Casino Royale

I just watched 007's latest movie. While it wasn't your typical James Bond flick (no gadgets, no gizmos, no Q!!!), I still liked it! Don't know what it is. It was a nice change to see Bond in a different light.

I'm sure die hard Bond fans are annoyed with this change. I, on the other hand, enjoyed it!

¿Habla Español?

"Yo soy un alumna de español. Yo hablo árabe, inglés, francés y un poco de español."

I started Spanish classes on November 6th. It's something I've been wanting to do for years. I love the language!

We're taught conversational Spanish, i.e. we dove right into conversation as opposed to learning all the verbs and their conjugations first. I have to admit that this is a much faster way to learn and it's quite useful!

Once I'm done with this, Italian sounds good!! ;)

Look At Me!

So for the past 5 years, work has been telling me that I am entitled to a free full medical check up. Like the lazy person I am, I just ignored that.

After many attempted scheduled appointments, followed by many cancellations, I finally did it!!! The outcome? Well, you are now the lucky recipient of at least another couple posts dedicated towards my adventure today.

I'll start with the eye exam this morning. How bad can that be, right? After all, I did lasik a few years back so all should be A-OK. Ha, right!

First set of tests went well. The minute I saw them writing 6/6 on the paper, I breathed a sigh of relief. Within 7 minutes I was done. The doctor told me the results were excellent. I grinned to myself like an idiot thinking 'yay I passed.'

She was just about to walk out the door to tell the nurse we're done, when she suddenly stops. I flinched. One of my eyebrows went flying up. She turns around and comes back, holds my chin, tells me to look down, then proceeds to POKE my eyes with her fingers.

Ok, no biggie. It doesn't hurt. I'm just concerned that if she keeps that up, my eyeballs will pop out.. but hey, whatever makes her happy!

She then gets this 'concerned' look on her face. I suddenly am fully alert and while I think I still have that "one eyebrow raised" look on my face, I believe I actually had "both eyebrows up deer in a headlights" stare.

She calls the nurse and suddenly they start putting some drops in my eyes. Mind you, I'd only gotten about 3 hours of sleep the night before, and it was still before 9 am! So, of course, it burned like anything! Next thing I know, she pushes my head back, the nurse puts a finger out on top of me and instructs me to keep staring at it. How? My eyes burn now, thanks to you, and you want me to stare at your finger when there's a BRIGHT LIGHT behind it!

Then the doctor starts moving this black object towards my eyes. I didn't even see what it was nor where it came from! Obviously, I looked away. She tells me not to blink. Yeah! Right! She asks me to continue looking at the nurse's finger. How am I supposed to do that when you've got what looks like a hole puncher coming at my pupil?!?!

Well, to make a long story short, in case you weren't sure, I survived. She suspects that my right eye has "high pressure". Who knew?! I didn't even know that was possible. She says based on today's tests it's borderline. So I get to go again next week to see Dr. Scissorhands for a second check on my right eye. Wheeeeeeee!!

Benefits

the benefits of being sick:

* It's the best way to lose weight! (Lost 2 kgs in 24 hours!)

* It's an excellent work out (All that coughing is about to give me a six pack)

* You get spoiled (Thanks to all those who called, sms'ed, and commented)

* You get to skip work (I finally called in sick today)

* You can get some alone time (Locked myself up in my room & no one complained about that)

* You catch up on some well needed sleep (I think I'm good for the next month!)

* You can be legitimately lazy (& everyone expects that anyway)

* You get some mommy TLC (love you mama!)

If I think of more benefits, will keep you posted ;)

Bleh!

I feel as good as that giraffe does! :/

Although I'm happy the weather changed, it was like someone had pushed a button and it suddenly changed overnight! Oh well, I'm not complaining. It's been a while since I got sick, so I guess I'm overdue.

I SHALL PREVAIL!

My Treasures

It was an interesting weekend in the world of NFL. The Chargers beat the Broncos, Kansas City beat Oakland, and the Niners beat the Seahawks. The biggest disappointment for me, comes from the Cowboys.

We all knew that the Colts' undefeated status was going to be wiped out sooner or later. I had accepted the Chargers handing us that loss last year. But for it to come from the Cowboys this year was heartbreaking for me!

This post, and the below bit, will be of no value to most of you.. but for the 'some' of you who will appreciate the value of this, voila - for your viewing pleasure:

Joe Montana signed Jersey. I got this as a gift during December of 1997. I had thought this was the best gift ever.. That is, until I got the following:

A personalized/signed Montana football. My name was written on the left side, but I photoshopped it out for blogging purposes. I received this football as a birthday gift, June 4, 1998.

Glutton for Punishment

Thoughts of you have been floating around in my head. The funny thing is, I recall the last time I saw you.. the last time I spent time with you. It was so frustrating. You drove me crazy.

I kept thinking to myself "what did I do to get myself in this mess?" You annoyed me so much, all I could think of was trying to get away from you. I couldn't believe that I had been counting the minutes to see you, only to find out what a big mistake it was to be around you. You made me miserable.

So explain this to me. Why is it that now I stare at my phone, hoping that you would contact me again? Why is it that I miss you so much?

Silence

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

- MLK, Jr

Say What???

Ask Yahoo! has some interesting trivia questions/answers from time to time. Here are some interesting ones:

What is the most common birthday?

Why does lighting a match get rid of "bathroom odors"?

Does breathing into a paper bag really stop a person from hyperventilating? If so, why?

What was the first thing ever sold on eBay?

How long does an average dream last?

What are some famous discoveries that were accidental?

Has there ever been a simultaneous knockout in boxing?

How many soda refills would you have to get in order to "get your money's worth"?

Is there such a thing as a Second World country?

How did the saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too" originate?

Why does Superman wear his underwear on top of his clothes?

Enough Already!

I started work again on Sunday after being off for 2 weeks. It's been hectic since.

This was the first vacation I take and actually stay in Bahrain as opposed to travel. It's amazing what I've discovered. There are SO many hours in the day to do SO many things! I used to get up, run errands, pamper myself, meet up with friends.. and then when it felt like it was getting late, I'd look at the time and realize that people were STILL at work! It shocked me.

It was such a wake up call! I don't want to waste my life at the office or with work. It's not worth it that work gets thebetter part of me and my life/time!

Don't get me wrong, I'm an ambitious person, always got good grades in school/college, career oriented, etc. You know what that translates into in my head now? "blah blah blah"

Who cares what GPA I graduated with? Ok, it got me the job. Now what? Ok, so I got the title? And then? While all those things were important to get me where I am today, it's time for me to make a turn in my life and re-focus on other more important things.

I think a lot of us get caught up in our careers and in proving ourselves, that we sometimes don't realize that once we've accomplished that, it's time to reap the rewards.. it's time to LIVE our lives.

Travel Update (UK & EU)

For those of you who haven't heard, as of 6-Nov-06, there's been an update in the travel "carry-on" policy that had been implemented recently with regards to what you can and cannot carry on flights to/from the UK & EU.

Most carriers have posted their new policies on their official websites. Below is part of Lufthansa's now allowed list:

"Liquid and gel products, e.g. toiletries and cosmetics, are permitted in hand luggage, provided they conform to the following regulations:

* Containers with liquids and similar products may hold up to 100 ml (i.e. the maximum capacity when full as printed on the container)

* All individual containers must be carried together in a transparent, re-sealable (e.g. "Ziploc") plastic bag, with a maximum capacity of one litre

* Only one bag is permitted per person

* The bag must be shown separately at the Security Control

Medicines and special food (e.g. liquid baby food) required during the flight do not need to be carried in the plastic bag. However these items must also be presented at Security.

Items and bags which do not meet these criteria may not be taken on board the plane and will be discarded by security personnel. A similar regulation has been in force since 29 September 2006 on flights and connecting flights in the USA.

Duty free items, purchased at airports within the European Union or on board an EU-registered airline, e.g. on a Lufthansa flight, may be carried on board in a sealed bag, with accompanying proof of purchase dated the same day (not applicable on code share flights). The bag is sealed at the point of purchase at the EU duty free outlet."

Spring Fever

The weather has FINALLY turned to nice Spring weather here (hope I didn't just jinx it.) This evening I was driving home with the windows rolled down, sunroof pulled back, enjoying the drive. I was driving so slow to get it all in, it actually made me sleepy!

It's amazing how the weather completely changed my mood! I was tired and cranky, but the minute I stepped out and felt the weather, an instant smile crossed my face. Now it all makes sense. See, people who live in nice weather areas - such as California - are generally more pleasant people, more friendly.

No wonder we're so cranky in the Gulf. The weather just sucks the life out of us!!

For now, and for the next few months, roll the window down, take in the beautiful weather, and enjoy!

Lost & Found

Think of the most important person on Earth to you. Think of those you love dearly. Think of the people who make you smile. Think of the first person you would call when you're feeling down or are in trouble. Think of those you miss when you don't see them. Think of those who love you unconditionally.

Now think of how you would feel if they were taken away from you forever.

God Forbid, and may your loved ones be kept safe and surround you always. However, let's take a step back. How often do you actually give those people you thought of, when you read those questions, the attention they deserve? When's the last time you told them how much value they add to your life?

Everything can change in an instant, in a blink of an eye. Don't wait till it's too late.

Friendships

Throughout our lives, we meet many different types of people. Some, we hold on to and form friendships with. Some of those friendships are seasonal, while others are lifetime ones.

I have a friend I've known my whole life. I don't talk to her on a regular basis, maybe once every few weeks or so. Yet, she's probably the one person who knows the most about my life. I have other friends I haven't known as long, yet they're ones I talk to on a daily basis. And then , there are some friends I haven't known as long, don't talk to as often, yet I love them dearly and would do anything for them.

There are people who prefer having a lot of friends and others who have a few limited number of people they consider close friends. Regardless though, what makes you consider a person a close friend? And do you have different categories of friendships?

Home Again

I'm back! Kuwait was nice. The weather was beautiful and overall it was a quiet trip. Didn't do much except relax and spend time with friends.

For those friends I saw and spent time with, thank you for everything! Ma gassartaw.. I had a great time =)

Kuwait

I'm off to Kuwait for a couple days. Leaving Bahrain Friday and returning Sunday inshAllah.

Adios Amigos! (et2amroon 3ala shay?)

Welcome

They say that people enter our lives for a reason. I've tried to sort through the different people who have come in and out of my life. To an extent, I can actually figure out some of the reasons why certain people came in.. and why departed. I can see the effects they've had on me, both positive and negative. I can see how that's molded me into the person I am today.

But you.. I wonder what purpose you served walking into my life.. And I wonder if there's a purpose behind you leaving it.