Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I can't believe it is Thanksgiving already, well actually it is over. Today is Friday, the day after, but I have to write about our day yesterday.
We got up a little bit late, it was nice to be able to sleep in. Then we decided to go to the new water park Aquaventure at Atlantis - The new hotel that opened with it's grand opening last week. The park was almost deserted. It was very pretty and we almost had all rides to ourselves. It was a very relaxing day and Ed and I took a lot of walks and many pictures. We also found the beach and walked along the water but didn't go in. They are having a problem with raw sewage being dumped into the ocean and we didn't want to take any chances. But the water in the water park was warm and inviting and we had a really good time. I even went on the wave ride with Ed two times, I was really scared at first, but he kept hold of me and after the first time I liked it. I think my fears are mostly of the unknown and if I don't know what is coming, I don't want to do it. Well enough of that. Greg and Alex had a great time and we even had lunch at a restaurant next to the beach which was really nice. We left there early evening and went home to rest before getting ready for dinner. WE decided to go back to the Sheraton which is where we ate last year for Thanksgiving. It was really nice outside with lights in the trees etc. Only thing was, there was rain in Dubai somewhere yesterday and they didn't set anything up outside last night, so we ended up eating inside. It was very nice though and the food was awesome. Buffet with lots and lots of choices. We came home around 10 PM and waited awhile before we called the kids to wish them all Happy Thanksgiving. We managed to talk with everyone except John. When we were all done on the phone it was 1:30 in the morning here. But it was a very full and fun day. I am only a bit homesick now as I sit here and listen to Christmas music on the computer. I can't wait for our trip home next week. This week will be busy though and the time will go fast.
We are having Mona and family here for dinner on Monday night to say goodbye. I really am going to hate to see her leave, but we will stay in touch. Tuesday is National Day here in the UAE (similar to our July 4th) and no one will be working so we will have to come up with something fun to do that day. I am sure it won't be hard. Then on Saturday morning we leave to go to NY. I am getting very excited. Especially now that the Christmas season is here!

Finally Feeling Better!!!

Today, I got up and it was so nice outside, we had turned the A/C off again last night and left our doors and windows opened to the fresh air. This morning. I really felt like cleaning, doing windows etc and that is telling me that my virus must finally be over. Unfortunately, now I think Ed has it. He has been traveling so much and is so run down that he is just feeling bad today and I hope he does not have the terrible bout that I have had. It took me two weeks to the day to kick whatever it was that had ahold of me. The doctor told me to just take it easy for a few days and it would pass, but geeze enough already!!! I hope Ed gets over it quickly, the weather is so nice I am anxious to get out and do something, like have dinner outside somewhere.
The Atlantis hotel had a huge grand opening yesterday with real live movie stars from Hollywood and Bollywood. Oprah couldn't make it because of the threat to her home from the wild fires, but there were quite a few other famous people about and today they tell us that Wesley Snipes wants to ski at Ski Dubai. Greg and I may go to take a peak. I wonder if he will stand out in the crowd?? Ed was supposed to go camping with Alex this weekend, but Alex went alone since I didn't trust to be out in the wild just yet and Ed is feeling so bad. Even though he is 13 and does very well on his own I still worry when we are not with him. I guess I will have to get over that. I know he is my youngest but he is growing up way too fast for me and I don't want to let go. Alex also found out he will be going to Jordan for his Week Without Walls trip this February. I have a few friends at the hospital from Jordan and they are telling me he will like it there, but it may be cold. So I need to put a warm jacket in Alex's suitcase when we are home in NY. We didn't bring anything warm here as most of the year we don't need it.
Our trip home is coming up fast and Greg keeps commenting how last year we were so anxious and counting down the days and this year it is coming on us really really fast. I fear that when it is time to move home, we will have some really sad moments as we all have made many friends here and I know I will have a hard time leaving the hospital as everyone there is so nice to me. Alex is fearing the move as he says he knows when we leave he probably will NEVER see his friends from here again. I told him to never say never. Keep in touch and someday, your paths may cross. That is what I am saying to Mona before she leaves for Denmark (in two weeks). I am really going to miss her and our daily chats, but life goes on. Greg too will miss his friends and we all hope to connect some day in the states as most of them will be moving back eventually.

A/C is OFF!!!!!

The weather is still changing and getting so beautiful I can hardly stand it. I forgot what it was like to go out without catching my breath at the heat. But today, November 16th we took the plunge and opened the windows and turned the A/C off. It feels so nice to get some fresh air into the house, especially with all the sickness we have had. I am feeling about 90% and getting better by the minutes. I told Ed yesterday I am tired of being sick and am not going to do it anymore and my body must have listened. We went out to dinner last night and I actually felt OK after eating. No stomach churning or other non printable problems.
Also, just wanted you all to know that the previous post was written by Alex and is for his web site Not Wollygang. Wollygang still works so please continue to use it.
Today is another day of chasing the kids and their activities. But yesterday, we went to the New Dubai Mall - complete with olympic size ice rink, huge aquarium that is in the Guinness World Book of Records, and Gold Souke complete with 120 gold and diamond stores. The mall itself when totally complete will have 1200 stores. Walking around last night was a real eye opener. The hallways are extra wide and spacious, the mall itself is very pretty, but interesting point was I didn't see too many stores that I would actually shop at. There will be some opening up in the future but not too many. Most of them are boutique shops and brand name stores. All very modern and expensive. I still miss JC Penney and Boscovs, Walmart and K Mart. Is that saying something about my taste? I guess so. I am enjoying myself but still like what home has to offer. As Ed says, we have to enjoy the unique shopping experience and just go there to see it. I think when it is finished it will be the biggest mall in the world until some other country builds one even bigger.

mi nuevo website

Some people may be curious why I have not been blogging for a couple of months. I will tell ya why, BECAUSE FREEWEBS.COM never works. Freewebs.com was the engine I use to blog with and keep a site going. but now I just cant take it! it never loads and always messes up!

so I am proud to announce that I have made a new website. I have been working on it for a couple of weeks now so it should be good. Hope you enjoy!
ALI! if you are reading this, change the link to my old site to the new one.
the new site is.....

Wollyung.synthasite.com

check it out!
sincerley
-Alex W.

Sick of Being Sick

Today it has been a full week since I first got sick. I was able to go back to work on Sunday but today - Thursday I took off again, as I still am not feeling 100% and didn't feel like fighting the fight. I slept in this morning after the guys got off and now feel a bit better, but my stomach is just not to the point where I feel I can eat anything of substance. I have been surviving on bananas, apples, rice, some chicken and maybe some soup. Ed says it is some diet I am on, strange enough I don't think I have lost any weight. I just want to feel normal again. This will be Ed's first weekend home in about a month and he likes to go out and eat on the weekend. Right now I don't feel like eating at all. I spoke with a doctor at the hospital and he says it is probably just a virus and I need to ride it out. But the ride isn't much fun.
I think we have all decided one of the things we want to see before we leave Dubai is the Burj Al Arab (the Sail hotel). I think during the Christmas break for the boys we will attempt to have a coffee there which is very expensive but will be worth the trip. Greg and I also want to go to Rome - I know it isn't in Dubai, but we are close and we may try that in the spring. Two down and one more adventure to plan.

Fall Comes To Dubai

I guess it is fall in Dubai. The days are shorter, it is dark before 6:00 in the evening and it is much much cooler. Today when I was driving to work it was 79 degrees. The humidity was up but there was a breeze so it was still a very pleasant day. I think last year at this time I said we had "winds of change" and that is what we are feeling. Breezes and each day is cooler.
Ed and I are on the mend. We took a few evenings this week and stayed home and did nothing but rest, early to bed etc. Now today, Alex is complaining of a sore throat. I hope that with all this sickness, this means that our trip home in December will be illness free. I am crossing my fingers.
Ed asked us this week "what are three things you want to do before we leave Dubai?" I am still trying to figure out my third one. Keep reading in the days to come to see what the boys choose and what we decide to do. I am sure it will be good as Dubai has a LOT to offer.

Sick in Dubai

For the past three days I have been stuck in the house with an incredible stomach bug. I can't move five feet away from a bathroom. Poor Ed came home with a terrible cold and right now we make a very sad looking couple. Unfortunately, he has to leave again today (Saturday) for Saudi and won't be back until Sunday. This is bad news for me, because it leaves me with the responsibility of getting Greg to basketball practice and Alex to guitar lessons today UGH!!!! Anyway, I will chug along.
From the sound of Greg's previous post he is not enjoying his stay here. I am going to have to talk with him, as I thought he liked it here. I know there are certain things that bother him (see his list) but he does remind me that we aren't counting down the days until our trip to NY this year. Last year, we had a board in the kitchen that we would change every morning, we were so excited to be going home. I think that does say something for his tolerance of our banishment to the Middle East. He has made some very good friends here and I know he enjoys many of the things Dubai has to offer. All this being said, we have pretty much decided that we WILL be going home this summer. Many people say to me "I thought you liked it here" and I do, but it is not home and that is what I seem to be missing lately. I have enjoyed it here and want to continue to enjoy right up to the end but I know there is an end and I think that is what allows me to have such a good outlook on my time here. I hope this is making sense as my brain is still foggy from too much sleep, not enough food and not enough fluids. I will write more in the days to come and will obviously document all our experiences as we start to wind down our fabulous time here.

It's been exactly one year since my last post. Times have changed. The trees that were once so plentiful in our little section of Dubai called the Meadows have been uprooted and shipped off. School is not getting any closer to villa #37 on street 9, that ever-so-narrow street where people park their cars on the sidewalks for absolutely NO reason whatsoever. The heat is unbearable, the internet blows, there is nothing on TV, and the palm islands are slowly sinking. The evil bus lady still won't let us take out pencils on the bus, or take a sip of water in fear that if we make a sudden stop we may break our nose on the tip of the bottle or stab ourselves in the eye with our pencils. People are scared, people are paranoid; It is the best of times, it is worst of times, but mostly the worst of times - it is the age of freedom and of reform, and I implore you, as a nation, to vote for change. Make the right decision, for if you vote McCain you will receive nothing more but 4-8 more years of the same nonsense that we receive today. Be smart, do your part and vote - for Obama.

Because if you don't vote, you can't complain about who you vote for later.
November 4th, 2008