tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62877092009-11-26T19:38:17.502-08:00Abez and Aniraz's Momma, and she rules!Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-21148160139443533882007-05-03T17:09:00.000-07:002007-05-03T17:15:27.001-07:00

My short time between trimesters is about to come to an end. I start classes again on Monday. I have two classes starting Monday and continuing till June 26th, then one class starting June 27th. It will be a busy summer since I'll have tons of reading and work to do in just 6 weeks. One class has 4 books.I am proud to report I got two A's last trimester. Not bad for a menopausal half-wit with no

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-14270757705400080902007-03-17T11:59:00.001-07:002007-03-17T12:08:38.515-07:00

Ok, I've grown used to slowing down or stopping my car for groups of deer crossing the road, but yesterday on the way to work I saw something I'd never seen in real life before.A small furry object with a high rounded rump and dragging something behind scurrying across the road made me slow down in curiosity. "What the heck is that!" I wondered aloud. As I got closer I was able to identify it

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-48902249962038822592007-03-09T09:40:00.000-08:002007-03-11T17:22:11.501-07:00

For nearly 30 years of my adult life Chicago has been my defacto "hometown". Now that I'm back in the States, I living with my oldest son's family. He works in Chicago, but his house is in a rural area at the end of the metra train line. I've never known how to refer to the area. It is a suburb of Chicago? If I call it a suburb will it insult the locals? What do they call it? Is this "down-state"

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-61868951724411888462007-03-02T22:40:00.000-08:002007-03-02T22:44:52.432-08:00

It's 12:40 in the Am (that's just after midnight, folks) and my hubby is cooking up a storm. The house smells of the wonderful aromas of frying onions and spices. He's cooking some spinach and beef curry so Large Hulking Son will have something to take in his lunch tomorrow when he starts taxi driving school. Another generation of Chicago cab drivers is about to begin. Hopefully, LHS will only

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-40645200775552687062007-02-23T20:30:00.000-08:002007-02-23T20:33:15.854-08:00

Someone, anyone, everyone save me from myself.If any of you, or some of you, or all of you are ever with me at Baskin Robbins PLEASE remind me that I am lactose intolerant and can only handle one scoop.Thank you.Now I will go moan and groan in my bed.

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1168818005659802612007-01-14T15:38:00.000-08:002007-01-14T16:13:07.980-08:00

It's been an eventful week. Lots of things have happened: mountains have been climbed, dreams long put on hold, but not forgotten have been re-activated.I had my interview with the head of Special Education last Thursday and by Wednesday I'll know if I got the job at the local elementary school. I don't like waiting. I'm ready to jump into a new year, a new job. And there's the added suspense

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1167887961912620042007-01-03T20:40:00.000-08:002007-01-03T21:19:21.943-08:00

I just got a new job today!!!It's only a temporary job as a teachers aide while the Kg aide is on maternity leave, but it's a JOB anyway. And, it's within walking distance from home. I've been unemployed for sooooo long that a few more days and my spirit would have been so broken I would have paid someone to employ me. I don't maintain redundancy well. (For my American readers, redundant is the

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1166425876213910222006-12-17T23:07:00.000-08:002006-12-17T23:11:16.226-08:00

Announcing to the world: (aka:the five people who read this blog) The restaurant in Pakistan we have been trying to sell for the past two years has FINALLY sold. Now my husband can leave Pakistan and join the rest of the family. God has graciously answered our many prayers. After joining our daughters in the UAE for Eid, he will be flying out to visit me and our sons in the USA. I don't know how

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1159986683659956912006-10-04T11:15:00.000-07:002006-10-04T11:31:23.676-07:00

Today is my 30th wedding anniversary... well, actually today is me and Hubby's 30th wedding anniversary, but only one of us is here. I'm in America and he's still in Ajman. I scored all the points by: 1. Leaving him a card to open on this day (well, actually I put "Do not open till Oct 5th" on the envelope, but later realized after I had left the country that our anniversary is really Oct. 4th. 2

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1159366371272704892006-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:002006-09-27T07:12:51.293-07:00

I've been in the States for three days now and my first telling of where I've come from has resulted in the blank look and "Where is that?" follow-up question. I would expect such from an uneducated person, but this man was a bank officer and a college educated person. When he asked me the fateful question,I knew right away not to answer Ajman, 'cause let's face it, half the people in the UAE

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1158649993230433252006-09-19T00:05:00.000-07:002006-09-19T00:13:14.856-07:00

In just a few days I'm out of here for the homeland. I'll see my lovely but aging and frail mother, my sons and daughter-in-law and my grandsons. Today I start packing. I may be gone for 6 months to 2 years depending on the business I have to take care of. I leave my daughters sadly. My little grouchy Owl and the ever bright and perky Abez. I'll miss my youngest grandson, Abez's babyface who is

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1157786745124648452006-09-09T00:21:00.000-07:002006-09-09T00:25:45.146-07:00

I had a great evening last night with friends both old and new. We had a sort of Pakistan-based blogger reunion last night at Villa KNICQ. We reunited with the bubbly and ever noxious Hemlock, newly arrived to Dubai, our favorite crayon in the pack, Li'll Grey, and the pithy Owl. Joining us was another Dubai newbie from church, Ann.We spent the night remembering good times past, and planning

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1157518955287035102006-09-05T21:59:00.000-07:002006-09-05T22:02:35.313-07:00

I need one of those three minute delays that they use in broadcasting. If I could invent one for humans I'd have Bill Gates mowing my lawn.I need a day without regrets and since I don't have a bio-tech delay implant,I guess it's just me and God.Please God, bless me with a day without regrets.

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1155912488083064572006-08-18T07:18:00.000-07:002006-08-18T23:39:26.736-07:00

It's been a good day, but a bad Sabbath. Let me explain. Last night I asked the Roomie if she wanted dropped off at the Mall to meet Abez and do some Dubai shopping and sight-seeing at the Mall of the Emirates while I was at church. She agreed that it sounded like a good outing. Because of the extra driving involved, I tried to leave early and decided to drive the Toyota instead of the Civic.

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1154763652657064432006-08-05T00:39:00.000-07:002006-08-05T00:47:18.263-07:00

I'm having Owl Withdrawal Syndrome. My Owlie-bird has flown the coop and has been spotted on her annual migration to America. While not having to feed the peckish Owl with her disdain for anything fattening, greasy or overly spicy has been nice, I miss her hugs. Where else can I get even without have to ask, a long, silent, soulful, heals-all-wounds hug? I wandered around the house yesterday

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1153042345733104102006-07-16T02:16:00.000-07:002006-07-16T02:33:43.476-07:00

Last week I was horrified to discover that my blog tag boards have been overwhelmed by nasty people proposing nasty things. Wow, nothing is safe in this day and age of mass corruption. So... I called AbezTech Support and got the offending comments removed and vowed to keep my blog looking alive. A lame weekly entry is my punny goal, so here I go.I'm sitting in my local internet cafe. It's

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1140788807756326422006-02-24T05:16:00.000-08:002006-02-24T05:56:17.023-08:00

I just woke up from a nap where I dreamed they built an 8 lane elevated expressway over my apartment. If you're expecting anything funny or witty or newsworthy from this blog, forget it. I've got 15 minutes to kill till the Large Hulking Son comes to get me from the very expecting Mrs Abez's house. It's a sleepy, dark, and cloudy Friday in the UAE. We've had three rainy days this week. I don't

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1138783238404648242006-02-01T00:21:00.000-08:002006-02-09T10:43:46.100-08:00

Well, almost. Really, I'm visiting at Abez's house in Dubai. We have been in the Ajman condo for three weeks now and are loving it. It's huge, absolutely palatial compared to our previous rental apartment in Sharjah. It's so delightful to see my furniture properly spaced out instead of crammed in wall-to-wall. We also love Ajman. It's much poorer than Super-LUXURY Dubai and even Middle-Class

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1136480948128018712006-01-05T09:06:00.000-08:002006-01-05T09:09:08.140-08:00

Can you guess by my desperate question that we have MORE hamster babies? Large Hulking Son made the discovery late last night. Now the original two hamsters brought into the house by Owl and LHS in October have multiplied and multiplied again. The original two had 6 babies. I found homes for two of them and then we had 6 adult hamsters which we tried to separate by gender into two separate

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1136188190152249072006-01-01T23:48:00.000-08:002006-01-01T23:49:50.163-08:00

I'm I love with my new apartment!!!We just moved our stuff in two days ago and yesterday Husband and I spent the day assembling and try to arrange the furniture. All the stuff that was crammed into the Sharjah apartment now looks great spread out in this much larger apartment. The place looks great already, except for mountains of boxes stacked everywhere.We are heading back again today to

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1136026757866200952005-12-31T02:55:00.001-08:002005-12-31T02:59:17.866-08:00

Well, the move to Ajman is underway. The camel caravan is loading even as I blog. We were hoping to make a clean break, but it seems there was a mix-up by our real estate agent. He said we could have possession of the new apartment, but didn't know that the electric meters hadn't been installed yet and may not be for another 2 weeks. We found out the repercussions of that news the hard way a

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1135544123278604022005-12-25T12:36:00.000-08:002005-12-25T12:55:23.320-08:00

Got the hilarious holiday greeting from my dear friend Li'll Gray Crayon. She thinks she's not the brightest crayon in the pack, but I know for a fact that she is brilliant. I'm sending all her carefully worded politically correct holiday wishes your way.Dear All,Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit: my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1135438091862281062005-12-24T07:12:00.000-08:002005-12-24T07:28:11.873-08:00

Well, Carol in Perpetual Motion is about to pull another move. In just a few days, a hundred packed boxes and many sprained muscles away, we will be moving into our freehold condo in Ajman. Freehold is the local expression for property that can be purchased by non-UAE citizens. You pay a ridiculously high price (about 3 times normal rates) and you get permenate residence here in the Land of

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1134746090536787742005-12-16T05:49:00.000-08:002005-12-16T07:14:50.596-08:00

I know this blog needs an update, but it's gingerbread baking season so all you get is my wonderful, top secret gingerbread recipe. Gotta go, I've got 2 gingerbread houses to assemble. Cookies:2 cups of sugar1 cup butter, softened to room temperature3 T molasses (or date syrup is a good substitute)1 egg2 T water or milk3 1/2 cups all purpose flour2 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt (

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6287709.post-1133681864690433512005-12-03T23:34:00.000-08:002005-12-03T23:37:44.700-08:00

Well, it's the first week of December and that means it's time to put up the Christmas tree. This year I, Owl and her co-worker went shopping in Karama, Dubai for a replacement tree. My tiny, crooked and motley looking tree had finally bit the dust. For several years, I had been propping and mending and ignoring its many flaws thinking they added a kind of Charlie Brown charm to it but last

Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06775884754502001923noreply@blogger.com0