Misadventures of an American in the Middle East

Ahead of schedule

I'm posting ahead of my usual 7 day break because i'm bored.  I mean i'm really bored.  Bored enough that i'm tempted to blow a couple days of vacation just so I can sit at home and bullshit.  I've got some stored energy that I need to burn and I can't do it at work because one, there isn't anything for me to do, and two, the people I normally bullshit half the day with are actually working, which leaves me dead in the water.  What makes matters worse, there aren't many people in the office I work in right now, so things are quiet.  No one to strike up a casual (i'll talk to you cause i'm bored but I really don't like or respect you) conversation.  I slept great last night though.  I resisted all temptation to put my newly repaired HDTV to use and even not get started on some gaming on my recently built computer.  I did however gave everyone ample opportunity to force me to stay awake.  During dinner, I had Superman Returns going on the Blu-Ray player.  Shut that off after about an hour in to it.  Then I moved in to the computer room to install a game or play an old one only to find myself checking a few websites, then giving up.  I texted some friends and said I was ready to game if they were ready, but got no response.  I even gave it half an hour, then I just gladly gave up.  I shut off all the lights and laid down.  I was pretty tired from the weekend and football the other night.  I needed to badly catch up on some sleep and I was determined to get it that night.  I finally got a text around 7:45, when I was damn near asleep that the game server was up.  I said too late and went to sleep.

Now I just feel like i'm rambling because I have nothing better to do.  I should send some emails out to friends and family I haven't spoken to in a while but i'm too lazy to do that as well.  I was anticipating getting news today on whether or not my company won the contract for my job but still nothing.  The Navy sees this as a great opportunity to prove that they are a bunch of lazy bastards who can't make a freaking decision despite it possibly costing quite a few people their jobs.  Currently my job is only good for another 5 days.  Worst case scenario, I could be out of a job by 1 Oct.  So far only 2 out of the possible 4 or so companies have given me an offer to stay on and do my job if they win the contract.  Unfortunately, if one of the other companies wins, they are not obligated to keep me around.  That could be one very unpleasant post from me if that happens.  Basically think of the great depression and add Hiroshima and that's how i'll be feeling.  Things could definitely get ugly.

Oddly enough though, i'm not stressing about it.  I just can't afford to have another breakdown in my life.  That time of my life was too hard to ever go back to.  I may be in the same social status as back then, but i'm handling it better.  So what if i'm still single?  At least now there are a few possibilities if things work out right.  But if they don't?  Eh, who cares?  Okay, i'm lying.  I do care a little bit.  But i'm not going to let it get to me like I used to in the past.  Anyway, it's almost time for lunch and i'm debating if i'm going to wait for the rest of the guys before going.  I might grab something to eat real quick then head to my car or something for a short power nap.  I could actually get in a nice power nap today despite getting a good 10 hours last night.  Hell, I could have slept in another 5 and I still would have been tired.  The weekend was rough.  I had a little house party at my place on Thursday and risked getting evicted due to the noise.  It was a good time though.  I've got some not so great pictures thanks to me being pretty drunk while wielding my $700 camera around the house.  Well, time to make a move to another office, then lunch.  I need to find something to do to kill the rest of the afternoon.  Perhaps a visit to the dentist's office to check on my nagging toothache. 

More grumblings and observations

Since i'm bored and I need something to do to keep myself awake, I might as well keep typing and throw out my personal observations and opinions since they obviously count for something.  This past week my friends and I have been in some heated discussions about numerous things.  Sports, celebrities, to sleeping with a buddy's gf/wife.  Without further delay, off we go......

Britney spears is washed up and needs to move on.  I think they totally overblew how out of shape she was for her performance since she wasn't blatantly fat or anything.  Heck, she seemed kinda average.  But that was the problem.  This is the VMA's.  In Vegas.  Opening Act.  You are supposed to blow the roof off and get the party started.  Instead, after her performance, you kinda felt like you just watched someone commit career suicide. 

It is very possible to lose a poker hand when holding pocket aces because 2 donkeys call a big raise preflop and then proceed to hit on the flop.  I don't want to talk about it anymore because that hand ruined the rest of my night.

Once again my fantasy football season is going sour before we even get in to full swing.  Players I passed on are coming back to kick me in the ass.  Despite having a 1-1 record in my friendly league, i'm near the bottom for total score and got kicked in the ass this week by a team using Cincinnati's defense which finished with negative points.  That's just flat out embarassing. 

I bought a new computer recently and bought Vista to run for future programs and games.  I've had more issues with that computer than any other computer i've ever owned.  It's even quite possible that one of the drives and one of the memory sticks I bought are bad, but until the new ones I ordered come in, I can't confirm it.  Nearly $3,000 in crap and the only suggestion I keep getting is to downgrade and use Windows XP instead.  To this day, 6 of my friends own Vista.  All legal copies of Vista Ultimate I might add which is quite freaking costly.  4 of them downgraded to XP, one of them dual booted it, and i'm the lone remaining Vista user.  Call me stubborn, or just flat out stupid.  I'm sticking it out a bit more despite not having a program I can use to burn CD's/DVD's.  Nothing to watch AVI's either since no codecs have been put out by MS to enable video playback on those files and basically not being able to play 80% of my video games because they just don't work right with Vista.  I'm a big Microsoft fan and all, but damn.  Get this crap worked out so we can enjoy our $500 investments!

There are possible job opportunities i'm looking at.  One in Qatar, and another in the Philippines.  The same one I applied for a few years ago when I was still in Kuwait.  This time though, it's another company that holds the position and they changed the job description to totally match my qualifications.  A friend of mine actually found it yesterday and sent me an email about it.  Another example of the theory "it's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know in the world of government contracting". 

I don't know if I can part with my Honda Accord here only because i'm used to driving it, and don't necessarily enjoy the thought of driving a used car that I haven't taken care of from the beginning.  Does that make me spoiled?  Besides, now that i'm meeting more people, I have a certain image to uphold and I can't be driving around a beater or anything like that.  And I have to have a 4 door.  I hate driving 2 door cars. 

My teeth really hurt.  At this point, I don't even know if it's a tooth at the top, at the bottom, or both.  It seems like the pain is alternating between both freaking places.  I might go see a dentist tomorrow if they're actually open and at least get a checkup.  I fear i'm going to have to get a filling or two re-done. 

Okay, it's time to bullshit some more because I have nothing else to do at work.  Well, I actually do, but have no desire to do it today.  I plan on actually working next week after I get a weekend to catch up on some much needed sleep.  I'll try and post again tomorrow if I find the time or something happens that I must absolutely post about.  Hell, I might even post some new pics tonight on here since I do have to update my pics on Myspace anyway. 

The status quo post

How fitting that this post comes 7 days after my last one.  I've been posting in that pattern totally by accident.  It just so happens I end up having spare time and things on my mind every 7 days that I need to get off my chest.  Lots of things going on.  I can probably just list them in short format and not elaborate to avoid a novel of a post. 

Started hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones lately.  It all adds up to a dramatic shift in my sleep cycle.  Basically i'm not getting any.

Less than 2 weeks away from possibly switching companies and doing more work for less money.  I'm extremely dissapointed at myself for allowing myself to get in a position where I have to accept less pay to do the same exact job.

Quite a few of the new girls I met recently have some serious "date" potential, but lots of things standing in the way right now and timing couldn't be worse with Ramadan in full swing.

The 49ers are 2-0 and I can't even be happy because the offense, led by a #1 overall pick and getting paid an ass ton of money is a donkey of a player.

I've had a toothache for nearly a week now and i'm slowly coming to terms that i'm going to have to visit a dentist in the middle east before I start crying from the pain. 

I'm totally putting off doing any work in protest of said pay decrease and the change in my reporting organization.

I know when the repairmen bring my TV back and it still doesnt work, i'm going to cuss out the guys despite knowing all they do is carry and lift the big, heavy and delicate bastard of a TV in 130 degree temperatures and not work on the TV themselves. 

My tooth (teeth now) really hurts.

If I drink anymore redbull today I may actually sprout some wings and fly despite being so tired I could easily be misdiagnosed as comatose. 

Semi big party tomorrow night at my place to test the waters if I garner enough interest to throw a big halloween bash next month.

Thinking about selling my car to Wayne and buying a used beater just to get rid of the car payment because of the silly pay decrease I accepted to stay in Bahrain.

Heroes starts next week!  "Save the cheerleader, save the world".  Seriously, she's hot.  I may be wrong for saying that since she's only 18, but she really is. 

I swear i'm trying to blog

I'm not giving up on this blog yet.  Hell, I already paid the yearly fee, I might as well make use of it.  It's just been a busy time for me lately.  With the whole job thing in limbo, the uncertainty of my vacation and not to mention all the extra crap i'm having to do lately, I haven't found much time to just sit around and blog.  I guess it's a good thing because time has been moving fairly fast.  It's already the 2nd week of Sep.  That means i'm closer to finding out who i'm going to be working for at the end of the month.  Let's do a recap of my life since I last blogged. 

Two weeks ago, I spend most of the week applying for my job with another company.  Yeah, i'm confused too.  Basically another company is bidding on my job and if they win, they would like to retain me.  Good for me.  Other than the insulting offer they gave me.  So bad I was tempted to be unemployed.  Anyway, I asked for more money, they gave it to me, and I swallowed my pride and accepted.  I'm not happy about it, but what can I do?  That whole week I applied for the same job nearly 3 times.  For some odd reason, the idiots who run the company not only want your resume, but they want you to fill out an application and ask for everything you already have on your resume.  To top it all off, they want you to apply for the position online as well, which requires the same information as the last two things I did.  Completely ridiculous.  I wanted to stab something in the neck that week. 

The weekend was pretty nice.  I actually met up with some old friends of mine who I stopped hanging out with for various reasons.  It had been a while since I went out partying so needless to say I was in no way ready for the plans they had.  It was my friends bday celebration, so she had lots of plans for Friday.  I had gone out Thursday night to unwind and ended up drinking until 3 am so I was up pretty late.  I got up around 8 because I couldn't sleep and got ready for brunch with "the girls" since I figured I could take a nap later on in the day.  Had a great time at the brunch.  All you can eat buffet, live band, party atmosphere, and of course all you can drink champagne.  I figured what the hell.  Might as well continue drinking.  We had a ball.  The brunch ended at 3, so we were slowly winding down until I heard the not so good news.  I guess the tradition at brunch is to go downstairs to the local irish pub.  That place was packed at 3 in the afternoon full of drunk people partying it up like it was New Years eve.  I've never seen anything like that before.  The band moved downstairs and kept singing classic rock, and here was this pub full of drunk people jumping up and down and singing along.  It was freaking great.  So, I might as well join the fun and keep drinking.  A few hours later, the girls finally said they needed a break, and wanted to take a nap before the clubbing later that night.  We left around 6 and agreed to start getting ready around 8 for a pre-clubbing party somewhere.  I went to Wayne's house for dinner, then went home and crashed for like 45 minutes.  I was grouch.  When I started calling people to wake them up, everyone agreed that moving it to 10 pm would be better for us all.  I couldn't agree more.  We ended up pushing it till midnight and finally headed out.  We ended up making 3 trips that night because the places we went to started off dead.  It was a good night nonetheless.  We finally called it a night at 3:30 in the morning and went driving around looking for a place to eat.  McDonalds and Dairy Queen were the only things still open.  I finally made it home around 4 and was just beat to all hell.  I had been going at it since Thursday evening and I was just done.  D-U-N done!  So that was the weekend. 

Last week my computer parts all came in from Newegg.  Needless to say I didn't accomplish anything at work.  Wayne and his guys in his office along with myself pretty much spent the majority of the week building the machine.  We finished it on Sunday and now it's at home annoying the crap out of me because of how buggy Windows Vista is.  It's funny because the software we all have is $500 and out of the 5 people that own it, i'm the only one using it because they all can't stand the headaches you get with it.  Nothing is compatible with that thing.  It's freaking annoying.  I'm close to wiping it clean and putting XP on there again until Microsoft decides to push out an update to make it more compatible with everything people use nowadays.  More on that later on another post.  Along with a weekend sports opinion update coupled with an idea I got from an old friend.