Progress?

Just returned from a couple of weeks back in the States where I took in the vibe of Miami, enjoyed a few good tropical drinks and went to the beach.  Three things we can’t do here.  I pride myself in being able to juggle a number of tasks and initiatives here, but now with three and a half months left to go, its time to prioritize what I can reasonably expect to accomplish.  Things progressed somewhat while I was on R&R, but just like back home, if you don’t stay on top of things and adjust course as needed, things just slow down.  My Afghan partners remain eager and willing to accept our money, but don’t seem too eager to produce the paper necessary to get it.  It’s almost as if I am starting from scratch.  “Mr. George, why haven’t the Old Food Bills been paid yet? they say almost demandingly.  “Well, you did not complete the applications, conduct the analysis and bounce the requirements against the acquisition policies as we had agreed to before I went on R&R” I say like a parent whose child didn’t do their chores, but still wants money for the movie.  “Hmm, well how about you begin paying while we produce the documents?”………..Really?  I’m sorry gentlemen but the US citizens would not see that as acceptable, so let’s get back to our plan.  More tea please…. Well I guess it’s a few more weeks of getting us to where we thought we were going to be three weeks ago.