End of this Blog - Fin!

The end of my Libyan assignment means this will be the last entry in this blog.  You can catch up on current blogs on my new site: Wha Sup Philly!

http://chrisduplisea.blogspot.com/

Cheers!

Leaving the UK, hello Philly

In London, leaving for Philly.  Woke up at 7AM took a shower and went to breakfast.  Had another buffet, the place was packed with Koreans from the wedding reception the night before.  Breakfast was ok, it was free so I can’t complain. I had time to catch the 8:10 Hoopa bus but I would have ended up sitting in the departures lounge waiting for the counting counters to open.  Therefore, I opted to stay another hour in the hotel.  I updated my food journal and my daily journal entries.  Well my plan didn’t work so well.  I went to the lobby at 8:30 to caught the 8:40 Hoopa.  The next three scheduled buses never arrived.  Moreover, there were at least 50 people outside waiting for the hoopa to terminal 5.  The terminal 1 and 2 buses showed up on time, but no one was taking thous buses.  Well I got to the airport about 10AM.  I checked in but still had to go to bag drop-off to show the agent my bag tickets.  He said they were not in the system.  Therefore, he added them.  He said to check with the guy at the plane so he could verify that my bags were on the flight.  I went through security and got to the BA lounge.  I was able to charge up the laptop, finish my beer blog, and added Fuller’s London Pride to the entries.  I got carried away in the lounge and was not paying attention to the flight board.  I noticed that the gate had opened and it was in the “B” gate area.  Therefore, I scrambled to pack up and left for the train to the B gates.  When I arrived, they started pre-boarding.  I entered through the fast track lane, when I got up to the plane door I asked the attendant to check to see if my bags were on board.  She confirmed that they were, ah relief.  Flight was good, my iPod was down to 20% battery.  I guess it did not charge off the laptop.  I was still able to listen to music for a few hours.  I was a normal business class flight on BA.  No surprises and excellent service.  We landed in Philly on time, debarked the plane and went through customs, no issues.  I rented a cart because I had three bags, $4 are you kidding me!  My first two bags come off rather quickly, but I had to wait several minutes for the third.  It was the new bag and there was a rip on the side.  The rip did not go all the way through, so no worries.  As I reached the rental car pick up area, I spotted an Avis van so no waits this time. (that's a first)  I was issued a nice Jeep, Liberty.  Very cool but I’m sure the gas mileage will suck.  I arrived home and started to unpack a little, then started a load of laundry.  I had a DFH Raison D'Etre, I poured into a pint glass thinking it was a Pumpkin Ale.  I transferred it over to a Tulip glass.  I let it warm up a bit first.  I skipped dinner and watched a recorded Nova episode.  About 8PM I was tired and went to bed.  Around 2AM I was awake so I got up and finished unpacking and sorting some stuff.  Went back to bed around 4AM.  Got up again at 6AM, I started to walk to DD for coffee, a quarter of the way to DD it started to sprinkle so I headed back.  I made coffee at home instead, it wasn’t that good so I only had one cup.

Heading Back Home

After two years of working in North Africa I'm head back home!  The first year was fantastic, then things got a bit hectic.  The second year just wasn't as fun or rewarding as the first.  I did enjoy the trips to Europe and the UK, I never would have traveled oversea if it wasn't for taking on this assignment. 
Leaving Libya!!!  I got up made coffee and took the trash out.  Took a shower and finished stuffing the luggage.  Had breakfast then booked my October flight to JAX.  I’m starting to get butterflies, I really want to get out-a-here.  Geary came by because Ron had called him and he wanted to talk to me about the apartment.  About 10ish Jerry came and we talked for 90 minutes or so.  I gave the SAT card and other things.  I was trying to book my Thanksgiving flights as he came by but had to stop.  When he left, I continued by the prices jumped and the Saturday flight filled up and became a one-stop flight.  That happened in 90 minutes.  Which I find bogus!  Therefore, I ended up booking a flight that leaves on Tuesday and gets back Friday night.  The front desk called and asked if I could leave at 11:45 instead of noon.  No problem.  I got to the airport about 12:15.  The line was open and only one person in front of me.  No hassles!  They checked my luggage in all the way to PHL.  I only got the boarding pass for today’s flight.  No worries.  The Boss speakers in my carry-on alarmed the guards watching the scanners.  Must have been the magnets.  I went to the BA business club elevator but it was not working and there are no stairs.  Lucky there was a second elevator.  Got into the lounge and relaxed for a few hours waiting on the boarding call.  With an hour before the flight, I went ahead and left for the gate.  When I got to the lobby the gate was open.  We boarded with no issue and took off on time.  It was a nice flight and the food was ok.  The champagne (Pommery) was very carbonated.  We landed at a board gate so no buses this time (I hate having to take a bus from the plane to the terminal).  Went through custom quickly.  I found a BA customer service desk at the baggage area but the woman there said I had to go up to the departures lounge desk.  Three floors up.  I got up to that level but could not find a BA service desk.  I ended up asking someone and he pointed me in the right direction.  The reason I did not locate one is that the service desk and the check-in desk are the same.  Therefore, I waited in the Club line and a BA rep came by and said that there were no lines at the end of the hall.  So I walked down there and true, no lines.  The woman behind the counter was very friendly, I received my hotel voucher, and Hoopa bus passes.  I then had to go back down to the Arrivals area to catch the bus.  When I got there the bus for the Renaissance Hotel was waiting.  Cool!  Got to the hotel in about 30 minutes, we had to stop at several other hotels before arriving at the Renaissance.  Checked in with no issues.  I received vouchers for dinner and breakfast.  I got to the room and unpacked.  Afterward I was feeling hungry so I headed to the restaurant.  They put me in the back for the guest with vouchers.  It was a buffet, not bad though.  I even got desert.  The only drawback was that there was no choice for drinks.  I had water.  No big deal.  After dinner, I went to the bar next to the restaurant.  I ordered a Well’s Bombardier Bitter.  I found a quiet seat and started judging.  I finished the beer and headed to my room.  Wrote down my beer notes and watch TV the rest of the night.

Heading back to Libya for the Last Time!

Wednesday 7th, Got up around 7 this morning. I bought two more pair of pants at Sears this morning. Finished weeding in the backyard and sprayed weed killer. The backyard looks nice again. Prepared the house for a three-week leave. I had the leftover deli meat and a few beers for lunch. I left for the airport at 3PM. There was a very long line when I arrived. After about 15 minutes of the line barely moving an agent told me that I could use the bag check line. I got up to the counter and checked in my two bags. I asked the agent to book me through to Tripoli. He said the charge for the extra bag was only $60 for both flights. Then he surprised me by asking if I wanted to be bumped up to Premium Economy. Why yes! Then he changed his mind and bumped up to Business, way cool!! When I sat down at the gate, I noticed Tracy had sent me a message. She wished for a safe flight. I sent a quick reply and said I would send a longer message tomorrow when I got back. We boarded no issues. I ended up listening to the iPod most of the way. I got about two hours of sleep at the end of the flight.

Thursday 8th, We landed 30 minutes late because we were over an hour late taking off from PHL. I still had time to go to the V-Bar and order a small breakfast. I caught up on my journals, no WiFi signal though. The gate was on the other side of the terminal this time. Where it use to be. The flight was ok except I was seated in front of one of the families with a screaming kid. I managed to get maybe an hour of sleep. I was first in the customs line so I had to wait for my luggage. Got home and started to unpack. All of my cloths came back from the dry cleaners, finally. I think I have everything. I will need to wash my own clothes for now on if I can. Around 4PM I gave Gareth a call and went to his flat to chat for a while. I hooked up the iPod docking station to the Bose speakers. At first it would not work, then I removed the docking adapter, now it works fine. Went to dinner and started to feel tiered. I finished Tracy’s email then went to bed.

Happenings during my vacation back Home

Monday 28th, Still in the UK, same as yesterday, I was up with the morning light again, around 4AM. I checked my email before laid back down.  Stayed in bed until almost seven.  Charged my iPod and Blackberry. Went downstairs and took a shower.  Fixed toast and coffee, that’s went everyone else started coming downstairs.   Suzy had already been up, she had taken the dog out for a walk.   The kids were sent to school and Suzy drove me to the airport a little after 9AM.  I checked in everything ok, but the seat number did not look right.  I asked the baggage person to check it out and realized it was the right number.  I walked around through the shops, I didn’t see any iPod accessories I wanted.   Sat at the V-Bar and ordered a beer then decided to get the tapas with chorizo sausage and coffee.  At the gate, I was the last one on the first bus to the plane.  This meant I was the first one to board. Yes!  I get carry-on luggage space. The flight in Economy was not bad other than the young chick in front of me who insisted on leaning back in her seat the entire trip.  I hate self-centered people like that.  I listened to my iPod nearly the entire trip and only used 1/3 of the battery.  That’s cool!  When we were over New Jersey, the pilot came on and said we were to be delayed by 30 minutes because of the rainstorm.   A minute later, he came on and said that traffic control will let us in.  We landed and got to the gate.  Went through customs with not issues, had to wait on the luggage. Got outside and caught the Avis bus to the lot.  Avis is using a new lot for preferred clients.  While driving home had some traffic but not bad.  I got home around 5PM.  I received the Apple software.  In addition, I received two new credit cards and the Best Buy Cards.  DirecTV does not seem to be working.   Had a brewskie or two then I went to bed around 10:30.

Tuesday 29th, I did not sleep well last night.  I think it was jet lag.  I got up a few times in the middle of the night.  Finally got out of bed at 5AM.  Took a much-needed shower and walked to DD for morning brew.  It is warm and muggy at this time in the morning.  I broke a sweat coming back.  I purchased the exit row seat going to LHR it was $75 but worth it, I will not have to worry about some young chick wanting to move her seat back in my face.  I tried to upgrade to Premium Economy but Expedia said I had to contact BA and BA says I have to use the travel agent.  I made my shopping itinerary for the day, lots to do.  The DirecTV is still out, diagnosis says it may the dish alignment.  That must have happened during the big storms last weekend.  I think I will end the service and get Verizon FIOS out here.  I went to Sears at 9AM but the sign outside said 9:30, they need to update their website.  Therefore, I drove over to the grocery store and picked up deli meat, bread, veggies and coffee.  Went out again to Sears, but they did not have a French press.  They did have the tote bags I’m looking for, I’ll shop around for luggage during the week.  I went to Best Buy near the house but this store does not sell Apple items.  That sucks.  I decided to head out to the KoP Mall.  I arrived a little after 11AM and went to the Rock Bottom Brewery.  I ordered the flat bread it was delish!  Moreover, of course, a beer.  Mary answered my message from this morning.  I'm going to head over about 5PM.  She said they are thinking about buying the Apple Mini themselves.  I started to go to the Apple store then realized that I need to use the $200 Best Buy cards for the Apple Mini.  Therefore, I drove over to the Best Buy in KoP.  I was able to get everything, Mini, keyboard, 2TB drive and the DVI connector.  With the discount, it came to $750.  Got home, set it up and started playing.  I got the codes for my wireless network, they were the same one’s as before.  Matt just changed the SSID.  I secured the router password it was too easy before.  Made myself a nice turkey sandwich and had a beer, yum it’s good to back in the USA.  As Photoshop was installing, I went down to Target to look the items I could not find today.  It took a while but I found a French Press and an electric kettle.  Got home and made fresh coffee.  The French Press is so much better than a coffee maker.  Continued to setup the Mini.  Transferred my Photos over to the new external drive.  I setup the email and sent Tracy a message telling her about my new toy and asked her again to send me the Xmas photos.  I started getting tired around 8PM.  I hope that I can sleep tonight.

Wednesday 30th, Slept good last night!  And it was a nice chilly night, I opened some windows to cool down the house.  Got up at 6AM, walked down to DD for a cup of brew.  I installed Skype and Yahoo on the Mini.  Went on line to check out the RAM prices for the Apple.  Between $45 and $100 for each 2GB DIMM.  At around 9AM I went to Lowes and picked up a board for the keyboard and mouse to use for the Mini.  In addition, I got a small desk lamp and a window squeegee.  Went out again to try to find RAM for the Mini.  Best Buy had none and Staples had the RAM but is priced at $95 each.  No thank you.  I think I will wait until I really need the upgrade.  The system is running fine right now.  Next stop was the Memphis Taproom!  Spanky was at the bar when I went in.  Very cool we chatted for a while.  I asked if he could order a case of the JW Lees Barlywine for me.  No problems he said, it would be about $150 for the case (his price), I’ll swing by Saturday to pick it up.  Got home about 5PM.  Picked out the Jazz CDs from the jukeboxes.  I’ll start burning tonight.  Just need to figure out how to synchronize to the iPod.  Tracy sent a link for the photos I asked her to send.  That was fast.  Went to bed around 9PM.

Thursday 1st, Got up about 4:30AM and checked AECOM email.  Walked up to DD about 5:30 for breakfast and coffee.  Got the Septa timescales for the trip downtown today.  I arrived at the office around 11AM.  Talked to a few peeps and went to lunch with Tom at Devil’s Alley.  Great food!  I always wanted to try this place, it opened a year before I went to Libya.  I got back home around 3PM.  I started burning my Jazz CDs today.  In addition, was able to get the update to the CopyTrans software to work with iOS 4.  I Skype Mom and played on the Mini some more today.  I sent Lynn from work the link to my Picasa site.  I signed up for Verizon’s FiOS with the Extreme HD with 25/25 Internet access for less than my DirecTV bill.  I scheduled for tomorrow between 8 and 5.  They called to verify that they would be out in the morning.  I hope so.  I don’t want to be late leaving for John and Mary’s.  I watched Bill Maher via Internet, some older shows.  Got to bed late, I think.

Friday 2nd, Walked do to DD around 5:30AM.  I started cleaning up and getting ready for the FiOS installers.  I imported my contacts to the Mini via Vcard.  I continued ripping the Jazz CDs.  The Verizon installers called, they will be here at 10AM. The works for me! I will be able to leave for John and Mary’s around 4PM.  The installer arrived around 9:30 and finished by 2:30. Great! I left for John and Mary’s at 4PM and arrived at 5:30 on time. We chatted for a while, Mary wanted to know all about Tracy.  I brought the Mini but they did not have a monitor to hook up to.  We went to Union Jacks and ate outside on the patio, the weather was great.  We got back and listen to music and talked until midnight.  I slept over.

Saturday 3rd,I got up at 7:30 but John and Mary were still sleeping. I left a note on the dining table and drove home at 8AM. Arrived home and took a shower. Just took it easy until 11AM when I drove to the Memphis Taproom for my case of JW Lees. They did not have it, Spanky said the distributor could not put the case together. I had lunch then headed home. A bit later I went to the beer distributor and groceries store. I called Joe around 5PM to see if they were home no answer. I just watch TV and work a bit on the Mini. At 7PM I tried the Slapper’s again and left a message. About 8PM, Gretchen called and said they just got home. She invited me over, I said I had a case of beer and steaks that I can bring over. We cooked on the grill and hung out in the back yard until 2AM.

Sunday 4th of July! Woke up about 8:30 this morning. I walked to DD for coffee and a bagel. Did a few credit card things. Watch some TV. Called Joe around 1PM, he said to come over. I left at 2PM and went to the beer distributor and bought a case of beer and some ice. Joe and I just chilled out in the back yard and drank beer. Gret and the kids got home from the pool around 5PM. We had dinner and hung out. I started getting sleepy around 11Pm and went home.

Monday 5th, Got up at 7:30 and showered up. I decided to head over and do the 4th of July parade. I swung by DD for coffee and donut holes. We went to Carol and Mike’s. I haven’t seen Carol in a long time. The parade was just like last year. During the parade, Tracy had sent an email. I was not able to read it outdoors. I went home around noonish. When I got back I reply to Tracy’s message. I watched FiOS TV and Chilled out. I had wine, beer and ice cream then crashed about 9:30PM.

Tuesday 6th,I got up at 6AM, decided not to walk to DD. I made my own coffee later in the morning. I paid the utility bills. Started cleaning up the back yard before the temperature got too high. The outside thermostat was reading 90 degrees at 9AM, wow! Got a lot done. After yard work and a shower, I went to Sears for the luggage. I discovered that their entire inventory of luggage was on sale. I ended up getting a name brand for half price. Next, I went to Lowes for weed killer then drove to Best Buy and purchased an iPod dock which I can use with the Bose computer speakers and I got a Bluetooth hands free unit. I went home to drop off everything. Joe had left a message saying he was not able to do lunch. I decided to go to the Iron Hill off 309 for lunch. I had a small pizza and purchased two of the aged 750ml bottles. The English Barlywine and their 19th Anniversary beer. Got home and feel asleep watching TV. Around 4PM I decided to check out Earth Bread and Brew in Mt. Airy. I was smaller than I thought and the beer selection was not as good as I hoped. The flat bread pizza was delish. I checked out the back yard when I got home. It looks so much better. All of the vegetation as died in the pavers. Just watched TV tonight.

UK, June 2010 - Short trip to Windsor

Was up with the morning light again, around 4AM. Stayed in bed until six. Got up, let the dog out, and made coffee. It was a beautiful crisp English morning. I worked on the journal and diet stuff. Toby came down and started eating then Gareth came down to make tea for Suzy in bed, which he does every day. I made myself a couple egg sandwiches. We took the dog to yet another park, Winterhill in Cookham, Berkshire, right on the Thames. It was cool, lots of people out. This part of the Thames has quit a few houseboats parked on it. We got back then I hopped in the shower. Gareth and I went to Windsor, we tried to get into the Castle but there was a long line at the ticket booth and we only had an hour. So we toured the town around the castle. It was a very warm day. I got some good pictures. Outside of the castle Gareth spotted two mailbox drops.  He said that it was very unusual for a ER and a GR drop-box to be located next to each other.  The ER is Queen Elizabeth II and GR is for King George V or VI.  We stopped by a place on the way back to the car for an apple cider. Traffic again was a nightmare in Maidenhead where Gareth lives. When we got back, Gareth took Toby to a field so they could spend some father and son time. I stayed back and worked on the computer. Suzy made Yorkshire Pudding for lunch, it was very good. I stayed home while Suzy dropped Gareth off at the airport. I turned on the England World Cup game. It ended 4-1, Germany won. Tracy sent her reply as soon as she got up, I received it at 2:30PM. We had dinner, leftovers then watched the original Willie Wanka and the Chocolate Factory. I have not seen this in a long time. Then we watch the World Cup. I was passing out on the couch so went to bed. It will be good to be in my own bed tomorrow night. Sent off my nightly email and hit the pillow.

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• Visit Windsor Castle, Home of the British Monarchy (england-travel.suite101.com)

UK, June 2010 - BBQ English Style

The sun rises very early here, about 4AM. I got up with the morning light only to go back to bed. I was the first up so I let the dog out and took a shower. Eventfully Toby, the little one got up and started eating his cereal. Followed by Gareth. Gareth made coffee and tea and started to cook some bacon in the oven. Suzy came down and had we all had bacon sandwiches. Gareth and I dropped Toby off at athletics. Then Gareth and I took the dog for a long walk around the park. The dog loves chasing sticks and swimming. We kept him busy. After an hour, we walked back and picked up Toby. We headed back to the house, Sam finally got up. Gareth and I dropped off the two kids at other activities. Gareth and I went grocery shopping then we swung by his neighborhood Italian deli. A very cool shop, I wish we had one in Philly. Had a very nice lunch, just sandwiches and a salad followed by a fruit bowl with ice cream. After lunch, I started working on a homemade BBQ sauce that Gareth asked me to make. It turned out pretty good. We prepped for the BBQ most of the afternoon. We had pork ribs, pork chops, hamburgers, pork sausage, chicken, kabobs and wings. And of course plenty of sides and puddings (deserts). We had the USA World Cup game on during dinner. Most of the guest ate outside in the backyard. We had vintage Shiraz during dinner and a very nice Port as an after dinner drink. Got to bed around midnight.

UK, June 2010 - Day trip to Oxford

Got up around 6AM, Gareth was waiting in the kitchen. We got the dog and drove to a large wooded park. We walked for a couple miles. His dog is very active and loves the woods! He’s a mid-size dog, not sure what breed a mix collie and spaniel. I took the camera and got a few nice pictures. When we got back, everyone was just waking up. Gareth cooked breakfast, then I hit the shower and updated the journals. Finally got on the Internet, checked for messages and sent Tracy an email. After the kids left for school, Suzy, Gareth and I jumped in the car and headed to Oxford. What a beautiful day in was today! No clouds in the morning, a perfect day to visit Oxford. We walked around the town, Gareth and Suzy were great tour guides since they both went to school here. I took many pictures, they were very patient and knew were to go for great shots. We stopped at The Turf Tavern for a few pints. A famous pub in the middle of town. A great selection of hand pumps. After that we hit a few shops then ended up picking up sandwiches and cookies from a bakery. We walk to a nice park where there where people rented gondolas, like the ones in Venice. We sat on the bank and had lunch whilst watching the gondolas go by. . We headed back around 2PM. Tracy had been texting me as soon as she got up. There were severe thunderstorms last night in Philly. 200,000 homes without power. 75MPH winds. Our chat continued until she left for the dentist. That was about the time we went to dinner. We went to a nice pub with a large dog friendly outdoor eating area. Afterwards we headed back. Gareth opened a vintage bottle of Riesling. We sat in the backyard and enjoyed the evening.

UK, June 2010 - Off to the US but first a pitstop in Maidenhead for the weekend

Gareth and I took a van from the office at noon to the Guest House.  We needed to change and pick up our luggage. We arrived at the airport around 1:30.  We met Jasper at the check-in counter, we all checked in and boarded our flight with no issues.  The airport was very busy though.  Gareth and I sat across the aisle from each other and Jasper was a few rows up.  Most of the flight Jasper had walked down to our row and we had nice long chat.  That was a good way to kill a 3.5-hour flight.  I texted Tracy as soon as we landed, we ended up texted off and on the rest of the day.  Philly was having very bad thunderstorms and she lost her power so could only use her iPhone and it was running low on battery.  I had a small issue at the customs counter.  The agent asked where I was staying I told her at Gareth’s she asked for an address but I did not have it and Gareth had already gone through the UK line.  She almost did not let me in.  She said next time be prepared.  Okey Dokey.  Suzy picked us up.  We also had two other AECOM peeps on the flight.  Gareth offered to take them to their hotel so the car was a little crowed for a few minutes.  We dropped them off and proceeded to Gareth’s.  We hung outside in backyard for a bit then had dinner.  Suzy and Sam had a small hot air balloon that they wanted to launch.  She lit the fuel container and let it go....  For dinner we had a beef dish with veggies.  Moreover, a proper bottle of wine.  We had a sample of locally made beers before bed.  I could not get on the Internet so I skipped the journal, will write tomorrow morning.  Not sure when I hit the bed but fell right asleep

Malta, June 2010 - Farewell Malta - World Cup US vs England

Last day in Malta.  Boo hoo!  Got up around 7ish and went to breakfast.  I was about half way done went Dan walked in.  We ate together, he is staying an extra day so he is talking off to do his thing.  I headed back to the room to shower and start packing.  I updated my journals and continued transferring music over to iTunes.  Then I walked over to the grocery store for cheese, bacon and chocolate.  I checked out and waited in the lobby for the driver and my Visa.  FCM arrived and handed over my passport.  Scott and Natalie showed up, then David Martinez and Doug.  I did not know that David and Doug were in town.  A driver arrived around 12:30 and said he was there for me and me only.  I thought that was odd but oh well.  I guess the other drivers will arrive to pick up the others.  Checked it and waited in the business lounge.  I left to do some last minute chocolate shopping.  I found Lindt’s Champagne Truffles.  I cannot wait to try them.  We boarded the plane on time then waited for a late arriving plane with 15 connecting passengers.  Then we waited again.  Finally they told everyone that there was a baggage miscount so everyone on board had to go out to the tarmac and ID their luggage.  We finial took off and hour and a half late.  What a difference in temperatures!  80s in Malta with a nice sea breeze, compared to 112 and a very hot breeze from the south (Sahara).  I got home and Skyped Tracy, she skipped her outing so was available to chat.  Well our World Cup party was a hit!  We must have had 50 employees show up.  Considering we only have 150 in Tripoli, that’s a great turnout!  Moreover, the best part the game was a tie, 1-1!  Which is a win for USA and a loss for the England.  Before the game, the Brits were all full of themselves.  Ranting and shouting, heck even Gareth.  England scored first within the first 5 minutes.  The US scored 30 minutes later, which quiet the UK crown down.  They were so down and sad that the game was a tie.

Malta, June 2010 - Gozo

Got up at 7:30 and started edited the photos from yesterday and uploaded a few to Tracy’s new Picasa album, “Summer 2010”.  I went over to Mc D’s again for coffee and Wi-Fi access.  Got back just in time to get ready for the van pick up to go to the Gozo ferry.  They packed us in, every seat was filled.  We ended up taking the 10:30 ferry over.  They did not check for tickets so I guess they get you on the way back.  The Hop-off Hop-on bus was wanting for us.  It took off at 11:15AM.  I took a few pics on the ride, the bus stopped for a 10 minutes photo stop at Calypso’s Cave.  We continued our journey and I got off at Victoria.  I walked over to the café were Karen and I had stopped last time I was here.  I sat outside and ordered a Maltese sausage and cheese platter.  Man was it good!  I loved it!  Also had a few pints.  Tracy’s email came in while I was eating.  I sent her back a quick message letting her know what I was doing today.  After that great lunch, I walked up to the Citadel and took pictures of the surrounding area.  I walked back over to the bus stop and waited for the next bus.  Only had to wait a few minutes.  Next stop for me is the Dwejra stop where the Azure Window is located.  I walked all over taking different photos than the last time.  I even walked on top of the Azure Window.  The sun started to get to me so I sat at a café and hydrated myself whilst I waited for the next bus.  I know I got a lot of sun, I can feel it.  Made it to the ferry in time, it was pulling in as we arrived at the terminal.  Moreover, I had to pay to get back on.  I found a quite place in the shade on the upper deck.  It was a long trip back to the hotel, Murphy ’s Law I was the last one to get dropped off.  I took a quick shower.  Mom wanted to chat on Skype but I was headed to the outdoor restaurant in the hotel.  I had a bottle of Shiraz and a steak.  Only finished half the bottle.  Got back to the room and called Mom for a short while.  Down loaded the Gozo pics.  Went to bed early.

Malta, June 2010 - WiFi iPod Test

Heard Tracy’s email come in around 5:30AM. Tracy commented on the Vienna picture, she said, “I miss those jeans!". I figured she was referring about her old jeans. She wanted me to upload pics from this trip. I got up around 6:30 and went to breakfast. It was much better this morning. Not as crowded but there was no omelet chef so I had the scrambled eggs and bacon. Got back to the room and worked on the iPod. I went over to Mac Donald’s to get a proper coffee. They have a free Wi-Fi so I was able to get Skype, Comcast email and Facebook working on the iPod. I sent Tracy an email and Skype chat to test. For lunch, I went over to a restaurant by Higgins’s. Dan was in Silema and was ending back. He said he would meet me there. Tracy sent another message saying that her dishwasher had been running all night. She was worried about her water bill. After lunch, we went back to the hotel. I worked on AECOM email and played with the iPod. I ran into Scott and Natalie in the lobby, they had transferred over to my hotel. They had to push FCM to get their passports back because they were going to Sicily. Dan and I did not get ours back yet. I met up with Dan and we headed over to get his frame. It turned out very nice. We went to the new mall so I could get some good shots of the harbor. We headed back and stopped by the restaurant I always go to near the Le Meridien (Bonicelli). I had ribs and he had stuffed calamari. We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

Malta, June 2010 - Silema Deux

Got up around 8AM and went to breakfast. I went down and had breakfast, it was a buffet similar to the Le Meridien, the coffee was bad. I had legs cramps last night, must have been from all the walking and being dehydrated. Tomorrow I will go across the street to Mickey Ds for their coffee. When I got back from breakfast, I composed a message for Tracy since I did not do one last night and sent it off. Around 10ish I decide to go find the new mall in Selma and check it out. I need a few shirts and maybe an extra pair of shorts. I still had no change so I walked again. On the way I stopped for a bottle of water and sat in the shade and rested a bit. Just what I needed. I continued to the area where I thought the mall was located. I found it, it’s where all of the construction was happening the past year. It’s a four-level mall shaped like an oval with only the top level about ground. Lots of clothing stores, as usual. I found a camera shop that sells Apple stuff, they had the iPod Tough for 10 Euro more than what I paid yesterday. I went into a store called Debenhams, a British store I think. I purchased a polo and a t-shirt I liked. I walked around some more then decided to head back and find somewhere to eat lunch. I found a nice outdoor café’ in very nice shaded area. I had a delicious beef wrap and a salad. Just before the food came out, I got a message from Tracy. She sent it at 6:30AM her time. After lunch, I started walking back to the hotel, when I got around to Spinola Bay I saw Dan leaning on the rail taking in the view and sea breeze. We talk for a bit, he was headed to Silema to look for a custom frame shop. I said “what the heck” I’ll tag along. So I walked all the way back to Silema again with Dan. We ended up just bar hopping from outdoor café to another for a few hours. We eventually found a small art gallery that made frames. Very cool, the guy new exactly what Dan was looking for and said it would be ready in 24 hours. We started our trip back to the hotel got back about 5PM. Long day for me. I called Jasper to see what the plans were for dinner. He had to work on a few reports and Dan was meeting a client that’s here on the island. Therefore, I contacted Juan and said I would meet him at Blanco’s around 6:30. Hasan was with him. We had a nice dinner, I had a Chicken Caesar salad and a great Maltese sampler as an appetizer. It had local sausage, cheese and dried tomatoes. Yum! Next door there is a Ben and Jerry’s, that’s what we had for desert. I had chocolate fudge brownie. Headed back to the hotel and started playing around with the iPod until it was time for bed.

Malta, June 2010 - New iPod Touch

Got on the van with Natalie and Scott and made it to the airport on time. When I got to the check-in counter Jasper and a few others were there waiting for some security stuff to go through. I checked in and went up to the business lounge. Several others were there already. In total, we had about ten people on this flight. It was a fast flight, going in we flew next to the island and got a great view. The waters a very still I may schedule an island tour this week than sails around the whole island. At the meet & greet our representative from FCM was there to meet us. Dan and I were the only two going to the Inner Continental. At the check in I had to pay for the two extra nights. They gave me an upgraded room but no access to the club lounge. Oh well no biggie. I got situated then walked over to the Bay Street mall to look for a iPod Touch. The one electronics did not have one. The guy said to try Silema. It was about noon so I went up to the HRC for a burger and a beer. Went back to the hotel and changed to my shorts and a t-shirt. I decided to walk to Silema instead of taking the bus. The weather was nice, not too hot with a nice breeze. I arrived at the Silema waterfront and started looking for electronic gadget shops. The store where I purchased my little speakers last time was closed. I went up to the next one and they did not have the Touch. The clerk gave me a few suggestions. I walked up the hill into a Vodafone store (a cell phone company like Verizon or AT&T) just in case they sold MP3 players. And tada! They had them. Now get this, the price was only €270. Way cool!! Not only did I find it, but the price was not inflated. With iPod in hand, I walk back to the hotel and started to play. I took me nearly three hours to get one song loaded. I was trying to avoid using iTunes. The one software I downloaded would not work so I downloaded iTunes, which took forever. Then iTunes did not work. I had to load an update to the OS on the iPod. While waiting I called Jasper to see were we were meeting tonight, he said at the bar in the Westin. I finally have everything loaded. I copied a few albums over and now they are on the iPod. Tomorrow I will need to continue searching for an alternative to iTunes. Walked over to the Westin, it ended up being just four of us, Jasper, Dan, Juan and I. We went to Buffalo Bills for dinner. I texted Tracy to say hi and again to tell her the nightly email will be late. We all ordered steak and had two bottles of wine. Then we went walking and ended up at bar with outdoor sitting for a few pints and more good times. Went to another spot for girlie drinks and desert. I think I got in around 2AM. I started to write Tracy but way too tiered.

Malta, March 2010 - Time to go back to Tripoli

Got up at 6:30AM, packed and showered up. I skipped breakfast, went down to the lobby and checked out. I hung out in the lobby until the driver arrived, just after 8. Nice guy, loves his job. We hit rush hour traffic, which in Malta really isn’t much. Arrived at the airport around 8:30, no lines so I was able to check in with no issues. Through security and into the business lounge. Andrew was already there, I grab some grub and waited. Our flight was called, they did something different this time. They loaded the first bus with economy call passengers first. We were next, now all on board. We took off 10 minutes early. Back in Tripoli, no issues in customs in fact we were the only flight. Went to down to baggage claim and it was empty. Got our bags and went out to Meet & Greet. The place is empty then I realized it’s a holiday. The typical flux of annoying taxicab drivers making a pitch for business was missing, that was nice. Salla was running late but called to let me know. I offered Andrew a ride to his place, David had his drive coming in, Al, and Florencia driver was already there. Back home! Unpacked and took a small nap on the couch. Went up to dinner, only a few folks showed up. We had fried chicken and Sheppard’s Pie. Got back to the room and prepared for work tomorrow

Malta, March 2010 - Walk around Valletta

All most the same as yesterday, slept in until 7AM. Had the normal breakfast. Was determined to stick to my plan, haircut and groceries. About 9:30 I ventured out to the Le Meridien to get my haircut. The plan was to stop at Bonicelli for coffee until the hairdressers opened up at 10AM. I walked up after 10 but they were not open. So I started walking back and decided to go to the grocery store on the hill near the Hilton. I got cheese, chocolate, tea, and mustard. Dropped off the goodies and went to the haircut place next door to the hotel. This place has a strange entrance, you have to go through a sporting goods store to get there. I walked up the stairs and two girls were cleaning up the place but said one of them could cut my hair. I guess making a few bucks is better than cleaning. So with a new hair cut it was time to sightseeing for the rest of the day. I walked up to the nearest bus stop this time. There were two buses, one of the old ones that was already packed and a newer bus that was off-line. I opted to wait to see what the next bus was like. As luck would have it, the off-duty bus came on line and I was the first on board. Here we go… As we reached the next bus stop, the bus that was packed had broken down. So most of the passengers got on my bus. I got off at the Sliema docks to catch the ferry over to Valletta. Got off the ferry and started walking at the same level around the island. True what Phil said, I was able to walk all the way around the fort at sea level, and hardly saw anyone. I got some great shots from unusual vantage points. I climb up a set of stairs close to the memorial bell to get back on the main road that circles Valletta. Stopped at the café that Karen and I had a drink once before. This time I sat on the deck and had a beer. Nice! I then walked up to the center of town and found the pizza joint I had ate at before. It was not crowned and I was able to eat outside. I had pizza, a beer and a glass of wine. As I was relaxing I sent Tracy a text message just to say hi and wish her a good day at work. She should get this just before her Monday morning meeting. I could not make up my mind what I waited to do the rest of the day. So I got on a bus back to Paceville. Al and Florencia got on the bus at one of the stops. We all got off on the same stop but went our own ways. I swung by a store and bought a beer I’ve been wanted to try, Cisk Extra Lager. Got to the room, started download pics, and worked on the journal. At 5:30 I went up to the lounge and had tea and water whilst I waited for the sun to set. Its picture time on the deck. I took photos from 5:40 to 6:15. The photos at the end of the shoot were the best, I think. Won’t know till I get them into Photoshop. I had a few drinks and some delicious snacks before heading back to the room. Went out to dinner for just a drink and a snack, but ended up going to Buffalo Bills. I had a small steak and a bottle of wine. I tried to get a half bottle but what I wanted only came in full size. The meal was good and I only drank a half a bottle. There was a full moon out and I did not bring my camera. I was too tired to go back and venture out for nights, though that’s what I had planned. Good night.

Malta, February 2010 - Saluting Battery - Boom!

Slept in until 8AM. Had the normal breakfast. Made plans to do the Saluting Battery and the Three Cities. At 9:30AM I left the hotel and walked down to the bus stop but decided to walk all the way to Silema again, need the exercise. When a got near the docks, I heard bagpipes and noticed that the bus stop area was blocked off. When I walked over to the docks, I saw that the ferry has not left so I went over and got on the boat. It was packed, probable from the buses not running. After the boat ride, I made my way up to the heart of Valletta. Valletta is very hilly, like San Francisco though I have never been there. The Saluting Battery is at noon so I had plenty of time to kill. I walked around, most of the shops were closed because its Sunday and early. I found a very nice court area that several restaurants use. I ordered a water and coffee. It was very relaxing and I pulled off my jacket because the temperature was starting to rise. I believe it got up to 75° today. After a very relaxing time I made my way to the gardens were the Battery is located. I got there right at 11AM and paid my 5€ for the show. Everyone can see the show from the platform above the canons but I wanted to be at ground level. I saw this once before last year but it was rainy. Today is a perfect weather day. I was the only one there so I got the VIP one-on-one treatment. This seems to always happen to me. I found a prime location for the show, it was nice having seen it before so I knew were to stand. I took many picture and I think I nailed the canon shot. Last time the photo was blurred because of the loud sound and shock wave. As part of the show, I was offered a free coach ride to the War Museum in Vittoriosa. Perfect that’s where I was going. The coach was full, about nine people were on board. On arrival, I started my walk through the area. Ended up at the docks, walked down to where the Maltese Falcon is birthed. This is a modern design of a sailing ship. She’s large with massive mast made of aluminum I believe. Started my way back and was contemplating eating at one of the outdoor cafes but decided to head back to Valletta. I walked up to the bus terminal and hopped on bus #1 that will take me back to Valletta. I texted Tracy to let her know what I was up to. She replied said she was cleaning up getting ready for her card-making day. Got back to Valletta and started walking in to the city for lunch but turned around and got on one of the buses back to Paceville. Got off the bus in front of the Le Meridien and walked over the restaurants in Spinola Bay. It was 2:30PM and every place was packed. So I just walked back to the hotel and changed my shirt and rested for a few then walked over the HRC for a burger and beer. Went back to the hotel and worked on pictures, uploaded a few and listen to music. Tomorrow the priority is hair cut and grocery shopping.

Malta, February 2010 - A lazy day

Woke up, I decide to go to breakfast. I was hungry, had the normal grub this morning. Got back to the room, laid down, and watched the Olympics for a few hours. Woke up refreshed, went for a walk down to Spinola Bay and had a large salad at the place I usually go to when I’m in Malta. Went to the Malta glass place near the Hilton and purchase more items. Headed back up to the club lounge for some OJ and water, I sat out on the roof deck and soak up some sun. Back in the room, I rested and worked on the photos and listen to music. Around 7PM I went to one of the three restaurants in the hotel. The one I selected was closed for renovation, which sucked because they have an Indian dish I wanted to try. Instead, I went to the same place I had dinner the first night I arrived. They had a large buffet setup but opt to order from the menu. I had a rib bye with potato and a salad. For the appetizer, I had a bowl of tomato soup. It was one of the best soups I have ever had, delish. Just watched TV until I got tiered.

Malta, February 2010 - Hop-on/Hop-off

Started with breakfast again in the club lounge. The weather was the same as yesterday. Went on line to go info on the hop-on/hop-off buses. I left the hotel a little after 9AM. I walked all the way to the Sliema docks were the buses start. I choose the Red (South) tour. My plan was to get off at the Fort Rinella stop but the bus did not go there, that was strange. Therefore, I changed my plans and got off at the Blue Grotto. I had lunch at one of the restaurants in the area. Had a delicious chicken dish with fries and a salad. Also had a few glass of local red wine. I walked up the observation area and shot a boatload of pictures. Went back down to the drop off point and had a beer whilst I wait on the bus. Got back to Sliema around 3PM, I walked up to an electronics store and purchases a pair of Sony mini PC speakers. They sound good for such small speakers and very easy to carry around. On my long walk back to the hotel, I ran into a couple AECOM peeps. They said that a group will be at The Dublin (an Irish pub) to watch the rugby match. I got back to the hotel, downloaded the photos and did some computer stuff. Headed up to the lounge for snacks and tea. Back to the room and called Tracy via Skype, and discovered I could conference in Mom and Dad at the same time, Cool. I headed over to the pub around 8ish. When I showed up six AECOMers were already there. They force me to pound my first beer. We all had a great time, I think I got home around midnight. Not sure, I was a bit tipsy and very tired. I skipped my nightly email to Tracy and crashed.

Malta, February 2010 - Take it easy and enjoy the weather

Woke up early, no sunrise from the hotel room. A perfect weather day, nice temperature, slight cool breeze and wispy clouds. Had breakfast on the club level, no charge. Headed out on a photo-taking journey. Found a nice spot for sunrise photos near the Westin. I will check it out tomorrow at dawn. I got a few good shots using the bracketing technique on my camera. Went back to the room and worked on the new photos then took a long nap. Three hours, I must have been tiered but did not realize it. I went up to the club lounge for afternoon tea and treats. I went out for a long walk, picked up a new small heavy-duty Tripoli and bought a bottle of dark rum for the week (to save money). Stopped by the lobby lounge for a ham and cheese sandwich and a beer. Played on the Internet, mostly Facebook. Went up to the club lounge again for happy hour, had a glass of champagne and some small hors d'oeuvres. (Did I spell that correct?) Around 9PM I went out for a long walk to see if I could run into other AECOM peeps. No luck, so I retired for the night.

Off to Malta, February 2010

Taking advantage of two holidays for a six day weekend in Malta - Left for the airport at 5:30PM. Had five people in the van. When we arrived, there was a group that had left the office at 4PM for an 8PM flight. The check in gate had not opened yet. Around 6:15 the check in gate opened, I was one of the few who bought business class so I was the first one to get checked in, ha ha. Went straight to the business lounge. Though only a few had business class seats almost everyone paid the 20LYD to get into the business lounge. We had over 20 AECOM folk in the business lounge. We were delayed 30 minutes for a group of Russians that ran late for some reason. Flight was good and had a small snack and champagne. I was sitting next to Andrew and we had a good conversation. In Malta, my driver was waiting for me at the meet and greet. Got to the hotel and was escorted to the 15th floor executive check in level. Its nice to have a glass of wine whilst one checks in. Unpacked and went to the 7th floor to one of the restaurant/bars and had Brochette and Tortellini with a few Rum and cokes. Had a glass of wine and wrote my journal before calling it a day.

France 2010 - Last day, sad goobyes and back to Tripoli

I got up at 7AM, actually Tracy had been up since 6AM clearing her sinuses. We got ready and made it downstairs by 8:30. The taxi driver was in the lobby waiting on us. I checked, the extras came to 650€. Wow! We got to the airport by 9:15. We searched for our check-in gates, we were both at area 2. We found the US Air counters but the Afriqiyah counters were not open. Tracy got in line while I waited. They started opening mine by the time Tracy got up to the counter. She only had to wait 10 minutes for me to be checked in. I asked for an emergency exit row seat and got seat 23C. Nice! We went to the departing area were we got tea and coffee then sat and enjoyed out time together before I had to leave for the gate. Tracy looked good and was starting to feel better. Draining her sinuses must have helped. We said our goodbyes until February. The scanning area went rather quick. They switched our gate three times, however all three gates were in the same rotunda so no big deal. That gave me time to work on yesterday’s journal. We took off one hour late. We landed at 5:30PM Tripoli time. I got through passport control fast because I was placed in a line that had just opened. My luggage came out pretty quick as well. However, when went out to the waiting area, I could not find the driver. Therefore, I made several calls, which was tough because everyone is out of town. I managed to contact Adel, the department manager and located the drive. We hooked up and started home. He said he was going to take a “short cut” because traffic was bad on the normal route. Oh boy. I saw this coming. It took us 15 to 30 minutes longer. At least I got back just in time to grab some food before they closed the dining room. I finished unpacking. I opened a Coke that I had in the refrigerator then though, wait, Duncan Donuts Coffee!

France 2010 - From the Troc to Moosehead

Last full day in Paris. Tracy and I got up early, 7ish, so we could get into the Eiffel Tower. I had the whole day planed out with all of the Metro stops and connections needed to make the day a success. We took the Metro to the Trocadero stop. It was a clear and cold day. When we got to the Trocadero area, the sun was rising and we took some great sunrise photos of the Eiffel Tower. We arrived at the Eiffel and got in line around 9:15AM. The lines had already formed, the tower did not open until 9:30. As it ended up, we were in the line for a different tower leg than the one we thought we were in. We finial got on the elevator around 10:30. We went up to the second platform. Then we had to get in a queue for the elevator ride to the top. It was very cold Tracy and I were both freezing. We went up and took pictures then decide to head back down. We had a short wait to ride the elevator back down to the second level. We found the queue for the ride back to ground level. We were second in line. We made it back to the ground by 11AM. We were hungry and cold so we headed back to the café in the Trocadero area. I ordered the quiche again and Tracy ordered the onion soup again. I had a carafe of wine. We hoped back on the Metro to go to the d’Orsay Museum. I forgot to write the correct train route, we took the nine train in the wrong direction and should have taken the number six. I discovered my error and hoped on the correct train. When we got to the museum there was a long line again. Therefore, we bagged it and headed back to the Metro. On the way we swung by a cool shop with all kinds of nick knacks. We rode the Metro to the chocolate area and got our treats. I wanted to go back to the Horse Tavern were we had drinks last week. The place was crowed and we were seated in the restaurant area. We did not like the seats so we left to go to the Moosehead bar we saw earlier. It ended up being an America bar with an American from Jersey bar tending, small world. We talked to her for a bit and had drinks. Before we headed back to the hotel I called Troy to see if he was back from the airport. He and his girlfriend had been back, took a nap and were walking through the neighborhood. We decided to meet at his hotel around 6PM. We arrived at six and met up, had drinks in the lobby and took the Metro up to the HRC in our hood. We used our HRC Access card to get priority seating it was great. The waiting time was 45 minutes, we got seated in 10 minutes. The meal was good. Afterwards we went to our hotel for a nightcap. The hotel called a taxi for Troy and his girlfriend, and we arranged for a taxi to the airport in the morning.

France 2010 - Happy New Year!

Woke up around 9ish again. I went down for breakfast while Tracy showered. We went out to go to a movie, I had all of the info this time. The Metro system was free everywhere. When we got off the Metro, we could not find the movie house. We ran into a cinema down in the Metro area. It was closed and the movie we wanted was not showing. Therefore, we decided to go on the Green Hop-on Hop-off tour bus. This time we were going on the Orange line. We got off the metro and looked for the pickup locations but could not find them. Ended up walking near Norte Dame. We found it at the location were all of the tour buses drop off visitors for the Norte Dame cathedral. We waited 20 minutes and decided to go to a café next door. By the time we took off our coats and sat down, I saw the tour bus. Nevertheless, we wanted to stay and have a snack. I had a mulled wine and a croissant while Tracy had tea and a croissant. We went back to the stop and waited about 10 minutes then a bus arrived. We were able to sit inside this time. The tour was over in about an hour. We walked over to the Norte Dame to see if we could get in but the line was too long again, should have gone in the first we came here. We walked up the street and went into a small café. We found seats toward the back, a nice cozy area. I ordered quiche and a salad, and of course a beer. Tracy ordered the onion soup. The same order we had a week ago at the café in the Trocadero area. We left and check out I few souvenir shops. I bought a set of coaster. It was cold and Tracy wanted to head back so we found the nearest Metro and went back to the hotel. I got caught up on my journals and Tracy read a magazine. Tracy was not felling to well so we called it a night.