While We Were Away

So I know we've been back for more than 6 months now, but I am discovering things that we missed out on....

For instance, sometime during our life in the UAE there was a peanut butter (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99341551) scare here in the US! My sister was telling me how she couldn't get her favorite peanut butter and cheese crackers. It sounds like the shelves were cleared out of PB - how sad and weird :(

Today as I was listening to the radio I realized the punkpop band blink-182 (http://www.blink182.com) are being talked about as a band again. I'm pretty sure that when I left here they were on an indefinite hiatus! According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink-182) they re-united in February 2009. Since they took their hiatus in 2005 I guess that wasn't an indefinite one!

Another one that I noticed right away upon our return is regarding Obama. We left the US for the UAE in August 2008, and it was nearing the presidential election. It seemed that everyone was very excited about Obama and what he could do for the country (of course at that point anyone was better than GW Bush!). He was elected while we were away and has been a busy little bee. Now though it seems that whatever he is doing is pissing everyone off! I have seen so many bumper stickers de-faming his name and wanting him to leave office! Wow, what a change from only a year and half of being gone... I'm sorry to see that someone that was elected to office a hero is now hated :(
(I will not put my personal views of Obama in this post, I just wanted to state the feel I get from the rest of society!) (Check out this popularity chart http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/popularity.php).

Now maybe these are only 3 things that I've noticed we missed and I'm sure there are more, but it does leave a bit of a hole in you. I certainly did live in a different world for a while and as these missing pieces start to fill up I get a weird feeling, but never do I have any regrets!

Few and Far Between

Well, now that we've been in the States for 6 months I can say that our adventures are few and far between :(

We may be selling the house and moving, but nowhere exciting just a few miles away... oh, well I guess it's still an adventure in it's own. All the boxes that were shipped from the UAE have been unpacked so now we get to pack them all up again - those boxes were sturdy (about the sturdiest things I've seen from that country anyway) so some of them will be re-used! It's a tough market, but here goes nothing...

Las Vegas BABY!!!

It's time for a summer vacation - to Las Vegas!!!! I was so excited that I could tag along. We had to drive 12 hours through a few different states before reaching our destination... Utah was the first.

We drove through Arizona but just a small corner of it so we were really only in this state for about an hour, maybe we'll be back someday to see the Grand Canyon!!!

Finally!!! We made it to Nevada, this meant that we were getting very close, at least we were in the right state!

It was a long and HOT drive, but we finally made it to Vegas. We spent the first night at a buffet - as everyone should do once arriving in Vegas hungry, and then we went swimming to cool ourselves.

The next day we drove the short way to the Hoover Dam. It's one of the most famous dams in the world and was built during America's Depression in the 1930's (which gave people much needed jobs at the time). It creates hyro-electricity for millions of people in the SouthWest United States.

On our way back to Las Vegas we stopped and ate at the yummy In-N-Out Burger. I don't know how they've managed it but they only sell hamburgers and cheeseburgers with fries and they continue to survive! It was super yummy though :)

That night we decided to visit Fremont Street. The casinos are lit to the tilt and it can be over-stimulating at times, but people watching can be the best.

The next day we headed WAY down the strip to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. This pawn shop is most famous from the TV show "Pawn Stars" and since we are all fans we thought it would be fun! We had to wait outside in a line (only for 10 minutes), but I can't believe we waited in line at a pawn shop!!

Once we made it inside the shop there were so many ridiculous things for sale it was unbelievable! Here is one example of an outrageous watch - $49,999!!!! and you can't even try it on to make sure it fits!

That evening we ate at another buffet (what did I tell you? When in Vegas, eat at buffets!) at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Afterwards, we walked through their beautiful indoor botanical garden. It contains a few of the world's only sculpted olive trees (once they are sculpted they no longer produce fruit) and various types of flowers. It was amazing to walk through!

Along the Las Vegas Strip at night the casinos are lit up, as we exited the Bellagio we could see the Paris and the Planet Hollywood. The Paris contains a 1/3 sized replica of the Eiffel Tower. You can ride to the top for a mere $20 or you can dine in the restaurant (which I'm sure costs a pretty penny!).

Inside the Plant Hollywood there is a huge mall (it reminded me of the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai -with painted ceilings and very Arabic looking faux architecture) filled with brand name stores. It also contains the V Theater where we saw a kid show called "Poppovich's Comedy Pet Show" and a Beatles concert. I really enjoyed the pet show even though there were no monkeys :(

Since we were already standing outside the Bellagio Hotel we felt that we should watch a fountain show. It was beautiful, as all water shows are, but I have to say that being in Dubai has tainted my view of any fountain!

We had such a great time in Las Vegas. Even though temperatures were reaching heights of 110 degrees Fahrenheit I reminded myself that I could be in 120 degree temps in the UAE and smiled at my fortune! What a great place!!!

Kansas - Happy Easter!

Pepe was thrilled to be heading out onto the road again. He had been stuck in a windowless basement since our return so this was his chance for some fresh air and freedom!

Kansas is a very windy state, therefore they have taken advantage and wind turbines are a common site. This is a great way to create clean energy for all!

It wouldn't be Kansas without the farms! I snapped this pic while riding in the car, so it's not as clear as I would like. This farmhouse was along a small road on the way to a town called Hamilton.

This pic was snapped along the mainstreet in Hamilton. I love the vintage Coke sign!

This time of year the farmers are burning the fields to renew the soil. As we drove we could see some burnt brush up against the road and along the horizon we could see the smoke from other fires.

We played some pool and drank some beers in a bar in a small out-of-the-way town (in fact i can't remember it's name!). I took a picture of the sign in the bar - notice that he can charge you by the 24 pk and the prices are pretty cheap!

This is an outside shot of the bar. The building stamp on the far left corner says 1912 (that's old for the US, especially for the West) - very cool!

By the end of our trip Pepe was glad to have been out, but he was exhausted! Time for a nap!!!

Happy Easter!

Today we are off to the great state of Kansas! Pepe is along for the ride... keep a look out for pictures and more information about the trip :)

Also, happy day of our Risen Lord and Savior!

St. Patricks Day

On my last post in February I had pictures of ThickBlackGlasses brewing some tasty beer. After weeks of letting it sit and "cook" we were finally able to bottle it and taste it. For a red ale I think it's very yummy - and I don't like reds.

Anyway, on St Patty's Day was the test! He competed with 3 other brewers at a friend's house for the best beer and he won!!!! I am partial but I think his was the best :)

Here's a picture of him with the winning beer, the money and the "trophy" Lephrechan...

Getting Used to the Weather

We've been home for over a month now and we're still getting used to the weather. I have to admit that I kind of miss not having to brush off my car or worry about slippery roads. I would say for 75% of the time since we've been home the weather has been nice, but there are those days! Today is especially snowy, several inches have fallen throughout the day and I've been lucky enough to not have to go out in it.

Spring is fast approaching and already I am looking forward to the warmer weather!

Easter will be here soon and we're heading "next door" to Kansas. I love road trips and I'll be sure to post pics as soon as possible :)

Home

Well, we've been home for two and a half weeks and it's starting to feel like home again!
We spent the first two weeks going back and forth with the shipping company (stationed in Abu Dhabi) about the surprise charges. They sent us the cost of everything and we were thrown for a loop. There were several charges that we did not expect so we had to work against the time difference to get everything settled. For two weeks our boxes sat in a warehouse somewhere but finally we came to an agreement and we received our boxes on Friday! It has been great to unpack and get settled in :)

The weeks have already been packed with activities. I started my new job the Monday after we returned. It made for a tiring week, trying to get re-adjusted to the time difference and creating a new schedule. So far I am really enjoying the new job though and with all the budget cuts within the schools I am glad to have nailed down a job before the new school year.

Some family and friends got together to watch the NFL Super Bowl the weekend after our return. We have never watched the game in a public place before, but this year we decided to meet at a bar. It turned out to be a lot of fun especially with severals groups of people routing for different teams!

Below is a picture of my neice. We put a beer cozy over her milk cup - good times!


The day before the Super Bowl we celebrated ThickBlackGlasses's Birthday at Dave and Busters. Several friends and family members showed up to play some pool and shuffle board...

We have had lots of time to spend with my two neices, Artia and Vayle, and we hope to spend some more time with ThickBlackGlasses's neices and nephews in the coming weeks.

One of the most fun things we have been able to do upon our return is to make our own beer. ThickBlackGlasses and his friend went to a speciality store and bought a beer kit to make us some homemade hooch! We have about 7 days until it is finished and we will be sure to send out an update and it's taste!

Although we have left Abu Dhabi we plan to have many more adventures. Keep an eye out for Pepe as he sneaks away with us!

"Home" Lyrics by Chris Daughtry

As our departure date is drawing nearer I thought that most of these lyrics fit how I was feeling about leaving. I don't regret a thing, but things are getting a bit old. I will miss some things about the UAE, but I am so happy to be returning home so very soon!

(These lyrics have been edited, I chose what I felt was true...)

"Home"

I'm staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.

Well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong...
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
Well I'm going home.

Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don't want.
Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.

A Night Out

Last Thursday we spent the night in Abu Dhabi. We hooked up with a friend at Trader Vic's.

The first weird thing of the night was seeing a bar fight. Not so unusual? Well, that's the first bar fight I have seen in the UAE. I wondered what happens to people that are turned into the police starting a bar fight in the UAE, but we didn't get that chance. The bar staff was quick to react once the fighters knocked over glasses on a nearby table. They managed to push the fighters and their friends out the front door. The group was outside and as bar patrons looked on the fight moved back into the doorway. Eventually the whole thing was broke up and we moved on. How curious?!?

Later on in the night we were driving home. A line of cars were going through a green light when the light began to flash (an indication that the light will quickly turn yellow). The taxi in front of me thought it was a good time to stop, but half-way along the crosswalk (and Abu Dhabi gives tickets to cars over the line). I was far enough back from the taxi, so I knew he had enough room to move back. He put on his reverse lights and kept reversing, even while I was honking my horn (as a warning that he was too close) and then backed right into me! He sat in his car and did not even realize for a good 5 seconds that he had hit me, but then pulled forward a bit. I got out of the car to check for damage and he just quietly sat inside his car and watched me. Of course he was not going too fast so there was no damage, but there was no reaction from him, I couldn't believe it! I got back into the car and the driver finally leaned out of his car a little with his hands raised! What an idiot! He may be new to the country and maybe that was his second day driving, so hopefully he figures out how far back he can go next time! Grrrrrr....

Celebration in Dubai!

Here I am writing about the Burj Dubai (alternately called the Burj Khalifa) again!
Yesterday was the Grand Opening of the building and ThickBlackGlasses and I were lucky enough to fight the crowds to attend the ceremony.


Most everyone headed to Dubai Mall - mostly because the parking was ideal and the location perfect. Here we caught a great photo of the masses trying to use the escalator to the lower ground leading to the outside of the mall. We decided to go the long way and find a less busy escalator (after the escalator collapse at Coors Field in Denver Colorado we decided not to take our chances).

Everyone was at the ready! We found a spot along the outside of the mall, but far back from the water fountain and the festivities. We could see a sea of people in front of us, but we had a great view of the amazing fireworks show that was about to happen.

Check out a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRxxv6AZ_xg

Here's a shot of the Burj after the fireworks - the lighting is incredible up and down this building!

After the festivities we found out that where we were standing was ideal. The sheiks and other VIPs were exiting right by us. The picture above is the vehicle transporting Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE.

Tonight we bought tickets to ride to the top! At only 100 Dhs (about $27 US) it was priced about right for a tourist attraction.

First, you ride along a travalator and see a screen filled with images of the UAE over time.

Then you ride an elevator from the Ground floor to the 124th floor. The ride takes about 60 seconds and then you arrive at the top of the world.

Here is a view of Sheik Zayed Road that goes right through the middle of the city. I have only ever seen this in pictures and could not believe I was seeing it in "real life" !!!!

I have written before (December 9th, to be exact) about how amazing this building is and what it represents to the UAE and to the world. It may be a long time before another building even attempts to beat the height of the Burj Dubai and if you ever get a chance I highly recommend a visit.