And The Saga Continues....

For those of you losing sleep over this series of unfortunate events concerning our visa extension, I want you to know that if you are seeking a happy and resolved story by the end of this post stop reading here. Go back to work, or studying, or whatever you were doing before and continue with your happy lives for the happiness you seek in the resolve of our issues will not be found here. Search on.

Today, I feel worse than yesterday. :)

Before I go any further I want you to know that I am actually in a good mood while writing this. No yelling or swearing has come from me while thinking back on today.

On with the story...

We get up and head to school. Once we arrive we notice that the rain that was in our neighborhood had turned to specks of ice near the school. We left school early to get a run on this visa process, because it’s Thursday. The normal unpredictability of government business triples on Thursdays.

We returned to the same police station that left me standing outside a locked door yesterday. The door was opened today, so we went in a greeted the guy. He took our passports and told us to that we were a day late in renewing our visas. (Remember, this is the same guy who left early yesterday and made us late!) Because of this tragedy, we were required to go down the hall passing two doors labeled "bomb squad" to the last door on the right. We paid our fine and then returned to the original guy. He began processing our visas and then said, "Where do you live?" I told him and then he said, "no, you must go to a different police station to take care of this." He then handed us our passports back and escorted us out. This wouldn't be a problem except that our friends that live three blocks from us in the same neighborhood always get their visas extended in this same building! So we walk back out into the cold and get a taxi.

We were required to go back to the same station that said that my sick, pregnant wife needed to be present for this whole thing. I knew we wouldn't get any where with them until we get a new blood test. Here is the problem. Usually the blood test from the government clinic takes three days to process as well as is filthy and crowded with thousands of Philipinos and Egyptians getting their blood tests too. This process could take anywhere from an hour to three or four hours. The guy that took my blood last time was smoking while he was pulling the blood out! We were not going back there. So...

We called B's baby doctor to see what he thought. He told us to come up to the hospital and he would give us the test and give us the results today. This is awesome! The Bullions for three!!!! We shoot, we score!!!!

The only problem is that the police station is already closed so I won't be able to be there until Sunday, so I will pay a fine for the next three days and then get it taken care of. Maybe. This is all depending on the cop at the police station.

:) So hug your family and thank the LORD that you don't have to extend you American citizenship.

Stay tuned for "The Ministry of Tourism vs. The Bullions, Sudden Death."

So far the score is:

The Ministry: 3
The Bullions: 1