The New Year

So I'm definitely a bit late in posting on the new year, not to mention the fact that I still haven't posted about our Christmas extravaganza yet.  Since I haven't posted in a while, that means I'm already falling behind on one of my new year's resolutions.

The year so far has started off pretty well.  While we missed spending time with both of our families as they attended the rose bowl together, we had a pretty relaxed New Year's Eve with N & M at their hotel apartment.  We grilled out (Paul & N made amazing shish taouk sandwiches (marinated chicken, garlic sauce, hummus, tomatoes, and cucumbers) and hamburgers) and then we played catch phrase with a few other couples, watched "Taken" (sad but good movie) and then "Brothers" the next morning (also sad, but good), and watched the fireworks off of the burj khalifa on tv for the new year's countdown.  Good times.

Paul & N grilling out on the roof of the hotel apartment.  You can see the what's left of the already partially
devoured shish taouk on the chair next to Paul.  That grill and grill master are amazing!

What actually prompted this blog was that I finally actually won something!  I never win any drawing/sweepstakes/anything-to-do-with-luck type things.  It was Abu Dhabi Weekly's 100th issue (it's the local free magazine that tells you what is going on every week in Abu Dhabi, etc.) and so they were celebrating by giving away 100 things.  You had to enter for each thing individually.  So one night, when I should have been sleeping but felt like wasting time I just went ahead and signed both myself and Paul up for about 30 things each.  I figured Paul would probably win something becuase he is honestly the luckiest person I know.

But tonight, Paul got on my computer and saw that I had an email saying I won something.  Of course, naturally, I started getting all excited and doing a celebration dance.  He opened the email and told me it was for a 4D Ultrasound scan "courtesy of HealthPlus."  Paul was like "what the heck is that"  and I was like "I don't know...maybe some sort of facial/spa thing?"  Nope, it's really an ultrasound.  And before you start getting excited or wondering if I'm pregnant, let me dispel that.  While I am very much looking forward to that day, I'm not pregnant and don't expect to be for a more few more years.  So yeah, I finally win something (which I'm not sure if I just misread it when I signed up, or just signed up for the wrong thing?) I can't even use it!  I'm thinking that I probably won bc I'm the only person that signed up for it.  Oh well.  Now I just need to decide what I'm going to do.  I'm supposed to come and pick up a certificate from their office this week.  Do I just pretend that I never got the email?  Do I go, get the certificate, go to the place and act like some crazy woman who is convinced that she's pregnant?  Do I try to find someone who is pregnant and give it to her?  I wish I could gift it to Amy, but something tells me that it'd be cheaper to buy this 4D ultrasound than it would be to buy a ticket to the UAE :)

So that's the start to my year.  Also, as of last week, I have lived here for over 6mths now!  It has totally flown by.  Especially when I think about how we're planning to stay here for 3 years...that's 1/6th down already.  Crazy!

Random, i know.  But it's something I've gotten
accustomed to after living here for 6mths :)

So now, for my belated New Year's Resolutions.

1. Get into better shape.  Not necessarily lose any weight, but get back some muscle tone and general feeling of well being and not the fat butt disease that seems to have infected a large proportion of the expats here.  I think I'm off to a good start.  I finally joined a gym which has a ton of group fitness classes which is key to me actually working out with any consistency.  The goal is to work out 4 times per week.  So far, I'm on track if you don't count the week I was sick.
2. Blog consistently so that we can keep family and friends back home plugged in with what we're doing and so that we have a "journal" of our experiences over here.  This is by far the one that I'm doing the worst on so far.  Hopefully I'll turn that around this weekend since I finally just downloaded all of the Christmas photos.  The goal is to blog 2 times per week.
3. Keep up with friends back home in a more timely manner.  I don't know what it is, but it sresses me out replying to emails/facebook messages.  Not that I don't want to reply or want to hear what you guys have to say, but for some reason it just overwhelms me because I think that I have to write this great response.  I'm going to try to lower my own self expectations and hopefully that will help keep me from procrastinating so long that it becomes awkward to reply.  Goal is to initiate contact with a friend at least 4 times/month and respond to all correspondence within 24hrs.

I thought about making a goal for some sort of creative thing like sewing, or the frames, or photography, or something like that.  But I decided that it would probably remove the fun of doing those things if they become a part of a to do list.  So we'll see...maybe I'll add some goal related to that later on if I feel like I need it.

And lastly, it's been "stormy" here all week.  I love it!  I didn't realize how much I missed clouds!  Every time I walk outside I just stand there and look at them.  The weather has been cool and slightly damp with a beautiful breeze.

I took this photo on the way into my gym on Tuesday evening