Toilet Paper rationing?

Paper products in he UAE are poor at best. When Fred visited me back in January, one thing I asked him to bring was good toilet paper. So Fred, duty bound, brought a big package of Charmin with him. Well, I used up the cheap stuff I had, and got to start enjoying the luxury of American T.P. in early March. Well, as you may recall, the parents visited in March, and my luxury toilet paper lasted only a few weeks. After going back to the cheap stuff, I decided to pay for the good stuff. A 9 roll pack cost me 50 dirhams. Yes I paid $13.61 for toilet paper...($1.51 a roll). So yes, on my August visit to the states, I will "top off" my suitcase with American ingenuity...soft toilet paper.

Speaking of visits to the states, (my other choice for a writers segway was going to be the "crappy" weather, so be happy for the direction I took) Bob is still in the United States, I spoke with him Tuesday while he was enjoying the beach with his family. Speaking of families, Nick's wife and son are packing up and will be arriving from the states to join Nick next week. They arrive the same evening Bob gets back, but not on the same airline. Those not arriving back, include Kelly (should be in Vegas about right now enjoying that Bachelorette party) and Nasser, who is staying out of work in Lebanon (the country not the town) a little longer recovering from some surgery that didn't go well first time around, so he had to have more. Haley Schall (from New York) starts her Transmed career next Thursday. The team is growing. We are having a great start to sales in the month of June, mostly due to some export business to our troops and support personnel in Afghanistan. Who would have imagined that I would be responsible for bringing in container loads of American Angus beef to the UAE, and that our biggest customers would be Americans fighting for our freedoms in a neighboring country, half a world away from the United States.
Cowboy, Loren, Georges, Hani and I enjoyed hosting a dinner last night with Henry, "Z" and Lisa from IFG (SYSCO's International operation) at "Jamie Oliver's Italian Restaurant in Festival City. It was interesting having dinner where the Americans outnumbered the Arabs. Dinner was very tasty, I had "prawn" pasta...and we had a really nice time. IFG has requested that I spend a day at their facility in Florida while I am stateside in August...not quite sure how that would work or if I want to give up a couple of days of my vacation while I am stateside.
ESPN America has been a "God send" for me. They are showing 300 Major League baseball games live this season...this morning at 6 am (it is my off day - lol) I got up and watched my Cincinnati Reds shut out the Giants. They were playing in San Francisco and as I sat here watching I reflected on my childhood, trying my best to stay awake and listen to Marty and Joe on Reds radio as the Reds played west coast ballgames. Now here I am 35 year later trying to stay awake and listen to Marty and Thom (sadly Joe Nuxhall passed away a couple of years ago) and root for my Reds. Back then my favorite player was Johnny Bench, now it is Jay Bruce. Yes I know, father son radio team, I am "J.B." and my two favorite players are "JB's"...really doesn't mean that much, but I get paid by the word on this blog, so forgive my ramblings...lol. I am sure that the NFL (if they have a season) will be much more available this season thanks to good ole ESPN!
Everyday is over a 100 degrees now, it is almost time to turn off the hot water heater. I did give notice to my land lord that I am moving out at the end of July, so it is time to get busy apartment hunting. I am going to see if Mimi (Nick's wife) will aid in my apartment search when she gets here next week.
I am homesick for America, and with all of the things I want to do while I am home, it seems so long til I leave (August 5th) for such a short trip.
Just had my Kellogg's breakfast and it is time to get dressed and face the world.
Have a great weekend!