A Long Day Out

Good morning, Bahrain!

Good morning, Bahrain!

I woke up late, ate too much breakfast, and was determined to get out of the house today. I went by the front desk to ask for two receipts – one for Caleb, and one for me, and their system was down so I was told they would be sent to my room. I headed out towards Busaiteen and once there turned around to have a look at Bahrain’s largest nursery. They have trees, flowers, goats, emus, etc. I found a few plants that I wouldn’t mind looking at for the next 22 months and then headed to Lulu’s so I could sneak a sip of water.

bread, fruit, cheese, cereal, juice

bread, fruit, cheese, cereal, juice

beans, sausage, hash-browns, boiled eggs

beans, sausage, hash-browns, boiled eggs

I was going to look for a bathing suit, but didn’t even make it to the top floor. I found another bottle of scented body oil, some cotton balls, strawberry scented nail polish remover, and a new Lindt bar flavour – toffee and hazelnuts. Then I went to base to get some lunch. I found 4 oz of cut veggies in a cup with 1 oz ranch dip and refilled the little cup once. I went to the NEX to look around and got pink and blue nail polish and some strawberry crème protein powder.

this is how they sweep, mop, squeegee, and buff the floors every morning

this is how they sweep, mop, squeegee, and buff the floors every morning

I was looking for the pink shaker bottle and the place started to get crowded. Two amphibious ships pulled in today and one can carry more than 800 personnel. I checked GNC and no luck there, I went back to the NEX and a manager told me to check the bottom shelf. I looked, and there it was. I ran into HT1 Allnutt, Christie and her three kids (and got invited to Angel’s birthday party), and into Yanell with Lucas, and met her husband, the XO of the Gladiator. It’s 5pm when Caleb finally texts me – latest day yet.

the hidden green of the desert

the hidden green of the desert

rock blooms

rock blooms

a sprouting rock

a sprouting rock

I waited in the roundabout for Caleb. We got home to walk and feed dogs and Caleb suggest we go to the Mantraa restaurant that serves pani puri – a special treat at Dad’s, but a popular street snack in India. I was in total agreement. We park across the street from the Olive Hotel where it’s located, but it’s closed for Ramadan, so we go across the lobby to Vesuvio Tavern where pizza is advertised just to find that section closed.

this isn't for delaying smells and isn't included on the list of porno mags and fuzzy cuffs

this isn’t for delaying smells… 

but this tray is!

but this tray is!

We sit down and order bruschetta, lemon with our water (thinking it’s going to not be bottled), veggie biryani, and fungus noodles. Some guys walked in with the same hopes as us – eating pizza, but left loudly. I saw a guy eating some gelatinous dark ball and was interested enough to ask the server what it was. I tried asking for the dessert menu, but he suggested the cheesecake, so I got that with a grape on top. The biryani came with yogurt sauce and luckily they put it in a bag or it would have been in the backseat.

so you can repair socks, abayas, sails, couches, mattresses, carpets, etc.

so you can repair socks, abayas, sails, couches, mattresses, carpets, etc.

The night guard recognised our car as we pulled up and helped us park and then opened my door. He is so nice. I took the dogs for a walk while Caleb went for a run. He takes a shower while waiting for a YouTube video to load. We will watch that before going to bed.

bruschetta style

bruschetta, Vesuvio Tavern style

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Tired Morning

or… A Day Without Photographic Proof

I felt so tired, and utterly exhausted, driving Caleb to work, to toil his life away, this morning. My alarm went screaming and screeching off the nightstand at 5:15, but I was back in bed and under the covers of cotton and comfort by 6 am before the sun had a chance to burn the earth. Lucky me, I woke at 7:45 so that I could have steaming hot coffee with a small plate of fresh and juicy pineapple and watermelon. I would add a little muffin and a mango yogurt to my breakfast menu and sit down to chomp on all that healthy goodness while watching other families and groups eat too.

I grabbed the dog’s leashes when I got back to the room and strapped up my four-legged companions for a heated walk across the parking lot to the grass and trees on the other side that provide some reprieve in the shade. I published another post on here about something that I don’t remember now, made some random comments on Facebook to people who remain friends to me online, and tried to text Caleb to find out if he had melted on the boat yet. With no evidence that he has service on his cell phone, I will leave him a message via Facebook to ensure one gets delivered. 

Lunchtime, anywhere between 10 am and 2 pm, came for another day because the sun had not yet exploded and was still letting the Earth revolve around it. I chose this time to have some soft creamy Brie cheese, one of the few items in the tiny refrigerator, and crumbly oat-ey hobnobs to smoosh the dairy treat onto and shove into my mouth. That snack didn’t last long in my digestive system and caused my brain to tell me to eat an early dinner at the ridiculous time of 3 pm. For this meal, I chose the mighty Ramen noodles, the champion of foods for college-age students.

I decided to pour cream of asparagus soup all over the enriched wheat flour strings in my bowl to add needed nutrients, mostly fat soluble vitamins and fiber. I sat down on the couch to watch a movie with Tom Cruise as a Navy lawyer defending two marines following orders from their superiors, even if they knew they were breaking the law. Perhaps this makes me feel better about the life choices that I’ve made, but they were always in my best interest (or so my teenage brain thinks — even if I’m not in that age group anymore), even at the risk of hurting someone’s feelings.

At exactly seven o’clock, I had a peeled kiwi with the help of a spife (a plastic spoon and knife combo) and some random colored jelly beans. I walked the two dogs, Sparky and Piggy, to a nearby roundabout at half-past eight at night. I had fun watching the shiny fish make different shapes in the canal while the dogs just stared at the commotion in the water. I saw nicely decorated verandas for night-time use and some large boats that can only be used during the day. I stared at the glorious white moon reflecting on the smooth ocean and heard some loud kids near the wooden dock and short gazebos. 

I will return us to our air-conditioned domain and away from views and people’s offspring for some room temperature water, sweaty clothes removal for me, and lying on cold marble ice-cube like floors for all. Once our bodies are acclimated to the indoor environment again we can move about freely to brush our teeth, lick our butts (dogs only), and jump onto furniture that ensures contentment for the whole body throughout the night’s slumber at the Dragon Hotel & Resort in Amwaj Island, Kingdom of Bahrain.

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Driving Tired

Brain Pickings dot org

Brain Pickings dot org

Caleb’s alarm went off at 4:30 this morning. I was able to go back to sleep for at least 20 minutes while he shaved and such and still get him to work by 5:30. He started reading a book this morning on How to Get Over Jealousy (of your wife and her education and good looks). I could tell him the answer. Go back to school, read more, stop drinking and watching TV, and go to the gym. I need to tell myself these things too, so I don’t have to hate who I think I’m becoming – a sheep instead of the shepherd.

snippet of Efficiently Destructive by Doctor Quack on WordPress

snippet of Efficiently Destructive by Doctor Quack on WordPress

I went back to bed and cuddled with Sparky. It was so great, but I also fell back asleep and didn’t wake until 9:45, making me lose valuable hours of my day, miss the free breakfast, and feel like crap for driving to base this morning and not going to the gym. I still need to ask about the one across the street so that I can work out on weekend mornings after dropping Caleb off while the gym on base is still closed.

part of an article from Business In Gulf magazine

part of an article from Business In Gulf magazine

I had shawarma for breakfast. The pineapple was good but soggy, and the chocolate was too sweet to finish. I had veggie shawarma for lunch. I published a post and then worked out until Caleb texted me. I picked him up after 4pm. We had Ramen and potato soup for dinner. I worked on my blog while he played on his phone. He went for a run after 8:30 and got back in time to walk the dogs with me. He showers and we go to bed after 10:30.

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Whatever Works In the Moment

buying the beer

buying the beer

I got to stay up late and read last night knowing I could sleep in this morning. I still set my alarm, but that was quickly silenced and I went back to bed until my secondary alarm, Sparky, started going off – and this one doesn’t shut up so easily. I got up to walk him and could’ve turned around quickly, but walked him to the end, got back to the room, and took him out again with Piggy who woke up alone. It’s good for them to get exercise in the shade of a 97 degree morning with a breeze that makes it feel like 85.

Caleb texted me at 8am. I picked him up, we got invited to hang out with Coleman, and went home to feed the dogs. We went to the gym for an hour and treated ourselves to smoothies – pineapple, kiwi, mango, green apple – that the guards let us take slurping out of the gate. Caleb didn’t realize anything until the guy at the Almoayyed Plaza desk was like, “WTF?!” but in Arabic. I’m surprised we forgot, but am glad we didn’t get in trouble.

drinking the beer

drinking the beer

We got to John’s place at 10am with a sixer of Shock Top wheat that I had three of. We walked on base at 2pm to get more beer, booze, and chip dip from the NEX. Then we went to the liquor store and bought a sixer of Benediktiner that I had 2 of. Caleb bought a $196 bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue. Back in the room I sipped on some Redbreast – it smelled terrible but went down smooth.

We hung out until 6pm when we needed to go home and walk and feed the dogs again. We went back for dinner. Caleb ordered BD40 of shawarma from Bayti that came with fries and the chocolate ones came with fried pineapple (that I shoved in John’s face) and then ate the rest in that dish. We hung out around the pool until 9:40 when Caleb started getting tired. We took home plenty of leftovers. I had fun hanging out with the guys. We’re home at 10:15pm.

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It’s Closed Right Now

sign leaving base

sign leaving base

I feel late taking Caleb to work at 5:30. I drop him off at the dirt lot and drive on base for the first time. I park, walk over to the heavy doors (heavier than all the others) of the Freedom Souq, and notice the dark room with the sign out front. The gym doesn’t open at 5am on weekends – which Friday is here. It opens at 10am and I’m more than four hours early. On my way back to the highway I see Caleb getting on the van that will take him to work. At least he will be on time today.

Piggy's beautiful eyes

Piggy’s beautiful eyes

I have Cheerios instead of going out for breakfast. This allows me to get more blogging done, even though the walk to the dining room and back would only take me about 15 minutes. Piggy proceeds to regurgitate the broccoli and nuts I gave them yesterday. It seems I’m not the only one who thought the mayonnaise was bad. I’m just bummed I tried it after they had some. Eating breakfast seemed to help settle her stomach, but Sparky didn’t feel like chewing on kibble.

restaurant review for Bayti

restaurant review for Bayti 

I walked them at 1pm, asked the front desk about Gerge’an (kid’s celebration of Ramadan) and they had no clue, and made butternut squash raviolis with pasta sauce. Finished another post and took a shower. I should be getting out more often and reading more, anything but sitting and wasting hours on the internet (looking up restaurants, books, and clothes) between bouts of productivity on my blog. I read 32 pages before going to sleep.

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