Week of big purchases

Some of you on Facebook may have seen a couple of weeks ago that I finally broke down and invested in a can opener. Well this week I found myself making further investments in my life here-- a bicycle and a Black and Decker Juicer Blender Grinder.

The bicycle I actually bought second hand from a woman who was here on a temporary assignment for six weeks. It is not really the colors I would have picked out (purple and yellow- ick!). And it does not have different speeds which may limit how far I actually ride it- especially after my jaunt today. But it does have a lock and a basket and a bell. For $60 I figured even if I ride it for a few months it will be worth the investment.

So this afternoon my friend Jess and I went for a bike ride. Jess is very athletic- she and her husband Tim met as a result of their mutual interest in sailing. Tim is overseeing the implementation of the water sports including the beaches so Jess keeps us up-to-date on the latest info. You may remember three weeks ago when we went to the beach we thought the campus beach would be open in three weeks. Currently they are saying by th eend of February/beginning of March. I suspect by the time it opens it will be too hot to actually go to the beach. In any event, today we biked out to where the beach is. There is still barbed wire in front of it and the facilities don't really look anywhere near ready. It took about 20 minutes to bike there as it is really close to one of the gates for campus. The sun was setting as we were riding back and was gorgeous reflecting off of the buildings. Some of the glass looks almost like it is painted with gold. It will be really beautiful once everything is complete and open.

My other big purchase just today is the Black and Decker all-in-one appliance. I have been eyeing it in the Tamimi Market for a few weeks and really contemplating and debating the purchase- it was almost $100! But today I was reading the Bon Appetite magazine my mother sent to me (Thanks Mom!) and too many of the recipes involved a food processer or blender. And I am kind of excited about the juicer feature. Perhaps I'll be making fresh mango juice in no time. Thank you Jamal for carrying it home for me!

Still working long hours six days a week... but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.