mouses, Sunday night and the start of the week

And here is the second part of my update, but I missed some stuff out about me and Hannah going on travel related missions and finding a yummy organic cafe where we had funky smoothies.


right, so in case my update about the weekend has survived on the other computer, I shall just do a brief update about yesterday and today. So, Sunday night Hannah was packing her bags for Kampala until about 1am, so I was still awake as well. And then at 3am we were both woken up by a very loud scratching noise. I was most perturbed as I felt like I had barely closed my eyes when I was being rudely awoken by... well, what? It was coming from somewhere near the bathroom, so Hannah got up and checked behind the mattress & cot bed which are still standing in the corner of the room. She couldn't see anything and the sound had stopped, so she got back into bed. Then it started again. So this time it was my turn, so I found my glasses and torch and scrambled out of bed. I had a brief look in the corner but I thought it was coming more from the dressing table which sits inbetween the bathroom door and the main bedroom door. So I went and shone my torch all around it, and behind the mirror, but I couldn't see anything. So I got back into bed. A few minutes passed, all the time I was tense waiting for it to start again. And start again it did. Slowly this time. There was a little 'scritch', a pause, and then again 'scritch scratch'. Another pause, then 'scratch scratch scratch scratch...' So I very slowly put my foot on the floor, but it stopped, so I paused and shone my torch over the dressing table trying to figure out where it came from. Hannah said something, and then all of a sudden this medium sized brown rodent dashed from one column of dressing table drawers to the other. Hannah squeeled quietly while I gasped and automatically pulled my feet up off the floor as the mouse, not finding a way out, dashed back across to the drawers it had come from, and then back again to the other ones, and there was a slight pause and then is dashed from the dressing table over towards the wall and across the door, at which point my sight was obscured as there is another big bureau thing in the way, against which was leaning Hannah's bag packed and ready for Kampala. Neither of us were willing to step out of bed to go and investigate where it might have got to. Hannah joked about waking James up next door, but I said (and he agreed the next day) that he probably would have been up on the chair and no help whatsoever. Anyway, we eventually decided it was gone and so settled back down, but at 4.30 we were both still awake. I finally managed to get to sleep, probably around 5am, and Hannah's alarm went off at 5.30am so that she could get ready to catch her bus. I was still awake while she was bustling around getting things together, and then at about 6am she took her stuff out of the room so I sat up to say goodbye. We won't see each other again in Kenya! I go back to England just a couple of days before she returns from Kampala, but she's back the week after me so we'll see each other again in London. We joked on the way home from town at the weekend, that if we all get to our preferred universities (me UCL, Han & Lei at SOAS) then we should move in together and it would be just like Kenya only with our own rooms and without someone having to sleep on a mattress on the floor!

So anyway, I probably managed another hour, maybe hour and a half of sleep before I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for work. I wasn't really capable of much that involved thinking yesterday so I didn't get much done in the morning. Dave arrived at the offices, having returned to Kenya Sunday evening and stayed the night at Matt's. He was quite jet-lagged still. So in the afternoon James, Dave & I drove to Westlands to buy some stuff. They were going to get things for Laikipia and I needed a laminater and print cartridge, but nowhere in westlands had them so we went on a tour to Nakumatt UKAY and the big one in Westgate. No luck on any front for me. But it was an interesting afternoon out anyway, and it was good to catch up with dave along the way. I am very jealous of the two of them going up to Nanyuki together, they're gonna have a great time.

So I didn't get a whole lot done after that. I installed In-Design on a computer in the computer room which I will use to design the boards for the Kapenguria Museum. And then gave up when it got to about 5.30 and it was insisting on installing updates after going to a blue screen following the main program installation. Dave went back to Matt's to do some stuff and get an early night, and James and I went to Upper Hill campsite and had a drink (mmm, wine) and the biggest burger I have seen for a long time. Delicious but I could only eat half of it.We came back on a matatu at about 8pm, and then I relaxed on the sofa with my book for the rest of the evening before getting an early night. No mouse disturbances during the night, thank goodness.

Today I came into the office to check on the computers and check my emails, gave dave a hand with a few bits for Laikipia, then said farewell to him and James, got distracted by tea.... oooh, it's teatime again! *sits back down with a nice cup of tea* erm, oh, and I borrowed James's speakers, and said hello to the girl who was here a while ago, but whose name I've forgotten so I may have to go back and see if I mentioned her here!
I went to the archives, but didn't have much luck. The guy I need to speak to about photos wasn't there, and basically it could take forever to do a comprehensive search for all the info I need. So I'm gonna go back tomorrow with a list of photos & newspaper articles I need. If I can ever get anything done today. It might have to wait until Thursday if the internet doesn't come back. On the plus side, on my way back from the archives I found several places that sell laminators. So I'm gonna go back when I go back into town, to buy one. Fun. Then this afternoon seems to have been taken up with not getting much done!

James & Dave have gone to Nanyuki, with Joe and the new research assistant, Kerry. Hugo has gone off somewhere for a few days. Jacob has also gone away with his parents until tomorrow. But Leila arrives back today, and there is also the other girl whose name I can't remember. So I'm going to find pancake recipes and ingredients and at least I can make pancakes with people tonight! I'm gonna have to work this evening as well though, especially if I want to justify being able to go and do things I want to do next week. Hmph.
Ah, and the computer is now ready for me. Fab.
I'll hopefully post this later then! When the internet comes back.
xxx