All things, Good and Bad must come to an end...

     You will be amused to know that my patio furniture was delivered on the 19th.

My patio August 2014

The comedic value didn't stop with delivery, I am still getting emails requesting the return of my lost furniture. I like my new furniture, but boy what a pain in the butt!

 

I am planning a nice trip for the month of September, I have tickets to both the Dallas/St. Louis football game and the Reds/Cards baseball game the same weekend. I am going with my good friends Rez and Chad.

 

Business has been slow but steady, and I continue to add products and new customers.

 

Sadly, the readership of this blog has dwindled steadily, I thank you for keeping up with me, I invite you to facebook me or email me (jbruck1022@aol.com).

 

This has sadly become a chore, and I will say goodbye to all of the readers. Please keep Rodz and I in your prayers and I wish you the very best of luck.

 

Hopefully you will find ways to stay in touch with me...

Patio Furniture, Sure I ordered Patio Furniture...

Since our last time together, I have furniture updates, Rodz's Moms health update, and most importantly Fred is another year older update.

       Debbie hosted a birthday party for Fred a couple of weeks back. I was invited to attend Fred's birthday BBQ. Everyone else in attendance works or is wedded to someone at the Episcopalian church that Fred is the Associate Business Director (probably not his real title, but you get the gist). I had a basic mission, attend the celebration without angering Fred's bride Debbie, and without embarrassing myself or Fred  in front of his work colleagues (I think there were four Episcopalian Priests present). Well, I can say that I didn't make Debbie mad at least... Somehow, Fred's boss - the Chief Priest (Grand Poobah?) and I ended up in a conversation about Rodz being a Catholic gal and hopefully soon to be living here with me. I shared Fred's and my belief that Rodz and I would probably try a Episcopalian church since it is the protestant church that is closest to Catholicism which would hopefully make my Catholic gal happy, and yet be comfortable for this protestant blogger. Priest Jim showed interest and asked questions, well I fell into the trap of saying I didn't think I would be comfortable attending Catholic Mass, but I did respect the Catholic church. I have always admired a church that hasn't bended their core beliefs to make the masses happy, but pretty much struck to their doctrine. Well, I guess I did the equivalent of spitting in his wine chalice. After hearing about child molesting Priests and no birth control I quietly accepted my flogging and kept quiet the remainder of the evening. I just don't seem to do well at parties...The good news is Fred still has his job, and we will see if I bring Rodz to service at their church...

         Speaking of Rodz, her mother came through her surgery in Paris and she tells Rodz that she is doing well. Rodz is still struggling with everyday life in Satwa (Dubai neighborhood). She went a couple of days this week without running water. They bought bottled water to wash with. I of course couldn't resist teasing her about being a little pampered Princess washing in Perrier. Yes, I will never learn (see above paragraph and numerous blog stories in past blogs). We both just try and be patient and wait for her November 9th interview with the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi and then hopefully her immigration to America before Thanksgiving. Legal Immigration is not an easy thing to be patient about, especially with our current administrations polices regarding illegal immigrants.

           My mother is the most loyal blog reader out there. She faithfully prints my blogs and has a big binder on her living room table full of my ramblings. When I meet her friends in Lebanon, I often feel the need to apologize, knowing that the have been subjected to the "binder" of her son that they don't know and probably know too much about. Well, I know my mother is reading this today looking forward to seeing pictures of my new patio furniture. Well, as you can see or not see, there are no pictures - because there is no furniture. The "lost" furniture that I reported so faithfully Target had found in a New Jersey warehouse, they managed to un-find it. They called and said they would reorder it and "hope" that a new set would be delivered to me. I was told by my specialist (Amy) that she could make no guarantees and was really sorry for the length of time I had waited for a resolution that was still forthcoming. Well, last week I got a "robotic" auto call saying my new furniture will be delivered on August 19th. Yesterday, I decided to go to Targets web page and track the progress of my furniture. I see that it left a warehouse in California and will be delivered on August 30th...Sigh. Then today I get an email saying that this was my last confirmation of my furniture delivery on August 15. Well to say this hasn't gone smoothly would be like saying "is the Pope Catholic?" - oops sorry Fred. 

        I look forward to seeing you back here in a couple of weeks where you can see a nice picture of my new patio furniture, read about my interaction with the Obamacare website, and hear about my mini vacation that I have scheduled for September. Hope the remaining weeks of your summer find you happy and healthy. God Bless, and thank you for sharing this time with me...

       

The Weekend is upon us....

     There are times when this is little blog is tough to write. Sometimes, because of personal issues, sometimes when I am not feeling particularly insightful. then there are those rare times that both reasons apply. There are still an average of 200 visits to the "Great Adventure" blog each month, and we are nearing 14,000 views of this blog. There are fewer readers now, then there were except for the first few weeks of my drivel. At one time, the readership was pretty equal between Americans and non Americans, now it is pretty overwhelmingly Americans reading this....

United States	7717
United Arab Emirates	2006
Germany	789
Russia	277
United Kingdom	243
Singapore	210
France	139
Malaysia	114
India	94
Canada                                               88  It still puzzles me as to who these readers in Singapore are...       I just returned from a 3 day trip to Idaho. Hopefully I have solved some of my product sourcing issues. The things that I learned about potatoes on this trip....lol.     Rodz is struggling with tough news from her mother. She is battling cancer and has surgery scheduled this coming week. Linda lives and works in Paris and it is difficult for Rodz that she can't be there in her mothers time of need, and of course I feel awful that I can't be there for Rodz. Maybe President Obama "with a stroke of the pen" will allow Philippina's to immigrate...lol - fat chance.      Speaking of amnesty, my missing patio furniture has been located. As of last Friday, It was "located" in a distribution center in New Jersey. The company that I have so far shielded (TARGET), says it will be delivered soon. They promised an update by this past Tuesday, yes I have not heard from them and yes for the 4th time in this 7 week ordeal, I will call them tomorrow. Let's hope next blog includes a picture of patio furniture....      Fred and Debbie are hosting a bbq to celebrate Fred's 51st birthday this weekend. As my hair is thinning, Fred's hair is greying....it is hell to grow old...but as many wise people have said, growing old is tough, but it beats the alternative. OK, I tried this week, if you want a refund for costs incurred while reading this blog, I am with you...let's hope for a better blog next time.... 

The Worlds Oldest Profession...

Greetings from beautiful South Florida. Things are starting to shape up. I got back from Dubai last week with some business opportunities, and happily I have closed some deals. On the home front most of my new furniture has been delivered, and my home is starting to feel like...home.

new furnishings July 2014

          I have patio furniture that was due to be delivered last week, sadly it is lost. I kid you not, the company promises to deliver a set of furniture as soon as they can find it...lol.  So far I have not ridden my newly repaired bike, or swam in the pool, but Lord knows I know that I need to.

 

          I last blogged from my hotel room in Dubai. Well, the remainder of my stay was eventful. On my last evening (Wednesday July 3rd), my plane was leaving just after midnight. Well Rodz and I had a nice dinner out to be followed by packing up and meeting with





Rodz and I Dubai June 2014

Vinny for our farewell at the airport. Vinny was meeting us in my room at 10:15 pm so Rodz and I headed to the hotel about 9 pm, that is when the fun either started or ended - depending on your perspective. I was staying at a 5 star hotel, so we valet parked and headed for the elevator. Not so fast, security stopped Rodz from getting on the elevator with me, and made a comment about not working at this hotel. They quickly escorted Rodz off the elevator and I was stunned. I caught up with them and tried to intervene that Rodz and I were in a relationship, it fell on deaf ears. Security tried to stop me from following, as Rodz cried (you can't begin to imagine the humiliation being treated this way in the lobby of one of Dubai's most prestigious hotels) but I went from shocked to angry in a nano second.   
As I raised my voice in the security office, I quickly became the focus. They quickly requested my ID. Rodz was no longer teary eyed, she was livid! It took the security manager getting involved and at least 15 minutes before they finally backed off and allowed Rodz to accompany me to my room. Needless to say, the romantic evening we were enjoying had ended. Hell hath no fury... Of course I have not let it go when teasing Rodz (asking her if she is cruising the hotel lobbies can quickly draw a reaction)...Love to tease her....

My trip back was long, but having Fred welcoming me with my car in Miami and my 7 day adventure was over. It was great seeing Rodz, seeing old friends and solidifying business. I will probably go back in February, but hopefully Rodz will be here by then. The immigration update is not pretty. Rodz needs to get one more official document from the Philippines, so the Embassy in Abu Dhabi rescheduled her interview...Rodz is traveling to Manila in August and will finalize her documents for her now November 9th interview...It seems so far away to me...I would be lying if I didn't say I was depressed about the delay...The 4 month process will be 15 months along when she finally has her interview. She is asking for the date to be moved up, but I am not optimistic.

        One of my good friends that I spent time with in Dubai was Transmed's finest Juan Lopez. Well Juan is now enjoying his annual leave in the states. He is planning on visiting me here in South Florida (Nick is planning on joining us) sometime this month. I will try and take a picture.

See you back here in a couple of weeks....

Back in the Sandpit!

Well where to start...


I left Miami (almost missed my flight, arrived 45 minutes before International flight...but begging sometimes actually works) on Friday, and after an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany a half hour walk through the terminal (I wish I was exaggerating- what a poorly laid out airport!), a 7 hour wait for my connection I landed in Dubai almost exactly 24 hours after the doors of my plane were shut in Miami. What a long an exhausting trip.
Vinny picked me up at the airport after 11 pm and whisked me to the Shangri La hotel. I tried to get a good nights sleep, but I would be kidding to say that I did. I wasn't feeling anywhere near normal until Monday. I woke up this morning at 5:30 am and turned on my laptop to the MLB package and watched the Reds/Padres game on the West Coast. It brought back memories of when I lived here trying to keep up with American sports.


I have had several excellent sales calls, and really am set up with some good opportunities. If I can close only 10% of what was presented to me, my company will be very successful. It does pay to leave a country on good terms and with a good name as both of the companies that I worked for over here have pledged full support and opportunity. I also have met with a few colleagues that worked with or for me in the past that now are in decision making positions, and those meetings also presented many potential opportunities. This trip is just what my business needed.


I had dinner with Kelly last night, she has invited me to attend her wedding here in Dubai in early January 2015. I am planning on being here for that grand event! I have also gotten to spend some time with Juan, Steve, Reem, Vinny, Kumail, Muzzy, Suresh, and Joseph. They are all good souls.


Ok - Now for the fun with Rodz part of the trip. We got to spend Sunday evening together, it was a wonderful, and fun evening. We dined at Cheesecake Factory in the Mall of Emirates. I am sure most of you have seen the photo's on my Facebook wall. I had my normal fun with Rodz on words, she asked me what was the main reason I came to Dubai, and in my normal flirty manor, I shared with her that "Monkey Business" was why, of course you Westerner's understand, and Rodz laughed. I laughed with her until her mom posted how nice it was for me to visit her daughter in Dubai, and Rodz posted back on her mothers Facebook wall that I came for "Monkey Business". Rodz doesn't read the blog anymore, nor does her mother....I think if I explain more to her, she will kill me...lol.


I am returning to South Florida tomorrow night, so I will leave for now. In 2 short weeks I will give you a complete immigration update!


Please keep me in your thoughts for a safe journey...

Boarding a Plane to Dubai

I am posting early, because Friday afternoon I board a Luftunsa flight connecting through Germany arriving in Dubai late Saturday evening. I come back on July 3rd. This is a business trip, but I am so looking forward to seeing Rodz for the first time in 19 months. Hopefully I will still be able to post on the first....


Looking forward to seeing Vinny, Kelly, Juan, Reem, Joseph, Jethesh, and JR...I have plans to spend time with each one of them, and keep the evenings for Rodz...


keep me in your thoughts and prayers!

I am Violated in Florida...

         Where to start this week...New job? Move to Florida? Rodz's upcoming June 30 interview? My upcoming trip to the UAE? or The story involving the Palm Beach Sheriff's Department, and the deputy that just left my new pad...

        I moved into my new 3 bedroom townhouse last Sunday. It is brand new almost 2,000 sq. feet of happiness. I love it! It is in the West Palm Beach area (2 miles from the Atlantic Ocean)  4 miles from Fred and Debbie's new home. It is a waterfront property overlooking a nice lake. Very peaceful. My mom flew down from Virginia to help me unpack. We made a lot of progress this week. By the way, a very weird thing happened this week with my mother. As she and I were dining Thursday and talking about my old Lebanon, Virginia friends. I asked her about Billy Rhea. Billy is about 5 years older than me and used to give me odd jobs to do in the summer while I was in high school (cut grass/paint barn) I think just to help me with money. I have not talked to mom about Billy, or heard anything about him for probably over 20 years. When mom got back home to Lebanon this evening, she called me and said that in the paper she saw that Billy Rhea had passed away this past week and was buried on Thursday, the day I asked about him....eerie to say the least...

       Some of you already know that I have begun an export company, that is selling various food service products to the UAE. It has started slowly, but that being said already have two container loads of food on the way to Dubai. I planned on going to Dubai on June 30th to accompany Rodz to her interview with Homeland Security and make some sales calls to help my fledgling business. So today I was looking for my passport so that I could book a flight (it was going to be a surprise for Rodz). I looked through all of my desk stuff and could not find my passport. So, I thought I would look later, and I headed to the furniture store to buy some new furniture for my new abode. I priced out what I wanted, thought I would check my bank account to see exactly what I had available to spend, and was unpleasantly alerted to a mysterious $600 check/withdrawal. It was a forged check that was apparently stolen from my desk by my professional un-packers (check was cashed in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida). I then realized where my passport was (packed in same box)...I called the police, they made a report, but I have to go to the bank Monday morning to close my account and report the forgery. I also have to notify the US Government of my stolen passport (believe it or not my movers were Russians) and see how fast and how much they will charge to get me a new passport. I feel violated....

         I was rereading some of my old posts that I had written while I was in Dubai, and discovered that I used to write a pretty good blog....Sorry that I am not as interesting as I used to be. I could write about what a joke our current governments foreign policy is, but I think you would have to live under a bridge with no TV or internet not to already realize that. I could tell you cute Rodz stories, but half of what makes them enjoyable is listening to my imitation of her...lol.

          You are probably reading this on Father's Day, if you are Happy Fathers Day! My dad is still going strong at 84 and I can't wait for he and mom to come visit Rodz and I this Thanksgiving...Hopefully, I will have a successful Rodz interview story to pass along on July 1st. See you here, then! RIP- Billy Rhea 1957 - 2014. Sorry I never thanked you properly for the kindness you showed me in my youth....

Goodbye Missouri, Hello Florida!

        Sometimes in life you must make bold choices in the hopes of brightening your future. If things go according to your plan, the decision looks easy and wise in retrospect.  If your move turns out to be a false step in your life, hopefully you learn from that mistake and avoid repeating it. Often that hardest risk/reward decision is a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity. Well, I have mad that decision, and hopefully I will be blessed as a result.

        In my new career, it made sense (at least to me) that I relocate to Florida. If you have to move to an area, why not move close to your best friend. I flew down last week and Fred was there to help me look for a new place to live. We found a beautiful new town house overlooking the water in the Lake Worth/Lantana (West Palm Beach) area. It has everything I was looking for (pictures next blog) and happens to be 5 minutes from Fred and Debbie's new home in Lake Worth. Life is good. This past week and the coming week are all about saying goodbye to my colleagues and customers in Missouri and arranging my 1200 mile move.

        I really hate that I am leaving Springfield almost exactly 14 months from my relocation here from Dubai. I will say that it has probably been my favorite city that I have lived in. Deciding to quit my current job and leave the warm comfortable working conditions that Todd has provided was a very tough decision and I probably would not have made it, without the support and blessing of Todd. He has been a true and loyal friend.

    I have spent the past week making the tour around the region introducing my customers to their new rep and saying good bye and thanking them for the opportunity. It has been tough, I never like goodbyes. Some of my Springfield coworkers are planning on some goodbye parties/dinners/lunches this week. My moving truck leaves for Florida this Friday. Rodz is excited about the move to Florida, one look online at the Palm trees and the no frost winter made this exciting news for her. I am in the middle of packing, so new details about my career and upcoming trip to Dubai, will have to wait a couple of weeks....Hang in there with me!

      

Marathon Survivor

        It feels like May 1st was just a couple of weeks ago, well I am back with another blog. Let's start this blog with some people updates. Starting stateside, I attended my cousin Brookes wedding on May 3rd. It was great seeing all of the kin folk. My parents were in high spirits and seemingly good health.

Andy & Helen Bruck May 3rd, 2014
 

Dad is now 84 and my mother is a youthful 83. I used their being old as a way to sneak out of the reception while the night was still young. Of course I was in bed and asleep well before them. The wedding was overall great fun. 

      On the way back from the wedding in Ohio, I stopped in St. Louis and had dinner with my great friend Chad. I sadly discovered that Chad has stopped reading this blog, because he had no knowledge of Rodz. I have to fly to Boston out of St. Louis next Tuesday (if you think that sounds like a foreshadowing of big news to share with you next blog - you would be correct). Chad is letting me stay the night next Tuesday, with our friends Moe and Rez (we all worked together at SYSCO St. Louis, and now none of us do) coming over for a cookout on Monday evening.

        This past Saturday morning, my phone rang early, when I answered it was none other than Bahaman Bob Green. It was nice catching up with him as he tries to SYSCOmatize his Bahaman foodservice company. He says that he is working 65 hour weeks, but is enjoying the challenge. I am happy that he is doing well. Rodz and I will have to fly in for a weekend visit.

      Speaking of Rodz, she has started prepping for her homeland security interview on June 30th. She is challenged by some of the "test" questions (yes I really do have two brothers) as she preps with me on questions about my life and family. Thank goodness I don't have to answer questions about her life and family. She is worried that she will be rejected by our government and be blocked from joining me in America. I am beyond ready for this ordeal to be over.

        On the other side of the world. I have talked several times with Joseph. He is a managing partner with Mellon Foods on Dubai. He seems to be doing quite well. Vineet is enjoying his new company. He just texted me a few hours ago relishing in his successes. I am looking forward to visiting my friends in Dubai soon.

      I have been slowly catching up with my dvr'd television shows. I was saving the current season of Survivor (this season is in the Philippines) thinking it would be fun to watch with Rodz, well realism sunk in that in the best case scenario she would be here in late July. I have been watching 3 or 4 episodes a night and I finally got current tonight. I have been on the same marathon watching with the Showtime series Dexter. I have watched almost all of the 5 seasons that I was behind, but now I only have 7 episodes left.
Watching the Reds play baseball every night, followed by a TV series catch up has kept me busy.

     It's later than I care to stay up....big career news coming next time. See you back here on June 1st.

Found it....

      I am really looking forward to this weekend. My cousin Brooke is getting married in Ohio. My mom and dad and a lot of the extended family will be there. I have always hated local weddings, most of your day (normally a Saturday) taken up by an event that is an "appearance" affair. Seems like you don't have enough time to do much in the morning, and then after the ceremony a long wait for photo's followed by a party where one should behave. By the time it's over, its too late to do anything else fun. Now this weekend's event is just the opposite of that. The wedding is at 5:30 in the evening (I like that) and it is out of town. (In Ohio). I will get there around three, leaving just enough time to dress up for the wedding. Then the event will take place, followed by time for me to see all of my favorite relatives. The event will be over early enough for me to spend a little quality time with my folks, before retiring for the evening. Sunday morning, enjoy a nice breakfast at my Uncle Bob's and Aunt Donna's house, then back on the road to home in the morning while traffic is still light. Should be a fun 16 hours in Ohio.

      Well the last time we visited, I still had no good update on Rodz's attempt to immigrate to America. Well the worm has finally turned. Last Wednesday morning, I once again phoned the U.S. State Department to try and get an update on our missing case file. Well I was fortunate enough to speak to an articulate pleasant employee of the State Department. After reviewing my file, she was empathetic to the frustrations that I was sharing about the time the case was taking to move through the system, and the mystery of where the file had wandered off to. She was alarmed that the Abu Dhabi American Embassy had not responded to either email that the State Department had written asking for an update. She told me she would personally follow up and that if I hadn't heard from her within a couple of days to feel free to call back. Well she made me think that I finally was going to get some answers. In an amazing turn of events, the next day in Dubai, Rodz got a phone call from our Embassy scheduling her homeland security interview for Monday, June 30th at 8am. Rodz also got the official appointment letter via email. My new buddy from the State Department called and left me a message to congratulate us upon arriving at the last hurdle for Rodz's Immigration. So keep your fingers crossed that Rodz will be able to join me in July.

     Let me apologize for the brevity of this update, I am fighting staying awake, and am not feeling clever or interesting. I am in the midst of making some serious career decisions that hopefully I can share with you in just a couple of short weeks. Thank goodness that we have emerged from such a harsh winter, I feel like things are starting to pop up like Roses....

No Worries - The US State Department is here to save the day,,,Sigh

       I try my to come here twice a month to write something that may be funny and sometimes even insightful. I am opinionated (surprise) and a political creature, but I do realize that a lot of regular blog readers that check into see my drivel actually like to read my political rants. I also know that quite a few of you know me and just check-in to see how I am and read about my ongoing Rodz saga. Those  friends would just as soon not hear my views on politics. Please try and understand that I try and make both of these groups smile (or cry) and entice you to return for another day. When I think about ending this blog, (I feel like it has become stale) I think that if and when Rodz does get here, there will be plenty of stories that make you smile, and a few that will moisten your eyes. So for now, we plod along.

     Rodz calls the Abu Dhabi Embassy 2 or 3 times a month to see if she can schedule her final Immigration interview. She shares with me that they tell her to be patient and share with her that  if she keeps calling she may end up at the back of the line. Well, Rodz Visa expired Feb. 28th (I have been assured that after her interview it will be extended for 60 days) and I have become irritated with the slow progress as we plod along (hard to believe I found two opportunities to use the word "plod" in this blog) in this process.
Well, as you may recall - I called the State Department in late February and found a helpful person that informed me that Rodz's case file left the Manila Embassy on Feb. 7th headed to Abu Dhabi  by diplomatic pouch. I wrote an email about the case file to the Abu Dhabi Embassy on April 4th, I received a reply on April 7th that they didn't know where the file is. I called the State Department, they informed me that the file is MIA. I was promised that they would do a quick internal investigation and they would phone me by Monday, April 14th to update me. Well, the 14th has come and gone, and sadly, my government did not find an opportunity to contact me. The saga continues...

     One of Rodz's favorite jokes with me is that she is "Mrs. Broke". I try and humor her by making fun of her extravagant lifestyle living in the poorest area of Dubai (Satwa) sharing a villa with 14 other Philippino's.
Well, I finally have found her weak spot. Rodz has a company van that picks her up every morning at 8 am, and takes her to work. That same van takes her home where she arrives 6 days a week at 10 pm. Incredibly long days. Well, I found out that so she can sleep an extra 45 minutes every day, by (when she has enough cash) taking a taxi to work. Now before that shocks you, one should realize that taxi's in Dubai are very affordable. Rodz says that a cab ride to her work cost her about 15 Dirhams (less than 4 dollars). I asked her how much she tipped the Pakistani cabbies and she said her fare is usually 14.5 to 14.75 Dirhams, but she lets the driver keep the change for a tip ...yes - that would be 8 cents. I think proper tipping will
be one of the first lessons that I will quickly have to share with Rodz when she arrives in America. Well this morning before I left for work, (Rodz and I were chatting on Skype) I told Rodz I was running late for work, and my taxi just arrived...Rodz wanted to know what happened to "our" car, and why am I taking a taxi. Well, Mrs. Broke took about 5 seconds before I got scolded for "teasing" her....(my new favorite hobby). We shared a chuckle, what a great way to start my day.

      The first week in April, I made my annual pilgrimage to Atlanta for my fantasy baseball draft. I have been involved in this League for a quarter century. The guys that (12 of us) I compete with have become almost like family. Yes, a real family complete with dysfunctional uncle's...lol. I stayed with my college pal Danny and his lovely bride Laura. I had a first time in my life disaster just before I left their home to travel to St. Louis. I used the guest bathroom, and managed to clog the toilet. At the same embarrassing moment, the chain came undone inside the back of the toilet. Let me just say, a clogged toilet with the water running unchecked quickly turns into an embarrassing mess. Danny came and pretended he was a member of FEMA and helped stop the flood. The animals were approaching 2 by 2 as I fixed the tank. I hope that next time I visit, the wading pool is closed... I also crammed a Mexican dinner in with my friends Lee and Cheryl...hmmm, could that be related to my bathroom adventure at Danny's? Ok, enough of my embarrassing moment. It was really nice seeing all of them.

      On my way home to Springfield, I stopped into St. Louis for the
St. Louis Cardinals home opener against my Cincinnati Reds. I went with an old friend of mine that I worked with at SYSCO St. Louis. Steve and I withstood a cold, raw, and wet day. The company of my friend made the day a huge success. April started off well...

On May 3rd my cousin Brooke is getting married in Ohio. I was really looking forward to bringing Rodz with me to meet the extended family, Sadly, it looks like I am going solo now. Keep your fingers crossed that Rodz gets to enjoy her birthday on June 10th here in America. It's late, I need to get some sleep, or I might get up late and have to take a taxi to work...lol, take care see you in a couple of weeks!

One Quick Year

It was just one year ago last week that I ended my 3 year journey to Dubai and returned to the USA. I can honestly say not a day goes by that I don't converse with someone from the UAE or fondly tell stories to my friends and colleagues here about the time I spent on the other side of the world. It is funny how we tend to remember the good times more than we remember the struggles.

Later this week, I am traveling to Atlanta for my fantasy baseball league draft. Here I am, a 51 year old, and my avocation is fantasy baseball. I have been a part of this same league for 25 years. I am far from the oldest, as several of the guys are my senior. I had planned on flying Rodz into Atlanta the day after my draft...sadly, well you know. I actually received an update from the Abu Dhabi Embassy yesterday. As you may recall, the State Department informed me in late February that Rodz's case file was sent by "diplomatic Pouch" from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi on February 7th. Rodz is still waiting for the Embassy to call and schedule her Homeland Security interview, which thankfully is the last step to immigrating to America. Well, I thought I would send an official inquiry to see what the holdup was at the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Sadly, I got a reply yesterday. They have not received the case file in Abu Dhabi. I called the State Department, they said to be patient. Patience is a virtue that I am running dreadfully short of.

My new account in Kansas City is up and running. I am really excited about the opportunity that lies ahead. They are planning on opening a new location every other month.

Fenway Steakburger March 2014

 

Let's keep our fingers crossed that I can keep them happy and loyal as they grow.

 

My real exciting adventure for April is not my traveling to Atlanta. I have tickets to opening day in St. Louis next Monday, to watch my Cincinnati Reds hopefully beat my second favorite team the St. Louis Cardinals. I am going with one of my best friends from my SYSCO St. Louis days, Steve Reznikov. Steve loves the Cardinals and we should share a lot of good natured bantering. He is one of my favorite people, and has a great sense of humor. He also shares my loathing of post game traffic, so it will be interesting how late we stay. I also have to drive the over 3 hours home to Springfield after the game, since I have to work on Tuesday.

 

I sadly have not much else to share today. I hope that you are enjoying opening week of baseball like I am. Maybe, just maybe our government will find Rodz's file, then I can hopefully give you a better update on tax day. Take care and God Bless!

Hurry Up and Wait...

Is it just me, or is the world a mess - at least from an American perspective. We have civil war in Syria and Iraq. Egypt is quickly becoming a non-ally. Iran is progressing along on their path to developing nuclear weapons. North Korea is flexing their muscle, threatening to destabilize the world. Russia has annexed part of the Ukraine and is poised to grab more Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile our allies are not as supportive as they used to be...the UAE and Saudi Arabia are unhappy with how the US has handled themselves in both Syria and with Iran. Other allies like Great Britain, have suddenly found their own voice and are not as supportive of American Leadership as they have been in the past 50 years. Five years ago Americans were promised by our President that he would usher in a new era of respect from the worlds leaders. So after touring the world, apologizing for our past transactions, we now are less respected and viewed as feckless and a paper tiger on the World Stage. I learned from many of my Arab friends, that their culture respects strength, not unilateral kindness. Hopefully, this down ward spiraling of American Leadership and relevance can be halted and reversed by our next President. Freedom and safety in the World is dependent upon a strong America...

Speaking of strong Americans, my confidence in our legal immigration is wavering. I wish I had a positive update in Rodz's attempt to legally immigrate to America. I have no update, except that my patience is shot... Hopefully, the long wait will be over soon. Rodz is much more patient than me, but sadly she is stuck in the cycle of a working Philippine lady in Dubai. She says, "work - home, home - work, it's all I have"... of course, it makes me feel helpless in my efforts to help her immigrate and fundamentally change her life. Please keep us in your prayers.

Speaking of prayers being answered, winter is winding down and my favorite sport of baseball is back. By the next blog in 2 weeks, the games will have begun. As you may recall, I am a huge Reds fan, and I am once again optimistic that my team will have a great year and win the World Series. I am traveling to Atlanta the first week of April to see my baseball buddies and participate in my fantasy baseball draft (as I have since 1989). Baseball has given me countless hours of entertainment over the years, and during my homesick times in the UAE, being able to watch games at 4:30 in the morning, helped to keep me sane.

Vinny and I spoke last week, he starts a new job in the UAE this Sunday. Kumail has also started a new job, it pleases me that my old friends are landing on their feet. Joseph is running his own company, and they are all doing great. I also chatted with Suresh this month, he still is working very hard for Barakat. I miss all of those guys (my Indian pals) -of course don't forget Muzzy. One of my new customers here in Missouri is an Indian Lady (from Mumbai) named Jay. I have to admit, that my understanding of her is probably much better from the experience I gained working with my Indian brethren in the UAE. We live in a small world.

I shamefully have to admit, that when I saw that this Malaysian Airliner went missing in the Bay of Bengal, that I suspect that it landed in Southern India in RK's hometown...lol. Of course, I am not serious, but I do find myself fascinated with the riddle of what happened to the plane.

Time to start my weekend, but I will check back next week, hopefully with progress on Rodz's attempt to join me here in America. Thank you for checking in, and I hope your March ends on a high note.

Tragic week in my nice City

Springfield, Missouri is the perfect sized city for me. The population is a little more than 150,000 people, and it has a good mixture of dining establishments. It is about a three hour drive up I-44 to St. Louis, and Kansas City is a tad bit closer to the Northwest. It is the perfect size city, with the big cities close enough to enjoy. Last week this city was shaken to its foundation. Hayley, a ten year old girl that lived within 10 minutes of my home was abducted in broad daylight. It was 4:45 in the afternoon, and there were witnesses. A man pulled up in a gold truck, asked her for directions, then grabbed her and pulled her into the pick up truck. One of the neighbors chased in his car, while the others called the police. They had the license plate, a description of the gold truck, and a detailed account of the man that grabbed the little child. The Amber alert went out, within two hours they had arrested the man finding 10 year old Hayley with a bullet in the back of her head, her life snuffed out by evil. It was a sobering evening, followed by a couple of weeks that a grieving community was left to try and make sense out of the tragic crime. It was a sobering week in small town America.
I wish I had better news to report on the Rodz front, but the good news is that there is an update. I talked to Sarah at the State Department on this past Wednesday. She informed me, that Rodz's immigration file was shipped in a "Diplomatic pouch" from the Philippine's to Abu Dhabi on February 7th. Well, then she informed me that the Diplomatic pouch would take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. It looks like March will be another month of waiting. My good friend Vineet (you remember Vinny the Pooh) has agreed to drive Rodz to Abu Dhabi for her interview when it finally gets scheduled. I guess we are making progress, just feels painfully slow. Poor Rodz had to go to the Iranian hospital in Dubai where she was treated for a respitory infection.
She keeps plodding along, patience is  a virtue that she seems to have much more of than me.

The big trade show happened last week in Dubai, and I heard from several of my old friends in the UAE. It was a year ago last week that I gave my 30 day notice, and began the process of coming home to America. I am so happy that the harsh winter is winding down, the return of spring training baseball games as a harbinger of what is to come.

I feel like I am in a rut with work, but I am very happy that another new chain came on board for me. Fenway Steakburger received their opening order last week, and I am very excited to have been a big part of the first one. Finally, the really depressing news. My BMI is 29. That may not sound like horrific news to you, but to qualify for the lowest rate of insurance I now have to attend four weeks of fat class. The next four Wednesdays I will be amongst the heavy weights at work, where they will try and convince me that Lucky Charms is not good for you. All I can say is....Sigh.

See you in two weeks, with a hopefully lighter blog.

You mean being Hung is a bad thing?

Since we last chatted, I had the privilege that few people in the world get to experience, I was the member of the Greene County Missouri Jury. I was juror number 4 in a class 1 felony Drug trafficking trial. One of my fellow jurors worked for a competitor and secretly snapped this picture of me and sent it to a work friend asking more about me...hmmm - don't know what information he was hoping to glean...

Jury Duty Feb. 2014

My fellow Americans, please allow me to explain jury duty to our International blog readers. I know it is a somewhat foreign concept as I still think Rodz thinks I did something wrong in my trying to explain to her about the trial at the courthouse. I can hardly wait to share the funnies that we can look forward to during Rodz's upcoming invasion of America. She is very happy that I am not in jail...lol!

In America, if we are charged with a crime, we have a right to have our guilt or innocence decided by our fellow community members. If you are a registered voter you can be randomly asked to serve on a jury. The attorneys and the judge ask questions of the potential jurors until they agree on 12 of them to hear the testimony of the trial. After hearing both sides, the jury meets behind closed doors to decide the guilt or innocence of the accused by unanimously agreeing. If the defendant (the accused) is found not guilty they are free to immediately leave as a free person, but if the jury convicts the defendant they are sentenced to serve the penalty prescribed for the crime.

In my trial, a truck driver from Southern California was caught driving his 18 wheeler (54 ft truck) with 1.4 million dollars worth of Marijuana (20 boxes - 500 lbs of Skunk 1 weed and 2 cleaned leaving only the oily buds -the potent stuff). The Police found it in the trailer hidden behind surplus janitorial supplies. The driver owned the truck, admitted he loaded the truck but he claimed he didn't know what was in the boxes. In testimony, it was determined he had owned the truck for 18 months when he was caught - starting a new career as an Interstate driver. He drove 7 round trips between two non existent companies.  He even drove the truck "deadhead" (no cargo)across the country on a couple of the trips. His Bills of Lading were filled out, but no one signed for the goods. Even though they were COD orders he had no evidence that he was paid on these trips to New Jersey. The penalty for class 1 felony trafficking can be life in prison with no parole. Sounds like an easy case to adjudicate. Not so fast...

I had the honor (or burden) of being chosen to be the foreman of the jury. It became my responsibility to lead the deliberations and maintain order in the jury room. We discussed the facts for about an hour and then took a vote - it was 6 guilty, 5 not guilty and one undecided. We went through the facts and after another 4 hours we voted again and it was 10 guilty and 2 not guilty. The sides were pretty entrenched. We asked to see some of the evidence and spent quite a bit of time trying to persuade the 2 jurors (they also tried to persuade the 10 of us that the accused was not guilty). One of the 2 refusing to convict was a lady in her 40's that was married to a truck driver. She kept saying things like "what if it was my husband being accused" and extolling the virtues of good honest truck drivers. It was hard to reason with her. The other was the youngest of our jury, he was in his 20's and made it clear he didn't want to talk about the facts, he was not going to convict the driver of marijuana trafficking possibly sending him to prison for the rest of his life. I didn't share it with my fellow jurors, but I did think about the 2 men that were arrested in Abu Dhabi for selling 20 grams of marijuana and sentenced to death.
 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/9357655/British-man-facing-death-penalty-in-Abu-Dhabi.html

It is an interesting world. The judge sent us home at 10 pm and we had to be back at it shortly after 8 am the next morning. Nobody had changed their mind, and eventually at 3 pm the judge called us in where we told him we were "deadlocked" and we became a "hung" jury. It wasn't very satisfying, and I felt a level of frustration that I was the foreman of a hung jury. We met afterwards with the judge and then with the attorney's where it became painfully obvious that he was guilty and it was so egregious that the prosecutors said they would definitely retry him. The judge had a hard time  understanding the two holdouts sharing that the facts were obvious. What a tough week. I hope that justice eventually prevails...

Speaking of tough weeks, Rodz was feeling especially down this week. She wore an all black outfit to work on Valentines day and we chatted more than usual. She did talk to the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi last Monday, and they told her if she didn't hear from them in the next 10 days to call back. The only step she has left in our quest to have her immigrate to America is the Homeland Security clearance. I tease her about flying to Mexico and swimming across the border, but she says she is afraid to swim across the river...If it wasn't so frustrating it would be laughable. Hopefully I will have real news about her immigration when I update you on March 1st.

My new account in Kansas City is finally getting their opening order on Monday. It will be great to bring a new chain on board. The last tidbit of information is regarding my parents. On Valentines Day they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. When I called her she shared that she had been married more than half of her life..lol...I'd say. I asked her what the traditional 60th anniversary gift is (diamonds) she said she didn't know, so I informed her it was denture cream...we shared a nice chuckle. I know she is a faithful reader of this blog...So one last time, Happy Anniversary!

Sorry that I was a day late on this blog, I will strive to be on time in a couple of weeks from now. Have a great rest of February!

Our Friend - Bahama Bob!

This coming Monday, I am reporting to the Greene County Courthouse for Jury Duty. I served as a jury foreman about 20 years ago in Cobb County Georgia. The whole courtroom experience is as exciting as it is troubling. I remember being frustrated (it was a felony drug trial) that what I felt were obvious questions that should have been asked of the witnesses were never asked, and also feeling saddened for the defendant that we convicted as I watched his hapless Public Defender try and defend his client. I probably won't get picked, but I am hoping there will be a tale to tell.


I got a surprise phone call last week from my old pal Muzzy. He was here touring IFG in Florida, then attending CAB school in bone chilling cold Cleveland, Ohio. Muzzy hates the cold, so I was amused by his chattering on about how he couldn't get warm. We spoke twice while he was here and I got lot of good updates on my friends in the UAE. I am a little homesick for my friends on the other side of the world - I wish I could talk with all of them...It is weird to have so many people that I grew so close to, and now realizing that I may not ever see any of them again...Let's hope that I do get to visit with them again...


Well my friend and former boss Bob Green just got a second opportunity of a lifetime. He has been hired to be the Vice President of the newly SYSCO acquired Bahaman OPCO.  He begins his new opportunity in Mid February, and Sandy and him are obviously excited. I have spoken with him a few times (is the Bahamas in my career Future? - Rodz is hoping...lol) and I am really happy for him. The Greens now have a wonderful opportunity to set themselves up for a nice retirement. They are planning on selling their Atlanta home and move as a couple to the Bahamas. I am sure they will be happy living in the Caribbean paradise.


Speaking of Rodz, when I get to talk with some of you, the first thing that I am asked is "What's up with Rodz?" Well, it seems like nothing is moving as fast as I would like. She received an email on Monday from the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi, saying that they had requested her Immigration file from the American Embassy in Manila and they would contact her to set up her interview in Abu Dhabi once the file is received. I am hopeful that they will call her next week and hopefully set her interview up for Mid-February. If her Immigration to America is approved, she could literally be here within a week. Let's hope that we get good news for Valentines day.


My best friend Fred and his bride Debbie have got a contract to buy a home in Palm Beach, Florida. They are scheduled to close on their house in early March. It will be fun to fly to Florida and visit with them. Fred seems to revel in telling me how he is driving home from work with his AC on. He has a short memory on who has a bragging right on winter air conditioning use. This time last year I was living in Sandoval Gardens in Dubai, my air conditioning running almost 24/7.


Of course, winter is about to bite my butt here in Springfield with three new snow storms forecasted to hit here in the next 7 days....I wonder if anybody will be kind and shovel this old man's drive...lol. Stay dry wherever you are reading this blog from...Sorry that the blog this week is so brief with no pictures. Just think of the fun stories to come with Rodz forthcoming American experience, See you on Valentines day!

Who Was that Old Guy?

I had forgotten how brutal winter can be in the heartland of America. We have already exceeded the annual average snowfall in Springfield, with two full months of winter left. We have also endured a direct hit from  the "polar vortex" the first weekend in January. Two nights in a row the temperature reached bitter lows of Minus 11 (& minus 13). Wind chills approached minus 40 degrees, it was bone-chilling cold! Well on Saturday (Jan. 4th) the forecast called for a winter snow storm to hit around midnight, and several inches of snow were forecasted. I did what most people do in America when a snowstorm approaches, went to the grocery store to buy bread so I could hunker down and not leave my home on Sunday. The weather man got it right, in Springfield we got 7 inches of snow overnight with brutal wind and cold and the high on Sunday was minus 3 degrees. I enjoyed my Sunday morning watching the news shows while lounging in my pajama's. The snow stopped around noon and I heard noises coming from the front of my garage. I peeked out of my blinds and saw a heavily bundled man shoveling my driveway. He looks to be in his mid fifties and overweight (stocky).
Now, I am truly perplexed. Who is this old man braving the elements to clear my driveway? I stayed hidden behind my blinds as he worked away to clear the heavy snow. Is he going to come to my door and ask for money? Was he at the wrong address and mistakenly clearing the wrong driveway?
Next thing I know, he is salting my cleared driveway. Next thing you know, he is climbing into his truck and drives away. Wow, I now have a mystery to solve. I Facebook chatted with my coworker Jenn. Shy can't figure it out. Monday morning, I open my garage door to be greeted by my clean driveway. None of my neighbors driveways are clear - nor is the street.
I have the biggest smile on face thanks to this heavy old man that cleared my driveway by mistake (had to be the only explanation). Would he come back to my neighborhood on Monday, clean off the correct driveway, and try to extort me  for money. I was spinning with scenarios. When I arrived at work Jenn greets me with "did you figure out who cleared your driveway?" This brought a bunch of questions from Heather, Kristen and Mark (colleagues) where we all speculated who this heavy old man could be. Mark tells a story about when the county contractor accidently paved his driveway, and then charged him "at cost" or they would tear the pavement up. If this guy comes to my home and demands payment for his mistake, and I refuse - would he shovel the snow from the side of my driveway back into my driveway? Would I pay his extortion? LOL, clearly I was now wanting to protect my free driveway cleaning. Todd (my boss) comes into the conversation, and I tell the whole story about this overweight old man shoveling my driveway, and how I couldn't figure out who it was. Todd says "wow, how lucky for you - lots of snow and dangerously cold"...he continues, "did you offer him a chance to warm up in your garage?" Did you take him a mug of hot chocolate, did you go outside and thank this kind stranger?" I immediately turned it around on Todd and asked if he was me, would he really go outside and take the man a hot beverage? Todd admitted he probably wouldn't...


The topic ended, we all got busy. On Wednesday Todd calls me into his office and shuts the door. I of course, think "what have I done to get into trouble?" Todd chuckles at me and says "he has been wanting to share a story with me." He slips on a ski mask and black gloves and says "do you recognize me?" Yes, you are right, the heavy old man that shoveled and salted my driveway in brutal winter weather was none other than Todd. I not only didn't recognize him, I came to work and told all my coworkers about this mystery old chubby man. (Todd is younger than me and in better shape...sigh). Todd couldn't stop laughing...the story quickly got around and everybody shared a good laugh at my expense...My friend and boss knew that I didn't have a snow shovel and performed one of the kindest, generous gestures, and doesn't even stop to let me know it was him...A funny and completely true story.


Speaking of long and never ending stories, the Rodz immigration story is dragging. She called the Dubai Consulate on Jan. 2nd. They told her that they would request her case to be transferred from the Philippines, and if they allowed it she could interview there. She called back last week, and they basically told Rodz, "don't call us, we will call you."  Sigh...more waiting.


My favorite Canadian (Kelly Weber) gal has gotten engaged to Sami (the Jordanian IT fiancée). She is in Miami as we speak, but we have a phone date next week - I couldn't be happier for one of my favorite people of all time...Speaking of favorite Dubai pals, Hayley and I finally chatted for about 15 minutes...her boyfriend (South African?) and Hayley have called it quits, so once again, I am a friend.


I had a weird coincidence happen to me in the past week. I was summoned for both Federal and county jury duty in February. What are the odds that I get both demands within 5 days of each other. Yes, it will be something to blog about....


Work is very busy, my new restaurant chain that is opening soon is struggling to pass all the city inspections - now they anticipate a February first opening...keep your fingers crossed. I hope to give you positive updates about Rodz, My new account, and the heavy old tooth fairy that I work for when I return with more musing's on Feb 1st. Stay warm, get a friend to shovel your driveway - and enjoy life for all the good things and good people you share this tiny world with.

2013 - What a Year It Was...

Happy New Year! It is the time of the year when most reflect on what has transpired in the past year, and resolve to make changes in your life going forward into the next year. Well, I hate those TV recap shows (always liked the radio top song of the year countdown) so I hope this turns out more like the radio version than the TV recap version. I watched the CBS nightly news on New Years Eve and what is one of the lead stories? Dubai, setting a world's record for the most fireworks exploded in a show (1/2 million). Of course, they featured the amazing annual event from the Dubai Mall and the 162 story high Burj Khalifa.

Burj Khalifa New Years 2012 Fireworks
 

 They literally pack thousands of people into the Dubai Mall area, and then after the 15 minute extravaganza, they then spend the next 3 plus hours trying to get the traffic jam unclogged. The subway runs all night - then the workers clean all night and by noon on New Years Day you can't even tell that there was a party. Rodz works next to the Dubai Mall, so she gets a good viewing of the event. I called her at about 1:30 in the morning Dubai time New Years Day (10 hours ahead of me here in the Midwest) and she said "too many people, the buses still aren't running and she is stuck at the Mall"...lol, just what I expected to hear.

Speaking of Rodz, the latest on her attempt to immigrate to America, the story just plods along. Her case file is at the American Manila Embassy in the Philippines. Her final step in the process is an interview (checking to make sure her requests to immigrate is legitimate and for the right reasons) with American personnel in the Embassy. As I shared earlier, the passing rate for those interviews in the Philippines is barely over 50%, so Rodz has been dreading the long trip home fearing disappointment in the end. Well, last week I called the Embassy in Manila to try and schedule her interview, and there is literally no interview spots available. I was told to pay another fee, and then wait for the first available time...sigh. Her Visa expires at the end of February, I am as frustrated as can be. The young lady that I spoke to did share with me, that if the Dubai consulate requested the case, that her immigration file could be transferred to Dubai and her interview take place there...a glimmer of hope in a frustrating process. Rodz is planning on calling the Consulate on January 2nd and requesting the file transfer. Keep your fingers crossed that they grant it.

Yes, I know your thinking, John must enjoy paying all these fees...lol, well thankfully the job is going well, and I have been hitting my bonus's. My new chain that is opening in Kansas City is very promising. It is scheduled to open January 15th, and I am very excited. Last Friday I spent the afternoon in Kansas City finalizing the last couple of menu items. I didn't get to eat lunch, so on my 3 hour drive back to Springfield, I decided to stop for a Diet Pepsi and a hot dog at the local gas station. After consuming my dog, and finishing my journey, I wasn't feeling well. I went straight to bed. I don't know how long I slept (I don't think it was even an hour), but I woke up violently ill. I barely made it into the bathroom where I had an epic bout of sickness! Hot dogs look the same after you eat them as before, but where the rest of the projectile material came from only God Knows. I emptied my stomach and filled the bowl in a matter of seconds, and yet I felt no better. I went back to bed, slept until 9 am on Saturday. I tried to run my normal errands, but was too sick. I came back home crawled back into bed, had the chills and could not get warm. I slept until about 7 pm when I got up still nauseous, but hungry (trust me its a real weird combination) I finally got a small bowl of cereal to stay down. I went back to bed, and when I woke up on Sunday I finally started feeling better. I guess it was food poisoning, all I know is I never want to experience it again. I have a check up on Thursday, and for once I am excited about weighing in. My BMI needs to be less than 25 for me to have free insurance at work, and no, I am not there....yet.

If I would have stayed working at Transmed in Dubai, my contract would have been completed today. I had a fairly large bonus that would have been due to me, and I still think about some of the decisions that I made. Looking back, I regret leaving Transmed, when they learned that I was taking a new position they were quite generous in their attempt to retain me - sadly, the grass was not greener where I went. That being said, I am very grateful for what I have now. I am surprised that I miss the people as much as I do. I literally tear'd up by the sweet Christmas card that I received from Kelly last week. Rarely a day goes by that I don't think of my friends in Dubai and wonder how they are fairing. I know that those three short years changed me forever and hopefully made me some life long friends to go with my life times worth of stories.

I can assure you, that being disappointed by my Dallas Cowboys football team hurts just as much in America as it does in Dubai...lol. I will say watching baseball in the early evening is much better than watching the occasional game that I got to see at 4:30 in the morning in Dubai. I am sure that my sleeping time is much better in North America. I stay up until about midnight so I can Skype for a minute with Rodz to start her day and end mine, and then sleep like a baby until 6 in the morning. My hours in the Middle east were crazy, mainly because I had to work so many hours and I tried to stay current with American sports at the same time. I probably cut my life short a year from that experience, now watching Dallas choke the season away up close and personal this season probably cost me two years...

It was nice spending my Christmas this year with my parents and my Uncle Bob and his extended family in Ohio. I didn't get lottery tickets in the "Christmas gift game", but ended up with a nice pair of gloves. As much as I miss my pals in the UAE, it's good to be home in America. I hope 2014 is a great year  for all of us, and I do plan on returning here on the 15th and sharing good news on Rodz's immigration saga.  Happy New Years to you and God Bless!