One of those weeks!!!!

Hi guys - I just seem to be having a very challenging week so far - sometimes my patience is tested over here - very simple things end up being major issues and taking forever to sort out. Ie my tooth - finally it is filled - but 6 trips later at 10 quid a trip to get there and back - it frustrates me that I just cannot just get in a car and drive myself to the dentist. And then there is the issue of my car - Anthony (from Syria!!??) came recommended - I told him to fix up the steering and let me know if there was anything else wrong but let me know how much it would be - so 5 days later, and despite me calling him 4 times to see when the car would be back, no mention until I was picking it up that he had done 500 quids worth of work on it!!!!!!!!! So, I went mental at him and he knocked a bit off the price - fair enough the stuff he had replaced was very worn - but its a camp car, driven a few miles a day - camp cars can survive with minimal work being done on them for ages, unless absolutely necessary! And then, I get back to Tina's (my house sit) last night - steam coming out from the engine and one of the hoses to the radiator has split and fluid gone all over - so he sends his mechanic up today at lunch (who spoke hardly any English) to sort that out, which is currently on-going as waiting for a part! Agggghhhh! And the a/c isn't blowing right either - it was fine when it went in! Damn car.

Anyway, last week was busy - work was busy - the dental ordeal finished, although only completes tomorrow with a free polish for all the times I have been down there! Went to Rashid II on Weds with Louise to sort out my next PAWS social which will be a karaoke night in July.

Thursday I did actually relax at the spa for a few hours - did a round at the gym and had a deep tissue massage - she started using her elbows which I couldn't bear so then went on to use her hands - which was painful at times, but good pain! Thursday night US consulate - it was mad hatters night - there is a photo floating around somewhere of me with Ayon's flying hat on - but taken on his phone - they don't allow us to take cameras in there.. it was a good night and I met up with some of the new marines, made some connections for future events, etc.. and Friday was a day of rest!

I started my house sit Saturday - Tina lives in a massive house which I think is about 5 times bigger than my flat - its nice to have space, although I have found I am currently living in 2 places at once and am frequently going back to the flat..

I am looking after Gizmo the cat - who is very sweet and a very good boy too - no trouble.

Had a very busy class on Saturday night (20 folk) and then a casino meeting which seemed to go on forever, then I had to pick up clothes and move house - I think I finally sat down at 9.30pm! Sunday was busy picking up garage sale stuff from people off Aramco at lunch time and then taking it all to the storage unit and then popping to see a friend. Last night I ran for the first time in forever - just over 3k - I did walk up the hill on and off but mostly I did better than I thought - glad I have got back into it again! Went to see a friend then and her Mum (who is visiting) for tea and then waiting for the car man to come over, who eventually didnt, so been sorting all that out today!

This weekend is another long one in Aramco so we have Saturday off. I am going to Medinah Salat on a cultural type trip so there will be photos of that next week - it was built at the same time as Petra and although isn't on the scale of Petra is similar...

I have almost finished the sports conditioning part of my personal training work - in fact I had a meeting with one of the Doctors at the hospital last week and she wants me to help set up a gym she is building in Khobar!! I am doing the practical via DVD (being filmed 25th) - the theory was supposed to be sat end of April, but Impact are now not coming to do a course in Bahrain so I am not sure what will happen. I am not due to go to Dubai til October now - I suppose it would give me even longer to keep revising!!!??

Anyway, will be in touch next week and as I always say, please write back soon....

Jill xxx