Reporting in - as I promised myself - I have to be accountable so I am doing it here online. Today I got up and finally did my exercises - did some leg work - took me about 45 minutes to do - did two sets of 10 reps each - worked up a sweat.

Yesterday I sat outside for a bit - did some reading - even ate my lunch outside - weather was great - nice and sunny - minimal wind - so it was warm - felt like an early summer day. I ate really well today - a few 'treats' - but for the most part ate really well. Am running out of veggies and fruit so will have to make another trip to the market to get some more. Bought some swiss chard last week - ate it yesterday - was excellent - will buy some more when I get to the market - if I can find it.

Did not do a lot more today - for some reason my get up and go got up and left me in the dust. Really struggling with my demon depression - slowly but surely am beating it down - when it gets me I need to pick myself up and dust myself off and get moving again - will not let it completely defeat me. So tomorrow is another day.

Will get up tomorrow and go for my walk - and then I am going with Suzanne to the souk - phoned her and asked her if she wanted to come along and she said sure. Really working at spending more time with her - she is a positive person.

That is my big news for the day.

Ta da!!!! Today I went for another walk - walked a bit further - but in less time - so things are progressing - walked for about 20 minutes again and then sat and enjoyed the view - must admit it is quite calming to sit and watch the sea - kind of puts things in perspective. It is 11:15 a.m. and I have finished my walk, did my stretches, ate breakfast, watered the garden, had a shower, made my bed (does not seem like a productive thing - but sure does make me 'feel' better), did dishes and tidied the kitchen, and put my clothes away from the other day (will not say which day - I do have problems putting clothes away - no problem washing and drying them - but then they seem to have a problem finding their way back to the drawers) and now I am updating my blog. What to do for the rest of the day????

Yesterday I had issues with the internet - went online early - and lost access due to non-payment of the bill - not my non-payment (mind you I do have to pay for it this month yet) - but the non-payment of my 'provider'. I do not get legal internet - it is pirated from a 'business' that has access - I think he sells it to at least seven or eight people - so he is making lots of money. The fellow is really good - he never cuts me off for non-payment. When I got back from Canada in October - I had not paid for six months - went to pay - and he said I owed 180 LE - told him that I had been out of the country for two months and he said fine - 120 - so I paid him the 120 - will have to go out for a walk later in the day and pay him - only problem is that my walking is first thing in the morning - and of course he is not open. Not much opens around here until after 11 a.m. - if you are lucky. They stay open until 2 or 3 a.m. - so I guess it is understandable - this morning person has yet to acclimate to the society of night owls. Oh well - such is life.

I did not go for a walk yesterday - did some weight training and stretches instead. And I am feeling it today - my upper body and arms are going - E X C U S E M E E E - what do you think you are doing - feels kind of good - as long as I do not focus on the fact that I am so out of shape that the little bit I did is making me sore - just glad I am doing it. After I had my chores around the house done yesterday I went downstairs and visited with Suzanne - Miles challenged me to spend more time with her and do the stairs - sorry did not do the stairs yet - that is on the list of upcoming events - need to be realistic about what I can do - no sense in killing myself so I can not do anything. Had a great visit with her - kids were home - Mawada did not go to school - no one in her class is going as they are prepping for final exams. Mahmoud came home after writing his biology exam - and watched a bit of TV then went to bed to get some sleep. Mohammed was watching TV when I arrived - not sure if he has final exams - he is in Grade Two - so glad I do not have children here - do not think I would do well - especially after raising Miles in Canada - so much easier in so many ways - not that raising him was a piece of cake - but in Canada there are many more services available - and the kids can go out to play - here there is not much chance for them to go out and play and run off steam - very few 'green areas'.

Not much more to report - my life is just so jam packed with thrills - NOT.

P.S. Lynn - you did not give me your recipe for Caesar dressing - I scammed it from your blog -

Woo hoo - I have just finished my exercise for the day. Went for a 40 minute walk - talk about an eye opener - I am sooo out of shape - how come it takes so little time to get out of shape but so long to get into it - oh well - I have started the process. My goal is to walk for at least 3 times a week and work it up to 5 times a week by the end of January. Even got down on the floor and did some stretches - my hips are very very sore these days - just aching - so they need some work done on them - biggest treat I could do for them would be to lose weight - that will come. Right now I will focus on getting the exercise back into my life - must admit that I find it 'easier' to exercise at a gym then to get up and go walking along the corniche - but the corniche is my only option at the moment so I need to push myself to do it. Walked for 20 minutes then took a 5 minute rest - enjoyed watching the sea - sure does look inviting - wonder how cold it is - maybe I will get brave and give it a whirl one of these days - just put on my swim gear and walk to the beach and go for a swim then walk home - people will think I am crazy because the water is much too cold for any sensible Egyptian to be in it - but it sounds like a great idea. Time will tell. Tried to do some yoga yesterday - talk about being embarrassed - could not do much of it - as my upper body does not have the strength. On the alternate days that I do not walk I will do some weights - I have a set of 3 kg dumbbells here - and a book with all kinds of exercises - so I will work on that.

My word for the year will be health - I will strive for much better physical health and in shaa allah the mental will follow along - must admit that I never ever dreamed that I would 'enjoy' exercise - when I started back to Spa Lady I dreaded going -but of course I pushed myself and made friends - really good friends in fact - and now whenever I am in Canada I am anxious to head to the gym - mainly to meet up with friends - but the exercise is great as well. And when I was going to the Renaissance five days a week here before I headed back to Canada I enjoyed it as well - even though I did not meet up with anyone - I have reached the place where I know I need it and I actually enjoy doing it - not while I am doing it - but I really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I get when I am finished. And I am realizing that yes I need to do it early in the morning - but does not mean I have to get up at the crack of dawn to do it - I do not have any pressing engagements - so I can get up when I wake up and go and do it. Makes the day go faster as I have less time to fret about what to do.

Today on the agenda I am going to vacuum, do some dishes and work on eating a bit better. Found a recipe on Kraft that I am going to try - not much of a recipe but a good idea - it is for a salad with chicken and bacon and cheese - using caesar salad dressing with bacon - of course I am unable to use their products as they are not available here - so yesterday I whipped up Lynn's caesar salad dressing. I need to get moving and have my breakfast, so I can have lunch and supper - if I get moving on the eating too late I run out of time to eat my 3 meals a day. So will have my usual eggs, mushrooms and salad for breakfast, leftover eggplant parmesan, beans and salad, and for supper will have the salad with chicken and bacon. Will get busy and cook up all the bacon - find I do much better at eating better if everything is prepared and I do not have to cook when I am hungry - if I do that then I am in a hurry and end up making popcorn - my one big downfall. I do love my popcorn. Am going to work at cutting back on how much I consume in a week - had been eating it 3-4 times a week - will cut it back to once a week - wish me luck. May make some bread - do not have any pita bread left - and I have a craving for raisin bread - and the only way to get raisin bread in this country is to make it oneself - so off I go to make raisin bread. Hope there is room in the freezer for one of the loaves - as the recipe makes two loaves and I do not need to eat both of them - so will freeze one of them for later. Maybe share it with Aymn - MAYBE.

Anyway - that is my plan for the day - will work at keeping you informed about my oh so exciting life.

I am so chagrined!!! My buddy Lynn just celebrated her 1st year anniversary of blogging with way over 300 entries - and here I am at a measly 81 for just about 3 years of blogging - guess this is a message to me that my life is indeed very very boring - LOL. I just do not have enough going on in my life to post every day - at least that is how I feel.

I did manage to get all my baking done - not that I needed to do any - as I surely do not need the calories - but it was my only concession to Christmas this year - did not even drag out one ornament or decoration to hang - did not even get my door decoration out. SIGH.

Christmas Day was spent cleaning and cooking as my 'family' had informed me that they were coming over for a visit. Made Tomato Bread, spinach dip, spanakopita and samosas - figured that I needed a few savouries to counteract all the sweets - may as well not have bothered - the savouries were barely touched - and the sweets were taken and left on the plates - so a lot of it went in the garbage. One thing was a hit - the tomato bread - Suzanne saw the loaves on the table and told me she wanted one - so I gave her one - she dug in right there and then - ripping it off and eating - and was quite amazed that it was good - as were the rest of the family. They operate under the belief that westerner's do not know to cook - from watching all the shows where people are usually ordering in. My BIL Mr. Mossad was quite nonplussed when he found out that all the baking was done in the house - imagine that - a westerner who can bake - amazing - like I got to this size by not knowing how to cook - go figure. My mother in law, 3 sisters in law, some of the kids and two of the brothers in law made an appearance - and they all came bearing gifts - feel bad about that - as I know that finances are tight with them. Aymn had sent Suzanne out with directions to buy me something to wear and she came with a vase - not to my taste - but such is life. It was a wonderful thought. Mom gave me 6 little bowls that will go nicely with the set of kitchen dishes that I have, Suzanne gave me two little vases filled with potpourri, Shereen gave me a little clock and Gehan gave me a home made candle and some warm slippers - all much appreciated. I was also fortunate to receive phone calls from my parents and my cousin Maurine - made my day. Had heard from Miles a few days earlier - he called me at 11:30 p.m. - I did not get out of bed to answer the phone - was nice and toasty under the covers - did not want to crawl out - usually calls that late are wrong numbers - figured if the person really wanted to talk to me they would call on my cell phone - which is what he finally did. We chatted for about 35 minutes - they are doing well - headed out to Banff to spend the holiday with her family.

Boxing Day my friend Margaret came over and we had a wonderful visit - put the spinach dip and bread out as well as all the other goodies - she enjoyed the grazing. She was in a very good mood as she had been reunited with her kitten - who had been catnapped a few weeks prior - likely about 3 weeks - she had given up hope - but thank goodness somebody was honest and returned him - looking a bit worse for wear - in an attempt to disguise the cat - called Tootoose - they had done a really bad haircut - trimmed the hair on his tail until the actual tail was showing through - poor thing. But he seems to be recovering from his ordeal. Margaret made me a really great apron - nice and large - with great pockets - it is very colourful - the trim anyway - wonder why she did that??????

Went out this past Wednesday with Suzanne to the local produce market - love that produce is fresh and so inexpensive. Bought a kilo of straweberries for 3 LE, 2 kilos of tomatoes for 3 LE, 1 kilo of fresh green beans for 1 LE, a kilo of cucumbers for 3 LE, a bunch of what I am hoping is swiss chard for .25 LE, a kilo of bananas for 3.50 LE, a kilo of tangerines for 1.5 LE, head of lettuce for 1 LE, a bunch of romaine lettuce for .75 LE and one eggplant - weighed in at 1 kilo for 1 LE. Came home with two bags of fruit and veggies for under 20 LE (which is equivalent to about $4 CAN). Unfortunately other things are not so cheap - meat is about the same price as it is in Canada - which makes it pricey.

New Years Eve was spent by myself - my friend Wafaa invited me out after she finished working - but I do not like heading out after 9 - at least not driving - and I did not think it fair to invite her to my place as she does not live all that close. She had also come for a very short visit on Christmas Day - brought me some body lotion (much appreciated) and some Ferrero Rocher - still not opened. It is sitting there tempting me - I need to put it away and 'forget' that I have it. I have put the baking away - but have yet to forget where I put it - LOL.

New Years Day - Thursday sawa Sharon and I headed to a store called Alfa - it is located at a mall called Green Plaza - I have been to Green Plaza many times but never made it to Alfa - so after we paid our phone bills - mine was 93.55 LE for 3 months - very low as I was out of the country for 2 months - we headed to Green Plaza - and thankfully found Alfa Market to be open - it was only around 9:30 and most grocery stores do not open until 10 - traffic was really light - and we went to pay the phone bill early so that we would not have to contend with line ups. Line ups in this country are an unpleasant experience. Alfa had some interesting things - a few things that are not found in the other stores but the prices are a lot higher - ended up getting a few things - some spices and some hot dogs that I have trouble finding - and of course went to Carrefour after and they had them - SIGH - and they were a bit cheaper - oh well win some lose some.

Yesterday I did a bit and I mean a very little bit of weeding in the garden. One drawback to living in this 'warm' climate - is the weeds never stop and also have been bitten by a mosquito - of all the nerve - don't they know it is winter. Wonder where they are coming from - maybe from the water that is pooling on the balcony. Aymn got 'bright' and put concrete in the drainage pipe - although he claims it was not him - hmmm - wonder who it was. At the one drainage pipe he put up a dam - which I broke so the water can flow down when it is raining. I refuse to try to get the concrete out of the pipe - he can do it when he finally shows up - just hope that the people below me do not get a wet ceiling - although at this point I really do not care - they refuse to assist in figuring another way to get the water drained off the balcony and when it rains a lot the water drains out of the rose garden - much to the chagrin of Suzanne - she told me that her clothes got dirty even after it had quit raining - told her to take it up with Aymn - he was the bright spark who did not bother to fill up the drain spout that is located in the rose garden - so when it rains a lot or the garden gets overwatered the water drains out and down onto everyone's laundry that has it hung up.

Today I got up with the intention of doing some Yoga and after I finally got to it - realized that I am so out of shape - OMG - no way can I do any of the floor work - I would end up flat on my face if I tried to do the 'dog' - so I did a few things - and then had breakfast. My day got off to a late start because Aymn was online and we chatted for a while. I have now showered and need to get busy and make some more pita bread and some eggplant parmesan - was hoping to find Suzane Somer's recipe for it - but was unable to - so will have to go from memory. Need to work at eating more sensibly - which is a real challenge to me - I do not do well cooking for one - cannot see the sense - but I need to work on it so that I can do the Yoga and more.

That is my life in a nutshell - will try to post on a more regular basis.

Merry Christmas from Cairo. Yesterday (Friday, Dec. 12) saw a group of ex-pats heading to Cairo to take in the Maadi Women's Bazaar (not the exact name - but you get the idea). The bazaar was held outdoors at the Maadi Degla Sporting Centre - had not realized it would be out of doors - but it was a wonderful day for it - nary a cloud in the sky and certainly no snow. Only drawback was that it was held on the football pitch (soccer fields) and was quite sandy - so got sand in my Birks while wandering around. Could have spent a lot of money - lots of artisans and craftspeople had a lot of neat things for sale. Would have loved to have bought more but the following are pictures of what I 'allowed' myself to purchase. First thing was the funky 'Santa' hat - just could not resist - Sharon insisted on taking a pic to show Maurine - so she would not feel that I only embarras her - must admit I had a lot of fun with it - caused a lot of upraised eyebrows - muslim woman wearing infidel apparel - OMG - had a lot of them thar infidels commenting on it. One woman told me I was so cute she would like to rent me - should have taken her up on her offer - maybe then I could have bought more treasures.

Dont'cha just love my new mug - it was so cute - could not resist. Would have loved two of them but could only really afford one - they were 25LE each - about $5.00 CDN.

And then there are the alabaster candle holders - the look so cool with the tea lights inside showing off the 'design'. Took the pictures on my dining room table - hence the reflection off the glass top. They were really expensive - 10LE each (about $2.00 CDN) - so I splurged and bought two.

I just love the different view depending on which side you look at. Really glad that I splurged. At the same booth they had a wonderful alabaster 'plate' - rounded oblong - would have looked great as a centerpiece but could not afford it. At another booth Mr. Mohammed - he is a frequent seller at AWA - had a really great table runner for Christmas - again too rich for my blood at the moment. If I could have I would have dropped a sizable bundle - lots of things caught my eye. Will have to make plans to go next year (if I am still here) and stock up on 'treasures' - so many things that could have been taken back to Canada as unique gifts. SIGH. Isn't it always the way - when one has the money there is no time for 'shopping' and when one has time there is no money - God's little joke on us.

Must admit that it was a long day - had to be at the meeting point by 8:00 a.m. - so woke up at 5 so I could get breakfast before I headed out. Opted to take a cab as I did not want to have to try to extricate my car and then drive on a Friday night after dark. The meeting point was a popular mall in the area of Smoha - and it was jam packed when we got back - so I was very glad I had been a chicken. We arrived in Cairo and of course got lost - bus driver did not know where we were going and map reading is a definite lost art in this part of the world. We made it to the venue a bit after 12 (noon) which was not bad - and we headed back out by 4:15 p.m. Arrived back in Alex around 9 - got home around 9:30 and crashed by 10:00 - I was one tired puppy - a lot of walking and sitting on a bus. Amazing how tiring travel can be. Must admit that I do not notice being so tired when I do the driving myself - but that is just me.

Today is the 2nd day of Eid - yesterday the streets ran red with blood - and I have the pictures to prove it. In the above pictures - if you look closely you can see them working on skinning a cow that has been slaughtered. Aymn was of course with his family. Margaret and Sharon spent the day with me. Margaret had been delivered the night before - she had not interest in being around while the animals were slaughtered by her husband and family - so she came here and brought her 'baby' a seven month old kitten named Tootoose - who is a very amiable and friendly kitty - who loved the opportunity to roam around a much larger abode and then to have the balcony as well - all with no leash - he was in heaven. We had a pleasant visit. Sunday evening our friend Penny came over and we enjoyed a warm drink and nice chat. Monday morning got up early - Margaret's kitty - Tootoose was intent on being up and about as soon as the noise started - at around 5:12 a.m. I managed to stay in bed until shortly after 7 then got up and made coffee for Margaret. We had a very leisurely morning - eventually made breakfast - Margaret does not like to wake up and eat - she has to wake up slowly. After breakfast I made more bread - this time with a bit of a difference. I remember making sun dried tomato bread in Canada and I decided to try to make it with the pocket break - sans the sun dried tomatoes - and they turned out quite nicely. I have included a picture of the pockets in the oven. I am always so pleased when they puff up - not that they taste any different - but ...

Weather has turned - yesterday was cloudy and cool - rained in the evening - enough that the streets are now cleaned up. Today was sunny - but not very warm. Aymn dropped over for a few hours - brought me my 'share' of the sheep that he slaughtered and butchered yesterday - thank goodness he did not do it here - although it would have been done on the balcony - but he had to do it in the bathroom in the tub - lucky person who got to clean up that mess and I will wager big money that it was not Aymn. Then he dragged me to mom's for a visit - would rather have stayed in - but he decided that I needed to get out of the house. Do not know when he will get it that I really do hate having to get dressed to go out - I usually just throw on my wrap dress - but he does not like it - why do you always wear the same thing -hmmm - because that is all I have and I like not having to change to go out and then change when I get back home - so nice just to throw on the dress over what I am wearing - one of our many differences - he is so worried about his looks and what people think - and I do not care - as long as I am decent and it is clean - who cares???? Answer to that is Aymn. Am hoping that after Eid I will be able to make a trip out to Mohmadeah and get the fabric made up - then I will have six wrap dresses - and he will like none of them - the fabric is bright and patterned - oh well - I will like them - and that is all that really matters to me. Aymn is heading back to Libya tomorrow - no idea when he will be back - told me that he will work at being here for Christmas - but will not hold my breath - he is really great at telling me what he thinks I want to here and then not following through - so I will not believe it until I see him - and will not bank on it at all. Will be a very quiet day - as I am unable to do much in the way of baking or cooking - money is too tight - cannot afford to purchase a turkey - they are sooooo expensive - and you can never find a decent sized chicken - biggest one might be 1.5 kg - not really worth stuffing. So will just work on forgetting that it is Christmas - treat it like any other day.

Did buy stamps - so will get to work on sending out Christmas cards - they will be late - but such is life. Have to 'find' my cards and get busy writing notes and addressing them. Will keep me busy for a few days likely. So much easier to just type up a Christmas letter - but no ink for my printer - so my handwriting will be sorely tested. My apologies in advance for my poor penmanship.

Ta da - I rolled out of bed this morning - just a bit before seven and after eating two bananas (Egyptian bananas are not very large) I headed out for a walk - yes you read it right - I am endeavouring to get back on the workout schedule - walked for a total of 40 minutes - had a 10 minute break - sat and watched the sea - must admit my pace certainly slowed as I got closer to home - but hey I did it. Now I am going to work on getting some baking done for Christmas - not doing a whole lot - but want a few favourites around.

I think I may have briefly touched on my new bread making endeavour - pocket or pita bread. Now I have no problem making 'western' bread - but I do struggle with making pocket bread - Aymn very kindly brought me 50 kg of flour - so I have been playing around learning how to make it 'properly'. Must admit that the first few tries were not very successful. I brought back yeast from Canada - and it works really well. But still did not have a very great success rate with getting the pockets to puff up. Aymn asked a friend of his what the problem was - showed him a 'sample' of the bread I had made - this friend is a baker - and he gave me a couple of tips - so following those tips I made bread the other day - 25 pockets and out of 25 17 puffed up - YEAH. Of course the downer was that Aymn came along and criticized the ones that did not puff - I had done this wrong or that wrong and next time do not do this or do that - ARGH - managed to really take the wind out of my sails - so to speak - but I got over it - and am quite proud of my accomplishments - would have taken pictures by I did not have my camera at the time - next time I will take pics and post them. Must admit the bread I make is much better than the stuff Aymn made - it was tough as cardboard - at least mine is quite tender. The recipe is very easy - but the trick is to get it to puff up - and I am slowly getting it right. I feel quite tickled when I have a piece of bread and I can make pocket sandwiches now - WOO HOO. Such a life I lead.

My apologies. I have had computer issues and Aymn finally got around to fixing it - not sure how long it will last for - is not working properly yet - still cannot download anything - ARGH.

Last Thursday I was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with my friend Rose and her husband Dan and and eclectic group of people. Food was terrific. I made buns - yes have started making break - I make pocket bread for Aymn and I made my favourite 'Fermipan' buns - Aymn would not eat them - but I certainly enjoyed them and there were not many left after supper on Thursday. I got very brave and drove the car - had not planned on it - because it was Thursday and in the evening - and I do hate driving at night here and on Thursday it is even worse - there are even more idiots on the road - hard to believe - but it is true. Made it home in one piece - thank God. Had a lot of fun - meeting new people - listening to the conversations that took place - sitting outside - enjoying the weather.

Now I am trying to stir myself to do some baking for Christmas - just do not seem to have the initiative to do it- mainly because I know I will be on my own - so not much fun. But will try to work up some enthusiasm.

Aymn will be heading to Libya on the 10th of December after spending Eid with his family. Must admit I do resent the fact that he always has to spend Eid with his family - but he makes no effort to spend any holidays with me - and he cannot figure why I get pissy.

He has had to attend court twice - only reason he came back to Egypt when he did was because he had a court date. This case is a holdover from an incident that occurred two years ago - when a young fellow cut him off and he took exception and it ended up with Aymn beating him up - young man pressed charges and Aymn was found guilty - fined 50 pounds and a month in jail - he appealed the jail time - lawyer lied about his being in Egypt - so he had to go again and again to give the injured party a chance to show up - he did not - so now Aymn figures that it is over. Never ceases to amaze me how they can justify lying and cheating. Just boggles this little western mind.

He has one more court date - this one on another incident. When he sold his car he did not insist that the new owner get new plates. And two or three months after the car was sold the new owner got into an accident and a fight - and they used the plates to track down the 'owner'. So Aymn had to get a copy of the sales receipt for the car and will present it to the judge next Sunday.

Not much else to report - life is pretty much the same. Must admit this business having my finances mucked up sure do put a crimp in my life. God willing things will improve. Just have to be patient.

I am very impressed with myself - I FINALLY got the house all cleaned up after being vacant for two months - and in the process I even managed to part with 'treasures' that I no longer use - this is a very impressive feat as I am known to be a bit of a pack rat. Must admit that having to dejunk when I left Canada certainly makes it easier to get rid of superfluous 'stuff' - leaves room for things that I need and use. Even cleaned the microwave and toaster oven - toaster oven looks like it is new. Actually need to clean the stove/oven - sigh - never ending this business of cleaning house - but at least the bulk of the cleaning is done and now I just have the 'normal' accumulation to deal with.

Today I went out and got a few things at the produce market - got some bananas, grapes, lettuce (thank goodness it is lettuce season - soon there will be lots of romaine lettuce and the head lettuce will be great as well), tomatoes and cucumbers - the latter two are staples in an Egyptian home - as they regularly have a salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. Even got busy and made a salad - so now there is salad in the fridge - no excuse not to eat it - I always have good intentions and then the thought of making a salad just does me in - it is such a chore - not really- but do find it tough to 'cook' for one person - hope to work on that aspect of being on my own - I know I need to eat better - but it is so easy not to.

Today after the produce market I took Sharon to the post office - she had received an 'official' notice that she had something to pick up - a handwritten note on a piece of recycled paper - think all it said was her name - of course it was all in Arabic - she uses my home address as her place does not have a street name - let alone an address.

Looked like it was going to rain in the morning - black clouds gathering on the sea and coming inland - we got a few drops - but nothing that amounted to anything - so I was a good suzy homemaker and watered the garden - managed to get rid of two ant colonies in the process - now I need to restock on the Raid - although I am tempted to go with the corn meal -although I have yet to find any of what I would call corn meal - what they call corn meal is very fine - almost like flour - but should give it a try - a lot less costly than the Raid.

Last night went with Suzanne and visited Mom - Gehan was also visiting so it was nice - got to kill two birds with one stone. Gehan will be getting ready to head to Mecca for Hajj - I think she leaves in a week to ten days - she is very blessed - earlier in the summer she headed to Mecca for Omrah - a mini hajj - same procedures/routine - but not as 'important' as doing Hajj. She entered the lottery and won - so she and her husband are able to go at a subsidized rate - both of them can go for what it would normally cost one to go. Would be nice to be able to go over for a visit before they leave - but I doubt that will happen as there is no way I will go on my own. You have to visit in the evening and I refuse to drive at night in this city - parking is a disaster and driving is bad enough during the day - but even worse at night. Very few people drive with their headlights on - so ....

Yesterday Sharon and I went to AWA - was kind of nice to go - but expensive - had to pay my membership - 50 LE as well as the weekly fee of 15 LE and then paid for my ticket to head to Cairo on the 14th of December to take in the Maadi Women's Guild 2008 Christmas Bazaar - looking forward to the break - but will not really be able to enjoy it as I will not have any money to spend - but such is life.

Anyhoo - that is my big news for the week - not much to report.

This is my cuzzy Maurine - taken on October 25 - at her house - we are fonduing. Thanks for the fondue - was so yummy. Brings back many wonderful memories - and not because the pot and some of the dishes are mine - LOL - we joked that if I were to move back to Canada we would have to have joint custody of the the dishes.

This is a picture of Chris (Maurine's hubby) and Maurghan (their daughter) enjoying the fondue. Notice Chris's left arm - quite the contraption on it - he managed to trip over a tire at work and break his arm - and instead of a cast they put an outer device on it.

Have been back in Egypt for a little over a week - have yet to have the pleasure of my husband's company. From promising he would be here to pick me up at the airport - to having no idea when he will be around - why am I not too terribly surprised - upset - but not surprised.

Arrived safely bright and early Wednesday morning - the 29th of October. Was met by Aymn's best buddy Mohammed - thank God for him - he can be counted on. He brought me home and dropped me off.

Came into the house and was met by a plethora of very busy spiders and moths - have been busy killing moths as soon as I see them - my moth killing skill have come back and I am very good. The spiders are slowly but surely being brought down to a controllable number. Interesting the room where I 'left' my gecko has very few cobwebs and not many spiders have I seen - I think I need to get myself an army of geckos.

Wednesday I did a bit of unpacking then got a few hours of sleep - then phoned Sharon and we were off - made the mistake of driving down the corniche - what a zoo - had thought it would be down to a manageable 'roar' - but not so - seems the idiot's convention has lasted a lot longer than planned and some of them cannot find their way home - OMG. One of the benefits of everyone being eligible for a car loan - will be interesting to see what happens as the economy continues to nose dive. Must admit I certainly do miss the orderly driving in Canada. Made it to Fathalla and got a few groceries that I had to have.

Have been attempting to get my kitchen in some semblance of order - but it is tough when there are not nearly enough shelves in the cupboards - piling stuff just does not seem to work very well - would love to get more shelves in the cupboards - Aymn has said it can be done - but the big question is 'will' it get done - I doubt it. I have managed - with the help of a 'shelf' that I bought in Calgary got my spice cupboard in some semblance of order - of course would be great if there were more shelves - we shall see.

Even have managed to get the fridge dunged out - had to find room in the freezer for meat that I had purchased on Tuesday - had not much for meat in the house - besides canned tuna - also got the fridge nice and clean - must admit there were a few experiments that went awry - but all is good now - and hopefully I can keep things on the up and up.

Unfortunately Aymn's business has taken a serious nosedive along with the economy - he had 85% of his eggs in one basket - copper - and copper has dropped by just about 50% - so ..... he is madly scrambling in another direction - but the price of scrap metal has also plummeted - so he is madly running around trying to catch his tail - good luck on that one.

It is cauliflower season here - and I must admit the cauliflower tastes like nothing I have ever tasted before - it is 'buttery' - I bought a head of it and must get busy and make some soup. Also need to boil some eggs for pickled eggs - but for some strange reason my cooking desires have up and left me - but must push myself. Today on the list is to get the last two upper cupboards dunged out and tidied up. Then all I have left is the lower cabinets - not a big rush on them - but should get at them as well - clean out the cobwebs and whatever creatures have made their homes there.

Weather has been wonderful - warm and sunny - athough I must admit the humidity is taking a bit of getting used to - quite enjoyed the aridity (?) of Calgary - not much sweating going one - except when I was working out - but no snow. Garden - well the weeds are thriving - plants are holding their own. In one of the pots there are some volunteer sweet peas coming - so I guess I should get busy and plant some more seeds. Seems strange to be seeding in November - but such is life here in Egypt. Also want to try to grow some tiny tomatoes - they are so yummy - and do not take a lot of space - just a couple of pots.

I want to thank all my friends in Canada for their warm welcome - I had so much fun. These pictures were taken at my friend Tina's place - she bought me the hat - as you can tell I LOVE walking to the beat of my own drum - if Aymn had met me at the airport I would have worn one of my new 'hats' - but I restrained myself as Mohammed would not have been amused and he is a nice guy so would not want to embarras him - whereas Aymn deserves it - I am so mean.

Ta da - went and got my hairs cut yesterday. Virginia, who currently resides up the hill from my parent's home, is a hairdresser and she is awesome. Feels so good to have a 'good' haircut - wish I could take her back to Egypt in my pocket - I am sure she would be kept very busy as she is a 'bona fide' hair dresser and very good at her profession.

Must admit I need to work on my technique for taking photos of myself - LOL. Not that I want to make this a practice as I do not really like having my picture taken - but sometimes it just needs to be done.

Aymn noticed right away - had chatted with him before I got the hair cut and then chatted with him again after the cut. He asked me if I had it coloured - told him no -could not afford it - besides I like it like this - what do you think???

Aymn will likely not be back in Egypt to meet me at the airport - business and all. Logically I do not mind - in fact I quite enjoy it when I arrive on my own - although I do like to have someone there to pick me up as I arrive out in the boonies at 2:30 a.m. or thereabouts - but it is nice to have some time to unwind before I have to 'deal' with everything else. But there is a little part that just niggles at me - he has no problem making it home for Eid for his family - just puts business on hold - he has yet to miss an Eid with them - but he cannot make the effort - put the business on hold for me - SIGH. Ah well - such is life.

I am certainly enjoying my time here in Canada - hard to go back - does not seem like I have had enough time to visit with people. Next time I come I am going to kidnap MDM and take her away for a few days so we can just spend time with each other. Never seem to be able to spend enough time with her. Also have not had enough time with Deb, did not seem to get to go out for lunch or wander around Costco with her - miss that - although now that the fog has dissipated we did manage one trip to Costco - and then got blown around afterwards - what a storm. Wanted to make it out to Pinawa to visit some old friends - but time and money were agin me. Next time. I had a great time in TO with my buddy there - next time will spend more time - so be warned. Also need to spend more time with the folks. Just seems to be lots more time is needed. But next time I will not be spending time with Miles and Shani - so that will give me more 'free' time. Sorry Tina, your invitation will be used, the accomodation and company are wonderful and the price of a reservation is cooking a few meals - small price to pay. Also missed spending time in my old church ward - but as luck would have it - just turned out that it was 'easier' (read less costly) to head to the nearest ward - rather than driving halfway across the city. Next time though. And of course there were lots of people that I did not even get to see - got to chat with some of them - next time I will be more together - this time was kind of messed up - too much to ponder and wonder about.

Hard to believe that this time next week I will be enroute back to Egypt - where has the time gone. As the time draws closer to leave I get more anxious and less 'happy' about returning to Egypt. I am looking forward to being in my own place - my own bed - but that is about the extent of it. Not looking forward to dealing with issues that require attention - SIGH - but alas I can no longer bury my head in the sand - need to get back - bite the bullet and get things straightened out - in shaa allah (God willing).

I am in BC at my parent's place. Have been here for 10 days - unfortunately have been unwell for a great part of the time - SIGH. Came down with something last Monday - great way to spend Thanksgiving - was in bed most of the day - crawled out of bed to set the table - took some food and could barely eat a bite of much - so frustrating - had been so looking forward to chowing down on the wonderful turkey dinner that was prepared. Have gotten over the fever and the chills - but have a wonderful 'cough' - cough so long and hard I am sure my toenails are coming up - sure hope I can shake this before I take off.

Arrived here in BC on the 10th - had an uneventful trip - saw no wildlife on the road - and on Saturday went to Yahk to spend time with my friend Michele and her family who were there - spent the day outside sitting around a fire - haven't smelled that good in a lot of years - LOL. The cooks were busy - we were served chili, cream of potato/corn soup, and stewp - all of which were delicious - good food, good company = good times.

We took off for the States on the 16th - did not buy much - lack of funds and really not much caught my eye - did manage to pick up a couple pair of clip on sunglasses for my glasses - which is a good thing. We left dad in Sandpoint at Staples while mom and I continued on down to Couer d'Alene - wanted to stock up on some embroidery floss for my cross stitch - but the store we went down to no longer carries DMC floss ARGH - then we stopped in at Michaels - they had some - but not all - so will have to see what I can find back in Calgary - would like to get the colours I want so I can work on the projects - not that I do not have any projects that I could start in Egypt - but these onces caught my eye - like the other's didn't - I know I am soooo bad. Am determined to continue working on my cross stitch once I get back to Egypt - need to keep myself occupied and that is something I enjoy doing and it keeps my hands busy. We took so long that I figured dad would have been hired - but they were not quite quick enough. While he was hanging around he found himself a computer chair that he liked - so we brought that back.

Must admit it is 'interesting' going through the Border when you live in Egypt - get a lot of looks. Was not too surprised at the interest that was sparked when I went through to the States - but was a tad surprised when I was questioned when we came back to Canada - even with my Canadian passport - nothing terrible - just more questions than I am used to - such is life.

Weather here has been quite nice - have had one day of rain - yesterday (Monday) and for the most part it has been quite sunny and relatively warm - I am sure my Egyptian family would not agree that it is warm - but for Canada it has been very nice - no snow as of yet - there is snow at higher elevations - but nothing yet where we are. Although when I drove out here there were a few flakes in the higher elevations - nothing that stuck though.

Below is a picture taken from my parent's back yard - looking north up the mountain - trying to get that burst of colour - I love the fall colours - miss them a lot.

Above is a picture that I took at the border - it was such a calm day - I could not resist - the water looks like a mirror.

This is me with my new hat - gotta love it - dontcha??? Bought it while Maurine and I were at Banff - first time we went I was tempted - but discretion won out - but then I did not buy the hat at Niagara Falls - so this time I just could not resist - must admit I luvvvvved the look on Maurine's face as we walked down the street in Banff - wish I had taken a pic. Luv ya cuzzy.

Here is Maureen and Maurine - Maurine is trying not to get poked in the eye with the antlers - we had sooo much fun.

We were unable to find a moose crossing sign - we saw a few elk crossing signs - but did not stop at them - found this one - and opted to go for it - gotta love the wildlife you find in Alberta - LOL.

Here we are in Yahk - enjoying the weather. I shall be kind and not name any names.

And here is the fire - looking nice and toasty warm. Can you tell that the people are chilly - arms all crossed trying to keep warm.

Wow - where has the time gone - anyone see a theme running through my trip back to Canada.

I am now living with a very good friend - Tina and her hubby Sav - she has opened her home to me at anytime - and I have taken her up on it. Not sure if she thinks it is such a good idea now - LOL. Although I do try to make myself somewhat useful - if I am around I cook supper - as both are out working - she has asked me if I really need to go back to Egypt - she will hire me as her cook - LOL. Not a bad idea. There is a bedroom in the basement where I hang my hat - and right next door is a bathroom with a wonderful 2 person jacuzzi tub - needless to say I am really enjoying being able to soak on a regular basis - nothing like it to relax a stressed out soul.

Due to 'circumstances' it has been decided that I will not be staying with Miles and Shani again. My visiting and staying with them is too much of a burden on Miles as he is very protective of 'his' space. After all I decided to move to Egypt and he never understood it to mean that I would be 'living' with him again - so.... enough said.

Weather here has been wonderful - considering it is October. Last Thursday a temperature record was broken - it had been set in a very long time ago - it was a beautiful day - things have cooled down a bit - there is definitely a 'bite' in the air now - certainly feels like fall. Must admit I do miss the seasons - Egypt seems to have two - summer and winter - the transition is so short that it is usually missed. Sort of like passing through a small town in Saskatchewan - blink and you have missed it. Miss the smells that the seasons bring - nothing like it. When I drive to Creston - I will roll down the window when I get to the vicinity and I will smell apples on the wind - in spring you smell the blossoms - and as you drive through the mountains the smell of evergreen is fantastic - definitely miss these things.

Last night I was 'dragged' to a candle party - if I lived here I could see myself spending a lot of money - thank goodness I do not have room to take the treasures home. I must admit it was fun smelling all the scents that they have - has anyone noticed how nice they perceive the sea to smell - supposed to be a soothing scent - well let me tell you no beach or sea has ever smelled that sweet - although I am sure the 'true' scent would not be a big seller.

Thursday evening I was 'dragged' to a jewellery party - left my wallet at home - only thing I was tempted by was a man's silver ring - could have stood in for a wedding band for Aymn - but I am not 100% sure of his ring size - just know his finger is very large - and I was not sure it would arrive in time - saved by the bell. There were a lot of very nice things - very pretty - mostly done in silver though - and I do not have a lot of silver anymore - gold seems to be the way to go in Egypt and I am not complaining. Although the young girls seem to wear a lot of silver - not nearly as expensive as gold - so they can have fun mixing and matching and not be completely broke.

I spent Friday with Maurine - we went to Mountain Equipment Coop - more commonly referred to as MEC - I went looking for a backpack that I could use in Egypt for carrying my gym stuff to the gym and also use for 'day trips'. I am tired of buying backpacks that fall apart in a heartbeat. Miles bought a backpack 8 years ago when he went up north to work - he took it on his mission - he still has it - looks a bit worse for wear - but has not fallen apart yet. I always assumed that their bags were pricey - but I was wrong - I got a really nice 14L pod bag for only $24.00 - but of course found other things I just had to have. Have been looking for a water bottle that has a straw in it - as I do not like tipping up the water bottle to drink when I am driving - found a 1 L one there - environmentally friendly, non toxic - for $14.00 - also have been keeping my eye open for a travel clock that has a light so that I can see the time at night - found a Timex with Indiglo - for $21.00 - pricier than I would have liked - but I have not seen any - so ..... I also purchased a Canadian flag decal to put on my backpack - must be patriotic. I also found a 'bag' for Aymn - last year I bought him a leather purse for keeping his essential papers in - and it is falling apart - stitching is coming apart - figured this one might last better - hope he uses it - if not I will - no problems there. Maurine bought me a medium sized travel bag for my makeup - actually transferred everything into it this morning and threw out the one I had been using - is very nice - has a hook on it so you can hang it up - lots of places to put things.

Went back to MEC yesterday (Saturday) with Tina - she liked the idea of the pod bag - so she bought herself one and of course found treasures that she had to have - prior to entering the store she had no intention of purchasing a membership - but she ended up getting one - lots of really neat things for camping and since she and Sav have a really nice trailer - she saw lots of treasures that would be oh so useful. I ended up buying myself a tiny pocket knife and a little light to attach to my key ring - always useful to have one when you end up doing the stairs and the lights go out. I had one - and dad 'fixed' it for me - but the piece that attached it to the key ring broke - so I could never find it in my bag - and then it just all fell apart. Will get it out of my bag and put it in my bedside table - or somewhere else for when the power fails - which it does quite regularly.

I am going to be spending tomorrow with Maurine again - never seem to have enough time with her - this business of her having to work for a living is a real kill joy - and she has taken on another job - so she is even busier - SIGH. Maybe next time I come we can arrange to 'holiday' for a few days together. We have so much fun together. We may be taking off for Banff again - I was informed that she does not want to stay in Calgary - I am up for it.

Have not been taking many pictures this trip - not sure why - but I rarely remember to take my camera with me when I go out. Should pack up my backpack and just start taking it with me when I go out. What a concept.

Friday (Oct. 10) I head out to BC to spend two weeks with my parents - looking forward to a wonderful turkey dinner for Thanksgiving - will have to hold me over for Christmas as well - because I will not be cooking a turkey again in Egypt - LOL. Christmas this year will be nothing special - oh well - such is life. Maurine has expressed a wish that I would be here for Christmas - nice idea - but not sure I am ready for the snow and cold - LOL. And must admit that I am looking forward to being 'home' in my own bed, I love visiting but it gets to me after a while - miss having my own place. Am looking forward to spending time with my parents - hope to get a trip to the States - will see how it goes.

Time is sure flying - but I am having fun - that is good.

I am in TO visiting my buddy - we have been having a lot of fun. Monday we headed to Niagara Falls - have never been there - we got a bit of a late start and then took the 'scenic' route - so we did not arrive very early - all the 'attractions' - the Maid of the Mist (boat ride) and the observation deck were already closed by the time we got there - but it was wonderful to see the Falls - talk about awesome - makes one feel very insignificant in this world. We had a lot of fun - took lots of pictures - if the computer cooperates I will upload a few of them. We are thinking that next time we will spend a night - so much to do and see - would not want to go there during the high holiday season - I can imagine it would be a real zoo - would feel like I was in Egypt - and I do not appreciate the crowds.

Weather here has been pretty good - although as per usual the weekend was wet - although we did some walking in the rain as it was in the mid teens - so not too bad for walking in the rain - Sunday night there were big winds (we did not experience them where we are) - big enough to topple trees and of course they fell on cars - so people were not happy - they are attributing the winds to the last huffs and puffs of Hurricane Ike. Gas prices increased 15 cents overnight - talk about gouging the public. Must admit this just gets my back up - they are so fast to hike the price when there is the slightest increase in the price of oil - but when oil prices fall - it takes forever for the price at the pumps to reflect the decrease.

Thursday will see me heading back to Calgary - where I will be hanging my hat for a couple more weeks before I head out to Creston to spend the last leg of my holiday with my parents. Will actually meet up with my folks on the 21st of Sept. as my dad has an eye appointment on the 22nd - so will be good to see them. Figured I would spend Thanksgiving with them - as I will be in the country - and since I am using their car - best plan was to save the visit until just before I departed so I would not have to pay to drive out there twice - with the price of gas as high as it is. Must admit I do not look forward to the bus trip back to Calgary - I am thoroughly spoiled - but such is life.



A wonderful shot of the falls - awesome.




Dig the hat - I do believe I will have started a new fashion trend - on the green 'ribbon' it says 'Let's Party'.


Me and Safa with the falls behind us.


The two of us in front of one of the gardens.


Me with the falls behind me - notice the rainbow over my right shoulder.

Here it is Sunday, August 31 - tomorrow is the first day of Ramadan - Ramadan Kareem to all my muslim friends.

This is the last long weekend of the summer - and as per usual it has been cool and wet. Friday was a nice day - Saturday we had some sun - then it started to rain in the evening and is still cloudy - not sure if it is raining at the moment - but when you go out it smells like earthworms - and wet. Miles is very happy for the rain - he has been working very hard on the grass - he had just put some more seed down so is tickled green with the cool damp weather - great for new grass.

I spent most of Thursday and Friday with my sister Marian, and some of her brood. My eldest niece has recently moved back to Calgary and had a baby at the end of July - so it was quite a gathering - my youngest nephew was with my sister - he has decided - after living for 2.5 years with his father in Nanaimo,BC - to move back with his mom. Friday my niece dragged us on a 'short' walk to the Farmer's Market - only to get there after they were closed - so then we walked a 'bit' further to an ice cream shop - mmmmmm - very good ice cream - we then had to walk 12 blocks home. Unfortunately I was wearing my sandals so my right foot is giving me grief.

Thursday evening I drove out to Okotoks and spent the evening with a good friend of mine - left much to late - did not get home until around 11:30 - 4:30 a.m. came much to early - after working out at the gym on Friday I hit the hay for a few more hours of sleep.

I have been going to the gym every day - meet up with my workout buddies at 6 a.m. and exercise and then on my way home by 7:30 - unless I go out to Tim Horton's for hot chocolate and a donut - only done that once - LOL.

I have been busy with visiting friends - although I must admit the list gets shorter every time I come back - but such is life. I have also been busy shopping for my list of must haves to take back to Egypt when I head back.

I am hoping to spend some time with Maurine this coming week - she has been busy working - and her husband broke his arm and wrist last Wednesday - when I spoke with her last night he was still in the hospital - she is quite concerned - as five months ago she fell and injured herself the same way - different arm though - and she was only in the hospital one day - so she is wondering what is up with the extended hospital stay. And as I am persona non grata with her husband it may be tough to see much of her while he is home recuperating - but I am sure we will figure something out.

I have landed in Calgary and am enjoying the cooler weather - today the high was 15 - feels like winter - LOL - just kidding- actually no, I am not - it is the same temp here as it is in Alex in the winter - only difference is that there is heat in the homes. Today has been rainy, with sunny patches. Made a quick trip to Wal-Mart and Safeway - quick because Miles was with me - and unless you are shopping for him - you best be hustling. Oh well - soon enough I will get out on my own and wander through Wal-Mart.

The flights were uneventful - slept most of the way to Frankfurt - and I am not sure why they insist on waking me up to eat on the trip to Calgary - do I look like I need to eat - just let me sleep. Only fly in the ointment was that the video system did not work very well - they finally got things worked out about 3 hours before we landed in Calgary - so we got vouchers - should see what I will get - an upgrade to business class next time I travel - not likely - but sure would be a treat - I look at the seats in business class and wish I had lots of money - that is the way to travel on long trips.

Not sure what my plans are as of yet. Had planned on heading to Ontario before the start of Ramadan - but on checking seat prices found that there is a seat sale starting in September - so may just end up heading out then. Maybe I will head up to Edmonton next week - still not sure - need to make some phone calls and check an email - a friend of mine is travelling - want to make sure she is back in town before I head that way.

Talked with Mom last night and she is feeling better now than she has felt in many months - thank God. I am very grateful for all the prayers that were said on our behalf.

Not much more to report right now - hope I can get some sleep tonight - my legs have been cramping - kept me awake for a bit last night - am heading to the gym tomorrow morning - to visit and work out.

TTFN

Where has the time gone. Thought I was 'ready' to travel - must admit that while I enjoy having Aymn here it is a bit of a hindrance to getting things ready - closing up the place for over two months - while still having to feed someone is a bit of a pain. If it were just me I would not be eating much - it is still too danged hot here - looking forward to the cooler clime of Canada.

Update on Mom - she is home - after being airlifted to Calgary on the 11th and spending five days at the Foothills Hospital - she was released on Friday the 15th after having an MRI that showed no damage to the heart. Everyone headed back to Creston on Saturday - my dad, mom, sister and sister's youngest son. So things are getting back to normal.

24 hours from now I will be on my way to Canada - looking forward to the break. Need time to do some serious soul searching. Will try to keep everyone posted.

Thanks for the support over the last week - must admit it has been a tough one - do not like being so far away from family during a crisis.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers. Just heard from my sweet daughter (in-law) that Dad is going to Calgary and they are looking after him. Although dad has refused their offer of a bed for his stay - he is just as hard headed as his grandson - or is it the other way around - but Miles will be taking him to the doctor - big relief - not sure if I will be getting a talking to about my executive decision - but I don't really care - it is a big relief to know that dad is being looked after. Of course I am very sensible and not at all hard headed - skipped me (can you see the tongue in cheek????).

I am assuming that mom is doing all right - at least good enough for dad to leave her for three days - I do not know if she is still in hospital - but I would bet yes. I am sure hoping that I can get some sleep tonight - not only is my car running on fumes - but so am I.

Again thanks for the prayers - we certainly are in need of them.

For those of you who are not yet aware - I was scheduled to fly out of Alex to Calgary on August 6 - but Mr. Aymn was not yet back - so he asked that I change my flight plans - so am now scheduled to head out on August 20 - he is still not back - promising to be back today (August 11). I am now really, really regretting changing my plans - when I was going to the travel agency to change them I was really having to force myself - I was NOT a happy camper. I now know why. Yesterday morning (Sunday) I got a phone call from my dad - my mom is in the hospital - she had a heart attack Saturday morning - I need to be in Canada. If I had not changed my plans I would have been in Creston on Saturday morning and my dad would not be having to deal with this on his own - ARGHHHH. Today I am going to phone the agency and see if by chance there is a seat available on Wednesday's flight - I feel as if I am being torn in two - now I know there is enough of me for two - but for some strange reason there is no 'tear here' line on me. Asked Dad if he needed me to come earlier - am waiting for his email. He is heading to Calgary on Monday (maybe) as he has a doctor's appointment for his eye - he needs someone to drive him to and from the appointment - not really to - but certainly from as he will be getting an injection in one of his eyes and he cannot drive right afterwards. He said he would call Shawna - but she has just had a baby - so I spoke out of turn and offered Miles' services - as he is not working - at least not outside the home - he is the resident manager of the complex they live in - but I figured he would likely be able to help dad out - made an executive decision - now waiting to get blasted from Miles. Needless to say I am stressed - did not get much sleep last night - am supposed to be heading out this morning for a gathering at the pool - but my mind is just not into it today - but will drag myself out anyway - will be better than sitting here waiting. I do hate the waiting.

Please say a prayer for my mom - we need all the 'help' we can get.

Weather here has been hot and humid - did I mention the humidity -just saps me. I think about doing anything and the sweat starts to run down my face, arms, torso and legs - such a pretty sight.

Looks like my flat may be used while I am out of the country. My friend Margaret may stay for a few days and last night I found out that my youngest SIL is coming to Egypt for a month - and Suzanne (SIL) told me that they would be renting a place - Mom (MIL) wants them to stay with her - but if they do that than his mother will have her knickers in a knot because she thinks they should stay with her. I know that money is tight for them - so I suggested that they could stay at my place. Suzanne asked me if I was sure - I said why not - she is family - only seems right. As Suzanne was leaving she told me that she was going to move out of the country so that when she comes to visit she can stay at my place - told her she could stay anytime she wanted. Would be nice if I could meet Shereen (youngest SIL) - I have spent five minutes with her a couple of days after I arrived in Egypt - she was getting ready to move to Qatar. This will be her first visit back - hope they take me up on the offer of my place - would save them money and it is big enough that she could entertain the families here as well. She could use my new dining room table - I have yet to use it.

Had a dream this morning that Aymn called me and told me he would be going home to his family because it would only be fair. So I am waiting for a phone call - wondering what is going on -must admit this frustrates me no end. Hopefully it will just have been a dream - but if it pans out to happen - then I will really do my utmost to get out of here sooner.