Giving Thanks in South Texas

My family decided to rent a big beach house together and do a communal Thanksgiving meal. #1 son took on the food planning and meal preparation and the rest of us packed our bags and made travel arrangements.

We ended up with a lot of the clan showing up. Missed one son and daughter in law with two plus grandbabies. The rest of my kids managed to make the big trip. We had DH's mother, sister and family and my best friend all in residence.

The setting was ideal. The houses on this stretch of the beach in Surfside, Texas are all built for big families. The house we rented had enough real beds for everyone (no fold out sofas were used, but they were there) and I know there were enough bathrooms to keep the crowd happy.

Since it was the off season, the beach was not crowded with sun worshipers. The folks in the house right next door told us that they rented a house there every Thanksgiving and had stayed in several of the rentals along that stretch. They had kites.

And not just any kites, but big BIG kites. This one is hard to get the scale on because there is nothing to compare it to, but it was the size of a large finned 50's automobile. We even asked the guy how much it cost. He said he paid $1200 and bought it used! That said, I'm pretty sure I won't be taking up kite flying as a hobby. They kept something aloft most of the weekend and even allowed my little grandchildren to 'hold' the strings and help them put them up. Very patient with the kiddos, these folks.

We had a fun time. One rainy and cold day and the rest sunny and glorious. One night we set up the 100" screen and did an indoor movie night. We saw Toy Story 3 and the kids and adults were enthralled. There was weeping. You know who you are, so just admit it.

We had a great view, wonderful breeze and the best company possible. My only problem with this whole holiday is that the entire family could not make it. But we had a tremendous time together! I highly recommend the beach getaway as a family vacation. Being in a rental instead of one family's home really takes the pressure off a host and/or hostess. Also, being in a place designed for big families meant there was plenty of prep space and serving dishes. It was a win-win.

--Sandee Wagner

NBL

I have friends and family who are crazy SCUBA diving fools. They love to jump into water all over the world and look at what's below the surface.

I love the sea. I love the sound of the waves crashing. I love the scent of the air near the shore. I love the freshening breeze that is a part of land meeting water. But I've never felt that connection to what happens below the water's surface. Now, don't get me wrong, I will watch an undersea special on Discovery and marvel at the [insert ocean wildlife name here] in their natural habitat and the means and personnel it took to film it. But the undersea world does not 'call to me'.

All that changed this week. I saw a body of water that I wanted to jump into and see beneath. It was all I could do not to jump in and stick my head down, open my eyes and study the goings on.

On Monday, I took a 'behind the scenes' tour of NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. This is the 40 ft deep tank where they put big chunks of space gear and then simulate a weightless environment for the astronauts to learn how to do the EV work on the outside of things. It's like a space walk, man!

Because NASA is all 'safety first', every practice run has scads of divers down to keep an eye on the astronauts and provide backup. The instructors stay up in an office overlooking the pool and communicate through the astronaut's helmets like in a real spacewalk.

Could this be any cooler? I don't think so.

We got there right in time to see them pulling two astronauts from the drink and helping them off with their space suits. It was clear across the big pool, so I didn't get very good shots, but it was a fascinating process.

Aside from seeing two astronauts in their skivvies, this was interesting to me because it truly displayed how it 'takes a village' for the astronauts to get anything done. There is no jumping into that suit all my yourself and being the Lone Ranger. It takes teamwork.

And did I mention that giant big blue pool with all the cool gear in it? You can keep your coral reefs and your endangered fish species. This is the first time I've ever contemplated learning to SCUBA dive. I wanted IN that tank. I wanted to see the big structure that allowed the astronauts to train like they were on the space station. I wanted to go down and lay my hands on the big module that is the Japanese structure on the international lab. I wanted to learn how to maneuver the payload in the shuttle bay.

That calls to me. I may never get to be an astronaut. Now that I'm 50, I think it's safe to say that I will never attain that goal personally. But if I was dive certified, maybe I could go down in that tank and dream...

--Sandee Wagner

White Pelicans

Over the weekend, we stayed at our friend's house on Lake Houston. They are avid bird watchers. Of course, at this time of year, all the birds are flying south for the winter. We saw the traditional vees of geese honking as they flew overhead. We also saw some clouds of swallows or other smaller birds circling and darting around above our heads.

On the lake behind their home, a huge flock of White Pelicans congregated on the water. I'd never seen White Pelicans before. They'd paddle down the lake, a bunch of them would take off flying in circles overhead, then in just a few minutes, they'd be down at the far end of the lake and they'd paddle back again. They kept it up for quite a while.

I don't understand the behavior. Were they herding the fish? Some kind of mating behavior? I'm sure it'd take a bird specialist to explain it to me, but it was very fun to watch.

I'm not an aficionado or birdwatcher. I've even been known to refer to birds as "rats with wings". Most recently when the little buggers kept crapping all over my patio furniture, I used a lot of foul (fowl!) language. When they are not defecating on my personal possessions, I find them lovely to watch and will spend time wondering about where they go when they fly away.

This group was interesting because of their behavior. The roiling mass of birds circling and lifting off, then slowly sailing down the length of the lake inlet again. Fascinating.

It does make you wonder about what goes through their little bird minds.

When we lived in North Carolina, we saw Brown Pelicans. They were big, BIG birds. You didn't want to challenge one of those. If it was roosting on a pylon, you wanted to give it a wide berth. No reason to get in its personal space. You would be asking for it. Pecked to death is not my chosen way to go.

When I saw these pristine White Pelicans, they appeared smaller and somehow less threatening than the big Browns. Probably if I got in their way, they'd be just as aggressive. Who knows?

What I do know is that it's Fall in Texas. The bird watching is great here. All the birds in North America kind of funnel down through South Texas on their way to points south of the border. If you keep a 'life book' or whatever it is that birdwatchers call their personal journal, then you've got to be a happy camper in Texas.

If I kept one, I'd be scratching "White Pelican" on my list of birds. I saw a whole bunch this weekend.

--Sandee Wagner

RE-Packaging

Have you ever noticed how some packages are so tightly done that you can never actually get the item back in there? The stores are full of mark downs on returned items that can't actually be put back on the shelves and sold as new because they are springing out of the plastic sleeve and have been pushed, shoved and taped into submission.

My sister once decided to find out how the manufacturers managed to get a bottom sheet (that has fitted, elasticized corners) so neatly into a rectangular sleeve. She bought a new sheet and then carefully un-folded it until she could see exactly how they managed to do it. She showed me how it's done too.

She actually de-mystified the process by taking it step by step. Now, when I fold fitted sheets, I always fold them up that way. It doesn't make them into a perfect little rectangle, but it keeps them from spilling all out in my linen closet.

That's how I'm feeling today. We are packing up for a short two week vacation home in the states. We've had to go through our bags, pack what we need for the two weeks, and then pack up all the rest of the stuff so it can be stored.

Luckily, DH has a co-worker who has graciously offered to store our excess baggage at his house. This is most important because we got our 'air shipment' last week and we have an additional 70 lbs of stuff that needs a place to stay.

I think that life is filled with things and processes that we have to 'go through' or organize once in a while. The process of evaluation, analysis and decision making is a good one. We can all learn a lot from this prioritizing. Everything in our lives must sometimes be examined, organized and condensed so it takes up the correct amount of room in our lives.

It's not just stuff that needs to be gone through once in a while.

--Sandee Wagner

USMC Ball, Tunis Style

We attended the 235th Birthday Ball hosted by the Marine Security Detachment at the US Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia last night. It was held at the Golden Tulip resort hotel. On the grounds, they have a semi-permanent tent structure for events. The Birthday Ball was held there.

We went to a pre-Ball cocktail hour hosted by the Canadian contingent of ex-pats. They are a very gregarious group and they embraced DH as their token Marine immediately. We spent a lovely hour and a half with them before heading over to the venue.

I wish I could remember all the names of the gracious people who attended. We had a blast chatting with everyone and seeing how they fit into the local community. Some were business people like DH and myself. Some were state department workers or embassy personnel. All the Canadians were very interesting and best of all--they spoke English!

The Marine contingent at the US Embassy is only 8 enlisted members strong. But you would never guess it was a small staff by the party they threw! It had all the bells and whistles you'd expect, including a guest speaker from the US Embassy, Ambassador Gray, and a guest speaker from Headquarters Marine Corps.

The speakers did the best thing they could possibly do on this august occasion, which was keep it short and focused on the Corps. The ambassador gave some very interesting history about a time in the Barbary wars when a sitting ambassador in these parts led his Marine security detachment into battle. He said it was the first (and probably last!) time a member of the ambassadorial staff commandeered his Marines to lead them into a fight.

The most interesting part of this entire ball was that not a single Marine, retired or active duty, hollered OOOH RAH at any point during the speeches and presentations. I noticed it at the time and made a comment, then nudged DH a couple of times when I expected to hear someone yell it out. Marines use this expression as a kind of "here, here" or "You GO Girl" exclamation. It's something that gets yelled out as a positive affirmation of agreement or excitement. To go through an entire Ball without hearing it was kind of eerie. But I digress...

We enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of the official ceremony. They presented the colors and marched the birthday cake in to present a piece to the guest speaker, and the oldest Marine and youngest Marine present. DH was just so glad not to be the oldest Marine present! Of course, if he was, he'd get the first piece of cake!

I'm not sure the ambassador had ever done this ceremony before. He very happily accepted the cake, took a bite and then handed it back to the Marines. Usually, they keep the plates. Sometimes they hand them off to someone so they can walk decorously back to their places, but they don't just hand it back. I watched the Marines set that plate down on the cake table and just roll it back out of the ballroom. Pretty interesting. I wonder what they thought.

As always, the Marines were inclusive and proud to share their Birthday with other Marines. They even tried to get DH to pose for photos with them--which he was hesitant to do. He's an old retired Marine now and he doesn't want to mess up their memories with a unnamed guy in their midst!

We had a truly marvelous time. I can't wait until next year when we will know more of the staff and personnel. Parties are always more fun when you know more people. The DJ played fast music, so DH and I didn't take to the dance floor, but we had a marvelous time visiting and meeting new people. Hopefully, we can keep up with all our new acquaintances and make some new friends.

--Sandee Wagner

Conspicuously Absent

I know that I waxed poetic about the lack of peanut butter, but I've really been noticing the things that are conspicuously absent here. Like, for instance, there are NO drive-throughs. In a country where there's a drive through bank, restaurant or dry cleaner on every doggone street corner, it's hard to imagine a place with none. Not one. Nada. It's no wonder that they park on the sidewalk here. That's kind of a 'poor man's drive-through', isn't it?

There are no granola bars. Not a single brand. If you want a granola bar, you've got to make it yourself. All the raw ingredients are available. When I get my kitchen set up, I'll be making some. I didn't realize how much I would miss those.

No Jello. Apparently, only Americans like Jello. There are local brands of pudding available, and some packaged mixes that appear to be local equivalents. But no gelatin based products at all. Try to imagine the number of linear feet of grocery store space devoted to Jello in the US. Here, no one has even heard of it. The other ex-pats joke about it. None of the import stores stock jello because they are keeping the Brits and Scots happy. And the UK folks don't eat Jello.

There are no clothes dryers. Everyone here hangs their clothing out to dry. It's a desert--I get it--wet clothes will dry. But what if I WANT to put my clothes from the washer into the dryer and then put them away? What if I don't choose to hang up all my items and then have to fetch them a couple hours later? No choice.

You can't super size anything. There is no "large". In restaurants and bars, if you order a coke, it's one size. You get a can and a straw. If you ask for one, they'll give you a glass with two ice cubes. There is no option to get a 'large' sized anything. Drinks are tiny. And there are no refills on anything. You get charged for every cup of coffee, tea and water you drink.

And ice is a commodity much like gold. They parcel it out in tiny quantities treating you like you're wasteful for using it.

I recognize the fact that some things are culturally distinct. Like cookies. There is a huge selection of cookies and snacks. I'm randomly trying some of them. I've found one brand of ginger snaps I like but the rest have been gross. You know those 'wafer cookies' that are thin layers of crunchy waffle cookie with a thin layer of sweet icing between them? Those are WILDLY popular here. Shelves and shelves full of 'gaufre' which is French for waffle. I'm not sure what it is specifically, but whether it's taste, sweetness or consistency, all the cookies are strange. Sometimes you just want a chewy cookie, or a chocolate chip cookie, or oatmeal raisin. But no. None of those are options.

I've whined before about not being able to get cranberry juice. That's another void in my expectations. I didn't even realize how much I would miss cranberry juice (Cape Cods!) and granola bars.

Until something is missing, you don't know how much you like it. DH and I were talking about this at lunch. At one point, he reminded me we'd be back in the USA this time next week. His first inclination was to list all the places he wanted to eat when we got home. All I wanted to do was try to figure out how to get peanut butter, granola bars, cranberry juice and chocolate chip cookies into my luggage for the trip back.

--Sandee Wagner

Shopping With Purpose

Since my DH is taking me to the USMC Ball this weekend, and since I am currently living out of a suitcase and didn't predict the need for evening wear, I had a little shopping to do over the past week.

I found a dress (more than I wanted to pay) and needed some foundation garments and shoes to complete the ensemble. I recently made contact with a gal whose been here for over a year and loves to shop. She insisted that she knew all the best stores for good prices. One of the Russian gals and I jumped into her tiny car and away we zipped.

First, she is such a fearless driver in Tunis traffic, I had to ask her, "how long did it take you to get used to driving in Tunis." "About 45 minutes" she responded. So. Fearless.

We took an exit off the main road that I'd seen but never followed and we drove and drove and DROVE down that road. I really thought we were going to run out of Tunis before we got anywhere. She pointed at a few shops, one she said was like a "local Pier 1" and another was her favorite 'housewares store'. I made a note of the storefronts for later.

Then we turned into the parking lot of the "Shoe Centre" which is not to be confused with "Shoeland". The Russian gal told me it was further down the road and we'd only go there if I didn't find what I needed in this store.

The Shoe Centre was set up like any discount shoe chain. Display models on top, and boxes and boxes of the shoes in all sizes and colors in shelves down below. We walked in on the street level to probably 10,000 square feet of boots and Fall styles. My eyes glazed over. I so do not need boots in this weather! My friend absently waved at a large staircase and said "all the dressy stuff is upstairs". All I could think at that point was, "there's more?"

The downstairs portion of this store is about four times the size of a Famous Footwear or DSW. The upstairs was twice the lower deck's size. Really. But not all shoes.

I didn't look too closely, just schlepped upstairs looking for shiny, strappy evening sandals to go with my very glamorous ball gown. They had a section the size of a normal shoe store just for evening shoes. And the prices were GREAT! But all the shoes looked a little tired and dusty. Just slightly out of date.

One of the gals wandered up behind me and noticed as I picked through. She said, "It's all last year's stuff". My response was, "Possibly the year before that!" It doesn't really matter to me. 1) Evening sandals are pretty much the same year to year; and 2) It's going under a long dress. I'll wear flip flops with no shame. No one is going to see them anyway. The only reason I fret about color matching is that it bothers ME. I'm not dressing to please anyone else. I want my husband's eyes to gleam, but that's about it for my ability to be shamed into uncomfortable fashion.

I found shoes that fit, were the right color and I could wear bare legged (see #2 above). Then I continued to pick through until I found a second pair that were 1/3 less than the first and still fit all my criteria. Score one for me! I saved enough money to make the matching purse seem realistic. I picked out one big enough to fit my digital camera... So, I'll have pictures of the Ball in a later post.

Once my quest was fulfilled, I really looked around this much larger upper deck, only to be surprised by the additional products. Shoe Centre includes a full section of kitchen appliances. I'm not kidding. I guess when you're picking through last year's shoe fashions, you never know when a toaster will also catch your eye. It's some kind of marketing, I'm not sure what kind. The picture is a little fuzzy, but maybe you can make out the light fixtures too.

There is absolutely nothing about this store that would indicate (in any way) that there is 'other than shoes' anywhere in the building. And yet, about 1/5 of the upstairs space, which I remind you was huge (like K-Mart sized) was devoted to items not even advertised in the signage below. Kind of like a little treasure hunt... I wanted shoes and a purse... but Look: Chandeliers! Shiny.

I'm going to have to drag DH back to check out the men's section (that I didn't even bother to look through). The prices were great--and hey shoes! Plus, you never know when a toaster will come in handy.

--Sandee Wagner

Happy Birthday Marines!

Today is the 235th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps. That's right, historians, the USMC was formed before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Before the politicians hashed out the verbiage that everyone could agree on, the Marines had established a recruiting line inside Tun Tavern and were signing up the premiere fighting force of the time.

Marines celebrate their founding each year with a Birthday Ball. Regardless of the number or age of Marines present, a birthday party is arranged and expected. When I worked in a call center, I bought a huge sheet cake each year and brought it in for my co-workers. Some things are meant to be shared. Never forgotten.

On this, the 60th anniversary of the walk from the Chosin Reservoir, Marines rededicate themselves to their sworn duty to uphold the freedom of the United States of America and the preservation of Democracy everywhere. My father is one of the "Chosin Few" and as I watched the Commandant's birthday message this year, I was reminded of the stories he told of the bravery of the fighting men and the challenges they faced.

Marines have a difficult task. A hard job. And they relish every minute of doing it. Marines serve because they can. Because someone needs to and because they have the will to defend America. God Bless the Marines. God Bless this country.

Happy Birthday Marines.

--Sandee Wagner

No Bogs Nearby

I'm living in a desert. Right on the ocean, but a desert landscape nonetheless. A lot like San Diego, really. The same plants thrive around here.

Which means as you walk down streets, you can see citrus trees loaded with fruit, awaiting ripeness. You can imagine how fresh the juices are around here.

Most juices are readily available in the grocery store. Instead of cold, frozen or chilled, they are sold 'brick packed'. All milk is sold that way too. Pretty convenient.

But imagine my surprise when I scanned the shelves for cranberry juice... and couldn't find it. Something that is readily available in US markets is conspicuously absent here.

For a while, I scratched my head and wondered why. Then I started thinking about it. Cranberries are grown in the upper East coast of the US. Massachusetts, Maine, places like that. Cold, northern climes. And they are harvested in bogs. By flooding the fields with water to displace the berries, which float.

As I look across this desert landscape, it dawns on me that there are going to be no fruits or vegetables that are so dependent on large quantities of water. No rice paddies. No cranberry bogs. It doesn't matter whether or not the elevation or latitude make growing possible. There isn't a supply of water to make this possible.

I have been thinking about possible replacements. Is there a powdered version of Cranberry juice? I don't think I've seen any. Crystal Light makes a 'cranberry-esque' product, but it's not something worthy of a Cape Code. And that is my final goal. I want my frosty adult beverage of choice.

And ice cubes. I want ice cubes.

--Sandee Wagner

Come Visit... Bring Peanut Butter

It's official. They don't sell peanut butter in Tunisia.

We're living in a hotel room. Most days, I make noodle soup for lunch. In an effort to inject a little culinary pizazz into my life, I decided to get some bread and make sandwiches once in a while. Thus, the search for peanut butter. Because, what's easier than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? That's American comfort food.

In Tunisia, they love their hazelnut spreads. There are Nutella and other brands of chocolaty goodness sold in jars, tins and buckets generally reserved for paint. They love their nuts. All kinds, salted and smoked. You can buy jars with nuts soaking in honey. Somehow, I expected the nut butters to be available as well. But, not so much.

Finally, after scouring Carrefour today, I have thrown in the towel. I'll have to bring some peanut butter back from the states after our Thanksgiving holiday.

Carrefour was a wild place this Saturday morning. There was a big "Tent Sale" set up in the parking lot. Complete with a DJ blasting techno music loud enough to make your molars ache.

Guess what was in the tent in this Tunisian sidewalk sale?

What usually makes for a sidewalk sale in the states? Flowers? Vegetables? Some kind of seasonal fare that doesn't warrant inside store retail space... In Tunis? Farm animals. That's right. Livestock.

Today was "get your live sheep cheap!" day at Carrefour. The dead giveaway? When I got out of the car in the parking lot, there were three guys walking a live sheep to their car. One guy had one of the sheep's back hooves raised up to the height of his shoulder. So the sheep was limping along on three feet and forced to go where he was pushing it. I didn't know you had to cripple a sheep to steer it.

One of the most fun aspects of "get your live sheep cheap!" day at Carrefour was the parallel marketing. Check out this product placement:

So, the livestock are not meant to be companion animals.

The barbecue pit and bag of charcoal was either a subliminal clue or recommended usage. I'm not sure. Either way, these sheep are not destined to stay fluffy much longer.

I also had no idea that shepherds used techno music to keep their flocks calm.

I know I'm in a culture that loves their mutton. There is more lamb on menus than I'm used to seeing. But comfort food is comfort food. Whatever takes you back to your happy time/place is what you want when things get tough. Who am I to judge? I'm still trying to find some peanut butter.

--Sandee Wagner

That Nice Arab Lady...

Some of the strangest things are proving to be the most trying to me in Tunis. Simple tasks made more difficult by my lack of language skills.

We are staying in the biggest tourist center in Tunisia. We are staying at a high end hotel. Many of the personnel are bi- or tri-lingual. I've not had any trouble getting my point across in the lobby or the restaurant. But when I pick up the phone...

All bets are off...

You know how, when you misdial--like not putting a '1' before a long distance number, or not putting the area code with a local number where ten digit dialing is required--you get a phone company recording with the message that tells you what you did wrong? The nice lady says, 'you need to dial a one with this number', or she says 'an area code is required'.

They have that lady here, too. The Nice Arab Lady with the great phone voice that tells you what you've done wrong and how to do it right so that your call can go through. Only I don't have any Arabic. So, sometimes I just listen to the Nice Arab Lady and try to imagine what I could have done wrong.

Honestly, I don't think I have successfully made a single call on the hotel phone. I walked down to the lobby to get them to explain to me how to get an outside line. I've tried several local numbers and all I hear is the Nice Arab Lady. She never gets angry or emphatic. She's always calm and rational.

Unlike me.

I wish I could figure out what I'm doing wrong. The only calls I've successfully made are people who have called my Tunisian cell phone FIRST. Then I can save their digits and call them back. Any number I enter trying to call them first... no joy. And I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I just hear the Nice Arab Lady again.

Maybe I'll just limit the amount of time I spend on the phone. Yeah, that's the ticket.

--Sandee Wagner

Embassy Bound

When you travel overseas, the State Department recommends some pretty specific actions for every American. One is that they register at the US Embassy in any country where they will stay. It's probably a good idea for government people to know who's there, in case there's some kind of security reason to get folks out. So, today, we are heading to the Embassy to register.

We've been informed that the Embassy personnel will want our local address and phone numbers. So we had to wait until we had our lease signed before going down to make this contact. The house we're leasing is new and they haven't assigned it a number or 'named it', so our current address is sketchy. I'm hoping it will be enough for them. It's not enough to get package delivery, that I already know.

We're also going to purchase tickets to the USMC Ball sponsored by the Marines working at the Embassy. It promises to be a fun night. The USMC Birthday Ball is always an event and you can count on the Marines to go all out regardless of how many personnel are stationed here. Some of DH's coworkers attended the Marine Corps Ball last year in Algiers and they all want to go with us as guests. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

I'm also looking forward to expanding my social network to include some English speakers who do not work for my husband's company. If you only socialize with work people, they think it's okay to talk about work when you're out to dinner. It's a bad habit to break. If you don't have that in common, you've got to find other things to talk about.

So, with copies of my passport in hand, I'm heading off to the US Embassy in Tunis. Maybe I'll make some friends. Maybe I'll just get to listen to English rolling off the tongues of my countrymen. Either way, I'll be happy.

--Sandee Wagner

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month and once again, I'll be taking part in the writing challenge. I've done it for three years running and each year, I've completed 50,000 words in the thirty days of November.

The Office of Letters and Light in San Francisco came up with this challenge years ago, and every year, more writers take the challenge and complete a 50,000 word novel during the fall period. In April, the challenge is a 125 page film script during Script Frenzy.

This non profit organization sponsors educational materials for schools and does outreach to encourage children to write. If you know a teacher, be sure and recommend this to them. I can't think of a better way for young writers to gain confidence than information from this group.

NaNoWriMo is a win-win for me. It functions as a reason to keep writing, and a way to document my daily word count. It's a contest against myself, not other people. I guess it's like golf in that way. You only compete against yourself. It's the honor system.

I use NaNoWriMo to combat my 'inner editor'. This is the process which keeps me from getting to the end of a story by constantly perseverating over the prose, instead of getting on with the writing. NaNoWriMo turns off editing and encourages you to write, Write, WRITE!

In order to 'win' NaNoWriMo, you have a goal of 1,667 words a day though the month of November. Because I woke up sick on Sunday, I didn't write at all yesterday. So, today, feeling marginal, I decided to make up for it. I managed to make better than my two day total for word count. And I'm feeling pretty good about it.

--Sandee Wagner

Drugs... and their procurement

On Sunday, I woke up feeling bad. That kind of lousy that you know is leading to trouble--big trouble. I had a wicked sore throat and the gland in my neck was swollen and tender to the touch. No fever yet, but I knew that if I didn't get a handle on this, I was heading toward strep throat or something equally toxic. What I needed was access to over the counter drugs. Something to dry up the drip down the back of my throat. Something to kill the excruciating pain I felt every time I attempted to swallow.

In the states, I would head to Walgreen's or some other chain drug store. Maybe buy some Chloroseptic spray or throat lozenges. Get some kind of Sudaphed or Benadryl for the congestion. Here in Tunisia, that means looking for this sign and finding a pharmacy. Why, oh why, is the symbol for a pharmacy a snake wrapped around a margarita glass? Perhaps, this is one of those great philosophical questions that are meant to remain mysteries.

It was Sunday, it was after dark and we were in a foreign country. We found an open pharmacy near our hotel and walked inside. Now, forget the image of a large, well lit 24 hour Walgreen's and imagine instead a storefront the size of a single garage bay. With a u shaped counter. No displayed goods on racks that you can 'help yourself' to. Just rows and rows of drawers behind this thin set of counters. The personnel hover behind the counters and question you. Then they fetch you what they have that you need. Before you counter with 'how can they have what you need when it's such a small shop?', all I can say, is I've been in three different pharmacies with three different people with three different ailments and no one has left empty handed.

DH's French, being existent, as opposed to my French, being non-existent, was used to chat with the proprietor. Did she speak English? No, not a bit.

Thus began the most interesting conversation of broken French I've ever heard. DH signed his hands up and down the outside of his neck, then pointed to me. She said something very fast. He said, "she wants to look in your mouth". I opened up to say ah... She didn't touch me. She didn't even come out from behind the tiny counter. She didn't have an otoscope or even a wooden popsicle stick. She just looked. Then said something else to DH. He said, "have you had a fever?" I said no. She turned and reached in a drawer and pulled out a box.

We paid less than $4 US dollars and left the store.

I pulled the box out of the bag and considered the packaging. The picture on the box was helpful. The cartoon guy has a radiating red blur in his throat. The name of the drug was spelled out in letters we could make out. When I got back to our hotel room, I looked it up online. Guess what it's for? Exactly my symptoms. She was very careful to write out 2 - 2 - 2 on the box while communicating with DH. He said, "2 tablets three times a day. With meals," as she pantomimed eating.

I came back to the hotel, ate a bowl of soup and took two of the pills. Within an hour, I felt better. The swelling in the back of my throat that was causing one tonsil to play peek-a-boo every time I swallowed is completely gone after only two doses. The pain on swallowing is also over. And all for less than $4. And less than 10 minutes invested.

I think I'm going to like Tunisia.

--Sandee Wagner