Almost one month!

This is going to be a random post of random things.  Particularly arrival of our UAB (Unaccompanied Baggage), grocery shopping, and mail! 

OK, lets start with one of the highlight of this past week, our stuff from DC arriving!  Woot wooooooot!!!  It came in four GIANT boxes.  And we were waaaaaaaay under the weight limit allowed, but with going to school, and TDYs, and the kid, and leaving the 'murica, we really didn't think much about what we were going to put in there.  Plus, all of our 'normal' UAB stuff is with our HHG (HouseHold Goods).

I thought the stamp they put on all the boxes was really cool.  Im just a dork that way!  But yes, we got four of these boxes.  Mostly clothes.  Other knickknacks that I purchased while in the states.  Mostly holiday decorations.  Some toys and books for the kiddo.  All of our language books (guess I cant be bored anymore). And a lot of random stuff. 

There is no rhyme or reason to the way that they pack these boxes, which really makes me grrrr.  And we only had one casualty in the entire shipment.  Which I am taking as a good thing!!!

Our HHG was packed up in Stuttgart in February.  Sent on a boat to the states.  Then sat in a warehouse until we left the country again.  So who knows what kind of shape that is in.  All of our lives is in those boxes.  And in particular, the items that make our home OURS.  

I am going to keep an optimistic  outlook on the state of my things, because there is no need to dwell on the bad.  But these packing/moving/storage companies do not have the best track record.  Only time will tell, and of course its just stuff. But it is OUR stuff.  We hear that our stuff has been received at some place and will be sent to us soon.  Don't you just love the vagueness of that?? Maybe a week, maybe two. 

And of course anyone can appreciate a good imagination station.  Right now its the "club house" for Knox and the class pet, Freddy-a stuffed Kangaroo.  (K's teacher is Australian)

OK, on to the next.  

Guys.  

I did it. 

I went to the grocery on my OWN!  

As some of you know, my anxiety can be crippling, and I have learned the best way to get over it is to put on my big girl pants and JUST DO IT (not endorsed by Nike)

And I did.  And I survived, obvi.  OK, so lets chat a little about the grocery store.  Well, our go to right now is called Marina.  Its not like a massive place we all have grown to love.  But it is packed to the gills with anything and everything you would need.  They even have Mac n'cheese!  Its off brand, but its a little comfort that we enjoyed!  They dont really have produce, bc you can find that on any street corner.  And the first time we went to the meat counter I saw a roach and my new fave french phrase came into use :

::la porchaine fois::

 next time

Yeah, there will not be a next time.  And before y'all give me shit about "dealing with it. And other people eat it blah blah blah"

No. Just NO.

Ok, so back to what i was saying.  Marina is very much for the Expats that call Ouaga home. And that being said it is EXPENSIVE.  Like, say what expensive.  A block of butter is $4. 4 pack of yogurt $3.50.  A pack of UHT milk $16. A bottle of Jack Daniels $30. Can of cat food $1 each.

But these are the things that we need to live.  HAHAHAHAHAH. 

Most of these items I can get on amazon or are in the process of being shipped to us as we speak, but when you run out....you run out and need to find something that will make due.  And LuLu loves her some expensive ass French cat food. 

There is an excellent butcher that we use.  Some of the best pork chops I have had in a while.  Tons of different cuts of beef, and they have veal and lamb.  And the prices are exceptional!  We walk out of there with two weeks worth of meat for like $40. Our housekeeper extrodinaire, Jacqueline, has hooked us up with a "Chicken Man". He literally shows up to the house with a cooler full of chicken. Its glorious! I bought a lot of chicken. A lot.  

Y'all know how much I love getting mail.  Its one of my favorite things ever.  Especially letters. If anyone wants to be a pen pal, let me know!  Ryan came home the other day and said we had 13 pieces of mail waiting for us! Yaaaaaaas!  It was mostly amazon purchases.  Lots of snacks for the kid. About 12 cans of pumpkin puree for my baking needs.  All sorts of stuff.  Its just weird that it all came in around the same time.  And we have not received one package that is not DESTROYED and taped up again.  I am not sure what they are doing with these packages, but they definitely have seen better days. 

Ok, well I think that is about it for today,  Our oven stopped working, so there is that.  Our first school/PTA function is this weekend so that is fun.  Our gardener, Elize, is helping me start a garden. In an old oil barrel. Hey, if it works it works. 

Oh, funny story!  I asked to start a compost pile for the garden a couple of weeks ago.  Elize dug a hole next to the garden wall and Jacqueline and I are very diligent on remembering all the compostable things from the kitchen.  I went to see said hole, and I was wondering if we need a fence to keep a certain tortoise out.  Elize reassured me all was well so every day we toss the fruit/veggie scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds. 

Then, last Monday...Elize tells me the compost hole is empty.  It seems we might have our own  Templeton on our hands....

Take your guesses on the culprit....