Sam, the very nice reader

Suitable for space shuttles and under-ocean oil rigs ;-)

A reader did an incredibly nice thing for me. Sam left a comment a month or so ago to say that he would be driving to La Ceiba and asked if there was anything I wanted him to bring for me from the U.S. I don't know Sam and he doesn't know me − except that he probably does know me from reading my blog.

Poor Sam. It was the day before he was leaving. He probably thought I would ask for a packet of tomato seeds or a book. Not me. I asked for two gallons of black satin paint. Haha! What nerve I have. Well, I thought it was worth a shot.

You see, we have iron stairway railings inside the house that I've never painted because the only oil-based paint in the entire country of Honduras must be high-gloss! It is a law, I guess. Actually, I haven't checked every paint store in Honduras, but I have checked every paint store in La Ceiba, even asking them to call San Pedro or special order it for me. No luck at all. It's high gloss or nothing.

The iron has been painted that rust colored anti-corrosivo (what is that called in English?). I then texturized the railings with spackling paste because I want to give them an antique look − somehow. I still haven't figured out the details yet. So we have been looking at this crap for two years.

It is even worse when someone comes over and says, "¡Que bonito!" (How pretty!), while they are really thinking "What weird taste this gringa has." I have to explain that it is just another of the many jobs left unfinished.

So good old Sam shelled out US $88 for the best quality paint he could find and drove it through 4 or 5 country border checkpoints for me. El Jefe was astounded that someone who has never met me would do such a nice thing. I did pay him for the paint, of course, but still, the fact that Sam trusted me and went to so much trouble is a big deal to me.

Thanks, Sam!