It Seems Like A Long Time…….

……since I wrote to you last.

The problem is, I haven’t got much to say really.

Live grinds on here, towards my finish date of the 30^th June.  I still haven’t got work to come back to – but then all the things that might bring me back are still alive, so hope is not extinguished just yet !

I’m spending even more time developing the body of a Demi-God, although I could do with a bit of inspiration on the suntan front as it just seems so boring – I guess people that enjoy spit-roasting in the sun would find visiting the gym and running in the desert boring (to be fair, so do I but at least I can see the benefit of making myself even more attractive and therefore living longer to allow the rest of humanity to take advantage of me !).

On that note, last night I went out into the desert and returned just over 9k later with my credibility in tact once again.  It took just over an hour and 3 minutes to complete but as a chunk was over virgin sand, a big chunk on tracks and only about 3k on the road……and it was probably about 35deg, and dark, I don’t think that’s to bad all in all – and lets not forget that I hate running and if it wasn’t for Psycho I wouldn’t bother (big thanks to Psycho for the motivation/ ritual humiliation which has forced me to keep going and get fitter just so that I can keep up with her – I know that she has to slow down to let me stay within my “fat burning zone” but at least she doesn’t have to do press-ups anymore while she’s waiting !).

I really am having to force myself to go to the gym in the mornings at the moment but I keep telling myself it’s all in a good cause and that it’ll all be worth it in the end…….although, to be honest, I’m not sure what the end looks like in reality – there better be a lot of complements on how well and fit I look when I get back or you lot are in trouble !

I’m back off to Dubai tomorrow, essentially it was to see a friend who is over from the UK and to see a man about a job, but the man about a job has tried to move it next week and the post office has lost my dental claim forms so the priority has changed to going to the dentist and getting a replacement set of forms and receipts and hand delivering them to the claims department !  AS they are worth about £500 to me you would have thought I’d have done that in the first place but I guess I just wasn’t thinking straight at the time !  I’m also going to see an agency although I’m not sure why.  They have asked me to “pop” in but I don’t think they’re going to be able to find me a job in the next 3 weeks although I guess you never know – speculate to accumulate !

I am intending to make this my last visit to Dubai before I go to the airport on the 1^st July but you never know.  The last weekend has been programmed to do a 100k cycle ride with Psycho, so I don’t think I will be doing much that weekend after that, and I think, without looking (I am stopping myself looking for the moment, although it’s hard not to do the quick maths when you’re leaving on the last day of the month !).  The next thing on my list this morning is to try and find a 75k route for next Tuesday night so that we don’t just go from 50 to 100k.  I have already done several other things this morning, none of which remotely look like work, but I’m in a bit of a vacuum at the moment having delivered some training and waiting for some other training to be done next week, and waiting for some translations, and having done lots of preparation admin for my leaving……..so I might as well get on and do something useful…..like programme a 75k bike ride and write to you lot !

I did see a good photo opportunity this morning….but I didn’t have my camera with me, but it’ll still be there tomorrow so I’ll get it then.  Pictures are becoming a bit of a problem having sort of been there and done it all in the first 4 months.  The UAE has already wound down for the summer (we are now well and truly into the low season) and everyone is looking forward to the beginning of September when things start to happen again and it’s cool enough to come out of the air-conditioning.  We are trying to ignore popular local culture by doing mad things like walking to the falafel shop at lunchtimes, and although I think the song about mad dogs and Englishmen, and mid-day sun, was probably written for the Raj rather than here, I think it could equally well apply…..

The office is getting quieter and quieter as it does towards the end of the week anyway, but it’s compounded by people leaving and being out training etc.  I think there are two more leaving from another section this week although apart from freeing up a desk or two, won’t have a big impact on my life.  There are only 3 of us in Support Services left now, and one of us leaves each week for the next 3 weeks, with me being the last.  I’m certainly not the last out of here but it’s going to seem very quiet by the time I get to the end !

Right, enough of this frivolity, it’s time to plan the next piece of madness, and then lunch !  There’s nothing to add to the inventory that you don’t already know, or that is even a bit interesting, so we won’t bother with that today !

Oh, and one last thing - good luck to everyone going/ at Le Mans this weekend.  I was going to put something about hoping it rains and your tent burns down, but I'm just jealous - but big enough to get over it.....they'll be other years for me I guess !