Happy Anniversary!

Thirty-two years ago I cried (and cried) as my sister got married.  I still reserve judgment on George for taking Mimi away from us, but in the spirit of the day I give them this:

Today, September 30, also happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Flintstones.  In case you miss the gay ole time:

Although, thanks to my friend Mike, I can’t think of this show without thinking of this. 

Toys-R-Us advice on saving money

I suspect you'd save more than $600.

Via the DailyWhat.

New things to ponder

Earlier this week I asked, "Home is where the _____ is."  and I will return to that topic in the next couple of days.

Tonight I'm left wondering about fake public personas. Last spring I wrote about a colleague who ridiculously tried to throw me under the bus.  The guy I mentioned was bitter because he had lost a phenomenally well paying job here and was relegated to making a mere $50k+ per year.  As he returned this fall he turned his hatred on many others and was subsequently relieved of his job.

Six months ago this would have shocked me; he was a colleague I had worked with on several projects and he seemed incredibly energetic and positive.  After what happened in June, I can't say I'm surprised.

A friend lived next to the guy and said the late night fights with his wife kept her up several nights each week.

Those who know me know that my persona in public and in the classroom is very much the same as I am in private.  I'm not claiming any moral superiority; I simply think it would be too much work to change who I am when teaching.

To portray yourself as someone you're not is incredibly hard.  I know; I did it for a good part of my youth and early adulthood.  Tonight I ponder what it must be like for those who constantly feel the need to produce a fasad while in their 30's and 40's and beyond.  They must know that eventually someone will see around the false front.  

I haven't let go of the bitterness of the guy who tried to screw me last June.  I should.  He's gone from making over $120,000 to zero due to his behavior.  Moreover, he knows he's a fake.  

So tonight I'll continue to ponder karma and public persona vs. reality.  I'm not expecting to find any answers.

Not so screwed

This morning I went to the police station with the goal of obtaining a letter OK'ing someone to break into my car.  The officer took care of that and asked if I had anyone lined up to open the car and make new keys.  "No," I said, "Nissan refused to help me."

"You don't want the dealership to help you, anyway!"  he replied.  "They will charge thousands of dirhams.  There are plenty of shops in Sanaya who can do it for you.  Would you like me to call someone?"

He placed a call and asked if I'd pay 400 dirhams ($110).  He thought the price was a bit high but I said, "Sure!"  I waited at the police station for the guy to arrive and take him across town to where my car had been parked for six days.  While I was waiting they brought me tea.

I'm telling 'ya, cops are very different here than in the US!  

 I didn't have a chance to take a picture of him breaking into my car because it took five seconds.  Because of the car's electronic security he couldn't simply create a mold and make a key.  He disassembled the steering wheel and started the car without using any key.

(There's something about how fast he could break in and start my car that was reassuring and scary at the same time.)

At the shop he asked if I wanted spare key.  He said the price would be 200 Dirhams ($55).  I know I was supposed to haggle the price down but I was so excited to have all of this done for $165 that I said, "OK."

There's an American born every minute.

He apparently felt bad enough for overcharging me that he threw in a Nissan key chain.

The lessons I learned today:  1.  Workers for big companies (like Nissan) have no incentive to provide customer service.  Blowing me off yesterday was one less problem the guy had to deal with.  2. The police at the police station were extraordinarily helpful.  An Egyptian commented, "They were extra nice to you because you're American.  Try being Egyptian and see how much help you get."  3. I will always and forever suck at bargaining.

******
After spending several hours outside today I have to say I'm not as acclimated to this weather as I previously believed.  105 is bloody hot.

Piecing together a night on Ambien

After taking Ambien for a month straight before I left the US I spent the first two weeks here without it.  Last night I knew I had to be up early and was in no mood to sleep.  I succumbed to taking half a tablet.

The result?

 This morning I woke up to find a plate of cookies.

And as I left I found my broom in the stairwell.

Ambien either makes a person tired and wanting to go bed or energetic.  When I take an Ambien and realize, "Oh crap, I'm not going to sleep" I try to think of whatever mundane tasks I've wanted to do that I haven't done.  Last night those tasks were:  1.  Writing the blog post about weather.  (Have no memory of writing it) and, 2.  Cleaning out the stairwell.

While cleaning out the stairwell a very appreciative neighbor gave me cookies left over from Eid (The celebration after Ramadan.)

At least that's what I think happened but I can't be sure.  If my experience on Ambien this summer with my roommates is any lesson it's quite possible I walked into my neighbor's apartment and took the plate of cookies.

No, not really.  I vaguely remember seeing her and today she referenced talking to me last night.  The picture of the plate of cookies was taken at 11:14 last night.  When I'm on Ambien I say to myself, "You will not remember this tomorrow.  Leave clues."

I can't believe this drug is legal.

Three phases of the day

Good
They fixed two air conditioners.  I can now live in my living room.

Better
I paid two years of traffic fines:  1250 Dirhams ($340).  I was expecting triple that.

Totally screwed
Nissan says they can't make a key for the car even with the VIN number.  I have no idea what to do.

Weather

Iowa is looking to have an above normal month for temps in October.  The outlook for October - December is also above normal.  Congratulations!

A colleague here has a house in southern Illinois.  He asked me last week, "How are you dealing with the drought?"

I laughed and then coughed.  "Umm, Iowa had a very wet summer... almost twice the normal rainfall.  Being a weather geek I was following the weather in your area and I know you got almost nothing.  I'm sorry to hear it."

Unrelated:  I wonder if I've become acclimated to the heat here.  It's been 105+ most every day (without humidity) and it's not bothered me at all.  I even joined friends one evening to sit in a patio bar and didn't break a sweat.

Every couple of days the temps are dropping.  Later this week the high will only be 102 and the low -- get this! -- will be 79!  Woo-hoo!

So what am I woo-hooing about?  The temperature in this city has not fallen below 80 degrees since June 2.  Think about that.  Above 80 degrees all the time for almost 120 days.  Yep, that's my home.

Want an even bigger shocker?*  It's been over 100 every single day since May 8.  That puts us at 141 days straight over 100.

* I swear sometimes I feel like an infomercial pitch-man when I write this blog.  I should have written, "But wait, there's more!"  If I could take rejection better I think being a salesman would have been my calling.

Teaching is the next closest thing I could find.

Home is where the ________ is.

Fill in the blank.  If you are not willing to answer in the comments section you can reach me at trueblueiowan@gmail.com

It's a subject I've been giving a lot of thought to in the past few months.  I want to hear some responses before I give mine.

It was bound to happen

Over the years I've become almost zen-like about losing things.  It rarely bothers me.  On Wednesday I lost my car keys on the women's campus and I have no spare set.  (The fact I had the car for two years without losing them before is a miracle within itself.)  I have tried to get a spare set in the past and even tried at the Nissan dealership in Cedar Rapids.  No luck.

So my car has been sitting in the parking lot for five days.  I haven't been worked up because I was sure someone would turn them in.  Sure!  Positive!

After five days I'm not so sure.  My car is still there, collecting dust.  Tomorrow I will beg the Nissan dealership to do whatever it takes to get me a replacement.  Wish me luck.

I think I'll need it.

The ads

I added Google's Adsense.  Why?  I want to know what ads Google would give me.  Would it be ads based on the content of the posts?  (That's why I added it after a bunch of posts on tailgating... I wanted to see if the ads were aimed at tailgating.)  I also wanted to know if the ads were geographically based.  Some websites display ads for me based on my IP address.

I think we'll all see slightly different ads.  Please let me know if you see one particularly interesting.

Strategic water reserve

Astonishing fact #1:  This country uses 145 gallons of water per day per person... the highest consumption in the world.  Even with my 2 showers per day I'm using only 10-15 gallons so what gives? This is a very green, well-landscaped place... which requires a lot water given six months of uninterrupted sun and temps of 110 degrees.


Astonishing fact #2: 98% of the potable water comes from desalination plants.  What if an oil rig in the Persian Gulf started leaking the rig int the Gulf of Mexico?  The supply of water to this country would be instantly contaminated.


The government has announced that they will begin injecting water underground to fill aquifers.  Should the gulf water become contaminated these aquifers would provide a 30 day supply.  A 30 day supply is nothing if the Persian Gulf became as polluted as the Gulf of Mexico, but it's a start.


As I was discussing this with a friend he said, "Well, at least it gives us enough time fly the $#$% out of here."

A first: It's warmer in Cedar Rapids

At this moment - 11PM on September 22nd - it is actually 1 degree warmer in Cedar Rapids than it is in Al Ain. It's 2PM in Cedar Rapids and the forecast for the next week is much better for them than it is for us in the desert.... Regardless, I had to document the moment.

Stop muttering, "Geek!" I can hear you.

Now I have to go outside and experience the cooler weather.

*****

Update: I stood on my tiny deck and shook out my carpet full of sand on the neighbor's car below. It was a satisfying moment as the cats she feed have been killing birds and leaving them in our stairwell for the past year. They also use our stairwell as a litterbox... which is odd since I live in the largest sandbox in the world.

The Iowa-Iowa State rivalry

On the day before I departed for the Emirates I went down to Iowa City to witness the tailgating parties at the Iowa-Iowa State game. Apparently, tailgating is an American phenomena. When I've mentioned it to my British and Australian counterparts they've replied with, "Don't you have a nice pub you could drink at before the game?"

*****

I'm an Iowa alum. We have more in common with our in-state rivals than any other team we play all season yet no loss stings more than losing to them.

Several years ago I traveled to Ames to take pictures at an Iowa-Iowa State game. In that era the teams were even and the tension was palpable. This year Iowa was the clear favorite and it made for a fun atmosphere.

While walking around I twice heard from an Iowa State fan, "Please don't hurt us."

Hence, it was not surprising to see acts of love trumping the rivalry.

Every parent wants the best for their children. Even though this woman graduated from Iowa State, she hopes for a better life for her son.

Tailgating

Nile Kinnick is Iowa's only Heisman trophy winner, thus it is appropriate to have the football stadium named after him. I learned from wikipedia tonight that he is the only all-American to receive a unanimous vote from the AP. And, as a student-athlete he was an econ major.

I'm not saying econ majors are superior.

But we are.

The seats of the stadium are in the distance. An hour before kick-off few are in the stands; most are still tailgating.

It's a crush of fans right outside of the stadium. I can't help but look at this picture and think, "Wow, we really are a very white state..."

In the three hours I spent walking around I came across more RV's than I thought existed in the entire state.

Nothing says you're a loyal Hawkeye fan more than driving a black & gold RV or placing two inflatable Herkies to your front bumper.

The kid was posing for his dad. I snuck in behind to take this pic. Yes, folks, that is a fully roasted pig on the table wearing Iowa State attire. I think the shades are a nice touch. Very Weekend at Bernie's.

The amount of food being prepared on elaborate grills was amazing. These people take their tailgating very seriously.

They even bring portable generators to run major appliances like stoves, refrigerators and big screen TV's.

Tailgating, para-military style

If you're gonna do it, do it right!

These tailgaters have the Lord's blessing

Every house in a two mile vicinity of Kinnick offers their lawns for rent.

This church (within a mile of the stadium) offers church services at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sundays and non-stop drunken debauchery on game days for those willing to buy a parking space.

I have no idea how much a parking space goes for but I know the RV lot sells spaces for $2000.

$2000 for seven home games. I'm sure these SUV's paid less but given the number of parking spaces, the church has to making a ton of money.

Praise Jesus!

Wacky outfits

It doesn't get more explicit than this. It says something about the atmosphere that she's wearing the most anti-Iowa State shirt possible... while standing next to an Iowa State fan. Or maybe the Iowa State fan knows - deep in his heart - that he longs to blow Herky.
As an Iowa alum I'm required to like black & gold.

Still, at times our fans look like walking school buses.

Two thoughts: 1. I don't own outrageous Hawkeye socks. I gotta get some. 2. An arab friend who reads the blog asked me, "Are all Americans fat?"

"No, I replied, but I do live in the part of the country where we like to deep fat fry everything and put it on a stick. We're bound to weigh a little more."

Friends

While walking around and taking pics I found some friends from college.

It's always a disappointment when a friend or family member marries an Iowa State alumna. Fortunately for Darin, Jamie has great attributes to make up for this glaring mistake.

Here's Ollie & Marcy. Ollie very sincerely offered me his ticket to the game. He said, "For as long as you work over there you won't be able to see another Iowa-Iowa State game..."

True. And it was a very nice offer. If I weren't leaving the next day I may have taken him up on it but I was just a bit too stressed out.

Marcy's father flew up for the game from Texas.
A die hard fan, he has a pretty good looking Hawkeye tattoo on his leg. I wonder if he has to pay a royalty fee every time he looks at it.

Amy and Dawn were in a tight crowd of tailgater's next to the stadium.

Rather than look at me, Mike's giving a smile for someone else. Thanks for looking my way Dawn! (I'm not sure who Mr. Photobomb is.)

UIHC

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is right across the street from Kinnick stadium. Anyone hoping to visit a loved one on game day has to hate the commute and lack of parking.

Blog reader

When this woman found out who I was she dropped to her knees and sat on her heels.

For a moment I was excited that for the first time in my life a woman dropped to her knees when introduced to me... until Mike explained that he had sent her my post about Gawkistan.

Pension

Most people would be happy to retire from the army or police and get a $72,000 pension. That is until they find out that those who retired after them are getting a $415,000 pension.

With benefits like these no Emirati will be willing to work at a private company because no private company could ever offer a benefit like this.

A $415,000 pension. An income guaranteed every year for the rest of your life... wow.

In case you clicked on the link above and are confused by the monthly income in dirhams:

Dh 22,000 per month * 12 months = Dh 264,00 = $71,934

Dh 127,000 per month * 12 months = Dh 1,524,000 = $415,258

Let's play!

This is the look Gus gives when he wants to be chased.

For a small dog he's got lots of energy.

Even in full crazed run mode he keeps an eye on me to see where I plan to attack.

When the games over (usually my call) he's completely spent. It's hard not to have tongue envy with this dog. I have no idea how he keeps such an amazing tongue inside his tiny little head.

Sunrise over the farm

Early morning and sunset are when the farm looks the best. I'm not an early morning person at the best of times. With the insane insomnia I had the last month I was in Iowa it's safe to say it was painful to get up to take these pics.

In early September the grass is still a luscious green, the beans have only begun to turn color and the corn is dead. Farmers wait for it dry out. In fact, they usually wait for the beans to die and combine them first. Corn takes quite a while to dry out.

Appearing in the distance is a neighbors silo rising above his farmstead. The silos used to hold silage which was fed to cows year round. They've all but disappeared from the landscape. I'm not sure why but I'm sure someone who reads this blog will be able to explain.

In the foreground is the popcorn I spent the last week picking. The rest is all field corn. This is a picture you may need to click on to get the full effect.

CBS is calling

On Friday night Ann called and said, "Look up everything you can about the American released from Iran and call me back in five minutes." I did.

Ann's husband Mike was recruited by CBS to fly to Oman to catch up with the woman fly with her back to the US. He's in New York now.

How did CBS know who to call? He worked with them on the Amazing Race last summer. And, apparently, left an amazing impression.

I can't wait to hear about his trip.

First working day after 97 days of vacation

Today was my first day of work in 3 months. I am very, very happy to be back. Standing in front of a classroom is my calling. However, there was a sign that this may not be an easy semester: I said to the class, "Right now we are not 100% sure which textbook we are using and we have not written a common syllabus for the class. For that reason, there's no point in having you come here on Tuesday. You get the day off." I could have had listened for crickets chirping.

"People!" I exclaimed, "I am telling you that you have Tuesday off from class and I get zero response?" At this point a few clued in and explained it to the rest in Arabic.

It's gonna be a long semester.

*****

I realize my blogging still seems to be on summer hiatus. I have many posts to add with pictures. The problem? I can't find any of my memory card readers. I'll have to buy a new one and proceed to lose it with the half dozen other ones I've purchased in the past two years.

Iowa from above in fall

It's been a decade since I've flown over Iowa in fall. I had forgotten how beautiful is at this time of year. (These Iphone pics don't do it justice.)

Flying Emirates

As an aviation geek I was excited to finally fly Emirates Airlines. They are known for having excellent service. For example, they bring along hot, wet towels for each person to wash off during the flight. It costs them little, but it's a nice treat on an 8 hour flight.

The LCD screen on the back of each seat is much larger than for other airlines. They also offer on-demand TV. Meaning, you want to watch CSI? You can start and stop when you want.*

Another cool feature is the ability to view cameras from the front and bottom of the airplane. The pictures from the bottom were rather meaningless until we came in for a landing. The picture above is of a rather large roundabout in Dubai. (At least I think it's a roundabout. It might be an alien spaceport.)

It was kinda cool to see the runway as we were landing.

This may be my only Emirates flight while back here. They are partnered with American and British Airways and unless the savings are HUGE I won't be flying them again.

*I watched Sex and the City 2 during one part of the flight. It was not as bad as the reviews but still not very good. As to the "four NYC women go to Abu Dhabi and encounter Muslim culture" plot, it was simply unrealistic. The Muslim part of the story was very minor compared to the way overplayed "Oh, I'm a married woman and I kissed a former lover" storyline.

Best birthday present: sleep

I had a terrible time sleeping during the last month in Iowa. I took at least part of an Ambien every night. I took one on each leg of the trip back. (They didn't work.) On my first full night back I was ridiculously tired but couldn't sleep. My mind called, "Am-bi-en... Am-bi-en..." I held out but wondered how long it would take to break the addiction.

The pleasant news is that the answer was one day. I went to bed before 9 last night and slept past 6 with only a few interruptions - including a friend calling after midnight to wish me a happy birthday.

Nine hours of sleep??? I haven't had that in months... maybe even a year!

Forty-two is sure starting out well!

Mixed return

My pre-flight panic was for nothing. Not only did I make the flight but my luggage made it as well. A completely event free trip. Ann & Mike, on the other hand, had less fun - delayed/missed flights 3 of 4 suitcases not making it.

With the amount of sleep I've had I'm down to minimal brain cells to still walk upright. So I'll try to summarize the good and bad:
Good:

• A change in schedule where I have one less section, still have no class before 12:30, have two preps instead of one and only have to go on the women's campus twice per week. Two preps is good because saying the same thing six times is a killer.
• I locked myself out of my apartment. That's good news because I was able to climb a rickety ladder and break in. I've been too scared to do it in the past and now I know I can do it. (That's a real positive for a guy who is constantly locking himself out.)
• I came back to a myriad of problems: 3 of the 6 room air conditioners are not working. My internet is down. My car has a flat and dead, dead battery. This falls in the good news category because I have people here who came to help within hours.

The bad:

• On the flight to London I had a guy sitting next to me who was really really sick. Sneezing and hacking up the entire way. My arm was sprayed more than once. The plane was 100% full or I would have requested a change. My sore throat started 12 hours later. That seems like a short incubation time but then again, I swam in his germs for a seven hour flight.
• The air conditioners are totally screwed. One looks like it exploded. While McGyvor could fix it, this is one I'm saving for the university. As cheap as McGyvor is, this is gonna be expensive.
• I have no water pressure. Taking a shower took 20 minutes and I'll bet I didn't use more than two gallons.
• Coke fridge is not cooling stuff. Time for another freon fill. Am I killing the ozone by using a leaking fridge? I may not want to hear the answer for that.
• The internet problem is not likely to be fixed anytime soon. Fortunately, I can use a weak signal from my neighbor as long as I sit right next to our shared wall.
• My IPhone has no phone capabilities in this country. AT&T loads software on the US IPhones that "lock" it to AT&T. No other company in the world does this. Thank you, AT&T. There is a fix - called "jail-breaking." I've been told I'll have to go to Abu Dhabi for it.

Anyhow, I am totally fried. The flights were good but I didn't sleep on them. After three hours of sleep I got up to drive to Dubai to pick up a friend. (I had to drive her car...)

OK, I knew this would become one of my meandering posts. Bottom line: I'm back. Not all is well, but I feel more in control and able to fix things here than I felt back in the US where I couldn't find anyone to fix my dryer for a reasonable price in the three months I was back.

With that run-on sentence I'll call it a night.

In the meantime

Need something to do while I’m not able to blog?  Try checking out these videos produced by a friend’s son:

http://www.youtube.com/MiloTheActor

I tried to insert a video and it didn’t work.  Sorry.

"Don't worry, be happy!"

Originally I was flying out on Friday and had a 3 hour layover in Chicago. I changed my ticket to Sunday and it wasn't until late Saturday that I realized I have only a 35 minute layover in Chicago. Given the size of O'hare, this is not good. There's a decent chance I won't make my flight and I'll bet money my luggage doesn't make it.

When I asked for an earlier flight American Airlines first told me, "This is a legally acceptable connection time." The term "legally acceptable" was used several times.

My panic state reached a 9.5. I was close to a full-blown panic attack.

After talking with 3 friends and a much nicer rep for AA, I decided to go with the flow. Once I check in at the Eastern Iowa Airport it is the responsibility of American Airlines to get me to Dubai. If I miss my connection because I don't have time to get to the gate it is not my problem. If I'm extremely delayed it's not like I'll miss any classes (they start next Sunday.) So just chill, Steve.

I'm not very good at doing that.

Anyhow, here's the trip:

3:30 PM Depart Cedar Rapids on flight 5075 American Airlines. Land in Chicago at 4:35.

5:10 PM Depart Chicago on flight 86 American Airlines. Land in London at 6:50 AM (12:50 AM CDT).

8:40 AM Depart London on flight 8 Emirates Airlines. Land in Dubai at 6:30 PM (8:30 AM Monday CST).

I found a website that is able to track international flights. By typing in the airline code AA for American and EK for Emirates you can see the departure and arrival times. They even have areal-time flight tracker showing the plane on a map.

A friend tried to use the internet at my place last week and it wasn't working. So I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again.

Rose

I consider myself lucky because I'm friends with phenomenally successful people. One became the world's best eye surgeon. Another was a currency trader who made millions for his company. One is on the path to cure HIV and/or cancer in his research. Another was my mentor who served thousands of students and hundreds of clients as a labor arbitrator.

Of all of my friends the most successfully underated friend is Rose. I first met Rose in 1996. She is amazingly talented but was given a secretarial job. She transferred and eventually found a boss who recognized her talents (and was not threatened by them.) She's now part of the project to get the city of Dubuque to instant-read meters. Beyond that, she's helping the citizens of a city who have an old world way of viewing their bills understand that the new way is better. "So why did you have 5000 gallons going out for 7 days?"

There are few people (or family or friends, for that matter) that I feel the way I do about Rose. She has stuck by me even though in the depths of depression years ago I blew her off.

I carry incredible guilt and she's still my friend.

Once again, Rose thinks she has a boring life with 2 sons in college and 2 sons recently graduated from college. I know her husband and her sons. She's an amazing blessed person. I will never be as blessed as her, but I'm happy she counts me as a friend.

Coal plant

On the way back to CR I was surprised to see black smoke billowing out of the coal electric plant.
I drove by and the sound was deafening. A loud roar should not be scary but this was. With all the steam and smoke it seemed like the entire plant was about to explode. Several cars stopped along with me to take a look.

The Gazette published a "nothing to worry about" story. Yeah, right. No problem for those with asthma. I'm just glad the wind was from the north taking it away from my place.

Popcorn

One of my favorite childhood stories is that of the Little Red Hen. Maybe that's why I actually enjoyed spending a couple of days picking popcorn; I will be the one who ends up eating half it so I'm glad I was able to contribute.

It helped to have a loyal dog as a companion.
Towards the end of the project I realized an unexpected benefit: For the next year I can call my sister and say, "So how do you like eating the popcorn I picked?"

When I told her that she said she'd have to volunteer to shell the popcorn (a harder job). So Dad is the big winner of sibling rivalry. Otherwise he'd have done it all by himself.

Once the popcorn is picked it is placed in onion sacks and left to dry with fans and dehumidifers. After it is dry and it can be shelled. I hope you enjoy doing that, Miriam.
Dad has been developing a couple of different varieties of popcorn. The latest is all white ears.

The best news is that I'll be able to take back 30-40 pounds. Good week.