Preparing for 4 months in Vietnam is not an easy task. Ron will be gone for 7 months and that makes it even harder for us to wrap our thoughts around this daunting task.
We were prepared though. Way before Christmas we went into our bank and asked them questions about opening up an account over there. They couldn't help but advised us to open up an account with an Australian bank. In order to do that we need crisp, new $100 dollar bills as they will not accept any that are wrinkled or folded. We ordered them through Wells Fargo and the man said that at Christmas they get new bills and would put aside a few thousand dollars for us.
A week before Christmas, Ron decided to go to Angel Fire to read final exams and do his grading because he can get the solitude he needed. While there, his tooth began to hurt when he put anything cold or hot in his mouth. I called the dentist and luckily he could get an appointment as soon as he returned. That appointment turned into a root canal with a temporary crown that would arrive in plenty of time for his departure on Jan 5. The days his replacement crown arrived he also had a teeth cleaning and the hygienist broke off another tooth in the process. Panicking, they prepared it for another crown and after several shots of Novocain, the Dr. very securely placed a temporary crown on top of that tooth which should hopefully last him 7 months.
Wells Fargo called and said the crisp $100 bills didn't arrive after all. Sorry. I scoured every Wells Fargo and Bank of America branch in Lubbock and only came up with half of the amount we'll need. My good friend Anna's husband works for American State Bank and was able to make arrangements for me to bring in old bills in exchange for brand new ones, even though I don't have an account with them. But it is still leaving us short.
Ron decided it would take one whole day to pack his 2 large suitcases and one carry-on but it took at least 3 days in all. United Airlines charges $70 for a 2nd bag and $200 for a 3rd. Needless to say he decided to try to fit everything in those 2 bags plus a carry-on. Just in case there was a problem, on the day of his departure I pulled an extra bag to the airport and sure enough, one of his bags weighed 1 pound too much. He took out his cowboy boots, placed them in the bag I had brought and he was good to go. Except.....he had 7 months worth of daily contact lenses in his carry-on that have liquid in them, a pacemaker checking devise, and a blood pressure gauge which both look slightly like potential bombs. I waited for him to clear security and they must have put his suitcase through the metal detector 3 times, gave him a pat down, interrogated him, and finally I got the signal of all clear. Leaving the airport was a relief because of all we had gone through to make it this far. I was only in the airport a few minutes, but when I passed through the exit, the teller asked me to please wait while they changed out tills. I probably waited 5 minutes for this transaction. When I gave him my ticket he charged me $2! (it's free it you stay less than 30 minutes) I said "How long was I gone?" He said "35 minutes." I said "But I've been sitting here 5 minutes waiting for you!" Crazy! On the way home I got a rock thrown into my windshield with a gigantic crack! This hasn't been easy! But then, we don't do anything easy.
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