May 15,

Yesterday and today we are still laying low for Jeff's foot to heal completely and properly! We have decided to take a different approach by keeping the wound moister and with antibiotic cream twice a day, in addition he is propping his foot and going shoeless. Just keeping on keeping on! Hee-Hee! 

We were able to connect with Jeff's sister on our Tuesday morning – her Monday night. After we ended our video chat and just sat to eat breakfast, we received a text from our host. He was guiding a DHL courier to us!!! My phone??? Yeah! … But this was not the case, the courier handed us a packet of papers. And now, the process involved here in Sri Lanka to get my new phone. There was a number to call. I called and he walked me through what I needed to do, mostly. As we were filling out the paper, we realized a VAT/TIN # was needed and we couldn't find this anywhere in the four sheets of paper we had. I called again, speaking to a different representative, finding out, since I'm not Sri Lankan… I do not need a VAT/TIN, but Jeff (because it is under his name) needs to write a letter, saying he's not a Sri Lankan native, put in a copy of his passport, and complete rest of form. Then we need to call back for a DHL courier to pick up the completed paperwork. This then is returned to DHL and my phone should be released. Sooo, I told her to send the courier. She said he will be by tomorrow – HUMPH! That means Wednesday pickup; receiving in Colombo Thursday; maybe releasing Friday; and probably I won't get until Monday – the 20th – which they predicted! Double HUMPH!! It seems crazy “rig-a-mol-roll” to me. Soo many questions with this process…

Anyway, we made/cooked in all our meals. Muesli for breakfast, Bacon sandwiches for lunch, and a potato/onion/egg hash for supper. I have enjoyed watching our skink, naming him Sammy. Just living life and appreciating the nature around us. This is about the only benefit of not having AC – all the windows and doors are open – so you here and see all the birds.

Wednesday morning we had bacon and last of our eggs (one each) for breakfast. The DHL courier arrived and picked up the paperwork. YAHOO!! One step closer to receiving my phone. Then for lunch I thought up a potato, pasta dish – using odds and ends. I conferred with Jeff and we came up with: one potato, one red onion, one carrot and garlic all chopped and sauteed. Then added water with cinnamon dressing (we had previously bought – very good, BTW), mustard and some lime juice with S&P. Once boiling added little bit of pasta (we have carrying since Kandy), and bacon. Let the water mostly boil off, and viola… It turned out very good. The cinnamon and black pepper added some zing! Tasty!

After lunch, I found a trail of ants around our toilet. I sprayed. Later I found them still on the toilet tank. I called Jeff in and he lifted the lid, but we still could not figure it out… Until he saw them on the lid he was holding. The ants had built a nest, hive or colony inside the toilet lid. There are two unsealed holes and they were going and coming from them. He sprayed inside one of these holes with water from the bum gun and they all rolled out the other hole and rolled out… He must have sprayed it three different times and they still rolled out of it! He took it outside and shot in some bug spray and left it outside for couple of hours to kill the colony. Then he used the bum gun for the rest. I, in the meantime, was cleaning up in the kitchen and saw Sammy the Skink getting pretty close to coming IN OUR kitchen! I got he to go back to his rock, to hopefully stay there. And lastly, a local stay(?) cat peeked in on me in the kitchen. Then it went around to the front door and did come in. Jeff managed to shoo it back out. WOWZA! It is getting to be a bit too much nature for me now!  

Adventure afternoon over, I had to go out for supper. Jeff had researched a cooking class place that we want to try here, called Rosie's. So I went there, to check it out! It is only one tenth of a mile from us. I found it and met Rosie. She is a joyful soul!! I asked if she was open for supper — it was five, early for some places. She said yes and then asked, “Now?” I nodded. She looked around at her two helpers and said okay. I asked what was available and if carry out was okay. She looked quizzical. I mentioned my husband and his foot . She nodded and sat down with me and we talked! Then she said, “Rice and curry okay?”… Needless to say, I spent 25 minutes there, sampling a couple of things and watching the list of items she and the other two ladies (mostly the other two, as she was talking to me) were making for Jeff and I.  She was in her wheelhouse and enjoying. I was thinking how much am I getting and how much will this cost? More than once I said it was too much and she said you some tonight then have the rest for breakfast. I thought and lunch and another dinner, as well. Her enthusiasm with wanting to feed Jeff and I reminded me a another Rosie I knew, my Grandma. She always was feeding everyone, as I remember. So much food but she enjoyed this, always smiling!!

Anyway, I made it home with my load of food to a shocked Jeff. Here it is: Roti X2; Dahl; a big serving bowl of Red Rice; Egg Hoppers (the real ones bowl-shaped pancakes, holding an egg. This have eluded us, except for once – other times were string hoppers.); Egg Kottu; Hard-boiled Egg X2 in curry; Potato soup; Chicken curry; Pineapple curry; Holy Basil Curry; and lastly Mango curry!!!! Crazy! But here's the kicker – it only cost us 1,800 rupees… six dollars! But even wilder — I only had 1,200 or a 5,000 bill… she waved me off and said pay when I come back!?!  LOL🤣😂!  I almost fell over in disbelief. Such trust! I have her dishes and mentioned we were interested in the cooking class, but still! Amazing. Rosie is a force of exuberance, joy, and trust/belief. It was simply refreshing to have met her – I hope we can do a cooking class with her and the two ladies helping her (which, BTW, are single mothers Rosie is helping out.)

We ate heartily, as it was great food, but will have many leftovers. Finished we watched some You tube and went to bed by 2130. What a couple of days.