09/22 - Trash Monkey

Three Canadian girls are with us on the safari trip: Carolyn, Jill and Carisa. They are all totally cool and it is fun to reminisce about the T-dot. There are quite a few of us Canucks on this shindig.

The second half of our roadtrip was traveling through vast desert type terrain that is run by the Masai; a wonderfully unique group of people who basically have stopped in time. They are steep in tradition and look straight out of the pages of National Geographic. With no education they are forced to stay in the tribe and become farmers, which isn't bad if you like that sort of thing.

They are staunchly opposed to having their pictures taken and so you basically put down your camera for the last two to three hours of the trip. Half way to the middle of no where we got caught up in some sheep traffic. It was different and so we took some snap shots of the little critters. Out of no where pops up a Masai man that apparently didn't like the sheep getting cameos either. He started running at our van with a stick so we high tailed it out of there. Seriously, not nice.

A little later we got a little delirious and spent some time trying to think of “Masai Scout” badges. My favorite was the teak carving badge and the cow dung house badge. We were going to play I spy with my little eye but then everything is brown or yellow so it would have been a 50-hour game.

Luckily, we had Andy on board to tell us what animals were domestic and which ones were wild. Clearly, he decided by how crazy the animal was running and what kind of sounds they made. I am sure the game would have been 10 times more effective had he been able to tell us which ones had rabies. My guess would have been all of them.

We spent the night in Masai Warrior Animal Camp – a name I totally just made up. The official sign was scratched on a tire - that I did not make up. There was a little cute Masai boy that greeted us with a row of cartwheels; we were just as happy to finally be there. It was surprisingly nice, expect for the huge spiders that came to visit later in the evening. Sally claimed to have “lion repellant” on her mosquito net but none of us were prepared for the itsy bitsy spiders. I would recommend Raid as a Kenya must have.

The first thing we saw when we got to the camp was the trash monkeys. Plain and simple, monkeys in the trash. We spent quite some time trying to figure out why they had blue balls. Sally was quite afraid they were going to come into our tent during the night. Little did she know that they had glorious trash to consume. No wonder they get ebola.

Off we went on a sunset safari. Before we got in the gate we were confronted by a load of Masai women with homemade crafts at outrageous prices. Good thing I crafted the bargaining art in China and was ready for a battle. I always get my way.

Inside the park we saw giraffes, elephants, water buffalos, wildebeests, antelopes, gazelles, lionesses (with a fresh kill) and ostriches. It was so amazing and I totally felt like I was on the Animal Channel. At one point we had an elephant stare-down but we parted ways peacefully. I have to say I was a bit disappointed; it would have been a better story had he charged us and tipped over our van. The sunset mid-safari and so we called it a night. I love being on safari!

It was so nice to be able to stretch out and see the stars. Being in the country is pretty amazing and the air, sights and smells were a much needed change from the city.
Much love….

09/21 - Karma

Karma rocks! Tara, who was making fun of me being sick, has come down with a very similar illness that has kept her in close quarters with the toilet. Alas, the joy of revenge sweeps over me. Just kidding; I feel really bad for her. Pepto-Bismol has brought us closer together than ever.

Sweet Phoebe was easily bought off for $3 and a row of Oreos. Now I can enjoy my day without bleeding all over my laundry. She really is quite wonderful.

I spent the morning in the outdoor “cage” with Jerold. He was doing physical therapy with the kids and I was trying to keep them from killing each other over rocks. He has finished his bachelors but wants to do a master’s in the States or South Africa. If anyone knows of a good program he might be eligible for I would love to pass along the information to him. He seems brilliant, has a heart of gold and is wonderful with kids – a great candidate for his field. I don’t think he has much money but I am sure he might be able to secure a scholarship and is willing to work to support himself where he is there. I told him about Brigham Young University, and he loved the idea of Utah. Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Today I was grilling the staff about Kenyan cultures and traditions: marriage, dating, family, religion, expectations, finances, employment, et cetera. It was really fascinating how alike we really are when it comes to core desires and expectations from life. One of my favorite parts of the day is when I get to meet the people and learn them.

Gross news ahead - I would have stayed longer at the orphanage but a little boy made that impossible. I was bouncing him on my lap when diarrhea shot out of his diaper and pants and all over my shirt and skirt. Needless to say, I was totally disgusted and went home to change. Everyone thought it was hysterical that I was poop covered. I am sure they high-fived the kid when I left.

After that episode I realized that I needed some Western comfort and headed straight to Safari-Park Hotel, a very, very expensive hotel – by Kenyan standards - in the middle of Nairobi. It has amazing food from home. I spent the afternoon by the lazy river under an umbrella eating teriyaki chicken, french fries and chocolate cake. This is totally Jeremy’s type of Africa and I hope to take him here someday. It is out-of-this-world awesome.

I almost felt bad eating here because my meal alone could have feed 10 kids for a week but I just couldn’t help going. Sometimes you jut have to realize that there is only so much you can do or you will drive yourself crazy. I handed out a ton of candy on the way to the Cyber Cafe to make myself feel better.

I spent way too much time online today and didn’t realize it was dark when we started back. Foreigners plus dark = worst idea ever. One of the first nights a volunteer asked how safe it was to be outside after dark and the Kenyan lady just started making throat slashing motions. I interpret that as being bad. So here we were, Tara, Lucy and I, trying to get home with no lights walking in ditches, alleys and sometimes even on the road. Tara, always the comforter, exclaimed, “at least if we get hit we won’t see the vehicles coming and maybe it won’t hurt.” Thanks, Tara. I will keep that in mind. I am pretty sure that I stepped in every form of feces in existence – not the day to wear flip flops.

The last duty of the night was to collect our laundry hanging off the building. One false move later and it was raining Tara’s panties onto the street below. Oh, boy.

People here love to read off your computer scene while you are typing. I even have a stalker who must have copied down my email as I was replying to some of you. How exciting! She used it to type me an email:

Hello. I was seated next to you today Thursday in the cyber cafe when you browsed. I liked you and the way you were communicating with the Kenyan lady you were with. Good people cannot hide for their godness penetrates their silence. I am Judy a graduate from Kenyatta University. I have a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. I am single but getting married early next year. Please let me know you. I believe we can be of great help to each other. Thanks as you reply. God bless your stay in Kenya.

Till next time….

09/20 - Call me McBarfy

Barfy McHurl is my name and upchucking is my game. The sick babies at the orphanage passed along their illness and it hit me full force today. I knew it was only a matter of time and so I will take my turn and suck it up. As much as I would have loved to stay in bed all day long I had to get up and tend the little ones. Where is my husband to baby me? Boo hoo. The toilet is my new best friend; I hope it writes me when I leave.

It was still a little rainy this morning when I got there so Tara and I brought coloring books and crayons. You would have thought we took them to Disney World they loved it so much. Of course the administrator and the teacher had to approve everything that we brought and so we spent a while explaining what was doing to happen. They can make the easiest process rocket science. It almost isn’t worth bringing things for the kids if you have to spend an hour fighting to let them use it.

People here love to be in pictures. On the way home we had to take random photos of people so they could see themselves in the digital screen. Glass is really expensive here and most people don’t have mirrors in their home so they really have no idea exactly what they look like. It is really fun to see them recognize their friends in shots and try to figure out how they got inside the camera. Ah, the wonders of technology.

Today we got a new roommate. Her name is Dawn and she is from Ireland. I think she is a few years older than me, and is a PR rep for a pharmaceutical company. I can’t wait to grill her brain on all the fun that is to be found in Nairobi.

Mystery meat surprise is a nightly game where we try to guess what we are eating. Lucy told us it was cow but all we see around here is goat so I am sure she is trying to trick us. Either way it is disgusting! I have a system down where I scoop all the vegetables around the meat and then take two little pieces of mystery meat. I eat my meal and then leave the two pieces on the plate, as if to say I ate it all but just can’t get those two yummy little pieces down.

Tonight I did my wash my hand in a bucket. It is a lot harder than it looks so my arms gave out quite quickly. Lucy was standing over us making fun and telling us that we can’t do it right, which made me extremely frustrated. I can definitely say I gave it my best effort; however, we are planning on bribing Phoebe tomorrow to help us out now that she is better.

Right before bed we spent some time with the children. This was bitter sweet because some of them were to be adopted that night and so it was goodbye for now. All the families coming to get them were wealthy Kenyans. Four babies went in total. This included Christine, a baby I just adore.

It is very difficult for a foreigner to adopt in Kenya. You have to live in country fostering the child for three months and then be in country while the paperwork process for another three months. Six months away from home in total. There have only been three children go stateside and another one go to Germany. There is one child in the middle of the process now that will be going to California. Apparently, one family came here and fostered a child, Steve, for three months, F\filled out the paperwork and waited another three months. At that time they were denied and left without their son. I couldn’t even imagine. There is also age, religion and country qualifications that are quite detailed and rigorous.

I won’t lie and say that I don’t think about it every day, but it totally is a decision that would be quite difficult to make and would require intense fasting and prayer. The children most in need of homes – and Kenyans won’t adopt – are those with physical disabilities and other medical conditions. Like I said, there are three children that break my heart every day as I leave at the end of the night. I have a feeling they will haunt me every quiet minute I have when I get home.
All the best to you and yours….

09/19 - African hugs

Today started with a hot bath from a tub. I am pretty much rough it anywhere now and come out alive. I have the cold shower down, and I don’t even worry about shaving anymore. I was meant for third-world-country living.

The babies are the complete opposite. They love the tub and will spend forever in there if you let them. I think more than anything they love the attention they get in the bath because it is undivided. Little do they know how un-often that water gets changed. I use a lot of soap on them for the benefit of my hands as well.

The children love when I blow bubbles and I don’t think they have seen them before. Most all of them got involved either chasing them, attempting to blow them or shielding the babies from them. The Kenyan volunteers were very concerned they soap would hurt the children. Apparently, they are more dangerous than the rocks they allow the kids to put in their mouths and potentially swallow.

For lunch I ate a crazy sausage – if that was what it really was. The meat fell apart in my mouth and the skin could not be chewed so you had to swallow chunks of it whole. It tasted all right but it was sketchy. The food here is indescribable sometimes.

Who wants hugs? The answer is Kenyan men. This afternoon a man was asking for white people to hug him. He wanted to be Tara’s new squeeze but he was not really her type. At least he got a hug from her - I sped walked away. Alas, young love is so entertaining.

Our volunteer organization made a cameo later in the day to make sure we liked our home stay and orphanage. They were not too brilliant and asked us in front of the administrator so we really couldn’t give any great feedback. I am keeping notes on things that they could fix to make it more cohesive for the volunteers. I love it here but there are some frustrating things that could be altered to make it more enjoyable. Don’t worry; I will blog it when it is finished.

Tonight it rained and so we played in it with the children. You would think they would put on a DVD or get out some books or toys but instead the children threw chairs and pulled each others hair. Speaking of feedback….

The lights came on around eight at night so I was able to enjoy my nightly ritual of a bottled coke and a small dairy milk chocolate bar. The small things in life are so enjoyable here.

Miss you all.

09/18 - Malaria in the house

I am totally in love with the children at my orphanage. There are 30 of them in total ranging in ages from one month to five years. There are three in particular that I can’t get enough of – Moses, Mark and Silas - and would love to take them home.

We get there around eight and feed, bath and change the babies. That takes about an hour as there are about 12-15 infants that are unable to do any of it themselves. While we are doing that the Kenyan volunteers get the other kids ready to go. About nine we take them all out to the “cage,” which is a huge play pen that 30 kids and four or five adult volunteers cram into so they can get some sun. Today we didn’t bring the toys so the kids played with rocks and hit each other. We stay out there for till around one, when they are brought in for a second feeding and changing. We get to home for about two hours and then we come back to repeat the process at eight.

The children look well; although it is extremely hard to gage “well” in this country. We are unsure which children have AIDS and how exactly they came to be in the orphanage. We are hoping for more details.

The orphanage itself is relatively nice; although it is infected with cockroaches and smells like urine. The playground itself is very dangerous as it consists of rocks, broken glass and dilapidated equipment to play on. The kids are confined to a very small area where they can play together. I am taking notes on what I can buy for them to make life easier when I leave.

The home itself is a Christian atmosphere, and they are pretty hardcore on what we teach or do around the children. We got a little “quiz” slash interrogation regarding our personal beliefs and morals. Needless to say, even I was feeling frazzled. I really think this is something our organization should have discussed with us since it was a non-religious organization to begin with. Some other volunteers do not have a belief in God and were forced to lie to stay within the home. Of course they would not contradict what is being taught, but in my opinion if you are a Christian organization and you want Christians you should state that in your volunteer request form.

One of the Kenyan volunteers, Jarold, is fantastic. He is doing physical therapy with the kids for free. The men in Kenya are so loving and affectionate with everyone - brothers will hold hands, men will openly praise and hug their wives, they will play excessively with the children and love to handle the babies. It just sends a nice feeling of unity between the sexes that is sometimes missing at home. I will miss that a lot. Good thing I have such a loving and affectionate husband to compensate!

In the afternoon we took off to find a Cyber Café, hence the email. Finding anything that works in Kenya is an adventure it was nice to get out and meet the people in the process. Now I can email all the time!

Everyone here was to marry a white person with money. They literally offer themselves for the taking at any and every opportunity. Men here are very bold, especially with sweet cute little Tara. Even though I have a replacement wedding band that I brought – I didn’t want to bring my nice ones – they still offer to become husband number two. No thanks, spread the word!

It turns out that my placement rocks out. Some of the other volunteers have more difficult duties like taking children for AIDS tests and bringing very sick people to the hospital to die. That is something that would be heartbreaking to do and I am glad I was not assigned to those places.

When we got home for dinner there was no electricity again. The bill was not paid and so we put on our head torches and enjoyed dinner by candle light. At this point we always expect the unexpected.

Phoebe the live-in housecleaner came down with Malaria tonight. She is pretty sick and looked horrible. I gave her some of my medication that would help with achy muscles and stomach problems but she has to ride it out the hard way. Lucy didn’t offer to let her have time off so she is still cooking and cleaning.

She is my age and has been married for two years; however, since they are very poor they must live separately and only see each other on the weekend to make money. I cried thinking about how lonely and sad she must be, especially when she is feeling so sick. I try to sneak her extra food and other necessities whenever Lucy isn’t around.

Off I go into the dark for bed. Loves!

09/17 - Spanish soaps are fantastic

Breakfast is definitely the weirdest meal of the day. I think the company gave them a list of things people from the west like – and helped them purchase it - but they don’t know how to pair them with other foods. For example, this morning we had eggs and beef ramen noodles. I also get served things like yogurt and instant hot chocolate. Interesting that’s for sure.

Lucy went off to church and we headed to the big city to find some fun. Basically we spent the morning buying apples for starving children and playing with babies that were crawling around on the garbage littered ground.

The ride of choice in Kenya is the matatu - an interesting bus/van that seats 14. More often than not it squishes in about 16-20 grown adults. Today I sat with five other people in a three person seat with a child on my lap. Who loves personal space? The bass they had in there would make oldschool gangsters jealous.

I love fruit so I was totally stoked to see fresh grapes lying on a dusty box being sold in the heart of town. The fruit ladies are desperately poor and can barely care for themselves; it is not even possible for them to help anyone else at this point. Their children were in sweaters that were suffocating hot, crawling in between the busy shoppers in the dirt. I felt bad for them and bought bunches of grapes to help them out.

Around lunch we passed a breathtaking mosque where followers were being called to prayer. The sound was eerie and yet absolutely beautiful. I think the Islam culture is so interesting and I love any chance I get to watch them as they serve Allah. Their dedication, at least in the non-jihad sense, is very inspiring to me.

Of course at one point we got lost but were lucky enough to find the Hilton nearby. This was no paradise. You had to walk through security gates even before you entered into the main lobby. Deciding that was too hardcore to deal with for a Sunday morning we walked aimlessly about enjoying the city sounds.

The Nakumatt is a lifesaver. It is a grocery store that sells Western food at a reasonable cost. We stocked up on Oreos, pop, bottled water, candy and CANADIAN CHOCOLATE! I love you, Nakumatt!

Lucy bought a cabinet in town so we were lucky to catch a ride on the delivery truck home. We sat in the back with Moses; a man who really wanted a green card by marrying Tara. They should have a green card marriage game show here. It was really fun finding out what people our age do here; although, I was way happy to be released from the “Kenya is poor could I have your money pity look” cage I was sitting in.

It is really funny that most Kenyans have Western names. I am expect them to say my name is *&%^$# - something Swahili. Instead they are like I am Todd or Matt or Henry. It really freaks me out every time. I guess I don’t catch on too fast.

We came home later in the evening to a dead man hanging off the electrical wires on the corner of the house next to ours. Apparently, he had been cleaning the roof when the water hit the wires, electrocuted him and sent him falling into them entangled. It was horrific. His family had sent him to the “rich” part of town to make money for the family and he will never go home. Death is nothing in Kenya as it happens every day. Absolutely heartbreaking is all I can say. The electricity was off for most of the night while they removed the body and fixed the wires.

Since we were all pretty sad and didn’t want to spend the time in the dark we went to the orphanage to meet the children. Most where in bed but the few that were up were so excited to see us. I picked them up one by one and gave out hugs till my back hurt. They are gorgeous and brilliant and loving beyond measure. I can’t wait till I am able to meet them all tomorrow.

The electricity was back on when we got home and so we cuddled up to watch Sacro de Amore; a Spanish soap opera our Kenyan mom is obsessed with. It was actually good and I can’t wait till it comes on again. It was a nice release from the drama of the day.

So... I broke the toliet, which isn't great because I ate A LOT of grapes. I will keep you updated.

Love you all!

09/16 - What Rules?

Today started in a mad panic as we slept in and was late getting to the meeting point for orientation part deux. If it wasn’t for the mad chanting of Kenya Christians holding mass in the living room – on a Saturday no less - I would have totally biffed it.

Off we went to the animal orphanage were wounded baby animals are collected and then released into the wild. We were only there for a half an hour when I demanded to get in the cage and pet the rhino. The confused African man was stunned but then showed me how to evade the fence and get in to mingle with the little giant. I don’t know who was more scared, the baby Rhino or the human tank stampeding at it. Alas, they put the kibosh on me swimming with the baby hippos. I was never a fan of rule sticklers. Don’t worry; I have tons of pictures of me harassing animals!

Then we were off to Wimpys. It is like a ghetto McDonalds with unrecognizable meat hamburgers. YUCK. Wimpys = lifetime of heartburn. They also keep the toilet paper outside of the bathroom. Genius thought process says Denise with no toilet paper.

Non-stop shopping followed. We tore up the mall. Guess who is getting African Christmas presents! I was super excited to find real ice-cream amongst the wooden crafts. I was not to thrilled to find the bug half way through. You know what they say – Hakuna Matata.

While walked around Nairobi I got into a conversation with another Mormon girl. She is really sweet. She completed the Ghana program last summer and was heading to Kenya for round two. Her parents were not too impressed that she is doing this and aren’t really speaking to her. They stink. Who wouldn’t want their kids to experience life? I guess she saves money on phone calls home. I have become her “support sponsor” and promised to check in with her.

Off we went to the airport to get my final piece of luggage. Sweet mercy; it was there! I was screaming with excitement and could have hugged the poor man who was stuck trying to undo the lock while I was screaming behind him, “I see it – WOO HOO!” I guess BO won’t have to be my signature scent after all.

Tonight we meet Lucy; she is our new Kenyan mom. She introduced herself by saying, “I am Lucy; I love people and God.” She really is a spiritual rock and has already taught me a million things I didn’t know. Charity is her slogan and boy does she mean it. I love her already.
Off to sleep…..

09/15 - Still Stinky

Ah, Kenya.

The morning started off like clockwork. I followed some white people - thinking they were volunteers with my group - on to a bus for a short tour. When we got to the drop off point I was quickly put back on the bus and sent to the hotel. The organization probably has a note in my file that says "unable to care for herself." At least I got to see some of the city before the other volunteers. Let's just blame it on me being competitive versus incompetent.

There are a ton of volunteers that basically fit into the party crowd or the anti-American crowd- even though they are all Americans - and I never see them. Then there are five people that I just adore: Tara (Indiana, 20), Lily (California, mid-20s), Andy (Seattle,19) and Sally (California, 30). Sally is the personal massage therapist for Megan Mullay (Karen on Will and Grace) and is filming footage for her new talk show. We are doing all our trips of Nairobi together. I ended up picking the same orphanage as Tara, another volunteer, who has been a large part of the Kenya joy. She totally is an integral part of me loving this place.

Today was the first day of orientation. It was basically blah until we go to the Swahili part. This is where pretended to mouth pronunciations while I made fun of everyone else in my head. Seriously, this is 10 times worse than Mandarin. I try for like a minute and then I just start making clicking noises. Back to the miming for me.

There was a huge list of orphanages to pick from so you basically just close your eyes and pick one at random. I hope I got a good placement but you can't tell until you get there. I also signed up for a Safari and a trip to the Muslim Coast. Apparently, it has great scuba diving. Some volunteers got worms in their feet when they were there and malaria is rampant on the Coast so they told us to be careful. Little do they know I am a sick magnet.

We had lunch at Karen Bixley's estate. She is the author of the book Out of Africa. It was also used in the movie the Constant Gardner. This whole place looks like the Constant Gardner, but that place was pretty nice.

At night we went and looked for my luggage at the airport. I got one bag back but it was full of kids’ toys for the orphanage. Who needs to shower when kids have stuff from the dollar store to play with?

That night we stayed in a guest house full of wild dogs that wouldn't stop licking me. Can you say rabies? It was really fun and I feel in love with the son, William. Don't worry, Jeremy - he is like 10.

I am starting to get the hang of this place and loving every minute. I will check in again tomorrow.

09/14 - Stinky Dee

Hello from the Kenya! I am finally here and loving it. My flight from Dubai to Nairobi could not be described as posh. I asked the girl beside me what was the deal being it was the same airliner and all. She just laughed and said, "Honey, you're going to Africa" and giggled. Well, at least she didn't sugarcoat it for me.

I was certainly the celebrity on board and everyone wanted to know what I was doing. I got a ton of advice on where to go and what to do. Everyone was so lovely. We exchanged numbers and are going to hang out while I am here.

Arriving at the airport was rather eventful. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled to be missing my Africa "junk." It turns out I was one of three volunteers to lose their luggage so we are all pretty empathetic to each other. We have merged our things to help each other out but there is still a ton of things missing that we totally need. For example, we all have toothbrushes and no one has toothpaste. I have deodorant by refuse to share it; three people using the same stick in African heat is too far out of my comfort zone.

I got in really late the first night and went straight to the hotel. Boy, if that hotel was in Canada -- China even - it would have been condemned and burned to the ground. Anyway, the view was a backyard full of garbage that would have been a health hazard to walk in, and it didn't smell too pleasant either. The neighborhood was full of strays dogs - that love to lick the smelly Dee. I had to shower nearly straddling the toilet because they were in the same room with no divider. The hot water button didn't work so I got the coldest shower of my life. The staff were amazingly nice and were used to foreigners; we spent a lot of time chatting with them. Tonight at the hotel I had African spaghetti with nut sauce. It was… ummm…nutty.

That being said... I AM LOVING IT! Luckily, I had the China experience and wasn't too shocked. It has to be noted, however, that China should be considered heaven compared to the average conditions of the normal African community. If you took a Kenyan at put them in a hutong they would feel like they were on the show "Extreme Makeover Addition." Seriously, there are no words to describe it.

Till next time...

09/13 - The best flight ever!

My flight was the best ever. I totally recommend Emirate Air to anyone.

I had over 500 channels on my personal computer screen -75 of them were movies - and over 600 music choices. There was even a remote in case we were too lazy to raise our arms. One of the channels was an in-flight exercise program where you could exercise away the blood clots. Thank goodness no one actually used it.

We ate like kings from menus. It was the first time I ever got a choice in what I wanted besides veg or regular.

They handed out a thank you pack with some sleeping equipment - pillows, eye covers, etc - so I got a lot sleep. There was no one of the plane so I got my own row to stretch out in. When airline imposed "night" came star appeared on the ceiling of the plane above the isle.

There were two cameras attached ot the plane so you could see where you were going - one at the front of the plane and one pointing out of the bottom. Most of the time these just showed clouds but when we got close to the ground it was really cool, especially flying into Dubai. I could have spent the whole trip on the plane and came home happy.

The ladies wore hats with scarves that wrapped out of their hats and around their necks. They were super smart and knew languages from countries I haven't even heard of. They claimed they knew 10 different languages between the five of them but I wasn't in quiz mode so it can't be verified. Apparently being a flight attendant is a huge deal in the Middle East and people start working to get qualified years before they start applying. The My favorite part of the flight was when they said, "at no point are you allowed to congregate in groups." Dang, I was planning on a group hug at the end.

Flying into Dubai was totally awesome and I wish that I had taken a day to tour around before flying on. For hours all I could see out my window was sand. Flying into Dubai I could see all the barges in the water and then a sea of yellow houses and white cars.

Everyone in the airport was really nice and helpful. Using the phone was rocket science and a nice man gave me his calling card and then a Kenyan woman taught me how to dial. They must think I am totally stupid; however, at this point they might be right :)

Unfortunately I lost my luggage in Dubai - when I missed my plane - and I still don't have it. That's right; it has been five days in the same clothes with no deet in sight. I think it will be a miracle if I come home without Malaria. It's actually quite hysterical how gross I am at this point.

Loves!

Red Rock Rocks

On the way back from Vegas we took some time to tour two of Utah's national parks -- Zion and Bryce Canyon. Needless to say, we went unprepared for hiking (two year old flip flops) but we rocked out like superstars.

Zion National Park

We are going to pump YOU up!

Red rock -- how romantic

Murray tempting fate - rebel yell

I am sure they didn't mean climb down in flip flops.

Bryce Canyon

Viva Las Vegas!

Pam, Murray and I hit the road from Utah to Las Vegas for a road trip last month. We had a blast and can't wait to go back.

Interesting thoughts:

• Pam goes to the bathroom a lot. Pam plus coffee equals more time off the road than on.
• Murray likes to gamble. A helpline number may be needed.
• Denise needs to be to bed before 11 to be happy. She is getting old and lame :P

On the road again....

Home sweet hotel home.

Where the crap are the water fountains?

Here is Pam and Murray gambling up a storm.

Domestic Dee

This is me. This is me being domestic -- oh, the shock.