Two posts in a week - wow - I am so impressed - LOL. Today I got up and went to the gym - will be taking the next 3 days off - need to give my heel a chance to heal - got a blister and of course it is a 'bloody' mess every time I work out - plus tomorrow is a holiday and parking is a zoo on holidays - so I will take the coward's way out and stay put - leaving my car parked nice and close to my house in a relatively 'safe' place. Tomorrow is Labour Day here - not much goes on - except no work. Then of course Friday and Saturday are the weekend. Had planned on working out every day - but my heel really needs a chance to recuperate and I think so does my body. Will get back to it on Sunday - go figure - here I am nice and retired and I am still getting up at before 6 a.m. to get out to the gym - should have my head examined - except I am a morning person - that has not changed and I do not like sleeping late - 8:00 has wasted half the day. One good thing - at least when I get home from the gym the rush is not on to get fed, showered and dressed and out the door to work - big sigh of relief.

Yesterday (Tuesday) saw me out and about - went and got my glasses - so nice to be able to see clearly again - the lenses of my old glasses were soooo scratched that I was looking through a mist all the time. Now of course comes getting used to new glasses, new prescription, etc. - went from plastic lenses to glass lenses - in the hopes of preventing so much scratching - so they are also a bit heavier than the old ones - so the nose is going to have to adjust to the new 'weight' on it. Got the glasses in the early evening - then I was out the door at 8:00 to meet up with Sharon to go to the dermatologist - yes finally found one and got an appointment made - a friend of Sharon's took us. The fee for the exam was 25 LE - less than 5.00 CDN - and I have Bowen's disease - three spots on my face - pre-cancerous lesions - 145 LE later - I now have to wear sunblock on any exposed skin - and have a chemotherapy cream to apply to the lesions - lots of fun - had to go to a 'famous' pharmacy - they prepared the cream - as it is not available here - they do not make it because only 'white' people suffer from Bowen's disease - so no need to produce it. Took an hour to make it - thank goodness they deliver - although the delivery guy got thoroughly lost - took him 1.5 hours to find the place - should have taken him 20 minutes to drive - but ... then he was most unhappy with me because I only tipped him 1 LE - he figured he deserved more because it took him so long and he got lost numerous times - like NO - if you had gotten here in good time the tip would have been bigger - he did not get the cream to me until after midnight - way past my bedtime. So now I am banned from the sun - that is a hardship - wearing sunblock - not sunscreen - am really hoping it does not cause me any problems - a lot of the sunscreens irritate my eyes - we will see - and I am going to be seeing the doctor every week for a month and then once a month - he gave me a full body 'scan' - naked eye variety - and thank goodness the only patches are on my face - but he wants to keep an eye on things - wonderful - and of course there is no way you can drive (no parking) and his office hours are in the evening from 8 - 10:30 p.m. - YUCK. Oh well - such is life here in Egypt - helps to keep me out of the sun - told me I can only go out after 6 at night. The sunblock was 92 LE for 40 gm - OUCH - and the chemo cream was 53 LE for 40 gm - am wondering how long I will be using the chemo cream - I am to only use a match head sized dollop on each site - so I have enough for quite a while - whereas the sunblock will not last long if I am to use it twice a day - even when I do not go outside - now this I think I will be changing - I will certainly use the sunblock if I am going to go outside - but I do not see the point in using it indoors. The price to be paid for wanting to be brown - will forever more be lily white - SIGH. Oh well - better to be white than dead - I guess.

Not much else to report - yesterday morning we had a 'freak' rainstorm - very out of character for this time of the year - but it means I did not have to water the garden - will do it tonight - after 6.

It has been a long time - have been quite busy but not seeming to do much - but I must update.


Aymn was in town for 10 days - it was a good visit. My dining room set will be ready by June 2 - just in tme for my b'day - hmmm - will not hold my breath - but will see what happens. The carpenter and Aymn have altered my design request - because they know my style better than I do - oh well - will live with whatever I get - sure hope it is not tooooo ornate. Egyptians like things very ornate and fancy - and that is just not me. Aymn has assured me that he knows my taste - uh huh - and it will be wonderful. Time will tell.


While he was in town we went on a wild goose chase. He saw an ad for villas for only 199,000 - which is a very good price. He contacted the people and they told him it was only 80 km past the bridge that goes under the Suez Canal - hmmm - must be Egyptian km - because it was a lot farther than that. We started out nice and early - figured it would take about 3-4 hours to get there and then the same back - I had not counted on Mr. Man wanting to stop at a couple more developments to have a look see - the first one we stopped at is about 80 km this side of Cairo - villas starting at 750,000 and most of them are just for weekend use - there are no facilities for schools or shopping - and it is in the desert - hmmm - not likely. Then he just HAD to stop at another development - just in the planning stages - the apartments are going for 4,000 LE a square metre - GULP - we looked at the 'mock' flats - the smallest one was 100 m2 - kind of small - and again in the middle of the desert - although I do believe they had plans for schools and shopping and business centre. Asked Aymn how much the villas were - he did not even ask - if the flats were 4,000/m2 - Lord only knows how much the villas were. And of course each of these stops was for only 10 minutes - gotta love those Egyptian 10 minutes - 1.5 hours minimum. We finally found our way to the place we were going - stopped and had something to eat at the nearest town - and was told that it was 40 km past the town - and the town was at least 80 km past the tunnel - hmmmm. So we drove on to look - Aymn was ready to give up - we had passed quite a few resorts and he was sure we were running out of resorts. The road we were on would have taken us to Sharm el Sheikh if we had continued - I think we were only about 200 km from Sharm by the time we finally 'found' the resort we were looking for. OMG - there were two structures under construction - one of them had about 1/3 of the outer walls built the other one about 1/2 the outer walls were done - there were two 'grunts' there - they were working on the bulldozer - Aymn talked with them - turns out that they had just been released from jail - had spent 8 days behind bars because of the 'false' advertising - not very fair as they were not the ones putting the ad in the paper - I mean it was very misleading - 2/3 of a page with all kinds of 'pictures' of the resort - guess someone took exception to the wild goose chase - no sense of adventure. We started heading back to Alex - about 5.5 hours away - gag - had been in the car quite long enough - but... Aymn called Mustafa to tell him what had happened and he and Margaret invited us to spend the night with them in Ain Sokhna - only about a 2 hour drive - so we took them up on their offer - would have preferred my own bed - but by this time I was glad to get out of the car. Aymn does not trust my navigating skills - got to Suez and insisted on stopping and asking people for directions - and guess what - they gave him the same directions that I had - harumph. Then I had the fun of directing him through Cairo - must admit it is certainly much easier just to drive it then to direct someone - but we made it through with not much problem - we missed 'rush hour' traffic past the pyramids in Giza - whew - Aymn would have blown a gasket. He wanted to get on the ring road - which is not truly a ring it is more like a U - and we were on the opposite end of the city - if we had taken the ring road and bypassed Giza we would have had to travel 3/4 of the ring road - but all is well - we made it home in one piece.


My car has to go back to be repaired - Aymn parked the car one night - and some moron rear ended it - now the bumper is wired on on both sides - SIGH. Not in a big rush to get it done - will only have to be redone - ARGH. Thank goodness I renewed my insurance - car insurance is not compulsory here. And of course it came up for renewal while Aymn was in Libya - and he was sure that I could have gotten a better rate if I had gone to another company - I am not so sure - the insurance companies are all 'western' companies here in Egypt - so I have a funny feeling they likely check - just like in the west - he wanted me to wait until he arrived back - and he had no real idea when he was going to come back - asked me just to wait - it would only mean driving for a few days without insurance - not like I would get into an accident in a few days - I told him that I 'expect' to get into an accident every time I take the car out - that is just the way it is here.



Just for Safa - I washed my 'purse' - looks much better - finally got around to sewing on all the letters and washed it - hope you appreciate it - LOL.


Prior to Aymn's return I headed to 6th of October - a suburb of Cairo - and spent 2 days with my friend Jean. We met up on the Tuesday and headed into Maadi - we were on an adventure - I did not know how to get there -she did - but she had no idea where things were - I had a map - so off we went. Maadi is an area of Cairo where a lot of foreigners hang their hats - we went for coffee at the CSA - very nice place - think if I lived closer I would join and partake of some of their amenities - they have a gym, a pool, a library, a 2nd hand shop, they have classes and tours regularly as well. But it is quite a drive. After that we found Kimo's - a shop that is known for having lots of western treasures - food wise that is. Bought some asparagus - and some square baskets - YEAH. I am sure I could find them cheaper - but I now have something to store my shoes in - until I get a proper shoe cupboard - instead of having them lined up on the floor at the front entry. Not sure what I will use the 2nd one for - maybe for sewing - or just for stashing my treasures that surround my 'nest' - when company comes - put everything in the basket and voila - looks neat and tidy. We found a bookstore - called the Bookspot - it is owned by foreigners - lots and lots of English books - I thought it was quite pricey considering the books are 2nd hand - but if you are unable to find anything - it is better than nothing. We stopped at a restaurant called Lucille's - it is 'world' famous - the woman was married to an Egyptian - divorced - but opted to stay - she is from TX - and makes very good burgers. All in all we had a good day - and did not even get lost once - well took a bit of a scenic tour on the way home - but nothing that was too bad. My hope is to make it into Cairo on a semi regular basis and 'investigate' another area each time - so I know my way around better. Would like to find my way to the airport and a few other places - such a life of adventure I lead - LOL.


While Aymn was in town we bought more plants - lots of geraniums - they do very well here - and they bloom all year - so nice to have them in the garden in the winter - just a splash of colour. Tomorrow night - Sunday - the owner of the nursery where we get our plants is coming over to make arrangements for a gardener - we met a really great young man the first time we were there this season - his name is Mohammed - go figure - and his English is excellent. I really want someone to come and look after the garden - weed it - move things around so it looks better - Aymn planted tall plants in the front - short plants in the back - etc. - and I just want some advice and help getting things done. In one of the beds we have 25 rose bushes - they are horrid - they are sprawling all over the place - they need help. The sweet peas I grew from seeds that I collected from the plants we had last year are doing well - although we had a hot spell and that did not do them any good - some of the 'tall' sweet peas seeded themselves from last year and they are growing up among the plants that are planted against the wall - no idea what kind of plant they are. The hibiscus and bougainvillea are not doing well - so I want someone to 'fix' things - as well as weed - I can water - not that it is my favourite task - but I can do it. But will be nice to have someone who knows what they are doing looking after the plants. Aymn 'knows' everything and refuses to listen to me. He decided to fertilize - after he had watered - and of course the wind came up - and voila none of the fertilizer was to be found - told him not to spread the fertilizer until the garden was going to be watered - he did not 'hear' me. That happens a lot. I have included a picture of a couple of flowers in the garden.


While Aymn was in Libya he managed to just about sever his left thumb and put a 3 inch gash in his right forearm. Mr. Bright Boy was working with a circular saw - cutting metal - and he opted to use a blade that was too large for the saw - and of course no safety shield on it - and it slipped - he ended up with 5 stitches in his arm and 8 or 9 stitches in his thumb - not sure he will ever get use of his thumb back - it was a real mess. His hand was so swollen they had to cut his wedding ring off. While he was here he did get the stitches out - mom and dad you will appreciate this - we went to the hospital to get them out - the doc took most of them out - but left 4 in his thumb - saying it needed a few more days of healing - and Aymn actually took out the remaining 4 by himself - I just about passed out.


I have headed to the gym. Aymn and I went and checked out the gym at the Renaissance hotel - located not far from home - and he paid for a month's membership. The place is nothing fancy - but it is clean - and it is open 24 hours a day - so I can go as early in the morning as I want. They have two treadmills, an elliptical cross trainer, a bike, some free weights, and a weight 'machine'. The view is great - the hotel is located right on the corniche and the gym is on the 3rd floor - so you look out on to the sea - and there are great big windows that open - so I open the windows and get the breeze - the first two days I did not open the windows - left puddles on the equipment - 3rd day - asked if the windows could be opened - was told no problem - so now I open them as soon as I get there - not leaving nearly as big a puddle. Aymn has agreed to pay for a gym membership wherever I choose. There is a Gold's Gym located at the 'club' we belong too - only drawback is that it is a 20 minute drive - the one I am at now is only a 5 minute drive - if that - but will see how things are at the end of my month. Another consideration for staying at the hotel is that it is a month to month membership - so when I am out of the country I do nto have to pay - whereas Gold's is a yearly membership - not sure there is any discount if you do not use it - not likely. It feels good to be back at the gym - never thought I would feel that way - but I sure do feel better when I am working out. My goal is to get in better shape - Aymn is pushing to get me a scale so I can weigh myself - have told him no thanks - scales and I do not get along - if I lose weight great - I just want to be able to carry me around better. I have included two pictures of the view that I see when I am working out - so much more 'interesting' than the view at Spa Lady in Calgary - although the company is nowhere near as good - I am usually on my own.

As promised here are a couple of pictures of the beach in Ain Sokhna - see the chair - just waiting for you to come and join us. The water was so clear - tried to take a picture of my foot in the water - but it did not turn out very well - I think there were too many people in the water - not calm enough. But the water was so clear you could see the bottom - you could even see the little fish swimming around. The water is very shallow. To get out to where it was over one's head you had to walk out just about to that speckon the horizon - which is in fact a boat that belongs to the resort.

We saw a small dinghy load up with four people - a cooler and what looked like snorkelling equipment and head out to the boat - and then the boat took off - so I am assuming that if you wanted to go snorkelling they would take you. And here is a pic of me basking in the sun - love the hat and the shades - but I was very good - my face was slathered with sunscreen and then protected to the best of my ability.

Look at the kids and adults behind me - they were having a ball playing in the sand - this was taken on Thursday - when it was getting 'crowded' - before we left on Thursday the water was actually getting quite busy - not nearly as busy as it will be in the summer - but a lot busier than it had been.
Here is a picture of my friend Margaret's newest additions to the family. I stayed with Margaret and her husband Mustafa in Ain Sukhna. Peach faced love birds - sure are noisey little critters - kept waking me up early - but they will be a lot of 'company' to Margaret - who is currently not working. And I must admit Ain Sokhna is certainly very quiet when there are no holidayers. It is a very large complext and I think there may be only five or six permanent residents living there - so very very quiet.



Here is my hat full of shells. The first day we were at the beach (Monday) we collected lots of shells - the next three days were not nearly as productive - now I just need a place to 'display' them. Each day we went for a walk along the shore and looked for shells - was good exercise.

I am home - got back yesterday (Friday) afternoon. Had a great time - spent lots of time on the beach and in the water - water was 'invigorating'. Beach was pretty much deserted Monday thru Wednesday - but Thursday it got very crowded - a preview of what the summer will be like. Something that struck me was seeing people drinking alcohol at the beach - I live in a country that is basically Muslim - no alcohol - and sitting around the beach they are just chugging the booze - shakes my head - just seemed kinda strange - coming from Canada - where alcohol is 'legal' and yet not in a public place.

Came back to a heat wave. Temperature today was 33 C - tomorrow the high is forecast to be 35 C - Tuesday down to 25 C - back to normal. One thing I do miss is the change in the seasons - here there seem to be only two seasons - winter and summer - no spring - no fall. Last week I could leave the butter out on the counter and it was just the right consistency for spreading - now it is melting - seems to be no happy medium.

Prior to leaving for Ain Sokhna I was 'informed' by Aymn that he would like me to come and stay in Libya. Actually I told him that the next time he goes to Libya I want to go with him - I was figuring on a two week stay so I could visit my friends - and he said that was fine - but he would like me to stay for two months - GULP. Back to being a gypsy - living in a rented flat with someone else's furniture - no phone - no internet in the house - no washer - I know, I know I am soooo spoiled - but this came out of left field. I know he is not happy spending so much time in Libya on his own - but I never thought he would want me to live there. Needless to say my head is spinning and sleep is hard to come by. I just do not know what to do - but as someone commented - I could go and if I really do not like it I could come back to Egypt early. The real kink in the works is that I would not be able to take my car - so I would be without wheels - asked Aymn about taking the car - and he said no - because the young men in Libya target foreign cars to steal. SIGH. Where will I leave my car for two months - do not want to leave it parked on the street. What will happen to the garden - who will look after it for two months. All these things that need to be considered.

While in Sokhna my car got hit again - I was leaving the beach on Thursday - had parked so that I was facing the right direction - as they park on both sides of the street - and when it is crowded it leaves no room for turning around - and there were cars coming and parking - so I had stopped - some moron was backing up and did not see me - ARGH - and I did not look carefully at the damage - and upon closer inspection found out that the back door has been pranged again - I think I give up. I will just drive around with a dented car - does not seem to be much point in having a car that looks good - seems to be a target.

Will endeavour to download some pictures of the water and the beach. Wishing I was back there in the 'invigorating' water.

Must go - will keep you posted on where my life goes next.

Just a quick update - due to 'deaths' in the family my visit to Mohmadea was shorter than expected - I ended up coming back to Alex Thursday around noon. The silver lining in the cloud. I love my family - but their beds leave soooo much to be desired. I did not get a lot of sleep - I am a pampered westerner - they have a cotton mattress and pillow on the bed of honour that I am given - and even with all my padding I hurt - every time I move my hips, knees and neck groan in agony - so I was very 'grateful' to get home early.

Today I am busy doing laundry and cleaning my house in preparation to taking off again. My visit to Ain Sokhna will be shorter than I was planning on due to the prophet's birthday - a day that is celebrated here with a day off - which puzzles me as the 'religion' purportedly does not 'favour' celebrating birthdays - hmmmm - must admit it does confuse me - the mixture of culture and religion and trying to figure out which is which. I am soo looking forward to some sand and surf time - mmmmm. Taking some books to read on the beach - working on my tan - I know I know - I will be liberally covered with sunscreen - wearing a hat - keeping my face out of the sun. I will soon like these Arab girls who use products on their face to bleach their skin colour so they appear white - and then their hands and feet are nice and brown - only difference is that I will NOT be bleaching my face - no way no how.

I need to make a quick trip to my MIL to drop off the scissors that she gave Aymn to be sharpened - needless to say they are still as dull as dishwater. If I knew where to get them sharpened I would - but I do not have a clue - and according to Aymn Mom does know where to go and get them sharpened - guess there is a place not far from her apartment.

Anyhow - not much else to report. Life here is as usual - have not had too many I HATE EGYPT days - must admit having my driver's license makes me much happier when I am out and about driving - did not driving illegally - always anxious when I see police check points - and they are always out there. It is like Christmas in Canada - with all the Checkpoints - all the time here in Egypt. I have yet to travel to Cairo without encountering at least two checkpoints - and when we came back from Mohmadeah yesterday there was a checkpoint - no idea what they were checking because I got flagged through.

So TTFN - think of me basking on the beach and floating around in the beautiful blue water.

Woo hoo - I am finally legal - after only three days of running around I have my Egyptian driver's license - it is good for 10 years - thank God. We ended up having to go to the big boss - because one of the requirements to get a license here is proof of literacy - graduation paper from somewhere - unfortunately not something I carry around with me. So we went to the head officer in charge of all the traffic police in Alexandria - and he waived the necessity to prove that I was literate - phoned the officer who refused me the day before and told him that foreigners do not need to prove literacy - that is only for Egyptians - WHEW.

Aymn was in town - he left back for Libya last Friday - the 7th - we were very busy running around doing things finding things for his business in Libya - nice for him that I have a car that will carry a lot of stuff - or he would have been forking over a lot of money renting trucks to transport his treasures. We were in Cairo looking for things - gotta love that - not really. I ended up with a splitting headache. And on the way home - in the dark - with Aymn driving - he ran over a tire tread - the whole tire - laid over the entire lane we were in - and it flipped up and tore off the new bumper - I had had the car back from the shop for 3 days - WAAAAAA. Thank God no one was injured - just shook up - but I now have to take the car back and get it fixed - GRRRRR.

Weather here is getting really nice - today it was sunny and warm - great beach day - but alas I was too busy to get to enjoy that.

Tomorrow I am heading to Mohmodeah for a few days to visit with Suzanne (SIL) and her family - will be back Thursday or Friday - dependent on what Aymn's eldest son is going to do - he has made noises that he will come out on Thursday - and I will not stay then. Saturday I am heading to Ain el Sokhna with Margaret and her hubby - will be there for five or six days - going to pack my swim gear and looking forward to spending some time on the beach - swimming, reading, cross stitching - just relaxing.

Not a lot more to report - life is pretty much the same. Although I was able to connect with a couple of 'women' that I went to school with in Pinawa - that was great. They had a reunion last year - in honour of the class turning 50 - and of course I missed it - hope to be kept in the loop for any other reunions and plan on being around for the next one.

I am here - I am well - sort of - in a bit of mental turmoil - but such is my life. My 'best buddy' took off to Canada - she had the chance to leave so she packed herself and her five kids and headed west - she is now back home getting her life in order. Gave me pause for thought - what DO I WANT????? I know that I do not really want what I have here in Egypt - as I said to my husband if I wanted to be single I would prefer to be single in Canada - where at least I am not a fish out of water. My husband is spending 90% of his time in Libya - has to provide a future for himself and his family - only drawback is that I am not included in the list of providing a future for - that is up to me.

I took my car in to be fixed - at last. Insurance company was not happy - I am required to inform them within 72 hours of an accident - I had Aymn peruse the paperwork that I was given when I got the insurance - of course it is all in Arabic - and I cannot read it - go figure - so he read it and nowhere does it stipulate that the accident needed to be reported within 72 hours - so he phoned the company - fellow said come in and talk to his manager - and because they did not give me the terms and conditions they agreed to fix the car - YEAH. Then we ran into another snafu - my International Driver's Licence expired on January 4 - so here I am driving without a license - no insurance - BUT the accident happened in September so I was covered - WHEW. Took the car in to Toyota - and they had my 'baby' for 11 days - OMG - I am sure dependent on my baby - got the car back on Feb. 23 - could have picked it up on the 22nd - but was not keen about waiting around for the insurance guy to come and take pics of the thing before I could take it - so went early Saturday morning with my SIL - Suzanne - and picked it up. Looks soooo good. Almost like new - had both bumpers replaced, the back hatch replaced and the front windshield replaced (had a crack in it). Nothing is easy here - went to pay with my credit card - did not have enough cash - and I had to pay first and then I will get reimbursed by the insurance company (if I had taken the car to one of the insurance companies 'garage of choice' they would have paid for it right away - but I insisted on taking it to Toyotal - waned to make sure I got original Toyota parts) - and was informed that I could not use the credit card - ARGH - so I got on my cell phone and phoned Canada - asked why I could not use it - after of course answering 50 questions - woman asked me if the charge was around 1600 dollars - I said yes - she asked if it was for a car rental - I said no - I was getting my car repaired - hmmmm - when are you coming back to Canada - will be coming back in July or August (MAYBE) for a visit - are you LIVING in Egypt??? - yes I am - how long have you been living there? - since Dec. 2005 - okay will make a note on your file - try the charge again - it worked. Fellow who was taking my money commented - Canada 2008 Egypt 1998 - I agreed - my SIL was insulted. YEAH - had wheels back - big sigh of relief. As I am leaving the compound I am told to take the salvage to the insurance company - pardon me - there sit the two bumpers and I am expected to take them to the insurance company - I think not - told them if the insurance company wants them then they can come and pick them up - no way am I going to cart them around. I can just see myself in downtown carrying the two bumpers into the office building and up the two flights of stairs and dropping them on the reception desk - hmmmm - tempting - but no thanks. Sunday I had to drive to the downtown area - not my favourite place to drive - but there is a parkade (of sorts) next door to the office of the insurance company - so parked there - walked over and gave them the receipt proving I had paid for the car. Need to call the company tomorrow to start the dance about where my cheque is - need it so I can transfer the money to Canada to pay the bill.

After hitting the insurance company I went out to Carrefour - needed a couple of things - having wheels is so nice - and it hit me that I had promised to take my MIL to get her pension cheque - ARGH - oh well - too late now. When I got home I phoned Suzanne and apologized - told her to call mom and I would take her on Tuesday - felt like a real heel. I had completely forgotten that on Friday I had said I would take her on Sunday. Aymn arrived back in town on Monday -went to his family - Tuesday morning he came over to see me - and was not thrilled that I had plans to take mom to her pension - but after sulking and not getting me to change my mind - he came along - and it was a good thing he did - he finally got things sorted out - Mom had not received her pension for over a year - Aymn found out why - she owed them money - she had been receiving money for her youngest daughter - well said daughter got married and Mom did not inform them for about a year - so .... In shaa allah she will start receiving her pension next month - will be delivered to the post office near Mom's - so I no longer have to take her to the pension office.

Wednesday saw Aymn and I heading to Cairo - me dreading it - he had 'business' to attend to - which of course meant I spent 95% of the day cooped up in the car as we drove all over Cairo - and he picked up his buddy Mohammed - now do not get me wrong - I really like Mohammed - he is a great guy - but his voice gives me a headache - he is very loud and the pitch is like fingers on a chalkboard. So I am popping pills trying to keep the headache at bay - combination of Cairo pollution and the noise - enough to give me a migraine. And did we drive - we ended up at 10th of Ramadan - where my buddy used to live - then back through Cairo to drop Mohammed off - then we headed home. Stopped at Dandy Mall - pee break for me - and quick drop in to Carrefour - had planned on eating but my headache was just going to migraine mode - so eating was not at all appealing - and of course Aymn figured he could wait until we got home - it was after 8 by this time - tough to be so danged cheap. I popped 3 more pills and thank goodness the migraine did not end up being full blown.

About 1/2 way home Aymn drove over a tire tread - biggest hunk of rubber I have ever seen - and of course he was going very fast and could not avoid it - thank god we were not hurt - I was just shaken - but the car was not so fortunate - my brand new back bumper was half off - WAAAAAAAA. Oh well - such is life in Egypt - I now know why I refuse to drive after dark on the highways.

Thursday we invited Mom over for supper - Aymn had purchased some goat meat and he was going to roast it - I made a birthday cake - his birthday is Feb. 18 and of course he was not around - but figured it would be a nice surprise. Well Mom backed out at the 11th hour - Aymn phoned to say he was on his way - and she said that Mr. Mossad had arrived unannounced and she had fed him and he was still there visiting - ARGH. Oh well - so Aymn roasted the meat - I cooked some rice - I had cut up a bunch of veggies and had made a 'ranch' dip - so we ate that - except the goat was so TOUGH I could not eat it - so I ate lots of veggies. Then before we could have dessert Aymn got a phone call and he was off and running - would be back in an hour - work he had left to be done at a workshop was done - got a call after an hour - they were not even finished the work yet - would be another half hour - how do you spell pissed off - well that was me - he left before 7 and did not get back until after 10:30 - by which time I was in bed - just steamed. No birthday cake - good think I like the cake - mmmm - just what I need - but hey.

On the way to Cairo we stopped and bought some tangerines - they also had red grapefruit for sale - so we bought some - and I am now eating one - it is soooo good. I have never had a really fresh grapefruit - almost worth the trip to get some more - LOL. They were very expensive - 2 egyptian pounds per kilo - that is about 40 cents canadian. Should have got more than 2 kg of them.

That is my life - sorry for the lapse in updates. Will try to do better.

Oh and I did break down and share the cake with Aymn - he had a piece yesterday morning before he headed home - not sure he will get any more - but -he did at least get one piece.

Just a very short post to assure everyone that I am fine - my leg is about 95% back to normal - still a bit swollen and the area that was infected is still tender to the touch - but I am quite content that it is on the road to recovery. Internet access in Egypt is hit and miss - even more so than usual due to the fact that one or two - depending on the report you read - of the underwater cables have been damaged (rumour has it that an anchor damaged them) - leaving 80% of Egypt without internet - or leaving Egypt without internet 80% of the time - whichever way you want to read it. I have internet now - but no guarantee that I will have it for very long - hence the short post. But did want to let everyone know that I am healthy and starting to work on my goals - slowly but surely.

Last week we had a wingding of a wind storm - so glad I was frivolous and got new windows - at least my bedroom was windproofed and the dust was kept to a minimum. But I was begining to think that all the satellite dishes were going to be ripped from their moorings and fly away - a lot of creaking and groaning went on. We are now back to nice weather - highs in the high teens - lows in the low teens - Aymn told me that it was the coldest temperatures in over 50 years - as I did not have access to the internet or TV - due to my satellite dish being blown around - I had no idea - just knew it was windier than windy.

Anyway - in a week or so - in shaa allah - they are saying the internet will be back to 'normal' and I will post and upload some pics from the holidays.

Sorry for no pictures yet - has been a busy week.

Monday was club and then off to San Stefano for lunch. Did not buy anything at Metro - just looked around and decided my cupboards were full enough.

Tuesday was laundry day - about time - was great to get it all done - like having everything done - the one thing I dislike about laundry is folding and putting stuff away - not sure why - but ... I did get it all done though.

Wednesday we loaded up the wandering wagon and wandered to 'Cairo' - actually the outskirts - 6th of October City - and checked out a new supermarket that has opened in the last while. Man - talk about a huge store - it is about the size of the Superstore in the NE - but it is two floors - lots of walking - they carry a lot more variety of things - lots of 'Western' things - but of course you pay for it. Although I found some cheese that was a 'good deal' - I had bought some at Fathalla here in Alex and it was 114 LE a Kilo - at this place - called HyperOne - it was only 89 LE a kilo - so I bought some more - I do like cheese - likely should not eat a lot of it - but it is good for a quick snack when nothing else appeals. Sharon, Anne and Louise joined me in the WW (Wandering Wagon) - after we shopped at HyperOne we opted to go to Dandy Mall - just before the toll booth for the Cairo Alex Desert Road - where Carrefour is - and did a bit more wandering around Carrefour - I found sauerkraut there - was not even all that expensive. Then we loaded up and headed back to Alex. Got back around 6:30 - was a good trip - lots of laughs.

Thursday I went to Sharon's for a short visit - wanted to use her computer so I could download and print some information I needed.

Friday I cleaned house, did laundry, went to the local Friday market and bought 3.5 kg of tomatoes - I had found celery at Carrefour and bought some - with an eye to making salsa - got home and diced onions, celery and tomatoes and got the salsa started. Got both the beds in the place made up - had washed the sheets for the spare bed on Tuesday but had not gotten around to making it up - prior to making it up I got busy and stowed the Christmas decorations under the bed - now this does not sound like a big deal - but to do this one has to take the mattress off the bed - no easy feat - move the slats that support the mattress on the frame and then store the things - then move the slats back and get the mattress back on the frame. Great place to store things you do not use very often - do not think I can manage to do this with my bed as there is no way I can get the mattress off the bed - so.... I got busy and made spanakopita and samosas - was having a girls night - so needed treats. Ann and Margaret came over and we enjoyed the treat and the company. Margaret spent the night.

Today I finished the salsa - thinking - how strange it felt to be making salsa with garden fresh tomatoes in the middle of January - made breakfast for my guest - had a visit and after she left I was exhausted - not used to these late nights - and I could not get warm. At 2:30 I got ready to head out the door - had an appointment with an opthamologist at 3:45 - got there in plenty of time - but he was 45 minutes late. Need new prescription for my glasses - surprise surprise and was checked out for any signs of macular degeneration - thank goodness I was given a clean bill of health - at least my eyes were.

My leg is still swollen - although trying to give it a bit of exercise every day and it does seem to help a bit.

Tomorrow I am heading back to Cairo - going to meet Safa at Carrefour and have a visit before she heads back to Canada for a bit. Looking forward to seeing her - have not seen her for quite awhile - am going to really miss her when she is in Canada.

Sounds like Aymn may be returning in a few days - says he will heading out tomorrow (Sunday) - but time will tell what really goes down.

Anyway - have to head off and do a few more things before heading to bed.

Just to update a few more things. My finger is fine - although a little tender - the new skin needs to toughen up quite a bit- my bug bites are on the way - the scabs have finally all come off - so now I just have a batch of lovely new scars - YUCK.


As far as my leg goes - well on Dec. 13 I woke up to a very sore leg - did not know what was wrong with it - thought I had a new crop of bites or something - by Friday I was in a lot of trouble - my leg was swollen and I could hardly stand on it - getting out of bed was an excruciating experience - was in tears - and that takes a lot. Thank goodness Sharon has the number of a doctor and she called him and he came over to the house within the 1/2 hour - I was diagnosed with cellulitis - which is an inflammation of the connective tissue underlying the skin that - in my case - was caused by a bacterial infection - and can be very very serious - if not looked after properly can lead to amputation - just what I needed when Miles and Shani were arriving in 6 days. Before the doctor left I had been given my first of 6 antibiotic shots in the butt, after 6 days of IM (intramuscular) shots - which hurt like the dickens - I then was on a regime of oral antibiotics for 5 days as well as anti-inflammatories, analgesics and anti-edematics. And after talking to my own personal nurse back in Canada - I have continued the antibiotics for a month. The infection has abated - but I must admit my leg is not a pretty sight - not that it is on the best of days - but it is now still swollen and wherever the infection was it is peeling like a snake - and there I am sitting in the sun with this thing hanging out - oh well - if you don't like it don't look at it. My foot and ankle are still quite swollen - not nearly as badly as before - but enough to make ankle flexibility dicey. And I go around hot air ballooning and snorkelling - but it was a once in a lifetime experience - and I had fun - once I got over the 'humiliation' of having to be 'assisted' - actually it was not even the assisting that was so bad - it was that it was out in public for all to see - but I have gotten over it - at least I did not let my short term disability 'ground' me and take away from my fun - much anyway.

THUMP!!!!

This morning saw me driving Miles and Shani to the airport - and boy is my house quiet. And of course Aymn ran away to Libya - so I am all by my lonesome. In some ways I guess this is a good thing - gives me a chance to put my foot up and maybe it will quit looking like a poison puff toad.

We had a busy time after Christmas. Had guests for Christmas dinner - which was held on December 24. Christmas Day was just the 3 of us as Aymn had to leave for business - after promising me that he would spend the day with us - same old story. We did a lot of flying by the seat of our pants. Decided one evening that the next day we would head to Cairo for a couple of days - I was being brave - we were going on our own - without Aymn - and I would try to find my way around to the Pyramids - not really a problem - I can get there on my own. But finding a hotel and seeing the other things was going to be a challenge - but what the heck - in for a penny in for a pound. Mr. Man called and I told him our plans - he asked why I had not told him our plans - told him we had just made them - he made the big sacrifice and came along with us. Spent the night with us in Cairo - managed to get us well and truly lost a couple of times - so not much more adept at getting around Cairo than I am - but .... it was a relief (of sorts) to have him with us - was easier in some ways - but in other ways.

We headed to Cairo on Thursday - Dec. 27th. While at the pyramids I wanted to contact a 'friend' of ours - we met him when we took my parents to the pyramids and he became our tour guide - we connected up with him again when Maurine was with us - but Aymn got waylaid by a very pushy local 'tour guide'. I do not understand why he cannot just tell them no and get on with things - it ended up pretty badly. Aymn arranged for a 'desert ride' for Miles and Shani - one on camel the other on a horse - and all they really wanted was a 5 minute ride with pics taken so they could say they had been on a camel. The ride lasted over 2 hours - and meant that they had no chance to 'see' anything. A very large bust - Miles was extremely angry - as he wanted the chance to really 'see' things - in other words the chance to get up close and personal - but he did not get it. That did not happen. Then we found the hotel that Aymn put me up in in 2003 - prices had gone up - and the hotel had run down - oh well - it was a place to stay - and of course Mr. Man had no money - so I was using my 'grocery' money to pay for things - after he promised to pay me back. Another story. After finding something to eat - we made our way to Khan el Khalilee - a very old 'souk' - shopping area - that is full of tourist souvenirs. Miles and Shani had been taken to a papyrus shop near the pyramids and found a picture they really liked - only problem was the price - lowest we got was 350 LE. So we were looking for this picture - found one that was very close - enough that Miles was interested - and they ended up paying 130 LE for it - after a lot of haggling. They were afraid they had been rooked - because of course Aymn could have gotten a better price if he had been on his own - but because he was saddled with us foreigners of course the price was inflated - Miles was reallying hemming and hawing about the price - I asked him - do you want to go back to Canada without it - he said no - so I said then pay for it and take it. Which he did. The 2nd day in Cairo saw as at the Mohammed Ali Mosque - which was very different - lots of touristy things - when I was there in 2003 there were no souvenir kiosks - and it was much quieter - but I think Miles and Shani enjoyed it - Miles really surprised me - I did not think he would be interested in the history of the country - but he was - then after Friday prayers we went for a 30 minute sail along the Nile. Shani had wanted to go on a Nile cruise - but it did not pan out - too expensive and not enough time - maybe next time. We arrived home on the 28th - exhausted - my foot was really not happy. And Aymn headed home right away.

Monday night saw us on the train to Luxor - we were planning on taking the sleep train - but I have not been impressed with the thing - they jack up the price for foreigners - and this time - because I was travelling solo - I was going to have to pay for the whole suite - double the price - so we opted to take just the regular train. Well let me tell you it was an adventure. From Alex to Cairo the train was not bad - but when we got on the 10:00 p.m. train in Cairo to Luxor - OMG - when you got within a foot of the door to get in you could smell the urine from the bathroom - and that was just the beginning - it was really really nasty - well welcome to Egypt. And it took forever to get to Luxor - a little over 12 hours. I had phoned my contact in Luxor and he met us at the station when it finally arrived - he had reserved rooms for us at a hotel, found us transportation and a tour guide - he charged 120 USD for his services (and of course Aymn figured we should have only paid 100 - and my attitude is - since you cannot come with us - shut up and leave me alone) which included all the arrangements he made as well as the transportation, tour guide and a lunch out on Tuesday. We 'freshened up', changed, had breakfast and we were off and running. Tuesday saw us at Luxor and Karnak temples - our tour guide was fantastic - his name is Hameda - and he is going for his doctorate in Archeology - so he was a fount of information and he was a real character - a great fit for Miles and Shani - I also enjoyed him - but must admit that as this was my 3rd visit - it was getting to be old hat. The highlight of the trip was a hot air balloon ride on Wednesday morning - the 2nd of January - up bright and early to watch the sunrise over the area - WOW. I was not sure I was going to go - but then Ahmed - my contact - told me the baskets had doors - not true - had to climb a set of stairs to get in - no problem - but then to get out there were foot holds in the basket - and no way could I get myself up them - my foot was just not cooperating - so one of the ground crew came into the basket - lifted me onto the side of the basket - Miles helped lift my bad leg over - and then the same fellow lifted me and put me down on the ground - swept up in the arms of a handsome stranger - in front of a shwack of people - just a tad bit humiliating - but what the heck. Met up with Hameda and we were off again - we went to see the temple of Ramses the II or is it the III - anyway - I had not been to see this - so it was very interesting. Then on to the temple of Hatshepsut - I opted to sit and wait for them - thank goodness my tickets are cheap - I get in as an Egyptian - so it was 2 LE for me - 40 for Miles and Shani - each - not a great deal - but would have been a real waste. I did not feel too badly about wasting 2 LE. Then we were off to the Valley of the Kings. They had opened King Tut's tomb - and his mummy was actually in residence - so Miles and Shani wanted to see that - and it costs extra - 80 LE for tourists - and 40 for moi - I went into one chamber with Miles and Shani and then sat and relaxed while they went to visit two others - for the price of admission you are allowed to view three tombs - and then we went to see King Tut's only to find out that it was closed until 2 p.m. - and it was only 12:30. Hameda to the rescue!!! He found someone and we got a very personal tour - not that there is much to see - the tomb is very stark - not much to see - the walls are not at all decorated - but his mummy was there - so that was interesting - neither Miles nor Shani had ever seen a mummy up close and personal. After we finished at the Valley of the Kings we were taken out for a buffet lunch at one of the hotels - got in for 1/2 price - which was good. Then back to the hotel to rest - and put my fat foot up. We then headed to the train station at 6 - for our train at 7. Ahmed had assured us that this train would be much better - we learned that if you want a 'good' train you must take a train that leaves prior to the 'sleep' train - another tidbit that will be stored away. And we had to book our trip from Cairo to Alex in Cairo - not sure why - but for some reason the train company does not know when the train from Luxor will arrive in Cairo - so could not reserve the seats for us to Alex. Got to Cairo around 4:30 a.m. - only to find that the ticket office was not open - did not open until 5:15 and we caught the 6:00 a.m. train - and I booked first class tickets - I was tired of being squeezed into a seat beside someone else - always a male - the first class car has only 3 seats across - so I got the single seat and Miles and Shani got the double one - and it only cost 8 LE more - less than 2 dollars - money well spent.

While in Luxor we went to Egypt Air and made reservations to fly to Sharm el Sheikh. I had phoned while we were in Alex and had been told that there were no places on the plane that was leaving on the fourth - so I was going to drive it. But Shani - ever the travel agent was not sure - so we stopped in - and after a few phone calls regarding the hotel we were staying at - we booked a flight leaving at 7:00 a.m. on Friday - Jan. 4th - and coming back to Alex on the 8th at 9:20 p.m. - remembering that Miles and Shani are heading out on the 9th at 3:15 a.m. Talk about cutting it close - but we got tickets - cost a bit over 700 LE per person - well worth it in our books - a 50 minute flight as opposed to an 8 hour car trip. (Around 130 USD for the return flight for each of us - not bad).

We arrived in Alex from Luxor at around 10:00 a.m. - headed home and laundry was done - this is when a dryer would have been nice - but the laundry finally dried - then we were off to Sharm at 6:00 a.m. - I phoned a taxi company to come and pick us up - there is a company here that is very 'western' - new cars - meter - yes - you read me right - meters - so no haggling about prices - it is more expensive but when travelling at 6:00 a.m. - well worth the expense - the car arrived 5:30 - 30 minutes early - we were not quite ready - driver had to wait 10 minutes.

We arrived in Sharm around 9 - our flight was late - Egypt Air seems to have a propensity for this - but not a biggie deal. We got thoroughly hosed by the taxi driver on our way to the hotel. Found out the price is between 25-35 LE - 50 at the most - and we paid 130 - oh well the price you pay for being a tourist. Arrived at the hotel - had to wait for our rooms to be made up - got hooked up at this hotel by a woman from one of the 'clubs' I belong to - the general manager is my friend's husband's nephew - follow that??? It is a four star resort - two pools - 1/2 board - means breakfast and supper included in the price - they have their own beach - shuttle bus to take you to the beach. While we were waiting the GM came out from the dining area - he had been eating his breakfast and took us to the dining area for our breakfast - after breakfast he took us to our rooms - I had a single - two single beds - nice large bathroom - walkout balcony - Miles and Shani had a double room - double bed and a balcony - both beside the pool. We had a rest and then toured around the grounds. The weather was wonderful - we spent a fair bit of time lazing around the pool or on the beach - we spent one day - Monday the 7th - on a boat that took us to some coral reefs and we snorkelled - there were two stops - I only went for one of the tours - too many people for me - and I was wearing 'fins' and I am certainly not used to them - but it was good fun. Miles had a blast - Shani was a tad chilly - one drawback to being so slim - getting back on the boat was another challenge for me - I had two of the crew pulling me and Miles pushing me from behind - after being in the water my legs were like rubber and getting them to drag me out of the water was beyond their capability - will be so nice when my foot is better so I can start working out again. I really need it. We spent a leisurely Tuesday- well not really - Miles had money left over and it was burning a hole in his pocket - he had found a leather jacket that he really liked so he bought it - he had seen a sweater he liked but the shop did not have his size - and he found another shop that had it - so he tried them on and bought a sweater - he bought Shani some pearls - necklace, earrings and bracelet. I headed back to the hotel and left them to it - my foot had had it.

We left the hotel around 7:30 - our flight was 40 minutes late - Miles was getting antsy - we made it back in time though. My friend Anne and her hubby met us at the airport in Alex and drove us home - Anne came with us to the airport - Miles drove - and they made their flight no problems and I drove home - dropped Anne off and then came home and got about 4 hours sleep and here I am.

Will work at putting pictures up later - have to shower and get out and get some groceries. So TTFN.

Well I took my camera with my yesterday and did not even take it out of my purse - OMG - the showroom was fantastic. What I will do though is take pics of what I purchased - yes I broke the bank and bought a few things - a few wee gifts for my nieces and just some things for those OMG I forgot occasions. I was very bad and bought myself a set of candle stick holders - they are so pretty - will look so nice on my dining room table when I entertain or in the buffet or hutch - OK - in my dreams I know they will look wonderful.

Today I have done 4 loads of laundry - stripped my bed and even have it all made up again. Was going to have a baking frenzy - until I realized that the butter I wanted to use for the whipped shortbread was in the freezer - oops - but I did get busy and make springerle - rolled them - cut them and they are 'curing' overnight - so hope to bake them first thing tomorrow morning and then onward and upward. Got all the recipes out - so I am good to go. I also dragged out my Christmas CD's and started grooving - LOL - must admit I find it tough to get into Christmas baking when the temperature is 22 above and there is not a speck of snow anywhere - but I will persevere.

Phoned about the windows - they are to be delivered today after 6 - not sure if they are coming here or where - and then they will be installed tomorrow or Saturday at the latest - I am sooo excited.

My finger is getting much better - not nearly as swollen - I can now get my ring off. I kept it covered all day yesterday - did not even uncover it last night - uncovered it this morning - looks much better - so have it covered again - will uncover it tonight - I think. Bites on my back are coming along - have not had any new ones for a few days - so here is hoping. Must admit that Monday and Tuesday were very painful days - being fully clothed did not do much the bites - they do not like having things rubbing on them - go figure. So today I am wearing just one of my old dresses from Canada - and so far much better.

Here is a picture of what my back looks like - what a mess - sure do wish I could find the bug that is enjoying me so much - but I never seem to be able to locate the hungry buggers. The second picture is of a bite on my leg - this is how it starts - and then because my back is covered with clothes the blisters break and weep and scab and are getting quite painful actually - must admit it is not much fun.

Yesterday I did manage to clean up my kitchen - found the top of the table and the counters as well. Did two loads of laundry and cleaned up the bathroom - and by 6:30 p.m. I was absolutely wiped out. Must admit this business of being continually uncomfortable is quite wearing - I will be very glad when I feel much better.

Today I am off to Club - then tomorrow I am heading to Cairo - shhhh Aymn does not know. We are going on a tour of the Asfour Crystal Plant - it is a small group - I think there are only 10 of us - so it should be lots of fun - I am looking forward to it - although I am not keen on dressing and going out - because of course my back makes a real mess of whatever I am wearing - SIGH. But I am going to do the best I can to enjoy myself. Will try to take pics and share them with you.

As promised here are more pics. This is a pic of Mom and Dad on the ferry crossing the Suez Canal.

This is a picture taken at Balbaa on Dad's birthday - all the food - YUMMMM.

Picture of Dad blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. Side note - I was very surprised - Aymn actually liked the cake - whined because I did not make it for him for his birthday - told him if he was with me on his birthday I would make him the cake. I will not hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

And last but not least - a pic of 'the finger' on the mend. Before this it had been a nice purple colour - what a f'n mess. Still is swollen - weeping all over the place - cannot yet straighten or bend it - so pretty much useless.

OK OK - I give. I will endeavour to post. I have been struggling to get through all my email - had over 750 at the top - and of course having my computer not cooperate does not help much - I have internet and then I don't - like yesterday I did not have access to the internet all day. And then my left middle finger is a frickn mess - was quite concerned that I was going to actually have to go see a doctor about it - but today it is looking better. It is such a mess - have to be careful or it oozes all over the keyboard - took a pic so you could see it. It is so swollen there is no way I can take my ring off - that was a bit disturbing. Was really really ugly - all purple and swollen - yuck, yuck.



While Mom and Dad were here we went to Marsa Matrouh for a short visit - drove up one day - spent the night and then headed back the next day - I did all the driving as Aymn was still suffering from his concussion - only negative things was the mosquitoes - OMG - they were atrocious. We rented an apartment and got eaten alive - I had lots and lots of bits - as did my dad - mom got a few but they drew the line at munching on Aymn - go figure.



Sharon, Mom and Dad and I drove to Port Said - did it all in one day - unfortunately my right foot objected mightily - unfortunately Sharon suffered from motion sickness - not sure why - after all the roads here in Egypt are all smooth like glass - NOT. But we managed to find our way to the ferry where we crossed the Suez Canal to Port Faoud - drove around for a bit and then headed back to the ferry - and get this - the ferry was FREE - yes you read it right - FREE. We stopped at Pizza Hut for a meal and then headed back to Alex. Unfortunately we took a bit of a wrong turn - got off the main highway - and ended up taking a scenic tour - unfortunately the driver was not really thrilled - I do not like driving at night in this country - but we made it home safe and sound after a few misses.



Mom and Dad and I went to the Old Christian graveyard - such a shame that vandals have destroyed so much - there were markers there from the 1880's - we did a quick jaunt through the Greek Orthodox cemetery - very different - and then Aymn took us to the 'cemetery' where his dad is buried - again very different.



We did manshea twice - once in the evening - then we went back a week or so later - Mom had seen some fabric - but of course we did not find the shop - did not really have enough time to do much searching.

On November 14 Aymn treated my dad and us to a fish dinner at Balbaa. It was very very good. We had fish, shrimp, calamari and my dad had a crab. After dinner we returned home and had cake and ice cream. I had made the traditional Myers birthday cake. Chocolate cake with cooked frosting. All in all it was a good day.

My computer has been in the shop - had to have a new hard drive installed - and still it does not work - must admit it is very frustrating - but welcome to Egypt.

Monday we headed to Cairo - we had planned on going in on Sunday and spending the day visiting Safa and her family and staying at a hotel - but there was nary a hotel to be found - the only one we found that had space was $250 USD a night - and dad said no way - so we stared out at 1:45 a.m. Monday morning. Aymn's friend Mohammed came along with us - he did the bulk of the driving - Aymn got stuck in the very back seat - and found out that he is too tall - his head kept connecting with the roof when we would hit those wonderful bumps in the road. Got to the airport in good time - glad I was not having to drive it - although it does seem quite straight forward and arriving by 5 a.m. meant very little traffic while driving through Cairo proper. Mom and Dad passed through security at 6:00 a.m. for their 8:40 a.m. departure to London.



Then we were off and running - had been informed by Aymn on Sunday that he had arranged for a business meeting Monday morning - well it was actually for noon - ARGH - not my idea of fun. So we parked the car near Al Ahzar (spelling) University and caught a few z's. Then Mr. Mohammed took us to meet his old boss - I got left in the car - the boss asked me to come out and join them but Aymn assured him I would not want to - so there I sat waiting. Spent most of the day in the car - while he conducted business and visited with Mr. Mohammed. And unfortunately Mr. M. has to drive with the windows open - and driving around Cairo did nothing for my sore throat - except to make it much worse. I do not drive with the windows open - I use the a/c and use the recirculate air feature. Then after driving all over Cairo we ended up driving to Marsa Matrouh for more business. I had suggested that Aymn and I could do this -thought we could get some alone time - spend the day and the night - but .... Then we arrived back home around 10:30 p.m. - and he informed me he was going to have to spend the night with the kids - so needless to say I was pissed off. He said he would be back to spend the day (Tuesday with me) and of course he spent the day running around.



Also while in Cairo - or sometime Monday - I managed to get lots of bites - which of course are a welty weepy mess now. I love living in this part of the world - just wish I could find out what it is that bites me and kill it before it gets me.



I had planned on taking a few days off for R&R - then start working today - Friday - doing laundry - changing the bedding and cleaning - but with my finger .....



am now trying to get ready for Miles and Shani's arrival and Christmas - had hoped to start my baking tomorrow - but will have to wait until my finger is a bit healthier. Chatted with Shani - have to get my shopping list ready - LOL. Had a list started - but cannot find it. While Dad was here he fixed my computer desk so it is altogether - but that meant my papers got strewn all over the place - my piles got moved and I cannot find my piles - SIGH. It was great having my dad around - Mr. Handyman - he put up my clocks - fixed the mirror in the bathroom - put up the holder for the shower head - fixed at the windows.



I have started the process of getting the window in my bedroom and in the living room replaced. Had told Aymn that he had until September 30 to get them fixed so they do not leak - and of course he did not do it - so while we were at Carrefour we saw a display of windows - I took the guys business card - and he took my number - called with 24 hours - made a date to come and measure them - he was late for the appointment - he had gotten lost - then they phoned within 24 hours with the estimate. Needless to say Aymn was not happy. But I am resolute in getting the windows fixed so they do not leak water and the wind does not whistle through them. After waking up Wednesday morning to lakes in my bedroom and the living room I am even more determined. They are supposed to be installed by Dec. 8 at the latest. Will give the company a call on Sunday and see what is going on.

Have included a picture of all the scarves I bought when I was in 10th of Ramadan visiting Safa.

Will work on adding more pics tomorrow.

Okay, okay - I will update.

Has been a busy couple of weeks. After all my travelling I had to get busy and get my house ready for company. My parents arrived 8 days ago - so had to dung out my house - with all the travelling things were pretty upside down - home just long enough to mess it up but not clean it up - so spent a few days dunging. DH just about bought it - commented that he wished my folks would come more often so I would put stuff away - like he counts - he is so rarely around - PUNT.

Folks arrived a week ago yesterday - and of course one of their suitcases did not make it - trust British Airways. Friday and Saturday were quiet days - just hanging around the house and letting them get over the jet lag. That is not quite accurate - Friday we ended up with no water - DH had gotten bright and burned out 'my' water pump - so he and Dad spent the day getting it repaired - and of course hit me up for the money - I was some chuffed - since it was his fault it was out of commission - I also told him to get lunch since I had no water - no way was I trying to cook a meal - and I ended up paying for that as well. And then he had agreed to drive a friend's niece around to get her hair done - and instead of doing that he let the guy have my car without even consulting me - needless to say I flipped and of course he sulked about it. He finally got the water going and managed to incapacitate the toilet - you could not use the button to flush - he had to go out to something or other and five minutes after he left my dad and I had the thing fixed - danged engineers.

Sunday we headed to the airport to get the lost suitcase. When I had to go it was really easy - but because of all the people returning from Saudi - it was a royal pain in the butt - my dad had to get permission to enter the terminal to get his suitcase. When I went I just went in the departure hall and walked over to the arrival hall and got my luggage - but they took his passport and had to pass it with security - and of course security was on a break when we arrived - no one had the forethought to tell us this when we ordered the limo to take us out to the airport - so we cooled our heels for about an hour while the tried to track someone down who could make sure my dad was not a terrorist- LOL. Needless to say he was less than thrilled - but in good Egyptian time they ushered him to the terminal to get his piece of luggage and they were reunited. That took most of Sunday- had planned on getting a few groceries - but by the time we got home it was too late to go out.

Monday I dragged Mom to Club (AWA) along with Sharon (we regularly go together) and after club was over we came home and picked up Dad and headed to Carrefour - I needed a few things and we had lunch in the food court. Aymn called just before I was leaving for club and wanted to know if I wanted him to come see me before I left - he was in the dog house - up to his usual tricks of shortchanging my time - told him I was on my way out - so there was no time for me to see him - then he asked if Dad was going with us - I told him no - asked me if Dad wanted company - told him that Dad was quite content to be on his own - but he came over anyhow. Just about drove dad bonkers - I had asked dad to hang up a few things for me - and of course Aymn was all for getting in on the action and doing it the Egyptian way - and my dad is a perfectionist and insisted on doing it properly. Aymn sent me a message - telling me that he was missing me - had hoped to spend time with me - that he was sitting by himself - tough on him - he was the one who HAD to go home and spend time with his family - he had spent 6 days with them and only 1.5 with me - so I figured he owed me - but after 3 days he HAD to leave - so piss on him - I will do what I want and he can just punt. Aymn came up with this hare brained idea that he would spend from 9-6 with me every day and from 7 - 11 p.m. with his family and then on alternate nights he would come back and spend the night with me - told him no way - I want two days and two days - makes it easier for me to plan things and also gives him time to do things. He was persistent - finally said - fine but you will see very little of me - because my days are busy and they will stay that way - I need him here in the evenings and at night - I have no problem keeping busy during the day - but the evenings and nights are a different story. So he relented - not very willingly - but we will see. Then he took off at 7 that night to go and spend time with his kids - ARGH - and he wonders why I get pissed off.

Wednesday we headed to Marsa Matrouh - Aymn had business he wanted to deal with - he has had a falling out with his partners - and there has been some violence - Aymn got cracked across the head with a tire iron - got it stitched up and then when he text messaged me that he could not come over because he could not walk - I phoned him and insisted he get to a hospital - so his two boys went with him and he had a CT scan and lo and behold his skull had been fractured and there was a hematoma - I figured he had a severe concussion - he had lost consciousness for about 2 minutes - so I was quite concerned. And I cannot figure out why the boys went with instead of his wife - let me tell you if he were with me I would have gone with and the kids would have been in bed sleeping. I just do not get it. Anyway - since he wanted to go to Marsa Matrouh and did not want to pay - we took Mom and Dad and spent the night - I am now a lumpy itchy mess - the apartment Aymn rented was infested with mosquitoes - ARGH. On the way we stopped at Al Alamein and went through the museum and stopped in at the Commonwealth cemetery - were very surprised when we were informed that there were 36 Canadians buried there - had not realized that the Canadians were involved - they were all RCAF fly boys. The museum is like most museums here - kind of piece meal and the English is a hoot - but the cemetery was very nice. Thursday we made our way to a beach and Mom and I got dunked. Dad got his feet wet - and that was it. The beach was deserted - and the water was beautiful.

Came home last night and then today headed to Mohmodea to visit Suzanne and her family. Took Mom and my niece Yasmeen with us - we had a good time - we were home before dark - I HATE driving in the dark in this country - I cannot understand why people drive in the dark with no headlights - and the number of vehicles that do not have any lights on the rear is unbelievable. And the vehicles that stop on the side of the road with no lights - it is just plain scary driving at night in this part of the world.

So that is what I have been doing to keep myself busy. Sorry I have not posted - will endeavour to do better.