Reflections

Everything is so green and pretty here. Oh... why can't Kuwait be like this? I've seen some seriously beautiful sunsets since I've been here. We were driving back from the beach one night and the sky was bright orange and turquois blue. Then, within a few minutes, it had turned to bright pink as we drove across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It turned the water pink. Absolutely gorgeous. I don't think I've seen a sunset like that since Hawaii a very long time ago.

My older sister is here now from the foreign country of Texas. We 3 sisters are leaving to California the day after tomorrow. It will be the first time all 3 of us have ever gotten together to do something alone without other family members around. The other night, we were turned onto French martinis and now I'm hooked. Yummmmmmmmmmm. I'm still loyal to my longtime friend and companion, Mr. Jose Cuervo, yet I like this new friend a whole lot. There are different variations on how to make a French martini. The one I like is vanilla Absolute, Chambord, and pinapple juice.

I went to visit the building where Shamlan used to live above the Iwo Jima memorial. He sent me an amazing sign just as I was turning to leave and I felt like he was with me. There isn't a day that I don't wake up and say his name - usually in that place between asleep and awake. Where does all the time go? When you think that the best times are yet to come, sometimes you realize that at that very moment, it probably was the best time. I guess you dont' figure that out until you are older and start wondering: why the hell was I so stupid? :) Shamlan used to wear Hallston cologne way back in the day. I bought some at Target so I could remember what he smelled like. I just wear a little before I sleep and hope to catch a glimse of him in a dream.

Anyways, I am loving spending time with my family. I should be enjoying every single happy moment and yet I am anxious - especially at night - thinking about the time when I will leave to go back. I wish that I could fit into this world again, but I just don't know if I ever can. I feel like a fish out of water.

Our coffee boy at work sent me an e-mail the other day saying that he missed me. It must be pretty quiet around the office without me. One thing is for sure: You never forget the crazy people.

I've had some completely unexpected calls from friends in Kuwait that I hadn't heard from in a long time while I've been here. It is almost like they knew I wasn't there and wanted to call to pull me back into the fold. These particular people, I didn't tell that I was leaving. I've had 4 people call me out of the blue and tell me how important I am to them and how much they needed to talk to me when I got back about different things - mostly just for comfort talks.

One particular guy, a TV newscaster, has just not been that into me. He sends me SMSs, but rarely picks up the phone when I call him. "Very busy" as he says. 'Just not that into me' as most of my friends (MA) say. I haven't seen him in close to a year. At any rate, we talked on the phone and he will be in New York this week while I'm in California. He said he might get to Virginia when I get back. Interesting.

I've been looking at my old photo albums of friends I am still close to (for many, many moons). It is funny to see pictures of the guys with then-gorgeous full heads of hair; now bald! I've changed "a little" since those days as well.

I continue to meet incredibly nice people through this blog. This week, I talked to a lady who wrote to ask my advice and I hope we will be good friends. It never ceases to amaze me how you can touch other people's lives and the affect that you/they have.

I thought it was hot in Kuwait!

I had a rather uneventful trip to Virginia via Air France (except for the African ladies with gastrointestinal problems). Thank God I didn't take my usual trip via Briddish Airways. I can't believe so many people are stranded. My freinds brother left today for Dallas on BA with a business class ticket for he and his wife and BA called him and told him to bring his own food with him. How pissed off would YOU be if you just plunked down that kinda money and were told to bring tha munchies. Shame on them.

Anyhoo (Purgatory), I arrived here only to find out that it is hotter than Hell (and Kuwait and/or one in the same depending on your perspective). The humidddddidity is around 90% and it is around 99 degrees here. My damn hair looks like Bozo the Clown and I can't breathe. Victoria's Secret doesn't make a bra capable of withstanding both extremes of heat and humidity, and neither does any known make-up brand I am aware of. My mother told me the morning after my arrival that I "look sick" and therefore she is scheduling all kinds of appointments for me. Jeez. Can I take a shower and have a nap first?

Anyhoo, the fam is all faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous, except for my daddy who looks very thin and sleeps all the time. He's 81, however, so I think he should be allowed do to that at his age. The big dogs and the little dog are all fine. My sister and her husband still look like Athletic Barbie and Ken and my nefew is growing like a weed.

It is twilight now and the deer should be coming up to the fence to gnaw on grass. My sister is cooking pizza on the grill next to the pool, so I gotta go.

All said and done, however - it is weird, but I miss Kuwait.

Leeeeeeeevin' on a Jet Plane

Tomorrow night I'm heading for green, family, margaritas, big dogs, Target, real lobster... and so on and so on and so on.

Do you think I should start packing? I am such a guy/girl: I wait until the absolute last minute before throwing all my stuff into a suitcase (or 2 or 3). Guess I should be thinking about this stuff. My mother, on the other hand, uses pretty tissue paper, to genteeely wrap her clothing so it won't be wrinkled. I have no time for that. All that would do for me would be a wadded up ball of tissue paper somewhere on the floor of my room. Nonsense.

I'm not looking forward to being crammed in a plane for all those hours with my back aching. I'm not such a great traveller anymore. I used to be. Now I just kinda dread it. I hope I don't snore. Travelling alone and snoring on the plane is the worst. At least when you are travelling with a friend or family member, you have someone to jab you in the ribs if, perhaps, lets say, the overhead bins start shaking from the noise level of your snoring.

I have already started missing Kuwait. How STOOOPID is dat? It is The Sickness. As soon as you leave Kuwait (with The Sickness), you miss it. I don't know why it is. And while I'm away - I'm thinking of all the people in Kuwait who I haven't hooked up with in a long time and thinking that I am really going to call them when I get back to see them. Why is it that while I'm IN Kuwait, I just don't pick up the phone and do it? I don' t know why that is.

Anyhoo, I am going to miss all my (non-annoying) friends. I am even starting to miss The Don who I have never even met. When he went on vacation, I missed him. I don't know why that is. I know Bunny misses me when I'm away - even though I hardly ever see him anymore.

I'll try to post from the States. I'm sure I can find something to yak about.