ASLEEP while waiting in line at Whataburger. I must admit that the service is so slow at our Whataburger that I've caught myself dozing a time or two, but at least I can be roused from my catnap when the speaker blasts, "Do you want fries with that?"

I've said it before...some posts just write themselves...

A Taste of Peru

Well, I made it back from an absolutely wonderful time working in the orphanage in Peru. I'm still processing some things that I'll share more about later, but I couldn't resist posting a food picture or two.
The only sad thing about this trip is that we were so far outside of town that we only got to eat at my favorite restaurant, Oviedo's, one time. Fortunately, I was able to make the most of it.
We started off with frozen lemonade...not margaritas as some people thought. Then I had the most amazing chicken salad in an avocado bowl. Finally, we had chocolate chip ice cream. It ain't BlueBell, but it sure was yummy!

On one of our other outings, we ate at the fancy-schmancy El Mochica. Josh, who began the week as a germ-o-phobe, conquered his fear of the unknown by having "cuy" (guinea pig).

Even I'm not that brave. There's just something not right about eating meat that still has enough distinguishing features to be recognizable...

TOTs (on Wednesday)

I know its Wednesday, but yesterday on Tuesday, I had nothing about which to complain. I thought I'd skip the weekly installment of Ticked Off Tuesdays. But this evening, something so ludicrous happened that I had to write about it to keep my head from exploding.

There is a medication I've been taking for about 13 years now. Every six months or so I have bloodwork done to determine the appropriate dosage. When I went to the doctor this week, my levels were a little high, so she wanted to change the dose. She faxed the "new" prescription to the pharmacy.

This evening when I went to pick up the medicine, I noticed that it was the generic brand. I mentioned to the pharmacist, "I'm supposed to have the name brand, not generic on this." He checked his records and informed me that the prescription specified "No Generic Substitution".....*long pause, puzzled look, deep breath* ....to which I said, "Exactly, you've given me the generic substitution." He said, "I can give you the name brand, but your insurance won't pay for it because the doctor didn't word the prescription correctly."

Can you understand my frustration? Its not really a new prescription,
just a change in the dosage...
Of the same medication...
That I've been taking...
For thirteen years!

The doctor specified "no generic substitution", yet that evidently is not specific enough for the insurance company. So what, may I ask, does the doctor need to say instead of "no generic substitution"? Are you ready for the response? "Brand Name Required" Are you freakin' kidding me?!

What in Merriam Webster's name is the difference between "no generic substitution" and "brand name required"? If you can't substitute with the generic formula, wouldn't that imply you must use the name brand? Isn't that the same thing as a requirement?

Now I do want to go on record saying that I was very nice to the pharmacist. I was patient and told him not to worry, I would call the doctor tomorrow to get it all straightened out. I did not create a scene and say something like, "I'm leaving on a MISSION TRIP in a few days! I'm going to share JESUS with ORPHANS in PERU and I don't have time to argue symantics!" Because you know how much I hate it when Christians behave badly in public... I kept my "composure" in the store, but I was already "composing" my blog inside my head by the time I made it to the car.

And this, my friends, is a perfect example of why I created "Ticked Off Tuesdays".

Weekly Pic--Just to See You Smile

This time next week I will be in Peru hugging on some little brown faces a lot like this one. We worked with this little guy last summer and he captured my heart. Just look at that smile...and those beautiful brown eyes! The thing about mission work is you go expecting to bless others and yet you wind up with the greater blessing. I may never see this little man again, but he has blessed me beyond measure.
So next week, when we walk through the gates of the Hogar de Esperanza orphanage, I will have every intent of being a blessing to the children and staff there. But I already know that God will place a special child or person in my path that will capture another piece of my heart...and I'll be blessed.

Ticked Off Tuesday

Here's a new thread...its called Ticked Off Tuesdays or TOTs.
I try to be positive about most things and I think I do a relatively good job of seeing my glass half-full instead of half-empty. But those who know me know that my greatest fear is that as I get older, I will lose the decorum I work so hard to maintain and become the grouchy lady in the nursing home who alternates between singing Amazing Grace at the top of my voice and spewing profanity at my caregivers.
In an attempt to avoid this, I've decided that maybe its okay to vent a little now and then to blow of some of that steam before I just erupt like Mt. St. Helen. But since I tend to do everything in excess, I'm limiting myself to one rant per week, hence the title "Ticked Off Tuesday".
Here's my first one:

Recently, Hometown decided to allow liquor sales in grocery and convenience stores within the city limits. I realize this may sound odd to some, but for as long as I can remember, we have been a "dry" town. Its not so much that I have a problem with the new legislation, its just that all of our stores and gas stations were not designed to accommodate both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Now that they are all scrambling to "retro-fit" their space to allow for beer and wine, it is almost impossible to find just a plain Diet Coke.

Every convenience store in town now stocks the glass wall of refrigerators with 42 different kinds of beer and wine. We're rednecks for heaven's sake, do we really need so many choices? I say, just pick the one with the shiniest can or the NASCAR endorsement and everyone will be satisfied.

The worst part is that all the sodas have been banished to small, portable refrigerated units in the back corner of the store. Honestly, I went into one place yesterday where my choices were Coke, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet DP and 7up. Seriously. Every other beverage in the store was alcoholic. And to make matters even worse, they were OUT of Diet Coke!

However, the icing on the cake, or perhaps the olive in the martini, has to be that they took the McDonald's out of Wal-Mart in order to make room for beer and wine. When my kids were little I'd get them fries and a sprite from McDonald's because it was located at the back of the store where I begin my grocery routine. It bought me just enough time to get the items on my list without any weeping, wailing or gnashing of teeth. Boy, am I glad my girls are old enough now that I can go while they're in school so I don't have to explain that Happy Meals have been replaced with Happy Hour!

So there you have it. The first installment of Ticked Off Tuesdays. I don't know if it will be a regular feature, but you're welcomed to play along. What ticks you off?

Viva la Insomnia

I can't sleep. I have Coldplay's Viva la Vida stuck in my head. I don't know why except maybe that it is serving as a soundtrack to the ka-jillion things swirling in my mind and weighing heavy on my heart. I started to list them out because sometimes blogging helps me make sense of things, but then it occurred to me that my sleeplessness would be better spent praying than blogging; waiting on the Lord instead of searching for clever or wise words; and listening for His voice rather than making my own voice heard.