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....