Happy Birthday to me !

Today has been nice in a sort of old person having a birthday at work in another country way.  Several people in the office remembered the hints that I had dropped last week, and apart from wishing me a very hearty Happy Birthday, did sod all else to mark the day……but I don’t really know them so I’m not in the least bit bothered !

I had lovely cards from my children and my wife (with chocolates !) and a mass of good wishes from loads of my cyber friends on Facebook, Skype, e-mail and text, so thank you to you all, it’s lovely when you keep getting messages all day – much better than waiting for the postman and it all being over in one go.

My day has been tedious but productive from a work point of view.  I have spent about 3 and a half hours in cars today travelling backwards and forwards to Abu Dhabi, but tomorrow I’m back in the posh hotel by the camel track and I’m booked in for 19 days !  After getting the full run down of the roast beef dinner that the rest of my family are having in my honour tonight I have promised to post up pictures of my regular evening meal at the Tilal Liwa (and I am particularly looking forward to the Seafood Buffet on Saturday night so you might get 2 sets of pictures in the next few days.

One item of note today was my trip to the gym where I am staying.  I’m staying in a company apartment in the middle of Abu Dhabi in a spare room of a lovely Glaswegian lady (who also works for the company, but in Abu Dhabi itself rather than the desert).  It’s the final resting place for people who can’t find a room at any other inn (on top of everything else it’s the worlds largest defence exhibition on in Abu Dhabi at the moment and every hotel here is booked solid as well !  Jesus would have been born here if he had gone to Abu Dhabi instead of Bethlehem (as long as Mary chain smoked he would have been fine…….)

Anyway, I asked the way to the gym and was told to get in the lift and press “R” which turned out to be Roof……..

and this was the view from the other side

So I thought you would enjoy the view as much as I did after 30 minutes on a cross trainer !

So tomorrow’s blog will focus on food (I think I will even give you a shot at the Falafel shop where we get our lunch from !) and then I have promised you an inside guide to Business Process Re-engineering in the Support Services Division of the Western Regional Municipality – but you will have to promise to stay calm !

Today’s inventory:

Cigars – 3 (but it is my birthday)

Money – AED 3 for my Falafel

Alcohol – A large glass of red with my dinner (but it is my birthday)

Gym – good hour

Ad revenue - £53.55, excellent – you just needed a little “incentive” (I’ve given the bunny a lettuce leaf cause I might need him fit and healthy one day for another “incentive”).

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend and thank you all once again for my messages.