Saudi, family and fun…..?

Well I have now been back to the project for about a month since my adventure. The project was still sound with only a few problems for the I.T. guy to resolve. While I was away they finished most of the projects up that we had been working on some minor issues with equipment, terminations and such. Frank, my replacement who couldn’t leave fast enough, was back in his nice warm bed in the UK and happy to be away from all the sand. He left me a nice turnover list so when I got back I digested what he had done and wrote him a nice email of appreciation. I know it must have been a big culture shock to him, as this was his first trip to the Middle East and really didn’t know what to expect.

My welcome back by the team was low key however they were happy I was back to help them with issues while Ardie took and extended leave to visit his Grandmother in Canada. Of course the rumors started flying that he had left the project to seek employment in Canada. A couple of emails to confirm and he quickly shunned those who had started them and assured me he would be back as promised. The project engineer, Steve, was ecstatic to have me back as John my boss had left a few days after me and wasn’t due back for another couple of weeks. I think I had mentioned in an earlier blog that Steve had come from Jakarta to fill in for John on his first leave, and was mobilizing to the project mid November. At that time we had bonded and built a friendship as he was in love with golf as much as I. Of course I had brought my sticks back with me but his were on a boat from Jakarta and hadn’t expected them to arrive in the US for quite some time.

Things are as usual here, same ole routine, work, eat, sleep….. The days seem to just fly by and it really makes for time to go by quickly with my rotation not too far in sight. This rotation I am staying on an additional 4 weeks so I can attend and be a part of the year’s grand celebration. As most of you know, Josh and Cassie will be tying the knot in June to begin their wedded bliss together. Some of you may read Josh’s blog and know that he and Cassie are building a home in Falls Creek. Their first thought was to buy a home already there but their bid didn’t make it and so they opted to build instead of wasting more time looking. It seems to be coming together quite nicely, the slab was poured last week and they are already ¾ finished with the framing. Another of things that I am missing while over here is getting to watch his house under construction. I too have construction in my blood and miss not being able to spend time with Josh and learning from him things which I don’t know. But he knows that if he has a question about something, which he probably already knows the answer to, he can come to me. One of these days maybe we can work together side by side in our own Home Building business. If we are lucky, we will get the brains of the family involved as well and he can design all of the homes. Well that’s another story hopefully in a few years.

So as I wait for the next rotation, I continue to stay busy, studying feverishly for my PMP exam which I must take in June before I leave to come back, try and stay in shape making myself go to the gym, and try and keep up with all the fun that the family is having without me. Jeremy seems to be doing well in Iraq, he has decided to pursue a career in Safety Engineering and sounds like he has already made some great headway in that. I am trying to help as well trying to understand what he needs to be doing so that everything he works on will apply toward his goals. There is nothing like taking a lot of non-essential courses that will not help your advancement. I have a been down that road and I do have the T-shirt to prove it, well maybe not a T-shirt but I do still have some of the books. Anyway hopefully the Safety manager here will come through and we can assure Jeremy that he is not wasting his time and effort. I believe that his next rotation will be beginning right about the time is ending. We are going to try and get in at least one game of golf before I leave if Kimber will let him out of her sight for a day.

So that’s pretty much it. We trudge along day to day building this refinery, doing what is necessary to make our client happy and look for the end which is still at least 8 months away. Already looking in the weeds for the next adventure and hoping that something comes along. Hope you all have a great week and enjoy the sunshine when it finally appears. We do need the rain so don’t be too angry at the weathermen. Until next time……

Work rest and return….. (The Finale)

After I left the office, I decided Subway sounded good for lunch. The short walk just increased my appetite so I was ready when I walked through the door. I ordered my normal and sat down to feast. It was close to 2:30 by this time and I felt like already the day was coming to a close. The time went by quickly and I was through. I walked a block to the hotel and put my things aside. I pondered what to do for the rest of the day and decided to go down and sit by the pool and read for awhile. It was very pleasant outside somewhere in the mid 70’s and a cool breeze was blowing. As I sat and read I noticed a Saudi swimming and laughing out loud. As I watched him from time to time, he looked like he was swimming and talking to himself and giggling now and then. I tried to concentrate on my book but it became comical as he swirled around making noises so I started watching him a little closer. Slowly he moved to my side of the pool and apparently his friend was sitting close by and he started saying something to him in Arabic. His speech sounded a little slurred so I figured he had been drinking a little too much. Well his friend gets up and brings him a glass of something over and he starts sipping it and laughing again. He was all over the place with his body movement so I knew he was drunk. He paddled away and started swimming in circles again and then he was back for another drink.Over on the other side of the pool the lifeguard had been watching all of this and he finally got up and walked over to the pool edge. He bent down and started talking to the two of them and it looked like he was telling the guy he needed to get out of the pool. This went on for quite some time with no success so he went to the phone and made a call. About 5 minutes later two guys in suits came out headed over to the two of them and started talking. Eventually they pulled him out of the pool and took him to one of the loungers and he passed out, I knew it was time for me to leave.

It just so happened, a God thing that my son-in law was flying in from Iraq that afternoon. I had sent him a message the day before and told him I would like to meet and take him to dinner. He agreed and told me he would call when he got to the hotel. During the day I had chatted with a friend on his project and he told me where he was staying. So I tried calling the hotel two or three times and never got an answer. So the easiest thing to do was jump in a taxi and head over. The first one I caught had no idea where the hotel was, so I got out of his cab and into the next one. He took me and dropped me off supposedly behind the hotel. I paid him and went in the direction he said. Well of course I couldn’t find it so I walked a few blocks and went inside another hotel and asked for directions (yes men do ask for directions). I went the way they said and again I could not find it. I spotted a coffee shop and went in and again asked for directions. This time the guy knew where it was and pointed me in the right direction. I went that way and believe it or not it lead me right back to where I started from 15 blocks or so before. If I had just turned left instead of right I would have been there 30 minutes earlier.

Well frustrated but glad to be there I went inside and found the House phones. I dialed Jeremy’s room and he answered. He said he had been trying to call me but every phone he used would not let him call out of the hotel. I told him not to worry I was in the lobby. He said, "let me put my shoes on and I will be right down." So we went back to the street and found a cab so I could take him to a really good Steakhouse I knew about from previous experience. We chatted on the ride over and then arrived at Billy Blue’s. We went in and ordered and then just got caught up. We had a really good conversation and then I noticed it was getting late so I paid the bill and we left. We drove back to his hotel and I dropped him off, said goodbye and to have a safe flight home and went back to my hotel. It was late by the time I got back so I hit the bed and fell sound asleep. Sunday morning I got up at the usual time, showered, dressed and grabbed breakfast. I still hadn’t heard anything about my Visa so I continued on with work as usual. My backup had already flown back to London so there were definitely things to take care of. The morning flew by and after lunch I called the GRO and asked what the status was of my Visa. He said he was on the way to the office and would call me in an hour. Well as usual I didn’t hear back from him so I was planning on extending my stay. I finished up the day around 4, chatted with Diane for awhile and then headed back to the hotel around 5’ish. When I got back I was deciding on where to go eat when my cell phone rang. It was the GRO and he was at the office looking for me, he had my Visa. Well of course all kinds of alarms and whistles went off because I didn’t want to have to go back to the office so I told him to leave it with one of the guys there. I got off the phone and hooked up my Laptop and stated searching for flights. It was unbelievable the difference in price so I chose the least of which was Saudi Airlines. The flight was scheduled to leave at 11:50 the next day so I knew I would have plenty of time to go to the office, pack up my stuff, and then get to the airport with time to spare…. Ya right. Off to bed.

Monday morning came quickly and the night before I had packed as much as I could and finished packing after my shower. I left everything ready to go so all I would have to do is get my bags, get a taxi and go. So I walked to the office, made coffee, chatted with Diane and the staff started showing up. I retrieved my Passport with my new Visa in it and we chatted awhile about how the trip had gone and how they could help me if I needed anything when I got back. So with plenty or time I headed back to the hotel. I called down and had a bell boy come get my bags while I checked out. He got me a taxi, loaded my bags and we were off. It took about 15 minutes to get to the airport and it was just 9:45 so I knew I was good. When I got in the airport it was a little hard finding where the airline counter was so I walked around and finally found someone who could tell me. I got in the line and waited for about 10 minutes. Finally I got to check in and she said my bags were over the limit. Well no surprise there after the debacle in Amsterdam. So I got my baggage ticket and went in search of the cashier. I finally found it after being re-routed by three other cashiers, and there were 10 people in line. So I got in the “queue” and waited my turn. It was now 10:15 so I was still good. I waited for nearly 30 minutes before they finally got to me, and of course I had no UAE Dirhams left so I asked if they would take Saudi money. He figured out the conversion and said yes so I paid him and headed to the gates. Again I went through Passport control, then through X-ray and once again was on my way. It was now about 11 and I still had about 30 minutes so I thought and started my long walk. I had just gotten on the escalator when I heard a message on the intercom. “Attention, Passenger Mr. Stan Young flying on Saudi Airlines flight 569, please report to gate number 110 immediately for boarding”. Great what in the world, the flight doesn’t leave till 11:50 and it is just now 11. Well I knew I had to move so I got on the moving walkways and ran all the way down the tunnel. When I got to the other end I was out of breath and had to go up two flights of escalators.

I got on the first and then I heard it again, “Attention, Passenger Mr. Stan Young flying on Saudi Airlines flight 569, please report to gate number 110 immediately for boarding, you are holding the flight up. Please make your way to the gate or we will begin unloading your baggage from the plane”. Great I was going as fast as I could and still was about 10 gates away. I hit the floor running once again and got to the gate just as they were getting ready to make the last announcement. I explained about the Extra baggage line and they said no problem please board. So I went down the Jet way and into the plane, found my seat and buckled in. Apparently from when I made my reservation and that morning they had rescheduled the flight and I had no idea. The flight was a short 50 minute flight, they served lunch and were just cleaning up when we made our descent. Well unknown to me the rest of the fun was just about to begin. We landed and parked at the gate. I grabbed my things and headed for Passport Control. Of course the lines were long and I got in the shortest I could find which was about 20 people. An officer came over and said if I had a Residence Visa I could go to the end line where only two people were standing, yes finally something good... NOT! So I moved my things and stood in line and about 5 minutes later I was handing him my Passport. He looked it up in the system and then said something in Arabic to me and I said I don’t understand? He wrote something down and handed it to me and then again said something and pointed. He realized I still didn’t understand so he found someone who could speak English. The guy explained to me that I was missing some number and I needed to go upstairs to the main office and they would help me. So I grabbed my things once again and walked up three flights of stairs. Again out of breath after hauling all of it up, I got to the office. The guy was on the phone so I patiently waited. Another 15 minutes goes by and still on the phone. Finally another guy saw me standing there and asked what I needed and I explained. He took my Passport and walked off. So I waited another 20 minutes and finally he came back and said, "ok". I took my Passport, thanked him and headed back down to baggage claim.

So finally after about an hour or so I was getting my bags off the conveyor and headed to x-ray. As my bags came out he said, "what is in that box"? I told him they were Lanyards for my company. He looked at his x-ray screen and studied it for awhile and then looked at me again. He said, "explain", so I showed him how the Lanyard went around my neck and held a badge. He finally put his stamp on the box and said, "ok". I loaded all my bags on the cart and headed to arrivals. My driver was waiting for me and while I made a pit stop, he headed for the door with my cart. We rode downstairs and he left me standing there to get the car. He pulled around to the walkway, put my things in the trunk, climbed in and once again we were on our way. The ride was 45 minutes where he dropped me off at my room and left. I sent a message to the site to have someone pick me up, so while I waited I unpacked as much as I could. Finally I had made it back to the Sandbox and reality had set in. About 20 minutes later the driver showed up, we loaded up things I need to take to the site, 20 minutes later I was in my office and the door hasn’t darkened since I got here.

So you are all caught up of my wonderful travel experience. Hope you had as much fun as I did and now it is just 13 more weeks and I can do it all over again. Stay tuned for the next update when I have something good to tell you.

Work rest and return….. (Part 3)

Ok so this isn’t quite the end yet but I promise we are very close. So when we left off last time I had arrived at Schipol Airport and was headed back to the Departure hall. When I arrived up top I headed to claim my bags that I had placed in storage. I found everything in tact and gathered the bags up and headed to check-in. The line was fairly short but to my dismay when I finally made it to the front of the line I was told that I was only allowed 20 kilos of baggage to Dubai. When I explained my circumstances to the young lady she got on the phone and called her supervisor. When she arrived I showed her my Passport explained what I had been through but there was nothing she could do. Bottom line I had to pay a lot of Euro’s to get me and my bags to Dubai. I checked everything in paid my fees and headed to Immigration and then to the gate. I had no more than 30 minutes left when I finally made it through and got to the gate in time to go through x-ray and had just enough time to call ahead and get a room reserved. We boarded the plane 5 minutes later and were in the air less than 10 minutes later. The flight was a short 7 hours and 20 minutes. After having a nice lunch of chicken, salad and some kind of custard, I settled in for a good movie. The two hours went by quickly and turned to my book for awhile. Once again they came by with the carts and had a beverage service. I picked up my book and enveloped myself for another 3 hours. I decided to watch another movie and before I knew it we were making our decent into Dubai. We landed a few minutes early and taxied to the gate. If you have never been to Dubai or any other International airport, you have never experienced the long walk to immigration. I think I have mentioned before that they out the gates as far away as possible so you are completely exhausted by the time you get there. This trip was no different and I walked forever and finally reached the hall.

Unbelievably the line was very short and I was through Immigration in less than 5 minutes and at the carousel picking up my bags. I headed through the door, out to the waiting crowds through the exit and towards the taxis. I called Diane to let her know I had made it safely and I would call her when I got to the hotel. The drive was about 10 minutes and was greeted as I got out. As I tried to pay for the ride, the driver explained he couldn’t take credit and all I had was US currency. He obliged by taking my $14 dollars and I headed to check-in. Once I arrived at the desk, they informed me that my reservation was at a hotel across town. I think I forgot to mention that while I was in Amsterdam I had called and made my reservation and realized when I got my confirmation they had made it at the wrong hotel. So I called them back and thought they were booking me in the right one. Well the night manager got on the phone and called the hotel explained my situation and got the cancellation charges dropped, canceled my reservation and gave me a discounted rate for my troubles. I knew it was late but had failed to look at my watch. By the time I reached the room and my bags were delivered I called Diane and we talked for a short while. It was then that I realized that it was 2:30 in the morning and I really needed to get to bed. We said our goodnight and I headed to bed. I tossed and turned for awhile and decided to get up and read a little to see if sleep would finally come. When I finally felt sleep begin to come it was after 4 am. I set my clock for 8 and fell fast asleep. The annoying alarm woke me up so I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. By the time I had finished and was ready for breakfast it was getting close to 10. I grabbed a quick bite and then headed down to the office just a short walking distance away. When I arrived they were all surprised to see me and I had to go through another rendition of my journey. They set me up with a cubicle so I setup my computer and started to tackle the awaiting emails.

As the day progressed I was able to speak with the HR department and they explained what would need to happen. In concert with the Saudi GRO (Government Relations Officer) they were able to get the required documents and begin the process. As afternoon came I began to feel tiredness and wondered if I would be able to last the rest of the day. I got up and walked around for a few minutes and felt refreshed enough to go back to my computer and continue on. The rest of the day went fairly quick and by the time I knew it, it was 6 pm. I shut down my computer, loaded everything up in my backpack and headed back to the hotel. When I arrived I noticed a Friday’s under the hotel and made a mental note to grab some dinner there. I went up to my room and unloaded and headed back down. The meal was pleasant not really very crowded. I meandered for about an hour and decided to head back to the room and call it an early night. I sent Diane a text because I knew she was in class but she had less than an hour left. I told her I would be up for an hour and for her to call me when she got home. So I got changed for bed and waited reading my book for awhile. Well it wasn’t long and my eyelids were heavy and she still hadn’t called. I figured she either didn’t get the message or she was busy with something else so I headed to bed. Sleep came easy and I awoke to the annoying alarm at 5:30. I jumped in the shower got dressed and headed down to breakfast. The breakfast is always good at the hotel, another International style buffet but this one you could order eggs like you wanted. I ordered a green chilies and cheese omelet and gathered the remaining items while I waited. As usual breakfast was good and a short while later I was back on the street headed for the office.

Once back in my cube, I worked on project issues that had cropped up since the day before. I called my boss and talked to him for awhile and assured him I was working diligently and not on the streets of Dubai shopping and sight seeing. He affirmed and as usual told me to stay out of trouble. Needless to stay I never get in trouble except when I am traveling through airports as this re-enactment confirms. I sent an email enquiring about my renewal and received an email from the local GRO asking me to call him. I placed the call and he explained where they were at and that he would be by shortly to pickup my Passport. I continued on with my work and realized that it was getting close to time for some lunch. I walked in to my SLM’s (Service Level Manager) office and asked if he was interested. Earlier the Manager, he and I had made arrangements to meet for dinner that night at my hotel. So David declined and said he would be fine until that evening. So I rode the elevator down and walked next door to my favorite little grocery and picked up a sandwich some chips and a Pepsi Max. I paid for it and headed back up to the office. I sat and ate my lunch and checked the news on the Internet and just chilled for awhile. A little while later I heard someone come through the door and ask where I was at. I heard them say that way and he showed up at my cube and asked for my Passport. We talked for a few minutes at how all of this had transpired and he said he thought it would be a few days and I would probably have it by Monday. So I confirmed that I should go ahead and book my flight but he said Inshalla Monday, which if you remember means Allah’s will. Basically he had no clue so I thanked him and he was on his way. When I travel on rotation I don’t take a lot of clothes with me because I have plenty at home. So I was in a bind because I had two shirts with me and a couple of new jeans I had picked up while I was home. I went in and told David that I was going to have to go somewhere and get a few shirts to tie me over since it would probably be a few days. He offered to take me because he knew of a place not far that had what I was looking for. So we planned to head out around 4 for a few minutes and then come back because he had a conference call.

At 4 he arrived at my cube and said lets go. So we rode down to the ground level and went to his car parked behind in a parking garage. As we drove he told me about the place we were going and for me to be sure to barter with the guy because it was expected. I had been there before and knew quite well what was expected. We arrived a short time later and pointed out the stores I needed to try. I walked into the first one and immediately found what I was looking for. They were knockoffs of a designer label at the stamped price of 215 Dirhams. This calculated was around $59 US dollars. I explained to him I didn’t even pay that for the originals and he said he would give them to me for 165. This was still pretty expensive but the quality was good and I agreed. I walked out of there with what I needed and went in search of David. I called his cell and he was around in a few minutes. We headed back to the office and finished out the day. Later around 8 that evening Martin, David and I we met at the restaurant in the hotel and had a nice dinner of cheese burgers and fries. We enjoyed ourselves in conversation and food and before we knew it, it was nearly 11:30. I told them I needed to get to bed, they agreed and we paid the bill and headed in our separate directions. I headed back to my room once again dressed for bed and crashed only to be awoken again at 5:30 by the annoying alarm. Again I jumped out of bed got ready and headed off to the office. I stopped in Costa for a quick caffeine fix and arrived as normal around 7’ish. I immediately started in on project issues and the day progressed quickly. Around 12 I stopped in to see Martin and asked if he was up for some KFC for lunch so we headed out. It was a short walk and we conversed over chicken and Pepsi. When we returned to the office we planned on meeting that afternoon to discuss some issues at site and I was back at my cube pounding out emails and history to be discussed. We met later that afternoon and before I knew it, it was time to leave the day had flown by very quickly.

Again sleep came very easily and I knew that my body clock was back in sync with the local time and drifted off. Tomorrow was Friday and my day off and I planned to sleep in as long as possible. When the alarm went off around 8, I crawled out of bed and enjoyed a hot long shower and pondered what to do with myself for the day. Lazily I got dressed went down to breakfast and enjoyed a breakfast of fruit, yogurt and cereal. I went back to my room grabbed my book, turned on FOX News and read for an hour or so. I decided that I didn’t want to be cooped up in my room all day so I decided to walk to the office, catch up on emails and work on the Blog. So you are all caught up now with my adventure. It is now Friday close to 2 pm and I am ready to grab some lunch maybe take a nap and just VEG out with some TIVO. Hope you have enjoyed this with me so far and the end is close. I will hopefully complete my journey in a few days and will be sure to bring you up to date and how it all ends.

Work rest and return….. (Part 2)

Well I got to the gate to check-in for my flight, as on most International flights they have to check your Passport and Visa to make sure you are valid for flying. So I hand her my Passport and she asked where my Visa was, I turned to the page and showed her. She said “I can’t read Arabic so where is the English version?” I explained to her that we don’t get that version so she had to figure out who else could look at it and confirm. She made a call and said someone would be there in a few minutes. So I grabbed a seat and pulled out my cell and called Diane. While we are talking, they make an announcement that the Pilot has come down ill and they are getting a replacement and the flight may be delayed for a short time. We talked for a few minutes and they called me back to the desk. When I got there I handed the guy my Passport and he starts reading it. He says he reads Arabic but he doesn’t understand the dates so he pulls up the calendar to try and calculate what remains on the Visa. After going back and forth, checking the dates and verifying what date I started, how many times I have been out since I got it and where, he determined that it looked ok but if I got to Amsterdam and they denied me it wouldn’t be his fault. I told him I understood and sat back down. About 30 minutes later they called the flight and we started boarding. So I had already made up my mind that once I got on the plane and we were in the air, that I would take my Advil PM, eat dinner and then head off to Never-Never land. That’s pretty much how it went and I was pleased that I dozed off fairly quickly as they removed the last plate from my little table.

About an hour out of Amsterdam they woke us up for breakfast. Usually it is pretty good and this time was no exception. We arrived a little late due to the fact they had to get a new Pilot and they had to wait on the Tarmac for something to be loaded. We made pretty good time as he was able to make up some of it with a good tail wind. So I exit the plane head off to relax and get a shower for the next part of the journey. Just to be on the safe side I called the HR Manager at the site and told him about the issues the night before. He said he would go online and check my Visa and call me back. Well time passed really quickly and I hadn’t heard back from him and it was time to head for the gate. The walk was about 8 minutes and while I was heading there he called and confirmed my fears that it was in fact expired. When I got to the gate they also identified that it was expired and they started taking my luggage off the plane. They apologized and told me I needed to go to the transfer desk and re schedule my flight and see what they suggested to get it renewed. So I grabbed my gear off the X-ray machine and found a seat and called my boss to let him know what had happened. He of course was not pleased but he understood and told me to let him know what KLM said. So once again I headed back into the Terminal and found the transfer desk. With all the new technology most of the airlines have gone to self serve Kiosks. As I approached I saw a young lady from KLM and explained my circumstance. She sent me through a gate to talk to her colleagues and see what they suggested.

So once again I explained my problem and they started looking to see what could be done. After about 10 minutes they decided the best thing for me to do was take the train to The Hague and go to the Saudi Embassy the next day. I loaded up my hand carry bags and went through immigration to get my luggage. It was waiting for me when I arrived so I took out what I thought I would need for one night and put the rest in storage. After securing my locker I headed off to find the train station. Unfortunately in Amsterdam most of the signage and Kiosks are in Dutch, which you might now I don’t know how to speak. So after stumbling around for a few minutes, I found the train office and went to purchase a ticket. When I got to the window I explained to the train attendant where I needed to go and what I required and he told me to go see if I could even get a Hotel before he sent me all the way there. So I headed back into the Arrival terminal and found the Hotel desk. She looked for what was available close to where I needed to be and finally identified one. The rate was decent and I had her book it for me. She printed out my confirmation and I took it back to the train office and got my tickets. The train was due to leave around 4:58 which was about thirty minutes. So I walked around for a few minutes and then headed for the ramp. Just as I arrived so did the train. The ride was supposed to be around 30 minutes so I settled in. Now the way I understood, the train was supposed to be non stop but we made two stops and I started getting a little concerned. Everyone around me was speaking Dutch so I was a little doubtful that I could find someone that spoke English to ask. On the Third stop I spoke to a man standing next to me and asked him if the train was non stop and he shrugged. Another guy waiting to get off spoke a little English and said I needed to change trains and just follow him.

Luckily the train we needed to get on was waiting when we got there so the switch was quick and painless. We rode for another 10 or 15 minutes and we were there. Now I am usually pretty good about finding my way around, but with everything in Dutch I was having a few issues. The girl at the Hotel desk had written down what I needed to do once I got there so I looked for the Tram I was supposed to get on. I found a sign and headed up to the tracks only to realize that I thought I was on the wrong side. So I went back down and up the other side only to realize that I thought it was going in the wrong direction so I walked back down and back up to the same place I had been. Well still not convinced I was in the correct place, I headed back down to look for the Tram office. After stumbling around the Train/Tram station I finally located the office and stood in line for my turn. After about 5 minutes I finally made it to the window and told the gent where I was going and how did I get there. He explained it to me and it was in fact the same place I started out and I could just pay the Tram driver. So I headed back up to the platform and waited with everyone else. The Tram arrived a short while later I got on paid the driver and we were off. The short ride took about 10 minutes and I was back on the street looking for some sign of the direction I was supposed to go to get to the hotel. After a few minutes of looking around I spotted the sign for the hotel and walked that way. A couple of blocks away I found it and checked in. I dropped off my things in the room and went in search of some food. The front desk suggested an Italian place a short walk so I ventured out to find it. He was right it was a short walk, maybe a block away and I went in. He sat me at a table close to the square so I could look out the window while I was eating. It was so quaint and very pleasing to see how the Europeans spend there time. As I looked out I saw small Bistro’s, pubs and restaurants where they were partaking of spirits and food and enjoying conversation. The Italian restaurant was true to nature and very authentic. I ordered probably one of the best pizza’s I have had in my life. I ate and watched for about an hour, paid my bill was very reasonable and walked back to the hotel.

My plan had worked by sleeping the flight to Amsterdam and staying awake the rest of the day as sleep came very quickly after reading a couple of chapters in my book. The next morning I got up around 5:30, showered and headed to breakfast. It was a small buffet of International cuisine, sliced meats, cheeses, eggs, lots of different breads to choose from, yogurt juices coffee and teas. I had a small feast and was pleasantly filled when I had finished. I headed back to my room to call the Embassy and find out exactly where it was located. When I got no answer I headed down stairs to ask the front desk. She looked everything up on the Internet and showed me where to catch the Tram. I thanked her and took the map she had provided and headed out to find my destination. Again I was stricken by non Dutch and I walked in the wrong direction once again and turned around and went the other way. Still unable to find the landmarks that were on the map, I ventured off in the direction I was sure was the way. Well after walking for about 3 blocks, I noticed the Golden Arches and slumbered in to see if I could get some directions. Thankfully a gentlemen standing waiting on his Danish and coffee pointed me in the right direction. I was just across the street from where I needed to be. I thanked him and exited to the street and made across the street in time to catch the number 2 headed toward my destination. I clambered aboard the TRAM paid the driver and we were off. Two stops later I exited the TRAM and walked the block to the Embassy area. I walked along looking for the Saudi flag but could not find it. Luckily I stumbled on it after about 5 minutes. I rang the bell and waited. A tall man in a business suit opened the door and asked if he could help me. I explained my circumstances and he told me to have a seat in the waiting area as the Embassy personnel would not be available until 9:00.

I took a seat and waited for no more than 5 minutes when another man walks in and asks me why I am there. Again I explained and told him and he said I would have to come back in a couple of hours because the Consulate would not be available until then. I thanked him looked at my watch and headed out the door. I pondered whether to head back to the TRAM station or walk the 5 or 6 blocks, I chose the later. It was cool and breezy and the brisk walk soon led to a very warm and getting sweaty feeling. I unzipped my jacket and continued my trek towards the direction of the hotel. The time went quickly and I found myself back in my room in no more than 10 minutes. As I opened my Laptop to see if I had any news, there was an email from one of the guys at the site that new of the Passport agency that could help. I rang their phone once again explained and she said I need to bring my Passport to their office so they could look at it. Amazingly their office was one block from the Embassy where I had just walked from so I threw my jacket back on and headed back. Again the walk was quick and I found the building with no problem. I got off the elevator on the 4th floor and again went through the entire process of why I was there starting with my experience in Houston. They listened intently and then responded with, it will probably impossible to do because my company was not located in Holland and I had to have this and that and there was really no way to get it. My option was to return to Houston or maybe I could go to the U.A.E. and see if they could process it there. I again thanked them and headed back to the hotel to call the site and give them my news.

I reached my boss on the phone as the HR manager was unavailable. We briefly spoke and I explained the options and he was ready for me to just head back to Houston but he wanted to go check with HR before he made the decision. I could already see myself back on the plane headed back, 10 more hours in the plane and arriving to a puzzled Diane. He handed the cell phone to the HR manager and I explained the options. He said give him 30 minutes and he would check with Dubai to see if they could actually do this. By this time I am crossing my fingers because I really wanted to get back at least close to the Saudi time zone so I could work. After 30 minutes he sent me an email and said book your flight Dubai says they can do it. Well that was good enough for me I immediately got KLM on the phone to get my last leg routed to Dubai instead of Saudi. After going through the automated garb I finally spoke to a real person. She informed me that the flight was booked by Continental and they could not change the ticket I would have to call Continental. I hung up and called Continental and began all over again. After 10 or 15 minutes we worked it out and it cost a lot but I had a ticket. I packed my remaining items and headed back to the TRAM station to get back to the Train station to head back to the airport. The walk was short the TRAM arrived about 5 minutes later and we were at the Train station in 5 more. I hopped off, grabbed my stuff and headed to the boards to see what time the Train left. Luckily I was 5 minutes away from pulling out so I jumped on board and we took off. The ride was 25 minutes with one stop and I was back where I started the day before. As I got off the Train and headed back upstairs to the Departure hall, I thought about the last 12 hours and my experience. Not a lot accomplished but a nice side trip to a quaint little city with lots of history and charm. So this is where I am going to stop and you can catch the conclusion in the next edition………

Work, rest and the return…..? (Part One)

Well it was a very busy three weeks, the trip to Cincy was exciting and very busy. We left on Wednesday with all of our luggage, tools, and Kimber in tow. We arrived at the Airport with no excitement, parked the car at the lot and hopped the shuttle. We arrived in plenty of time after going through Security we stopped off at the bookstore to grab a novel so I would have something to read on the plane. When we got to the gate we sat down and waited maybe 15 minutes before they were calling our flight. As we boarded the plane, which was about 1/3 full, we all strapped in watched the safety briefing and we were on our way. The flight was very smooth and uneventful and we arrived in Cincy on time. We got off the plane and headed to get our bags, well at least we thought so. Since we had never been in Cincy before we followed the signs, right, well not really. After we had walked the full length of the runway to Terminal B we realized that Baggage claim was in the opposite direction. So we stopped for a potty break and then headed back the way we came. Since it was such a long walk, we opted to take the Train back. Sure enough we had walked right past the Baggage area. You feel kinda like you were a little foolish but I always follow the Baggage claim signs and must have missed it.

We collected our luggage which was coming off as we arrived and headed for the Avis bus. It was a short 5 minute ride but check-in took a little longer. We finally got our paperwork and waited outside for them to bring the vehicle around. It turned out there were two of the same Grand Prix and the guy in front of us got ours so they figured it all out and we were on our way to see Christopher. I had gotten Diane a GPS for Christmas and she just loves it, so she plugged “Mandy” in and she was instructing us how to get to our destination. Let me tell you if you don’t have a GPS it is well worth the investment. About 15 minutes later we were in downtown Cincy parking across the street from Christopher’s office. As we exited the car he was waiting across the street for us. He took us on the nickel tour of his fine establishment and then we headed to a rendezvous with Karen for lunch. The place was about two blocks from his office so we walked and arrived at a small Sports Bar which was serving Homemade Meatloaf for lunch. Karen arrived about 10 minutes later and the food had just gotten there.

Lunch was delicious and it was time to head out so we walked Karen back back to the car, she had to go back to work but Christopher had taken the rest of the day off and rode with us to his house. Once we arrived he gave us the grand tour of the house and showed us all the opportunities for the week. The house is one hundred and thirteen years old so you can imagine what lay ahead of us. We started planning on what needed to happen first or should I say what we wanted to tackle. We carried our things upstairs to the Penthouse where we would all be staying and unpacked our things and got our living accommodations in order. After we all loaded up in the Grand Prix and headed to the Depot and Meier a Wal-Mart like store. We picked up some necessary supplies and headed back to the house. Once we got there I started looking at the electrical situation and Diane and Kimber started taping the base boards and preparing things to paint. We determined what was what and where some things were going, and it was time for dinner. Tomorrow we would start getting things in order.

So the next day, I started pulling plugs out of the wall to try and figure out why the power to the Penthouse was not working. The first plug I pulled I found the culprit, there were burned wires in the outlet box. As I reviewed Christopher’s electrical map that he and Karen had made for me, I found a lot of plugs and lights on one circuit. Meanwhile Diane and Kimber began painting the Office upstairs. There were a lot of bad places in the plaster that had to be scrapped so that new could be installed before they painted. Three of the walls were doable so they started on those. By lunch time they had two of the three walls painted and I had made some more headway in finding wires. When Christopher and Karen got home we worked till around 9:30 or so and then retired for bed. Christopher took Friday off so we could try and get as much electrical identified and get what was required to replace and repair. We took another drive to the Depot and picked up a new panel, breakers, Romex, and other items we would need.

We worked diligently through the weekend, and after dropping Josh and Cassie off at the Airport on Sunday we accomplished a lot. The Parlor was finished with paint and new curtains, the Office was painted with exception to the outside wall which needed some plaster work, and the Hall was completed with paint. Christopher and I replaced the panel and the rest of the cables and were almost finished by the time we needed to leave for the Airport. Unfortunately not completely finished so I made an executive decision to delay our flight a day and Diane and Karen dropped Kimber off at the Airport for her flight home. Josh and Cassie graciously offered to pick her up so we could have the car when we returned the next day. On the way back from the Airport, the girls stopped by and picked up some great barbecue. When dinner was over we headed back to get as much as we could get completed because we had only about 5 hours on Wednesday before we had to be at the Airport.

So Wednesday was a flurry, we got up early, saw Christopher and Karen off and said our goodbyes once again. Diane set herself to strip the beds, straighten up the house, wash clothes, kept me in coffee, and even baked the kids some cookies, while I struggled to get everything else completed with the electrical. By about 1:00 I was finished had everything packed up and we headed to the Airport. Unfortunately we didn’t make it before the flight was loading so they booked us for the next flight. We decided to check our bags in early and find some food. As we rode the train to Terminal B we discussed the week’s events and were pleased with what we had accomplished. We feasted on Outback burgers and a salad and just relaxed since we had about two hours to kill. Did a little shopping and of course stopped by Starbucks and grabbed a quick coffee and headed to the gate. We waited about 30 minutes and the flight was on time. We boarded the plane and two and a half hours later we were back in Houston.

The rest of the time home was a flurry of activity. Candy and Griff threw a heck of a couples shower for Josh and Cassie at their house, Diane had to go back to work and on Tuesday we headed to the Moody Gardens Aquarium with the FBC Preschool. I had to get items to take back to Saudi, get fitted for a Tux for Josh and Cassie’s wedding, pay for labor and pad to replace bad carpet, and of course spend time with my lovely wife. As the end of rotation was here, Josh and
Cassie met us at The Deluxe Cafe for dinner with Bob and Dee Dee for her birthday and their anniversary. Afterward they took them back to their hotel and we stopped by Josh’s to pick them up and take them home with us as they were going to the Airport to drop me off. We made it home around 10’ish and all headed off to bed. The next day I got up and took the Passat to Discount to get a slow leak fixed. It took more time than I wanted and ended up with a new tire which was fine because Diane would be driving the VW while her car was being repaired. I made it home around 11 and tried to finish up all that I wanted to get finished and of course finish packing and grab a shower before the trip. By 1:30 we were in the car headed to meet Kimber for lunch at Lupe Tortillas. We all enjoyed the quick lunch and conversation before I had to say goodbye to Kimber. We had decided that on our way to the Airport, we would stop by and see the house that Josh and Cassie had made an offer for. They had found it in a subdivision close to Intercontinental called Falls Creek. It is a lovely house with lots of room and only a couple of years old.

As we hopped in the car to head to the Airport, I called mom and talked with her a little and caught up on the Cincy trip and the happenings in Abilene with the fam. Traffic was light so we made great time getting to the Airport. We unloaded and headed to check-in and the lines were short and we had about an hour and some change to spare. After a few minutes I told them they might as well go there was no point in them waiting I would just go chill and read my book. So we said our tearful goodbyes and they watched as went through security. One last wave and a blown kiss and I headed towards the gate and eventually my final destination? Yeah I don’t think so but that is for the next installment……

Almost time......

Well it’s almost that time, 5 days and counting.

Well today started out with a bang, a major dust storm has blown in and we are all breathing heavy with the powdery stuff hanging in the air. Even when you walk down the halls in the building you can see the haze. It is expected in this part of the world so I guess you have to take the good with the bad, more of the later ;).

I don’t have a lot to report, we are still making progress on our IT projects, we have moved people in both new buildings now, the network is up and running in the new CMT building but the equipment still hasn’t arrived for the 2 Story. I got a call from the vendor yesterday and he told me that it would all be onsite no later than Thursday…. Inshalla. So of course IT is getting blamed for the equipment not being installed and the network not running. Oh well those who really matter know the truth.

So that’s about it for now, my flight departs here on the 16th and I am looking forward to heading home. I always dread the long flight but I will be there soon enough and that is what matters. Oh and a small update to the Cincy trip, Kimber is now going with us and Josh and Cassie are flying up for the weekend to help in all the fun activities. Christopher published a nice LONG list of things for us to do while we are there, looks like instead of 6 days we may be there for 6 months :). Just kidding Christopher I know you had enough of your family while you were growing up, we won’t disturb your adult hood with that much Kayos. Please be in prayer for our wonderful friends Candy and Griff, his mother has been in the hospital and Candy has been juggling the shower for Josh and Cassie while spending many a day and night with Oneita at the hospital. Diane said that they were bringing her home today and will be staying with her at her home while she recovers. These guys are too much they are such giving people and we love and cherish them as friends. Thanks Candy and Griff you are just very special people and very good friends.

Ok that’s all, I will get off and let you get back to whatever you were doing, hope everyone is doing great and that we see as many of you as possible while I am home, check out the new links I added.

Well it's about time......

Hello America this Paul Harvey, stand by for news….

Well it has been awhile since we’ve had a talk so I thought I would fill you in on what’s been happening here in the Sand Box.

About a month ago I decided to leave the quiet yet not so quiet confines of the Rezayat Compound. This was due to both of my rides, literally a vehicle, would be moving to the Western Park Compound. This nice western (as its named) atmosphere has only been open about 6 months. It was built with the Western Expat (Expatriate) in mind. Nice queen size bed, running water, dinning facility, full workout gym, swimming pool….. well you get the idea. Anyway the move was relatively easy, John (my boss) arrived back from his rotation in lovely cold and snowy Montana. He was on the ground two days and said, “if you’re moving we need to do it tomorrow”. Of course I was loathing the idea of packing all the “Stuff” I had brought with me but it was a necessity. So Tuesday night I started packing as much as I could in the three suitcases I had at my disposal.

Well time well spent, I had most of two suitcases packed up and ready to go by 2100 (oh that’s 9:00PM Military time). I neatly crammed them back in my closet so that it was not too apparent to the room boy the next day. Of course if he looked really hard he would see that most of my belongings were gone that had been neatly strewn around the room, doesn’t take a genius to figure out when a chicken is about to fly the coop :). Anyway we had decided that we would leave work the next day exactly at 1700 just to make sure we had plenty of time in case we had to make two trips. Both of us are pack rats and we had brought enough clothes to last us for at least three years and then some.

Well Wednesday came and the day flew by with high expectations of getting everything moved and unpacked before sleep hit. As we loaded up and headed to the Rezayat, we conversed about what to expect from our new abode. John and I were two of the first to check out the facility a few months back, we spent two nights there and ate like kings. Of course you know that always changes, they bait you with classy food, anything you want while you are here, on the house of course, and then it all changes once you really commit. John couldn’t wait for the food again, me I couldn’t wait for a super fast Internet where I could stream my Slingbox and watch my favorite shows….. NOT!!!!!!

We arrived at the Rezayat around 1730’ish and both went to our rooms to finish packing the small stuff loading up and movin’ on out. Well in less than an hour, we had all our stuff in suitcases, Panda (local grocery) bags, water boxes, etc packed, crammed, pushed, squeezed into every nook and cranny of the Trailblazer. I ended up with my hanging clothes and other loose items on my lap for the short 20 KM (12.43 miles) ride. We decided not to stop at the front desk and turn in our keys, mostly because we didn’t want the confrontation that we were leaving their fine facility and we would be missed, plus the fact that if we happened to have left something tucked away we forgot about we could easily go back and get it. We exited the large sliding iron gates, waved our goodbyes to the guards and were off.

The ride was quiet, I’m sure not because we were reminiscing about what we were leaving behind, but that both of us were out of breath, sweating because it was about 35 degrees outside and we were both in jackets. We arrived at our destination about 20 minutes later after we finagled how we were supposed to get there. It had been awhile for both of us and we finally realized where we needed to turn. The facility is off the main Dammam highway about ¼ mile between some old labor camps, truck parking lots, well parking dirt, and more dirt. The ride down what little pavement they had was bumpy, and for one to drive it they needed to be very cautious due to the influx of local India(n) and Filipino folks EVERYWHERE! We arrived safely at the “new” sliding iron gate and waited for them to allow us to enter. Immediately the gates opened and we told them we were there to check in. the Filipino Security Manager remembered us and waived and said “good evening sirs, welcome”. What a nice way to be greeted, we were both pleased with our entrance.

As we walked through the lobby doors, we were greeted again with “good evening sirs” another warm and cozy feeling, we both looked at each other and just grinned. The desk clerk asked how he could help us and John said we were from KBR. His face lit up and said, “oh you must be Mr. Young and Mr. Moorhead, we have been expecting you.” Wow what a welcome, we felt at home with a nice staff to support us as well. We both signed the document handed to us, told them we would bring our Passports back for them to scan later as they were packed away in our garb. He showed us on the map where we would be housed and that we would be met there to help unload our belongings. We piled back in the Trailblazer and drove a short distance to our building. As we got there we were met with smiling faces and open arms. What took John and I an hour to load, took all four of us less than 10 minutes to unload. That night I got mostly everything unpacked and in its place before 2100 and was ready to hit the bed. As I dressed and made my coffee for the next day, I was pleased that I had made the decision to come there, it was going to be a new experience but an enjoyable one. My head hit the pillow and I don’t remember anything until the alarm went off at 3:30 the next morning.

So now you know … the rest of the story.

Ok so my new address if you want to send cards and letters, packages, food, etc....

Mr. Stan Young
Western Park Residential & Business Complex
P.O. Box 448 - Room 5016
Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia 31951

So it’s about time for my next rotation, man time fly’s when you‘re having fun! Just 14 days 7 hours and 18 minutes, who me keep a Countdown clock, never ;). Anyway the plan is to fly home on February 16th, one good day to catch up on some sleep, then back in the air headed for Cincinnati to see Christopher and Karen. They have been having some electrical issues in their new place and he wants ole dad to come up and see if I can help him trace and replace some electrical wiring. So Diane and I are going to take a nice little air trip and see if we can help out. Should be a lot of fun and we are both looking forward to it. After that it is back to Texas City for another week and a half in time for Josh and Cassie’s couples shower/dinner at our amazing friends house Candy and Griff Temple. It should be another Grand event. As you well know from my “wedding” blog, Candy was instrumental in helping put Kimber’s wedding together with all the decorations and extravagance. Have I told you how wonderful Candy and Griff are? They are very special people and you are missing it if you don’t know them. So with the plans set and I am sure more Honey Do’s waiting for me, the three weeks will be very quick but hopefully relaxing and very enjoyable.

Around here, ah not too much to tell, pretty much the same ole same, day to day I.T. stuff. I guess one piece of good news is that we are finally making some headway on our new buildings. We should be able to start moving people in tomorrow to one of them and “if” the equipment gets in hopefully the other building next week. So I hope you are all having a great new year and things are moving ahead for you. Pray that this financial crisis will soon be over and we can rest easy. Hope to see you soon, take care and keep the light on for me.

P.S. for those of you that would like to see the new place, login to

Back in the Sand Box……

Well it was an enjoyable three weeks at home, but it came to an end and I am back in Saudi. I will give you a brief overview of how everything went.

After the “snake bit” flight from hell, I was pleasantly welcomed home by my lovely wife. We took off for TC and the drive wasn’t bad. We arrived home and of course I was exhausted but was able to stay awake until bedtime. The “list” was waiting for me and let me tell you it was a doozy! Let’s just say I was not going to be bored while I was home.

Ok let’s do wedding shall we? The bees were buzzing madly with last minute touches and decisions on the great event of the year. Everyone was running last minute errands picking up this and that in anticipation of Sunday. Candy Temple was her usual, excited about the day and wanting to make sure everything went off without a hitch (this is an awesome woman)! Kimber was excited but you could tell she was feeling the pressure as the weatherman was predicting 40% chance of rain on Sunday. Things just kept moving right a long and it looked like it was going to be a grand event as everyone had been working so hard to make everything just perfect. Anyway we trotted right along all week and before we knew it, it was Saturday and the rehearsal. Well things became a little skewed as the place for the practice (League City Park) was inundated with wedding guests for a real live wedding in the Gazebo! What to do, well Kimber was getting a little frustrated and was more than anxious about it, but the Butler’s Courtyard wedding coordinator came through with flying colors! Gazebo, we don’t need no stink’in Gazebo, we will just use the Basketball court instead (LOL). Of course as we started gathering, the entire wedding party was still not there, I won’t mention any names, Christopher and Karen ;), but two of them were late leaving from dinner and Galveston.

It started as a festive event, all of us dressed in our Camouflage t-shirts that the bride was so thoughtful to get made for us, and let me tell you we looked “Great”! We decided to give our two late arrivals a few minutes and then decided we better get started because the sky didn’t look so great. Well we first all joined hands and Brother Grayson Glass (what a wonderful preacher) led us in a prayer. After, we were lined up on how we were supposed to stand, and how I was supposed to give her away, and so on then we did a walk through. About half way through the walk through, the two late arrivals showed up and profusely apologized for being late. No problems we continued on, filled them in on what was what and where were where and it was over. We all hopped in our cars and headed for Estebans’ Fiesta Room for the rehearsal dinner. Well it was a great night, great food, great conversation, just an all around great night and the end to a great day! Yes I can use great that many times so stop worrying about it ;). Everyone decided it was time to depart, the girls were heading to Tina’s for a sleep over so they could get up and get ready together, except for Cassie, she wanted to hang with mom and dad and make sure she got enough sleep. Meanwhile the guys all crashed at Jeremy’s place.

Back at the ranch (the Young Zoo really) we all got dressed for bed and watched a little television. The next day was set, the day would start early, decorating would begin at 10 am sharp, and we all needed to get a really good night sleep. Cassie turned in first, then the cat, then the dogs were all placed in their nice warm kennels, the coffee was prepared for the morning ritual, the doors were locked and the alarm was set. We departed for the bedroom and not more than 5 minutes after our heads hit the pillows were we fast asleep.

Sunday morning the skies were clear, the birds were singing, the dogs were barking and yes it was time to get out of bed and start the day. Usually Diane is out of bed first, but I beat her out and went and turned on the coffee. Eventually she stirred and dragged herself out of bed to also welcome the day. As she prepared to get ready to head to League City, I prepared us a nice breakfast. By the time we had finished, it was time for her to leave and I was on the phone with the bride, asking me to get Cassie over to Tina’s and oh by the way, can you stop at the dollar store and get me a bunch of hair thingy’s and some hair spray, only two or three cans should do it, “love you daddy bye”, click! Well Cassie was not expecting to go so early, she thought Kimber was going to do her hair at Butler’s Courtyard. She had just gotten out of the shower, her hair was still wet and she was still in her comfy clothes. As she hurried upstairs to get ready, Diane walked out the door, and I headed in to get a cup for the road.

Cassie and I loaded up and headed for the dollar store to procure the items Kimber needed. When we got there we found the hair thingy’s, the hair spray and went to pay for it. The lady at the checkout noticed our shirts and of course enquired, enquiring minds want to know, ya know. We thanked her for her blessing on the day and headed to Tina’s. I dropped Cassie off and was just heading to League City to help, when I got a frantic call from Diane. Two of the vases that were holding the table arrangements had broken not enough weight and she wanted me to stop by Wally world to see if I could find some clear marbles and some M&M’s for Candy. I pulled into a parking place and ran in. I was in and out within about 10 minutes which almost never happens, had two bags of different M&M’s and 8 bags of marbles. I was off once again to try and make it to League City before another phone call and another stop.

As I pulled into Butler’s Courtyard, I could see a flurry of family hauling tubs into the banquet room. The place was strewn with assorted flowers, ribbon, boxes, bags, candles, etc. I found Diane and Candy and asked what I could do. Diane started me off by un-wrapping the candles and setting them on plates. They were a big mess but successful in getting it done. By that time she said I needed to go place the order for sandwiches from Jason’s Deli before it got too late. So not more than 15 minutes on the ground and I was headed to Jason’s on Bay Area to get lunch. I arrived and ordered a couple of sandwich trays and he said it would
be about an hour, so I headed back to League City. As I arrived back I saw that the guys had shown up and the girls were on their way. I went to the Bachelor hang out and turned on the 60” big screen to see if the Cowboys were playing yet. They were just finishing up pre-game and it was time to head back to Jason’s and pick up the food. Everything went great food was delivered the girls were getting make-up on and just chillin, the guys were eating and watching the game. It was time for me to head home and get a quick shower and then back in time to walk my “precious” angel down the aisle. My work here was done and I scrambled into the VW and headed back to TC. On my entry into the house I was greeted by the lovely and wonderful Zoo, headed to the shower and was in and out in about 15 minutes. Diane had beaten me home and was just finishing up and ready to head back. I quickly dressed made sure things were in order around the house, locked the door, jumped in the car and headed back! I was just about to the highway when I realized I had forgotten my boots. So I turned around, raced in got my boots and was back on the road.

By this time it was close to three o’clock when the staff at Butler’s would be kicking the guys out of the Bachelor pad. I got there about 5 minutes after 3 and ran in to change into my Tux. Lacy was there taking pictures and helped me finagle the weird buttons, the tie. I finished up combed my hair grabbed my clothes and threw them in the car and was ready to go. I walked over to the Rose Cottage where the girls were just finishing up. Cassie and I started making some string cans for the truck when I realized that I had not charged the camera or the video camera. One thing led to another and it was time to get ready for the grand event. Kimber looked beautiful and the girls did as well. As the last of the guests were seated, we began right on time. I walked Diane down to the arbor, to light her candle and then placed her at her seat. I slowly walked back to the Rose Cottage to get the bride, carefully ascending the stairs as not to trip over my big feet. Once in place at the back of the line, the girls went out one by one until it was time. Kimber had a big surprise for a bride song and I said don’t spoil it I want to be surprised. As we walked out “At Last” started playing and it was very appropriate. As I stood there listening to Grayson talk, I thought about Kimber as she had grown from a child to a beautiful woman. Her day had come and Jeremy was the right guy I knew it in my heart. I lifted her veil, gave her a kiss handed her off to Jeremy and took my seat. The service lasted but a few minutes and it was all over. We took pictures, walked around and greeted the guests, had some great food from Red River Barbecue, danced, laughed and finished up the night blowing bubbles as they departed. As they drove off with cans in tow we all headed in to dismantle the event. With all of us working together we finished in no time, cleaning up all the areas and buttoning everything up. We got in the cars and headed for the house, the end to a great day and grand event.



Well the rest was a flurry we had vehicle problems again, so we drove the VW to Clear Lake and dropped off then headed to Abilene for Thanksgiving. We had a great time helping Cassie, Josh, Candy (Cassie’s mom) move all her furniture into storage. Thanksgiving day Cassie, her mom, and her sister joined the Young’s for lunch, some Uno and of course the Cowboys and Aggies! The trip back Diane and I stopped by San Marcus for a quick trip to the Outlet Mall and picked up some great deals. The rest of the week was getting the rest of the Honey Do’s nothing exciting about honey do lists so I won’t bore you with that, however I will tell you that I completed everyone except for one by the time I had to leave so it can be done, packed and ready to go back to the airport. Saturday was another of those “do you really have to go back” days and yes I told her it was imperative! We got there and I checked in while she parked the car and then I joined her on the roof of the parking garage for a lunch of Taco Bell. Thirty minutes later we were saying good bye at the gate, tears and all and I was on my way back and the snake bit trip wasn’t finished. A couple of days before I left I received a message from Travel that one of my flights had been cancelled and there was a change. When I arrived in Amsterdam I found out that they had changed the flight and no, they didn’t have me on the list. So they worked for what seemed like hours to finally get me and my bags re-routed through Bahrain. To top it all off I had computer problems when I went to check my email and I spent the entire 5 hours trying to diagnose it. At 1:30 Monday morning the adventure was over and I was back in my humble apartment. Sleep came easy but the frustration and experiences lingered for a couple of days. Anyway I am back and safe and working on cleaning up what was and wasn’t done while I was gone. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and I will see you in February.

Journey to Bliss......

Well I should have known that eventually it would be more than an effort to get home, sure enough.....

I left the comforts of the Rezayat compound earlier than expected. I should have known then that the trip would be snake bit. My call out was scheduled for 10:30, I had just gotten out of the shower toweled off and had just put on my jeans. I had been chatting with Diane for a while and told her I had needed to jump in the shower before the car got there. No sooner than i had buttoned and zipped up, and there was a knock at the door. The driver was 30 minutes early, i told him I hadn't expected him he said no problem i will be outside waiting. Well I quickly said bye to Diane and finished getting dressed and was out the door not 15 minutes later. We made a quick stop by the front desk to drop off my key and instructions to let my boss in to retrieve some items left by our new Piping Engineer so he wouldn't have to carry them back when he mobilized.

The trip to the airport was uneventful, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open and eventually faded off. I awoke as we were going through the checkpoint at the airport and couldn't believe it had gone by so quickly. As we pulled up to the terminal, apprehension set in as i loathed the long flight. Well I was really lucky, so I thought, as i walked through the doors the line had already formed for the check in so I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Unfortunately my luck changed when i reached the counter. As the attendant took my passport, he looked at the screen then turned to the supervisor on duty and all i could make out was Houston from his Arabic tongue. The supervisor came over and explained to me that the flight had been delayed until 6:00AM and it was now just 11:00PM. Great now what are my choices. So he explained that I could be moved to the flight at 10:45 once I got into Amsterdam but If I made it for that one I would have probably made it for my 9:30AM flight as well. Oh well I have had issues before i guess I can deal with this also. I grabbed my bags after I checked in and told them i would take my chances once I got to Amsterdam. I breezed through Security in less than 15 minutes and was walking to the gate. Once I got to the gate, I realized that I know had at least 6 hours before the flight was supposed to be here. I found a nice Hard bench and got comfortable for what seemed to be a long wait. Gradually I drifted off only to be awoken by the ring ring of the loud speaker and the announcement of another flight. This monotony continued on and off for about an hour. The next time I woke was about 1:30AM and the supervisor that had been at the check in was now moving amongst the few who had stretched out to invite them to the pavilion for a snack on KLM. So I scrambled up and got my belongings together and trudged towards Gate 20. Once I arrived I selected a delicious Tuna sandwich and a diet 7-up. after a quick couple of bites and a swallow or two of drink and I had collected myself and my things and headed back to the gate.

I finally drifted off to sleep and was awoken around 5:30 by the increase in conversation all around me. When I aroused, stretched and sat up, i was surrounded by hundreds of pilgrims making their way to Mecca. I stumbled getting up and made my way towards the Mens room to splash water and see if I could wake up. I made my way back to my belongings and once I had removed them from the seats i had occupied, the seats were snatched up and I was left standing literally holding the bags. They all just starred at me blankly as I looked at them in unbelief. Well unbeknown to me, the gate had also changed while I was in a slumber. I grabbed my things and headed to the new gate. Thankfully when i got there only a few were still in the queue for the flight. Around 6:00AM KLM landed and was at the gate, 15 minutes later we were boarding. As I sat there looking for an opportunity to steal a row of empty seats so i could lay down, they closed the door and we were taxiing to the runway. About 10 minutes later we were in the air for the 6 hours and 15 minutes. As I calculated I realized not only would I miss my confirmed flight but i would also miss the alternate as well. Oh well I would just deal with it when i get to Amsterdam. I reached into my bag for my Advil PM and realized that it was n the bag I checked. The next best thing was regular Advil so i popped a few and settled in for the flight. Luckily by the time the beverage cart came around, I was ready to sleep and once again was able to close my eyes and fall fast asleep.

One hour to touch down and we were woken with hot steamy towels, and the smell of coffee brewing. That is the hardest part to waking up, trying to keep your eyes open long enough to wake up because you continually want to doze. Once the coffee, tea and juice was served, we had the choice of an Omelet or pancakes. I chose the Omelet and coffee as usual and enjoyed the tasty delights. Also included was a small container of Blueberry Yogurt, and a small dish of fruit. Now it was a matter of getting the dirty dishes cleaned up and prepare the cabin for arrival. 40 minutes later we were making our approach and landed 5 minutes later. The trip to the terminal felt longer than the actual flight, stopping to cross a runway where a flight was landing or taking off, minutes crawled by. Finally at about 10:45 AM we rolled into the gate and departed the plane. First thing was head towards the KLM lounge to see if i could get another flight. Since the last leg of the flight was Continental, they made me walk out to the terminal where Continental was located. Sure enough when I got there they had a flight available about 2 and a half hours later at 1:30 which would put me into Houston approximately at 5:30PM. I confirmed my flight and got on the phone with Diane. She was half asleep so it took a couple of times to get her to understand. Once she had repeated it I was sure she had it down and told her to go back to sleep.

I headed back to the KLM lounge so i could get a glass of Grapefruit juice and a cup of coffee. As I sat there sipping my coffee, I realized that I still had about an hour before i had to be at the gate, so I finished up and headed to the Hotel Mercure for a quick shower. This is well worth the $20 as I could get clean and feel a little more refreshed before getting on the last leg of 8 hours. 30 minutes later I was refreshed and heading back to the Continental terminal. I got in line for the short security briefing, only in Amsterdam, and once through the x-ray I was ready to get on the plane. Well they were still in holding so i stood close to the gate and waited for the call. While I was standing there, I saw what looked to be Shawn Horan walking towards me. I said Shawn, he said Stan, I never know who I am going to see when i am traveling, I just laughed. I relayed my nights events and he just grinned and said yep International travel so much fun. We talked until they called Business and First, he had the luck of flying in Business, I was stuck in the back of the plane with the chickens and the goats. Anyway it wasn't long and they were calling for Priority passengers thankful I was amongst them. I found my seat and settled in for a long 8 hours of movies and music.

The flight was uneventful and I dozed more than usual but I survived the flight and we touched down 30 minutes early. Diane had just gotten in the terminal and Josh and Cassie were looking for a parking spot. We were going to eat after I got my bags so she called them and told them to go find a place to eat and we would meet them. The luggage came quickly and I was out and smiling at my lovely bride about 15 minutes later. We hugged and kissed and headed for the elevator. The rest of the story is pretty boring so i won't bore you with it, we made it to dinner at Chuy's which was pretty good and an uneventful drive home. We made it home before 9 and I was in bed by 10:30 ready for a good nights sleep.

That's about it for now, needless to say I was in for a treat with the upcoming week in preparation of Kimber's wedding. That in itself is another story........

Just another day....

Well it has been a few weeks so I will try and give you an update, probably boring to most, but just the same.

Well it has been a very interesting few weeks things have heated up at the site since we last spoke. We have installed a lot of steel and believe it or not (one of the boring parts) we actually got a piece of pie in a rack and the General contractor cracked a coconut. What you say a coconut? Yes that is correct it seems to be an Indian (India) tradition that once a milestone is reached, they crack a coconut to celebrate. I was not present for this festive tradition but from what I can understand is that they crack it open somehow against one of the beams, the concrete wherever. Also the Client Sabic has a contest ongoing for all the companies working on site, see just how safe they can be. There is a long list of things that you are graded on every month. This includes, tying off with a safety harness when you are more that 6 feet above ground, housekeeping which is keeping your areas clean of clutter and all your materials in neat order, no accidents or near misses, well you get the idea. Anyway KBR has won the coveted Green Flag award three times and we were issued the ever coveted Gold Flag this week. A celebration of raising the flag was performed, again which I didn't get to attend, but was said to be an awesome site. The safety manager was ecstatic and was proud of his safety team and all KBR'ers.

Ok so enough of that boring stuff. My job has been quite stressful for the last few weeks. A Saudi contractor is building a 2-story building down at the Superintendent area at the end of our plot we are building. It is very involved and the contractor made excuses for nearly three months when he was supposed to be on site. Finally they started the job and he is running a 24 hour shift and expects to have it finished around the 27th of November. Well all along I have been waiting for someone to tell me what the I.T. plan looked like and I never got it. Now they are saying I.T. is going to hold them up so guess what, yep you probably guessed I have been running crazy trying to get designs, configurations, material, etc. In the past three days I have been to the building 6 times taking measurements, laying out the plan on the floor and surfing the Internet looking for part numbers etc. Meanwhile my support group out of Dubai has been anything but helpful and has basically said you are on your own, good luck. Hmmm support group what does that mean again, S U P P O R T? Needless to say it has been fast and furious. I have been working long hours, trying to get at least 7 hours sleep a night and in between trying to eat healthy. The later is a joke because there isn't much that’s healthy here so I have just been doing portion control.

So only 9 days left and I will be on that lovely LONG flight back to the US to attend Kimberly's wedding. I think I have some part in it but I am not real sure what it is (grin). Not looking forward to the long wait in the airport in Dammam and the long line to get your passport stamped. Last trip, I might have mentioned this sorry if I did, I waited an hour and a half with 10 people in front of me. Wow if you’re Saudi then you just wave at your bud stamping the passports and he moves you to the front of the line. Hmmm maybe if I could make friends with one of them that would work for me too.......Naaaa. So while you lovely people will be sleeping on the 17th I will be flying to Amsterdam, then to Houston. At least I should be in at a decent hour and knock on wood no IKE's looming in the Gulf! It really is an imposition to fly from here because you basically have to get to the airport about three hours before your flight, sit in a very large room and wait for them to open your flight to check in, then the passport line, then another long wait in the terminal and finally you get to board the plane at 12:00AM if your plane is on time. Too much fun let me tell you because in Saudi there is NOTHING to do but sit and look out the window. Most of the time there is no one going out the same time so you don't even have anyone to talk to.

Ok well I think I have bored you enough this time around, I will try and give you some more juicy details when I get a breather from the 2-story. Oh did I mention that I have three other projects waiting for me to basically do the same thing when I get back? No probably not, but I do. Two Fiber cable pulls, termination and testing, a new building we are taking over so we will have to test all over a 100 "unmarked" cables to see where they go, and on, and on. Plus the fact that we still have a very slow satellite network at the warehouse which we commissioned over three weeks ago and it is still unstable. And of course I have the Fab Shop in Dammam that we still have to get up and working before I leave so cram all that into 9 days and what do you get?

Ok that’s it I won't go on anymore, promise! Hope every one is doing good and staying healthy, we'll see you in a couple of weeks.

Just Another Week

Well it has been a few weeks so here is what has been happening. Nothing........
Yep you guessed it there really haven’t been any highlights to share or excitement here in the Kingdom. It is the normal everyday run of the mill. We did hire a new I.T. guy he is a local and he seems to know quite a bit but we are teaching him some things. The Saudi’s tend to embellish their Resume's just a tad if you catch my drift.

Looking forward to getting to come home in November for Kimberly's wedding and enjoy Thanksgiving with the family. We are planning a trip to Abilene and Cassie's mom, sister and aunt were invited as Lee will be away. We are hoping they will accept so we can experience our first family Thanksgiving together, well not all of the family but close. Right now our plans are to do all the cooking so Grammy can relax. Josh of course will cook his delicious Turkey and Diane, Cassie and I will make all the side dishes. As usual I am sure Grammy will make some of her wonderful pies, Mincemeat, Buttermilk, Rhubarb, and of course everyone's favorite Pecan. If Diane is sweet to her she might even make a Cheese Cake (Jeremy you will have to fight her for it).

I guess I can tell you that “my” work has increased quite a bit. We have made some small successes but not a lot. When I first got here I was asked to get communications to the warehouse and Fab Shop which are off site. The warehouse is down the road about 8 kilometers which is about 5 miles, and the Fab Shop is about 72 kilometers or 45 miles. There are no utilities so we have to survive on generator power and cell phones. With this kind of configuration the guys who really take care of checking everything in, log what is missing, check quantities, etc had to sit in our office here because that is where the network is located. The idea was to have them on their own Satellites so they could tie back into our network and access their data. Well after three and a half months we finally got the warehouse up and running. We went back and forth on design and other and I stopped a big expensive no-no from happening. What could have been a disaster turned out ok with just a few problems. The Fab Shop is coming along and we should (cross your fingers and say a prayer) have it up and running before I leave the 17th.

I also was tasked with identifying every single cell phone we have ever bought and issued. We had gone back to our client to get more phones because we had run out. They are paying the bills so we had to get their approval first before we could order them. Well let me tell you, I opened a big can of worms and am paying for it. Now I didn't do this on purpose I was just merely ordering more phones. I took over the phones after I got here and setup my system that I used in Kuwait and Iraq which worked great. I had no clue that what was ordered and issued before hand, was not signed for so no one knew who had what unless it just happened to be in their phone. So I set out to correct it and let me tell you........

Anyway we are accomplishing and moving forward daily with small baby steps. By the time we finish the project we should have issued approximately three or four hundred computers and probably close to 150 cell phones. Doesn't sound like a lot but let me tell you, in the Kingdom and this project that is a lot. Hope everyone is doing great and looking forward to the holidays, I still can’t believe it is almost here already. I will be spending Christmas in Saudi this year so you can all just send me my presents ahead of time so I will have them for Thanksgiving (grin)! Anyway keep us in your prayers and especially Diane and Kimberly as they make the final preparations for the wedding. It has been fun I can tell you because I get coming and going. Stay safe and don’t let the goblins in the end of the month, oh and tell Kimber Happy Birthday when you see her, she turns the big 20 this year. Love to all…….

About time....

Well I guess it is about time I gave you another update. It has been a month or so and I have not been very faithful but I will try to do better......promise.

My first rotation couldn't have come at a worst time, the day after Ike hit I flew from Dammam to Amsterdam and then re-routed through Dallas. After a short layover in Dallas and a quick trip to Love Field, Josh and Diane met me at Intercontinental airport. I retrieved my bags and my lovely wife gave me a nice welcome home kiss and hug, we were loaded into Josh's truck headed to find some food. Luckily for me, the Saltgrass on 59 North was open and serving a full menu. We had a nice quick meal and then headed to Josh's apartment where Diane, Kimberly, nine dogs, and one cat took up residency during the storm.

News, news, and more news as I caught up on the happenings around Houston and the Galveston area. Unbelievable the destruction that storm did, taking out the Historic Balinese Room and other eating establishments along the seawall. As I sat and watch Channel 2 news I was amazed at what I was seeing as Frank Billingsley gave us tours from air, car and on foot. After a very restful sleep on my air mattress, and taking all the dogs for their morning walk,we all showered and got dressed. We loaded up the car with supplies and food to endure a day in the sun in TC. Josh and Diane had gone there on Sunday to check out any damage and fortunately we were spared. In all I think Texas City was probably spared the most thanks to our 22 foot levee system that surrounds the city. The storm water pumps did what they were designed to do and Moses Lake gate held back the storm surge. Eye witness encounters during the storm, have the water lapping over the gate and levee's but no flooding occurred. So off we went with no problems in traveling the short 45 minutes. Many billboards were blown down, massive amounts of glass rained down on Houston's downtown, and the number of trees, power lines, phone and cable lines could be seen hanging in threads was astronomical.

When we arrived the power was still off and I assessed the damage myself. Both fridge's were definitely going to need to be cleaned out but not bad, the freezer was in the worst shape as it was completely thawed and had begun to smell just a little. Lost a lot of limbs on the Arizona Ash in the back yard and the big Pecan tree, could see shingles missing here and there and part of the fence down between us and the Horan's. All in all not a lot but plenty to clean up. We donned our mosquito spray, gloves, safety glasses and old tennis shoes and started to work. Kimberly and a few of her church friends had started clearing some of the tree debris on Monday and had quite a bit already on the curb. I fired up the chainsaw and started whittling away at the pile of branches. As I cut Diane, Josh and Kimberly dragged it to the front yard making the stack grow by the minute. It took about an hour and a half to cut through the piles of Ash and Pecan but when I got finished I had a nice pile of firewood that needed to be cut in smaller pieces.

Kimberly and I took a break to go deliver some items and check on some friends houses as well as pick up some lunch at Wendy's. We checked out Mom and Pop's house, the church, Griff Temple's moms house, Sue and Ed's house and then the Texas City Dike. It was an unbelievable site, nothing was there but pier posts and power line poles leaned over. What was once a hot spot of bait camps, and some small restaurants, a lighted fishing pier at the very end was now gone completely washed or blown away. As we stood there and looked at the solitude I was in fear of what laid ahead for Texas City to rebuild or not. As many others were also there to see what was left, we each took our turn to turn around and head away from the destruction.

The rest of the day Kimberly and I began digging up the fence post that was broken during the storm. We replaced and poured concrete in that one and went to the other side of the yard and dug two more for new posts. The rest of the day was making lists for Lowe's of items that were required for the continuing clean up, fence materials, cleaning supplies, etc. After reviewing what we had accomplished that day, we were all exhausted and headed back to Josh's apartment. The welcome of the dogs was heard way before Josh stuck his key in the door, as they were ready to be let out for their well needed walk. On our way home we had stopped and picked up some Chinese so we had a quick dinner and then hit the showers. It felt good to get all of the grunge off our bodies and climb into a nice comfortable bed. Sleep came quickly as we lay there watching more news about the storm and the aftermath.

On Wednesday we loaded up all the dogs and headed for Texas City. Today they would all be bathed and groomed. Stephanie our groomer was back in operation and was willing to help us with the cause. Normally the dogs get groomed once a month with exception of a couple, but all were at least going for a bath and they needed them. After dropping them off, we headed back to the house and then to Lowe's. We stood in line for about 30 minutes as they were only letting about 5 people at a time go in. Once we got in, we got the much needed supplies, which included an Ike Extension ladder, an Ike Dewalt circular saw, and an Ike Power Tree Trimmer. We loaded up the truck with everything and headed back to the house to begin another days workload.

After putting together the new wood pile holder, Kimberly and I began putting fence together. It went pretty smooth and we were just adding the last new fence boards when Carl showed up with his crew. Carl is an interesting fella, he had four, well three men and a boy and wanted to know if I wanted the trees topped in the back yard. I told him that Diane had wanted someone to top them and he gave me a price. We discussed it and he said they would get started. Well let me tell you they were cutting branches left and right, cutting up pieces for Diane's new wood stack and then hauling the rest to the street. He also gave me a price on replacing shingles and I said he could do that the next day. All in all I came out ahead as my deductible was around $3200 and there was no way that we had that much damage. Kimberly was a great help and as we were starting to work on the fence on the other side of the yard, the power came back on. Unbelievable that it had only been off 5 days and we were back in business, the rest of Houston and surrounding area was still in the dark, thanks Texas New Mexico!

Well to make a long story short, we left Josh's apartment the next morning after Diane had woken up with the dogs thinking it was around 6 and it was really around 3:30. We all loaded up the vehicles thanked Josh for his hospitality (since we were being evicted by his apartment management anyway) and headed back to TC. We cleaned as much up as possible and then we had company for a week. Anne and Allan Brasier, Christopher's in-laws moved in with Tucker their dog and two cats. Kimberly and I helped them clean up their mess in Galveston as they got nearly 12 feet of water in their house which annihilated the bottom floor including Anne's car. After cleaning up as much debris as possible, we installed new Sheetrock, hung a new front door and two interior doors so the house could be secure. After a week they moved back in with gas and water but no electricity. Their power is now on and they are getting back to some sense of normalcy. We enjoyed being able to get to know them and Kimberly and I had a great time working with them to restore their lives. Galveston is just unbelievable, the destruction is nothing like what they showed on TV it is much worse. The debris on every street corner, the destruction of the Strand and its shops, and the brown vegetation and the smell will not be forgotten for a very long time.

Now I am back in Saudi doing my day to day necessities and planning for the long awaited marriage of my lovely daughter in November. It is said that it will be the event of the season as Candy Temple, well known designer and extraordinaire is helping her with getting all the pretties made and ready. Hope everyone else survived the storm as well as we did and that it is the last for a very long time. Take care to all and I hope to see you around or at the big event!

Whats been going on

Well hello to all it has been awhile since I posted so I thought I would try and catch you up. The project is moving right along, we are behind schedule but with all the issues we have had to deal with it is amazing that we are this far along. Anyway enough about the project.

Well as you well know by now I didn't make it back home to see Josh graduate. I had a long father son talk and he assured me that he was grown up and it was ok he understood that things happen out of our control. He had a great day and really a great weekend. First he walked and got his Diploma, congratulations Josh for earning your degree in Construction Science I am very proud of you! Next it was also his birthday that weekend so while Cassie's parents were up they celebrated with Josh and the rest.

Now for the big surprise! For months Josh and Diane have been growing a pleather of plants, some of which are Cassie's favorites and some she wants in her future wedding with Joshua Stanley Young (giggle) that's another story. So on Saturday while Cassie was out shopping with her folks, Josh, Diane, Kimberly, Lacy (the photographer), and Cassie's sister Melinda and Cassie's best friend, were on the campus of Texas A&M, Whoop, decorating the Century Tree. It went off without a hitch, Cassie had no idea what lay in store for her when her and Josh went to the campus to take some pictures for her graduation announcement. After scrimping and saving for months, and finally coercing her to take a few pictures by someones decorated area, Josh proposed to Cassie under the Century Tree. I will now have a fantastic new daughter in-law to go with my other fantastic daughter in-law in Cincinnati and of course my favorite daughter ;). Check out the continuing wedding plans being made and their Blogs at http://joshandcassie.com/.



















Well I have been here now going on two months. I have endured well considering the long days and long nights. I get to come home two weeks early leaving this Monday early morning because I will be coming back for Kimberly's wedding in November. We have been able to take a couple of trips over to Bahrain and check it out, it is about an hour and a half there but getting there is another story in itself. The customs lines in and out are a nightmare and the first time we went it took us nearly 3 hours just to get across the causeway which is only about 8 miles. Below are a couple of photos from my hotel room.


This is the bay looking out my window towards the North West. The hotel is one that has been re-done in the past two years and it is called The Pars International. It is relatively nice but very loud in the evening so it was a little difficult to get some sleep do to all of the partying that goes on in the two night clubs located a couple of floors below me. Bahrain has been tagged a smaller version of Dubai, which has been extremely westernized. The Muslim faith is still practiced but not in the extreme way that it is in other parts of the Middle East and Southeastern Asia area.





This is the same view at night which you can see it is sill hazy. This is the way it is nearly everyday sometimes even thicker. We survive since most of the time we are in a car or in side the office building which keeps us out of the elements. What I didn't get a picture of was the Grand Mosque which from the outside is a really awe in itself. The grounds are immaculate and the building looks like it is maintained quite well. I will try and get pictures of it next time we decide to take a trip that way.






Of course right now we are in the middle of Ramadan which is the month long holiday. Things change around here and sometimes it is hard to get things you need because the stores are closed. During the day it doesn't seem to be a big problem however in the evening which is the only time we get to shop, the stores are closed. They usually close around 4 to 5 and then open back up and stay open to wee early in the morning. If you don't know much about this holiday, you should really go on Wikipedia and read up on it. http://wikipedia.com/.

Last week I made a trip to Dubai to meet with our KBR staff in the Service Delivery Center there. It was a very productive week and we will see if it actually changes anything. We have been experiencing a lot of Network issues that are beyond my control, so I was making my case for some help and only time will tell now.

This was the first time I had flown out of Bahrain so that was an interesting trip. It seems that even when you fly in the Middle East you must show up to the airport at least and hour and a half before your flight. Unfortunately the trip was quick with no lines at the border so I arrived
4 hours early. Needless to say I sat for what seemed like a lifetime. When the gate finally opened up there was more to see and do once through security. I walked around for quite awhile browsing through the local culture and keepsakes finding none that tickled my fancy. Bored I went to the gate and sat down to log in and check mail. Still time crawled by, the flight was late and I just endured as required. We finally boarded the plane about 30 minutes late and before we knew it we were in the air. The flight was less than an hour so service was quick, in a box snack and then we were on the ground again. If you have never been overseas you can't understand what a nightmare of lines you must endure to get through customs. This time my time in line was somewhat shorter and i was at baggage withing about 30 minutes. They appeared to have issues with the baggage track so we waited nearly an hour for our bags. When they did come out, they were being pushed on airport push carts stacked haphazardly. at least it was over and chalk up another stamp in the old Passport.


I know that all of you are more than likely on the road as I type this, making your escape from the danger from Ike. I hope that each of you were safe in your travels and your houses are ok. I will see as many as I can while I am home, if I have a home to go back to.