Currently it is about 10 PM here on Sunday and I have plumbers outside my back door clearing a clog in the sewer line. Matt came home around a quarter till 9 and went upstairs to take a shower. While he was up there, I noticed that the water was coming up in the kitchen sink and it smelled funny. (Not good.) So I ran upstairs and suggested he make it a short one which he did. The water went down and we forgot about it. Of course, I had just gotten back from my circuit training class and so I was a bit on the smelly side and badly in need of a shower myself. So, I said keep an eye on sink, I'm going to take my shower now. Which I did and after a few minutes he came upstairs to say that water was coming out from under the sink now. So I plugged up the drain and finished rinsing off and went downstairs to survey the damage. Not too bad, but we clearly would need a plumber first thing in the morning. The real problem came about five minutes later when I flushed the toilet and then once again water started pouring out from underneath the sink. Not good. So I called reception, because they are the only ones around after hours, and they called (or perhaps woke up) the plumber and 15 minutes later there was a plumber at my door.
Evidently the clog in the line caused everything to back up. They brought in some machine and they cleared it out, problem solved in less than an hour. I flushed the toilet again and everything worked fine. I let the water drain out of the tub and it all worked as it was supposed to. You just gotta love living on the compound. Where else are you going to have a plumber show up at 10PM to fix a problem?
Anyway, plumbers are gone now but I'm still up. I have been staying up a bit later these days and sleeping in a bit more. It's a bit hard not too since it is so hot here during the day. Also, I have been trying to get my running done outside because I am signed up to do a half marathon in August with my friend Andrea down in San Diego. I had managed to get up to 8 miles and then my knee pretty much stopped hurting after that. I am soooo thankful! You have no idea! I'm not sure if it is the circuit training or what but my legs feel pretty good. So the other day, when I had a long run of 10 miles scheduled and it was 102 degrees out at night, I just went ahead and did it. At halfway I felt pretty tired, but once you get past halfway, it just seems to get easier. And I wanted to be sure that I would be able to complete the half with no problems. Once I get home I will only have about 2 weeks to train before the half, so I needed to get in a good long run before I leave. But seriously, it is too hot to do that again. I felt a bit sick once I was finished. I just had to lay down for a bit. Then I filled up the tub because I was too tired to stand up in the shower. But I survived and am none the worse for the wear!
I have no idea how I will do on the half-marathon because it is my first one since I got the ITBS. I feel rather slow, but I think that a lot of that has to be from the heat, although my treadmill runs aren't much better. It took me an hour and 55 minutes to complete the 10 miles outside. Not that I was trying to go all that fast. I think I will have a better idea of what to expect once I get home and can run outside properly in temperatures that are not trying to cook me from the inside out.
So other than that, not much is going on here. Ramadan is coming up, so many people are leaving or have already left. On my way home, I am stopping over in Dubai again where I am going to get to hang out for a couple of days with an old friend from high school. I am SUPER EXCITED!!
But, I really haven't gone anywhere all that interesting lately, so I am just going to post some random pictures now.
Evidently the clog in the line caused everything to back up. They brought in some machine and they cleared it out, problem solved in less than an hour. I flushed the toilet again and everything worked fine. I let the water drain out of the tub and it all worked as it was supposed to. You just gotta love living on the compound. Where else are you going to have a plumber show up at 10PM to fix a problem?
Anyway, plumbers are gone now but I'm still up. I have been staying up a bit later these days and sleeping in a bit more. It's a bit hard not too since it is so hot here during the day. Also, I have been trying to get my running done outside because I am signed up to do a half marathon in August with my friend Andrea down in San Diego. I had managed to get up to 8 miles and then my knee pretty much stopped hurting after that. I am soooo thankful! You have no idea! I'm not sure if it is the circuit training or what but my legs feel pretty good. So the other day, when I had a long run of 10 miles scheduled and it was 102 degrees out at night, I just went ahead and did it. At halfway I felt pretty tired, but once you get past halfway, it just seems to get easier. And I wanted to be sure that I would be able to complete the half with no problems. Once I get home I will only have about 2 weeks to train before the half, so I needed to get in a good long run before I leave. But seriously, it is too hot to do that again. I felt a bit sick once I was finished. I just had to lay down for a bit. Then I filled up the tub because I was too tired to stand up in the shower. But I survived and am none the worse for the wear!
I have no idea how I will do on the half-marathon because it is my first one since I got the ITBS. I feel rather slow, but I think that a lot of that has to be from the heat, although my treadmill runs aren't much better. It took me an hour and 55 minutes to complete the 10 miles outside. Not that I was trying to go all that fast. I think I will have a better idea of what to expect once I get home and can run outside properly in temperatures that are not trying to cook me from the inside out.
So other than that, not much is going on here. Ramadan is coming up, so many people are leaving or have already left. On my way home, I am stopping over in Dubai again where I am going to get to hang out for a couple of days with an old friend from high school. I am SUPER EXCITED!!
But, I really haven't gone anywhere all that interesting lately, so I am just going to post some random pictures now.
This is an ice skating rink in a mall. The arrows point to which side you are supposed to line up on depending upon your gender of course. I don't know why they bothered because it appeared to be only men and boys.
Back home this would be a Carl's Junior. Here, it is called Hardee's. Still haven't gone in but every time look at it I think... That's Carl's Junior!! Do they perhaps call them Hardee's back east? Anyone?
Yet another mall in Riyadh.
There are deer around there too.
Back home we call these persimmons. But you never know, Kaka Fruit could catch on...
They sell monkeys in the pet stores here! I have seen them in more than one pet store.
And while there is no alcohol here, it is always nice to have mixers I suppose.
(Imported from the USA!) Virgin Pina Colada anyone?
And here is the pool at the Ritz Carlton Riyadh.
Looks refreshing but sadly, ladies can only look! (Whilst the pool is closed that is.) Men only!
And apparently you can have your Burger King delivered here! I've never had it delivered, but hey, twenty minutes in the car can only improve it right?
So those are just some things that ended up on my camera. Just thought I would stick those in randomly.
Okay...from now on, we call it Kaka fruit here.
ReplyDeleteI am reading this months late, and apologize, but also see you haven't posted of late. Two comments - ladies can't swim in the pool at the Ritz? Really??? Is there a pool for women??? There used to be Hardees in Florida or North Carolina when I lived there in the early 90's. I haven't heard that name in ages, same place you think? I don't remember it being a Carl's Jr though, I thought it was all in orange and white..they must have been taken over somewhere down the line.
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