Birthdays and Robots - Monday, September 13, 2010

Rain today!! The forecast said a 10% chance of rain this morning with increasing chances as the day went on. When we got up we were in that 10%. It had been raining and continued all day long, making it cold and miserable.

I knew exactly what I had to do today and I got right to it. This week there will be four Zone Conferences with two zones attending each one. Tomorrow will be Liniers and Congreso so between those two zones they have ordered eleven boxes of copies of the Book of Mormon. I had help in stacking those out in our entry way. Then I added eight bins of mail and supplies. It will fill the van up for sure. The Assistants will take them to the conference when they go in the morning.

Elders Peterson, Paz, and Davis went on some errands and doctor appointments today, so they all left around 10:30 - 11:00. They first went to Sarmiento to get Elder Davis' clothes and belongings as he is moving in with the Assistants for the time being. He will work with us in the office while his leg heals. Then they went to a doctor's appointment for Elder Paz and on another errand on their way home. There was a lot of driving and it took them all day. They were not back when we and the Assistants all left the office around 4:30.

Today is Elder Lowry's 21st birthday. He said he is legal now and can buy shot gun shells when he gets home. That didn't sound too exciting to me, but he seemed happy about it. Elder Lowry leaves the mission in December after touring a little with his parents who are coming to pick him up. They have been serving a 23 month Humanitarian mission in Russia and will end their mission a month before Elder Lowry. They were all in the MTC together. His short companion, Elder Lazo, leaves in three weeks going home to Perú. He has about two years of schooling behind him already in his pursuit of becoming a Neurosurgeon.

The cake was given to Elder Lowry for his special day and he shared a piece with all of us. We didn't know it was his birthday today or we would have added some fun and frills to the celebration.

It was P-day for the Assistants so they were around the office most of the day. They did leave to go eat at the Peruvian Restaurant, but it was too rainy and messy outside to do anything fun. They did their weekly letters home on the computer, joked around with us, and engaged in lively conversation.

Rich did his money things all day which involved balancing his drawer, writing a check, and solving little problems that the missionaries would call in about. Sometimes that is a daily occurrence.

Yesterday, we had a skype chat conversation with Melissa where we typed our conversation back and forth. At one point she left the conversation saying she had to go start the Roomba. "What in the world is a Roomba?" Rich asked. She said it is an automatic vacuum that can roam around a room all by itself, and when needed can redock itself, get charged up, and go back out to clean. Some people set it to clean at night while they are sleeping. Her dad's comments were the following: "Certainly you are joking" "Right!!" "We have a hot chocolate maker that plugs itself in and then makes me a cup and serves it in bed" "You really don't expect me to believe this, right?" "Seriously!!" "It must drive a cat crazy."

She gave us a link to the website for this Robot Roomba and told us that they have some that will mop and one that can clean a pool. In disbelief, we went to the website and low and behold, there it was. Where have we been? In Argentina, I guess! But she said it was around before we left. Boy, did we feel "out of it" -- big time!!! We wondered what else is going on in life and leaving us in the dark?? Hmmm, I wonder if I would like one?

Upon returning home after work, we changed clothes, bundled up with shopping cart and umbrellas in hand and took off for Disco. We didn't get a chance to go shopping on the weekend, and we were out of a few things, so we decided to brave the drizzling weather and hurry to do some shopping. We got what we needed in the not so busy store and even the rain cooperated with us. It wasn't a bad trip at all.

We were in communication with Elder Peterson who appreciated our offer to have Elder Davis dropped off at our place when they returned from their long day. The Assistants were out and about already and Elders Peterson and Paz needed to do the same. We fixed him some dinner -- Ravioli and a tossed salad, and he rested on the couch. We had a fun time visiting, and all of a sudden it was time for him to go home. I'm sure he will be back again sometime this week. We have enjoyed him.