Our first couple weeks

The view out our front door. Unfortunate for my neighbor, candidate 15 lost the election (read on for an explanation).

I've been struggling to write a blog for the last several days. Not that we haven't been doing anything, it's just nothing that noteworthy. We've been trying to get back into the swing of things here, and for the most part we've been enjoying it. I'll try and give some highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be)...

• We came back to the hottest month of the year. I don't remember it being this hot before... maybe it's just the contrast, or maybe it really is hotter than normal. We have one room with an A/C that never really got much use during the rainy season. I'm not looking forward to seeing our bill for this month.

• The fans have been working overtime as well. The other day at lunch Brin realized that she had to compensate for the wind from the fan when shaking her pepper. Moving the shaker about 6 inches upwind seemed to do the trick.

• Ava and I (Josh) have really been the only ones unscathed by illness. Brin had an immediate bout with a weird rash (I say weird in the sense that for you and I it would be weird, unfortunately it has become somewhat normal for Brin). Ella and Mia both had a virus, but seem to be over it now.

• Global warming and international political pressure seem to be taking it's toll in Altamira, lumber is nowhere to be found. What used to be abundant and cheap is now quite the opposite. Most of the sawmills in the area have been shut down by the government. Most likely it's just a temporary show of power, but it makes buying furniture difficult. While pricing wardrobes I found prices had more than doubled since when we bought furniture when we first came. In my attempt to save money I went to a cheaper furniture maker and I'm getting nervous that I'm going to live to regret it.

• After 2 weeks of looking for a car we finally found one that I'm in the process of buying. A '95 Toyota pickup will be our upgraded ride. Ella threatened to not let me buy a truck unless she approved of it first. As for me and the other 2 girls, we're still missing the old Bandeirante.

• During our first week back we experienced Brazilian Election Day. Let me just say, for all of you that are sick of political adds right now, maybe you would prefer they advertise on your neighbor's house (see photos above). That's right, for a small compensation, a politician will paint their advertisement all over your house, or your car (which the person did who bought my Bandeirante, much to my horror).

• For the most part, the highlight of our first two weeks back in Brazil has been the realization and acceptance that we're home.