day 10

During my walk today I ran across the Algerian and Senegalese embassies and the Bahrain Music Society. I am beginning to get the feeling we are in the diplomatic section of Manama. The US embassy is about a half mile from where we are staying, I haven't walked that far out yet, maybe I'll get to wave at a marine as I go by one day. The house above is close by and is indicative of homes in this part of the city. They are all behind walls and either have a strip of planting along the outside of the wall or more likely they train these bushes to grow out & over the wall. One guy has enough of an overhang to park his car under.

Today is a half day at work. Which means I'll go back to the villa and work a few hours from there. There's a rumor that we might go to the mall today, so that'll be nice.

I haven't been able to find out anything more about the tents, I'll try to tell what I've been told. In the fall & winter when it cools down people go "camping" out in these uninhabited areas. Remember I've described Bahrain as a rock covered with dust, so these are open areas outside the city crossed by the occasional road. They set tents up, they look kinda like marquee tents people in the states use for outdoor wedding receptions, only not white. These tents are dotted across the landscape. As it is early in the season, they are spread out, semi-isolated. There are also meeting areas being set up, where people can gather. I don't know what they do when they gather, that's just what I've learned so far. There will be little cold stores set up, like a miniature 7-11, so people can buy supplies. I think that they go out to their campsite on the weekends, or maybe even live out of them for periods of time. In the next few days I'll get some pictures and ask around and try to find out more for you.

Enjoy your weekend, think of me working while you're sitting around the pool.

day 9

Friday! Which is Saturday for me as it is my day off. Breakfast at Ric's American - omelete and a short stack with coffee. Took a longer walk this morning, found the Iranian embassy. Started to take a picture and thought better of it when I saw the guard. Some get a bit testy about that. Saw a few more tom cats, including yesterday's - only today he was in the dumpster instead of beside it.

My return date is being extended to Dec 6th. At least that is the plan. I'm hearing December flights are fairly booked. We'll see.

I am now the chauffeur of the group. Drove to and from work yesterday and out to dinner last night. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But - I am not ready for down town yet. We drive through a patch of undeveloped area every day, nothing but pipelines moving oil from the wells to tank farms. And tents. Apparently about this time every year when it cools down people set up these tents out from the city where they go to stay. I hear that it builds up, more and more tents, turning into little cities, with cold stores (the equivalent here of the corner stop-n-go, etc), central gathering places festooned with banners and the like.

So, I'll put in a few hours of work today (Maggie) tonight we grill and tomorrow back to work.

day 8

I remembered to take my camera with me on my morning walk today. I hadn't seen animals or even pets since I'd been here - until I started walking in the mornings. I've only seen one stray dog, I see several people walking their dogs, and I see a handful of stray cats. This guy just happened to turn his head just as I took the picture - he had been watching something across the street. He certainly looks well fed.

I am extending my trip. There's been a series of technical glitches loading the system software and really I needed a few weeks to learn how they do things here. Laura took it pretty hard, she's had a bit of a rough time as we've had a series of problems one after another since I left. Remembering how I felt when she was in Europe with her sisters this past spring I know how she feels. I've said before that it was different for the one staying home vs. the one away. I am busy all day long. I get up, walk (the slowest part of my day) get ready and go to work, work all day, leave in the evening (6:00 PM now - since daylight savings time kicked in we are working an hour later to give us back the few hours we could talk to folks at work in the states.) get back to the apartment just long enough to scrounge dinner (go out usually). Finish supper/return to the apartment, work for about an hour (or - hallelujah, relax watch the TV or B.S.) and go to bed. I am constantly busy so I'm kept from thinking about home much. But several times during the day I find myself wishing I were home, or that Laura were here - I see something I think she'd like or something will make me laugh and I want to share it with her. And I now have to delay that for a few more weeks beyond my original return date. That was a long phone call.

Anyway, work is progressing but is still trying to kick me in the stones, so away to it.

day 7

All but 2 of the US management here are leaving today and tomorrow. One of the remaining two will be leaving Sunday, I believe. I took out a pad and pen and during this morning's commute made copious notes that I am transcribing and will verify during the next trips to and from here. Hoo boy, this is about to get interesting.

During today's walk I found an "English Children's School", and Indian Ayurvedic Medical Clinic, and some kind of Bahraini Governmental Industrial training office.

Just to clear up one minor misconception - there is absolutely no sand here. All of those piles in the pictures are of dirt. This island is a big rock with lots of fine, fine particulate dirt. And dust is everywhere. Think if driving down a dirt road at 30 miles an hour in the backroads during a dry summer - the cloud of dust behind you is what happens here when the wind blows. There are guys who go around to the apartment buildings and a lot of night spots offering to wash your car while you're inside.

Work continues to kick my butt, so I will let this go for now.

Happy Trails.

day 6

I got up at 6:00 AM this morning to go walking. It hadn't been my intention to do so, but I woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. With all of the restaurant eating my pants have been feeling a little tight around the waist, so I off I went. I am going to try to keep it up. I learned this morning that we live near the Syrian embassy, a hospital, a Bahraini Businesswoman's institute, a Lybian Brotherhood Society, a Cultural Exchange (but which cultures are being exchanged?), and a lot of apartment buildings like ours above. Some older, one or two newer. By six AM the day is in full swing in this neighborhood as it has been daylight for about an hour and the construction sites are all buzzing. The weather is nice now, but I imagine that with temps into the 115 - 120 degree range in mid summer I can see the benefit of getting work done in the relative cool of a 5:00 AM morning. As I walk by I get an occasional nod as I pass and a few stares. The guy cutting rebar stopped as I walked by as to not shower me with sparks. I crossed the road anyway so as not to interrupt his work overly long. I think I will start getting a better feel for this country the more I wander off on my own. That opportunity will increasingly present itself as several of the guys here are rotating back to the US for vacations this week. My time behind the wheel of a vehicle, I think, is rapidly approaching. oh boy.

Things at work are getting really stressful, I've got a buttload of things to do and no time to do them, so TTFN!

day 5

The week is in full swing, so I work at work, and I work at the apartment. (you see the laptops strewn about?) The pattern during the week is that we leave in the morning a few minutes after 8:00 and get to the plant @ 8:45. Work, work, work, break for lunch around noonish - at the Yum Yum Tree, say, go back to the plant, work, work, work and leave - starting today - at 6:00 PM (after dark) as now that daylight savings has kicked in the time difference between here and the east coast is now 8 hours, so working 'till six gives us back an hour when the US offices and we are working. We leave, go back to the apartments where we try to decide about supper, actually go to supper (or fix it) and come back - to work, work, work while watching TV until bedtime.

So you can see, I have an exciting time here in the mid-east! Not much to say today, so I will close this and attempt for more intriguing posts for you in the future.

day 4

Just so that people don't think I'm in some lush island paradise, where everyone lies around the pool drinking beer all of the time, I thought I'd show what the scenery around the plant(s) look like. We're on the back of the industrial park with the world's largest aluminum smelting plant on one side and dusty land on the other. The funny thing to me is that the new offices at the other plant (we're supposed to be moving today - in sha' allah) have green grass out front. A narrow belt, but still.... Very unusual here - it's the only grass I've seen here.

The tarps at the bottom of the picture are shading the parking spaces. During the middle of the summer the temps hit @115 - 120F with 75% humidity so cars left in the sun will have internal temps that would cook you. BIT - not right now. Temps in the low 90s during the day, nights are getting cool. And breezy. You see these tarp/tent covers outside of any building of size - the hospital nearby, the mall, etc. Many buildings also are built with underground parking under them. Makes sense in this climate.

While traffic is wild around here, it is predictably wild. Everyone takes it in stride, a few horn blows if there's some unpredictable move, maybe a hand jesture - no big deal. But today coming to work we saw an episode of road rage. We came up on a car with Bahraini tags that had slowed beside a car with Saudi tags, windows were down and the drivers were yelling at each other. We came up behind the Bahraini, who then sped up, changed lanes pulling in front of the Saudi and then slammed on his brakes, practically stopping - in the middle of a 3 lane highway. From what I'm told, Saudi drivers are C.R.A.Z.Y and Bahrainis hate them. I've seen a few cars with Saudi plates doing twice the speed of traffic, weaving in and out like it's a formula one race. I asked if there are a lot of hand guns here, and was told no, but knives are a different matter. I figure if my driving here (which has yet to happen, but is coming I think) ever causes that level of ire, best to cut and run than stay and get cut.

Yesterday was a half-day of work at the plant. (This is the normal schedule). We went back to the apartment where I worked most of the afternoon - so Toto is still a mystery land to me. One of the big wigs here is leaving Wednesday to go home for a few weeks, he's the guy who've I've been riding around with. He's got a map he's promised me, so maybe I'll be able to use his car and map and start exploring. We'll see.

**note: I usually make a point of replying to all comments to my posts. I want to apologize for not doing so lately. I have very little time for blogging right now, and what I have is reserved for posting here during nablopomo. I do, however, read them all. I will resume doing so as I find the time.

day 3

Yesterday was our day off, it being اليوم للجمع - i.e. Friday - the Muslim day of worship. I got up and a few of us went to Rick's American for breakfast - fried eggs, over easy, home fries, bacon, biscuit with sausage gravy and a bowl of grits. You know, standard middle-eastern fare. I spent a few hours working and then went up to the roof sat by the pool with a few others and b.s.'d. Afterwards I went back to the apartment, blogged a little and then we met in another apartment and cooked spaghetti for supper, with salad, bread, and apple pie with ice cream for desert. Baskin Robbins ice cream. I can't quite get over western it is here. Of course, this is this country's capital city and while there are many more europeans than americans here it is like New York, just with more dirt. You can - and many guys do - stay here for weeks eating just as you would at home.

But there is no escaping you're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. As today is a half-day of work, I hope to start searching for the wizard this afternoon, and find out if the munchkins really do eat the flying monkeys, or is that just an old-wives tale.

day 2

One consequence of an arid climate with little ground cover is the dust. IT IS EVERYWHERE. Guys hang around popular places offering to wash (wipe down) your car while you eat/shop/whatever. It's been windy for the past two days, so everything is extra dusty. Today, being Friday, is the weekend. Everyone parties on Thursday night. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper downtown. That in and of itself is a topic. There are few intersections where roads cross, with traffic taking turns to go. Instead there are traffic circles everywhere. They are each of them a race, everyone jockeying to enter the circle. Nowhere else is the axiom "he who hesitates is lost" more true. You've got to be aggressive in order to get anywhere.

De asked about the food - well, since I've been here I've had Hardee's, Benegans, Rick's American, Japanese steak house, and - pakistani at a food court called the Yum Yum. The guys I'm here with have been here many times before for 3-4 weeks at a time and they all want american food. The only real arabic food I've had since being here was on the Gulf Air flight from Dubai to Bahrain. But - I've got some time, I've made known my wishes for local food.

So far, all of the boning up I did on my arabic has come to naught. Most of the people where I'm working are Pakistani. When you go to a restaurant the help is frequently Filipino. Most of the laborers here are foreign. Apparently the Bahraini are paid by the government (oil revenues, etc) so there aren't many that are laborers. This isn't unusual in this part of the world, from what I've been told and heard in the past.

Anyway, since today is a day off I'm hoping the other guys'll get up soon and we can sightsee.

And the maid - he is an unseen presence who comes during the day while we're at work. I'll post pictures of the apartment sometime soon. It's nice.

ready....., steady........go!

I am going to try to keep up with nablopomo whilst in the midst of my trip. odds are I won't get very far - I haven't had more than 15 minutes for blogging since arriving, so you do the math.

In any event, I'll share the view outside of my apartment - in response to Scott's challenge from sometime back in the olden times when I was in the US and could keep up with what day it is.

These pictures were taken in front of the apartment building I'm staying in.


This is the view across the street from the entrance into the apartment building.



This is the view 90 degrees to the right.



this is the view from the window in the living room. That little slice of blue above the dirt is the Persian Gulf. There is A LOT of dirt here. This island is mostly rock. So the scenery has a overwhelming khaki color with random palms sprinkled in for a peek of greenery.

So, anyway, here's a start to the month. Wish me luck keeping up with it, the real work here hasn't even started yet.

tah dah

I'm here.

jeez.

I'm soooo tired, I'm going to bed.

adios, au-revoir, aufwiedersehen

I leave for Bahrain Sunday night. I have a 14 hour flight to Dubai, a 4 hour layover, and just over an hour later I arrive in Manama. Quite tired, I'm sure - which will be good as it'll be almost midnight local.

Things have been a tad busy this week. After 10 months of software development, my trip to Bahrain was finally approved - last Tuesday. I had plane tickets on Wednesday. Good thing I have a valid passport. The trip is scheduled for 3 weeks, I'll be getting home Nov. 20th. At least that's the current plan. I have 3 weeks to completely convert the data from their systems into mine, train the staff in two plants and the front office and support them after going live. I wouldn't be surprised if I wind up staying longer.

While I'm sure I'll be working long hours, especially at first, I hope to find time to explore. I'm quite looking forward to it. I haven't been able to find out much in the way of local landmarks, I'm hoping local plant management can help with that. At any rate, I'll be able to drink some european beer again. It's been 20 years since I've had a real Amstel.

I will be staying in some apartments the company rents for visitors. I think I'm expected to cook my own supper. All that way to eat ramen. But I won't have to clean up after myself, I've been told there's maid service. I sure as hell don't get that here.

We've spent all day getting ready. Did some last minute shopping. Spent the rest of the day doing laundry. And mowing the lawn. And changing the oil in Laura's car. And playing with the dog. All necessary pre-trip activities. And the most important is sitting on the kitchen counter with two glasses and a corkscrew beside it. Better get to it, can't go unprepared.

angry, moi?

Last week I did an interview post with questions from liv. The first question she asked was did anything bring out the meanie in me. I've been thinking about that question since then, but in a slightly different way than I originally did. I rephrased the question to ask myself - Do I get angry. Some people get angry and then get mean. I still maintain I don't get mean, but I do get angry occasionally. so, I thought I'd answer the question again - this time addressing what makes me angry.

Before I start, I want to make the distinction that I do not equate being upset at being angry. People who know me (in the flesh, so to speak - or IRL in internet speak) sometimes mistake me being angry when I'm really just upset. And I can understand it, as both look and sound similar - to a degree. And being upset sometimes leads to being angry.

One more thing - the older I get, the more I tend to rant (like I just did over here). that is neither me being upset or me being angry. It is just me wondering what the hell is wrong with people today can't they just get with the program and by the way I have the best program. So there.

I was gently nudged after the interview post that they had seen me angry, but thought it justified and therefore didn't really call me on it. But that started me thinking about the anger part of the question. It has been bugging me, ergo this post.

I get upset when I see injustice. I get angry when I experience it. Sometimes I get over it, and sometimes I don't. Here on the internet, you don't get to see me get angry much, as I walk away from what makes me angry and come back when I'm over it. I also avoid most hot button issues (be they political or religious or whatever) because they tend to be polarizing and I don't see any point it. I'm not going to change a Bush hater into a Bush lover or visa-versa, an athiest into a fundamentalist, or visa-versa. Express your opinion on a ballot or in a pew. Or not. But not here.

Anyway - I get angry and I get over it, or I don't.

An example of when I get angry and get over it: I read A LOT of blogs written by women. I'd say 90+%. I have always had an easier time making friends with women than with men, and my blog reading habits follow. I occasionally get angry when I see statements in these blogs and their comments about sisterhood, or motherhood, or women unite, or how much better their lives would be if they lived in a creche with other mothers, or once or twice how much better the world would be if women were running things, etc. I get angry because - I'm a guy. It immediately makes me feel that I've been insulted, that I'm not wanted, that I'm not of sufficient caliber to belong - it makes me feel unwelcome. I get defensive - not all guys are jerks, it isn't a solely male perogative to be a bad parent or a bad marital partner, or bad whatever. I take it personally. But I get over it. A couple of times I've left comments to the effect that PEOPLE are bad or good, are nurturers or insensitive louts, are good parents or not - these negative traits aren't solely the male purview. But most of the time I just don't say anything because - especially of the women who've I've read for a long time - I know that they do (sometimes having to be prompted) acknowledge that assholery is not limited to the male half of the population. I just let it go.

An example of getting angry and not letting it go: A few of you know that 3 years ago my son attempted suicide. He was in his first semester of college and living with my parents. They had gone out of town for a long weekend and came home to find my son had been throwing up all over the house, was passed out on the bed and they couldn't hardly wake him up. They called me and I came and got him and took him to the doctor. His doctor had us take him to the ER. The short story is that the doctor and the hospital assumed that he was a drug addict and this was an overdose - because his asthma meds showed a false positive for amphetamines on a broad spectrum drug test. Even though his tests clearly showed that his condition was caused by an excess of tylenol. (He came within a hairsbreadth of permanently damaging his liver or even losing it). What made me really really angry was that after a few days when he was lucid and he told the doctor what he OD'd on, his doctor refused to give a referral to psychiatric help because he felt that drug addicts did not do well in mental heath treatment. A few weeks after my son got out of the hospital I finally convinced the doctor to give him the referral (which my insurance required) but only if he passed a urinalysis to show he wasn't using. I am still angry as I write this, it burns deep inside me. I have no respect at all for this doctor and have lost a good measure of respect for doctors in general. I can find no excuse for him not only giving up on my son, but not even wanting to cooperate with me on me getting him the help he so desperately needed.

Most things I can shake off. I flare for a moment and then get over it and forget it. When I wrote my response to Liv's question I really had forgotten about the times when I'd left a snarky comment or rant on someones' blog. I started remembering them and here we are.

4's meme

in the interest of responding to at least one of the meme's I was tagged for (by the same @#$% blogger, but she's forgiven in the interest of blogger harmony and lower blood pressure) I'll repeat this one (as it's easier than the other!).

Four jobs I've held
a. grocery store general dogsbody/assistant
b. tree & limb general dogsbody/assistant
c. fish camp kitchen assistant
d. farm hand

Four films I could (do) watch over and over
a. Mr. Hulot's Holiday
b. North by Northwest
c. Young Frankenstein
d. Bringing up Baby

Four TV shows I watch
a. My Name Is Earl
b. The Daily Show
c. How It Is Made
d. Holmes on Homes

Four places I've lived
a. Monterey, CA
b. Glen Burnie, MD
c. San Rafael, CA
d. Ocean Springs, MS

Four favorite foods
a. falafel
b. my wife's meatloaf
c. german brotchen
d. peach nehi

Four websites I visit daily
a. earthlink email portal
b. the Houston Chronicle comics page
c. the New York Times
d. The Morning News

Four favorite colors
a. blue
b. depends on what it is and where it is as to what color I would like it to be.

Four places I would love to be right now
a. the beach
b. the mountains
c. on a mission to mars
d. on a cruise on the Nile

Four names I love but wouldn't/couldn't use for your children
a. Brittany Kay
b. Mephistopheles
c. Genevieve
d. butros butros ghali

Four last books you read
a. Tales of Ten Worlds, Arthur C. Clark
b. Lamb, Christopher Moore
c. Mr. Moto's Three Aces, John P. Marquand
d. Going Postal, Terry Pratchett

As per usual, I tag no one, and everyone - who cares to participate.

....begins with the fist step

Poor internets, I am neglecting you so. Things are getting busy around here, my oft-postponed trip to Bahrain is actually rapidly approaching. The travel dates haven't been selected, but all the preparation will be completed by the end of this month, so sometime in November......

It's looking like I will be gone for about 4 weeks and will probably repeat next spring (in between a trip to Pakistan will probably occur). So, I'm busy looking at visa requirements, getting an international driver's license (haven't had one of those in 17 years), checking for immunization requirements, reading up on the area, brushing up my arabic, etc. I'm having a difficult time concentrating on other things -like posting on my blog. I do take occasional breaks to read your blogs, though - all work, no play drives Bob nuts.

I did play a little last weekend, I went to Mountain Day. This is an annual celebration of the birthday of the founder of Berry College - Martha Berry. I meet my best friend (and roommate while there) almost every year there and we putz around, looking to see if we recognize anyone and walk around the main campus to see what's changed. The trip is mostly an excuse to spend some time with him, the college has changed so much and although it is a beautiful as ever (there's a slide-show like banner on the link above and here's a link to other pictures) every year I feel more and more detached from the school itself. I guess it's a combination of the changes there as well as the additional years of separation from who I was then vs. who I am now. So, less nostalgia, more how're things going (with beer and natchos) and a good time was had by all.

Liv's Interview

Liv over at Madness, Madness I Say offered to extend the 5 question interview meme to those who volunteered and despite my military background (the first thing they teach you in basic is NEVER volunteer for anything. look what happened the last time you raised your hand.....) I raised my hand.

1) You remind me of that line in "As Good As It Gets," where Jack Nicholson as Melvin Udall says to Helen Hunt, "in every single thought that you have, [and how] you say what you mean, and [how] you almost always mean something that's all about being straight and good." Is there ever a time where some inner "meanie" comes out? What is Bob's break point?

This is a difficult question as I rarely find myself in a confrontational situation (i.e. - a fight or knock down, drag out argument). I have A LOT of patience, I don't like to hurt other people's feelings, and I can usually find a way to see the other person's viewpoint even if I don't agree with it. So I rarely find myself in a situation where I want to deliberately hurt someone. Something happened years ago that has helped me develop this. The kids were maybe 4, and 5. I was in a particularly bad depressive cycle and they were doing something or another that really annoyed me and I snapped - I yelled at them. I have a very loud voice. I scared the hell out of them and I could see that. It about crushed me, seeing what my selfishness and lack of control did to them. I am so very ashamed of that. That was 15, 16 years ago and it still hurts. These days, I do my best to keep from putting myself in the position of reaching that breaking point.

I asked Laura if she remembered the last time I was mean to someone and all she could come up with was sometime recently I was on the phone with our help desk - one of the plants had called them with a problem and they called me late one night - she said that, while I wasn't rude, I was plainly annoyed. The situation wasn't a real emergency and it was late and the problem was something they had been trained to handle and this was someone who should've known better. I try not react like that because I want them to feel free to call me so that when they have a real problem they'll call instead of attempting to handle it themselves - and probably make it worse.

***edited to add*** Meno has reminded me of an incident! I left a rude comment on her blog, but immediately deleted it. The person I made the comment about never saw it, but Meno did. So I apologized to Meno. I am glad that it wasn't seen by the intended recipient, it wouldn't have accomplished anything except engender ill feelings.

2) You've danced around some dicey situations at work which led to some darker posts in midsummer. Where are you with that? Can you say?

While being as honest as I know how to be here, I don't mention specifics out of a ?misguided? sense of discretion. So, without directly naming the company I work for, I work for a textile manufacturing firm that had, as recently as 5 years ago, over 30 plants. 15 years ago, over 40. This company has been closing them down and, like most textiles today, is sourcing goods from overseas. We have 10 plants now, 2 of which are closing and 3 more of which are rumored to close by end of 1st quarter next year. Plain and simple, it is driving me nuts. I HATE that all of these people are being put out of work. Thousands of them. The system I support is used in all of our plants, so I personally know 10-20 people at each plant that have lost their jobs. Some of them with 20, 30, and some even 40 or more years with this company (and it's predecessors). I hate that the goods we are buying are (not always, but usually) of inferior quality that what we produced domestically. I hate that I've been here 17 years and am being forced to consider that I will soon have to look for another job. (soon = next year?, 18 months? 24 months?) So, the dicey situation at work is me being unhappy. I am dealing with it. I am doing my best to keep what is left of the company competitive, within the limits of what I control.

3) Beyond what the post of music selections in your last post, what are you listening to these days? Is there any new band or singer that's doing it for you?

I don't buy a lot of music when it comes out. For example, it took me 4 years to buy Black Eyed Peas album Elephunk, but it's in my CD player right now. Another older album I've bought recently and have been listening to a lot is Moby - Hotel. It is a two disc set, one of which is ambient - the one I usually listen to. I scanned the Bilboard charts to see if there was anyone there who I listen to/like and there are a few - Nickelback, Pink, and Matchbox Twenty are all groups I like. A group new to me is Plain White T's. I really like their single Hey There Delilah, I've heard it on the radio a good bit and I'd like to hear more of their stuff. But my most recent acquisition is an album I've wanted for years and could never find. It is listed on the music post, but since it is my most recent obsession I'll mention it here - The soundtrack to the Gene Wilder/Richard Prior movie Silver Streak. I LOVE IT. (the movie too!) I am a big, big, big Henry Mancini fan. As it turns out the soundtrack never had been released by the studio nor Henry Mancini, which is why I couldn't find it. Until now. I finally found it on an obscure label who's purpose is to find and release soundtracks such as this. The last album before this that I bought and played incessantly was Green Day's American Idiot. As it happens, their album Nimrod is in my wife's car's CD player right now.

4) A quote attributed to you is, "I will tell you that your supper was excellent even if I had trouble choking it down." (ahem.) If I were cooking dinner for you, what would be the perfect meal in your estimation?

ahem yourself! I like trying new food, finding out about dishes other people like and then seeing for myself. When I travel I like to find what the local specialties are and give them a go. If I get to go to Philadelphia I intend to visit the home of the philly cheese steak (Pat's AND Geno's). If I get to go to Chicago I intend to find the home of the deep-dish pizza - Pizzeria Uno. Etc., etc., you get the idea. So, the perfect meal for you to fix for me would be......a meal of your absolute favorite dishes. I would help make them and you would tell me as we eat why they mean so much to you, which would make it even more special.

5) Crete, huh? I'm pretty passionate about Greece, and am wondering what you think is so magical about the country that those who have spent any amount of time there hold the memories as delicately as a basket of peacock eggs.

A lot of what made Greece magical for us was - us. We lived on Crete for two years, moving there during our first year of marriage. Those first few years of marriage are an intense time for a couple and "things" mean so much. Also, both our kids were born there. Instead of Laura going to Germany to have the kids in an american military hospital and me quite possibly not able to be there, we decided to have them in a local maternity clinic. I was there. Aside from us, and more directly answering your question - One reason would be the people. We lived on the second story of a two story house, the owner lived downstairs. They involved us in their lives. One evening I had just gone to bed (I had a day shift coming up and had to be up at 5:00) when the owner's wife came knocking on the door and invited us down, their daughter had just got engaged and they were throwing a party. There were 30 or so people there, both families as well as friends and neighbors from the village, including their priest. They asked that we and the babies come down to join them. Oh - Greek people LOVE children. They are a family people. Everywhere we went, the women wanted to hold the babies, asking us their names, how old they were, etc. etc. We were flying home for a visit and were in the airport in Athens. There were a ton of the typical Greek old women there - you know, black shawl, black scarf over their head, black skirt, clunky black shoes - and we joined the line. It wasn't a minute before they started coming up, wanting to see our baby - he was passed from woman to woman all over they airport lobby. Wherever we traveled on the island, we found the Greek people to be warm, out-going, and hospitable. They'd invite you in, break out the raki, or that wickedly strong coffee - don't drink to the bottom of the cup or you'll get coffee mud. In addition to the people, the country is beautiful. You've seen the pictures. And history is all around you. The Minoans were sailing the mediterranean about 5 thousand years ago. There is some minor contention about whether the minoans influenced the egyptians or the egyptians the minoans. Everywhere you turn is something a few thousand years old - the palace at Knossos, the legendary home of the minotaur and the original labyrinth, as an example.

I am sure that this is not unique to Greece, but I haven't visited anyplace yet that matches it.

I am also sure that anyone's experience of anywhere they go is what they make of it. There were some people there when we were that hated it. I invariably find that when discussing traveling or living in other parts of the world someone will say that they didn't like it and then list their grievances. I've lived in a good handful of places here in the states and in a few overseas, and while there are some places I wouldn't necessarily want to live again, there was always something about every place that I liked.

the solstice has slipped

I was getting ready for work this morning and went into the bathroom to take a shower. This being a getting-on-for 70 year-old house we have no central A/C and so the bathroom window is kept open - in a futile attempt at a little air circulation. I started to shiver a bit in the morning coolness and ran a hot shower. I got into the shower, stepped into the water stream and that WONDERFUL feeling of hot water enveloping me, the initial sting of heat and then the relaxing warmth ran through me and I realized - this was my first hot shower since, what, March? April at the latest. I actually had to turn the hot water faucet further than a centimeter.

Fall might just have fallen.

Friday Miscellany

I finished testing a system change at 4:30 today and didn't really want to start something else, especially as it would take longer than the half hour I had left in my day. I've been wanting to do a music post of some sort, but I can't do the kind I want because blogger doesn't offer any space to store music files. Anyway, I've got a drawer full of CDs at work and a handful stacked on my computer. They've accumulated over time as I take in one I particularly want to listen to that day. So, I thought I'd build a list of what music I have at work and I could post it here.

I was going to post it here. I have 90 CDs at work. I didn't realize it was that many. So - I'm not going to type all of that here, but I thought I'd list some of them - a cross section of what I have.

The Corrs, Forgiven Not Forgotten.
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Left of Cool
K.D. Lang, Ingenue
Major Glen Miller and the Army Air Force Band, 1943-1944
The Cure, Mixed Up
Blink 182, Take Off Your Pants And Jacket
Pink Floyd, Animals
Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time
Paul Simon, The Rhythm Of The Saints
Tracy Chapman, New Beginning
Everclear, Songs From An American Movie Vol. One, Learning How To Smile
REO Speedwagon, The Hits
Barry White, All-Time Greatest Hits
Liz Story, My Foolish Heart
Eric Clapton, Unplugged
Jeff Lynne, Armchair Theatre
Depeche Mode, Violator
The B52's, Time Capsule
Ravi Shankar, Bridges
Coldplay, A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Aaron Copeland, Copeland the Populist (Rodeo, Billy The Kid, The Appalachian Spring)
Dave Grusin, Homage To Duke
The Mills Brothers, mix cd
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Deja Vu
Chet Atkins, The Essential Chet Atkins
Duran Duran, The Wedding Album
Chick Corea, Solo Improvisations From Japan
Scott Joplin, Collection
Henry Mancini, Silver Streak
Barenaked Ladies, Stunt


I guess 30 is enough for going on with here. A third of the collection. See anything you like? Not much new (I could have listed Corinne Bailey Rae - I guess I just did, K.T. Tunstall too - both given me by my daughter, probably in a futile attempt to update my musical tastes.) Kinda mixed, but I wanted to try show a cross section. Maybe you can tell me if one stirs a particular memory?

I hope you all have a good weekend.

.....finish last?

damn. I can't believe it's been two weeks. I am all scattered these days.

I am so scattered, in fact, it has taken me a week to acknowledge that Liv was sweet enough to give me this:




she is, of course, utterly delusional - but as she's been under a wee bit of stress lately, what with the moving and being near-death with the crud and all, I'll not burst her bubble.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I've always been the nice guy. I.e. not the one the girls fight over, but the one they complain to when he didn't pick them. So I suffer silently and hold their hand and tell them what a jerk he is not to recognize what a great catch she is and that he's not worth it anyway.

ANYWAY.

I have just spent a gajillion dollars on plane/car reservations for our trip to Kansas City. We are spending Christmas with Laura's family this year. It'll be the first trip since Laura's mom passed away and it'll be.....weird. I offered Laura a chance to go over labor day weekend and she wasn't ready for that first trip back yet. But by December I think enough time will have passed,Laura will have had time to prepare and having her family around will help. Maybe it'll be a white Christmas!


P.S. What exactly is in that picture? It looks like a woman's bare back w/brastrap and a ?knee? in the foreground, or maybe she's got scoliosis and has an extremely narrow posterior?

watching the tide

I figured I'd better write something here before the lock seizes up from rust and I cannot get in anymore.

It seems I have an inexhaustible supply of exhaustion lately, coupled with a complete lack of anything interesting going on. net effect, nothing blog-worthy for blog about. I guess I could say that Pat Benetar still has decent chops and was enjoyable despite, or maybe because of, the rainstorm. and that my wallet is now pink on one side, with the cordovan dye washed out of it (and into my pocket lining instead). and that when people started leaving my semi-drunk friend started calling them names, yelling that a little rain never hurt anyone (we'd both had about a six-pack by that time). and that we changed clothes behind the car, in the dark, hoping that no-one would enter or leave the parking lot, so of course while I was changing my idiot friend opened his door, turning on all of the interior lights just as someone was walking through the parking lot (poor guy, saw more than he was expecting....).

but that is boring stuff to anyone but him and me - just another war story to bore other people with next year.

I guess waiting for inspiration to strike, for something I think is interesting to anyone other than me, is turning into this miasma of nothingness that is my blog. I miss the interaction with y'all, writing the occasional comment on your (collective) blogs just ain't getting it. There's a few people I am worried about, De being sort-of overwhelmed with moving, Liv closing on her first house and moving, J seems to have found a mass in her breast, Egan having his world turned upside down and is anticipating separation anxiety (his), Scott's sister having cancer and his just having lost his dearest canine friend, Chani needing to find a community of like-minded thai-ists, etc. I don't say much lately, 'cause whatever I try to say comes out trite in the face of whatever is going on.

don't get me wrong, there's good too - amusing kicked some grad-school butt and is now available to be snapped up by some forward thinking company, grannyvibe has kicked cancer's ass, her 6 month MRIs are clear, meno is her usual, imperturbable self (except when being mistaken for someone ready for an AARP membership), Mir is slowly learning how to be a southern belle, Jen is finding unexpected joy in a 3 year-old package, etc.

And here I am, sitting on the bay watching the world cruise by on it's way to wherever it's going.

I'll be here when it gets back.