Back to work today! Up at 5.30am and in the classroom by 6.45, and it's Saturday!

Several children are still on vacation and others will be going soon. My colleagues are all back from places around the globe; Paul went to Australia for a week(I think there's a woman involved) Viv and Steve are back from Cyprus and told me that Paphos has had SNOW! I hope that the plants in the pots survive this time.

Spent the morning recovering from the night before and all of it's excesses. Why does 'Who Let the Dog Out' seem great fun when you're stomping around a dance floor in the early hours of the morning? However, it is worth noting that the template has changed yet again. I will go with this for a while.

Phil has just returned from getting more gas for the b-be-q and is now busy cooking 'bratties'. I believe we are watching One Hour Photo with Robin Williams (well not actually with him but you get the drift) this afternoon and then a friend's birthday party.

Went to bed late last night after spending several hours battling with templates for my Blog page; the latest mind 'blogging' experience in my life. Talk about my road to Damascus! As I said to 'my wonderful son, Edward' , "am I not too old for this sort of thing?" I feel the question still hangs in the air but as long as I don't talk about shellsuits, shoulder pads, bat-wing sleeves and Abba's Greatest Hits, who will ever know?

Which brings me neatly to the next 'learning curve' revelation from yesterday (this is so like my lesson planning - done very retrospectively!) I watched a documentary on the poets Shelley and Hughes which, believe me, was SO fascinating. To cut a long documentary short, they both had several mistresses who topped themselves when they became the significant other. This wasn't my profound moment though! It went on to talk about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Now I never knew that between 1973 and 1975, Lennon had an affair with Yoko's PA. They actually lived in an apartment in New York together! Did I go around with blinkers on during these years, not reading a newspaper or watching the news? Certainly this will not be one of the reasons he will be remembered and neither will his short story called (I think) Eric. Am I the only person who read it? It was about this person, let's call him Eric for the purposes of this journal, who died in the kitchen and was left there for several weeks. And it is the ending I fondly remember....."... there are no flies on our Arthur but plenty on Eric!"

After reading another persons Blog recently on the merits of going out for a "keerrpoochino", her spelling not mine and which I secretly think is soooo keryute, I know that my little jaunt this morning will be considered mundane in the extreme.
" Shall we go and have a keerrpoochino?" said Husband to Wifey.
"OOOOO that would be sooo keryute!" said Wifey to Husband.
And so began their adventure to TGV Compound.
After negotiating the steel gates and the cheery nods from the first group of happy chappy guards, the two made their way through the newly painted concrete bomb chicane.
"Mmmmm, not sure red and white go with the orange walls," said Wifey.
"We're coming up to traffic lights, keep your eyes peeled for snipers!" said Husband." If we get boxed in hang on tight until I get us out on the open road."
The journey continued through the sandy suburbs at break - neck speed until the next concrete bomb chicane, more smiling guards waving their weapons, two barriers and an inspection of the under-side of the car. Finally the two sat down in Alfresco's and drank their keerrpoochino.Wifey smiled across two steaming, frothy cups of keerrpoochino and said...."..it's so good to come out for coffee!"

I've spent all evening trying to get onto the Blogger page to upgrade, fingers crossed that I've done it!

This time last week I was on my way to the Jordanian border and a few days of much needed rest. Jordan is very close to Tabuk and Aqaba is beautiful. We stayed in an exquisite hotel on the beach and had a junior suite, my early birthday treat. The hotel had some interesting guests with close cropped hair and swaggers that John Wayne would have envied. The head of the UN sat at the next table at lunch time! When I've upgraded my Blog I will post some photographs of the resort.
I gave The Poisonwood Bible to Rose yesterday hoping that she will read it. I am very keen to discuss this book with someone who has actually read it; the only two that I know of are Oprah and Hilary Clinton, both much too busy to talk to little ol' me. Reading has always played a vital role in my life and unfortunately Saudi is a literary desert. Home magazines and newspapers are censored, all photographs of bare skin are blacked out or torn out, books are non-existent in Tabuk and Cosmo would cause the religious police to have a fit! Phil keeps warning me to be careful with the contents of my journal. April and Cyprus will soon be here!
I've been on the running machine every day this week but only lost a few grams. I hope that I can get into my Lacroix black pants this Thursday night! I bought these in Amman just before Christmas and they are devine. There are only a few clothes shops here, namely Promod and Esprit. Again look out for the photographs!

As promised the latest and most disturbing news from the Middle East:

* Flora is back on the shelves at Astra Supermarket
* The dead goat has finally been removed from outside the 'plastic flower and everything goppin' shop, 8 months isn't too bad
* "HOT SPOT" detected at the back of Villa 15, Olaya Compound. Phil has broken all previous records and left the barbecue on for 20 hours!
* Weevils found in Betty Crocker cake mix (this ones for you Boy)

And finally in reply to Phil's Greeting "mmmmmmmm sounds interesting!"

Welcome again to my Blog by the Mother of the wonderful son Ed.
Beginning this reminds me of the comment made by Harry in The Banger Sisters:
'I don't do things suddenly - I have to think first!'
So I will be back when I've had time to think.

Welcome to my Blog, set up by me lovely son Ed.