Friday Update

Just a couple of updates before the weekend:

1. The word "Algarve" is a proper name usually associated with a region in the south of Portugal. It derives from the original Arabic "Al-gharb" or "country of the west." Other than that, I am not aware of any other meanings.

2. Today Rico and I have a meeting with the IFC to discuss a potential contract for our business (the new incarnation of it, that is). As my mom and I say, put your good luck machines on for us that the meeting will go well and land us a paying job!

3. Pria and Parceiro are growing like weeds. Parceiro has almost doubled in size and can no longer fit in the palm of Rico's hand like he could the day we brought the kitties home. Yesterday the kittens discovered how to climb up on our bed by themselves and proceeded to spend the entire afternoon lounging on our bedspread.

4. Rico and I are still going to the gym! 6 days a week is our goal, but we are realistic about our schedules and work committments and are happy if we make it 4 days a week. We will go for an early workout today before our meeting with the IFC. I am happy to report that both of us feel much better health-wise already, even after just 3 weeks.

5. We desperately need a new mattress. Our current bed and excuse for a mattress (it's about an inch thick - really) we inherited when Dona Flávia vacated our flat in a rush. They used to be her teenage son's and are exhibiting the same problems as our old bed and mattress back in Chimoio, namely the hammock effect where the middle dips down and we each end up sleeping on an incline. My back hurts. Mattresses here are more expensive than in the US. I see no immediate solution in sight...

6. Rico and I have officially run out of Splenda. My mom sent us a 700-count family pack back in August and it is all gone. We have been forced to take regular sugar in our coffee and tea again. I do not like the taste, and keep thinking about how many calories are in those heaping spoonfulls I dump in my morning beverages just to make them palatable. I wish I could cut sweet tastes altogether, but my tastebuds have a fit every time I try. At least the sugar here is unrefined...

7. We cleaned up the flat last night and finally got my big blue suitcase emptied and stored in the closet like it should be. I feel much more "moved in" now that there are no half-unpacked suitcases in plain view anymore. Next step: organize the office! We are in desperate need of a filing cabinet and some of those inbox/outbox thingies to organize our papers.

8. My cell phone has been cut off for lack of payment. No surprise, the bill has been accumulating since January. I don't know how it took the phone company this long to actually disable my line. Anyhow, while I wait to pay off my debt (conservatively estimated at US $700!!!!!), I have resorted to using Skype. I wish everyone I know had high speed internet and a microphone. Life would be so much easier, and my phone bill would be so much lower...

9. Last night I made chinese food for dinner. It was delicious. I haven't had a meal seasoned with soy sauce in ages, and it hit the spot.

10. I am off to take a shower. Have a great Friday, everyone!