The Final Stretch

Sometimes things just don't turn out.  Last year when my friend Pilgrim was here helping me get things started with Recycling for Hope, he brought our prototype boxes to this John guy at a friend's recommendation to get the stenciling/printing done.  John made it happen in a couple days, and they looked fantastic, with the promise that they would look even better when we were ready to make the real thing for a large amount of boxes.  It was such a relief to know when I got back here and was trying to get everything set in motion that I already knew who I could use for the stencils.  He was good at what he did, he was the friend of a friend, he worked quickly.  Only he doesn't work quickly.  He did once.  He doesn't now.  It's been two and a half months.  He's telling me this chemical he needs isn't around, he can't get it sent to him, blah blah blah.  I have a hard time believing NO one in Uganda has it.  And John (stencil guy) has just been SO unreliable.  He'll tell me he'll have my stuff tomorrow, and he doesn't have it.  He'll tell me he'll call me on Wedensday and I won't hear from him.  He'll say to meet at his shop and he won't be there.  So finally I got sick of it.  I gave him an ultimatum last Wednesday.

"John, I want you to tell me what day you can have this stuff ready for me.  And this is your last chance.  If it's not ready, I will go find someone else to make these stencils for me."

"Please madam, it's different cultures, I had to be in the village."

"I understand you had to be in the village, but you should have at least called.  So tell me what day I will hear from you."

"Let it be Monday."

"OK, Monday.  I will talk to you Monday.  And if I don't hear from you, I will take my business elsewhere."

"No, no.  You will hear from me."

But I didn't.  So Monday evening I called Tom (the friend that introduced Pilgrim to John last year) and asked for advice.  He said he would go to John's office and talk to him and see what the deal was.  He got back to me yesterday and told me I should just move on.  John was being stubborn and a bad business man and I should teach him a lesson.  But I decided to give him one more chance.  I went to his office yesterday afternoon and he was less than excited to see me.

"John, why didn't I hear from you on Monday?"

"Because I didn't have everything ready."

"But I told you if I didn't hear from you on Monday I would take my business elsewhere.  So when I didn't hear from you it sent a clear message that you didn't care about my business and that you want me to go somewhere else.  Is that the case?"

He didn't say much, and when I pressed him for an answer he told me I should probably go someplace else. So I walked away.

And now I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of waiting.  I just want to get it done.  So I'm heading to Kampala to get it done.

BUT.  I am changing decades next week.  Yes, it is time for me to hit the big three-oh.  Wow, wow, wow.  How did that happen?  Where did the last five years go?  Anyway, I'm planning a trip to Kampala for the weekend to celebrate anyway, and I really don't want to spoil my birthday with arguing with people in Kampala, (it's always an argument in Kampala,) so I have decided to work on the stenciling the week after my birthday.  So what am I going to do the rest of next week?  Well, I will tell you.  I am going to take the week off.  The whole week.  I am going to celebrate the last week of my twenties and prepare to usher in my thirties.  I am going to get my curtains hung properly in my bedroom.  I am going to finish knitting the baby sweater for my friend.  I am going to go to the pool and lounge rather than just exercise and run away.   I'm going to finish reading my book.  And I don't know what else, but other great things.  And I'm going to do it all guilt free.  So anyone who thinks I am being lazy or unnecessarily indulgent, keep it to yourself please.  I am going to do this.  You probably won't hear from me on the blog until it's over.  So the next time I post, I will be a real adult who is 30 and ready to work hard and face challenges and have no more fun.  Because people who are 30 don't have fun, right?

Now since I have had a rather frustrating week, I have no pictures of progress to show.  But I organized an awesome sleepover with the teenage girls at my church last weekend, so I'll show you photos of that instead.

We started out with a swim party.  

Most the girls had never been in a pool before.  

They were all brave, they all got in, and they ALL had a blast.  

We came back to the church, ate pizza for dinner (a first for many as well,) and watched  my personal favorite Disney movie  - Aladdin.

Aladdin was also a first for all of them.  They chowed down on candy, popcorn , chips and soda as well.  I figured since they have an American handy, they might as well have a bit of an American experience.  That means unhealthy food, all around!  

Lights out at midnight.  They were pretty good and all fell asleep by 1:00am.  

I made them a pancake breakfast in the morning, complete with yummy Canadian maple syrup!

We ended things with a testimony meeting outside.  

18 of my all-time favorite girls, right here!  Such a fun weekend!