Been a while

 Still in the Falls of Ocala. Not a fan of back stabbing neighbors, but it's the way of the world theses days. People do not have the courage or skills to talk directly to you about anything.

We are in a position where if we didn't own our home outright and we had any debt whatsoever, we couldn't afford to live here. It's a little spooky.

Otherwise things are good.

TL

Retired Life (Florida Style) Update

 Have now been living in Florida for four and half years. In light of the pandemic and all the politics that occurred with that, Florida was the best place to live through it.

We have a great home, live in a great area, our daughter, her husband and their two awesome daughters live minutes away. We are active and involved in their lives but not to the point of distraction, annoyance, or tedium. We love being grandparents. The girls are as different as night and day and we have learned so much in how to handle each one as individuals. 

Happy...

Laid off, looking for work...

Laid off by McNeilus November 3rd, 2016. Not a fan of HR and the process. Degrading.

On the horizon?

Could Abu Dhabi be in my future?
Time will tell...

Back to a routine...

I am nothing if not a creature of habit. I like predictability. Steady job, known commute, family life, etc... I thrive in knowing the score. New house in Dodge Center, new job for me and Leslie, kids are good... More to come.

I am still here...

Have all but abandoned the blog... well, just a quick post to update. Been home for about 8 months now and have finally settled in. Moved on from my last career path and after a couple months working at a seed plant, I will be starting as a part time teller at Wells Fargo. Looking forward to the challenge and all that it brings. This position will keep me sharp. force me to be sociable, allow me the opportunity to advance or not as I choose.

Semi retirement is actually pretty nice once you figure out you can do whatever you want and try whatever you want to try. Nice place to be.

Down on the farm

My two year tour in Saudi Arabia is over. I am back on the farm in Southeast Minnesota and glad to be back. While there are many people I miss, I do not miss living outside the US.

I have been back since February 8th and it seems as if I have been going non stop since. Always something to do, always someone to see and always somewhere to go.

I love it.

It was the coldest and one of the snowiest winters ever... I don't care. It is what it is. I am  playing hockey with our Thursday group and loving it. They graciously took Les and  back after our 2 year absence and it was almost like we never left.

This morning, as I sit at our kitchen table looking out over the snow covered fields and enjoying the company of my wife and our now expectant daughter, I realize I did not over estimate how much I missed being home.

Back to the farm...

I don't think coming home can be considered in any way a "small" life. For me, living abroad and world travel are over rated. I have learned over the course of the last two years that I like America (warts and all) and I like living a rural lifestyle. I have decided I am not much of a world traveler. I don't mind winter all that much. I have already done a handful of chores outdoors since my return home with no problems. You simply have to dress for it... no big deal...

I have met some interesting people over the last couple of years. I will not miss the job, the industry, or working with a foreign military. However, there are numerous people I will truly miss. That has been true of everywhere we have lived and moved away from. It's always about the people.

So the next phase begins. Currently out of work for the first time in my life. A little bit nervous about this... looking for work now... tough market for a guy in his 50s with a lifetime in the high tech industry... we shall see.

More thoughts as time moves on. For now, just getting used to being back in America and living in my own home again.

Almost finished

Just two more days until my contract is complete and we return to Minnesota. Looking forward to seeing family and friends, going to church and working on the farm at my leisure and some serious down time to readjust to life in the States.

Being a world traveler is highly over rated.

Bye for now.

Not many random thoughts

Just a short post to apologize for not posting. I intend to collect my thoughts and get to posting again soon. Just enjoyed three weeks of vacation back home and I was reminded why I want to get back home. With just 6 months left here, time will surely fly by... more later...

(Mis) adventures in Dining (Our Anniversary Getaway)

Thursday, April 18th, was our 33rd anniversary. Leslie and I have seen and done quite a bit and that adventure is only ongoing over here. Nothing like we thought it would be, but ongoing none the less. What an amazing lady I am married to. Still my best friend, still able to make me laugh and occasionally infuriate me, sometimes all in the same day, sometimes in the same sentence! She is still as much a mystery to me now as she was over 33 years ago when we met. (Think 70s fro, man she had a big fro.) When I think I know her, I don't. When I think I have something figured out, it changes. I guess that's one of the many things that makes it all work, that mystery, that sense of adventure we face with each other and with ourselves. Looking forward to 33 more.
But I digress.

Anyway, we originally intended to travel with some other folks to Taif via the escarpment road to see the baboons and cruise through the mountains but discovered on Wednesday that the escarpment road was closed for repairs. I witness the way they handle road repairs here, and I was actually relieved that the road was closed while under repair. So, we bagged the trip and decided to make it a mellow, relaxing day of doing whatever we felt like. Change of plans number one. Our ride had become a walk.

We like to walk around what we call "the square".  It's a walk that starts at the compound to Malek, over to Hira, up to Sultan, over to Batarji and then back toward Malek to the compound. All in all, about a 3 mile trek. Malek is a main North/South highway and serves as a drag strip and wheelie show road for the rich kids on Friday mornings. Crazy stuff. Hira is lined with little local eateries and shops that bulge at the seams with their goods. It's busy, dirty, loud and my favorite street in Jeddah outside of the streets in Al Balad. Sultan has more upscale, Euro and American stores, banks and the like and on the corner of Sultan and Batarji is Iceland, where we play ice hockey. Batarji could best be described as a connector road between Malek and Sultan and it has the usual strip malls, a couple grocery stores and malls and a hospital and not much else. The weather Thursday morning was cool by desert standards, so off we went. Well, we did not make it past the cafeteria on the compound before running into Lue and Kay. Lue had his Expedition for the day and wanted to know if we wanted to do some exploring with them. Change of plans number two. Our walk had become a ride.

We cruised around to a couple different stores and then talked our travel pals into taking a drive down to the Jeddah Fish market near downtown. The market has been there for who knows how long and you see EVERY manner of fish, shrimp, eel and shark. It is where the local grocery stores buy their fish and you see individual fisherman selling fresh fish from baskets right on the floor. Interesting place. Les and I were there about a year ago but Lue and Kay had never seen it before. Something new for them. After a nice visit at the Jeddah Fish Market it was well after lunch time and the mid day prayer, so we decided to hunt for a place to eat. I voted for Yemenese food, Lue and Kay were mostly non-committal and Les voted for Mexican food at an American chain called On the Border. This would be called a dubious decision at best later on.

We had the usual AmeriMex stuff. We all shared some chips and salsa and an appetizer. Lue ordered a sampler, Kay and Les shared a veggie frajita and I ordered a chicken chimichanga. The chimi proved to be a very bad decision.

I will try to walk through this as delicately and tactfully as I can. By early Friday morning I was sick. I mean, VERY sick. Sick to the point where I KNEW something was definitely not right, but I convinced myself that I only had the stomach flu that was going around. So, because I am stupid, I decided to head in to work Saturday anyway. This was in no way a good idea. I managed to eat a tiny bit of food Saturday and thought that I felt better. Nope. Not even close. I thought I was sick Friday morning, but that was only a precursor for Saturday night where I was ludicrously sick. I would not have thought that possible. Saturday night through Sunday morning was a haze. I was dehydrating at an alarming rate, but I really was too sick to notice. I did not even like the taste of water, which did not even matter because even water went through me like a laser beam. I was too sick to care. Sorry, trying to not be too graphic, but it is what it is and you chose to be my friend and subscribe to the blog.

And once again (see comment about being stupid above) I again chose to go to work Sunday. However, before I left the house Leslie made me promise that I would go to the base clinic as soon as I could. She told me later that when I left the house that morning,   she texted my coworker Steve to have him be sure to take me to the clinic. When Leslie worries, you know it's bad. The woman simply does not worry. Well, not about important stuff like that. Cool as ice. But when she does, it must be bad. But I digress. I was still too sick to care and at this point, I sounded like dust and was starting to look like that dude from the Mummy movie that had the life sucked from him. 

So my very thoughtful coworker Steve took me to the base clinic where I saw our ever smiling friend nurse Kareen and Dr. Samir, who looked at me for all of 10 seconds and sent me straight to the ER at GNP Hospital. I vaguely remember Steve dropping me off at the ER door and I of course told him I was fine (I'm an idiot) and promptly staggered into the ER ward where I spent the next few hours on fluids and antibiotics and had a couple of tests. My Russian doctor determined I had a pretty bad case of food poisoning. (ya think?) I was so dehydrated and had so much bacteria in my system that my kidneys were beginning to malfunction and they were worried I was going to have a heart attack. (That sort of got my attention.) Leslie was there by now. I kind of remember texting her my status and her arriving what seemed like minutes later. She was worried, but I was too sick to care. 

That said, after about 5 hours in the ER and a few bags of fluids and antibiotics I was feeling much better ( I cared again) and only then noticed I had been on a gurney that was as soft as 5000 year old granite. My back was really killing me, but at least I was no longer worried about being the wrinkled mummy dude.

They admitted me to the hospital and our anniversary dinner had, two days later, turned into a nice little anniversary get away.  Leslie pointed out on Facebook and I have to agree, we at least had a nice private suite with room service, I certainly had plenty of fluids, though they were served up intravenously and we both got plenty of rest. 


So, after taking in fourteen 500 ml bags of fluids, 8 bottles of antibiotics, multiple tests, an ECG, an EKG and two days in the hospital, I was cut loose with a clean bill of health. (After one more day of rest at the compound, today, Wednesday the 24th.) I am now fully recovered, the hospital staff was thorough and professional and we are taking a little gift to them tomorrow as a small token of our appreciation. Well, at least the nurses on the third floor...

Al this makes me wonder how we could top that for our 34th next year when we will thankfully be back in Minnesota...
A touch of dysentery? Maybe a little plague? How about some Mad Cow? Salmonella perhaps?

Chalk it up as yet another adventure.  (292 days left but who's counting.)

Less than one year remaining...

It has been just over one year since I arrived here in Jeddah. To be honest, it has been enlightening, entertaining, frustrating, terrifying... the whole spectrum of emotions...

But I miss home. I miss my daughter and son-in-law, church family, my friends and my rural lifestyle. I even miss winter. That said, I would not trade this experience for anything and I have no regrets. This job along with all the experience has forced me to live out of my comfort zone, provide me with some perspective and is affording me the chance to actually be a property owner, not just share it with a bank. That was the real goal and for that I am still grateful.

This is a confusing and contradictory place. I have met people who can be so genuinely thoughtful and caring, and then there's that dark and ever present flip side... I have seen and done many things that not many people get the chance to experience. I have learned many things about myself and about others. I still have much to learn.

Sunset on the Red Sea

Work has eased itself into a manageable routine. I am never comfortable, but there is some semblance of routine. That said, I am really looking forward to vacation in July. We leave here around the 23rd and do not have to be back until mid August. I have already advised my employer I will most likely not be renewing come next February, so my job hunt has already begun. I will ramp it up in July and be in full on job hunt mode come October. It takes a year to find a decent job these days, if you are lucky.

We are planning a trip up North in March to Mada'in Saleh.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mada%27in_Saleh).  
Mada'in Saleh has ancient ruins along the lines of Petra in Jordan. We hope to get up  there before it starts getting too hot. Going with a group from the school where Les works and a couple of friends from here on the compound. Should be fun.

Courtesy Wikipedia (hope to have some pics of my own soon)

We are still playing hockey, though more street hockey than ice. We play street every Monday and ice about once a month. I am rehabbing a compressed vertebrae with a bulging disc. No more running outdoors. Too much pounding on the lower back. Hockey, well, I doubt I ever quit that. I have taken a liking to the new arc trainer in the gym. 30 minutes on that and I get a much better workout without the pounding and no back pain. Sucks getting old.

Hanging out with my crew at Movenpick

Still enjoying the myriad of little eateries and local dives. My stomach is holding out for the most part. The bakeries here are amazing.  I have never had so many varieties of bread. We recently found a place that flame roasts chickens on an open flame, then cuts them in half, flattens them out and browns them a little more. You can get half a chicken, a huge bag of basmati rice and I mean HUGE and a Pepsi for about 14 Saudi Riyal (about 5 bucks U.S. I am amazed I have not put on any weight.

We did have a nice Valentine's Day dinner at the Movenpick. It sits right on the Red Sea. Nice place. Had some kind of sampler platter and while I am pretty sure there was lamb involved, I could not really tell you what else was there. The bread as usual was amazing.

Leslie and I hanging out on Valentine's Day at Movenpick

We are going to try out the new beach our company has opened for us. Heading up there Thursday morning with Lou and Kay. Supposed to have 200 meters of beach. Big for here.

Leslie as always is her resilient self. She is still working at the school, learning a lot and helping us reach our goal of  true home ownership. Our adopted cat, Jeddah kitty (JK) is adopting to her life in our home. After around 8 months, she is finally warming up to both of us, but mostly to Leslie. We intend to bring her home to Minnesota with us. We shall see how that works out.

Leslie and Jeddah Kitty

Not much else to report right now. Like I said, life has more or less settled into a nice routine. Of course, you have to always remember where you are here... but by and large, routine rules the day. Time is flying. Looking forward to home, but trying to enjoy my remaining time here...

Laila sa'eda wa ahlaam ladida (Good night and sweet dreams.)
Ma’a salama   (Goodbye.)

Great week with our daughter and her husband...

Leslie and I were very much looking forward to and working toward the visit with our daughter Patricia and her husband Josh. They arrived here in Jeddah late Friday evening, navigated their way through the Jeddah Airport and safely back to our compound.

Leslie and I had numerous things to do mapped out for the week. Nothing too strenuous because, well, lets face it, jet lag really sucks. They both felt the lag pretty hard and Josh unfortunately managed to get sick. He was pretty good the first part of the week, but by Friday afternoon (today) he was pretty much down for the count. He's a tough kid and will bounce right back I am sure.

Where to start with what we did... wow... A thanksgiving welcome feast, a marathon UNO game, an awesome tour of Al Balad (Old Jeddah), the Red Sea Mall complete with Saudi Starbucks, the Mall of Arabia, some career counseling for Josh with Raytheon, a driving tour of Taif, a trip to KAUST, some snorkeling in the Red Sea, the Philipino Souk, the Al Shatea Souk, an introduction to schwarma and Turkish coffee, free coffee night, a couple dinners with friends on the compound, Yemeni food, a couple of strolls along Hira Street and much more...  What a week.

I really hope this was the trip of of a lifetime for them thus far...  Makes me want to go home now, but I know in my heart that the time is not right for either them or us to return to Minnesota early. They are thriving without us, as are we... that does NOT lessen how much we miss them.  

Some pics from the week for your entertainment.

The Welcome Feast

Patty at the Mall of Arabia (love this shot)

 

A Stroll Along the Red Sea

At Red Sea Mall Starbucks

After Snorkeling in the Red Sea

Clowning Around at KAUST

Roaming Old Jeddah (Al Balad)

Some Wildlife at Taif

My Girls in Taif

Heading Back from Taif, North of Jeddah

Note the Cycle Rider Wheelie Left of the Yellow Car

Perspective from Scotland

It has been far too long since I have blogged. Waning interest on my part, routine, fatigue, lethargy, all that... but here I am.
Had the entire month of October off and never before have I had an entire month of vacation. It was busy, it went by fast, but it was great.
Spent three weeks home visiting friends and family, getting things done and not getting things done. Ran a couple of road races, played a little hockey, was able to attend church, and play some music.
We spent the final week of vacation at Pitfour Castle near Perth, Scotland. We drove well over 1800 miles in 6 days. We saw a lot. Scotland is an amazing place and one of my all time favorite places I have seen. That says a lot, because Leslie and I have seen some pretty amazing places in our lifetime.

Pitfour Castle (view from the apartment entrance)

We did a couple of tourist things such as Loch Ness, Uruquhart Castle, the Wallace Monument and even a couple of Scotch Distillery tours. Beautiful locations. We toured ancient churches, villages and towns while driving on the tiny Scottish backroads all the  while learning to drive on the left side... I was at times freaked out by the travel, but with Les' "encouragement" as in, "stop being such a nancy and drive"... we made it anyway...

On the shores of Loch Ness

Two thousand years of history here. Simply amazing. They have hotels 200 years older that America itself...

Uruqhart Castle (Les did some cool things with her camera.)

I enjoyed our breakfasts in tiny villages and roaming the streets in Perth. At times exhausted from travel, but none the less enjoying that amazing country.

Dewars Distillery (This lass has lived within 10 miles of here her whole life.)

Scotland is one of those places I could easily go back to see again. It's not for everyone, but it is for me.

From the top of the Wallace Monument

Les took hundreds of pictures. I had some issues with my DSLR which I did not get resolved until I got back to Jeddah, but it turned out OK. Les did a great job of documenting our trip in photos.

Where my DSLR failed, but look around, who cares?

I could get lost in Scotland. Who knows, maybe someday I will.

My favorite shooting mode (panorama)

More to come.
Again, sorry about not posting in so long. Funny how fast you get into a routine.

Vacation in the States nearly done...

Real mixed emotions here. Last full day in the States before heading to Scotland via London. Had a great time at home and running around visiting family, friends and neighbors. This visit has reinforced my resolve to finish out the contract and get the farm paid for. It will be worth it. The weather here at home has been amazingly warm. Not the usual Minnesota fall weather... No complaints. We even had some rain and clouds and that was even nice to see for a change.
Doing some last minute repairs and prep around the house and then heading out tomorrow evening.
More on Scotland as time allows.

Looking forward to some vacation...

Not much happening that is worthy of report.

We are just about three weeks away from a HUGE vacation. We have pretty much the whole month of October off... cool stuff. Not much of an agenda for the first three weeks. Heading home and prepping the farm for winter. However, that last week we will be staying at the Pitfour Castle in St. Madoes, Scotland near Perth.

Pitfour Castle

 I mean, if you stay in Scotland, why not make it a castle...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitfour_Castle

Seeing Scotland is something I have wanted to do as long as I can remember. Needless to say, I am pretty wired about this trip.

The following link is for 6 Pitfour Castle (apartment 6). We are staying at 4 Pitfour (apartment 4) and they look much the same I am told.

http://www.sixpitfourcastle.com/

The castle will serve as our jumping off point for day trips...
Can not remember the last time I was this fired up about a vacation.

The Main Staircase at Pitfour

Our pics to be posted in November after our return.

Late night in Al Balad

Just a quick post this morning. We went to Al Balad again last night, but we did not leave the compound until 9:30 or so. We went with another couple and met a Saudi man (Fuad) and his family for dinner to break the fast of Ramadan Kareem. What a great time we had and it is really an honor as a Westerner to be invited to break the fast.

We ate outside in the family section of an outdoor eatery. A simple but awesome meal of chopped liver and chopped beef cooked outside in huge pans over an open fire served with peppers and spices served with my favorite Arabian bread and luke warm Pepsi in glass bottles straight out of the 50s!

Fuad works as an artist where I work. He is a world renowned artist who used to live in Italy and travel extensively through Europe. He came back to Jeddah to care for his ailing parents. Family is a big deal here. He is a little older than I am and has three children from about age 10 through 17. Very nice family and I mean that in every sense of the word.

After dinner we wandered through the old section of Al Balad where things were really happening. Every shop was open and it was all lit up and very festive. We went to see a jeweler there who is an old friend of our friend. The man is amazing. He is from Yemen, speaks 6 languages and has made a living in a shop the size of a bedroom closet for 30 years. Then we drifted over to one of my other favorite places downtown and had Moroccan tea. Moroccan tea is simply amazing. We also had some of the ever present sweets that seem to be served everywhere here in Saudi. Diabetes is a problem here.

We were delivered home at 2 AM after a harrowing one hour drive from downtown. Steve drove and we watched in amazement as some of the worst drivers in the world did their thing. (Saudi has the second highest auto death rate in the world. I know why.)

This morning and for the rest of today, we will be lounging, starting with a soak in the pool to try and wake up.

Another amazing dinner out

Well, another evening here in Jeddah. Our weekends are Thursdays and Fridays. This evening Leslie and I went out with our friends Lou and Rob to a Turkish eatery, just a few  blocks from the compound on Hira street.

Hira is probably my favorite street here in Jeddah. It's in walking distance, has an amazing variety of shops and eateries. Everything from lamb hanging in a butcher shop window to electrical supply shops brimming with lighting and connectors and the like.  But I digress...

Back to the Turkish food... split a schwarma chicken platter and bread with goat. Yes, goat. It was all awesome. The bread was amazing and we topped it off with some Turkish coffee. Leslie's first shot of real Turkish coffee. You could stand a spoon up in that stuff. It was great.

Another good evening in the desert near the Red Sea. 

Overcame my fear of open water...

I actually went snorkeling with Leslie in the Red Sea today. Not just a little floating around in the protected cove, but out beyond the netting in the Red Sea. Right to the edge of, and occasionally over the shelf.

It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done.

To look down that wall of coral into the abyss is breathtaking to say the least.
The colors and types of fish are mind boggling. The colors of coral and the clarity of the water... what an amazing experience, and I can pretty much do it every weekend for free if I want to!

Here are some of my favorite snaps from today. Leslie was using her new underwater camera for the first time. She did a great job. We were with our friend Randy (from Minnesota as well) who is a teacher at the base where I work.

Very cool day indeed.

Thumbs up from the intrepid rookie...

Our friend Randy with the dive gloves on for coral contact. Good to go!

Leslie and I ready to explore

The variety and color of fish and coral seemed endless. And again, looking down the wall of coral off the shelf and into the oblivion below was amazing and humbling. The following shot was taken with the "Underwater Mode" on. We found out about that camera mode while on our way back... bahahahaha...

Still, all good

I have always had this fear of water. Mostly a fear of what lives in it. Of things big enough to eat me. Today was a milestone day to be sure.

This is looking down off the shelf!

Very cool colors and fish... Some fish are tough to spot. Masters of camouflage...

Find the fish? (He's lower center in pic.)

Lots of cool places to explore. We snorkeled for about an hour.

 

Places to go, things to see.

Pretty amazing trip and I fully plan to go back and do it again soon. Randy graciously invites us along, and we gratefully (and happily) accept. Just another day in the desert.

Night out with the boys in Jeddah

Had a great night out with some guys from work. One of the guys (Rami) was leaving for a new job and they had a little going away gathering for him. It is a rare thing as a Westerner to be invited to something like this and all three of us in our office were honored to be invited. I will personally miss Rami. He is a very gracious man with a good sense of humor, an infectious laugh and is pleasant to be around. Rami, you will be missed.

Me and Rami

Saudis are a nocturnal people, so we did not meet until around 9 PM or so this past Tuesday evening. We met on the Corniche near a tributary of the Red Sea just 20 or so minutes North of our compound. It was a small public park with a handful of grassy areas. When we arrived there were a few guys already there. There were several rugs laid out on the grass, pitchers of Moroccan tea and Arabic coffee, some local pastry munchies and such. The Saudis have taken pastry to an art form and amazing pastries are available everywhere you turn.

Party Central!

We really did savor the moment.

Three Westeners, Steve Long to my right and James Maloney to my left

The Moroccan tea is a very nice green tea with a special mint in it and it tastes simply amazing. It it pretty sweet, but not unbearably so. Arabic coffee is ground cardamon and while I like it, let's just say that it's an acquired taste.

Party Central. Tea, coffee, cell phones and food.

Boys will be boys. Some things need no translation and everyone had a great time. Lots of laughter, some story telling, and all in all, a great visit.

No translation needed... Horsing around is universal...

At around 10 or so, the food arrived. Three huge bowls (3 foot across easy) arrived chock full of rice, veggies, chunks of liver and in the middle, a rather large piece of  roasted goat. No flatware needed here. You grab your hot sauce, pick your spot in the bowl and dig in with you right hand. I watched a couple of the guys and got the technique down pretty good. Ate until I was full. When I looked around the bowl, I realized I was easily the lightest eater there. I thought I was doing pretty well but I barely made a dent in my section of the bowl. The other guys had craters in their sections where rice and veggies once laid... They teased me a bit about being a light eater... no worries... I gave it right back...

After the meal, we washed up and the cards were broke out and a couple of serious card games were started. Even though I had no clue what they were playing, there was plenty of friendly banter and chiding just like any card game anywhere else in the world.
 

Something akin to hearts, but I never did get it.

Around midnight we had to leave, but we knew from experience that the Saudis were just getting warmed up. I was back home and in bed by 12:15 and at work by 7 that same morning. Wednesday, I spoke with a couple guys who were there and the earliest that any of them got in was 3 AM! Talk about nocturnal...

All in all, a great night and a rare chance to be a part of something special here.

Good times in the desert!