The Mosque,UAE Days, a camel and Shesha

One of the Grand Mosque minarets.

14 man oar racing boat - all wood down to the blades lashed to the oar. very cool for old boat enthusiasts - I asked the guy working on one next to it and this one is 60 years old. Remember this country is only 38 years old.

Many of the Emirati's decorate their cars for UAE Nationality Days (like our July 4) This is just one of the many examples you see running around. They spend a small fortune on it too.

Yes that's me on a camel . You should of heard the groaning - not the camel - Me - definitely not a comfortable ride!

Had to try the Shesha - it wasn't bad - but I won't be making a habit of it for sure.

Hi All,

Saturday 12 Dec. 2009

Army /Navy game today. - guess who I'm rooting for?

Well as you can see by the pictures I've been having some new experiences. I was on holiday from our Thanksgiving day until Dec. 6. The 10 days off were great. It was Eid and UAE Nationality days. I took Suzanna's mother (from Finland) to the Grand Mosque which is a place I will go many a time as it's so beautiful. Then out to the Fish Market where we saw the racing row boat. Talked to a couple of the young bucks who were on the team and the were describing how to paddle the oars. They had races later the next day as just one of the celebrations for UAE days. There was a huge fireworks display down on the Corniche but I avoided the MASS traffic headache, I could hear and see the fireworks from the villa - which is about 20km from the Corniche.

Yesterday I was an honorary Aussie again when I joined Ross (same guy for Aussie Football) and his family for a Desert Safari. His wife Lisa and two kids, Roxanne and Richard have been here for just 3 days - they are still in head-on-a-swivel mode and jet lagged as well.

We took buses out into the desert and then a 4 wheel drive SUV out into the sand - damn Emirati driver had the SUV tilting so much on the dunes I was sure he would be tipping it- of course they do this purposely. We arrive at the camp, camel rides, dune tobogganing, ATV rentals , then inside the camp for free henna for the ladies, shesha, BBQ, music and a belly dancer - then at the end - Santa came with gifts for the kids (put on by the Aussie group - so they had this all arranged - Santa arrived on a Dune Buggy.) - It was a BYOB affair but there was plenty free wine/beer left over from an earlier event. It was really enjoyable.

It was an overcast day/evening so the temps were cool and it even spit a few drops of rain. This morning it has rained hard several times so I took my car out and let the rain wash off all the dust. Sun is out now but I see more dark ominous clouds on the horizon.

No swimming since Thursday as the heater in the pool has broken and it is TOO nippy unless your into self abuse.

On Thursday I attended a party with about 20 people at Liz and Graham's house. Some I knew and others met for the first time. Had a ball and didn't get back home until 1:30a. ouch

Well hopefully I will be able to watch the Army/Navy game today - I'm checking out live streaming as well. Unfortunately for me it starts at 11p my time - and tomorrow is a work day !

I will have to see how it goes.

Well that's all for now.

Go Navy Beat Army

Love to all

Scott

Post Thanskgiving and Pic's of Burj Arab

The Burj Arab probably one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. It is a 7 star hotel. We will go there next time Christine comes over.

A little closer view.

Yes that is a helicopter pad on the left. ( looks like the Jetson's doesn't it? ) On the right is the cocktail lounge. On the far side of the tower is the Jumariah Palms - the man made island to resemble a palm tree. It's a gated community so no sightseeing permitted. ( plus how would you know it was a palm unless you were in a plane)

Welcome to my villa - come on in, the dirt floor is fine ! Actually this is at the Heritage Village which shows the history of the UAE and this is a "typical" house 50 years ago. Yes only 50 years. Behind Christine ( who is taking the picture are examples of the Bedouin tents) Note the skyscrapers in the background.

What Knockers ! Why Thank You Herr Doktor ! ( If you haven't watched Young Frankenstein you wouldn't get this joke)

Hi all,
Sunday 29 Nov 2009
Well Thanksgiving is over and for me it was a non-event. Without all the media hype and consumer frenzy, you wouldn't have know it was "that" time of year. Plus when it's mid 80's and I'm swimming in an outdoor pool every morning, any thoughts of harvest time and frost on the pumpkin are far removed from my daily thoughts.
I have been on vacation since Thanksgiving Day as that was the start of Eid (there are two Eids per year- This is the "fun" one as described by a local) and on Dec 2 and 3 celebrates the UAE's 38th anniversary as a nation (our July 4). Well his Royal Highness decreed that the 3 days between Eid and UAE Nationality Days would be a national holiday as well - So who am I to complain about 10 days paid time off ? Mama didn't raise no fool !

I must tell you however that I had my tickets selected and the cursor on the accept payment - but then I came to my senses and canceled the flight back to the US. Figured 3 of the days would have been in transit and the money spent would be better spent when Alex comes a month from now doing fun things with him.
Well I had a first today, a fellow swimmer, Sid, is the general manager of the new Holiday Inn in Abu Dhabi, well stop thinking about the Holiday Inn's in the USA, the international ones are MUCH nicer. - REPEAT MUCH NICER. well the hotels' restaurant was having a soft opening and Sid invited me to dinner. Unfortunately I was alone but greatly enjoyed my meal of Cucumber gazpacho, Seafood Salad ,Veal Osso Bucco, Teramizu and 2 glasses of a fine Cab Sav and my meal was complete. - and all for no cost at all ! I was stunned. It was explained to me that all the people here that evening were guests of the management and we were there to critique and enjoy. My only critique - was that they should have charged me.

I did however take care of my server- Riosol - from Mexico. (Yes I know) The restaurant - The Lemon Tree - is Mediterranean themed and from what I had the food was excellent, on time, and for a guy like me - right portioned as well. Yeah for soft openings !
When Christine was here we went to the Dragon Mall ( I'd say at least 1000 importers - and yes 99% of them Chinese) There we bought some track lighting for my dinning area and I am installing it today.
Stopped across the street to see Suzanna after my swim this morning and invited them Suzanna and her mother Layla ( Chris is in London on business) to dinner - well I'll make dinner and take it there as it's much easier for me to make it here and take it there versus them having to pack up Taavi and bring him and all the baby stuff here. I'm making eggplant parmigiana, lemon basil carrots and a salad. Plus I'll take over a cheese plate for after dinner with a tawny Port. YUM
Tomorrow Dec. 1 is Alex's birthday - he will be 23. Wow where has the time gone.

Hanie is bringing their bird over for me to watch as they are going to Malaysia for a 5 day vacation so I'll have a feathered friend to care for. I think that is what so cool about this area- so many destinations are close at hand. Europe, Asia, Africa and India. such a dilemma on where to go - I know - HOME.

Well that's all for now.
Love to all,
Scott

Fujairah

Standing on the Beach at Fajairah and looking back toward the Hajar Mountains

Looking out from our veranda toward the pools.

These goats came right up beside the car - probably looking for food. Littering is prevalent in the Emirates (much to our consternation) so suppose these animals are just trying to survive. Note the lost horn on white goat - tough life in the desert.

This camel walked into the road in front of the car and casually strolled along side us for a bit.

Looking up our street in the morning. Scott was just leaving for work and we were both taken at how beautiful the moon appeared. Note how narrow the street is and people just park any where, so you serpentine your way thru the maze.


Fajairah was actually a part of Sharjah until 1952, making it the youngest of the seven emirates. It is the only emirate located entirely on the east coast. There is a modern port for containerized shipping, as well as, the tourism aspect of this area. The Hajar Mountains literally fall into the Indian Ocean! There is about 1/2 mile of land from base of the mountain to beaches; beautiful resort compounds are literally rising from this small strip of land. Our 4th floor hotel veranda had a gorgeous view of the compound and the beaches. We enjoyed sitting outside and watching the birds (green parakeets & parrots) fly right by and stop at our roof line. The apple core, purposely left on the table, was gone but the seeds by the next morning.

We really enjoyed the poolside lounging and swim-up bar. Once again people very friendly. Spoke with a Russian gentleman, whose family was visiting for 2 weeks - just to soak up some sun. He told us that St. Petersburg is already snow covered! The Hermitage and a trip to St. Petersburg in now on "places we would like to visit" list while Scott lives overseas; this list just gets longer and longer.

Scott & I made it down to the beach on Sunday morning in time to watch the sun rise; absolutely gorgeous! Scott then did his laps in the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Oman), while I enjoyed walking the beach and shell seeking. Found a cowrie, a limpet and coral to add to my collection - unfortunately no sea glass. Also, unfortunately, I am no Cecil B. Demille. Translation: I screwed up the pictures from this part of the day. (Technologically impaired for certain)

After our breakfast and morning lounge by the pool, we prepared for our 4-hour drive back to Abu Dhabi. More animals in the middle of the road and if you hit them you are at fault. You have to reimburse the owner of said animal. Still preferred the austere beauty of the sand dunes (you can rent dune buggies) and watching camels to driving on the 8-lane highways back to Abu Dhabi. We came home rested, relaxed and planning more adventures in eastern areas of UAE.

That's it for now, love to all, Christine and Scott

Al Ain and Jebal Hafeet

The Fort in Al Ain

A "Typical" Palace at the base of Jebal Hafeet

A view from higher up the mountain.

About half way up.

Christine and I at the hotel's restaurant with nothing but Al Ain at our feet from Jebal Hafeet.

This photo looks like an ad for Ozzie Ltd - note the Kameleon ring and sunglasses. Interchangeable centers: perfect for traveling. Have been asked numerous times about the necklace - engraved on one side with our names and anniversary date, other side our sons names and their birth dates. When people ask what "my" store sells, I just start at the top and work my way down to switchflops. So, should I start the Abu Dhabi Ozzie Ltd franchise?

Okay, back to our travels. Al Ain is the home of first president of UAE and so gets preferential treatment: yes, that is exactly what you are thinking.... money pours into the city for improvements and tourist attractions. However, Al Ain is an oasis and has much to offer on its own. There are historical forts and museums and so much that is way older than most of us are used to. Scott and I will certainly return to Al Ain over the next few years of Scott's time here.

Al Ain is one of the places Scott plans to take Alex over the Christmas break from USNA - possibly one of Alex's last holidays before his graduation in May of 2010. As a History major (and Arabic minor) at school, we know that Alex will find this ancient area of the world so very interesting - as do we.

More pictures and more details of our time together to follow, Love , Christine and Scott

Coming up for air !

Hi from the pool in Al Ain

Morning coffee at the pool bar in Al Ain

One headed- two body - Ibex

Christine, Giraffe and look closely an Ostrich

Great Horns

Hi All,

Thursday, 12 Nov. 2009

Christine is still sleeping as it's 4:30am. I'm taking today off to extend my last weekend with her as she flies out early Sunday morning. We are going to drive up to Dubai today go to a few malls and then over to see the famous sail shaped building.

Christine's visit has been wonderful and allowed me to see more of this country, which is far more diverse than I had originally thought.

Let's begin at the beginning.

Hello from Abu Dhabi; Christine at the controls now and I'll give you my impressions of my visit and especially our holiday in the desert.

I arrived on a Thursday evening to wine & cheese in our villa and a very happy husband. We spent the next few days poolside, marketing and generally getting me accustomed once again to the diverse culture and crazy drivers in Abu Dhabi. Rest was exactly what I needed and Scott gave that to me aplenty, along with wonderful meals... Grilled Salmon a' la Gene, Chicken Marsala, Shrimp (the size of your thumb) Cocktail, Seafood Pasta, Lamb Burgers with "Rosenfeld Sauce" and much more (salmon, too!) Realize that is a lot of food description, but the foodies reading this will enjoy just thinking about Scott's wonderful skills in the kitchen. Once again, my job was clean up and cheerfully done.

Scott took off two days so we could enjoy a lovely 4-day holiday in the desert last weekend. We did a 2+ hour drive to Al Ain (said Elaine) and went right to the zoo. We have always enjoyed zoos and search time out when we travel. (Oddly enough, we have never gone to the Louisville Zoo). Al Ain was a smaller zoo with the vast majority of animals being from arid climates of Africa, Indian and of course, Arabian peninsula. So many types of gazelles and deer, not to mention rodents (gerbils and such) interesting snakes/reptiles. Birds flying around free and another separate exhibit of penguins. As we stood by the penguin tank, one swam right up beside the glass and we sort of "played" a back and forth game with the inquisitive fellow. Scott also did this in the reptile house with an iguana that was frilling out his neck and displaying his dominance. That was a sight to see!

We met 2 American men who were representative of the San Diego Zoo. We visited that zoo in 2004 and so discussed how much we liked it and they told us of the improvements The CEO & Director of the Al Ain Zoo was with them; it turns out the 2 zoos have an "arrangement" - how interesting. The director (a Brit) took over this zoo in the past year and admitted he had alot of work to do and urged us to come back next year.

We found our way to the Intercontinental Hotel (5 Star) just down the road in Al Ain proper and were thrilled with the beautiful accommodations. Changed into swim attire and cover ups (you had to walk thru the main lobby to get to the pool areas). Off to the pool and the "swim up" bar - not making this up. Spent time there that day and the next, which probably isn't much of a surprise to any of you reading this... Dinner was light and then off to bed. Next day up and read by the lap pool while Scott did his daily workout - he started talking the guy in next lane. This guy was from California and was a swimmer in HS and still plays water polo in Dubai - Scott said his "style" was good and that he was blowing Scott out of the water. Not that I noticed... really, girls I was too busy reading.

Our drive up to Jebel Hafeet for lunch was spectacular! Switch backs all the way up the mountain and you can see a very long distance from the top, back to Al Ain & into Oman. It was austerely beautiful and awe inspiring. The rock formations are dry & powdery from baking in the sun and being sandblasted by the wind. Beautiful hotel, where we savored a delicious buffet, fabulous desserts and just sitting together in such a beautiful setting. Took pictures on way back (passed a huge cement plant) and then on to the pool for relaxation and a cocktail at that wonderful swim-up bar. ( I say this about the cement plant as this is the way you are given directions here - it's not to so-and-so street, it's go to the cement factory and go around the roundabout and then straight till the lantern roundabout. - Very confusing for us street/address people.

Scott started talking to some women (imagine that - at the swim up bar)and it turns out one of them was from NY (an immigration attorney). Her husband, also from NY, is in construction in UAE. No big surprise - the entire country is literally under construction with cranes, bulldozers, cement trucks and various earth moving equipment both in the cities, along the roads and in the desert). Scott knew someone in this fellow's company and they got a laugh out of that. Apparently this company will be working on the new Mafraq Hospital - due to start construction right next door to current facility. Three young men (pilots for Etihad) - 2 from England and other New Zealand were talking to us. (People here are very friendly and will strike up a conversation quite easily - maybe because all ex pats are a wee bit homesick) ( or maybe she's a hot babe in a reveling swimsuit) Connection here as well, because a fellow at Mafraq Hospital is friends with one of the pilots. Told Scott I felt like singing "It's a small world after all."( I'd have had to have drowned her if she did)

The following day we were up early and out. A four hour drive to Fajarah thru the desert awaited us: we got lost and ran out of road (seriously, the road just stopped!), asked for directions several times, made numerous wrong turns and had camels and goats in our driving lane. (we ended up going down a dirt path - yes a dirt path - I was following someone else and we ended up back where we got lost doing a complete circle) It was an adventure and we were both happy to arrive at the Beach Rotana just north of Fajarah. (that last sentence is married speak for "we were both on each other's last nerve and needed to get out of the car and away from each other for a few minutes") Another 5 star hotel - Scott did a great job picking our accommodations! We swam in the Indian Ocean and then found the swim-up bar. Sat on a stool in the water and had a Stella Atois while Scott enjoyed Foster's. Dinner that night was at the 22-story Meridian hotel next door - wonderful Thai. Scott asked for hot sauce and wow, did he pay! Next morning we were down at the beach to watch the sunrise (gorgeous). Scott did laps in the ocean as it was nice and calm and I picked up some shells and coral. Breakfast was included in the stay and then back out at the pool until 11:00 when we had to prepare to leave. It was lovely and we plan to go back to Fajarah. ( a side note, Fajarah is on the mountainous east coast and the hotel is tucked between the mountains and the coast with less than a 1/2 mile between ocean and mountain- excellent views.

Recall I mentioned going thru Oman; however, Scott found out the roads aren't as good (you mean worse that just ending in the middle of the desert?). So, he decided to just stay in UAE, which was an adventure in itself. On ride back to Abu Dhabi we had experiences ranging from donkeys just walking into the middle of 4-lane highways to 8-lanes (each direction) as we skirted Dubai. Drivers are notoriously bad here and there is so much traffic that being alone in the desert isn't bad experience.

I continue to see and enjoy getting to know Liz, the gal from Scotland; she has taken me shopping several times. Saves Scott from having to go to the market and I get to have girl time during the day. Spent a few hours yesterday helping the couple across the street; they have 5-week old baby and lots of visitors (so I helped with a bit of bed changing and got to hold Taavi as my reward).

More later

Love Scott and Christine

This building has been under construction since I have been here and it's been fun to watch as it appears to be on the verge of falling over. I believe it will be a hotel as it is right next to ADNEC - or Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center - in essence - the convention center. I turned around and took the next picture - the US Embassy.

Shaped like a ship (you have to see from other side) and the sides are sloped inwards. I was told the minimal glass and sloping sides are purposely built to minimize any Oklahoma City type bombings. Regardless it is a cool looking building. It is against the law to take pictures of the building from the street it is actually located on so this long shot from the"back side" will have to sufice. I have yet to visit it- and yes I have registered with the embassy - I did it online when I got here.

Well how about that I duplicated the picture

This is my neighbor Chris with his 10 day old son Taavi. Chris is from London and his wife Suzanna is from Finland- hence the name. Taavi Benjamin Peters ,born 3 Oct. 2009.

Tavvi is pronounced just like the mongoose - Riki Tiki Taavi

Here I am holding this cute little boy for the first time. Check out my hand and his leg- he's got some grow'n to do!

Hi All,

Friday 23 Oct 2009

Christine is 6 days away from departure for a few weeks visit with me. I am counting the days and could probally convert that to hours if you really want to know !

I have surprises in store for her - so since I know she will read this before she departs, it will heighten the suspense. You will have to find out as well - after the fact.

The weather here is absolutely beautiful. Gone are those days of 120 deg. temps. We are now having daily highs of mid 90's and lows in the mid 70's. humidity is still high at 80% but oh my it's comfortable.

Been swimming almost daily with almost 3 weeks without missing a day. Work is still work but things are starting to come together - comapred to where they were - but we still have a huge amount of work to accomplish.

My most pressing task right now is getting the villa cleaned up for Christines arrival - not that I've let it go and it a wreck - but I swear that dust bunny in the corner is starting to smile at me.

Hope you enjoy the pics and please do let me hear from you . It is a long way from normalacy here.

Love Scott

The AFL - No not That AFL the Other AFL

At the Britush Club - poolside and feeling no pain

A Giant Rat - oh it's a Joey

8am and champagne - oh what a day

The Venue

With Meat Pies

Hi All,

Saturday, 3 Oct. 2009
( my friends Chris and Susanna had their baby boy - Taavi - last night - saw Chris this morning - he's bouncing around )
The Australian Football League That AFL

Last weekend my pal Ross invited me to join him at The British Club otherwise know as "The Club" to watch the Grand Final of the AFL. The Geelong Cats and St. Kilda Saints played a extremely close match with the Geelong Cats winning in the last 5 minutes 80 to 68.

Some of you may have seen this game on an obscure TV station at 2a when you couldn't sleep. You would recognize it by the large oval field , the two tall w/ two shorter goal posts at both ends of the oval. The players use a ball like an over inflated football and must either run, or hand pass - hand pass is when the ball is bumped from underneath to their fellow player or kick the ball to their team mate. - There are 18 player per side. You can liken the game to the American playground game of - "Kill the Guy with the Ball". There is no padding and it's brutal. Scores are made when the ball is kicked thru the goals - 6 points between the tall and 1 point between the short goals.

Ross and I took a taxi into town as we knew we wouldn't be in any shape to drive back and arrived about 730a. The game didn't start until 9a local time- something like 3p in Australia. Along with the ticket came a breakfast buffet where they had pork bacon. Remember this is a private club which caters to the Brits/Aussies and their ilk. Along with the bacon, meat pies, baked beans ( very traditional English breakfast item) eggs/fruit/ pancakes etc. and naturally, a cash bar.

Well Ross and I got some food and since he was my host, I offered to buy the first round - well he said he was interested in some champagne - OK - well I think he thought he could buy a glass of champagne where it was only available by the bottle. Regardless, I splurged and wiped out having to reimburse him for the entry ticket. So there we are drinking champagne at 8a and getting "ready" for the match. After the champagne, we moved to beer. I was drinking Stella Atois out of big Stella logo glasses and Ross was into the Heineken.

The game is four 25 minute quarters - plenty of drinking time. Well after the game and the Cup presentation , we hung around talking to our table mates and I learned that one of the couples was in the process of moving to Sas Al Nakal - our villa compound. Since they were breaking down the room for another party, we had to leave. Instead of going home to sleep off our morning, which would have been the right thing to do, we moved over to the pool area and hooked up with a Brit who is working for the Abu Dhabi police - retired after 32 years with Scotland Yard - and was acting in a consultancy roll for them. We talked for almost 2 hours - of course enjoying more beer. Well as the day progressed , Ross who is 1/2 my size was getting sloshed and I wasn't feeling any pain either. We darnk a little more at another bar and at the end I was guiding Ross down the road to the gate house where we picked up a taxi for home. I saw Ross a few days later and he told me it took him 3 days to get back into a normal mode. I wasn't the sharpest tack the next day but managed to function well. All in all we had a wonderful day, was lots of fun and I'd do it again - but with less beer for Ross.
Ross did take a few photos and when I get them, I'll put them up.
If you ever do see this crazy game on TV do give it a watch as it is awfully exciting.

Cheers Mate

Scott

What a Trip - Part 4

The Mayor of White Cloud

Christine ready for our date at "The Boat" Isn't she stunning?

Sam and his niece.

Future Heart Breaker

Another Chosen Family pose.

Hi All,
Tuesday 29 Sept. 2009

(One year ago today I lost my job at Floyd Memorial)

Let's see I left off ending Monday, Labor Day, with a wonderful meal at "The Boat"
Thanks again Linda.

Next morning Christine heads off to work and I had a full day planned. I had lost my goggles about a month earlier forgetting them at the pool so I was using a pair that are meant for indoor or night swimming. The brilliance of sun when swimming backstroke makes swimming painful and closing the eyes and swimming is not recommended so I went in search of my preferred brand. ( TYR Socket Rockets) - well Dicks Sporting Goods didn't have them so it was necessary to drive over to the far side of Louisville to a dedicated swim shop. I stopped at Bed Bath and Beyond and bought Christine a new coffee maker as ours had developed a hole in the water heating element. I also stopped at Lowe's Hardware and picked up a new flagpole. Ours had broken about a year ago and although repaired, had a bend in it where it was just a matter of time before it snapped again. I came back home and then cut the grass, installed the new flag pole and got the coffee maker on the counter so Christine could open her new appliance. I then got cleaned up and headed over to Louisville where I stopped and saw Vickie as I was to drop off some pictures of Rick that would be used for the collage at the funeral home. Julie was there also so after we chatted, I took Julie to her house as I was headed that way. From there it was to the swim shop where I got the goggles and was out the door in 5 minutes. I had arranged to meet Kevin at a new Beer pub in town that he had told me had 1000 beers. I was intrigued. I called him as I was leaving the swim shop and we arrived within 15 min. of one another. We sampled 3 or was it 4 beers and enjoyed catching up with one another. Kevin also made good on his promise to burn me some CD's of his play lists. Well let me tell you , they are a god send here in the UAE where quality music is as rare as a freshwater pond. And like a pond , the music is an oasis for me. - Thanks Again Kevin.
Now I may be confusing my days here as this may have been Wednesday's itinerary. But never the less , all these things did occur.
I was also able to cut down a tree for Christine and haul it into the woods and dig out the ash heap of burn pile and dispose of it also. The recyclables got taken to the recycle center - and Geez we drank a lot of beer. The back of Wes's pick up was LOADED with the separated glass. - The smell of stale beer permeated the truck bed and then - as per on cue, down my leg as I was emptying one of the containers in to the bin. - El Stinko .
I also visited RichO's - my most favorite beer pub and quaffed down some quality beer. I met my close friends from Floyd Memorial there on Thursday evening along with Christine and sister Ann and enjoyed getting caught up on all the Floyd news. Was great seeing them all. Christine and I also went to the Bank Street Brewery and had an excellently prepared meal. The Bank Street is the new brewery for RichO's and the menu is completely different than RichO's.
With Rick's passing we visited the funeral home on Thursday ( before RichO's) and said our final goodbyes to a dear friend and then on Friday attended the funeral and burial. Beautiful day and the graveside Flag Ceremony carried out by the Marine Corp Honor Guard had me and everyone else in tears. Truly a touching sight to see a huge Gunny Sargent get down on one knee and present the flag in the name of the President of the United States to Cathy.

Unfortunately Christine could not attend the grave site services as she left after the church service to collect Wes for their trip to PA for a wedding. Needless to say our parting moments were not as they should have been. Following the grave site service Tom took me to his house where he changed then took me to the airport so I could start my long journey back to the UAE. The return trip was uneventful - except that if you go through Heathrow in London - try not to - it's MASSIVE and it takes literally an HOUR + or more just to navigate between terminals and security checkpoints etc. It's insane. Luckily I had plenty of lay over time that I was able to enjoy a few more of the excellent British beers. S(so what if it was 8am.) I wasn't alone in the bar - in fact there was a line to get in! I got back to Abu Dhabi and since I had only carry on , I quickly exited the terminal after going thru customs and was home by 8:30p local time. I was up in plenty of time to get to work the next day and at about noon - I hit the wall. Struggled thru till the 2p quiting time ( Ramadan hours still in effect) and went home to crash. Took me a few days to get straighten out . BUT I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Well that ends the "What a Trip" series . Hope you enjoyed my ramblings. Next post I'll talk about my most recent weekend and my experience with the AFL.

Love to all,
Scott

What A Trip - Part 3

Christine and Ann making plans for who knows what.

Dave entertaining us on Sunday as we dodged the raindrops.

Jim - one half the Stink Eye BBQ team.

Bob - the other half of the team. - house in background is his Dad's which was flooded out last year- water was up to the bottom of the swing. House is completey gutted and has new plumbing, wiring, new windows and lots more work to go.

Drew - The Louisville Chicken King and one heck of a good friend.

Hi All,
Wed. 23 Sept. 2009

If you are reading this first, stop now and go to Part 1 and read forward.

Let's see, I left off with surprising Rick and Cathy. Well by this time, the beer tasting needed to get into full swing as there were many people hovering around the sampling tent waiting for the starting gun to go off. Our method of testing is to have 36 different beers iced up and ready to go and to just forge ahead - we tried to do sampling of styles of beer at one time but frankly it became unmanageable and as the sampling went on, the ability to focus became harder and harder.

I pull a bottle from the rack, announce it's name and style then the pouring begins. Everyone has a mini beer glass into which I pour a small sample of the beer - from there it is tasted and then we try to critique the beer , likes/dislikes, would I drink it again and where can I get a whole bottle of this liquid gold? Alas some beers are tasted and spat out. (some deservedly so) some just because the style is not to the persons' liking.
Well after about 18 beers , the tasting is in full frenzy and the head is feeling it - so I handed off the duties to Tim and took a breather - I can tell you that this was the last time I visited the sampling tent as I just got caught up with visiting everyone.
One of my visits was over to the Stink Eye BBQ tent.
Yes we have a team of professional BBQ'ers who make the pilgrimage each year from Indianapolis. Bob's parents owned the house two doors down from Ann and Dave and he is in the slow process of rebuilding after last years flood. Bob and Jim come down, this year with 2 smokers and cooked pork shoulders on day 1 then beef briskets on day 2. Bob and Jim also bottle and sell their BBQ sauce. (I took home a case) it's delicious and the meat was cooked to perfection falling off the bone and melting in your mouth.
We also have Louisville's Chicken King - Drew Patterson there with the Broaster Chicken trailer. Drew keeps the best fried chicken flowing to the food tent along with potato wedges and every ones favorite - deep fried mushrooms. - You MUST be there when they come out or they are gone in seconds. So with all this wonderful meat and the plethora of dishes brought by those in attendance, we feast, and eat and consume until we can't eat any more. We then loosen our belts and squeeze in just a few more treats from the desert tent. Needless to say, if you left hungry it was your own fault.
I must not forget to mention that while all this is happening we are being infused with wonderful live music. Ann and Dave's next door neighbor, Gary, a musician in his own right, invites his friends and all other comers to a massive day long jam session on his front porch. He has it wired for sound and the music is enjoyed through out the Beer Fest site without becoming over bearing. Sitting and listening to them play is so relaxing and many a sing-a-long's occur through out the day.
Well as you may have guessed, This is a marvelous day where the food and beer is good and plentiful. As the sun starts to dip over the horizon, Ann lit all the strategically placed candles and Tiki lamps giving the party a wonderful glow. I on the other hand was glowing as well. The beer started to catch up with me and I had a hard time navigating - OK I was stumbling - but with direction. Hours passed and I found myself sitting in the drivers seat of our van with Christine saying to me she'd been looking for me for 45 minutes. I was in no shape to drive - didn't even consider it - (OK I passed out - I admit it - I'm a lightweight) Christine maneuvers me over to the passenger seat and the next thing I know I'm in our bedroom being told to go to sleep. (no problem there)
Amazingly, the next morning comes with me feeling pretty good with only a very slight hangover. I'm not sure about the rest of the people who slept at our house that evening but I was in good shape. (now the real story is that I woke at 5a still feeling quite drunk, made coffee, went back to bed and didn't crawl out until 11a feeling so much better) As the guests awoke Christine had coffee ready and everyone gathered on the front porch to take in the morning and prepare for day 2 of the Beer Fest.
Day 2 is always low key with only about 20 people in attendance max. We get more of a chance to visit with each other and to sample more beers. All told there were 125 different beers registered this year and even a few home brews on top of that. Unfortunately Sunday's weather was in and out of clouds all day with a few intermittent showers thrown it. This however did not deter the proceedings and Day 2 was enjoyed as well. I was careful to not consume as heavily and made it through the day without stumbling. HAHA

Next morning , we got Alex and Michael out the door at 5a on their way back to Annapolis, my Dad left at about 7a for Pittsburgh and Ann was gone by 9a returning to Indianapolis.
That night it rained hard and a few of the tents met their demise when too much water accumulated in the top.

As is tradition, Christine and I help break down the Beer Fest - returning all the chairs, tables and tents to their respective storage areas. Since we are strong proponents of recycling, Christine separates out all the beer bottles by color and gets them ready to be taken to the recycling center. Trash is picked and in general everything is put away until next year. We would have had more help but we got a wake up call at 5:30a that morning that Rick had passed away so Ann along with Drew and Vicky had gone to be with Cathy. We understood completely. So with Sam and Dave's help, we got the area squared away in about 4 hours.
That evening, Christine and I met Linda at the Horseshoe Casino ( formally known as Ceasers and called "The Boat" for short) for a wonderful meal at Jack Binons Steakhouse - their #1 restaurant. Linda always treats us so well and we certainly enjoy using her comps.
We had met early for dinner and were home in good time to relax and for me an early bed time as I was running on empty after a hard weekend.

I'm coming into the home stretch of my visit and for all this time, Christine didn't have to work. But she was scheduled for the next three days. Linda offered to give her some time off, but I insisted that she work as I had some running around to do and plenty of chores to accomplish while home and I referred to do these by myself. With that, I will end Part 3 and post some more pictures. Part 4 is yet to come so be watching for it.
Love Scott

What a Trip - Part 2

Our front porch and morning coffee haven- Relaxation Central

The Chosen Family

My wonderful son Wes. He makes me awfully proud to be his father.

My younger son Alex and his friend Mike Brown - Both Naval Academy "Firsties" or seniors graduating in May 2010.

Me - obviously enjoying myself at the beer tasting tent

Hi All,

3p Thursday 17 September 2009

If you have not read part one - stop now and go to it below then come back to this post.

I left off that I had surprised Ann and Dave. That was my arrival night, Thursday 3 Sept. Naturally I was exhausted from the long flight and I had barely closed my eyes - in my own bed- when I was fast asleep. Christine had Friday off so we took our good time getting up and had coffee on the front porch. My it was wonderful and soooooo relaxing. GG our dog was right at my feet and had actually jumped up on the bed that morning and kissed me awake - she was just as happy to have me home as I was to be home. Christine and I enjoyed our coffee and made up out to-do list for the day which included helping Dave and Ann get the final touches of the beer Fest set up. Chairs/tables out and washed, food prep along with last minute beer buying etc.

We got cleaned up and went down to Ozzie's where Christine works and surprised Linda. For weeks Christine had been fretting over where everyone would be sleeping in the house. We ended up with 3 less than she thought in the end - but she had been complaining to Linda about where she'd put everybody. She walks in ahead of me and starts to complain about another person needs a place to sleep and where was she going to put him - Well Linda goes into comfort mode and Poor Christine blah blah. I slip around the door asking "Where was I going to sleep?" Well she SCREAMED when she saw me so much she even scared Christine and the other employee. It was a joyous occasion. (I must be able to make woman scream - is that a good or bad thing? ) ( I guess it would be better if they were screaming out my name during you know what HAHAHA)

Well we visit for a while but it was off to do our chores. We then headed down to Ann and Dave's and put in a long day getting the Fest ready. Poor Dave worked with a bum knee and was limping around all day - I could empathise with him like no one else could. We left there mid afternoon and returned home to clean up and get ready for the rest of the day. During this time, Christine had been keeping tabs of Alex's trip back from Annapolis with his friend Mike Brown as they were coming for Beer Fest as well. We knew he was due in around midnight. For the life of me , I don't remember where or what or if we ate that evening for dinner - but I do know we returned to Ann and Dave's with more beer and we started the Beer Fest a day early with some marvelous selections of craft beers. We got home later that evening and the jet lag was kicking in so I went to bed.

At midnight - almost on the dot, Alex and Mike arrived. Christine gets out of bed and greets them. Christine tells Alex she needs him in the bedroom and just as he enters the room , she flips on the light - now he sees a figure stirring under the sheets and I rise up and throw the cover back saying Hi Son ! Alex Screams - Clasps his head with both hands in wonderment and then literally leaps on top of me yelling Dad ! Dad ! He gave me some huge hugs and kisses and is just incredulous that I had returned. He was so surprised and happy. Poor Mike is standing there not knowing how to act. It was a wonderful moment and I can still see it.

The next morning is Beer Fest Day with last minute cooking to accomplish. My sister Ann and Dad are to arrive about noon. They get there in separate cars as Dad was coming from Chicago and then going to Pittsburgh after the party. Christine gets Ann to the bedroom and I'm hiding in the bathroom - She tells Ann to go turn on the light and she'd be right in . Well Ann turns the corner and ( yes you guessed it ) she screams too then hops up and down just screaming like her name was just called on "The Price is Right" and she got to "Come On Down."

Well Dad being hard of hearing - doesn't hear the commotion at all. He's in the living room talking to Christine, Alex and Mike. Ann joins them and I slide up and just stand beside him and with my hand on his shoulder. He casually looks at me then realizes what he is seeing - OO OO OO - was all he could say - we embrace and it was great to have my Dad back home. SO now everyone is properly surprised and we get our last minute stuff together and head on down to the Beer Fest to surprise the rest of the Chosen Family. I say Chosen Family as it is a saying that Drew coined - we are born into families and we have no choice on who they are -but we choose our friends and they are our Chosen Family. Well put Drew.

Well the same routine is hide in the van - get them distracted with other things and I slide up to surprise. They got Drew and Vickie cornered and engaged in a conversation and I came from around the food tent and Dad told me Vickie said - " Am I seeing a ghost? " well of course she wasn't and she leaps into my arms while Drew is just standing there and laughing on how they got fooled. Our friend Gary was inside cutting potatoes for the fryer and Sam set him up. I came in and Gary just dang near killed me with his bear hugs and smiles. We had a good time just laughing and it was off to get a beer in to my hands and to watch for the arrival of other Chosen Family members.

I was helping Tim - our conspiracy theory friend from Tennessee set up the Beer Tasting station when we decided it was time to take a break and go for a walk to the Point. This is where the original road between Louisville and St. Louis passes over the now demolished Blue River bridge.( this is such an old road that the next location on the road is know as Stage Stop - so you can figure how old this road actually is) On the way back, We learn that Tom and Julie had arrived and Christine was escorting Julie out to the Point to find the rest of the crew. Well I hid behind Tim and she sees everyone then says - "Who's That" I step out from behind Tim saying "Who Do You Think It Is" and her reactions was " Noooo Noooo" she just couldn't believe it. Everyone kept telling me that they enjoyed being in on the secret and then watching for the reactions of those being surprised. Well we move off to find Tom and he's over by the beer tasting tent and I sneak up on him. He looks at me and then looks twice and then embraces me as well. He doesn't give a big whoop or much reaction - just OK Scott's here so we can get the party started and where's the beer ! My Kind of Guy. Beer first.

The next of the Chosen Family to arrive is Kevin and Lisa. I'm hiding in the food tent and Lisa is on her way to it with a big tray in her hands - I tell Alex to go rescue the tray before it lands on the ground and he takes it from her and walks into the tent with it. She follows to help get it out of the container. Alex sets it down and slides back, I slide in and I say let me help you - she's still looking down and she says- No that's OK , I repeat my offer and she looks up at me and literally looses it. Screams, hugs and kisses flowed. She screaming -Oh My God, Oh My God (OK getting close to women screaming out my name - Note to self - change name from Scott to God) Kevin of course has been clued in by now so his surprise was not the same. As I leave Lisa to see Kevin, Lisa says Kevin will probably think I saw a snake or something. The first words out of Kevin's mouth were "I thought she saw a snake"- Too Funny.

Well the last people to be surprised are Rick and Cathy. Unfortunately this is not a happy moment for anyone as Rick had just learned 3 weeks earlier that he was in stage 4 of pancreatic cancer. His health was deteriorating rapidly and we all knew this would be Rick's last Beer Fest. Rick and Cathy had just returned from a wonderful vacation in Mexico when it became obvious something was wrong. They were to be married the following weekend after Beer Fest but he passed away early Monday morning. We buried Rick on Friday Sept 11. I was honored to have helped carry his casket to the grave site. For those who don't know Rick, he was a Marine, a hard driving, cigarette smok'n, guitar playing, crusty voiced singing, Harley riding, Corvette car hauler and one of the nicest guys you could imagine. He didn't deserve this - who does, but at 57, it comes as a hard blow to us all. We miss him and ache for his presence among us.

Well before I get to choked up,

Rick and Cathy arrive and I'm stunned to see the change in him as is everyone else. We greet and he's surprised and very much pleased that I came back. Cathy is a walking zombie and she's just as fragile as Rick. However, Rick had a good day and we all posed for the Chosen Family picture which I have posted.

I will end here for this post but there is more to come. Later my friends

Love Scott