Today’s inventory:
2 cigars – I am trying to cut down, honest, and you know what they say, misery loves company ! I didn’t have a third one today simply by not opening a new packet and I still have the 3 nice ones, waiting for a special occasion…….however, anyone that thinks I am going to give up totally can forget it. I will always enjoy a cigar at some point, the knack will be keeping it irregular.
0 Units – I don’t know why I bother reporting this anymore. I think even you must have grown tired of hearing that I have drunk no alcohol – again. It’s weird, I have gone several days without even thinking about it. I had planned to have my first drink on the flight home but as I will be staying in Dubai overnight with a friend because my flight leaves at 0800hrs I suspect that some strong drink will be partaken of. Besides, I have never, even in my former state, been that taken with drinking before lunch – I mean that’s what the afternoons are for (speaking of which, I need to put one aside, an afternoon that is, for a couple of swift halves of shandy in the Picturedrome when I get back)
$20 dollars spent – I was reciting yesterdays theme to one of my new friends here, about packing and un-packing and the frustration of it all and he said “you need a gorilla box” – well obviously, can’t think why that didn’t leap to mind earlier…..in the end I had to ask “what’s a Gorilla Box”. It turns out that they are large hard black plastic storage trunks (I’ll get back to why you need one in a minute). They cost $25 on the “othe
r side”. Ask Bob to get you one when he next goes to the PX was my advice. To cut a long story short, I have built up some nice friendly relationships with a number of the expat guard force (they’re the Team Leaders and Medics with the security teams that take us out every day) partly because they are ex-military and so am I but mostly because they have the guns and are supposed to be looking after me (which is one of the best reasons I can think of !) one of them mentioned that I wasn’t supposed to be there cause I was supposed to be on site and I said I was sick of the whole business and needed to get a Gorilla Box (cause now I know all the lingo !) and low and behold he says he has a spare one and do I want it ? (turns out it’s almost brand new and “want it” meant $20 but that was cool). So now I’m the proud owner of a Gorilla Box.
So, why do you need a Gorilla Box ? You need a Gorilla Box because you don’t want to lug all of your stuff everywhere and you dare not leave it in a room anywhere, in case they give it to someone else whilst you’re away (as you will recall happened to me). So instead of packing everything into a suitcase or a bag you live out of this chest and then when you have to go away for a few days (or go home for a few weeks) and you don’t want to take your sandy trousers on leave, you just lock your box and if they need your room whilst you are away they either work around your box or move it into storage until you get back. And then, when you have finally had enough of this oven, you just put everything inside it (except your hand luggage obviously) and ship it home as you would a suitcase ! Apparently it’s also good for locking things in that you don’t want the cleaners to see……whatever they may be….. ! Anyway, now I have one and I don’t intend to lug my stuff around anymore, or even most of it home for that matter. There’s barely a piece of clothing that I have here that’s not been ruined by the environment in one form or another so there’s no rush to get that home this time to start with. That includes my trainers…….. (see the cunning link coming up)
Gym – (told you it was cunning !). My trainers are, or would be if there was anyone here that cared, an embarrassment. I have been running in the desert with them for God’s sake ! To be fair, they were covered in paint before that but we’ll gloss over that detail (geddit ?). So they can stay here and I will buy a new pair when I get home to try and keep the fitness thing going in some shape or form before I get back to this austere regime. I had a long hard session in the gym tonight and am pleasantly satisfied with my ability to endure increased CR time and weight. I am having to keep telling myself that I will not get rid of 25 years of abuse in 3 weeks so I need to be a little patient before being ultra critical of my shape – I have also decided not to weigh myself before I get home so I can see the whole effect of 6 weeks hard labour (well, 5 weeks hard labour and a weeks tummy trouble !) Rest assured I will be letting everyone know the results…….if they’re good obviously – the object was to loose a stone whilst I was here and I weighed in at 15st 7lbs the day I left !
Weather – fine and dry, and set fair for a while I’m told……..
Food – nothing really interesting today although to continue yesterday’s theme – I wish I had brought some Marmite………
A couple of quick photos for you today: The first is what eventually happens to anything that used to weight 1.5 tons, now weights 3 tons, and is driven across a building site in the middle of the desert………..
And the next is the wreck of a Russian made armoured personnel carrier. I have noticed that this sort of thing has been strategically left within sight of major road junctions etc. At first I thought that they just hadn’t cleared up properly but I have started to notice that the rest of the area is pretty clear…….like the warning……
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