Green Leafy Vegetables

As I write this, at 6:45 on Saturday morning, Sierra walks up 187 steps to the house to use the toilet. Apparently she thought using the outhouse that dumps directly into the ocean was not her style. The propane refrigerator stinks, I'll give it a cleaning in a bit. Great, the flame box is off and a plastic bag is sitting inches from the flame. The Cayuca, strapped to the ceiling to catch the run off from the roof in a valley over the kitchen is overflowing. I'll bail it and we'll have to drill a hole and put in a drain pipe. Didn't anybody think of a drain pipe on something designed to catch water? Bail it out and use the water to flush the toilet. The cayuca has developed a large crack due to the weight if this isn't fixed soon it will just break under the load and crash to the floor. Am I going to find a drill and bits? This bailing is gonna take forever. Can I find a hose and siphon it out?

Three minutes later the siphon is draining the cayuca. Now to attend to the refrigerator. No, it's not urgent, I'll wait until a volunteer is up and show him how to do it. Coffee. Must have coffee. This thing needs a drain, right in the middle of the boat, in the low spot, in the center of the walkway. We already have to duck to get underneath the thing.

Michelle had to leave the country for 72 hours. It's a visa thing.

“And who is going to watch over the kids?”

“They can take care of themselves.”

“And if they need to get to a hospital?”

“They have Ken's number.”

“Great, maybe both phone services will be up, Ken's phone will be working and turned on and he'll answer it. Then he can make his way from Isla Popa. I'll stay until you get back.”

“You don't have to do that.”

“Yes, I do.”

So I took Michelle to town, I had to go pay the balance of the generator to Clay anyway. Rain wanted to stay at Red Frog for a while and Amanda just wanted a change of pace. “Well girl, you're going to do some shopping. If we don't get some leafy green vegetables we are either going to die of malnutrition or mutiny.” The crowd roared. “SALAD!” Ohh, my god!” “ Sure let's get some meat and some garbonzo beans too, maybe we can have a fit meal.”

Michelle please call Clay and tell him I'm coming to finish paying for your generator.

“Jim here's 40 dollars can you pick up a mattress from Charly and bring it back for me?”

“Sure, call Charly, give her my number.”

“I don't have Charly's number, it's on Facebook.”

WTF? I should send Charly a Facebook message and hang around until she replies to it?

Off to see Eleene, Clay's wife, maybe she can find Clay. The door at her office is locked. I have no idea how to get hold of her. This was the only reason I was going to town. Failure after five attempts. Never paid, well damn, I tried.

No internet at Camp Crazy. I'll pick up a dongle. I've been told that both Claro and Movistar work. I tried Michelle's Movistar. Working is a stretch. The service is frequently out and when it is not it is so slow as to be next to worthless. I bought a Claro dongle from the Claro shop in front of Christina's Supermarket. “Don't I have to buy $15 worth of credit to get a month's usage?” “Yes.” Shit, you should have told me. “Well, I'd like to buy the credit.” “We don't sell the credits, go to Super Isla Colon.” WTF? Over to the supermarket. Can I buy a $15 credit? No, they don't sell them. Umm, do you sell Claro Carga? $5. Ok, give me three.

I return to Claro with my credits in hand. I had the foresight to ask if I could enter the credits over my computer. No, I have to use a Claro phone? Can you enter it for me? Sure. She entered it. Just call this number, type in these digits, then send this message to this address. Why in the name of all that is unholy after entering my charge up information do I have to send you a message to the effect of yes, I paid for it, yes I want it. I mean, truly, I do.

We purchased veggies, eight pounds of garbonzo beans and whatever Amanda felt appropriate at the supermarket. “It's what fucking time?” Damn, I have to go to my house and get a bunch of shit before that long ride to De La Luny. To the boat girl. We tore off to my house, I grabbed what was needed and full bored it back. Great ride, calm seas, direct shot, bearing 180, 17.2 knots. Forty two minutes, no mistakes this time.

“Karl, your dad is so cool.”

Off to the cow pastures to inspect the patties. The dung was disappointing but the view on the way over the top of the main building was spectacular.

Dan caught 10 fish off the dock in my absence. Good man.

Dinner awesome, greens, oh my god an orgy of salad, fish, rice, stir fry. Underpowered stove. Gotta fix that, tomorrow. One of the girls went into the kitchen to get the cookies she had baked and put in a Tupperware container. “Oh, my God!” We all rushed in. Topo had opened the container and taken one bite out each and every cookie and then threw them on the floor when he was done.

What is this? He broke into the Johnny Cakes and bit one bit into each of them, carrying them around and throwing them onto the floor of the living room. A monkey “Fuck you, again, assholes.”