Pictures

Click pictures to view them on Becky's blog.

We have swimming on the agenda today. Yesterday it was 102 degrees. A "cold" front is supposed to come through on Sunday. A high of 91 is predicted. This isn't a climate that I would enjoy living in. I miss seeing green. There are areas of trees here, but they are obviously cultivated and require a lot of care to survive. Palm trees seem happy, but they aren't my favorite trees. This is a desert. No cactus either! The sky always has a smoggy/dusty appearance. I miss the clear blue skies of Colorado. Maybe I am getting homesick! I totally enjoy being with Craig and his "girls" though. I wish they lived in Colorado!

This morning Becky made crepes and served them with berries and Nutella! Now no one will feel sorry for me. Anna really got into the Nutella spread on graham crackers. (See pictures on Becky's blog.) The eggs that they buy come from Holland, the milk from Saudi Arabia, the sugar came from the UK, and my Starbucks coffee was packaged in Holland. They have lots of American food products here. I have had Lean Cuisine, but feel terribly extravagant! They cost around $7.00 each. Most everything seems to be imported. We purchased honey that came from Lime Tree pollen. It is good, but no better than clover honey or blackberry honey. It is a little different. Becky said that her grocery bill is about 50% higher here. She doesn't worry about it. It's part of the package when you live in "exotic" places.

We had a nice dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant called Sarai. The waiters were all dressed in outfits that reminded me of pictures from Egyptian tombs. They wore long narrow gowns with a wide belt and a Fez with a tassel. Our waiter, David, was happy to teach me how to pronounce things when I asked how they say things. We say hummus, but they say homos. He taught me the word for tomato and was impressed that I could say it. He said that I was the only one who had been able to pronounce it. We all have to have some talents! By the way, there is no tipping here, so he wasn't just pandering. :) No tax and no tipping. There are some advantages.