Thailand Piña Colada
We spent last Sunday relaxing with a trip to the spa and an outing to one of my favorite jewelry stores, followed by watching the first episode of “Boardwalk Empire.” And with that, R&R was over.
Monday it was back to the salt mines of work. I love my job, so it actually wasn’t too bad. The week went by quickly with a couple of highlights.
Monday after work, I went to a gallery opening for some young Pakistani artists, then stopped by Nomad Gallery on the way home to see some of their art and other arts and craft items.
Tuesday, we went to a going-away happy hour at the Club for a colleague – John and I had a blast talking to the teen-aged kids who were visiting their (lovely) parents here in Islamabad. They were smart, articulate and fun to be around – and, not a one of them had an iPhone or other electronic device to piddle with. They were sweet and fully engaged in the conversation – so nice. They had been posted in Costa Rica and we discovered a lot of mutual San Jose friends – small world!
Wednesday night I had a school board meeting after work. I’ve grown to enjoy them as I get to know the other board members better. One lady on the board is named “Romana,” so we like to confuse the secretary by teaming up to make motions and second them together. It’s a really nice group of folks.
Friday night we went to another happy hour, then went out for sushi (yes, it’s great here).
Saturday I spent at the office most of the day, then off shopping with a girlfriend to hit some of my favorite spots. Success!
Today we spent the afternoon at the DCM’s house along with some of our co-workers. The DCM is an avid coffee roaster like John, so he roasted coffee for us to enjoy. Nice to sit around and visit. I got caught up in conversation with our Defense Attaché, who is a fellow Arkansan and a very interesting guy.
While on vacation, I read a book recommended by a friend, “Younger Next Year.” It’s got John and me on an exercise kick. I did very well this week and made it to the gym every morning before work. Some days are cardio and some are strength training – it’s great to get done before work, although it means getting up a little earlier than usual. And, it’s pretty chilly here now, so it’s even tougher to get up early when it’s cold and dark – but boy, does it feel good when I get finished!
As we head into the Christmas holidays, John and I have been reminded of how many of our good, good friends have left post and how very much we miss them! Jim and Kellee, Rick, Scott and Laura, and Michael quickly come to mind. While we have other good friends here, we do miss the old crowd and just hope we can all be together again someday!