who remember's 78's?

Having been recently reminded of my neanderthal music collection, I am considering taking up a music's club periodic offer on discounted discs. The implication being that I need guidance in this area, in order to make sure I get an adequate sampling of current music, I am asking for suggestions. If you feel so inclined you could tell me why I should choose this over that - but it isn't necessary to justify your suggestions.

Please share some of your favorite music with me. Don't limit your suggestions to something you think I might like - I have an eclectic range of interests and am always open to new experiences.

Even if it took me 10 years to accumulate more CDs than I had records.

every day, in every way

"And then it happens. She steps into a permanent spot formed by his embrace, the years fall away...."

okay, so maybe it isn't impossible

but near enough.

I've been thinking about this all day today. I guess I should say a bit more than I did last night.

Oh, The Joy's post was titled "I don't hang out with your husband" and ended with "I just can't make friends with another woman's husband!" She then appealed to her readers to back her up "against" K, who didn't understand why this was so.

Now, I admit that in the post itself she says that it would be okay for her to spend time with the other dad - within the context of K being there and the dad's wife being there. J also explained further in her comment to my post that it would be possible for a married woman to be friends with a married man, but only if the friendship first developed within the context of the couples spending time together so the spouses could be part of the growing friendship and be comfortable with it. J goes on to say that a strong friendship between a married man and married woman could be misinterpreted.

K didn't understand this. Why did J have to have all future contact via the mom? Hence the appeal for help from her readers. The responses were interesting. At the time I read through all of the comments today, out of 86 comments, 62 agreed. (all but 5 of these were women). Only 9 comments disagreed, with 15 undecided. So - 75% of her readers whole-heartedly agreed. Some "chuckled at his (K) naivete", one mentions that "men are so clueless", one states "our men need a little help sometimes", one wrote "score you 1, hubby 0", one would mark her husband so other women would know to stay away, one mentions K needed "a manual on men & women" and the rest said mostly - yep, you're right. I talked to Laura about this at lunchtime. Where she works the staff is predominately female and she agreed that the majority of those women would feel the same way.

I take from all of this that there are two reasons why it isn't a good idea for this kind of friendship. 1) That the spouse would not understand or like it and 2) that the community wouldn't understand the platonic nature of the relationship.

Point 1: I contend that this is a matter of trust between the spouses. Laura and I have discussed this, she is fine with my female friends and feels no need for her to be involved in the friendship. I have no problems with her having male friends. I trust her. She trusts me. Maybe this level of trust is unusual, seeing that some of the 75% of J's supporting comments mention this. Maybe this level of trust comes after a certain amount of time - we've been married over 23 years. I know that Laura will honor our vows of fidelity. If a friendship of hers turned into an affair, that tells me that our marriage had problems in the first place that caused her to look outside it for whatever she didn't get from me. Me preventing her from having unsupervised contact with another man doesn't fix the inherent problem in our marriage. As for how the spouse of my friend feels about the friendship - that isn't my problem. That may sound blunt, cold, uncaring - but I am not responsible for her marriage. It is a matter for them to work out. It isn't my actions causing the problem - it is her behavior that is causing the problem with her spouse and it is up to her to deal with it. If she chooses to deal with it by ending our friendship, then that is her decision and I respect that. Julie Pippert mentions (my paraphrasing) that I should have respect for their marriage by being careful of the friendships I form with married women. I feel that the utmost respect I can have for someone's marriage is to recognize that they have the power and responsibility for maintaining it and that I don't. I have heard something to the effect that communities have a role in maintaining the marriages in it. I don't know that I agree with that - if the marriage isn't strong enough to prevent infidelity then all of the chaperoning by the community won't fix the problem, it will merely perpetuate a bad marriage. In other words, just because I didn't cheat on my wife through lack of opportunity doesn't mean I didn't want to - and it is the wanting to that is the problem, not the actual doing. A lot of people made fun of Jimmy Carter when he made his famous statement about lusting in his heart but what he was trying to say, in my opinion, was that it wasn't just the act itself that is considered cheating, but the desire to also.

2: I don't know what to say about how the community could misinterpret the friendship. This could be your neighbors or your church congregation or your book club, I guess anyone who knows you and sees you with a man other than your husband who might then think you are cheating on your husband. I cannot control what other people think. I don't really care what other people think - other than the spouses involved. I've addressed that in point 1 above. Worrying about how others think is instilled in us at an early age and is done so that we would conform to the local morays. Society protects itself by means of urging this conformance. But at what expense? So we can all live in the same house, all have the same 2.5 children, all go to the same church, all belong to the same lion's club or kiwanis club or jaycees, etc, etc, etc. At what point are we allowed to be individuals without the fear that if I don't go to the right church or belong to the right club I'll be outcast. Well - if the price of belonging means that I'm not allowed to be who I am then I don't want to belong.

Mir's take on this issue (and my post) was that 1) I was overreacting (yeah, probably) and that 2) that this kind of friendship wasn't impossible - that some women simply have more in common with women and so that's where their friendships are. I totally agree with her. But that isn't what J's post is about and it isn't what upset me. J said that she liked the dad but wouldn't hang out with him, be pals with him, have lunch dates (or pedicures) with him - because it just isn't right, it just isn't done.

Liv commented here that she (in effect) agreed that it is a matter of trust, but her comment over at J's post was that J was right, that "we've been through this! You must do it your way" Which, if I relate this to J's comment here, Liv is being consistant - there has to be trust between everyone. Maggie's comment reflects this attitude also. Okay, I accept that there must be trust - but for me the establishment of trust isn't between me and her husband, it is between me and my wife. It is up to my friend to have the trust of her husband.

Slow Panic, over at J's, agreed with her but over here has had another think at it and seems to agree with me, but made what was to me an interesting and somewhat ambiguous statement: "i guess i was thinking of hanging out with them like i hang out with the girls-- like going out and stuff. i don't know". So male friends are okay, but you still cannot "hang out" with them like you would "the girls?" Why not?

At first I didn't quite understand De's comment over at J's, except that her last statement about K being naive made me understand. Her comment here consolidated that understanding. my response is - How can jealousy exist if there is trust? I find them mutually exclusive. So, to prevent jealousy I have to make friends with both the wife AND her husband? And Laura has to make friends with him too? I don't know about other people, but how likely is it that I will meet a woman I want to be friends with and ALSO find that I feel the same about her husband? I find that unlikely and unreasonable. How many potential friends am I losing if I had to stay away from couples that I didn't like equally?

Julie Pippert was one of those wholly supportive over at J's, she mentions that it just doesn't look right and all friendships have to include both spouses. Which she refines here to say that you have to be "careful of the dynamic and respectful of their marriage" and goes on to say that most people have run into problems with this type of friendship and goes further by saying that trust isn't the issue here. I have to say that I disagree, it is all about trust. I also made my position clear with regard to having to be responsible for their marriage - I'm not. She concludes by saying that she personally doesn't have time for these relationships, her life is full of other things - and she lists friends as part of those things. I am left to assume that these are female friends.

Jen - you were one of the very few who disagreed with J and you've repeated that here, in your own succinct way. It is nice to know that I'm not the only one.

Lee - that's a cop out, girl. Take a stand! Join the fray.

I want to close this novel by saying one more thing to J. She was really nice to say in her comment here that she didn't mean to be discouraging me and that I should continue to form friendships where I can find them. I appreciate that, but I can say that even after having thought this through, If I accept what you and your readers are telling me then I have a really hard road ahead of me. As I have said to others and also here in other posts - I have a hard enough time finding people I want to be friends with without having these extra hurdles to overcome. I guess I will have to treasure those friendships I make even more because there will be fewer of them.

that seals it

I give up.

read the comments. I guess there really isn't any - or enough - trust in marriage for friends of the opposite sex to be possible.

I'm so fucking tired of wondering why, and now I know. Even if everything else is there for friendship, I'm not allowed.

so I'm not trying any more.

Yeah.

Just exactly how is someone supposed to feel when they are being interviewed by someone whose goal is to replace you?

The company I work for periodically hires a consulting firm to review our operations and to recommend changes that would improve it. This has happened at least 4 times (maybe more that I'm not aware of) since I've worked here. Let's review their performance. When I started this company had @40 facilities and we were the 2nd largest textile firm in the world. Today we have 1 production facility and 4 distribution centers (domestic) and 1 facility overseas. I guess I shouldn't blame the shift of manufacturing in the US to off-shore totally on them, but I am not in the mood to be fair. Anyway, this round of consulting resulted in the recommendation that we (the collective "we", i.e. this company) should review the Finance, Customer Service, and IT areas.

So, the implementation of this recommendation is to hire the company that we have already outsourced our A/P function to to study these areas - ostensibly to prepare an objective recommendation of how to cut costs in these areas. This same company that provides services in these additional areas.

Yeah.

So, any doubts as to whether our company will implement the recommendations that we've paid so much for?

Yeah.

So I was interviewed two weeks ago now by someone from this outsourcing company. He asked all of about 6 questions, with a few variations on the theme of those questions. No searching questions about my day to day responsibilities, no deeply analytical questions about the system I support and it's role in the running of the company. No questions about who uses the system and their role in this company.

Yeah.

Today I am to complete a list of (currently) outstanding tasks, their scope, and the time it would take to complete the work.

Yeah.

Any guesses as to my next writing project? My resume.

Yeah.

a meme is a meme is a meme

as I lie here on my deathbed, up to my eyebrows in used tissues and empty packets of @#$%$!@$%good for nothing cold remedies I am reminded I have been tapped on the shoulder for the two's meme. As I have been reminded that I don't turn down courteous requests (read: sucker for a pretty face and easily susceptible to flattery) I hereby present my answers:

1) Two names I'm willing to answer to: Bob and Robby

2) Two things I'm wearing right this very minute: t-shirt and flannel lounge-wear.

3) Two things I want in a relationship: honesty and loyalty.

4) Two of my favorite things to do: be with Laura, spend time with my friends.

5) Two things I want very badly at the moment: access to the cure for the common cold, the willpower to do what needs to be done.

6) Two people who I think will fill this out: Idon'tknow and Idon'tcare

7) Two things I did last night: go to the grocery store, blog

8) Two things I ate today: chicken fingers with rooster sauce, Beef & vegable soup.

9) Two people I last talked to: Laura and a perky co-ed from my alma mater wanting money.

10) Two things I'm doing tomorrow: ordering rebuild kits for the faucets in our tub and sink, write a weekly status report at work.

11) Two longest car rides I've ever taken: well, if you define this as longest continuous car ride (no overnight stops) then it would be the 15+ hour drive between here and Kansas City last year (several times last year) and the 14 hour drive between Baltimore and Kansas City. If you include overnight stops, then from Georgia to California when I was ?10? and from California to Texas when Laura and I first married.

12) Two most favorite holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas, they are both celebrated with family.

13) Two most favorite beverages: a cold pitcher of beer shared with my best friend, a bottle of Brut champagne shared with Laura.

14) Two people no longer living I'd like to talk to: My great grandfather - he was born in the 1880's and lived until the mid-'70s. I'd love to have him tell me what it was like to live through world-war I, the roaring 20's, the depression, world-war II, etc. all in rural Georgia. Thomas Jefferson - he was one of the last true renaissance men. He was a man, a husband, a farmer, a slave-owner, the author of the declaration of independance, an ambassador, a governor, a president, his library was the kernel of the library of congress, an architect, a vintner, a lawyer, a ruthless politician, a man who thought there should be little if any central government but was the first president to consolidate power into the presidency - I could go on, and I see that I have gone on for far too long.

Time

This past weekend was our (flexible) Christmas meet-up with my best friend and his LONG TERM girlfriend (for those of you accusing me of hiding eligible bachelors from you). We met at a restaurant in Lithonia armed with bags-o-presents. Although I had seen David several times last year this was the first time since our last holiday get-together we had all been together so we caught up on all of the goings-on of each other. Laura talked about her trip to Europe last May, I talked about my trip to Bahrain, Iris about her daughters and other family and David about David. After several hours we exchanged gifts and when it came time for mine, David and Iris both were watching me, rather intensely I thought, and when I opened it I saw why. It was in a small box, in which was a leather drawstring bag, out of which I pulled a silver pocket watch with chain & fob. My breath caught in my chest. It. is. beautiful. It has an intricate engraved pattern, and the dial features the day of the week at the top and date to the right. David explained that he had been wanting to do something special for me, for being there for him when his Dad, and then his Mom passed away. He almost started crying and I had to fight from starting. I mumbled something about what are friends for and then the moment passed and we went back to chatting about this and that.

David and I met when I was a freshman in college (we can't decide if it was late '80 or early '81). He was a few years ahead of me. At the beginning of my sophomore year we became roommates. He would occasionally invite me home for the weekend and so I met his family. His father and uncles were the 2nd generation of craftsmen making furniture. David would take me to the shop and once in a blue moon I would help them on a project - I've helped glue-up desks they were refinishing for the Georgia Senate, I've helped David pull pews out of a church for them to fix and refinish. His father spoke slowly & deliberately, and had a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips about almost anything you cared to talk about. David's mom was as sweet as they come. From the beginning she treated me like one of her own children. When I visited she'd tell me - you know where everything is. Help yourself, you're not company, you're family. When I met and married Laura and brought her to visit, she was welcomed as a new daughter in the family. Through the years when passing through this part of the world we would always visit - and there was always a place for us in their home.

David lost his parents within a year of each other. In both cases, he was living with them, taking care of them. In both instances I took some time off of work and went up to be with David. I didn't do anything special, just hung around and kept him company. I wanted to do more, but didn't know what. I miss his mom and dad, they were among the few constants I've had in my life of moving around. They were always there, glad to see me. I wish I could've done more for them, been there more often but daily life got in the way, raising a family and earning a living - Conyers was always just too far for a spontaneous visit.

At each of their funerals I was reminded of how much they had meant to me and how much David means to me. No matter where I've lived, nor of all of people that have come and gone in my life he's always been my best friend. We were talking Sunday about how we'd be telling each other years from now all of the different ailments we had and what pills we were taking instead of what concert we'd like to see or what bar to visit and I realized that - we would. That no matter what the future held for us, we'd be a part of each other's.

And the pocket watch will be a reminder of that - as if I needed one.

Happy New.....well, luke-warm, no actually cold like a dead fish new year

Sorry for the absence, but I kinda took a break from writing this blog when we went on vacation to spend Christmas with Laura's family. We had a great time, (almost) everyone was doing great. I got to meet my new nephew and he is quite the handsome young man I must say. His sister is a precocious two-year-old who likes PINK! Everything must be PINK! She wanted a train set for Christmas (PINK!) but Santa didn't find it until after, so it will have to be a birthday gift (if she remembers that long).



All in all our trip to KC was great. There was lots of snow (great) but a good bit of ice (not so great) and lots of family (super-great). We got to see everyone and still had time for the new museum addition and BBQ! Twice, even. Laura and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary while there (I'll have to check, if I haven't related the tale of our wedding I'll have to do so sometime). We're a bunch of old farts, all we did was go out to dinner (japanese steak house, the only part of which Laura talks about is where they were tossing shrimp into the upturned mouths of customers). We are planning to make our 25th an event with a trip to Greece (where our marriage took off and the kids were born). Anyway, we had fun in KC and left it as we found it - being snowed on.

After we got home I almost immediately got sick. AGAIN! The nerve of those cold bugs, hitting me before and after Christmas. This time it is even worse. I went from having a sore throat to thinking I was going to die from the pain every time I coughed, to loosing my voice (some people count that as a positive!) to being a lethargic, unproductive lump up until today, when I am a merely partly productive lump. I am attempting to work today (although I don't know if my boss thinks so or not) but I am not sure I will last the day out. To top it off, one of the meds the doctor gave me is playing havoc with my prostate and urinating has become somewhat a chore. (I know, TMI, but if I'm suffering, so will you) So, who knew the price to pay for getting my voice back was restricted water works.

In brighter news (and not so personal) this weekend I am meeting with my best friend and his clan (or maybe just his girlfriend - I don't know yet) to do Christmas/New Years/birthday(his). No drunken debauchery as we both are driving but I think we'll manage to have fun.

I'm sorry for having dropped off of the face of the earth, I don't have but a few readers as it is to risk losing them for lack of presence - I promise to do better. cross my heart and hope to... well, no need to go that far.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

We made it to Kansas City yesterday and were welcomed by a snow storm. It alternated between those big, fluffy, wet flakes and hard little ice particles that sting like hell when they're driven into your ear by 20 MPH winds when you're trying to scrape the ice off of your rental car having just emerged from a warm airplane bringing you from 65 degree southern clime.

Oh, and to top it off 3 of our bags were lost by the airline. Two (both my son's) were found, flown in and delivered this afternoon. Mine was found this evening and, according to the lost luggage website, is to be delivered sometime between 8:00 PM and 8:00 AM. Uh huh.

Laura's winter coat was packed in my suitcase. As was all of my stuff, including my meds. Luckily I have been using wally-world's $4.00 prescriptions and they will fill it wherever you are, so I called it in and picked it up this morning. Tonight is our 23rd wedding anniversary. For a while our dinner choices were limited to Wendy's 'cause all I had to wear were the khakis and golf shirt I wore on the flight here. But - I remembered that I get lost baggage insurance anytime I buy a plane ticket using my am-ex so I get $200 per passenger for any luggage delays over 6 hours. So - I went shopping for an outfit (inside and out) and we went to a Japanese steak house and ate way too much.

Tomorrow is the big get-together here with all of Laura's family. A HUGE dinner is planned, gifts are exchanged and mayhem ensues. It should be a blast.

I wish for you all a Merry Christmas. I'll try to send a little snow your way.

oh, the weather outside is frightful

3 days before we take off for Kansas City and Laura is in her usual pre-trip "ohmygodthiswholehouseisamessitneedstobecleanedtoptobottomorIwon'tcomehome" panic. This means she alternates between full-bore cleaning mode to oh, what's the use it'll never get done.

We do this every time. I admit, it takes a good bit of patience on my part. I do what I'm told, stay busy when she is, and when she bounces the other way I jolly her out of it and keep on working. It makes the week before we go anywhere, ah, hectic, but I will admit that we come home to a clean slate.

Up until the clean-a-thon began I've been mostly working on cars, stuff that Laura's been saving up for me. I guess I left the last of Bahrain behind me Saturday when it rained all. day. long. (The last thing I fixed was the windshield wipers). AND - they're predicting snow for Saturday in Kansas City.

Things are back to normal.

Snort, slurk, snerk.

*** edited because I can't spell and ONE PERSON WHO WILL REMAIN NAMELESS pointed it out***

This week has been surreal, if only because it has been experienced through the haze of cold medicine. I am in the grip of the ague and there are doubts as to my longevity.

Thank GAWD for Nyquil.

I am now on vacation until January 2nd. It actually started yesterday but I don't know if it should count as I certainly don't feel like I'm on vacation. I have actually accomplished something, though - I've been getting car problems fixed. 1.5 down, .5 to go. (A part has been ordered, it will be installed Monday).

We are having TWO Christmas' this year. This Sunday we are going to my parent's. We are supplying turkey and dessert. (So I do kinda get my missed home-cooked Thanksgiving after all!) Next Saturday we are flying to Kansas City and are celebrating Christmas yet again - on the traditional date - with my wife's family. Everyone is looking forward to the trip. It will be a bit of a challenge, though, as it will be our first trip back since Laura's mother passed away last December. I was in Bahrain on the 4th, the 1st anniversary of her mother's passing and I couldn't be here with her. She won't have to face this one alone.

OOF!

I am home!!!!!!!!!

It felt a little surreal, leaving the airport after that 15 hour flight and trek through customs, seeing trees, pine needles, orderly traffic (well, as orderly as traffic in the ATL gets - which is NOTHING compared to the rally island traffic is) and wet ground (it had rained earlier). I am still a bit jet-lagged and i have A FRICKIN' COLD. ARGH. Even still, I am SO happy to be home.

I am getting used to normal workdays, fighting the cats for my supper, and being able to reach out and touch Laura whenever I want to. In some ways I didn't realize how much I missed her, in others I was never in any doubt. Going to the store, deciding how to deal with the car that won't start, helping to cook supper, all the little things we do for each other I am constantly being reminded of now that I'm home and she is next to me on the couch again. It was a good thing I had 80+ hour work weeks while gone, I don't know how else I could have dealt with being away from Laura for so long without all of my time being so thoroughly occupied.

Before I left Bahrain and disappeared from blogland Liv tagged me for a twist on the 7-things meme.

• Sloth - I do have a tendency to procrastinate, and have been known to do things at the last minute. Critical items are completed but it will take a while sometimes to complete the hit list.
• Lust - I defer to President Carter, I have lusted in my heart - only - and as such those instances go with me to the grave. There have been one or two temptations but I have not acted upon them. Should I meet any of you in person that tally may increase.
• Gluttony - pretty much only in the literal sense of the word - I CANNOT walk away from a buffet without having tasted of everything. In a wider sense of the word, I have an almost insatiable appetite to travel without the means to do so. I take my opportunities as I get them.
• Anger - They say that depression is suppressed anger. In that case, I must have a mountain of it! These days I do not get really angry any more, at least to the point where I explode. I try to maintain an even keel and have only the occasional flare-up. However, if I am to achieve my goal of being a crotchety old man I have some cutting loose to do.
• Vanity - I was extremely self-conscious as a teenager - who isn't? - but these days I could pretty much care less. I never did fancy myself as attractive nor did I preen. Today I like to dress for the occasion and will feel uncomfortable if I miss the mark for the occasion, but that is mild and I get over it. My best friend likes to tell people about the time in college when I wore a suit to metals class and although I spent the hour turning a knurled key holder on a metal lathe I didn't get a spot on my clothes. Those days are long gone.
• Greed - I wish I had more money - again, who doesn't - but only so I could do the things I want (travel, financial peace of mind). I don't want a lot of money, a big house, a fancy car (but would love to drive one once in a while!) or the headaches that come with them. I have accepted where I am and what I have and don't want the greener grass (it is often gained with liberal applications of manure).
• Envy - like above, I don't really want much so I don't have much to be envious of. I guess if I had to pick something, I am envious of those who have the financial freedom to do what they want when they want.

I hope I have been honest with myself (and you too) in the writing of this list - I think I have. We all have a certain degree of fiction we tell ourselves so that we will be happy with who we are. I know that I could be a better person and I can hope for the day when I have the wisdom and ability to get there. Until then, this list will have to do.

In any case, feel free to correct me on the list above, my rose-colored glasses may be a shade or two too dark for me to see myself clearly.

take note

take note
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

I'd been nominated chauffeur for the accounting guys that came in last weekend - kinda fell into it, actually as I'd been driving while everyone was gone. I had been relegated back to rider status when they returned and reclaimed their vehicles, but when the accountants came in the head honcho here dug out an extra car (it had been parked in his garage since his wife went home) and gave it to me. Pretty much with the understanding that I would accomodate them. And actually, I've had a good time taking them places (despite the parking ticket) and have seen more of downtown this week than the 5 weeks previous. Of course, I haven't had much time to do this in the last 5 weeks, but them needing a ride gave me the confidence to tackle down down traffic and to find places. I've decided next time I'm here I'll spend more time doing that - heading off downtown, finding the places I wanted to go this trip but didn't feel comfortable asking anyone to take me or brave enough to do it on my own. With familiarity comes confidence.

Tomorrow is my last day at work, and if today was any guage, it will be a bitch. I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to fit in last minute meetings and training sessions. I am going in early to get some grunt work done before everyone else gets there. I've been asked out to dinner tomorrow by one of the local guys, I am looking forward to it - I just hope the head guy here isn't organizing anything or I'll have to decide which to attend.

I will admit that I am using the last of my patience, I am so anxious to get on that airplane and go home. In a way I hope tomorrow is busy, it will fly by. A little shopping Friday morning and leave mid-afternoon. And not a moment too soon.

1 day and a wake-up.

night

cold store

cold store
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

These little stores are everywhere. I don't know why they are referred to as cold stores. This is about as small as I've seen one, the one just down the street from us is maybe 3 times bigger - which isn't saying much. They have a little bit of everything - including McVitie's Hob-Nobs (which I am munching on as I type, trying to keep the crumbs out of the keyboard). People double and triple park outside of these places, and will occasionally beep their horn to get the attention of someone inside - curb-side service? I was warned when I got here that when I get something, don't take my money out until they ring it up - supposedly things get more expensive if they see you have plenty of money. I personally think that if they were that greedy, they would be ringing things up higher for foreigners whether they see your money or not. Which maybe they do? I haven't seen it, and the prices I've been paying don't seem to be high.

two days and a wake-up.

ma salama.

ground breaking

ground breaking
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

Okay, I promise this is the last post about dirt - but I had to show you this. This is the groundbreaking for the new waste processing system. The machine on the right is a pneumatic jackhammer attached to the end of a boom of a back hoe. They had to use it to create some ground for them to shovel for this ground breaking.

I am on one big rock, with a dust coating.

3 days and a wake-up.

be seeing you.

take a picture of my bear!

take a picture of my bear!
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

This is the (silent) owner of the bear.

Today was the start of the week. Worked all day on this and that, broke camp at 6:30 and headed for the villa. Tonight was italian. Most of the restaurants around here have entertainment, a singer who plays either the piano or the guitar accompanied by a beat box or better. Usually pretty good, and usually Fillipino.

Today we had a ground breaking for a major project to improve the waste treatment facility. They had tables set up that displayed the plans for the project, with refreshments. Several people took turns turning a shovel full of rock (broken up previously with a backhoe-mounted jack hammer). All major projects get at least his level of ceremony. When they broke ground for a new building here, they sacrificed 3 sheep. They were then cooked and served to everyone at a feast. I'm glad this didn't rate that level of ceremony.

4 days and a wake-up.

syonara.

Hard Rock Bahrain

Hard Rock Bahrain
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

After we left the Gold Souq yesterday we zig-zagged a block (or two) and pulled up in front of the Hard Rock Cafe, Bahrain. Several of us had had requests for a tshirt and it was about the right time, so we went in and had lunch. They had this big glass wall with different scenes representative of here (although I've seen a camel crossing sign, I've yet to see an actual camel). I take the picture and when I put the camera down I see the little boy from the table holding up his bear. His mom was telling him to get out of the way, but I asked if he wanted me to take a picture of his bear. I didn't notice until I downloaded this picture that his bear had already had his picture taken.

Today we knocked off at 1:00 PM, so I did get my half-day off. The guys who came in a day or two ago asked if I would take them out the King Fahd Causeway so we did. Afterwards we went back downtown, apparently some of the fake watches had fake winding stems that came off. So we went back to exchange them. I don't know what they did for him but I heard they got out a tool set. I didn't ask, I don't know him that well and if he got done over in his deal I didn't want to remind him of it by bringing it up. Anyway, we left the souq and when we got back to the car, I had a damned parking ticket. ARGH! My first one in 19 years. I don't have a clue what to do, I will start finding out tomorrow. I briefly considered just tossing it. Technically, the car isn't registered to me, I wasn't there at the time so they don't know me from adam's housecat. I believe the car is registered to the wife of the head man here. She doesn't live here anymore, so they can't exactly go after her either - but when it's time to renew the registration it would be held up until the unpaid ticket is cleared up. So I didn't toss the ticket - like I really would have. I feel really stupid for having got it. I didn't feed a parking meter. Well - I'm paying for that parking space now.

We grilled out tonight - beef and lamb kabob, steamed asparagus, grilled tomato halves with olive oil & parmesan cheese, potatoes au gratin, garlic bread, and fruit salad for desert. We all pitched to prep and clean up afterwards and hung around the roof deck - until the ball game started. Everyone peeled off to find a TV. So here I am, and they're all deciding how long to watch before calling it a night. Some are planning to get up at 4:00 AM to watch the "big" game. I wish them a good game, I'm sleeping through.

5 days and a wake-up (sounded better than six days).

toodles.

day 30

dominoes
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

We went downtown to the Gold Souq today, it's near old-town Manama. We were walking down the street and I heard a SLAM! and turned to see these gentlemen playing cutthroat dominoes.

Several of the guys visiting here wanted to buy fake rolexs, and this was the place to get them. As I had no interest in either gold nor knock-off watches I wandered around. There were all kinds of small businesses selling mostly jewelry and knick-knacks (hookahs, table runners, pewter camels, magic boxes (puzzle boxes),etc.) You are expected to dicker, no one pays the price on the label. One of the permanent party guys here likes to go just to haggle. He rarely buys the thing, but he's damned good at getting their best price.

So - as you can see - I got a rare day off. It was nice to wander around a bit. I'm just getting a feel for how the city is laid out. I wish I had some real time off to explore, I think I would love old-town Manama. I've been on an island for almost 5 weeks and haven't been anywhere near the water. Oh well, maybe next time.

7 days and I'm on a plane....

day 29

this is behind the hospital
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

despite evidence and rumors to the contrary I am actually on this planet and not 250,000 miles away. Here's a bit of greenery that could not survive in that other environment. (ignore the shadows pointing the wrong direction).

Hoo boy, this place is jumping. All the permanent party folks are back and there's a host of visitors (like myself). So, no more quiet. Confusion will reign for a while. it's already started - someone was left at the apartment this morning. Lunch is being ordered in due to the logistics of trying to get a large number of people out somewhere. I fully expect a mess trying to figure out whose food is whose. Oh well. no big deal, it'll iron itself out.

8 days............

day 28

Picture on observation deck
Originally uploaded by greens n cornbread

our production methods are state-of-the-art, the envy of our competitors.....

I'm afraid I have nothing witty, pithy, observational, or otherwise of interest to contribute today. More visitors are arriving, people are starting to return from vacation so routines are about to change. I think my driving days are about up, the person whose vehicle I am using is supposed to be back as of today. That will bite, I have enjoyed the freedom even if I haven't had much use for it. I will attempt to commandeer it from time to time for various nefarious activities.

9 days left!

aloha.