SOON.VERY.VERY.SOON.

My time in a cast is coming to an end.

 (Thank G.A.W.D.)

I will soon be out and about

enjoying all the things that Dubai has to offer,

but until then,

this is all I have for you.......

(I.am.so.very.sorry!)

SHALLIE loves to watch TV!
(Especially programs featuring her peeps!)

SHALLIE loves to snuggle with Boo!

(The cutest dog in the world.  Next to SHALLIE, of course!)

SHALLIE loves toilet paper rolls.  

They are her newest and most favorite addiction!

(She has several.)

SHALLIE loves the winter sunshine in Dubai!

SHALLIE loves her balcony time!

SHALLIE loves chilling next to Dieds in the evening!

SHALLIE 

cannot wait to be walked

(BY ME)

around and around and around the Marina once again!

SOON.VERY.VERY.SOON!

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS!

Last night John and I met friends at the Oktoberfest at the Grand Hyatt.  Let's just say, the beer was cold; the music was great; and the group of friends we were with was a blast! 

Let's not say, the beer was cold; the music was great; and John and I had WAY TOO MUCH TO DRINK!  Enough said.



I've been walking down the JBR Walk almost every morning.  Several days this week the sky was blue and filled with clouds.  It has been simply gorgeous!

I was walking along at a pretty good clip one morning when suddenly I was outpaced by these two locals!  HaHaHa, made me laugh out loud!
 

If you visit the JBR Walk often, you might wonder where the market has gone.  Well, it seems they've moved the kiosks down to the Sheraton end of the Walk because of all the construction!
 

Anyone know what this is going to be?  I couldn't figure it out!
I bet by tomorrow's stroll I'll know!
 

There are sooooo many changes happening on The Walk.  These two new towers are under construction in front of the Al Fattan Towers.  A mall is currently being built.  And several new shops and restaurants are opening every day!
 

Just another Thursday Ramblings!  TGI-TH everyone!!!  

(Anyone know a sure cure for a hangover?)

PENGUIN ENCOUNTER - MY KIND OF DAY! B

There was a Cobone Deal recently in Dubai.  It was for a Penquin Up Close encounter at Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates (MOE).  Five of us Marina ladies purchased the deal and met up at the MOE.

We jumped into our warm gear for the cold environment 

we were about to enter!  BRRRRRR!  (Ah, but it felt oh so good!)

 

The penguins, we were told, were flown to Dubai from Texas
this past January.  Sheikh Mohammed had them transported here in one of his aircraft....the top was filled with several of his horses; the bottom was filled with snow....and the penguins!

We got to meet "Pumpkin", who delighted in showing off for us!  She ran (waddled) up the ramp and then behind us, and landed on the rock right there in the middle of us!  She jumped off the rock when cued and did it again and again!  She also chased a plastic bowling pin, would pick it up with her beak, run back to the trainer and throw it to her!

 

We learned that "Pumpkin" had a mate named "Pie".   The male penguin presents a female penguin with his favorite stone.  If the female rejects the stone, the male can either look for another one to present to her, or he can present the same stone to another female.  "Pumpkin" accepted "Pie's" stone and therefore they became a couple!
 

We then met some larger penguins: "Mona Lisa", "Bubbles" and "Bob".  (I think his name was "Bob" -- sorry, but I really can't remember!)  It took " Bob" twenty times to get "Bubbles" to accept his stone.  But she finally did and they are now a couple!  

Because "Bob" would get jealous, the trainer didn't let us pet "Bubbles".  Lord only knows what would have happened if we didn't heed her advice!  But "Mona Lisa" LOVED to have her belly rubbed!

What an experience it was!  The penguins were well taken care of, to be sure!  We learned that they live about 15 years in the wild, with many other animals preying upon them.  In captivity, however, they can live an average of 30 years!  
Thanks, Dubai, for watching over these amazing creatures!
 

After our Penguins Up Close encounter came to a quick end, we all sat in the Ice Room for a moment or two, savoring the chill that was in the air!
 

What can be better than scuba diving in the morning and playing with the penguins in the afternoon?  Yes, it was
  
                MY KIND OF DAY!!!

SCUBA DIVING....MY KIND OF DAY! A

        Arrived at the Jumeriah Open Beach at 10:00AM 
all fired up to dive!

Masks and flippers were nice and organized for us!

 

Tanks were assembled and the 
BCD's sat patiently waiting!!

 

And then we arrived....and put them on!

 

We were psyched and ready to roll, er, dive!

 

The water temperature was perfect and we enjoyed

 every second of the backward walking 

(that's what ya have to do with flippers on) 

into that deep blue Arabian Sea!
AHHHHH!

 

Down we went and, as always, it was a thrill!

We learned that it was a-okay to pick sea urchins up 

as long as we held them carefully.

(But later, when I googled "sea urchins",

I read where some are poisonous.  Oh Great!!)

 

It sure was heavenly down there!!

 

It just doesn't get better than this!

We had fun with a crab....and the crab had fun with us!

 

No worries -

We only saw one jelly fish

 the entire time we were down there!  

It was quite beautiful....from a distance!

 

 Guess what else we learned?  

If you find a dead or unhealthy looking sea urchin

 and break it open using a rock, 

fish will swarm in to eat the inside of it!  Instant fish frenzy!!

(Learn something new every day!)
But I'm still not sure how to tell if one is dead or unhealthy!

We walked out of the water at precisely 12:30PM 

and were due to meet friends at 1:20PM at the 

Mall of the Emirates 

for our Penguins Up Close encounter! 

 Yikes, no time to primp, 

that's for sure!

So we washed off the salt water 
in a beach side shower.  
Luckily, little changing huts were added 
to the beaches this season, 

so we had a place to put our sandy bodies into our clothes.  We grabbed a cab (and urged the driver to go fast),
worked on our hair 

(hopeless, just hopeless) 

and put a dab of makeup on, 

all while laughing at the insanity of it all!

The cab dropped us off at the Mall 

and we ran to the entrance to the penguin area

and found our friends 

with five minutes to spare!!!  

WOOHOO!  

Then our Penguins Up Close experience began!!!

More on THAT tomorrow!

ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

John and I 

celebrated (a few days early) our 31st anniversary 
on top of the world.

Well, almost anyway!

We enjoyed a celebratory dinner at

AT.MOSPHERE Grill.

First, a glass of Merlot at AT.MOSPHERE Lounge 

while we waited for our table. 

Then more Merlot with dinner

at a table by the window

looking down (way down) to the emirate below.
BREATHTAKING!*!

 

The perfect way to celebrate....

 

And in the taxi on our way home.....

 

HAPPY 31st, my dearest!

Tonight we're going to REALLY celebrate our anniversary
by watching the
COLTS PLAY BALL!

IL DIVO DOES DUBAI!

One American.

One Frenchman.

One Spaniard.

One Swiss.

Four good looking men from four different countries 

with phenomenal voices.

Put them together and you get none other than...

And this is where I tell you I have some 

AWESOME VIDEOS

of these guys singing some 

AMAZING SONGS.

But don't get too excited,

 cuz they won't post on Blogger, darn it!

Yes, IL Divo did Dubai 
and it was
FANTASTIC!!