Christmas is Coming...as I think of Christmas's past...

This Christmas I will be visiting my Uncle Bob and his family for the annual family Christmas party. This has become a traditional Christmas Eve party that I have been a part of for about the last dozen years. The exception was the last 3 years, while I was in the UAE. It has become a nice tradition that I am so blessed in getting to share. We do the ole Christmas gift grab bag (you know everyone brings a gift, some are nice some are gag gifts, we take turns drawing presents and stealing others presents until the last present is unwrapped) that I look forward to. I always hope I get something good to eat or lottery tickets...Well Christmas 2012, I shared this party with my coworkers at Barakat. You must realize how different it was for RK and his staff. The employees were about 75 percent Hindu, there was 3 or 4 Christians and an equal number of Muslims. They didn't quite get the subtlety and good natured-ness of the gag gift or of stealing their neighbors present, but deep down they understood the spirit of Christmas, because I realize they did it for me. What a wonderful gesture for my Hindu coworkers to share with me...I will never forget it.

Thinking about memories that I will take to my last days, was the kindness that Elie Saber and his family shared with me. Every Christmas this kind Lebanese family invited me into their home in Dubai, and allowed me to share that warmth of the season with their entire family. They had a gift under their beautiful Christmas tree, and they shared their family Christmas dinner with me. If you have ever spent the Christmas holidays away from your family and friends by yourself - you can understand the wonderful present they gave me each and every year. Elie is the Credit Manager at Transmed, and you can only imagine the scraps the two of us would have - me pushing to sell more, Elie trying to limit the companies liabilities. In the end, he was and always will be a friend, that I will be forever grateful to know. His family had invited me to travel to Lebanon to their home in their mother country, I really regret that I never got to visit.

Speaking of Christmas regrets, I was really looking forward to Rodz spending Christmas here with me this year. Unfortunately, there is no change in her immigration status. Her file is still with the American Embassy in Manila, waiting for them to schedule her interview. I can see the stress in her eyes when we Skype, I can only hope that her interview is scheduled before Christmas, that would be the best present that I could ask for.

Springfield usually has about 19 inches of snow each winter. It has been a snowy December this year. We have already received 13 inches this year, with another storm forecasted for next weekend.

December 2103 Springfield, MO

 

I thought I might have trouble remembering how to drive in the snow and ice, but so far I navigate through the snow and ice better than riding a bike on dry pavement(lol-see last blog). I have managed to make it through the snow each day to work, and more importantly to the Waffle House each Saturday morning. It has also been brutally cold with every night in December so far being below freezing with a couple under zero.

 

Today, the blog will hit another milestone. It will have had 12,000 visits. I trust it is not too boring to all of you, I sincerely appreciate those of you that check in a couple of times a month to see what mischief I may be up to.

 

Well 10 short days until Christmas, I hope that each and everyone of my friends that read this remembers this season what Christmas is all about. Be thankful for what you have and remember it is more about giving (can be love or kindness - not just presents) than what you receive. Trust me, if you give with a good heart, the blessings you receive will be bountiful. I will kick off the New Year with a new blog, for now I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and even a happier New Year. God Bless!

 

 

It's Just Like Riding a Bike...Now Stopping and Getting off, That's Another Story...

I hope you all are enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend, I know that for my friends in Dubai, it's just another weekend, but here in America it is our second biggest "family" holiday. I spent my Thanksgiving in Austin, Texas enjoying a holiday feast with my mothers youngest brother and his family.


Dave, Dalma, Mike, Chelsee, Marinna, Dylan, BJ, Tiffany and Shannon
 

My quick photo op almost cost me a chance at the rolls as they went by. As you can see my brother Mike (he now lives about an hour away from my Uncle Dave's home) joined us. He transferred within the National Park Service and works at the LBJ Ranch in Texas. Being the history buff that I am, I will have to make a trip to check out the Ranch sometime next year.

My Uncle is now in the oil "fracking" business. His family all work for his company and they are doing quite well. His house is beautiful and grand, I especially liked the "infinity" Jacuzzi and the pool at the bottom of a waterfall. Did I mention visiting Texas sometime next year?...lol.

My purchase of a bike earlier this month had gone for nothing so far. I have gotten so out of shape that I needed to take some action while I could still tie my shoes without assistance and an oxygen tank. The plan was good, but so far the execution was not so good. It has been bad weather, too dark or just no time since I spent the bucks to improve my health. Well today was the day that would change that. I am off of work this weekend, it's in the upper 50's and the sun was shining brightly. I strapped my helmet on, and wheeled my bike out of the garage and into the street. It was a challenge to get started, but once I figured out how to get up and going, piece of cake. I rode with ease through the neighborhood, into the next subdivision over. I kept my eyes peeled for cars and made the 15 minute trek successfully to start my exercising regiment. As I approached my garage on the return, I began to think now how do I get off. Well, to make a long painful story shorter, I wiped out in my driveway. The next door neighbor's 10 year old rushed over to ask me if I was ok. Of course I said I was fine, but the truth was I was/am in pain. My elbow and knee bloodied and my confidence shattered. I struggled to get up, the embarrassment outdoing the pain - It had been almost 35 years since my last cycling foray, but I am vowing now, to get back on that bike tomorrow! I will let you know next blog how I did (if I live to share my story).

I guess this is the part of the blog where I give you a Rodz update. This part of my writing is designed to keep my mother's weekly interrogation under control and focused. LOL (just teasing mom) The State Department finally received the Visa file from the US Immigration Department. They will send the file to the Philippines to the American Embassy in Manila. The Embassy will then call Rodz to schedule an interview and fingerprinting. Within 48 hours of the interview, she will either receive her approved Visa, or she will hear the disappointing news of rejection. If her Visa is declined, she can appeal. If she is approved, she is free to travel to the US virtually immediately. Rodz is nervous, because the rejection rate in the Philippines is so high (almost 50% are declined). Keep your fingers crossed, hopefully we will have an interview scheduled or completed by the next blog on the 15th of December.

Work is going well, I have just signed a new chain to an agreement. I have a couple of other major projects that look favorable, and working for Todd is the best. I like to think I am a good Manager, but I continue to learn from Todd. I did get to chat with Kelly this week. She is still happily dating Sami, I am awaiting my wedding invite...Other than skyping with Rodz, I haven't heard from many of my UAE friends and ex colleagues. I do hear quite often from my old Barakat produce sales team. What a great group of guys they are. I regret not working more on improving their lives, while I was over seas.

I hate cutting this short, but my knee is dripping blood, and my elbow needs heat therapy.....So I hope some of you thought of me while thinking of your blessings over Thanksgiving, I know that I am proudest and most "thankful" for the remarkable friends and relationships that I have been blessed with.
See you in a couple of weeks and God Bless!

I Bought a What?

Winter is approaching in Missouri, and the two things I have become especially grateful for are a garage and heated seats in my car, This past week a couple of days when I left for work, the temperature was under 20 degrees (minus 8 Cen,). I am not sure quite why, but riding to work on an extremely cold morning with the heat not turned on, but the heated seat turned on is quite cozy. This is definitely my favorite season, but the dreaded snow of winter is just around the corner.

Speaking of snow, I guess it's appropriate to give you a Rodz update. She has never seen snow (Mall of the Emirates indoor ski slope excluded) and still seems excited to be coming here this winter. The challenge is the Embassy wait. Her Immigration VISA is approved, but the next and final step is her interview at the American Embassy. Once her interview is completed, if cleared she could literally be here in a week,,,but so far we are waiting for the phone call scheduling her interview. That should happen in December, so an optimist would say the ETA for Rodz in Springfield is January 2014. Please keep your fingers crossed. I have gotten a lot of inquiries about Rodz family in the Philippines, they are living north of Manila, The typhoon devastated central Philippines, which is south of Manila, so thankfully her friends and family are fine.

I know that you will find this hard to believe, but I think that my thinning hair is regaining a foothold on my scalp. Even my good friend and boss Todd commented on the improvement the other day, I think a good American climate, water and less stress in my life is having a positive impact on my health. The bad side of this is that I am also fattening up for my winter hibernation...sigh. Rodz tells me on Skype that I "have gotten fat", at first I thought she meant phat, but upon further disgust in her voice, she definitely meant fat, which isn't phat at all. I felt it was time to take action, so $650 later, I am the owner of a brand new hybrid bike. Now I just have to be inspired to begin to ride it around my neighborhood. Hopefully, I will begin to regain a semblance of health, so that climbing a flight of stairs doesn't feel like I just completed a marathon.

I am planning on traveling to Austin, Texas for Thanksgiving this year. It will be my first visit to the Texas home of the Rumgay Clan. It is over an 8 hour drive from here, but I am really looking forward to seeing everybody. I am spending Christmas with the other half of the Rumgay clan in Ohio. My mothers older brother Bob and family in Ohio, and her baby brother Dave and family in Texas. I was really looking forward to bringing Rodz to Ohio to meet all of the family, but sadly as I mentioned above, it isn't looking promising in 2013.

Speaking of friends and family, Fred landed a great job in Palm Beach, Florida. He starts working as a big time Associate office Manager (not the right title...sorry Fred) in December. So the house is sold, and the move from Knoxville is happening over Thanksgiving. So now Fred and Nick will be neighbors, I can feel a trip coming...I spoke with Nick this week, and he shared that Bob and Sandy visited Nick and Mimi last week in Florida. It's a very small world.

Sadly, in this small world, my friends in the UAE are drifting away....I actually have Skyped a bit with Vinny. Joseph sends me an occasional one line face book message. Kumail has not contacted me (get Skype my friend) and Kelly is really busy traveling (In Egypt right now) and loving Sami. I haven't heard from Hayley since I left Dubai....and Juan and Muzzy are too busy with work. I get a quick note from Fathuma....but that about covers it. This time last year I was enjoying work at Barakat, spending my days with Suresh, Kumail, Morali, Vinny, Joseph and Mahesh. I wish I could have them over for dinner. I miss my Dubai family....

Well the current administration's mess in the Middle East and Iran is being over shadowed by the mess that is happening in America. I just hope that the damage occurring both Domestically and abroad can be reversed by the next Administration that takes office in 3 long years. I guess that discussion will await the next blog. I will see you back here in a couple of weeks, on the first of December. I trust you remember all of the things you have to be thankful for during the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, I know that I am thankful and grateful for you...God Bless!

Happy Halloween or is turning 51 a big enough "Trick"?

I am sitting by my door handing candy out to the little ghosts and goblins. Halloween wasn't a big deal in Dubai, so I probably overdid it this year with 8 bags of candy to give away...Can't say that I am not prepared...lol.

Well the big news on the relationship front, is that Rodz's Visa was approved by the US Immigration service. "Just what exactly does that mean?" you might be asking...well, all she has to complete now, before she can immigrate to America is an interview by an American Embassy or consulate and have her fingerprints entered into the Homeland Security data base. She very well could be here in time for Christmas. It would be fun for her to arrive then, because Rodz has never seen snow in person. I of course shared with her that since she is new to snow, that I will let her shovel the drive way this winter...lol...shhh, don't spoil all the fun - she is very excited to have that honor...I know what you're thinking, "wow, what a lucky girl she is"...lol!

I had my 51st birthday last week, and one nice thing was the effort my new co workers put into making my birthday memorable.

It was a little bit of a hazing, but I can say it made me feel very much like I was one of the team...

To my friends in the Middle East, please quit laughing so hard at America, and the paper tiger that we have become in  your eyes...Be aware, that we will have an election in late 2015, and by law our President will change. Kick us while we are down, it's just a matter of time before we get back up.

Speaking of Middle Eastern friends, I skyped with Vinny last week (you remember - Vinny the Pooh). He is doing well, and shared that he too has given notice and is leaving Barakat...All of them are now gone, just 7 months ago I was working and living in Dubai....seems so much like it was yesterday, and at the same time - seems like it was so long ago...

The Trick or Treaters keep interrupting my attempt at writing. I have enough candy for several hundred kids, and I think so far I have had about a dozen little monsters. I bought a nice variety of candy after the customer service girls at work educated me on the "proper candy" to give away. I found out that Whoppers, Milk Duds, tootsie Rolls and Smarties (love the Smarties) are not cool candies, and encourage the kids to become vandals. Apparently, Kit Kats, Snickers, Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers Peanut bars are the "good" candies. I apologize for not sharing this news earlier, but hopefully you gave away cool candy this year...

Hope your Halloween was filled with lots of treats, I will see you in a couple of weeks, with a Rodz Immigration update, and details on my November adventure that will be happening in Austin, Texas...I must now go and figure out how to explain why our time changes in America to Rodz...Maybe someone should explain it to me first...

One Tired Old Man

Halloween is approaching and I feel like I have been tricked not treated...I have an awful cold and my body feels like someone took a baseball bat and hit me in the ribs....When I cough it hurts...Oh well, other than being drugged up, I have no excuse not to write the blog...

Speaking of baseball, my favorite team (Cincinnati Reds) lost and they finally fired the Manager that I was not fond of. I was hoping they would make a change because in my mind they were never going to take the next step until they made a change. Now the ironic twist is that when I heard that they fired him, I actually felt sadness and empathy wondering what Dusty Baker and his family was going through....He gets over 4 million in severance, so the worried about Dusty feelings were short lived. It's a sign of my age that I would worry about this coach, I think 10 years ago I would have been jubilant, now just relieved for my team and somewhat sad for the man...

My 1,700 mile car trip through St. Louis, Paducah, Atlanta, Knoxville and Nashville finally ended last night. It started off well enough staying in St. Louis for a night at Hollywood, then I started feeling a cold coming on. I stayed Saturday night in Atlanta with Danny Messimer and his new bride Laura. They were great hosts and I hope I didn't leave an illness behind. We went to my favorite Restaurant chain (Houston's) for dinner, it was nice to be back in Atlanta, and even nicer to spend time with one of the best friends a person could be privileged to have.

Sunday morning, after Laura baked us fresh blueberry muffins for breakfast, I hit the road headed to Knoxville to see my buddy Fred and his son Ethan. Fred and Debbie finally sold their house in Maryville, Tennessee and Fred will be joining Debbie in the Orlando Florida area as soon as he can find suitable employment. He has been in his current position for 7 years and they have lived in the same rustic farmhouse for almost 20 years, so big changes coming for the Staley's. Debbie's writing career has taken off, I hope they remember their poor old pal John as they gain their fortune and fame.

Fred had bought weekend passes for this Maryville, Tennessee Festival. He and Ethan went to see Lynard Skynard on Saturday night so Fred could relive his hazy memory of a youth filled with Southern Rock. I got to join him to watch Rascal Flats on Sunday evening to complete my October adventure. The concert was held outdoors in very cool damp weather.

It was crowded with a lot of country fans. Sadly, I don't think the weather aided in my fight against this nasty cold. Rascal Flats started playing just after dark, and we stayed for the first 12 songs (I knew 2 of them, Fred knew one song)

Well from behind the big tree, I sat and kept the beat on my leg, just like all the other old guys in the crowd...lol.

I was coughing so much by the time I went to bed, that sleep evaded my poor soul. Monday morning I headed on a three hour drive to Nashville for a Corporate Customer Review, then after the review an almost 7 hour trip where I fought to stay awake to get home safely. I ran out of napkins, nothing worse than being sick on the road. I drugged myself up good last night and I plan on staying heavily medicated until this illness passes. We have our annual food show this coming weekend, so I need to get better pronto!

I skyped with Rodz yesterday, she shared with me because of the holiday in the UAE, that Dubai Mall was open 24 hours a day for the next week. I have to admit, they certainly try and make all they can from the Islamic Holidays. Her Visa application is progressing along (despite the Gov't shutdown) and we still hope she can immigrate here in December. It will be fun taking her to the big Christmas celebration with most of my relatives in Ohio this December. Hopefully, she will make it here in time for that.

I am enjoying being in America for all of the great TV. Somehow my DVR is filling up faster than I can watch the shows that I have been missing. Baseball is almost over, so I can begin catching up. Sounds like a great problem to have. Other than catching up on American TV, I don't have a trip planned for November. My uncle Dave has invited me to come to Texas for a weekend, that may be the solution for this coming month. Any other ideas? (Sorry - no middle East trips planned as of now)...I am sure you will let me know.

When my cold goes away, I will hopefully be in a much better blog state of mind. In the meantime, I hope you are happy and Healthy, and I will see you back here the day after Halloween....Happy Trick or Treat!

October, My Favorite month of the Year

        Any of you that know me very well, know that I am a huge Cincinnati Reds baseball fan. The Reds managed to underperform just enough to barely make the playoffs. I have a feeling that they won't go deep in the playoffs, tonight they begin. The good news is that I can watch the game at 7 pm my time verses last year where I would have had the game on at 4 am....Sports for the most part, no longer causes me to have sleeping disorders...lol.

        I have spent a lot of time the last couple of weeks thinking about Kumail, Vinny, and Joseph. I really grew to love these three guys, and they all followed me to Barakat. Now just 6 short months since I left, they have all three quit. I discussed leaving with them and they all 3 blessed my coming back to America, but it has dawned on me that they looked at me as an opportunity, and I hope that they don't think that I let them down. I am not sure what any of them are making now, I can only hope that if they felt betrayed or let down they have forgiven me...

        I am so happy to be reintroduced to my favorite season in America, Autumn. The cool dry nights, followed by mid 70's clear skies with very little rain. It was also my favorite time of the year in Dubai, with seasonal business picking up after the long brutal summer. For those Middle Eastern readers, we are having a budget stalemate in America, and our government has furloughed many workers during a partial shutdown. Sadly, one of the departments that has closed is immigration (Visa processing) and they were already two months behind their normal schedule. I haven't shared that tidbit of news with Rodz yet...Well, maybe I just have...

       You could see from the last blog that Fred and I shared a big sports weekend for my September adventure. Well, October is upon us, and Fred gets to enjoy my company for this months entertainment. I have to make a trip to Atlanta on October 12th (Hello Danno Holiday Inn!) and on the way back, I am spending the day at a fall festival in Knoxville. Fred has got us tickets to the Rascal Flats Concert on Sunday. Fred's son Ethan, is concerned about our bro-time together, but as we get older, I think we just laugh at those kind of innuendo's. So hopefully pictures of our RocktOberfest will be forthcoming.

     On the business front, I am having some success at the new job. I have just opened a new chain for my Company, and things seem to chug along. I have felt a loss to my importance to the company compared to my time in Dubai, as no one reports directly to me now, and I don't make critical decisions like I did the last 3 years. It's not that I am not appreciated, its more of a sense of worth that I am going through. My pay is fair, and I work about 2/3rds of the hours that I did overseas, but I will say I miss a little of the responsibility that came with my old positions. We will see what the future holds....

I have to get going, but I still appreciate the average 125 readers that read each posting. I am feeling a little more boring each month, but maybe I can stir up some fun stories to share with you. Enjoy your beautiful October weather here in the states or there in my old stomping grounds of Dubai...I will see you around the 15th with Rascal Flats stories....

Better Late than never? Maybe....

Sorry that I am late with this, but it has been a whirlwind few days, and the hotel I stayed at in Kansas City had the ole $19.99 24 hour Internet fee...well, it didn't quite seem prudent. I guess this would be a good time to start with the boy's weekend. Fred flew into Springfield on Friday, and we scurried off to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play.

We had great seats, and the Weather was perfect. I love the classic feel of so many of the new baseball parks. In the 70's, all of the new parks were "Modern" cookie cutters (Riverfront stadium, Three Rivers, Busch...). The new parks in Cincinnati, Atlanta and as you can see in St. Louis have a much more nostalgic feel to them. We had a good time and left before the last out (of Course) to head to Kansas City. Four hours later, we arrived after midnight to catch some sleep before we went to the big Dallas Cowboys/Kansas City football game. We thought we had great seats in St. Louis for the Cardinal's baseball game, well we had awesome seats for the football game.

Dallas/Kansas City Football game Sept. 15, 2013

We had a great time (Even though the Cowboys lost...) It's always good to spend time with your best buddy.

Fred and I

 





Speaking of Fred, when Rodz and I Skyped on Saturday, Fred and her picked up on their usual banter (Fred was in Dubai and joined Rodz and I on our first date). She asked Fred why he had "Chinese eyes"...lol, I loved it...Rodz has applied for a Visa to immigrate here. We should know if the US Government allows it in early December...keep your fingers crossed.

 

 

 I have a couple of updates on people that you may know, or may know through the blog. Bob Green is still working for SYSCO in Atlanta. He and I have a running golf bet (he's winning) and keep in regular contact. Richard Ashlock (Cowboy) is working for JT Parker in Atlanta. He is specializing in export sells. Nick is still working for SYSCO in Florida, but I think he and Mimi are homesick for the Midwest. Hopefully someday we will be neighbors again. Juan is still working for Transmed (he and his lovely wife had a beautiful baby in Abu Dhabi) and he seems to be greatly valued. Steve is still running foodservice at Transmed. Vineet has turned his resignation in at Barakat as has Joseph. I will update both when they start their new jobs. So now just a short 13 months after I started at Barakat, all that I hired have left. JR and I left each other on good terms, but I am disappointed that my time and impact at Barakat has to have been minimalized. Kumail is working in Dubai at a competitor to Transmed. Kelly is still working for ACE Hardware, and just left Orlando where she was for a show.

 

The Middle East is not very stable right now (see last months blog), but hopefully better days are ahead. So many people in the UAE depend on a safe environment to lead their lives. I do miss the people that I was so blessed to get to know, but it is good to be home...

 

Sorry for the blogs brevity, but I have to head to Little Rock on business...See you in two short weeks...

l
 

 

My Take on Syria and Egypt....

      We finally got some hot weather in Springfield. I have to admit that my body has grown accustomed to heat, because temperatures in the high 90's (36) didn't even bother me. I have the Dubai weather on my I-phone, so rest assured I haven't begun to forget the brutal heat of the UAE. I chat with Rodz almost daily, and the first thing she complains about is the heat...



Rodz August 2013

 I try not to laugh at her, but sometimes I have to admit a little chuckle comes out. She truly is one of a kind.

        Thinking about things not to chuckle about, would certainly bring us back to the Middle East. I am at a loss for the American Governments policies there. First with Egypt, we have an ally (Mubarak) who admittedly was not the best guy in the World, but he was a loyal "friend" -(bought and paid for with our tax dollars). We stand by, and even encourage the overthrow of his Government with the hopes that a Democracy will rise up in the ashes of his toppled government. When the people of Egypt elect the Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi, we immediately put pressure on the military of Egypt to end marshal law and allow the will of the Egyptian people to rule the day. Then the Morsi government takes a non democratic turn and start to purge the military and the government of non hard line Muslims. He seizes more power and suspends the Constitution to enable the Muslim Brotherhoods reforms. During all of this we stood by, and actually ramped up our financial support, even giving free Airplanes and Tanks to the Morsi regime. When the citizens' of Egypt began to protest in the streets we stepped in and provided tear gas to help the Morsi Government retain power. When that Government started burning Christian church's and arresting opposition forces (Pro Western types that would be friendly to the US) we did nothing. The Egyptian Military, with the support of the people stepped in and removed Morsi, we complained. We called it a Military Coup" and encouraged the Military to return the "freely elected" sigh, Morsi Government to power. Now the Egyptian Military has refused (while pledging to protect Christians and rebuild all the destroyed churches) our demands, we cut off their military aid. Now as I sit here, the Egyptian Military in now desperate need of cash (since we cut them off) and will turn to the country that desperately wants more influence in the region... The Russians. Write it down, the Russians will step in and provide cash, and in exchange will probably get a military base in Egypt or just a bought and paid for ally in the Egyptian Military. How could our American leaders not only stand by while this happens, actually help create the opportunity...Nice Arab Spring. Of course, our press stands idly by, and to most of you this will seem like I am crazy or will say, "why is this news to me?"

       As sad as the Egyptian saga play's out, trust me when I share with you that the Syrian one may end up being worse. I know some of you hate when I talk about Mid East politics, so I will make this one briefer. In summation, the Syrian Government is financially and militarily backed by The Iranian and Russian Governments. He is a bad guy, but his ally's are also our enemies. I guess we should do the no brainer and help the Sunni insurgents overthrow the Shia Government. Not so fast, the Sunni insurgents have turned to Al Qaeda militant fighters to wage this holy war. So when we bomb Syria (Obama administration going alone with out Congressional approval or authorization, and our closest ally Great Britain saying they will not go along with this foolish move) we will in effect be helping Al Qaeda. How in the world could we possibly fight on the side of Al Qaeda who only hate America more than the Syrian Government? Our two biggest enemies in the world are killing each other, and do we really want to stick our American military into this mess? Our ally's in the middle East have requested that we don't attack (Saudi and the UAE).  The Syrian Government will really only have one easy way of retaliating....attack Israel. I hope the US Administration realizes that World War III could start this way...I hope I am wrong and The Administration finds a way to back down...I would bet we will launch missiles before the Holiday weekend is over, sending gas prices to the moon and endangering Americans living and working in the Middle East.

       Now on to happier news, I have finally gotten a new Doctor here in Springfield.  After extensive blood work and taking a look at my generally not so fit body, I have been scheduled for the dreaded double trouble visit to the hospital. On September 11th (suitable date for my visit), I am getting tubed from both ends. I am having an upper GI, and a colonoscopy. I will remind the Doctor before he (or she) puts me under, that if they use the same scope that the Upper GI should be first...sorta lol. I have decided to also buy a bike to try and get into better shape, it hit home on a recent Skype when Rodz said "John, you have returned to America and gotten fat"...I know you can't wait for the 15th to see how quickly I have recovered...

      Speaking of the 15th, my adventure for the month is well planned (no, the colonoscopy does not count as an adventure). Fred is flying into Springfield on Friday afternoon. We are driving to St. Louis that night. On Saturday, we will be attending the Cardinals - Mariners baseball game. After the game, we are driving to Kansas City (3 hours), and on Sunday we are attending the Kansas City Chiefs American Football home opener against my lifetime favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. Fred has always hated the Cowboys, so somehow I have to get him to not root against my team. Then Monday Fred fly's back out of Springfield. Should be a great guys weekend.

     Well all the politics have made this blog a boring and long one, sorry - but rest assured I will try and find something to blog about before you return here in the middle of the month. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and God bless you...

Surrounded by Indians Again....

I have thought about Suresh, Vinny, Kumail, and Joseph a lot this week. I am at an Oklahoma Indian Casino trade show in Oklahoma City. I keep picturing Suresh flashing his pearly white grin at me, as we would be people watching together, with his patented "oh my goodness". The American Indians are so different than the Asian Indians, so I am not quite sure how Christopher Columbus got confused.

Speaking of confused, my parents are in Branson this week (a resort city about a half a hour from my place). They are staying at a time share with their life long friends the Browns. I took them out to dinner on Sunday, and am treating them again on Thursday and Friday. Their health seems to be holding out just fine. It was also good to see their life long best friends Eldon and Ruth Brown after all these years.

I did get to attend the Bruno Mars concert in St. Louis last week. I have really began to like his music and style. At the concert I realized who he reminded me of....Kool and the Gang. I never got to see Kool and the Gang play in person, but the smooth R & B Vocals and the brass band that accompanies Bruno are just a modernized version of that 70's band....have no fear music reviews will not be a big part of future blogs...lol

Well in our last visit together two weeks ago, I resisted the temptation to give you an "I told you so" over our American Governments' policies in Egypt. I believe if you look back a couple of blogs, I noted that we (our Government) were supporting Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood over what the people and the military of Egypt seemed to want. It will be interesting to see where the Egyptian Military takes the country...

I am enjoying my daily Skype with Rodz in Dubai, I don't think she has enjoyed the heat of Dubai this summer. Ramadan has ended, and after a few days of celebration, the boring hot summer of Dubai will keep things lazy and slow there until late September.

I am sorry that I am a little late with the blog today...I got in after midnight from my trip, and just found myself short of time. I will try and do better when I see you again around the first of September. God Bless...

If I Fall and Break My Hip, Will the Death Panel put me to Sleep?

Greeting from damp and cool Springfield, Missouri. On July 31st last year, I was baking in the heat of Dubai counting the days until the restrictive days of Ramadan would end. It still amazes me that my Muslim friends like Muzzy and Kumail would spend their daylight hours with not one drop of moisture passing their lips as they went about their day celebrating Ramadan in sweltering temperatures that routinely approached 120 degrees. Just thinking about it now is going to make me get up and grab an icy cold Diet Pepsi from my frig.

Fred and I spent the weekend in Cincinnati watching the Pirates and Reds play baseball.

Fred snapped this photo of me looking like a recluse on Sunday afternoon. The photo Fred would have liked to have taken was of me on Saturday night at the game. I was maneuvering back to my seat with my diet soda and hotdog waiting to be devoured when I got comfortably seated. As I had squeezed in front of people in earlier innings, I decided I would do the smart thing and take the row next to mine and the climb over the seats to get comfortable to my chair. Yes, the scary thing that can happen in the upper deck of the stadium happened, I lost my balance and went tumbling over the seats landing face and elbow first into the cement aisle, my soda drenching me. I laid on the hard concrete wondering if the only thing that was broken was my pride. I will say that Fred tried to catch me as I tumbled over the seat - tried is the operative word. He whiffed and I groaned in agony at his failure. A young fan (we are talking mid 30's which now seems so youthful to me) scurried to my aid and helped me to my feet as he checked on my condition. I was sore for a week, it is hell to get old. I jokingly (I think it was a joke) shared with Fred that I need one of those medic alert necklaces so I can press the button and say "I've fallen, and I can't get up." Two weeks later, I am still thinking about what possibly Fred could have been laughing at. We enjoyed our boys weekend in Cincinnati, and my July adventure was a big success.

Next week my fun August event is planned. I have a date with a loyal friend to the Bruno Mars concert in St. Louis. I am psyched! He is probably one of my favorite singers and I was even more surprised when an attractive friend asked me to be her guest (yes - she is a citizen, so the date has nothing to do with gaining a passport). Reminds me a story about the Russian model that I dated in Dubai for about the 5 longest weeks of my life....lol, I guess that is not a story for the blog. I will try and get a picture of us together at the concert.

Speaking of love lives, Rodz is enjoying the last of her month long vacation at home in the Philippines. Through the miracle of Skype phone we talk almost every day. It is a 13 hours time difference there, so I try and call her at night before I go to sleep and as she begins her day. We grow closer as we are far apart....Life is sometimes so unfair.

Speaking of talking with beautiful friends, Vinny sent me an email and he is fine...lol, actually that is true, but the more beautiful friend Kelly returned to Canada for a wedding and to see her parents. We had a nice long conversation. She is still loving being with Sammy (Maybe I will get to go to Jordan for a wedding???) and seemed so happy. It was emotional for me to talk with her, she was such a good friend to me in Dubai, and I will always love her for that. She promised me she was putting away some savings, but had no idea where she would end up living in the future....I guess I should just hope its someplace I would like to visit. I get misty eyed typing about her, so lets move along.

My good little gal pal Nikky from Dar Jeeling contacted me about moving to Springfield and working here.

Bhupali on my right and Nikky on my left

She is a great worker, so once she assured me that she was serious, I got her a job offer with one of my customers, and we made plans to move her here. Of course, when she shared her plans with her employers in Dubai, she was promoted to a manager and extended her contract. I guess I helped her, but I really was looking forward to having her around. I miss my lil Dar Jeeling gals.

Last weeks blog was a downer with me contemplating the end of my life and the people that died prematurely around me, so this weeks theme has been about the attractive women that have surrounded and blessed me the last couple of years with their different types of love. From the sweet family type of love that I received from Kelly, Bhupali and Nikky to the old love that has turned into an awesome friendship with my pal in St. Louis, to the refreshing, please don't pinch me and wake me up whirl wind romance I shared with Rodz...then there was the kind of love that I shared with my Russian friend...Oh, just saw that it is after midnight here in Springfield, and I do have to work tomorrow...Maybe I can finish my love fest stories sometime soon. What I do know is that I am very fortunate to have so many "lovely" friends.
I hope August is an awesome month for you....Happy birthday Fred (Aug. 2nd) he and Debbie are cruising to Nassau right now. Speaking of cruising, my parents are cruising into Branson next week, so I am sure there will be a photo op there. See you back here on the 15th...God Bless!

The Valley of Death

I am beyond middle age now. I can see the finish line of life much more clearly now. When I was in the first grade, I can still remember vividly my school bus pulling up to my classmates Greg's home. The fire department was just finishing putting out the last of the flames, that had burned the small house to the ground. Greg and his siblings were found under the bed. I often wondered if they had died from the smoke or had suffered through the fire...No one talked about it in the late 1960's, it was as if he never existed. I have thought about Greg over the years and it seems so tragic that his life was never fulfilled. I have thought about his parents and how they must have felt so much pain, losing all of their children....

My Grandfather Bruck died in his early 50's a couple of years later. My mothers mom (Gran) comforted me by sharing with me that God only takes the ones he wants. In my faith, my understanding changed about death. If I truly believed, then I would have to understand that after death, the dead go to a better place, and that the pain I would feel should not be for them, but for us, the loved ones that the departed had left behind. My two best friends in Junior High School had both tragically lost older siblings. Both of their parents guarded their surviving children and probably over protected them. I understand now more than I did then.

In high school, I had an off again on again girl friend named Mona. She was very sweet and she and her sister Kitty quickly became two of my best friends. I went off to college, and lost touch with those two great sisters. They were both incredibly sweet and beautiful girls. Through Face Book , I found out a couple of years ago, that Kitty had lost her life in a snow mobile accident. She had drowned in an icy pond and left behind a husband and children. I laid in bed across the world in Dubai, and regretted not staying in touch with these sisters that had made my High School days so much happier. Tears flowed freely and I was angry that I did not find out about Kitty's premature death until several years after her passing.

I had a coworker while I was selling copiers years ago that took me under his wings. Jim taught me so many things about sales. He was a student of "the sale" and read as many books and attended many seminars to improve his craft and better his family's finances. Later on in life (1998) I was able to hire Jim and he worked with Fred and I before his untimely death. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999, and within a couple of years Jim died alone in a hospice. I was distant from Jim in his last days...I was scared of death, as I still am.

This past week, one of my best friends from High School took his own life. Mike Baker was a Minister and teased me in emails even while I was in Dubai. He married one of the most popular girls from High School, and he and Beth had a great family. He used humor from the pulpit, and was just a really genuine man. I hadn't seen him in person since 1981, but we had exchanged numerous messages and even spoke on the phone a few times. I don't understand why a man that in my eyes had everything, would give it all away, and leave so many behind with immense pain to fill their grieving hearts...and it has caused me to question my own end time...I guess this blog has given me a chance to try and make since of death.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
This verse from the King James version of the Bible, finally makes since to me, It gives little comfort to those that are grieving, but in time it will help heal the hearts of those left behind...I will miss you Mike...

Next weekend my best friend Fred and I are having a boys weekend in Cincinnati. We have Reds tickets and are going to see my favorite team face another baseball playoff contending team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. I find myself living a fairly frugal life, except for my one weekend a month guilty pleasure. Have no fears, my savings account is still growing, I just have a need to enjoy my hard earned economic freedom with a little excursion every month.

Kelly and I have caught up with each other, and she is home in Canada missing out on all of the Ramadan fun of the UAE. Last year I only went to one Iftar dinner, and it was with Kelly. I plan on calling Kelly and catching up with her while she is in Canada. I miss that gal, and I will cling to her friendship.

Speaking of getting out of town during Ramadan, Rodz is home with her family in the Philippines. Rodz and I have discovered the joy of Skype, and somehow we are closer now than we were my last year in Dubai...as the song goes..."You're gonna miss me when I am gone"...

Cherish your friends and loved ones, let them know as often as you can how much you care...Thanks for the few minutes that you shared with me reading this blog...I am grateful for your friendship and I hope to see and talk with you again soon. Hopefully, we will see each other here again August 1st.

Anniversary Week

I will have to admit that I have been chuckling a lot about the heat wave that is baking the southwestern areas of the United States right now. The temperatures have been in the 113 to 117 degree range in Arizona and Nevada the past few days. I keep my eyes on the weather in Dubai and although the high Saturday was 104 degrees, I imagine the long summer of heat in the UAE will have many days that top 117 (47) degrees. The heat in the Southwestern USA is also "dry" low humidity heat, while the Arabian Sea provides uncomfortable, scary hot heat.

This week marks 3 years since Bob and I flew to Dubai (July 4th, 2010), and it is amazing how the time I spent in Dubai has changed my life. I will never forget Bob's and my 4th of July trip. We landed in England in the middle of the night, and I still recall the look of amusement on the British security persons face when Bob asked her if the airport was relatively empty because the British were off of work celebrating the 4th of July holiday. I was embarrassed for about a nano second, but when I saw the amused look on the face of the security guard it became a memorable moment...lol.

My coworkers call me "Dubai" John in Springfield, and nary a day goes by that I don't tell a story about my time spent half way around the world. I often find myself in thought, wondering what is going on with Kelly, Kumail, Vineet, Mahesh, Suresh, Joseph, Juan or my other pals. I hear from many of my friends via social media, and it seems like the common theme is we will see you soon... I don't know why they think I will return to Dubai, I guess we will see.

The big movie release for this week in America is "The Lone Ranger". As you may recall, while I was working with Muzzy at Transmed, I often referred to Muzzy as "Tonto". My Indian sidekick and partner in crime had planned on going with me to the movie when it came out this summer, I hope that he takes Kumail to go and see it. Like the current top 40 tune sings, and I regularly reminded them "You're going to Miss Me when I'm Gone." Who knew that I would miss them so much also.

Ok, time for the happier update. I am getting along well with my new colleagues, and the atmosphere of "family" that the ownership has created at my company is really nice. I am putting a lot of pressure on myself to succeed, because the last thing I would want to do is fail and not reward the faith Todd and his boss have placed in me. I have a couple of restaurants that are opening up in September, and if it all goes smoothly I will be very pleased.

One of the things I promised myself when I moved to Springfield, was to try and have a monthly "road trip" and enjoy myself. It seems like the right thing to do after spending three tough years (on the personal side) overseas paying debts and saving for my return. My fun event in July is a weekend in Cincinnati with Fred. We have got tickets to Reds games on Saturday and Sunday in mid July. I have plans for August and September already and really feel good about keeping my pledge. Speaking of August, my parents are coming for a week long visit. Dad's health seems to have gotten a little better and mom will outlive me... I am sure that there is a story to come from that pending visit.

BTW, Shift leasing has left my bad list, and has joined my "Shifty/Shady list. My $400 car lease deposit refund finally arrived in my American Bank Account. A small victory, but a victory. If I ever do return to Dubai, my car damage Arab pal, will receive my pestering wrath....still gets my crawl.

Just like while I was in the UAE, I am enjoying the return of "True Blood". It was always delayed until the fall in Dubai, to avoid being shown during Ramadan. Ramadan is less than two weeks away, and it is a very tough month for Westerners working in the Middle East. Big Brother (the American Reality TV show) also amuses me, but that is a show like "Wipeout" that isn't shown in the UAE. I think "Wipeout" would be a big hit over in the UAE, watching Americans get abused is always a ratings winner in the Middle East...lol...well sorta lol.

I am watching the unrest in Egypt very closely. American's don't seem to know that there are even massive demonstrations there. Our government, has somehow aligned itself with President Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. The demonstrators are Moderate Muslims and Christian Egyptians that feel the Arab Spring of Democracy has been stolen from them. We have given weapons and public support to the Morsi regime...It seems like a horrible foreign policy blunder...no worries Americans (with the aid of the US press) will hardly notice the coming crack down on the people of Egypt. It will soon dawn on the Morsi government that we will not stand with the citizens demanding Democracy (Ironically, we supported the overthrow of our ally Mubarik) and I feel fairly certain that the military will step in and end the demonstrations and snuff out the hopes of a free Egypt. (sorry, had to throw in some politics).

Well, hopefully I will see you here in Mid July..be safe and enjoy your 4th of July celebrations.

Big Brother, The TV Show or My Favorite Government?

I haven't been gone from the UAE for very long, but in so many ways it seems like forever...I left on March 27th in less than 3 months I have returned to my normal American life, in other ways the adjustment has been rough...Believe it or not, one of the tougher adjustments is weekends. I pretty much worked 6 days a week in Dubai (especially at Barakat), I am now definitely on a Monday through Friday schedule. I am a creature of habit, and I made myself get used to getting my errands and projects done in Dubai on Fridays, and then right back at it on Saturday mornings. I find myself still hustling around on Saturday here, and now I find myself a little bored on Sundays...I know, what a hard adjustment...lol. I do have a Saturday Morning ritual, head to Waffle House around 9 am for my breakfast (same thing every Saturday morning, Bacon, egg and cheese on toast, hash browns, scattered, covered, and smothered(Onions and cheese) and yes don't forget that breakfast drink that I love...an iced cold Diet Coke.
I enjoy my breakfast, and then I head to my dry cleaner (yes - it cost more in Springfield than in Dubai $2.25 per shirt and $3.99 for slacks....). Then I fill up with gas, run my car through the car wash (unlimited monthly washings for $30), go to the grocery store and then head home (usually around 11:15). I do my household chores (I need a house keeper...sigh) and then I am done around noon with the rest of the weekend free. Yes, I am a creature of habit, but that doesn't bother me, it is comforting when I am in my comfort zone.

If you follow the weather in the states, you will have heard and read a lot about the Tornado outbreak that has dominated the region that I live in.

Springfield is in the Southwest corner of Missouri and it is less than an hour drive away from Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. The storms that spawn the tornado's that have decimated parts of Oklahoma, usually head right up through Southwest Missouri. The city of Joplin that was leveled by a F5 Tornado (winds peaked at 250 mph -400 kmh, leveling a mile wide area) and killed 162 people in 2011. Well two weeks ago we were under a tornado watch in Springfield, so I decided to travel up to St. Louis for a weekend of gaming fun at Hollywood Casino Hotel, supposedly out of the danger cone for tornadic activity that weekend. You guessed it, Springfield was spared with no tornado's and the hotel that I was staying in St. Louis took a hit. Nobody was killed, but many cars were destroyed and windows were blown out of several of the hotel rooms. The power was knocked off and sweltering 90 plus degree heat on Saturday with no air conditioning or power was brutal The worse part was showering in ice cold water with no lights...sigh...now that was bad luck at a casino...

The NSA "spying scandal" that has hit the US this June has gotten me to thinking. The American Government has admitted that they have gathered and collected the phone records of almost all calls in the US in the last few years. As I have read more about it, they did do some focusing and listening in to calls made between America and the Middle East. It suddenly dawned on me, that my calls from Dubai back to America were probably monitored. I think back to some of the venom I spewed to Fred about the Obama administration and their handling of Benghazi (even this blog was a place that I ranted) and other things. I wonder if poor Fred will receive an IRS audit now...lol. Big Brother is alive and well in America, The book "1984" has re-hit the best seller list...Some of the stuff going on is hard to believe....I mentioned joking to Muzzy about terrorism on the phone in my last blog, I haven't heard from him....hopefully he is not locked up in Guantanamo (just an attempt at humor, they wouldn't lock Muzzy up - they would get him with a drone).

I haven't heard from my Middle Eastern friends (well, Joseph emailed me, Kelly is ready for a Skype date, and Rodz...well she either wants to move to Springfield or to the Philippines, every day is a challenge...sigh.

Work is going well, I am beginning to make friends and of course I get to work for a very good friend. RK's warehouse should have opened for business this weekend...I can't wait to hear. Shift Leasing apologized for the delay in my Dubai car lease refund and promised to process it on June 11th, well so far no money...I guess its time for threats...I bet you that my bank will have my partial refund in it before the next blog!

I will work on getting things to blog about in the coming weeks...see you back here on the 1st of July. Have a great weekend!

Chapter 2

Well I can honestly say that I never expected to have the continuation of my Adventure from here in the USA. We will see how this goes, surprisingly the blog has been getting more than 50 readers a week, so I don't know if its strangers that stumbled across the blog, or Middle Eastern friends that hope I would continue or plain old American pals that I have rejoined but for some reason my ramblings entertain them. Regardless of why you are here, I will try and entertain and update you and as long as there are more than a handful of readers I will continue on.

Catching you up on whats happened to me, I accepted a job in Springfield, Missouri working for a family owned food service company that has been in business since 1865. The company originally took food orders and shipped the groceries through the plains to small railroad towns where the customer would meet the train and haul the goods back to the restaurant on a horse pulled wagon. Quite a history the company has, and the great, great grandson is the current owner. The owners are a wonderful family that the employees really like. I hope its the last company that I work for.
http://www.sgclink.com/

My manager (Todd) is one of my favorite all time bosses. This is the third time that we have worked together and the second time that I report directly to him. I accepted the position without hesitation because one of the things that I have learned in life is that you work for people more than you work for companies. Todd is a great person, and those of you that know him are either happy for me, or jealous, really hard to imagine working for a better man (he is not a blog reader or follower. I will probably not tell any of my current colleagues about the blog so I can share funnies freely.

I have stayed in touch with several of my UAE friends in the two months that I have been gone from the Middle East. Joseph has grown rich pawning off the furniture and dishes that I had to leave behind (just joking Joe). I only brought 4 suitcases and my laptop back to America, so I had to leave behind so many little used items or items (Like stainless steel side by side refrigerator) that just wouldn’t quite fit in the overhead bin. I tried my best to collect all of my deposits, and yet still have not successfully had my car lease deposit returned. I received a correspondence from Shift Leasing that they would wire my refund the first week of May. I apparently forgot to ask the first week of May of which year. So far, no money…but I remain hopeful. As you also may remember the Arab that hit my car in Dubai, successfully ran out the clock and did not pay me a dime. Oh well, I guess I will just forget that and move on (not likely…lol). I had lent a couple of people cash before I left; it is amazing how your friendship and debt status changes when you leave the country. I guess I am just an easy touch, but that feeling of being taken advantage of is really quite painful. The combination of feeling stupid for overly trusting combined with the anger you feel from someone thinking that they need not make sacrifices to repay someone who was kind enough to share their savings to help them in a pinch….Oh well, I guess being a sucker isn’t all bad, unfortunately it also causes me to think harder each time someone in my life asks for help.

My cell phone rang unexpectedly last week; it was my old friend Muzzy calling from Chicago’s NRA (National Restaurant association) trade show. It was good to spend a few minutes chatting with him, and I am very pleased that Muzzy finally has achieved his dream of visiting America. He was traveling from Chicago to Omaha to tour his first American Beef slaughtering facility. It should have been a very educational experience. I teased him about being a Muslim Middle Easterner visiting our country, but he gave me a good natured giggle. I don’t think I can appreciate the feelings that “good Muslims” must feel when they bear the burden of Westerners that associate them with the Jihadists that the free world battles every day.

I have been able to help one of my server friends get a new job in Dubai, it was very rewarding for me to be able to use my relationships to give someone a new opportunity. Three recommendations resulted in 3 interviews and two job offers – there are good people everywhere, and if you just treat people the right way, they generally will reciprocate (at this moment please ignore my earlier comments about unpaid loan money..lol).

Kumail has returned from India to Dubai and has accepted a new job. I will try and get more details from him in the coming weeks. Juan and Hayley are still working hard for Transmed, hopefully stocking away cash for a brighter future when they return to the West. My other favorite Arab American Reem, is hanging in  quite nicely, but she probably will marry some LCS (Lebanese man) and live that life…lol…just teasing Reem. Anu (the young QA manager at Barakat) is still waiting to have her wedding date to be set by her family in India. Mahesh is nearing the opening phase for RK’s new facility for Barakat International in Dubai Industrial City. I understand they anticipate opening by June 15^th, so I am sure the pressure is on for my friends.  Suresh and Jitesh are still working hard for Barakat, 6 days a week, and extremely limited holidays, are one of the things I failed to change. Vineet is still selling fruits and vegetables for Barakat, I am very proud of well he has done.

As I stated earlier, it’s the people that I miss. Rodz and I have actually figured out how to Skype together…Before you ask, I don’t know what the future holds. Absence makes the heart grow fonder…

I have only chatted with Kelly a couple of times, it’s funny, I don’t feel the urgency to talk with her, I feel very good about our friendship, and I truly believe that we are there for each other. She is traveling around the Middle East working for Ace Hardware…Kelly makes a good “tool time girl”…

Ok stand on your head, then you will see lol...

 

I have settled into my Duplex in Springfield, last night I snapped a couple of pictures, because I know how a lot of you need pictures to accompany my drivel. I am worried about my decorating skills, (Todd’s wife Deborah has helped me) but after visiting and Art and rug sale in a big tent and “Hobby Lobby” several times (a store for people that want to decorate their homes….sigh) I am a couple plants and lamps away from being finished. My brother Mike and a friend of his stopped by on their way out west chasing fortunes (amongst other things). I think my mother had sent him for a full report…lol. Actually, Mom and dad (Health permitting) are planning on visiting in August.

I still have the daily challenges in my life (last week I had lathered my face with shaving Gel, only to choke and then snort it up my nose, and then really choke-death seemed imminent) …I know only me. There has been a lot of traumatic weather (floods and Tornados) since I arrived in Springfield. I live 45 minutes away from Joplin, and Oklahoma is less than an hour. Today (the 31^st) they are expecting 5 inches of rain and an afternoon tornado outbreak. I know in Dubai the summer of 100 degree temps has begun, but I definitely prefer Heat to tornados. I hope to chronicle this stuff and hopefully make it interesting. Let’s see where this blog goes….It is great to be home, but not a day goes by that I don’t reflect on my friends and the people of the UAE.

God Bless and God willing I will see you back here around the 15^th of June. Please drop me a note and let me know how you are doing.

It Seems Like Yesterday...

I have to admit that I am surprised by how much I miss the people that became my friends in the 33 months that I lived in the UAE. Yes, I swore that I was done with this blogging thing when I returned to the USA, but my good friend Vineet, wouldn't stop nagging me. He is such a good soul, before I left he stuck by my side and he kept saying, "John, you got to keep Blogging"...and I would say, are you crazy?...Well, Vineet called me today, and I thought if that fool friend of mine is going to waste his hard earned Dirhams calling me, I would give it a shot. I don't know how long I will continue this blog,  but for now, I will blog a couple of times a month....On the 1st and the 15th. I will try and keep my American friends aprised of what's up with the people that they read about the last three years in the Middle East, and I will hopefully interest my friends from Dubai with the tales from my new stomping ground in the Ozarks of America, and the observations from my new hometown in Springfield, Missouri.

So, hopefully a few of you are around, I will start chapter two by June first...

Vineet sent me a couple of pics...

First, the old broken down American takes his last stroll through Dubai's airport to catch that flight back home...

Life goes on for the friends he left behind....

As Vineet, Kumail and Muzzy celebrate their Cricket championship in April...See you back here in a couple of weeks...

The Adventure Ends...

The first thing I will have to admit is that I don't know where to start, funny we have arrived at the end - and I don't know quite where to begin...
Well, lets give it a try and see where we go...I guess first we will finish with some updates from my exit from Dubai...

One of the first things regular readers (my mom most of all) want to know is did I collect my money from the hit and run that I shared the details with you about (Feb 22nd - CSI Dubai) last month. The answer is no. This guy Abdulaziz Alkhuwaiter, of Al Ain, stopped taking my phone calls, stopped answering my texts, and ignored my emails. Officer Ali, the policeman that was called by Abdulaziz and pulled rank on the officers that were investigating the accident, kept promising to help me, but in the end - he too just ignored my calls....the clock ran out. Now the amount was low (about $220), it just really makes me angry to know that these guys just stalled knowing I was powerless, and also knowing that I would be leaving in late March. All I have left to say is....KARMA!!!! (I can hope...lol).

One of the other things that I learned when leaving, it is virtually impossible to collect your various deposits...The first one involved my apartment. They told me to get my deposit back, The apartment management would need proof of all my bills being paid (Basically DEWA - Elec & water) and a final inspection for damages. Once they had both of those things, they need 24 hours to ready a check for me. So Dewa, needs 48 hours from when they do the final reading to produce a final bill. so, doing the math, I booked a stay for my last 3 days at the Holiday Inn in Dubai, and after Josseph came on Saturday morning with his moving crew to collect his loot (also known as my belongings) the fun started...First DEWA didn't show up, (I had sent two emails requesting my final reading per their websites instructions) so I headed to the local office in person. I was warmly received by a nice local lady employee, and she said that they sometimes just don't respond to the email requests as they should. After she heard my winy story of how I needed the final meter readings done on that same day, remarkably she made it happen. Meanwhile, back at Sandoval Garden apartments, the inspector came, walked through the apartment, and said it looks great, no damages. My final meter reading came in on Monday, my normal full month bill is 150 Dirhams, well this last reading shortened month - you guessed it 450 Dirhams...sigh. When they told me Monday afternoon, they said they can have it rechecked, but another 48 hours would be needed...yes I said, no, I need the proof of paying final bill...I cleared it, and headed to the real estate management office with my final bill receipt. When I got there, they told me they would be deducting $200 from my deposit for apartment damages (needed painting and cleaning). I said that it was cleared and he said, well I could appeal, but they would need 48 hours to recheck...yes, I once again, said no...just deduct it.

My leased car....yes, more issues, and as of now I still haven't received my deposit ($650). They will wire whatever they decide I am owed after a final inspection of my car....My cell phone had a credit left on it, I would need to go to the head office and request a refund...nope, no time....no refund...so, I
have decided that whittling down your deposits is almost an art form in Dubai....I wonder how much is lost each year on deposits....

It rained in Dubai on Monday and as I drove my leased car to turn it in, I almost wrecked it. Dubai decorates many of the streets intersections with marble or brick. Well, you can imagine how slick they get when it only rains 4 or 5 days a year. I lost control making a turn through one of those slick intersections and the car crossed three lanes and came within 3 feet of the center guard rail. Yes the damage could have been major, fortunately it was my lucky day. The cars around me avoided me, and I avoided the guard rail.

I had dinner at Texas Roadhouse, basically to say goodbye to Bhupali, Nikki, and the rest of my Darjeeling server buddies, and I was once again reminded by how bad of tippers the Arabs are (ok stereo typing isn't nice, but I call them as I see them). The bill at Bhupali's table was still there as I sat down. The three Arab gentlemen had paid their dinner bill of 537 Dirhams ($147)and left a tip of 3 Dirhams (81 cents). Now before you say that maybe they got bad service - I will share that Bhupali has won server of the month she is both cute and proficient.  I also can say, it is common for the Indian and Filipino servers to be stiffed by the diners because of their standing in Dubai. It is one of the sadder commentaries on life in the Middle East. I did get a warm goodbye from the servers, I will miss them.

I had some really touching goodbyes and well wishings from my former colleagues in the UAE. I am a sensitive old man, but I was genuinely choked up by several of them. Phone calls from many, like Hicham (Moroccan salesman that worked with me at Transmed), Mahesh (my engineer Side kick from Barakat) and maybe the most special, Suresh. Suresh had to return to India because his mother was having serious medical tests, and he needed to help make some serious decisions. He actually called me from India to appologize that he could not be there in person in Dubai to say goodbye.We both spoke with faltering voices. What a kind and wonderful gesture to call me when he was attending a family emergency. Suresh is such a kind and decent man, he inspires me to be more like him. God Bless him and his family....I can not keep my eyes dry as I recount how touched I was and am. I will miss Suresh.

My buddy Kumail was my chauffeur and companion for most of my last day. He had a brilliant suggestion when we had a couple hours to kill after Joseph, Kumail and I had one final meal at Texas Roadhouse, he said lets go see a movie, well what a great idea...So we went and saw Olympus has landed (Think Die Hard with a better actor than Bruce Willis)...well I loved it. It did have a interesting audience moment that I will share without ruining the movie for you - the basic premise of the movie is the white house is attacked by terrorists. In a scene in the movie where a TV news anchor is noting world reaction to the attack, he says "Great Britain, Germany, Canada (names a few more of our American Allies) send their condolences and pledge their support, while in the Middle East there is celebrations in the streets". Well that brought a reaction of laughter in the Middle Eastern movie theatre that I sat with Kumail in - it was an uncomfortable, yet sobering moment...Saying goodbye to Kumail and Joseph wasn't easy, I am going to miss those young men.

Kelly and her boyfriend Sami along with Reem treated me to my final Dubai dinner at the just opened Bennigans at Dubai Mall. I really enjoyed the dinner, and yes, more tough goodbyes, as Reem walked quickly away.
Kelly packed her car full of my bags (yes 4 plus a laptop) and we dropped Sami off and headed to the airport. Kelly dropped me off and I left my best friend in Dubai and headed in to the airport 5 hours before my flight time....it had been a long and draining day. Then who comes to babysit me at the airport, my boy Vinny...Kelly had texted him - He is just a great guy. He sat with me until 1 in the morning so that I wouldn't be by myself. I was and am blessed with some really great people while I was in Dubai. I got there a little shy of three years ago, determined to make a difference in the lives of people that I could effect by my actions. Little did I know that so many terrific people shared their love, trust and friendship with me. The people that I interacted with in the UAE have I think changed me and hopefully made me a better person. I will be forever grateful.

One of the things better in the Middle East than the USA is their airlines. My favorite airline ever is now Emirates Air. Their planes are clean, comfortable and spacious. The stewardesses are polite and attractive. Their individual entertainment systems are remarkable (on my final 14 hour flight I watched Lincoln and SkyFall-James Bond). The food is good and plentiful. Drinks (even libations) are free in economy. Why can't we have airlines that compare.... I did a final tribute (with Kelly's preflight encouragement) to my Indian buddies...i ordered the Chicken Curry for my dinner on the plane. I ate it all (it was actually tasty with just a little kick). Now I will admit that it gave me encouragement for a couple of quick trots to the bathroom...lol, I only wished that the middle aged (ok she was probably younger than me) Indian lady that sat next to me would have trotted to the bathroom...she did help keep me awake with her curry-licious gas bombs...Think spicy spoiled eggs...sigh... I didn't sleep on the plane and after getting my luggage (one of my $25 super sized suitcases - BTW weighed 48 lbs and I barely cleared the weight limit of 50 lbs.- was destroyed and it will be shot and put out of its misery after I get it unpacked) and clearing customs, I had a 6 hour drive to my parents home in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. I went to bed at 9pm and slept til after 9am the next day.

I know alot of you are curious as to what is next for me. I have accepted a great opportunity in Missouri and will be moving there on April 9th. The next chapter in my blessed life is about to be written, sadly the last chapter in my Great Adventure blog is being written. My email is JBruck1022@aol.com and my Facebook account (John Bruck) is ready for you to join. I want to thank all of you for reading this (I am not a writer, and I can only imagine how painful this was to read sometimes) and keeping up with me. I met my financial goals in Dubai, I landed a nice job in my return and I loved (yes Rodz had me at hello), lived, learned and even gained a couple of pounds living large on the other side of the globe. I lived in a beautiful city with gleaming sky scrapers, whose economy is growing and so many people come there for hopes for a
better life. I lived as one of the privileged and was fortunate enough to enjoy the affections of the less privileged.
 I am blessed, Thanks again... and goodbye for now....

Shamsudine and I

 

Bye, Bye Dubai...

This is my 156th Blog since I started this little adventure back in the Summer of 2010. I have had an awesome experience, working for two different companies and interacting with hundreds of different people - some from places that I couldn't have found on a map just 3 short years ago. As of this morning, there have been 9,351 different visits to read what was on my mind, or to check out what I am up to (or in the case of a few to see if someone they know over here is behaving, or spending way too much time with my old friend Dominic (I have to admit - he had great parties, attended by mostly hot women from the former Soviet Block and gay men - kept the odds way in his favor - of course an old annoying American like me, (unlike his gay party attenders) wanted the same girls that he did, but had no chance - yes I too was part of the proper party demographics lol). I know a few of the very regular readers - sometimes I would even share their thoughts on the blog. I was often surprised by the people that I had no idea read this blog....I would be having lunch with a business colleague (like Fadi Selwan) and have them lean across the table and say that they enjoyed something on my blog. Or being on a date with a younger lady (Fred claims that I will miss dating the mid-20 cuties more than anything else in Dubai, because that fountain is not available for me to drink from in the States - sadly, the three words I hate most come to mind - Fred is right), and have her ask "how Rodz is?", sadly not a great dinner date conversation. I know there are a lot of one time readers, googling about "IHOP", "Nipples", or "SYSCO" and being led to this blog...And I am somewhat surprised from where people are reading my blog from...
Country Page views

1. United States 5,799 2. United Arab Emirates 1,369 3. Germany 623 4. Singapore 177 5. Russia 174 6. United Kingdom 150 7. Japan 63 8. France 54 9. Slovenia 46 10. Canada 33
It is interesting to me that strangers that never have met me, see this blog and send me a note, but more rewarding are those friends that have stuck with me, prayed for me, cried with me (OK maybe I am getting carried away), and laughed with me..... Thank you all....You have encouraged me through some very tough and lonely times, but man how I have prospered both literally and figuratively by this adventure... I shared with you a few weeks ago that when I knew for sure that I was leaving this Mid Eastern paradise, that I would share my views on "Peace in the Middle East". Most of us Americans view Peace in the Middle East as a Palestinian/Israeli problem. I would submit that you are only half right. The Arab Spring that has seen long standing Authoritarian regimes overturned is very unstabilizing in the Region, especially as it pertains to American Interests. This is related to the bigger Sunni/Shia Muslim Sect issues, and I don't even want to pretend to understand it. I do feel like I have a grasp on the part of the "non peace" here as it pertains to Palestine and the Jewish State of Israel. Let me try and give you a quick run down of the issues as I see them... As World War II ended, the Allies had to solve the issue, of what to do with the Jews (post Nazi Holocaust) in Europe. They decided to create the Jewish state of Israel in the Holy lands of the Mideast. Now it was mostly dessert inhabited by Bedouins, but there were lots of Palestinians in the area also (Palestinian is a nationality -I didn't grasp this til I lived here - not a religion, there are many Palestinian Christians, they are not all Muslims.) These displaced Palestinians feel that this is their land, and that the Jews need to leave. Now I can certainly sympathize with their viewpoint, and how many of them feel that this land was stolen from their Ancestors. It is the same argument that Native American Indians can make in the United States. The problem with this viewpoint now, here in this part of the World is it is unrealistic. I am 50 years old, and beginning the twilight years of my life. If I would have been born in Jerusalem instead of Ohio, I would firmly and understandably feel that my homeland would be Israel. These millions of Israeli citizens are not leaving voluntarily, and unfortunately for my Middle Eastern Arab friends, they aren't leaving by force either. The Israeli's have shown themselves capable of defending their homes and land by themselves, and yes the American people and our military stand firmly behind them.   They showed their military prowess by winning the wars with the surrounding countries in in 1948, and then the more well known 6 day war in 1967 (military action begun by Israel after numerous cross border attacks by Palestinians from Egypt, Syria and Jordan. - sounds familiar huh). After Israel successfully defeated their neighbors, they kept their spoils of war - (West Bank and Gaza) to create a buffer from the Palestinians that have continued to fight to reclaim their homeland. In a nutshell...(if possible) - there will not be peace in this region unless a Palestinian state is created. What the Palestinians don't understand or trust is that America (and Americans) backs their desire for a creation of a state for them to live in Peace and worship in their Holy land and raise their children without fear of the Israeli army killing them in a raid. The problem is that the pathway for this to happen is a recognizing of Israel as a nation, and the understanding that the Jewish state of Israel will be protected also. Many Muslim leaders in the region hate that the Jews are infesting their land. they want Israel to cease, and they encourage instability as a way to beat these Jewish squatters and the evil American empire that backs them. I don't feel that they care about the Palestinians, they are a vehicle to justify their hate and desire to see a Muslim dominated region. So in summary, I say, the West must realize that there will be no peace without a Palestinian country, and the Palestinians must understand attacking and not recognizing the State of Israel, will continue the absence of a Palestinian homeland. Until the maps and the people of the region recognize and understand Israel is here to stay, and the Israeli's realize that they need to help the Palestinians create and form a peaceful neighbor there will be no peace. I have virtually no exposure to Israeli's here, but after countless interactions with Palestinians (lots of moderate ones here) have left me not very optimistic.  I hope that now when you hear our American politicians pontificate about Israel/Palestine that now you will have a better understanding to form your own viewpoints. There, I said it, and it won't be popular here.   My flight home to the greatest country in the World is approaching, and I have had some goodbye lunches and dinners with some of my new friends. Juan took me to dinner at Cheesecake Factory. He is now that area sales manager for Transmed in Abu Dhabi, is a brand new dad (2 weeks ago) and is doing a great job. Vineet continues to call and encourage and almost always shares his pre missing of me (very sweet man). Suresh (Barakats Abu Dhabi Rep) reminds me of Vineet with his kindness. If I have truly had the impact on their lives as these two profess I have had a successful 3 years here.   Kelly is taking me out to dinner and to the airport Tuesday evening, and I can tell you that there is no way that I will be able to say goodbye to her with shedding some tears. I have grown to love her and her unwavering friendship, and I admire her professionalism in business and I am so proud that she views me as a friend and mentor. We will be friends as long as she desires, I would not have been successful here without her. Joseph worked with me at Transmed and Barakat, and continues to fascinate me. I hope that I can continue that relationship. Kumail has quickly become my best Muslim friend, and I believe God has brought to me a friend that has helped me grow in my beliefs, and develop an understanding of others that don't share the same views as me. I will miss Hayley, but in many ways I already do. Sometimes keeping a friend of the opposite sex is harder than it should be. My Palestinian American friend Reem, continues to grow as a professional in this world (now manages the catering segment at Transmed) and she has grown closer with me with time....(we have already had two goodbye lunches - lol).... I will miss some of the waiters and waitresses that have I have befriended (The Darjeeling gals at Texas Roadhouse (Bhupali, Nikky, Swevta, and Archon), EE at Royal Garden (Thai Restaurant)... I have so many friends that in a way I am leaving behind, I hope that in some way I have touched their lives in a meaningful way (Like Fathuma and Josie - My sweet Kenyon Customer Service reps that are still working hard hoping for a better opportunity, Anupama Nair, the QA manager at Barakat that has invited me to her wedding in India (I hope I can go next year). Muzzy who's career has flourished due to his hard work at Transmed. I chatted with Rodz last night, yes we are still friendly, just not that friendly...lol, and I don't think she has come to realize that this is goodbye with somewhat of a finality to it - to most of my friends here. Not a see you soon.... Well, I hope I will see all of you soon, next week in fact, as I blog from my parents house in Virginia...Lots of stuff going on, to get me out of here by next Tuesday evening...God Bless you for sticking with me....See you next Friday...