My Pretty, Pretty Prison

As I sit here typing these words to you, Hubby is in the process of flying off on yet another business trip. This week, he will be off to Ethiopia, back home for a day, and then jetting off to Indonesia for a week followed by a day in Bangkok. I have a feeling (or what some observant people might call a “hope”) that the trip to Indonesia might get cancelled due to really yucky weather and flooding.

While he is off enjoying the jet setting lifestyle, I will enjoy our newly decorated apartment back here in Nairobi. Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy our apartment, especially now that we’ve made a good dent in the framing and hanging of artwork throughout the rooms. Nature photographs taken by my late Father-in-Law are splashed throughout and always receive compliments from visitors. My new pride and joy; however, is a framed TTC subway map from Toronto (pre-Sheppard line).

On the downside of our lovely quarters are our neighbors: the construction workers who often start their noisy hammering shortly before 8:00 a.m. and do not let up until they are sure you are awake. That, of course, is when they start the quiet, interior work. Isn’t that considerate of them?

The new building next door was scheduled for completion (or so we were told) before Christmas. They have obviously missed that particular deadline. Our landlord has informed us that the new end date for this horrible, dust-creating noise pit is six months from now. I’m sure that you all empathize with just how much I’ll miss the lovely construction workers who peer in my windows and watch TV with me every afternoon. I’ve been decorating the apartment as much for them as for myself since I want them to have something pretty to look at all day while they’re not getting any perceptible progress done on the building.

My favorite part of Hubby’s trips is always the cooking: I get to cook all sorts of yummy treats that he doesn’t like or approve of. On the menu for this evening is Chicken Veronique with Curried Rice: a long time childhood favorite from when my father used to go on business trips. So really, making it tomorrow is just upholding a longstanding family tradition. And trying a new Jamie Oliver recipe for Mac and Cheese (From scratch, thank you!) on Tuesday is upholding my new tradition of trying out a new recipe every week. I don’t want to make it: I have to.

So sweetie, while you’re gone on these grueling trips, be confident in the knowledge that I’m in elegantly comfortable (if noisy) surroundings and I’m eating lots of healthy food. Or I would be if I didn’t have so many darned traditions to honor.