Hi folks - another week has gone by - I just realised its Weds and I haven't written a blog yet. Just about time before I pack up for the weekend.... Life is, indeed, as crazy as ever and this week its been 9pm before I have sat down most nights. Last week was the usual running - in fact that is all I am doing really - running at the moment - the weather has been so lovely - I do need to get back to the gym but there will be plenty of time in the summer when its too hot to go outside... I didnt do much last Weds - went to look at some houses on the bid list - which once again I didnt get - so have to keep trying - over 2 years now in temporary accommodation - it really is rubbish... Thursday I spent racing around - went to meet Louise - my PAWS colleague who is now back in Saudi, albeit temporarily maybe - but she isn't sure! It was good to catch up, then beauty shop, then lunch with Anthea, then ready for the US consulate. It was a good night at the consulate - havent been up there for a while and all the more interesting with me not drinking (due to my race the following morning) - very entertaining!!! Friday saw me run the half marathon as a relay with 4 of my friends - we got a silver medal and did it in 2 hours 3 mins so not bad going. I managed my 2 miles in 19 minutes!!! So we did really well!!

Had a full English breakfast afterwards, kindly cooked by Karen and then went for a kip - I had been up since 5.30am and was exhausted!!! Later I met up with a friend and cooked dinner and just chilled with a DVD...

This week has been manic - Saturday I had to go to the KLM office to pick up the contract and ticket for PAWS, then I ran 3 miles. Sunday I taught - my last Sunday class is next week. I am now taking over from Andy so will be teaching at 4.45pm on a Saturday and Monday. The times are loads better but do conflict with the running club, so I will need to run still at some point to keep up my training! I had 2 meetings on Monday (after running 3 miles!) - a dive meeting and then a PAWS meeting and last night a race night meeting (after running 3 miles!) to sort out who is doing what at the charity event tonight! I am a bit stressed about tonight and hope it runs smoothly!!!

So, another busy one. Folk keep asking me to do personal training - talking of which, I have finally set my exam date for 20th May - the company I train with were due to come to Bahrain to do some courses, but aren't now, so its another trip to Dubai for me in May!

So, I have the PAWS race night tonight and then I am off to Bahrain tomorrow for a 50th birthday party - but I have the spa first which I think I will need after the stress of organising tonight!!

Anyway, over and out from me.

Keep in touch as always..

Jill xxxxx

February so far.....

Hello

Extremely late with my blog again - any spare time I seem to be printing out betting slips for the next PAWS do on the 24th!!! No time to write and work, in fact, has been busy too with visa applications, sorting out expenses on the completely unfriendly and impossible to use etravel system, etc.. I also seem to have tickets coming out of my ears, what with the race night, band night and now the casino night tickets all to sell!!!

I think my last blog ended up around the 2nd Feb. I had just managed to blag 2500SAR (about 400 quid!) off Mike, my financial advisor, towards a donation for PAWS!! We had the PAWS garage sale also that weekend and I helped with the set up - managed to raise around 6000SAR for that too (1200 quid!) so thats a good amount... Spent that Thursday at the spa - it was lovely and you certainly forget you are in Saudi - just like the spa's in the UK really - did a class and hung around the pool and chilled and had a manicure too!! Very relaxing.. Later on we went up to Jubail to the engagement party of Julie and Phil - they had a band and food and drink - very nice evening, met some new folk too who live up in Jubail (its about 90 mins from Dhahran where I am now) but it was really, really windy!!!

Friday, I decided for some strange reason, to go to Bahrain for lunch with Ayon. It was a choice between Trader Vics or the Hobby Farm on camp and TVs won hands down! It was a good afternoon - but only "a couple" lead to us leaving at 6pm instead of 3pm!!!

Saturday I ran again - think we did interval training and I had some PAWS stuff to sort (prime ticket seller me!) - I attempted to catch a cat with Chrissy on Sunday but that didn't happen - got to try again in a week or so - and then I did my class - much busier this week. However, I have been getting fed up with not being able to teach earlier in the evenings and Recreation are currently trying to find me a new venue so I can start erlier.. I teach 6-7 and by the time I have got in its 7.30pm, ate and showered, I sit down at 8.30pm and then to bed an hour later.. it just eats into my night.

Monday I ran - around 3 miles non stop - getting good at this now - will work my way up to 5 miles now....

I made my first batch of sushi too for Gay on Tuesday - very nice - rice ok, could have been better, but in Japan the guys who make the rice take 3 years to perfect it, so for my first attempt, it wasn't bad!!!

And then onto Dubai - we left Tuesday after work - flew to Sharjah and then taxi into Dubai. Still a huge construction site with road works and cranes all over the place - nothing new there! Just had a few glasses of vino that night, birthday cake for Tracy and some snacks...

Wednesday we went to the Mall of the Emirates - met up with Anthony, one of Breige's friends, who lives there - nice to see him and chat - then off to do some shopping and out later to meet friends. Met up with my fitness friends - at The Lakes Club, and also a couple of friends from the UK, who were travelling to NZ, via Dubai....

Thursday I went to get my hair done in the morning - took a look at the Burj Khalifa - we were due to go up it, but it had been closed due to technical problems! Impressive building tho - you cannot get your head around its height!!! Had a wander round the Dubai Mall later and bumped into some Aramco friends - then went back, changed and off out on the boat trip. Cheryl had booked us on Bateaux Dubai - we had a lovely meal and a few drinks and they even put on a firework display for us (yeh right oh!!) - nice evening though, but expensive. A trip to Trader Vics followed (can't get enough of that place!!) and we met up with some other friends.... and then on to Friday. Went to the Dubai Mall again - bumped into lots of Aramcon's again!! Bought a few bits and bobs and then went to watch the fountain show afterwards - its a bit like the show at the Bellagio in Vegas.. went out a bit later Friday night - to the Irish Village - had a really good night and met lots of new friends and I bought silly hats for us all!!! The picture of the fish is from the huge aqurium which sits in the middle of the mall!!

This week has been busy - I have managed a couple of 3 mile runs in preparation of the half marathon on Friday - not running it all - there are 5 of us each doing a relay - shouldn't be too bad, apart from the 6.30am start time!!! Yes I am bonkers... Tonight I am just catching up with some friends, tomorrow I have various meetings and appointments and then I am going to the US consulate to catch up with a few folk - nothing mad and no booze due to the run!

Anyway, thats you up to date. Write soon...

Jill

xxx

A very busy PAWS week!

Hi folks

Here I am again!!! Managing to get my blog done last minute tonight before I go off for my Thai foot massage. My legs are aching from running! I have been at the running club twice this week and am doing a half marathon (in relay!!) in a few weeks with 4 friends. Its only a few miles each though!

We have actually had rain yesterday and a bit today. I am hoping it clears for the weekend as we have a PAWS garage sale - outside - typical, it never rains for months and then it rains when we have an outside event! PAWS has, indeed, taken over this week. I have been busy getting the tickets ready for the race night (or Donkey Derby as I am calling it - it hasn't half confused those here who aren't from the UK!!) and I sold all the tickets in 2 days!!!! I now have 128 horses to sell! It is just on the TV screen and the races all come from the UK! Should be fun and make a bit of money for PAWS! I also had a casino night meeting last night too so am helping with that - I have the job of finding volunteers - we need about 60! I am sure I can find half that with all my friends! There will be 200 folk invited and a marquee on the side of the house with the gaming tables in and a disco on inside the house. We are going to deck it out in Hollywood glitz style as its a black and white do!!

It is in fact, just before my theory exam for my personal training - well the company I do my training through are in Bahrain 23-27 so I guess I can do my exam any time whilst they are there! No pressure tho with everything thats going on and I am doing my advanced diving exam beginning of March! I don't do things by halves do I!?

I had a pretty good weekend last week - I had to go to see Dias, at KLM, to sort out donations from them for PAWS - they are giving us 3 tickets to fly to Qatar and 2 to London this year - so great prizes.. Then I went to a happy hour, which was a really good night. Thursday to Lulu for grocery shopping, then to a mall day on camp, then to the consulate for quiz night and finally to a leaving do!

Friday was a wipe out!

This week I did running, class was a bit rubbish Sunday as only 6 folk turned up. I am trying to get an earlier slot (ie straight from work) to teach, but recreation aren't being at all helpful. Two teachers have the best 4 slots after work - why they cannot divide them up between us I dont know...

Mike, part of the financial company I use, is calling round tonight - I am trying to blag some money off him for PAWS!! And I have also been busy getting cat traps sent up from Riyadh to Dhahran via the US Consulate. Don't ask me how I get involved in all these things!!

Busy weekend - helping sort out for the PAWS garage sale tomorrow (weather pending), spa day Thursday and then to an engagement party Thurs night - day of rest Friday and I must revise for my advanced diving exam and my personal training exam - ahhhhhhrrrrgggghhhh!!

Dubai next week too so there might not be a blog for 2 weeks!

Anyway, over and out from me....

Jill xxxx