Back Home Again, Again

So Madeleina and I made it home from Peru yesterday. A long haul after 51 days there and neither of us wanted to make the move. We did three jungle trips and all went well or better than that. I managed to escape the worst of the physical disasters, though I got conjunctivitis twice and the second time was a freaking bear, lasting two weeks and still causing me to wear sun glasses because the light hurts my eyes so much. But that beats flesh eating bacteria, exploding intestines, near fatal spider bites and so forth. Perhaps I simply didn't work hard enough this time to earn a near death experience--though even as I write that I realize I sound so catholic and guilty that in just saying it I might earn something terrible tonight.

Well, tonight is going to be terrible anyway. The day we left the air conditioner for the house shut down. Replacement was estimated at $3,700, more than the house is worth. Plus, I just changed the outside unit for two grand last year and don't feel like borrowing more money to keep cool. So Italo has been working on it for two days and replaced a lot of parts. He also fell through the ceiling yesterday, so now I not only need a new air conditioning unit, I also need a new ceiling in Marco's old room, which is now the guest room, though it's currently so filled up with sticky mouse traps and insulation that came down with Italo that I can't imagine a guest really wanting to stay there.

Then there was the stove that broke while we were gone, and the cat that ran away, and the scorpion laying in wait just under my keyboard for me--tiny nasty one that I managed to get before it got me. Then Chepa brought the babies over and all was right with the world. I mean all was right. So what that my trucks don't work anymore, or that it's 104 degrees in the house, or that Chepa borrowed everything I had and someone spilled ayahuasca all over the fridge and that it took me five hours to clean it out today? None of that matters in the face of having the babies around. And none of that matters in the face of Italo and Marco--who did a fantastic job of mowing the lawn while I was gone, thank you very much--hanging around since I got back. And none of that matters in the face of Madeleina staying with me and backing me up for the last seven weeks. Those are the things that matter.

Oh, and I fell for a woman in Iquitos. Let's see where it goes--and Madeleina says she'll burn the house down if I bring here here for a visit--but so far it was great. A pretty woman thought I was not the ugliest fat white old man on the planet. She actually thought I was handsome and wanted to kiss me in public. Man, that part of me, the man part, has not had input in nearly 12 years. I don't mean I have not had girlfriends, but I do mean that they have been few and long in between and then suddenly this beautiful woman is kissing me and I'm kissing her back and it was fantastic. Felt like I was just 60 all over again......or 34.

Madeleina didn't talk to me for days, but I hope she'll get over it. We'll see. Cause I'm gonna invite that gal down to visit and she says she's dying to come. All quite new and unexpected for me. I can't quite get my breath.

I'm not gonna kiss and tell, but I will say I love the kisses.

And that's my hello to you.

Anybody got a spare house air conditioner, let me know.

Glad to be back with you all. Thanks for putting up with the long silence.