Creatures Everywhere

With the heat come many creatures! I can't stand it. I don't do well with creatures. Never have. Never will! Pretty much everyday on our walks, Benny & I encounter at least one lizard. I jump and scream every time one scurries in front of us. My jumping and screaming get Benny excited, so he starts jumping on me and barking. The lizards are not very big, but I am still scared of them.

While Scott's been in Virginia, I decided to keep myself busy by cutting the grass. Notice I did not say, mow the lawn. I cut the grass with hedge clippers. I decided to cut the largest of the three areas of grass we have. I did it in 10-minute chunks because it is sooooooo darn hot here. It took a total of about 3-hours. It was worth it in the end. Today, I figured I would cut another section. Before starting to cut, I watered the third section. I was watering the flowers within that section and then all of a sudden a mouse ran out. I pretty much had heart failure! I dropped the hose, screamed, jumped, and ran in to the house. Benny was right behind me. The mouse ran in the opposite direction, the driveway. I wouldn't have cared except that the kitchen door is over there and Benny's doggy door was open. I ran to the kitchen & locked the doggy door. It's been locked all day. It will be locked all day tomorrow. Benny will have to hold it until I get back from work. I'm not risking a mouse getting in here! Scott will need to do a thorough look around the house and convince me it's safe. He thinks I'm nuts anyway.

The flies here are so annoying. They are so persistent. I can shoo a fly away 20-times before it leaves me alone. They're much smaller than our flies, although once in a while I see these gigantic flies with red eyes. Those flies don't hover around me & annoy me. They usually fly away when I get close. I'm sick of the flies.

Benny has been enjoying the cut grass. Today I caught him laying in the sun, smelling the air & then collapsing asleep. He has such a tough life.

My new favorite fruit is the mangosteen. It's not what you're thinking. It's not a Jewish mango! Just kidding. It's a fruit from Thailand. Scott & I heard about it on TV over here. It's a purple fruit. Apparently the purple fruits have the highest amount of antioxidants in them. I stumbled upon them at the grocery store and bought about a dozen of them. The Indian guy in the produce section helped me out. I didn't know how to pick them. Anyhow, you cut open the purple peel and 6 wedges of a white fruit are inside. They feel slimy and squishy. The largest wedge has the seed in it. They are absolutely delicious. I've never tasted anything like it. It's tart yet sweet. The texture is almost that of a peach. I can eat 6 at once. They are not sold fresh in Northern America because of fear of the fruit fly infecting our crops. So, we will enjoy them while we are able to over here.

There was a chicken pox outbreak at school last week. Fortunately, I had them when I was 23. A horrible experience but I'm glad I got them over with! Unfortunately, not one of my students went out with them. Bummer! I am feeling the length of this school year now. I want it over. We have about 3-weeks left. I don't think they'll pass quickly enough. I'm ready for a break. The kids are ready for a break. The parents are ready for a break. This heat doesn't help. It's so bad. It was 114 last Tuesday!

Scott called and went over all the stuff he bought while in Virginia. Of course, he bought a few extra things. He claims that I always buy extra junk, but he's just as bad! I'm excited to have him home tomorrow. It's tough being alone so far away from friends and family. Luckily I have my side-kick, Benny boy!

The Pleasant Heat

We are now experiencing what's known as the pleasant heat. There is nothing pleasant about this heat. It has been over 100-degrees all week. The water coming out of the faucets is ALWAYS HOT. No need to turn the cold water on. I think brushing my teeth with water this temperature has been the worst, so far. Warm water would be tolerable but hot water is torture! Apparently, the temperature goes up to as high as 130-degrees. I don't know how I will be doing at that point. I'll let you know.

Scott leaves for Virginia on Tuesday. I will be alone yet again. He'll be gone for just under a week. The only positive thing about him going back to the states is that he can pick-up a whole bunch of things we need here & can't really find. Oddly enough, the most important thing we need is a door stop. They are non-existent here. We looked for some while in Italy and found a sort-of door stop. We need the real thing! He also needs to get some furniture stain to repair the dresser I burned a hole in and of course he needs to get Benny boy a bunch of treats.

Work is good. I told my kids that Scott installed a hidden camera in the room & that I record everything and watch it at the end of the day. I had to tell them this because I need to leave the classroom periodically for a minute or two. Each time I've done this, I've come back to a bunch of wild animals. Now things are great when I leave the room. The best part which cracks me up is randomly, throughout the week, one of the kids will raise their hand to inform me they've discovered this non-existent camera. Apparently, it's the head of a nail in the wall, a hole next to the white board and even a crack in the ceiling. They are going crazy trying to find it. It's pretty funny stuff. I have to be very serious when I talk about the camera. I want to laugh the entire time. Their faces are priceless. I had the mother of one of my kids tell me that her son told her about the camera. I immediately thought, oh ____! She went on to say that she knew it wasn't true and that she thought it was the smartest thing to tell her son. She knows how nutty he & all his little sidekicks are.

The principal came up to me Thursday (which is our Friday) and told me that an American man was coming to the school & she wanted to show him my room. I said fine & pretty much forgot about it. At the end of the day, there he was. He just moved to Bahrain 2-months ago & his wife & kids were coming in the summer. One of his sons will be in the 3rd grade next school year. He wanted to ask me about the school. I was honest with him and told him the positive & negative stuff. Funny what a small world this is. He is also from LA. We talked about so many things and places we had in common. He also lived in Memphis for a few years. I finally asked him what he was doing in Bahrain and he told me that he's a professional basketball coach. He's here to coach one of the Bahraini professional teams. I had absolutely no idea they had a professional, let alone any type of basketball team here. I was really shocked. Anyhow, he told me to look for his son's name on my roster next year & that Scott & I would be attending many basketball games this coming season. I'm pretty excited about that!

Benny's fine. He's as dramatic as ever. No swimming lessons this week. We just didn't have the time. I've had a pretty bad cold which has just made the last few days miserable for me. Benny's not enjoying this heat very much, poor guy. At least he stays in an air-conditioned house all day. He's a lucky dog compared to the ones I see out on the streets. My heart breaks when I see them!

All in all it was a pretty calm and uneventful week. I like it when things are calm & uneventful. Until next week, stay well!

Culture is a Four-Letter Word

Thursday was my class's much anticipated Culture Day Celebration. We had been studying different cultures of the world. From America to China to Europe, we traveled all over the place in class and learned quite a bit about different cultures and their traditions. I tiptoed around the religion section and pretty much told them to ask their parents or Islam teacher any questions related to religion. The staff has been very clearly informed that we are not to talk about religion with the kids.....at all! Funny, though, the mother of one of my students told me that her daughter loves having me as her teacher, "Even though you are a Christian." Can you imagine someone telling you that? What if the table was turned? I often have to remind myself of where I am and with whom I am speaking.

Back to the party........the kids brought in food for the party. To this group, culture means FOOD. My goodness! We had a feast for about 100 people. The home cooked food was amazing. These mothers really went all out. The mothers here are very competitive. I know they were trying to outdo each other with the food they sent. It was fine by me, because I enjoyed every bite! I couldn't stop eating the sweets. The guilt I felt afterwards was horrible! I, of course, brought in an American dish. I thought and thought about what I could make. Then it hit me. What's the most American food out there that 8-year-olds love? Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, of course! My kids see me eating it everyday for lunch and always ask about it. Now was their chance to try it. I had Scott bring home some Wonder white bread, Jiffy peanut butter & Welch's strawberry jelly. I made a dozen sandwiches, cut them in quarters, and placed them in a tin tray. The kids gobbled them up. They LOVED them! What was more amazing was that the secretaries & school counselor popped in (they can smell food a mile away) and asked about the sandwiches. I explained what they were and how popular they are in the US with kids & adults. After some lip pursing and chin crunching they decided to give them a try. They went "nuts" over them! Now I know what to take to any potluck I'm invited to over here. Can't get easier than PB&J.

Benny is doing fine! He has been "swimming" three more times since his video debut. I guess we could say that he is a little more comfortable in the water. He still has to be carried in by Scott. We have tried everything we can think of to get him in on his own. Oh well! The good news is that now he knows how to swim towards the steps to get out instead of clinging to the side of pool. Poor guy! Scott has been doing a great job with the chicken.

Scott & I are well. We are starting to boil. Much of our time is spent indoors now. It's just too miserable out. Luckily, there are these great malls and super centers to spend the day in. I love grocery shopping in the super centers. They bring food in from all around the world. The cookie and cracker choices are so interesting. We'll miss having these unique treats. The frozen appetizer style food is also so good. We get a lot of Middle-Eastern stuff as well as some Indian. The restaurant choices here are plentiful. There's everything form TGI Friday's, McDonald's, KFC, BK, and Subway to amazing Middle-Eastern, Persian, and Turkish restaurants. We, of course, eat at the latter. We can't get enough of this stuff. Who would eat at BK when you can have lamb kabobs with amazing sides?

The Military Working Dogs here wear special booties so that their pads don't blister when they walk in this heat. It was recommended that we get some for Benny. We ordered him a set. We'll be trying them out soon. Scott put one on Benny the other day and he was running around on 3 legs. He wouldn't put that paw down. He looked like a fool! I hope it works out. I think about all the stray dogs I see here everyday. It's so sad. Now that it's so hot, I feel horrible when I see them. They must be so thirsty! I hate that they treat dogs like this here! I hope Benny realizes how lucky he is, that fatso!

Swim Lessons

Last weekend was report card day! I met with all but 2 of my students' parents. As expected, they came and went as they pleased. No concept of following a schedule. This time, I was prepared for this. I did not pull out any files until I knew who I was meeting with. Overall it was very positive. I felt great afterwards. My first attempt at being a classroom teacher has been a huge success. Who'd have ever thunk it? I found out that I'll be teaching 3rd grade again next year. I'll be getting a whole new batch of wild creatures to tame & whip into shape! I'm up for the challenge.

The school administration was working on overdrive last week because the US team from Philadelphia was coming to observe and see if the school still meets the US standards & would continue to receive US accreditation. All of a sudden we were given name badges to be worn at all times. A school mission statement was suddenly posted in each classroom & we all received first aid boxes. Most importantly, my classroom air conditioning system was finally fixed. It's amazing how things get done when you know you're going to be evaluated. Apparently all went well & the school should find out in October whether or not it will still be accredited. I hope so, otherwise I'll be out of a job.

Just an observation.....The majority of women here wear an abaya, which is the black "robe" style covering that covers their body as well as their head. I'd say about 60% of the women here wear it along with the head covering, but their face is shown. Another 20% wear it with their body, head & face covered (with the exception of their eyes). The rest wear regular clothes. My understanding is that the purpose of the abaya is to ward off unwanted attention. So, I'm curious why the abaya's now come decorated? Some are covered in rhinestones along the sleeves & hem as well as the head covering. Some have bright colored designs stitched on. Some are very, very elaborate. To be honest, these draw attention. Isn't that NOT supposed to happen? Seems a bit hypocritical to me. But, what do I know?

On the home front, things have been quiet. Our new maid, Alita, is not as good as Mary, but she's working out. The nice thing is that she comes while I'm at work, so I come home to a clean house & she's not around to talk my ear off! Who knows what she and Benny talk about?

I left a candle burning upstairs the other night and it burned a huge spot on our dresser....I should say our landlord's dresser. I was so freaked out when I realized what happened. To think I could have started a fire! I was really scared. The good news is that Scott has a new project. He has to repair the dresser before we leave. It's been a tough task so far. We haven't been able to find any wood stain yet. We looked in a couple of places, but no luck. At least it gives Scotty something to do during his free time.

Benny's good. He had his first official swim lesson last week. He's probably the only Labrador out there that's afraid of water. We adopted him at 4-months. We think whoever had him initially used to spray him with a hose. Until now, he freaks out when he sees a hose. He also freaks out with fly swatters, so we think something happened to him with a fly swatter as well. Anyhow, the swim lesson was OK. As you can see in the video (bottom of this posting) all he wanted to do was get out. Poor guy! Scott was very patient with him. Scott took him in again yesterday (by force) and he did much better. He wasn't as freaked out this time. Little by little we'll keep taking him in. He loves to splash around at the beach, but is terrified of the pool. Kind of like me :)

On a personal note, I go in for my ct scan this coming week. Most of you know that I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma 9-years-ago. I have to have annual scans just to make sure things are still good & clear. I'm always nervous and anxious when I have to have this done. Any prayers & good thoughts are welcome and appreciated!

We Need a Vacation!

Scott and I need another vacation. It's so hard going back to work after having a week off. For Scott, the Admiral has a surge going on, meaning they work 7-days a week and for long hours. So, Scott's been working all weekend. I'm fortunate to see him for lunch. As for me, the kids came back to school with a renewed sense of energy. Fortunately, it rained on our first day back so several students stayed home. They don't like to go out in the rain. Poor little spoiled princes & princesses! I love that their parents keep them home when it rains. I've also been told by other teachers to expect half my class to be gone by the end of May & early June. Apparently, parents don't like sending their kids to school when it's hot! I'll have to see this to believe it.

On a funny note, the kids had to bring in their Science projects last Thursday. I gave them a month to do this project. It was on landforms. They had to pick a landform, write about it and include pictures. It could be on regular paper or on a poster. I really didn't care. You should see these projects. They look like advertisements for rivers, valleys, mountains, oceans & sand dunes. They are amazing. I was so proud of them until they told me their mothers did their projects for them. Only 3 students did their own work. The mothers of the other kids did everything! So, I had them all come up to present their projects. The majority could tell me NOTHING about their project. It's not like I can call the parents about this. The parents decide if their child is promoted to the next grade, not me or the administration. Weird stuff. I'm just accepting this and moving on. They are great kids and I'm already upset about saying goodbye to them in a couple of months.

On Thursday as I walked in the door after work, Mary, our cleaning lady came up to me with some news. She said, "Madame, I have to tell you something you will not believe." I almost had a heart attack. She went on to tell me that she was going back to the Philipines to see her kids because they were having some family problems. She would be leaving on Saturday. "Darn it." I thought to myself. I knew she was too good to be true. She went on to tell me that she had a friend who could fill in for her and that she was outside at that moment. I didn't remember seeing anyone. I had literally just walked in the door. She went out and got her. Of course, Benny jumped on her and was running around like a fool. He gets so excited when we have visitors. She liked Benny & shared stories of every home she's cleaned that has had a dog or cat in it. Her name is Erlita (I think) and she is very chatty. She wants the job and she starts tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. We really liked Mary, though. Oh well!

Since it's sooooooo hot now, I've decided to try out aqua-aerobics.......at home. I've never taken an aqua-aerobics class but I've seen many old ladies jumping around in city pools. I've always heard how good it is for you. So, today was my first workout. It went well. I was careful not to go into the deep end until I learn how to swim. My left foot slipped once & I almost freaked out. I tried to get Benny in the pool with me. I thought at one point he might do it. He was waving his right paw at me. But, no luck! All he did was lick up the water that splashed out of the pool. He also sun bathed while I jumped around and ran in place. Hopefully none of my neighbors saw any of this. I'm sure I looked like an idiot, especially when I slipped & thought I would drown. I've gotta say that it was a pretty good workout. My legs are tired, so that's a good sign, hopefully!

Next week I won't be writing the blog. I have to work Saturday for parent/teacher meetings & report cards. Should be just as interesting as last quarter. I hope they stick to their appointment time this time. Last quarter they just came when they felt like coming. It was a big mess! I didn't know who was who and I had organized all my files by student based on their appointments and it was all messed up. Those of you who know me know that I like things organized! These people drive me crazy!

A Man of His Word

Well, Scott kept his promise. He promised me a trip to Italy as soon as he could arrange it. It was a great birthday surprise. We had a fabulous time. We left Bahrain at 11:30 pm on April 1st and landed in Qatar at about 12:30 am on April 2nd. From Qatar we flew in to Rome and landed at about 6:30 am on the 2nd. We were exhausted but ready for our adventure. Getting through the passport line at the airport was painful. Too many cutters! I hate people that cut. The best part is they do it right in your face & can care less. No one says anything to them. Everytime I was about to say something, Scott would stop me. That really got on my nerves! Anyhow, we made it through the line & found the driver we had arranged to pick us up. He was waiting with one of those signs with Scott's name on it. He drove us to the hotel which was about 30-minutes from the airport. We checked before leaving Bahrain and had been told that we could check in early as long as there were rooms available. Our plan was to get some rest, shower up & then hit the pavement. Well, of course, there were no rooms available when we arrived at the hotel. What a pain! We left our suitcases & headed out. We were so pooped! We had our backpacks which we couldn't really empty out. Poor Scott had to carry his laptop the whole time. Anyhow, we got a map & started our walk. We quickly stopped for a panini & espresso. Once we were re-energized we headed to the Spanish Steps which were beautiful. We sat down and people watched for a while. Then we headed over to the Trevi Fountain. I threw my coin in and made my wish. It was packed with people. The Trevi Fountain was so crowded we could not even sit around it.

The weather was chilly. The lows were in the 40's and the highs were in the low 60's. The sun felt great, but it was hard to find sunny spots. The roads are so narrow & the buildings high that the sun would be blocked off from most streets. After the Trevi Fountain we continued walking. We saw so much that first day. We found our way to a popular pizza place. We were not too impressed with the pizza. It was good but not great. Having lived in Italy for 2-years, Scott's pretty familiar with the food & told me it wasn't the best pizza he's ever had. Another plus to Scott having lived in Italy was that he served as an excellent tour guide. He knew his way around so well. We lived on the Metro....taking it whenever possible.

Friday night we headed to the Colliseum to see the Pope. He was holding a Good Friday candle light service. We got there early but were stuck outside with thousands of other people. I was bummed we couldn't get in. We were able to see the Pope, though. He was up on a really high platform so that people inside and outside the Colliseum could see him. He was far away but we saw him. That was exciting to me! The Colliseum looked beautiful all lit up. Unfortunately it was raining on and off that evening. I have noticed that the weather is always pretty bad on Good Friday. Even in LA where the weather is generally gorgeous, on Good Friday it was always gloomy.

After the service we walked around looking for a place to eat dinner. We found an Argentinian restaurant. We decided to eat light since we pigged out on the panini & pizza. I ordered a salad that would be comparable to a cobb salad. The winning ingredient was the "bacon." Oh my...it was chunks of smoky pancetta. It was so good. When I left I felt worse than when I went in. So much for a light dinner! Scott & I just kept saying it was ok because how often are we going to do this? So, we enjoyed ourselves.

We headed out very early saturday morning to the Vatican Museum. We had luckily pre-purchased tickets to enter at 8:30am. We ate an amazing breakfast provided by the hotel and started our Metro ride and walking at about 7:15am. Thank God we got there early because by the time we left at about 10:30 the line was going around the building and down the street forever. Those people must have waited hours to get in. We had the place to ourselves. We feel very fortunate. So, our advice to anyone thinking about going anywhere in Rome, get there 30-45 minutes before it opens or your scheduled appointment. We did that for everything & we did not suffer at all. Fortunately, we get up very early & are used to being on the go.

After the Vatican we were exploring and found The Holy Stairs. There was a Japanese tourist standing there with us as we were looking up at the steep stairway. He asked if we could go up & I told him I didn't know but we could go together. So, we climbed the narrow stairway & ended up in a beautiful church. This church we came to find out was run by the Dutch. It, as all the churches we went into was gorgeous. We must have visited a dozen churches in Rome. There are over 900 churches. We could never visit them all. Each one was so beautiful. I lit some candles & we toured each one as if it was a museum.

Next, we headed to the Pantheon & then to one of Scott's favoite piazzas, Novona. It's a bit like Venice beach to me. A lot of odd balls there. I loved looking at all the art. I tried my first authentic gelatto there (pistachio). It was creamy & delicious. It was nice to just sit and relax in the sun for a while. As we continued walking we came across The Circo Mossimo where they would hold chariot races. Now, people picnic there, make out, or run their dogs. It was pretty cool to see. I loved spotting all the American tourists. They were so easy to find. Generally speaking, they were the really loud and/or obese people. I'm only speaking in general terms here. Honestly, though, they stuck out in the crowds.

We took it relatively easy on Easter Sunday. We woke up late (7am), ate breakfast and walked another 8-10 miles. We figured we walked a minimum of 8-miles everyday. We needed to walk off all the food we ate. The bread was amazing! The sweets were even more amazing! We spent mostof the day touring the Colliseum and The Forum. They were both very impressive! We went to a touristy area for dinner. Scott had a full Italian meal with the starter, 1st sourse, 2nd course, salad & dessert. I had veal. We really enjoyed that meal as well.

Monday was a big day. We woke up early, ate breakfast at 6:30am & left our hotel by 7am. We took the Metro to the Vatican area and got in line to tour St. Peter's Cathedral. There was a fair amount of people, but as usual, we were early & reaped the benefits. We decided that we wanted to climb all the way to the top of St. Peter's dome. According to the sign there were 320 steps to climb once you got off the elevator. We did not take the elevator. We climbed all the stairs.....from bottom all the way to top. It wasn't so bad at first. The steps were wide and it seemed very easy. Then, the stairs narrowed big time, became steep and spiraled. That part of the climb was tough. I'll admit, I was sweating a little. Not bad, but a little. Scott pretty much skipped up to the top. It was really sad because there was a very, very, very big girl who was out of breath and standing in a little area off the stairs. She was bright red and out of breath. Her mom was yelling something to her in Italian from above. I felt so bad for her. She should not have even attempted to get to the top. Honestly, I don't know that she could fit on the stairs at the top of the climb. Scott said he saw her at the top before we left. The views from the top of the dome were amazing. You could look down into St. Peter's Cathedral and then out on the roof you had views of Rome all around you. It truly was spectacular and we were glad to have done it. The best feeling was going down the stairs. What a difference form the climb up! We then toured the Cathedral which is indescribable, I did a little shopping & then we left. When we left, the lines were unbelievably long again. We couldn't believe how lucky we were. We worked up an appetite after the climb. Off we went to eat again!

On Tuesday we took the train to Florence. Oh did I love Florence. It really looks like a village in a story book. I absolutely loved it! We stayed at a great hotel right along the river. The hotel was run by a cute, older couple. They were adorable. It really was a very small town feeling the whole time we were there. Emmanuelo served up a great breakfast every morning. We toured all the big attractions of Florence with the most important being the Duomo & The Statue of David. They were both amazing. We also made it into a few churches. The weather was perfect while in Florence. Temperatures were in the upper 60's to low 70's. The views were amazing & the shopping was unbelievable. All the fancy shmancy shops were there.

Our first night in Florence we ate what has become our favorite meal of the entire trip. Emmanuelo recommended the restaurant, Fagiola, to us saying it served authentic Florentine food. It's a family run business. Shortly after we sat down, the place was packed. We were speechless after that meal. I ordered the tortelli stuffed with potato and fava beans. It was topped with a meat sauce. The spinach was amazing as well. Scott started with the pomadoro soup which was a tomato soup with Italian bread soaked in it. Then he had the roast pork. Oh my!!! That's all I have to say about that! For dessert we shared biscotti stuffed with melted dark chocolate. It was pure heaven! We will forever remember that meal. An old lady and her little dog entered the restaurant just before us. She went to what seemed to be her table and sat down. She was obviously a regular. They brought her out a bowl of soup & a glass of wine immediately. The entire time she was talking to the dog. Once I started eating I lost track of her. She left at some point. She was adorable, though.

Our final night in Florence was a special one. Scott had been dreaming of this restaurant he went to before that served, "The best Florentine steak." We made our reservation from Bahrain. We got there 30-minutes before they opened and there was already a line. So, we got in line like most normal people do. However, so many people just cut in once the doors opened. Have I mentioned how much I hate cutters? It was worth it, though. We ate so much. Scott was happy with his steak & that's really all that matters!

We absolutely loved everything about Florence. I can see myself retiring there. We spent a lot of time walking through the open air market. We picnicked and bought some good dried pasta to bring back home. We both overdosed on espresso. I've been going through caffeine withdrawal since coming home. My head has been throbbing! We'll definitely be back in Florence one day.

Thursday morning we packed up and left Florence by train and headed back to Rome. Once in Rome we caught the train that takes you to the airport. Our experience at Rome airport was.... I don't know......ridiculous!!!!! What a mad house. Going through security, you're supposed to line up but of course it was a pushing and shoving game the entire time. At one point this man was screaming at a lady that just walked all the way to the front of the line while the rest of us waited. I couldn't understand a word, yet I got it! I started clapping when he was done. What was ridiculous is that he called for one of the workers & told him what this lady was doing. The worker yelled back something that made everyone who understood laugh....in disgust. The workers could care less. It was just horrible & by the time we made it through we were exhausted. I really can't even properly describe that experience.

The good news is that both flights back were 1/2 full, so we moved to emptier areas and did not have anyone in front or behind us. That was great. We flew Qatar Air, and I must say we were very pleased. They are much more luxurious than the Northwest flights I used to take from LA to Memphis & back. We arrived in Bahrain at about 2am. It was 87-degrees when we landed. Can you imagine?! I still had my scarf & vest on from Rome where it was freezing. I was in bed by 3am and slept in until 8:30. It felt great to be home, in my shower & in my bed. It was also nice not to have Benny home yet. He is very needy & would have woken us up at 5am like he does everyday.

We had NO food at home. I spent the morning doing laundry & then we went grocery shopping. Once the groceries were away, we headed out to get the boy. He was as nutty as ever. When he saw us, he was running around like a maniac.....with his ball in his mouth, of course. We got a positive report from the boarding people which was expected. Everybody who meets Benny loves him! They took good care of him & he is a bit chubbier than when we dropped him off. The lady who runs the boarding facility is an older British lady. She told us they mix some special chicken from Australia into the food every day. Benny obviously loved it. He's been home a day already. He woke us up at 5am today. He is being his usual pain about eating and wants to play non-stop. It's over 90-degrees and so humid outside. This is only the beginning of what's to come. Yikes!

We're gald to be home but at the same time wish we were back in Italy. That is an amazing place!

Boring Week!

Well, I have nothing to report this week. Odd, I know! It was just a regular, quiet, event-free week. I like having a week like this every once-in-a-while. We're all good. Work's good. There's a sandstorm today so driving is tough, as is breathing. Luckily, we're home. I have a very sore throat. It's been so windy! Hard to wear a dress or skirt with this wind!

Next week I will take the week off from the blog for my birthday! I'm sure that I'll have TONS to report the following week. I guess that I do have one bit of news. As of the 4th of April, we'll have been here for 6-months!

Until I talk to you again in a couple of weeks, stay well!