I'm not the best writer/author in the world, but I will certainly try to keep you all updated in a way that at least does not put you to sleep!!!!

Let's start with the plane flight.  To Dakar was fine, watched movies and the usual.  But from Dakar to Washington felt like someone had put me in a washing machine.  The plane bumped and swerved all over the place.  The pilot said it is the worst flight he has had in his flying career.  We were pushing through winds of up to 335km/h. I am emabarrased to say the "barf bag" came in handy.  I just got up to go to the "huge" bathroom to empty my stomach, when an announcement, clearly aimed at me!!!, came over the intercom.  "Ladies and Gentlemen, please return to your seats, the seatbelt sign is on and it is unsafe for you to leave your seat at this time!!!"  "Where do they want me to puke?"  Anyway, we made it to Washington safely, glad to be on terra firma, and spent the morning at the National Air and Space Museum.  Of course we had to do the tourist thing first and take a few pics with "Obama".



Flight to Kansas was smooth, thankfully, and we arrived and found our house. Settled in & I unpacked. Not much jet lag yet. But slept really well and snug in a house fit with central heating!!!!  What an amazing concept - what's wrong with us in SA?  We walk around in t-shirts everywhere and when you go outside you just pop a jacket on.  But not the South Africans!!!!  We don snow gear and play outside on our first morning - not a single other person out and about yet, but there we are, like real "tourists" playing in the snow!!

Grocery shopping in Walmart was "fun".  Took me about 5 hours to read all the labels and figure out what is what.  There was no washing powder to be found anywhere......"laundry detergent"!!!  And toilet paper does not exist, much to our dismay!!!!  But a bathroom tissue can be used for that purpose.  And what on earth are 'pork sausages'.......delicacy in SA, enjoy your bangers.....can't get them here!

 

But maybe that is a good thing.....got on the scale in our bathroom!  I never thought I would ever see the day that I weighed over 100!!!!!  Felt quite ill for a moment until I realised "pounds".  Thank goodness!!!  I was ready to do a 40 day fast!!!!!

 

Today is our day for car shopping.  Prices seem really good......A Kia Sorrento 2011 model is about $19000, which is about R160 000.  But oh my goodness what a choice we have.  They have some really big. big "ass" cars here.  Will let you know how that adventure goes.

 

Lots of love to all in sunny South Africa, from an overcast, ready to snow Kansas City.  We love you all and miss you stax.

 

The Kinds