It is official.

Baby Coen was born last night at 11:12P. He weighs 6 pounds and 5 ounces and is 19 inches long.

Excited? Barely covers the emotion. Thrilled beyond belief!

Say, what?!? Is this what "we" want?

http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/8159176/

Americans better wake the heck up - and pdq! Coming to a city near you...

Most certainly to the Ground Zero mosque. Fausta's blog has the details. Can't link...

And... Life goes on.

Slowly. Almost three full months in the States, now. Status? Pretty much the same as it has been since I got here, but for of course, Sterling. The job DH got that was going to move us to the Northeast? Turns out the guy who interviewed him in NC didn't have the authority to offer DH the job. So, no job. Not that that is a bad thing. I was absolutely dreading the thought of moving to New York. Now a moot issue. Stilettos in China? That could possibly be next. Here is how I am approaching that: After seven years in The Sandbox anything else is going to be a cake walk! We will know if we are moving to China shortly. Do I have any readers from China? Bejing... Any American readers? Can anyone offer any insight to living in China? I have been to Singapore, but not China. Nervous about the dog situation there. Something like a 45 day quarantine? Miss Pretty a/k/a Saffrynn is NOT going to like that.

Sterling is doing alright. Getting around very, very well. The surgery was two months ago and for a week afterward he improved dramatically and then had a bit of a set back. Our vet - who is absolutely fabulous - put us back on track, though, with narcotics. He was fast to determine that Sterling was still in pain, even though the vets at N.C. State assured us that Sterling was not. I have mixed feelings about N.C. State Vetrinary Teaching Hospital. So, after a few extra weeks of heavy duty drugs Sterling was pretty much back to his old self. That is a very very good thing. We know we do not have a lot longer with our Boy. We will just continue to enjoy every minute of every day with him and make sure that he is not suffering at all.

As for blogging and following blogs? I get to do very little. My choices are to use the laptop - which isn't a viable choice - or to use the computer at the home we are currently staying at. Suffice it to say that I just am out of the blogging loop for the time being. I follow very few and visit only a small handful of the blogs I used to follow every single day. And watching Fox News? Well that doesn't happen as much right now, either. Doesn't necessarily change my previous opinions on anything. I still think that Americans are being far too PC and it is NOT going to help us in any way, shape or form. Muslims still want us all dead or want us to conform. It is NOT a two way street with that sect and it NEVER EVER will be. Wake up Americans! Allowing a mosque near the WTC is the WRONG thing to do. Tell those cameljockeygoatphuckkers that they can build another mosque when we can build a Synagogue in The Sandbox. Not gonna happen. Why the heck are we bowing down to them? Oh. Wait. That's right. Who can forget the jeja bowing down to the king? How come so few of us see and understand what is happening, here?!?

A Sterling Update

Sterling's surgery took place on June 7th. We brought Sterling home on Friday, June 11th. He did pretty good the first week he was home, and then kind of took a turn backward. On Wednesday of last week we headed to Dr. Metz's office so that Sterling could be "hydrated." And, of course to get a prescription for more pain medication. Fentanyl patches. Sterling gets a new 100 mg. patch every three days. Poor little guy has lost weight - he quit eating - and at this point refuses to eat anything but chicken and rice. Whatever I can get him to eat is what I will feed him. We probably do not have much more time with Sterling. My heart hurts about this.

In the meantime, life in the States has been going along... We bought a vehicle. A 2007 Jeep Commander. Oh my gosh. It sure isn't a Tahoe! DH says the Jeep is our "temporary" vehicle. Umm hmm. If five or six years is temporary. For a "temporary" vehicle he is making it pretty permanent. Yesterday he attached a tow bar [?] to it so that he can pull his boat. Hopefully, the Jeep will be DH's "temporary" vehicle. I'll be looking at BMW's...

Looks like DH has a job. That is a good thing. Waiting on the final "yes," from the HR department, but the Chief Pilot says that the job is DH's. So as soon as the final "yes" comes, we will head to the northeast to find a place to live. The northeast. Where it is cold and where it snows. I'll narrow it down when we have the final "yes." From The Sandbox where it is 120 degrees for nine months of the year to the northeast where it is cold and it snows for nine months of the year. No. Suffice it to say that I am not particularly thrilled with this development, but you have to go where the jobs are, so it really is not even a choice.

And, speaking of The Sandbox... One of the things I do NOT miss at all is the call to prayer being loud-speakered FIVE times a day. Yeah. I know the jugearedjackass thinks it is one of the most beautiful sounds, but let me tell you it is not. I was sitting outside the other day with Sterling and listening to the sounds of the woods. That is a beautiful sound. The call to prayer is nothing more than an intrusion. A loud, obnoxious intrusion. If I never hear it again, it will be to soon.

What are the Saudi's up to? The usual insanity. If a woman breast-feeds a man then they become related and they can interact without fear of being arrested by the religious police. Huh?!? Did anyone catch the recent article, which I think I saw at Weasel Zipper's place, about how a dozen people who were in "mixed" company were partying and got caught by the "religious" police? All of them were immediately thrown in jail, but for one young woman who was a minor - she was ten* - who was given 80 lashes. You cannot tell me with a straight face that lashing people is what a civilized country does for punishment. Sure, they lash people in Singapore, too. But not nearly to the degree that people get lashed in Saudi Arabia. Oh, and what else? They beheaded two people and nailed the headless body of one of those to a cross. Civilized? No. Not at all. Am I going to miss Saudi Arabia? NEVER!


*She was not really ten. But it isn't a secret that ten-year-old girls are most definitely old enough to be wives in Saudi Arabia. A lot of pedophiles there. Oh, sure. Like in the States, right? Only in Saudi, sexual assault on little girls [and boys, too] is legal.

Thank You. Everyone!

The friendship, the support. Everything. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The Boy, Sterling, is my Baby. Yes. I have my hands full right now. No. I've not responded to individual comments like I have in the past. Honestly, if DH wasn't with Sterling right now, I wouldn't even be on the computer.

There is more to come with Stilettos in the States, at some point. Oh, Hell Yes, there is. I promise. You have no idea how good it is going to feel to know that I no longer have to bite my tongue and say what is allowed to be said. I can say what truly goes on there on that side of the world. I can tell you all this much, though. I was there for seven years. I blogged for four [five?] or more of those years. Did I ever one single time say that I liked it there? No. [Find me ONE place in my archives where I have EVER said I liked Saudi Arabia. You can't find ONE single time and you WON'T.] I did not like it there. I tolerated it there. You will never ever in a gazillion years hear me say that I liked living in Saudi Arabia. As a matter of fact, I just barely tolerated it. Nothing good to say about Saudi Arabia right now. Not a single teeny tiny positive little thing. Well, okay. I take that back. Manohmanohman do I miss my house "assistant," or in Saudi-speak, my Houseboy. The new houseboy's name? It is me. And my name is Beth, not Sabra. I choose Sabra when I started this blog for my name then and there. For more reasons that had to do with my DH's job than for my keeping who I was secret. Although, in all honesty, believe me, that, too, was a concern. You do what you have to do when you live in a third world assbackward country. My name is Beth.

For the time being, however, there are only two priorities I have everyday. The biggest, most important being Sterling. Right behind him, though, Saffrynn. These days have not been our easiest. I suspect they are not going to get any easier with Sterling and osteosarcoma.

Cancer. Why isn't there a cure yet? Or, even a preventative shot like for the flu? Yeah. In our dreams. Right? They can't "plug the hole" for the oil spill [Heh! on the jugearedjackass's watch, no less - imagine if it was Bush!], how could I expect a cure for cancer?

In the meantime, before Stilettos in the States comes alive with the real author, "Beth!," [if you continue to call me Sabra, I will understand and will in no way be offended - I promise] please contine to be as patient with me as you have so marvelously done so far as you have sat out our move from The Sandbox to the States and now with what is one of the very all time lowest points in my life our lives - the osteosacroma with The Boy. Sterling. Right now? It is not about me. In my world? It is all about Sterling. And, Saffrynn, too... Stilettos in the States will happen. And if you think for one skinny second I will hold back about my life in Saudi Arabia, you are sorely mistaken. Not a chance.

Sterling is Home!

Brought The Boy home yesterday, late afternoon. He was happy, happy, happy to see us and we were happy, happy, happy to see him. Saffrynn was happy, happy, happy to see her Big Brother. No - not happy. Estatic!

Geez. What a nasty gash our poor little guy has on him right now though. It is a "Y" shaped incision with no less than 150 staples. Big and gnarly. There is quite a bit of after care. Fine by me. Massaging his left leg every couple of hours for ten minutes or so to alliviate the swelling is not a problem. Hot, dry compresses every hour or so to the wound to alliviate the swelling is not a problem either. The team of vets at N.C. State Vet School assure us that we have removed the pain. No, we have not "cured" the cancer, but with the tumor removed the pain is gone. It will be early next week when we have all of the pathology back.

Have to say that Sterling is doing okay on three legs. Tripod. DH called him Tripod. No, Sterling is not running and jumping on the bed yet with three legs but that will come in short order. [We need to keep him from jumping on the bed for at least three weeks, so until then the boxes remain on the bed at all times unless we are actually in the bed. Boxes on the bed were the deterrent before we had the surgery done and something told me not to put them out in recycling quite yet.]

We will be going next week, back to N.C. State Vet School to talk to the oncologist and the surgeon, again. Not quite sure how we will proceed. Not saying we won't do chemotherapy, but not convinced we will go that route quite yet, either.

The good thing: Sterling is home!

Sterling AND Stuff

Sterling could be coming home as early as tomorrow! Yay!!! But more likely he will be released on Friday morning. TJ, the 4-year vet student says that Sterling is healing and progressing nicely. He is up and walking already on three legs. TJ assures me they are keeping my Boy pain-free and as comfortable as possible. TJ told me last night to expect a very large incision. Okay. Thanks, TJ, so that I can be prepared.

Man oh man oh man. This week has been just awful. Awful!

The dear friends we are staying with are not home right now. Their eldest daughter passed away on Monday in New York. Again with the sledge hammer to the gut. For us. And even worse for dear friends. May you rest in peace beautiful Anita... 41 years old. Much, much, much too young. Sadly Anita leaves behind her husband of 20-something years and five sons, along with her two sisters and their families and of course her parents - our dear friends.

The good news, finally, though, is that the two e-boxes we packed that have clothes and other relatively necessary items - the Kids tables, etc. - will be here tomorrow afternoon. We were told the e-boxes would reach the States in 7 to 10 days. Ha. Just like many of the things we were told by Aramco, prior to our leaving Saudi, 7 to 10 days is a big fat lie. The e-boxes left Saudi on May 12th and today is what - June 9th? At least be honest and tell us it is going to be almost a month. I would have packed differently. I might have even fed-exed some of our stuff to us. No matter. Tomorrow is okay. At least I don't have to keep wearing the same pair of shorts over and over and over, now. Oh, and I can put on a different pair of shoes, too!

If Sterling comes home tomorrow, also? Well, then life is getting better and I won't even bother dwelling on all of the bad that has happened this week. Yeah, well, okay. Maybe there is still a bit of "dwelling" that might need to be done...

Sterling

Sterling had his surgery yesterday. The right front leg was amputated. We cannot see him until late today or tomorrow. He is in ICU, heavily medicated. It is unlikely that we will do further treatment. I spoke to Mike Metz last night, our vet, who referred us to N.C. State. Mike is also a friend. Yes, certainly chemotherapy and radiation are options to consider but not necessarily the route we will go with Sterling. Sterling is not a young Great Dane. Mike is not telling us to NOT go further but he is also not encouraging it. I understood exactly what he was telling me. I do not want Sterling to suffer at all and I do not want him to be in any pain.

We have removed the source of his pain by having his leg amputated. We know that the cancer is aggressive and that it will, in the short term, kill Sterling. Not that we will let it get that far. We will know. I will know. Sterling will NOT suffer. I will in no way allow that to happen. Our plan will be to keep Sterling happy and comfortable. He will be able to go for walks again and he will be able to play tug. Sterling will also be able to jump up on the bed again and he will be able to get on and off the couch. If you do not already know this about Great Danes, they are truly "couch potatoes." They like walks but laying on the bed or couch is good, too better.

Sterling's little sister, The Baby, paced and worried with me yesterday. Awww. Isn't that sweet?! What a good little girl she is. Saffrynn. The Baby's name is Saffrynn. Saffy senses my anxiety, no doubt. And, let me tell you that yesterday there was a lot of anxiety.

The surgeon that removed Sterling's leg will check in with us twice a day. He will call us each morning to let us know how Sterling is doing and again in the late afternoon or early evening. As of late yesterday - early yesterday evening - all was well with Sterling and he was coming out of his fog from the surgery but still being sedated with heavy duty pain medication. The leg has been sent to pathology and we will know more in a day or so. I think I know all I need to know, though, at this point. And all I need to know is that Sterling is okay.

Stilettos in the States will have to wait...

Bigger things happening. Not good things. Bigger things.

The Boy. Osteosarcoma. Bam! Got hit in the gut with a sledge hammer this week on that one. Took my breath away.

Our trip from Saudi to North Carolina was a very long one. We left from Bahrain and flew to Amsterdam. I was told when I made the arrangements that both The Boy and The Baby would be let out of their crates at the "Doggy Hotel" to relieve themselves and to stretch. That did not happen. Apparently the layover has to be more than four hours in order for that to happen. We only had a three and a half hour layover. So, neither The Boy or The Baby got let out to do business or get a little stretching in before our flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

In Detroit, I was allowed to take them out of their crates and take them outside to do business. It was in Detroit where I saw that The Boy's metal water dish was smack dab in the middle of his crate with the prong ends up. Poor guy - laid on that for some twenty hours? [Why he didn't push it out of the way is beyond me.] As I took The Boy out of his crate he was limping on his right front leg, badly. Actually he wasn't limping on his leg - he wasn't using his right front leg at all. Whoa! What happened there?!? He was fine when we left Bahrain.

I took him to the vet, here, as soon as I could get him in and we had x-rays taken and got some medication - pain meds, arthritis medication - for him and we were told to follow up in two weeks and we were told that if it was arthritis then we would see a noticable improvement. The Boy did NOT improve. He got worse. I didn't wait the full two weeks to follow up. We went to the vet last Friday - a week ago, yesterday. Dr. Metz - our vet here - the vet we had for many years prior to moving to Saudi Arabia - said that he believed that there was something much worse going on than arthritis and he referred us to the N.C. State Vet School. We went this week for our appointment with the neurological specialist.

BAM! Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer. A very painful and aggressive cancer. We were told that we have six to eight weeks with The Boy. Sterling. The Boy's name is Sterling. I have not published the names of my four-legged Kids on my blog before for safety reasons. I did not want someone in The Sandbox calling Sterling by name. More a trust issue than a safety issue, I guess - or both. I had my reasons. Sterling. Poor little guy. Sterling is in pain. Was in pain. We are managing the pain with a Fentanyl patch and with Tramadol and Rimadyl.

There are options. Choices. None of them are particularly good. Because Sterling is in so much pain the plan, as of right now, is to amputate his entire right front leg. The tumor is in his shoulder. That will not, of course, stop the cancer from speading and growing. If we remove his leg we will be able to let Sterling be relatively pain-free - again, with pain management medication - probably for three to four months. That is the likely scenario for Sterling's time with us. Radiation and chemotherapy? Another option. One that we are not going to choose. At most it would buy us another ten or twelve months. Tops. It is far too much to put a dog in his senior years through. We went that route with our Rottweiler, Sergeant, many years ago, when he was diagnosed with triple cell carcinoma. Did we do it for Sergeant or did we do it for us? Either way it was stressful for him. It was painful. I will not do that to Sterling, too.

Surely there is a reader out there who has been through much the same that we are going through right now. Any recommendations? Thoughts? I have done some research and am changing his diet to a high-protein low carbohydrate food. The recommendation of the neurologist was "puppy chow." Does Sterling like it? Heck no. I'll be doing more research on high protein diets for dogs and will figure out what is going to be best for Sterling.

Sick. I am sick to my stomach. I am sad. Sterling is my baby! The Boy. I am absolutely heart-broken that the poor guy has to go through what he is going through. I would happily trade places with him. DH and I sat and talked last night and we are wondering if we are doing the right thing. Amputating his leg. Once again, we wonder whether we are doing this for Sterling or whether we are doing this for us.

Posting will be light. Maybe even non-existent for a while.

Paperwork, SEX and WINE

DH has asked me to refrain from saying some of the things I really, really want to say until some retirement paperwork is complete and the money has been safely deposited... No sense risking that, so for the duration - until everything is complete - mum is the word.

Except... I have got to say that Miss Michigan muslim wining the Miss USA pagent irks the heck out of me. Of course, now that we all know such a pious muslim woman is also a pole dancing queen... [I'm on a computer that isn't letting me do cut and pasting - for whatever reason - so I can't get the link to work - but it's all over the interwebs - just google it.] Oh, sure. Someone try to tell me that everyone sins and that everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone is quite as hypocritical as one particular religion cult, though. [Don't even bother commenting and trying to tell me that I am being prejudiced or judgmental. This is MY blog. I am home now. I can say whatever I want and if you don't like what you're reading, then go somewhere else.] Miss Oklahoma didn't win because of her answer about Arizona. We all know that. It is "Carrie Prejean II." Miss Oklahoma is a stunning beauty! Much, much prettier than Miss muslim whose win was bought and paid for by her relatives. All part of a terrorist network, by the way. Debbie Schlussel has the whole scoop. [Can't link...] The win was also political correctness gone mad. It will be interesting to see what all comes out of that and to see if she gets stripped of the crown she is not deserving of. Oh. And, it will be interesting to see if a fatwa gets put on her head. I mean, after all, what self-respecting muslim woman would parade herself in front of the entire world in a bikini! Pfft. [I didn't watch the pagent. I did see, somewhere, that Miss muslim stumbled after her win. Regret missing that - but since she didn't actually fall... I bet along with being a pole dancing queen she is also a heavy drinker. Ut-oh. She better watch out. She'll be giving muslim women all over the world a bad name.]

Have set up a new blog site. As soon as I get the kinks worked out I'll link it and then everyone can visit me at my new "home."

Truly I appreciate all of the well wishes and the HUGE welcome back to the States. I think I'm finally on the right time zone, now, and that life is getting back to normal. As normal as it can be when you don't have a home and don't know where you're going to live, next, and don't have jobs, or a vehicle [yet], and all that kind of daily life details. Wine. Wine helps a lot. Sterling. Alexander Valley. Louis.M.Martini. It is all good! I no long have to refer to it as grape juice. I can call it wine. And, as Linda said in a comment, I can actually spell SEX and do not have to type "xes" ever again. Not that I have anything to say about SEX right now, but to know that I am not being censored and that I won't be blocked from my own blog by typing "WINE" or "SEX" sure feels nice...

We Made It!

We are home!!! The United States of America! We made it. My gosh, what a long, long trip it was. Thirty-one hours? Longer? We left Saudi at 7:30P on Monday night. We arrived at the home we will be staying at until we find a home last night at 8P - or 3A Saudi time - Tuesday.

The Kids did just fine considering the ordeal. This has all happened so fast and the last couple of weeks with packing, inventory and movers - then the trip - which, by the way I did by myself - DH will be home in a few days - he had to finish some paperwork - it has all just been one big whirlwind. Some of it has not quite "sunk in." I am exhausted, both physically and mentally. The next couple of days are going to be "down time" for me. I need it. Down time and wine. Lots of wine!

This blog will switch over to Stilettos in the States. Expect that soon. Oh, don't think for a skinny minute I don't have some things to say about my life for the past seven years... I do. Some of it may not be all good, either. I bit my tongue while I lived there. I don't have to bite my tongue and keep quiet about what life was REALLY like in Saudi Arabia ever again.

Overwhelmed.

THAT is an UNDERSTATEMENT! You cannot possibly imagine all that has to be done in order to leave The Sandbox. It is more difficult to get out than it is to get in, and getting in wasn't all that easy, either. Posting here will not resume until I am back in the States. Shortly.

To everyone that has visited and wished me well... Thank you ALL so much!

Oh My Gosh. Big Crimp in Plans. BIG! Updated.

KLM has will NOT fly The Boy home. They will take The Baby, but not The Boy. I am working on it right now. This will change absolutely everything. I am in a panic!

Update: Crisis is no longer a crisis. Panic is no longer a panic. You cannot imagine, though, the PANIC that set in for a few minutes...

KLM said they couldn't fly The Boy due to the "embargo." The "embargo" doesn't start until May 15th and my return ticket is for June 7th. Ahh, The Kids are not returning with me. I am returning alone. So, clearly a misunderstanding, there. KLM also thought they were flying The Baby in the Business Class cabin, with me [which, in The Baby's mind, no doubt, is where she, too, ought to be]. I made it clear when I got the ticket that I have a STANDARD Poodle, not a "little" Poodle. The person that did my ticket must have misunderstood because he had The Poodle flying under the seat in front of me. Works for me! Can I get the seat next to me for The Boy, please?

There is going to be a little stress, here. Gee. 'Ya think? Getting The Kids out and home safely will be my number one priority, though, and whatever else happens, happens. No sense in stressing over things I have no control over. Quite frankly, if NONE of our personal effects make it to the States and The Kids DO make it to the States? I can live with that. I really can. I can buy a new couch, or replace shoes. The Kids CANNOT be replaced and The Kids are really a very big part of what has kept me sane on this side of the world.

I will contact Delta / KLM again tomorrow to confirm that The Kids WILL be going home on the same flight that I go home on.

Blogging...

There is probably a lot to blog about. Like this "child" bride who was ten when her father sold her to an 80-year-old pedophile and who was divorced six months after she was married but apparently didn't know it until now - ten years later.

And like this, how there are 275,000 injuries, the result of accidents on the road each year due to reckless driving and speeding. What will be done about it? A nationwide campaign to "raise public awareness of the need to abide by traffic and road safety regulations." Nothing. PCRC. Is that such a bad thing?

I just have way too much to do to blog. And, quite honestly, I just don't have it in me right now to do it justice. Blogging will be light, perhaps even non-existent, until I have it together here. I'm not quite done with this blog. There are still some things I want to say. Check back in two weeks...

Stilettos in the States...

Stilettos in the Sand will soon be Stilettos in the States. It is all over. Done. My sentence, here, is up. I have served my time. Almost a full seven years. I know many others have done it for much longer. I cannot. The Kids and I get on a plane in two weeks and we are headed home!

No more limbo. Everything is now resolved.

Errands to do

DH and I have errands to do this morning. Really only one of us needs to do them. That would be me, but since I cannot get in the truck and drive myself... DH will have to take me.

One of the errands is something that could be done over the phone. I tried, yesterday, and was completely unsuccessful. Why? Because a certain office, here, which has a half dozen employees, has only ONE employee doing all the work. How do I know this? It is an office I've been to several times. I've have seen how it functions up close and personal. I was on the phone with the lone worker yesterday and listened to him juggle multi-task as he answered other "in person" inquiries as well as answering several phones. The man promised me a call back. I never got it. I am not blaming him, though. I understand that he was incredibly busy. Today I will go to that office in person. We are leaving here in forty-five minutes. I want to be the first one there when the office opens.

Then we will race home so that I can take The Boy to the vet. He got a cut IN HIS EYE while I was gone. I'm blaming his Little Sister for it. DH took him to the vet, originally, and I'll take him for the follow-up appointment. The cut still is not healed.

There are a half dozen other things that I have to do today. None of them are going to be fun. And all of them are going to be mostly frustrating. Such is life, here in The Sandbox.

The "limbo" situation? STILL NOT RESOLVED! Getting much, much closer though. Stay tuned for some interesting news...

IT IS A BOY!!!!

His name will be Coen Robert. He is due to arrive on or about September 10th. Now, if you'll excuse me, there is MUCH shopping to be attended to. Oh My Gosh. Is this going to be FUN, or what!?! Oh, yeah, it is.

Situation: Limbo. Still not resolved.

I cannot really discuss the situation, known as "Limbo," happening with us here in The Sandbox. I just am not at liberty, yet, to do so. Suffice it to say that it is not anything bad. It could actually be a good thing. The not knowing is the hardest part, though, and I don't know whether to get started on a major project and then find out that all of my effort will be for nothing, or if I should just forget about it, for the time being, altogether. The decision does not rest in my hands. I know what I would do. It is a decision that DH has to make. He makes the big decisions and I make the small ones. He takes care of everything financial, etc., and I decide what color towels to buy for the bathrooms. It is a system that has served us well for many years - we've been married for 18 years - and have been together for 20! Yes. Today was supposed to be the day of reckoning. But as is typical with the way many things go here such is not the case and today is not the day. Oh well. You know what? There is a plan for all of us. Whatever it is, that plan has already been decided. [We just don't know what the decision is one way or another.] And, it is out of our hands... Such is life.

I anticipate a phone call in just a few short hours about another "reckoning" that is supposed to happen today. DS and Baby-Mama find out if there is going to be a Kaylee or a Coen in our lives at 9:30 this morning their time - let's see, it is going on 3:15P, here, so that's 5:15A in North Carolina! Cannot wait. Absolutely, positively cannot wait to find out if I will have a Granddaughter or a Grandson. I am just thrilled to be having a Grandbaby so I do not care if it is a little Girl or a little Boy.

There is an post on the web that I found about women driving. It needs a thorough dissection. I'll plan on doing it for tomorrow. Today it would just require too much time and attention.

Time to dissect "Bachelors are time bombs," today, though. It is always the single man to blame for every single societal woe, isn't it? [/Snark.] Apparently it is quite bothersome to have "singles," or bachelors residing in "family neighborhoods." Well of course it is! One of those single men might have a pair of binoculars that can see through cement walls. Or something. The article says, "For many families, bachelor men living in their areas are simply time bombs waiting to go kaboom. These families allege such men are social, environmental, moral and security threats." Okay social, moral and security threats, maybe, if push came to shove, but environmental threats? How?!! They don't take their trash out regularly? They have too much trash in the form of bottles or cans?

Who knew there was a "municipality law" that dictates that "singles are required to live in building on main streets and away from residential neighborhoods." Not that that should come as a surprise to anyone, but I, for one, honestly did not know that there was a law that said where "singles are required to live." Hmmph. Learn something new everyday. Of course, it really is not the fault of the bachelors who end up in certain residential neighborhoods because "many real estate offices are cheating the system by renting out residential units to bachelors in the middle of neighborhoods." No. You don't say... Find that hard to believe. Like it is only in The Sandbox where money talks. Chicago slums and Tony Rezko - the jugearedjackass's pal - ring a bell, anyone?

Of course, in Chicago there probably are not three types of bachelors [or three or four or five types of marriage for that matter - I digress]. Chicago would have just two types. Bachelor men who have no familial responsibilies whatsoever and baby-daddy bachelor men who have no familial responsibilities whatsoever. The three types of bachelors in The Sandbox? "The first are professionals who work in high paid jobs as doctors and engineers. They rarely pose problems and have a clean reputation. This group is disciplined, and prefers living in family buildings to avoid living among singles." But, but, but... Isn't there a law against this? "The second group consists of singles in middle-income jobs. These type of people usually live in old apartment buildings, which are generally tatty and lack security." Ahh. So it is the middle-income bachelors who live in all of those buildings. [Personal responsibility insofar as the apartment owner to keep the building in good repair and from becoming "generally tatty" does not enter into the equation, I guess.] The third, and final group of bachelors "is the undesired group of singles in low-paid jobs. Most of these people are expatriates and live in crowded apartments, which are filthy and lack basic services. These types of workers generally tend to share their accommodation with other single men." Gee. Anyone care to guess why? Because they are paid such ridiculously LOW WAGES they cannot afford to live any other way. But, according to the article, we are lead to believe it is all the worker's / bachelor's faults that they are forced to live this way. I cannot believe that I am even reading the article as it is written. I am appalled at the lack of compasion and understanding from the author [who shall remain anonymous - if his - her? - name is published on the article I can't find it - and it is no wonder why, after reading...].

Abdullah Al-Hussein, whoever he is, says that "bachelor men bring trouble." Well of course they do, right?! Mr. Al-Hussein must never have been a bachelor. Did he go straight from Umm Abdullah's house [his mother] to being married and living in family housing? Must be he did. He goes on, "Singles do not care about the environment and cleaning their homes. They always create noise, especially when there is a football match. They are filthy most of the time and bring along parking problems, rats and all types of insects." Whoa! You hear that all you filthy dirty varmin infested bug ridden bachelors? That is all you are. Not my words. Mr. Al-Hussein's. A final family man, Ahmad Al-Jabri, who along with Mr. Al-Hussein was never a bachelor agrees and says, "Some real estate offices do not care about regulations when it comes to renting housing units to singles. They only care about money and rent apartments to singles when they're not supposed to. I wish the government would establish neighborhoods for singles and bring this problem to a close." Oh my gosh. If that wouldn't be the answer to MOST of the problems on this side of the world, then I don't know what would be.

Bachelors. All three types. They are just waiting to explode, here. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Nah. This is a LFZ. Contemplating just a second or two longer, it is believable. And that is just the way it is on this side of the world.

Not really "funny" funny.

Have to share something with you. Has almost nothing but everything to do with this cookbook "faux pas" that calls for "freshly ground black people," which is OF COURSE a typo and is supposed to say, "freshly ground black pepper." Duh!

The other night while I was at Qatar Airways office in the Bahrain International Airport office groaning about getting reimbursed for a taxi cab because Qatar didn't put MY luggage on the plane with me, the ONE man who was even willing to be helpful, Khalid, said to me, "Did you speak with a white man downstairs [in baggage services] earlier?" I said, "No. I spoke to an Arab man downstairs ten minutes ago when I was there..." Khalid says to me, in all seriousness, "How do I say this?" Communication between us is starting to be an issue. Me because I speak English and Khalid because he is trying so hard to speak English [and he did very well, by the way!]. So, Khalid, again, says, "Was he a white man?" And I honestly responded, "No. He wasn't." Khalid, not to miss a beat says, "I am a white man. Was he the same color I am?"

Don't I feel confused!?! Ahh, Khalid. Pssst. Let me fill you in on a teeny tiny little secret. "I am white. This is what a white person looks like." At the same time I am saying that, I am pulling up the sleeves of my shirt to show him my "white" skin. Khalid responded, "Ahh, yes, Madam. Here, we are white." "Umm, no, Khalid. You are brown. Perhaps dark tan. But you are not white." I had to reply. "I spoke to Ahmed. He is an Arab man. He was not white." Ahh. Now we're on the same track, though. Arabs consider themselves to be white? Who knew?! [If you are an Arab living in the United States, how did you fill out the census question for your nationality? White? Seriously?!!]

Why do I think it is funny that a recipe calls for salt and fresh ground black pepper people? Oh, I dunno no. It really isn't "funny" funny, but come on. I, mean, after all, not only am I not going to find that particular ingredient here in The Sandbox, but where the hell am I going to find prosciutto?

Yeah. 'Ya have to admit. It is a little funny at someone else's expense. Hey, if you can't laugh at a typo that is CLEARLY a mistake... I mean, come on. It was, after all, a mistake made in Australia, not South Africa!

Never mind. I am jet lagged. I am in limbo. I can think something that isn't really funny is funny if I want to.

Random stuff. Here, and elsewhere.

Still overwhelmed. Also in limbo. Cannot say anything more about my "limbo" until it isn't "limbo" anymore. Rest assured, though, that if the "limbo" goes one way, I'll have a bucket-load to say about the situation. If it goes the other way, I will have to "bite my tongue." Tomorrow will probably be the tipping point.

A man jumped from a 10th story window. He is dead. The irony of the story will be lost to most. Calling B.S. on it. There is a more to this story than what is being reported. [Oh my. What a surprise!] Come on. A man could not defend himself against a 45-year-old woman who just happened to be in a hotel room with a meat cleaver? Sure. Okay. According to the short report, "Eyewitnesses testified that he had been at the bottom of the building when the Egyptian woman appeared on the balcony screaming that there was a thief in her apartment, at which point the Saudi national went yp to her flat to save her. Once he was in, however, the woman locked the door behind him and took out a large knife and demanded money." Something is very wrong with that portion of the story which completely contradicts that Egyptian press report which claims "that the Saudi had been engaged in 'immoral activities' at the time." Umm hmmm. There you go. That report is just a little more than slightly believable, if you ask me. Oh, and as to the irony aspect? How many "maids" have jumped from several stories high escaping something sinister, here? Search my archives. The answer to that question is a lot!

And, speaking of a lot. A lot of PCRC, here. "A total of 50 people died, 385 injured and 4,596 accidents took place because of the heavy rains that lashed the Kingdom over the past four days..." Not a chance of anyone taking any personal responsibility, is there? Nope. Not a chance. "Abiding by traffic instructions and the directives of traffic policement limits the number of traffic accidents and guarantees public safety," says Gen. Sulaiman Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Ajlan, Director of the Traffic General Administration. Gee. 'Ya think? "He added that there were thousands of traffic violations over the past four days." What he didn't add was what the consequences of those violations would be. Oh, that's right. There aren't any consequences. Never mind.

Oh. And speaking of "something's wrong with this story," how about this one? Let's see an "expatriate" man has been arrested for raping an eight-year-old girl. An expatriate of unidentified nationality. [Anyone care to guess?] The man is a 48-year-old driver who has "been accused of xes abuse three times." Huh?!! Three times!?! Why the heck is the man even out on the streets? Shouldn't he be in jail? How many "expatriate" men in The Sandbox get the opportunity to get off Scott-free after being accused of some sort of xesual abuse THREE times?!! Hmmph. "The man's arrest also led to several other victims coming forward and the discovery of a stash of dirty pictures and movies at his home." For right now the man is in police custody while investigations continue. In the meantime, "The General Prosecution and Investigation Board is currently investigating the charges against the man which includes xesually-abusing minors, taking photographs of young girls and xesually-harassing them." Interesting, isn't it, that when the man was arreted he "admitted to engaging in xesual intercours with the eight-year-old girl" yet an investigation continues? Why? Who is this man and who is he related to, or who does he know?

A kind of sort of feel good story, here. About a dog. A soldier's dog. If you do not get choked up reading about Tank then you have ice water running through your veins. Posted "just because."

It is a small study involving only 13,000 women. Who knew?! "Blondes have last laught with more money." A University of Queensland "study found that not only did blonde women earn an average seven per cent more than their brunette and red-headed sisters, they married men who earnt six percent more too." It is good to be blonde. Saw it first at [where else!] blonde sagacity.

Have not listened to Rush one time since I've been home back. See? I really am in a funk of some sort. Of course, all listening to Rush is going to do is make my blood boil. Not because of Rush, of course, but because of the jugearedjackass. Is that man imbecile a complete and total embarassment to the United States of America, or what!!

Inom is still not back from his vacation. He left at the end of January. His brother is here, though, and today, for the first time since I returned he will come and help me. Thank goodness. I thought for sure I was going to have to push the vacuum around, myself. Maybe even wash my own kitchen floor. Called Hadar last night and he is coming in fifteen minutes. Phew! Crisis averted.