I'd title this 'Weekending' but...

I guess it is a bit difficult to categorize this post as 'weekending' when really its more like 'in the last month and a half' plus my weekend was a bit on the lack luster side of the coin. A lot of things going on and keeping me busy but I figured since I have plenty of time right now I might as well get back to writing a bit.

So what is new? Well, I can't say a whole heck of a lot. We had Spring Break here in the UAE a few weeks ago and I cannot even explain how much that break was needed. I would usually say it was desperately needed but that does not even touch the emphasis that is required. This spring break, unlike last year when we jetting off to Thailand, we decided to stay home. Not necessarily a staycation but more of a we really don't need to go and spend a lot of cash. We had a really busy, see also: expensive, last few months so we are trying to get back in shape financially. Yes, before I hear everyone start with the 'but you make so much more' hear me out. Surprisingly enough, like the USA, money here does not grow on trees and it almost feels like it is spent before it pings into the bank account. A state of the finances check was humbling as we were beginning to fall into the expat way of life and eat out too much, spend money on things that we will just have to sell when we leave, and this goes against everything that we are here for. So it was time to get it all in line.

So to our staycation, we really didn't do much over the Spring Break because your girl has just been exhausted. We did get to check out Kite Beach in Dubai and it was really beautiful.

The Burj Al Arab from Kite Beach at sunset in Dubai, UAE. This is by far my most favorite picture I've taken.

I am not a beach girl; I don't like the sand or the water but I really enjoyed our walk down the cushioned walkway of the beach. Yes, cushioned. #BecauseDubai

On the cushioned walk way with the Burj Al Arab in the far background

We were able to eat at a little place called SALT which I found on Instagram and I've been wanting to try it out. Social media here in the UAE really does lend it self to attracting a lot of business for small places such as this. They now have at least two locations and they were packed! It is a burger and fry place on the beach. Pretty clever.

The Jalapeño fries = Excellent 

After we ate, we settled in for the sunset and in true Middle East fashion, the sunset never disappoints. The colors are nothing short of magical. 

*I know this pic is extra dark and not good light but I like it

*insert heart-eyed emoji here

I just can't get over the colors. And these photos are not color enhanced in any way!

Aside from amazing sunsets, work has been cray but in a good way. I finally feel like I have a clue of what is going on and what should be going on since I lived this part of the year last year. We are sprinting towards the finish line with our school year since our grade 12 girls begin exams soon, then Ramadan starts, then grade 10 and 11 exams begin and then we are finished. We also go to reduced hours during Ramadan. I ain't mad.


Currently my hubs is back in the good ole U.S of A with his family. It is really different being here alone again. I will admit I love the quiet and I like being by myself but for small amounts of hours at a time. This is a 6 week stretch! When I first arrived I was solo for roughly the same amount of time. This time is so much better because I have the dog pound, currently known as #TeamAHole, with me. They have affectionately been dubbed #TeamAhole because they have been just that. Vera is having a hard time understanding where her human is, they bark down the hall (freaks me the hell out) and they just generally do jerk off things. The worst is on the weekends. I am so used to having hubs here to take them out so I can sort of sleep in but I am hopeful we will get passed 6:30am this weekend. They are lucky they're cute.

So that is what is going on over in my little corner of the world. Just me and my Netflix/Hulu....and, of course, #TeamAHole

Cheers!

I need another weekend

Well another weekend has come and gone. Although my work week technically started yesterday, I play along and wait until Monday because most of my friends are on the Monday-friday grind. This past weekend we didn't do a great deal but we also didn't just hang around the house, which is a first within the last three weeks. Point blank, I have been tired and lazy, and tired.

Thursday I couldn't get out of work fast enough. I am never like that so I knew it had been a long week. My hubby had the ride because the dogs were at the vet getting neutered (they still love me) so we headed to pick them up. They were not happy and they were donning the cone of shame AKA the leg slicer 3000.

He is pathetic, I know.  Weezy wasn't having one single picture taken of him so you only get pathetic Princeton.

On the way home from the vet, I got the email I had been dreading telling us that we can renew our fabulous apartment for the bargain price of AED 50,000 more than our previous lease. 

Yes, I knew that a rent increase was coming. Yes, I knew that it would probably be a little bit more than the usual 3-5% but damn! I was being overly optimistic that it wouldn't happen. So that was the topping of a craptastic week. Normally this wouldn't be a huge big deal (other than moving sucks) but our lease ends on December 29, paperwork takes forever, and oh, did I mention we are scheduled to be out of the country?! Arg.... So all this fun lead to us trying out a new Moscato and it was amazing. Or the week had been really long. Or it was just amazing. I finished about 3/4 of this glass and completely fell asleep. How sad. 

Friday we decided to drive around to get a feel for different areas outside of our extremely westernized apartment complex. It is way outside the comfort zone but I think that if the negotiations don't work out with the property management company it will be for the best. The villas are huge and they offer private yards and some even have private pools. Here are a few of the beauties we looked at, attempted to find or drove past. 

 

I guess it could be worse, right? 

So in our adventures, we 'had' to go by Starbucks and I was kind of surprised that the PSL has made its way to AD. However, who can even think of drinking this at a balmy 105 degrees? I am waiting until I get a hint of a chill. It may be November. 

Saturday we held to hanging out on the couch for the most part. Lots of TV and movies to wind out the weekend. A friends called to meet for dinner and we tried out a new place that is pretty close to the house, Stars and Bars. Seeing as it was September 11 I figured it was quite the appropriate venue. 

The food was excellent! It was a true taste of home and I am a fan of 'bar' food like nachos, wings, potato skins, etc. I ended up having a Philly and it was out of this world good! The ambiance of he place is nice. Our table was a football table with glass over the top that is a playable which was a hit. They have billiards and lots of TV's to watch sports. They are also holding down a pretty large bar that serves alcohol. I know many people think 'Duh, of course it serves alcohol' but not many bars serve alcohol here. They serve mocktails which are quite deceiving as they always look like the real thing. I am looking forward to heading back to Stars and Bars when we are sans kiddos and I am in the actual mood to hang out and enjoy the place. At about 8:30 the atmosphere completely changed and went from family restaurant to sloppy bar with girls stumbling around that had consumed way too much and had on way too little. I forgot how much I dislike this scene since moving here. It is ironic how desensitized you are to certain things when around it all the time and now its almost hyper-sensitive. I couldn't get out of there quick enough!!

I do love the area of the Viceroy hotel during the day and at night. It is beautiful and so different than anything else I've ever seen. So another lovely weekend comes to a close; I can only hope that this week shows some mercy!

So Fresh

YAY!!!!!!!!

I am pretty pumped about the much anticipated blog make over that is going on here. I searched high and low and never could find a designer that either could make my vision a reality or would return my emails. It is quite ironic that some people publish they are available for design but won't return emails or commit to a start date for a project. Yet, it doesn't matter now because I found a wonderful designer in Erin! If you are looking for a make over - please give her consideration because she works fast, stays in constant contact and can make your vision come to life. I.AM.IN.LOVE. Thank you Erin!!

This weekend hasn't been anything over the top exciting, or even exciting really. We haven't left the house actually. Yesterday was a gross day {side eye to the sorta sandstorm} so we stayed in and today I am working on some work things that I just cannot seem to get finished while actually at work. Speaking of work - totally kicked my butt this week. The first week of school was insane busy. Thank goodness my tea girls kept me stocked on coffee and cappuccinos because I may have fallen asleep at my desk, several times. I love coffee and it loves me, as depicted by the heart that appeared in my 54th cappuccino.

I am now so thankful for the back to school time back home before the teachers arrive. Here we have everyone come back on the same day and it is a sprint to get things done and put out fires that arise during the first few weeks of reopening a school. Either way, things are starting to slow down and get into the groove but I like to try to be ahead a little so here I am watching some smut T.V. show on Hulu (Mistresses) and writing out my to-do list for work this week.

Cheers to the weekend!

Weekending in Dubai

So we finally took the drive over to Dubai from Abu Dhabi and it was like falling in love all over again. I am definitely a big fan of Dubai. It feels like a mini New York city due to the sky scrapper buildings and some of the traffic. But I am an avid New York fan so I didn't mind. 

The feel is extremely western. Not that cowboy western feel but from the States western feel. It is not as conservative and you truly forget that you are in the Middle East. The malls are amazing. Just amazing. From the Ski slopes at Ski Dubai to the dancing fountains outside of the Burj Khalifa it was such a nice taste of home. Did I mention they have an iHop in the malls? We didn't eat there but we did enjoy California Pizza Kitchen which did not disappoint. 

*SkiDubai in the Mall of the Emirates

I was so excited to the Burj. It is truly overwhelming in person. We didn't buy tickets to go to the observation deck but hopefully in the near future we will. I would rather check out the restaurant Atmosphere on the 122 floor but that will definteley require some dirhams. So we will save up and do that. I think that would be the best of both worlds - a great meal and an amazing view. 

 Now it is not everyday that you get to see a huge aquarium in the middle of the mall but as usual, nothing disappoints here. There were some brave souls that did the swimming in the aquarium while we were there. I will save Kudos to them and I will stay on dry land. Hopefully they got some cool pictures though.

We got outside just in time to see the fountain show on the water. What a sight that is. I have never been to Vegas but I assume it is similar to the fountain show there. It was really pretty and the Burg gives a nice backdrop. I highly suggest getting there early or scoring a balcony table at one of the several restaurants that have terraces overlooking the water. Again.. next time we will plan better!

The lights, the water and all choreographed to music. It was spectacular!

The Dubai mall was so extremely busy that we didn't get to see a whole lot of the stores because we were there on a Friday (mistake one) and it is very touristy anyways. We did find these waterfalls in the mall that provide a great background for a photo op. 

Fast forward to this past Friday, we went to Dubai again to check out Global Village. I have read a lot about the Global Village but I wasn't quite sure what it was. I did know that I needed was good shoes and cash since everything is bartering. I am definitely okay with that. It took us about an hour to get there and it was much bigger than I anticipated. It is made up of several pavilions that are based on each country represented. You can buy authentic goods from each from clothing, food, spices, and other items. I will say that I was a bit disappointed that the vast majority of the product were knock off purses in each country. However, if you want a cheap bag that is definitely where you need to head.  Lots of traditional clothes (that I wouldn't wear), spices (with very pushy salesmen) and oddities were in each country. I was most disappointed with The Americas because the products in there were not at all what I define as America. Maybe my expectations were too high.  Yet, we did have a good time and we would go back from time to time. There is plenty of food to go around and lots of rides in the carnival section. 

Probably my favorite part was the little outside booth we found with an artist who was spray painting pictures. I have always found this intriguing. I cannot draw a proper stick figure but these folks can make amazing pictures with straightedges and spray paint. We couldn't resist this one for our camel wall in our apartment. I am in love with the fact it has both camels and the Dubai skyline. 

 There are so many more things that we want to do when we go back to Dubai. The city is so full of life and things to see and do. Luckily we have plenty of time! How did you spend your weekend?

Furnituring & Napping for Weekending

It is always a bit difficult to remember to do any weekending link ups since my new weekend is Friday/Saturday. By Monday I forget and I am in on day two of my week and yadda yadda. However, this weekend was pretty decent so I may as well share.

Friday I decided that I needed to get busy with shopping for some furniture. I hit up the Gold Souk aka Madinat Zayed Mall. For your reference, the mall looks nothing on the inside as the pictures depict. It is more of a flea market type place, only the stores are actual stores and not booths like a traditional flea market.  However it does offer this "spiral escalator".

It is a little overwhelming as per usual Abu Dhabi, it is a large place. However, I wandered around the mostly Abaya stores (I have to get some more made) but I was on the hunt for furniture. I knew that I would be getting the keys to my new apartment on Sunday so I wanted to have an idea of how much I would be looking at. It is quite expensive when you have to furnish a home from scratch. I want a gray couch. I don't know why really other than I want to do the accent colors of teal, turquoise, and purple. So I guess it just fits.

So this gray couch has turned into a wild goose chase. I have found some that I really like, but they are not quite "it". I want separate couches, my hubby really wants a sectional which I am not opposed to so that doesn't keep me to just one type but the perfect gray couch continues to alluded me.  However, here are some that caught my eye:

I don't know exactly why this set has caught my eye.. but it is that chic, unique look that I am loving. This is my absolute favorite - only the couches and I do like the curtains but that is a whole other bear to be tackled at a later date.

This is the original couch I was going to purchase from IKEA sans owl pillow. I love owls, don't get me wrong. These owl look like they are hungry and will eat your eye as your sleeping.  This couch may still make it into the apartment and get shuffled to the upstairs living room once I decide on a nice set. Not that this isn't nice but for the space we have it will get swallowed up. 

How funny. I didn't notice but I guess this couch and the IKEA one are fraternal twinsies.

This sofa is the one that my husband really likes. It is really nice, and almost gray but is a dark brown. I was convinced that it looked gray until I uploaded this picture and I am seeing it on my computer screen rather than on my iPhone screen. Boo. I like the style of this but I.Want.Gray. Damnit.

I also scouted out beds, tables, chairs, and other miscellaneous household items before I threw in the towel. These are only a few of the pictures from probably 60 or so and several hours. There are just too many options. My husband is the decorator - I am the buyer. Not because I have the money but I have the haggling abilities and have absolutely no shame in asking for discounts, free delivery, and I don't do 8 hour delivery time frame windows. So as you can - I am missing an integral piece.

Saturday I went to the unbelievable breakfast buffet here in the hotel {that is dripping in sarcasm} and had some toast. It has been a running joke with my sister about the off the wall offerings here at the hotel on the breakfast buffet. As a friend said, it is like a T.G.I. Friday's exploded. They have toast, some juices, fruit, penne pasta, chicken wings, onion rings, egg rolls, scrambled eggs, pizza, apple pie, olives, pickles, hummus amongst many other random things. Truly bizarre. While at breakfast with another guy from my group he told me that he had English channels on his T.V. - say what?! I had not found any so I had given up and quit T.V. cold turkey. So when I got back to the room, I tried it out and hit a few buttons and by gosh I found movies. Only two channels, but I'd take it. I say on the couch, which turned into laying on the couch, which turned into napping on the couch. I woke up about 9:30pm had some M&M's and hot tea and went back to bed. I guess I needed the down day.

Sunday (my Monday) I went to ADEC first thing to pick up my contract as I was meeting the property manger at noon. I have to give props to the lady in housing (I won't use her name, she may not appreciate that) but she definitely runs a tight ship and was wonderful to me. I will be taking her some dates probably this week as a thank you. After picking that up, went right next store to the little coffee shop and had the best latte and breakfast I've had since being here in AD.

Who doesn't love pretty drinks?! 

Met up with my property manager at noon and finally got my {multiple sets of} keys! 

The view from my living room overlooking the Persian Gulf.

That, my friends, is how you end a great weekend!

Weekending

I think that well spent part is really up for debate. Do I believe that a day spent with Hulu, America's Next Top Model and my pups is a well spent day? Abso-freaking-lutely. Then again it is not like I am doing a whole lot these days but blogging, browsing Pinterest or Instagram, or watching T.V. The weekend really was a great one though because as nice as it is to be off everyday, my friends are not. You always forget that caveat when you are lounging around on your week days off. You are the only one lounging. Lame. 

So in my weekending, Friday was one of my better thought out days. Living about 20 miles from where I am used too I have found that it is necessary to make the most out of the trip so I am not driving back and forth along the interstate multiple times a week for one or two things. So I knew that I needed a new pair of jeans, so I decided to make an evening of the trip and have dinner with a friend then ice cream with another. It is all about spending time wisely and food + ice cream  = time well spent to me. 

Saturday was a fabulous day of more not so big plans. My sister and I went and indulged in severely needed pedicures, then took another trip to the mall so she could spend her Charming Charley's gift card. I was pretty proud of the fact that I purchased nothing.  #povertyNovember  I should have planned this move out of the country long ago, it would have curbed my shopping bug. Yeah, probably not. 

Sunday - well as stated above, I was pretty useless to the world around me as I did absolutely nothing. I did shower (you're welcome) but that is about all my day consisted of. I did forget how much I used to enjoy ANTM and to see that they are on cycle 21 on Hulu I know I have catching up to do. However, I will have more than enough time once I get across the ocean so I need to save some up. Speaking of across the ocean, I have passed security so I am just waiting for my visa!! Hooray! So now I am entering the just wait period when I am checking my email like a crazy person 32 times a days because the ticket could just slip in there at any given time. 

Living on the edge as usual,

Linking up with these beauties - make sure to check them out!