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.