Feb 22

Written by: reh
2/22/2008

February 22, 2008 (Friday)

5:30AM Received email but still can’t send. Very frustrating; I am mad at myself every time I waste time with the internet. It seems that everyone has the latest gadgets and they all work…almost.
7:30AM While checking out I talked with a “business manager” about a corporate rate. He will do some figuring and will send me an email (that I may get some day). Maya has gradually crept up from $64 to $90 and their service is not what (I think) it should be. If the Marriott comes close, will stay here. We really don’t need this many creature comforts but the cost of next-best is so close and we’re not staying at also-ran places; not in Honduras. More as details drift in; the long-and-short of it is that we will be close to $100 in Teguci to maintain a prudent level security and cleanliness.
9:00AM Airport, Avis rental car, on my way to Nacaome.
11:15AM In the motel with Fernando. Went over chart of accounts, he added a line item on monthly list of expenditures and has made a few suggested additional line items within certain categories. I said our accountants in Montgomery will review and respond. The guy knows what he is doing!
On the drive down, I received a voice mail that was in Spanish; I asked Fernando to listen. It is the secretary of the Vice President’s wife. We called her back, she speaks English. She understands we want an audience with the VP’s wife and wanted to know why. It seems that, if you want to start a war you talk to the VP but if you are feeding children you talk to his wife. Not a bad second choice; presumably the VP sleeps with her and who better to convey the L4L story to him? Talk about thinking on your feet! I gave her the 30 second critique of L4L and said we originally wanted to solicit her help in getting registered in Honduras but now we simply want to discuss our program with her. The secretary said she would check the VP’s wife’s schedule and get back with us. She asked if we have a website she could look at to know a little about us; KRISTI!!! There are people who do know much more advanced technology than me and they do check us out! Actually, Kristi, on the phone, she sounds like a high energy Spanish version of you.
12:45PM As I said earlier, Roxana is upset that she was left out of Thursday’s activities. She has not received calls from Fernando or Jessica. I told Fernando that it is time to drive out to talk with Roxana. I gave her a big hug and said, in my best Spanish, that I believe she is sad and I want to know why. After 15 minutes Roxana said she understands, she is just afraid we will forget her and leave her behind. We stayed for lunch that her older daughter, Zereth, prepared. Fernando, politician that he is, had Roxana call each of the school principals to notify them of our Tuesday meeting. She is involved again.
3:00PM Left Roxana’s house after a very pleasant lunch and the world is right again (until we have to approach the fact that Roxana has not done the two projects I left with her during my last visit), I just love managing people.
4:00PM At Fernando’s house. I am still trying to get the scanned version of our registration out of here. It seems that the scanning process takes memory and the internet carriers somehow reduce these memory chunk for transmission; this takes time. In the middle of the process, the internet dropped out. It was 5:30PM and I’ve had had enough.
Just as I was leaving the VP’s wife’s secretary called, we are on for Monday at 9:30. Fernando knows the directions. Kristi, where are you when I need you? This meeting is tailor made for you and I have to wear the suit!
6:00PM In the motel, end of day.

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