Sister Pam Goes to Peru

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My Sister Pam and her Hubby Joe are in Peru on a missions trip working with the "Kids Around the World" organization.

I have not heard hide nor hair from them since they've been there, but I am getting a trip update e-mail letter. From that e-mail I found their trip photo album, which I have pilfered to bring you this report.

The information in this report is totally fabricated by me guessing at what I see in the pictures.

It may or may not be factual. ;-)


I assume this is at least PART of the group of volunteers with whom Pam and Joe are partnering.

It would appear that at least SOME of the time they are traveling around in this van - - - at least I recognize Joe in the front passenger seat.

I'm just surprised Joe isn't hanging out the window making a face to match the one on the guy in the sliding door.

I don't think they get to do all their traveling in this van however. I believe some walking in torrential downpours through ankle deep mud and piling in long, narrow, wooden canoes has also been experienced.


I believe this is "home" while they are there.

Not too shabby!


I'm in LOVE with this ceiling and I WISH we could see the views out of those windows.


Sleeping quarters.

This soooooo reminds me of our bedrooms when I was in Costa Rica a year and a half ago.


I WANT this dining area, don't you???


The food looks yummy too.

I hope Joe Joe is behaving himself and NOT throwing little wads of napkins and things at his fellow diners.

I know from experience he is want to do so. No, not behave - - - throw wads of things at his fellow diners.


Preparing materials to make crafts with Peruvians.


I'm guessing these puppets were made and then used by team members.

Pam, puppets, and her new friend.

Joe and his alter ego.

Pam supervising a craft session.

Lots of happy faces showing off their new puppets.

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Forever and For Always

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Pretending It's Still Friday So I Can Frag

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Here I am a day late and a dollar short AGAIN.

Now folks, I COULD doctor my date and time stamp on this post to make it LOOK like I squeaked into this party on Friday. But instead, I choose to let all my failures and faults just hang out in the open for all to see.

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Kamma bought a pillow pal for little miss Piper Renae. She named it "Tick Tock" (that was Papoo's idea) and I think she likes it!!!

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I cannot TELL you what a JOY it is to watch Russell Wilson in the gorgeous red and whites of my beloved Badgers.

"My Boys" beat the UNLV Rebels 51 - 17 Thursday night.

Our defense needs some work, but the offense was clicking along like greased lightning and Russell was the grease to the lightning!!!

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The other day we drove into a parking lot and I didn't even SEE this red beauty.


Even when the "boys" (uh, that would be fisherhubby and my dad) pointed it out to me,


I STILL only thought, "Hmmmm, pretty red sports car."


Fisherhubby, of course, recognized it as the Ferrari it was.

In fact, he TRIED to tell people it was what HE DROVE to that event.

In his candy apple red DREAMS!!!

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If it were possible to improve on nature, I believe some golf courses have done it.

And the structures they build there are sometimes nearly as fantastic as the greens.

I didn't INTEND to capture a shadow shot, but looks like I did OK for an amateur, doesn't it???

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Please head on over to Mrs. 4444's place
And check out all the Friday Fragments.

Photo Credit: Russell Wilson by Andy Manis/The Associated Press

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"He" Didn't Think I Was "Nice!"

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I'll warn you right up front - - - this is going to be a RANT.

If you aren't up for a rant this morning just toodle along down the internet highway to some other destination. It won't matter to me at all for I shall feel better just for having RANTED.



My rant today is against some HUGE bank, which shall remain nameless though there just MIGHT be a clue or two in this post.

SAID huge BANK loaned us money to help pay for #1 son's college bill. For TEN YEARS I've been paying this bank off for that loan - - - - something I happen to know that many many many Americans DO NOT DO - - - pay off school loans.




In July, when I was paying my bills, I noticed that with just a few dollars MORE on my monthly payment to SAID BANK I could pay off our loan one month early and get that one small bill out of my hair forever.

At least I THOUGHT I could get that lending institution out of my hair forever.

NOT.

In august, I received a bill and evidently in THEIR eyes I had not only NOT paid off my bill, I was a month LATE with my last pay - - - in their opinion.

Now comes the really hard and really RANTY part.

We started TRYING to call SAID BANK. Oh my word - - - they have the "long phone menu" down to an art and nary anywhere on that long phone menu is a "talk to a real live person" option.

Once I finally DID get a hold of a real live person - - - only to find they could barely speak English.

Once I allowed them to deduct the payment - - - now with late fees attached - - - from my checking account because I was afraid my check was lost in the mail. After I did that, Fisherhubby asked if I had looked at the bank records to see if that check had cleared.

Oh my friends - - - the check CLEARED MY BANK ON JULY 15.

More phone calls.

More fighting with long, long, long, phone menus.

Finally, when I was about to pull every last hair out of my head, I got a REAL LIVE ENGLISH AS A FIRST LANGUAGE PERSON. I went over and over and over my story. Finally, real live person told me he had credited me with the payment that I made back in July, that he would take off the check-by-phone I had just given, he would put a notation on my account, AND would take any bad reports off my credit report.

I THOUGHT all was well.

I was even almost happy.



Then, while we were in Indiana FOR OUR SON'S WEDDING the calls from SAID BANK began coming in yet again.

Oh my goodness!!! What IS IT WITH THESE PEOPLE??? What part of English do they NOT understand?

Today I spent LOTS of time on the phone, after a long menu where I just started punching in random numbers and "7" finally connected me to a REAL LIVE PERSON, trying to get this all straight yet again.

I finally consented to PAY electronically the same amount of the check I sent back in July - - - just to get them off my back. Then I sent Fisherhubby to our bank for a copy of the FRONT AND BACK of the cleared check which he then faxed to them.

Hopefully, at some point, I will get a check BACK from them for the extra payment.

Oh - - - but this is after fees I've had to pay to get the check copy AND fax it.

SAID BANK owes me for those fees.

I expect I shall COLLECT those fees from them when:


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Oh, and I didn't even BEGIN the rant about them not talking to ME unless Fisherhubby LET them - - -