Still not much happening.
The weather has warmed up some the past couple days, hovering around 70 to 72 during the day. Nice not to have frozen feet all day. But it's been a bit overcast as well and perhaps there's some dust in the air.
I gave myself a haircut the other day. I only needed to take a couple of inches off, so it's not like the horrors of grade school where I thought I would be clever and ended up on picture day with very crooked hair. lol
I can't say it's exactly straight, but it's long enough that I don't think it makes that much of a difference, and it's covered when I go outside anyways, so the only people to see it are hubby and family.
There are talks again about a possible move to Kuwait. We'll have to wait til hubby is home and see what happens with that.
I think we decided to try for a summer visit to the States instead of trying to go in March/April. We'll also have to see how that goes.
Only 3 more days til hubby is back, hurrah! :D
Oh, Egypt played Algeria in soccer again the other night. Egypt won and of course the whole country celebrated. lol
They were out en masse in the streets, waving flags and shouting, banging on drums and cheering and all sorts of stuff. They take aerosol cans and spray them and then light the spray to make like a blowtorch, so there was also a lot of that going on. I wish I had a video to show. It's just absolutely crazy. Something like how Times Square is on New Years Eve. Glad I wasn't out in it but only watching on tv. And Egypt wasn't even playing here, they were down in another country for the Africa Cup.
Not much else to report really. The days run by kind of blending into one another.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Not unexpected
Found out the other day that hubby's trip will be extended. He was originally due back on the 25th, though we knew there was a possibility of him extending the trip. He is now due back on the 2nd.
Needless to say, I was not happy about this. In total it will be 18 days that he is gone, which is a bit much.
:::
Went out for dinner last night with my sister in law. We went to a place called Studio Misr (Misr being the name for Egypt in Egyptian). It was not too far away so we walked.
The place was large, well designed, well lit and the wait staff was very friendly but not too hovering.
The food was good. I had a shish tawook sandwich which is basically grilled chicken on a roll. There was some kind of garlic "sauce" which I mostly scraped out, but in all the sandwich was pretty good. Served with fries and "salad", which consisted of some marinated veggies (onion, carrot, olives, pepperoncini peppers, etc.).
After we finished, we walked over to Cinnabon. I haven't eaten from that place in years, but I was willing to give it a go, though I had a feeling they probably used a lot of artificial stuff in their product.
We bought enough for the family and headed home to eat them there.
It was actually quite cold out and on the way home it was windy to boot. My nose was quite drippy by the time we made it home. lol
I didn't eat my cinnamon roll until today. It was alright, but all in all it tasted kind of "fake". Not at all like the yummy cinnamon rolls from Le Poire that I get. I don't think I would purposefully eat at Cinnabon again, but if it was the only thing I had a choice of I wouldn't starve.
:::
It is very cold. I know this sounds funny because it's not nearly as cold as it is in some areas, however 57 degrees with no heaters and windows that don't shut tight makes for a very chilly house!
I'm fine at night, I have a very warm blanket, but I can't wear the blanket around all day. lol
I wasn't really thinking about it or I would have bought some warmer clothes with me from the apartment. I wasn't expecting to be here at the in laws so long either, so clothes supplies are running low and I don't like the detergent my MIL uses because it smells too strong so I'm on a quest to make the clothes last. lol
I may end up going over to the apartment with my sister in law to pick up a couple of things on Thursday. Including warmer clothes.
:::
My MIL has actually been sick the last few days so we've been doing eating out / ordering in, because she had some sort of stomach problem. I felt bad that she felt so bad. I've never seen her go so long without doing stuff around the house and she's been resting for the last few days. I guess she is feeling some better but only now starting to eat some soup. I'm actually thankful she made soup today because it's so darn cold and I'll be having some heated up leftovers at dinner to warm up my insides again.
Needless to say, I was not happy about this. In total it will be 18 days that he is gone, which is a bit much.
:::
Went out for dinner last night with my sister in law. We went to a place called Studio Misr (Misr being the name for Egypt in Egyptian). It was not too far away so we walked.
The place was large, well designed, well lit and the wait staff was very friendly but not too hovering.
The food was good. I had a shish tawook sandwich which is basically grilled chicken on a roll. There was some kind of garlic "sauce" which I mostly scraped out, but in all the sandwich was pretty good. Served with fries and "salad", which consisted of some marinated veggies (onion, carrot, olives, pepperoncini peppers, etc.).
After we finished, we walked over to Cinnabon. I haven't eaten from that place in years, but I was willing to give it a go, though I had a feeling they probably used a lot of artificial stuff in their product.
We bought enough for the family and headed home to eat them there.
It was actually quite cold out and on the way home it was windy to boot. My nose was quite drippy by the time we made it home. lol
I didn't eat my cinnamon roll until today. It was alright, but all in all it tasted kind of "fake". Not at all like the yummy cinnamon rolls from Le Poire that I get. I don't think I would purposefully eat at Cinnabon again, but if it was the only thing I had a choice of I wouldn't starve.
:::
It is very cold. I know this sounds funny because it's not nearly as cold as it is in some areas, however 57 degrees with no heaters and windows that don't shut tight makes for a very chilly house!
I'm fine at night, I have a very warm blanket, but I can't wear the blanket around all day. lol
I wasn't really thinking about it or I would have bought some warmer clothes with me from the apartment. I wasn't expecting to be here at the in laws so long either, so clothes supplies are running low and I don't like the detergent my MIL uses because it smells too strong so I'm on a quest to make the clothes last. lol
I may end up going over to the apartment with my sister in law to pick up a couple of things on Thursday. Including warmer clothes.
:::
My MIL has actually been sick the last few days so we've been doing eating out / ordering in, because she had some sort of stomach problem. I felt bad that she felt so bad. I've never seen her go so long without doing stuff around the house and she's been resting for the last few days. I guess she is feeling some better but only now starting to eat some soup. I'm actually thankful she made soup today because it's so darn cold and I'll be having some heated up leftovers at dinner to warm up my insides again.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Cinnamon rolls redux
Not much going on here. Life as usual at the in-laws.
Out of the homemade quick breads I brought with me, so my MIL has ordered me some cinnamon rolls to have with breakfast. Had one this morning and they taste as good as I remember.
Here's a picture I found online today that shows the numbers the US uses and the numbers that they use here in Egypt, side by side. You can see how it might be confusing on a few of those, though the 1 and 9 seem basically the same.
However, the Egyptian 6 looks like a US 7, and the Egyptian 5 looks like a US 0, and the Egyptian 4 looks like a backwards 3.
Anyways, I think I have them fairly well memorized as far as looking at them, however I still need to learn to say the numbers.
It rained quite a bit the other night. It was around 3:30 in the morning perhaps and I was still awake. Unfortunate that I couldn't go outside and watch. Hard to watch rain in the dark though I guess. Plus it was cold. But, nice that we're getting more rain. I think it flooded in upper Egypt. Which would be southern Egypt, despite being called upper. lol I believe it is called upper because in the south is where the Nile starts at and then flows northward. So where it starts is called upper, even though technically it's southern, not northern. I hope that made sense.
Not much else to speak of. Not sure if hubby will come home Monday as planned or stay longer. The time has gone by a lot quicker than his last trip away. Perhaps because I've been in the country longer and am used to staying here at the in-laws.
Maybe I'll post some more pictures soon, since I never did get around to that. lol
Out of the homemade quick breads I brought with me, so my MIL has ordered me some cinnamon rolls to have with breakfast. Had one this morning and they taste as good as I remember.
Here's a picture I found online today that shows the numbers the US uses and the numbers that they use here in Egypt, side by side. You can see how it might be confusing on a few of those, though the 1 and 9 seem basically the same.
Anyways, I think I have them fairly well memorized as far as looking at them, however I still need to learn to say the numbers.
It rained quite a bit the other night. It was around 3:30 in the morning perhaps and I was still awake. Unfortunate that I couldn't go outside and watch. Hard to watch rain in the dark though I guess. Plus it was cold. But, nice that we're getting more rain. I think it flooded in upper Egypt. Which would be southern Egypt, despite being called upper. lol I believe it is called upper because in the south is where the Nile starts at and then flows northward. So where it starts is called upper, even though technically it's southern, not northern. I hope that made sense.
Not much else to speak of. Not sure if hubby will come home Monday as planned or stay longer. The time has gone by a lot quicker than his last trip away. Perhaps because I've been in the country longer and am used to staying here at the in-laws.
Maybe I'll post some more pictures soon, since I never did get around to that. lol
Monday, January 18, 2010
A few drops
I was still laying in bed (lying?) this morning when I heard the distinct sound of rain starting to fall outside.
That got me up quick! lol
I got myself ready and went out onto the balcony to watch it while it lasted, which was all of a couple of minutes. Not much rain but still nice. I had read a few days ago that it was forecast this week, but only like a 30% chance, so I wasn't sure it it would happen or not. Also a slightly smaller chance for some rain tomorrow.
:::
Things are okay at the in-laws. About the same as ever I guess. At least since we stayed here so long before moving I'm used to how everything works and feel relatively comfortable.
I've been staying up fairly late reading. It gets to the point where you start to doze off and keep coming to and reading the same paragraph over and over and over before you finally end up making it to bed. lol
Also been watching some movies. Stuff I'm more interested in than hubby I guess, so it works out fine that I watch while he's out of town.
Oh... on our way here the other day, we passed the building that they were tearing down across from our apartment. I was shocked when I saw it!!! Though the back wall was still standing (the part of the building that I could actually see), the rest of the building was in a big pile of brick/stone. It seems that even though they've been working, I couldn't see it because of the building in-between ours and the one being torn down. In any case I'm a little disappointed I couldn't get a picture of it. It's hard to say what condition things will be in when we go back. Some things here move so slowly and sometimes things move fast.
:::
It amazes me sometimes how at home I feel here in Cairo. And then other times everything seems so alien and different. Maybe it has to do with not getting out a lot. I'm not sure. It's strange though, the back and forth. There's so many things that are still new and that I've still yet to discover.
:::
I'm finally learning to read the numbers here. It's a little confusing because some of the numbers look like the ones we use but they have a different value assigned. It should make things easier though when we go shopping and there isn't a price listed in both languages.
That got me up quick! lol
I got myself ready and went out onto the balcony to watch it while it lasted, which was all of a couple of minutes. Not much rain but still nice. I had read a few days ago that it was forecast this week, but only like a 30% chance, so I wasn't sure it it would happen or not. Also a slightly smaller chance for some rain tomorrow.
:::
Things are okay at the in-laws. About the same as ever I guess. At least since we stayed here so long before moving I'm used to how everything works and feel relatively comfortable.
I've been staying up fairly late reading. It gets to the point where you start to doze off and keep coming to and reading the same paragraph over and over and over before you finally end up making it to bed. lol
Also been watching some movies. Stuff I'm more interested in than hubby I guess, so it works out fine that I watch while he's out of town.
Oh... on our way here the other day, we passed the building that they were tearing down across from our apartment. I was shocked when I saw it!!! Though the back wall was still standing (the part of the building that I could actually see), the rest of the building was in a big pile of brick/stone. It seems that even though they've been working, I couldn't see it because of the building in-between ours and the one being torn down. In any case I'm a little disappointed I couldn't get a picture of it. It's hard to say what condition things will be in when we go back. Some things here move so slowly and sometimes things move fast.
:::
It amazes me sometimes how at home I feel here in Cairo. And then other times everything seems so alien and different. Maybe it has to do with not getting out a lot. I'm not sure. It's strange though, the back and forth. There's so many things that are still new and that I've still yet to discover.
:::
I'm finally learning to read the numbers here. It's a little confusing because some of the numbers look like the ones we use but they have a different value assigned. It should make things easier though when we go shopping and there isn't a price listed in both languages.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Buttered fingers
Well, it's been a long day. And now I'm so tired I just want to have a nap, but I don't like taking naps so late in the day so I will prop my eyes open til I feel more alert in a couple of hours.
I wanted to get up at 9:30 this morning to get some baking done, but I fell back asleep til 11, and then it was non-stop baking and getting ready so we could leave the house by 2. I managed to get everything done but just barely.
Didn't eat til lunch, which was at 4. I'm at the in-laws now, and I wasn't sure what we were going to have, but it was something we have had before, which my MIL calls negresco. I'm not sure why it's called that, or what the word means. It's basically pasta tubes cooked with some kind of white sauce and this time there was small pieces of shredded chicken in it. I can't remember if there was mozzarella cheese or not. In any case, it was good and I probably ate a little too much.
I'm now trying not to have my fingers and toes freeze off. I forgot that they leave all the windows / balcony doors open here at the in-laws, and with no heater it gets pretty darn nippy! At our apartment, we have the air conditioner / heater unit in the bedroom, and I'm generally in the bedroom for most of the day so when I get cold I can just turn the heater on for a bit. Thankfully there's a nice warm blanket on the bed, so at least I won't get cold at night.
I tried not to cry this time when hubby left. Last time he went to Kuwait and I didn't expect to cry but I guess I couldn't help it. And so this time, I thought, well, it won't be so bad, I'm already used to living with the in-laws and all that, but, once again, I did cry. Not as much as last time so maybe that's a step in the right direction. It seems silly, I've been living here for 10 months now, it's not like he's disappearing forever or something. Oh well.
Oh. When I was baking this morning, well, I found a way to butter the pan without having to get my fingers all buttery. When I was living in the States I would just use a paper towel or napkin, but we generally don't have those in our apartment here, and so I found that if you use a fork, you can kind of spread it around with the fork and not have to get your fingers all greasy. But for some reason today, while the first dish cooperated just fine, the second did not, and so I had buttered fingers. lol
We've been trying to figure out where the mosquitoes are coming from at our place. We have screens and so they shouldn't be getting in that way. Hubby thinks maybe they are coming in through the a/c heater unit, but I don't know. He'll check it out when we get back after his trip. It's really quite irritating to be woken in the night by mosquitoes buzzing in your ears. In any case, I'm going to insist that we get a mosquito net for the bed. Even if we kill the ones we see before sleeping, I don't want to have to worry about it while we're asleep. So the net will help.
Okay, enough rambling. Time to find something else to keep busy and occupied!
I wanted to get up at 9:30 this morning to get some baking done, but I fell back asleep til 11, and then it was non-stop baking and getting ready so we could leave the house by 2. I managed to get everything done but just barely.
Didn't eat til lunch, which was at 4. I'm at the in-laws now, and I wasn't sure what we were going to have, but it was something we have had before, which my MIL calls negresco. I'm not sure why it's called that, or what the word means. It's basically pasta tubes cooked with some kind of white sauce and this time there was small pieces of shredded chicken in it. I can't remember if there was mozzarella cheese or not. In any case, it was good and I probably ate a little too much.
I'm now trying not to have my fingers and toes freeze off. I forgot that they leave all the windows / balcony doors open here at the in-laws, and with no heater it gets pretty darn nippy! At our apartment, we have the air conditioner / heater unit in the bedroom, and I'm generally in the bedroom for most of the day so when I get cold I can just turn the heater on for a bit. Thankfully there's a nice warm blanket on the bed, so at least I won't get cold at night.
I tried not to cry this time when hubby left. Last time he went to Kuwait and I didn't expect to cry but I guess I couldn't help it. And so this time, I thought, well, it won't be so bad, I'm already used to living with the in-laws and all that, but, once again, I did cry. Not as much as last time so maybe that's a step in the right direction. It seems silly, I've been living here for 10 months now, it's not like he's disappearing forever or something. Oh well.
Oh. When I was baking this morning, well, I found a way to butter the pan without having to get my fingers all buttery. When I was living in the States I would just use a paper towel or napkin, but we generally don't have those in our apartment here, and so I found that if you use a fork, you can kind of spread it around with the fork and not have to get your fingers all greasy. But for some reason today, while the first dish cooperated just fine, the second did not, and so I had buttered fingers. lol
We've been trying to figure out where the mosquitoes are coming from at our place. We have screens and so they shouldn't be getting in that way. Hubby thinks maybe they are coming in through the a/c heater unit, but I don't know. He'll check it out when we get back after his trip. It's really quite irritating to be woken in the night by mosquitoes buzzing in your ears. In any case, I'm going to insist that we get a mosquito net for the bed. Even if we kill the ones we see before sleeping, I don't want to have to worry about it while we're asleep. So the net will help.
Okay, enough rambling. Time to find something else to keep busy and occupied!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pancakes and chicken
Nothing terribly exciting going on.
Still construction going on across the way. I'm getting pictures and I got a short video yesterday. I will miss some of the action though when hubby leaves for his trip and I stay with the in-laws. I expect by the time we come back to our apartment they will be done tearing it down.
Hubby thinks they will build a new building, which means, of course, a lot of noise. And it seems, from what I have observed in many spots, that they do a lot of the building at night. Maybe not on all buildings, but on a lot of them that I saw.
Right now they are using some kind of jackhammer or something but we can't tell what for, as they're using it on the ground and it's just behind the building right in front of us. Perhaps breaking down the concrete or whatever that they've been sledgehammering off the building. It's making huge dust piles. I imagine when we get back to the apartment after being gone that there will be quite a layer.
:::
Hubby told me last night he was going to go into work a little later today, so I was thinking perhaps I would make pancakes in the morning. When we woke I asked him if he wanted pancakes with maple syrup and I was surprised he said yes. He doesn't generally eat breakfast.
So, I looked up a recipe and got to work. Didn't take too long and they were SO good. A taste of home I suppose. And there's nothing like real maple syrup. :D
I brought a bottle of syrup with me when I moved here as I don't think it's generally sold here. If it is in one of the larger markets I imagine it would be fairly expensive.
The other day we found worcestershire sauce, which I had told hubby about (and which we had fun pronouncing), and so we picked some up and it wasn't too overpriced, but looking at the soy sauce I decided that I would check in a larger store and see if it was any cheaper because the cost was exorbitant. I don't need it that badly.
:::
After the pancakes were done, I got to work on the chicken that we had thawed out from yesterday. This chicken was frozen. It came here from Brazil! World traveler chicken. Been more places than I have! lol
Anyways, it was a whole chicken, and we were going to grill it, so I had to get it into two halves.
I wasn't sure that the knife we have could handle it, but I set to work. And was almost immediately totally grossed out. lol
I've never cut up a chicken before, and cutting through bone is honestly just kind of disgusting. The bone marrow or whatever is all... you know... marrowish. lol
Well, I got the darn thing cut in half but pretty much decided I wasn't eating any of it after what I did with it. So, hubby had one half today with dinner and he'll have the other half tomorrow.
I'm not opposed to eating chicken, and if hubby had cut it up I probably would have been fine with eating it, but seeing the bones cut and stuff was just too much!
:::
I think I'm getting better at working the gas stove/oven. I think the only thing that is a little difficult is that even the low setting on the stove just isn't that low. Not like on an electric stove. So I have to be more careful with everything. But, I haven't had anything burning in the oven like I did the first couple times and I'm learning my oven's particular quirks etc.
I do have a concern about when the gas tank runs out. Because it's not like you just go down the street and get it filled.
Guys drive around or rather bike around and they bang on the cans while riding through the neighborhoods so you know that they are there and basically you go out on your balcony and shout down at them that you want a tank, at which point they stop and bring one up to you.
They take your old tank which is empty, and give you someone else's tank that was empty and refilled. So you never have a nice new clean tank. They are always dirty and grungy and I really hate it but there's no other way around it unless we live somewhere that has a direct gas line into the house, and I don't think that's too common.
So, all in all, not the easiest thing to get the tank replaced. Gotta wait til someone comes by with tanks.
And if you're in the middle of baking a cake, or cooking dinner, or whatever.... well... that sucks. lol
:::
I do still have pictures but too lazy to upload right now. If I don't get to it in the next couple days, I'll have plenty of time while I'm doing nothing at the in-laws. *sigh* lol
Still construction going on across the way. I'm getting pictures and I got a short video yesterday. I will miss some of the action though when hubby leaves for his trip and I stay with the in-laws. I expect by the time we come back to our apartment they will be done tearing it down.
Hubby thinks they will build a new building, which means, of course, a lot of noise. And it seems, from what I have observed in many spots, that they do a lot of the building at night. Maybe not on all buildings, but on a lot of them that I saw.
Right now they are using some kind of jackhammer or something but we can't tell what for, as they're using it on the ground and it's just behind the building right in front of us. Perhaps breaking down the concrete or whatever that they've been sledgehammering off the building. It's making huge dust piles. I imagine when we get back to the apartment after being gone that there will be quite a layer.
:::
Hubby told me last night he was going to go into work a little later today, so I was thinking perhaps I would make pancakes in the morning. When we woke I asked him if he wanted pancakes with maple syrup and I was surprised he said yes. He doesn't generally eat breakfast.
So, I looked up a recipe and got to work. Didn't take too long and they were SO good. A taste of home I suppose. And there's nothing like real maple syrup. :D
I brought a bottle of syrup with me when I moved here as I don't think it's generally sold here. If it is in one of the larger markets I imagine it would be fairly expensive.
The other day we found worcestershire sauce, which I had told hubby about (and which we had fun pronouncing), and so we picked some up and it wasn't too overpriced, but looking at the soy sauce I decided that I would check in a larger store and see if it was any cheaper because the cost was exorbitant. I don't need it that badly.
:::
After the pancakes were done, I got to work on the chicken that we had thawed out from yesterday. This chicken was frozen. It came here from Brazil! World traveler chicken. Been more places than I have! lol
Anyways, it was a whole chicken, and we were going to grill it, so I had to get it into two halves.
I wasn't sure that the knife we have could handle it, but I set to work. And was almost immediately totally grossed out. lol
I've never cut up a chicken before, and cutting through bone is honestly just kind of disgusting. The bone marrow or whatever is all... you know... marrowish. lol
Well, I got the darn thing cut in half but pretty much decided I wasn't eating any of it after what I did with it. So, hubby had one half today with dinner and he'll have the other half tomorrow.
I'm not opposed to eating chicken, and if hubby had cut it up I probably would have been fine with eating it, but seeing the bones cut and stuff was just too much!
:::
I think I'm getting better at working the gas stove/oven. I think the only thing that is a little difficult is that even the low setting on the stove just isn't that low. Not like on an electric stove. So I have to be more careful with everything. But, I haven't had anything burning in the oven like I did the first couple times and I'm learning my oven's particular quirks etc.
I do have a concern about when the gas tank runs out. Because it's not like you just go down the street and get it filled.
Guys drive around or rather bike around and they bang on the cans while riding through the neighborhoods so you know that they are there and basically you go out on your balcony and shout down at them that you want a tank, at which point they stop and bring one up to you.
They take your old tank which is empty, and give you someone else's tank that was empty and refilled. So you never have a nice new clean tank. They are always dirty and grungy and I really hate it but there's no other way around it unless we live somewhere that has a direct gas line into the house, and I don't think that's too common.
So, all in all, not the easiest thing to get the tank replaced. Gotta wait til someone comes by with tanks.
And if you're in the middle of baking a cake, or cooking dinner, or whatever.... well... that sucks. lol
:::
I do still have pictures but too lazy to upload right now. If I don't get to it in the next couple days, I'll have plenty of time while I'm doing nothing at the in-laws. *sigh* lol
Sunday, January 10, 2010
4 days, 2 rooms
They are still demolishing the building across the street. Slow progress but progress nonetheless. I'm getting a couple of pictures a day, so when they are done, or at least until I can't take pictures where they're working at, I'll post them. It's nice to see how far they get every day. I'm sure it's not a well paid job but I wish it were for their sakes. It's not easy work. At least it's not summer so the temps aren't awful to work in.
:::
I swept a couple of days ago. I didn't get the whole apartment, just the 2 front rooms. There was quite a pile of dust. It was only 4 days since I had swept the time before, so it wasn't like I waited a month or something. I'm pretty sure the hacking away at the building across the street is contributing some, but it is always pretty dusty in this apartment anyways.
Anyways, it seems that the broom will be a close friend of mine as long as we live here. lol
:::
I've been doing a lot of baking. More lemon bread, though I changed a few things in the recipe, cutting back on some of the fat but still leaving it very moist and too yummy!
I'm getting ready to bake a batch of lemon bars for hubby to take with him to Kuwait. lol
He wanted some to take so I don't mind. He'll be leaving later in the week.
And since I'll be at the in-laws, I decided to bake myself a couple of loafs of quickbread to take with me so that I have something yummy to eat that I like. What I like as a sweet or snack, and what the rest of hubby's family likes is a bit different.
So I'll be busy baking this week.
:::
Alright, the weird spots on the wall where the paint is kind of bubbling up... still don't know what it is. Hubby thinks it's just water leaking in the walls, but I don't think straight water would do this. Maybe it's water leaking but there's something in the paint that's making it bubble? No idea.
Both of these pictures are taken on the same wall, about 5 feet apart. It is a wall going down the hallway between the bathroom and the kitchen, but there are no appliances or anything on the other side of the wall. It's just a divider wall. Of course, there could be pipes inside the wall there that I'm not aware of but it seems like a weird place to have them to me.
:::
I hope it's nothing major. But we repainted the whole apartment before moving in and the walls were fine. In the period between painting and actually moving here, this started happening. It's not decaying or whatever at too rapid a pace, but it does still seem to be progressing.
Anyone have any ideas on what it could be from?
:::
I still have some more pictures to post, will try to get them up in the next couple days or so.
:::
I swept a couple of days ago. I didn't get the whole apartment, just the 2 front rooms. There was quite a pile of dust. It was only 4 days since I had swept the time before, so it wasn't like I waited a month or something. I'm pretty sure the hacking away at the building across the street is contributing some, but it is always pretty dusty in this apartment anyways.
Anyways, it seems that the broom will be a close friend of mine as long as we live here. lol
:::
I've been doing a lot of baking. More lemon bread, though I changed a few things in the recipe, cutting back on some of the fat but still leaving it very moist and too yummy!
I'm getting ready to bake a batch of lemon bars for hubby to take with him to Kuwait. lol
He wanted some to take so I don't mind. He'll be leaving later in the week.
And since I'll be at the in-laws, I decided to bake myself a couple of loafs of quickbread to take with me so that I have something yummy to eat that I like. What I like as a sweet or snack, and what the rest of hubby's family likes is a bit different.
So I'll be busy baking this week.
:::
Alright, the weird spots on the wall where the paint is kind of bubbling up... still don't know what it is. Hubby thinks it's just water leaking in the walls, but I don't think straight water would do this. Maybe it's water leaking but there's something in the paint that's making it bubble? No idea.
Both of these pictures are taken on the same wall, about 5 feet apart. It is a wall going down the hallway between the bathroom and the kitchen, but there are no appliances or anything on the other side of the wall. It's just a divider wall. Of course, there could be pipes inside the wall there that I'm not aware of but it seems like a weird place to have them to me.
:::
I hope it's nothing major. But we repainted the whole apartment before moving in and the walls were fine. In the period between painting and actually moving here, this started happening. It's not decaying or whatever at too rapid a pace, but it does still seem to be progressing.
Anyone have any ideas on what it could be from?
:::
I still have some more pictures to post, will try to get them up in the next couple days or so.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Strawberries you say?
Been busy around the house but nothing much new apartment wise. Still trying to get a handle on the best way to clean with all of the dust. We need some mats for the kitchen and bathroom. That should hopefully help a bit with tracking since the floors are always dusty, whether I clean them or not. lol
:::
For the past couple of days we have been woken, and then I hear all day, the sound of some guys across the street who are demolishing part of a building with some kind of ... I dunno what, sledgehammer? They stand on the top of the building and hit at the part below where they're standing. Um.... hello?
Anyways, not sure if they will take the whole building down or they are just taking the top floor off. I have taken a picture each morning, and you can see where they worked at, so I'll see how it goes and what happens tomorrow morning. If they keep working I'll try to get more pictures and then I can post the progress.
:::
I took a whole slew of food pictures the last few days.
My brother in law works for a company that exports and imports fruits and vegetables, and he gave us a bunch when we were over at the in-laws place on new years day. We got 8 bell peppers, some mushrooms, and a bunch of strawberries. So, I've been busy trying to use all that up. And taking pictures of my efforts.
For now, here is what I did with the strawberries. It's a quick bread. The smell is still strong in the house and hubby is even now in the kitchen cutting himself the first slice.
Will post some more pictures in the coming days.
:::
Still having foot problems. Insha'Allah it will get better soon. Still not positive what is wrong with it, but tried switching shoes last night so hopefully that will make a difference. I try to stay off my foot but If I stay off my foot, that means I can't do anything around the apartment.
:::
For the past couple of days we have been woken, and then I hear all day, the sound of some guys across the street who are demolishing part of a building with some kind of ... I dunno what, sledgehammer? They stand on the top of the building and hit at the part below where they're standing. Um.... hello?
Anyways, not sure if they will take the whole building down or they are just taking the top floor off. I have taken a picture each morning, and you can see where they worked at, so I'll see how it goes and what happens tomorrow morning. If they keep working I'll try to get more pictures and then I can post the progress.
:::
I took a whole slew of food pictures the last few days.
My brother in law works for a company that exports and imports fruits and vegetables, and he gave us a bunch when we were over at the in-laws place on new years day. We got 8 bell peppers, some mushrooms, and a bunch of strawberries. So, I've been busy trying to use all that up. And taking pictures of my efforts.
For now, here is what I did with the strawberries. It's a quick bread. The smell is still strong in the house and hubby is even now in the kitchen cutting himself the first slice.
:::
Still having foot problems. Insha'Allah it will get better soon. Still not positive what is wrong with it, but tried switching shoes last night so hopefully that will make a difference. I try to stay off my foot but If I stay off my foot, that means I can't do anything around the apartment.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Lemon or lime?
I made the most scrumptious bread/cake a couple of days ago. It's actually called lemon yogurt cake or something like that, but you bake it in a loaf pan, so to me it seemed like it should be more like a bread. But, it seems to be more dense and sweet, perhaps something like a pound cake? I'm not sure as I remember having pound cake though so I can't be sure.
It called for lemons but I just used lime since that's what we had on hand and it seemed interchangeable enough with the lemon bars.
There was a bit of a mess with the lime/sugar syrup that was supposed to be drizzled over the top, but I got it on well enough.
The taste is really just out of this world. For mom and dad - remember the lemon bundt cakes you used to be able to buy at Raley's? It tastes kinda like that. SO GOOD!! Hubby really likes it as well. So, happy with that. And the bottom didn't burn, so that's a plus. lol
:::
In other food related news, I made fettuccine alfredo tonight for the first time. The recipe was good though it was a bit heavy. It called for a less fat cream cheese, but I think I was lucky enough to find regular cream cheese. In any case, it was good and hubby agrees that it's a keeper.
:::
We went last Friday, new years day, to the in-laws for lunch. There were assorted cousins and neice and aunty there, so it was nice to see everyone. I didn't even mind spending time there as a guest. Though I'm not happy about going to live there again while hubby is away on his trip that is coming up.
I took some food pictures but don't have them edited yet, so that will come later, in a day or two perhaps.
:::
Not sure about trip dates. Possibly this weekend or the next. I'm trying to be positive about it, as one of the reasons for the trip is to bring in new business for hubby's company, and that is important. But I still don't like being without him in a country that is not entirely familiar to me. I still don't know the language and I don't go out of the house by myself. When he isn't here it feels too limiting and a bit scary. I know my in-laws could help with anything I needed but it isn't the same as having hubby here.
It called for lemons but I just used lime since that's what we had on hand and it seemed interchangeable enough with the lemon bars.
There was a bit of a mess with the lime/sugar syrup that was supposed to be drizzled over the top, but I got it on well enough.
The taste is really just out of this world. For mom and dad - remember the lemon bundt cakes you used to be able to buy at Raley's? It tastes kinda like that. SO GOOD!! Hubby really likes it as well. So, happy with that. And the bottom didn't burn, so that's a plus. lol
:::
In other food related news, I made fettuccine alfredo tonight for the first time. The recipe was good though it was a bit heavy. It called for a less fat cream cheese, but I think I was lucky enough to find regular cream cheese. In any case, it was good and hubby agrees that it's a keeper.
:::
We went last Friday, new years day, to the in-laws for lunch. There were assorted cousins and neice and aunty there, so it was nice to see everyone. I didn't even mind spending time there as a guest. Though I'm not happy about going to live there again while hubby is away on his trip that is coming up.
I took some food pictures but don't have them edited yet, so that will come later, in a day or two perhaps.
:::
Not sure about trip dates. Possibly this weekend or the next. I'm trying to be positive about it, as one of the reasons for the trip is to bring in new business for hubby's company, and that is important. But I still don't like being without him in a country that is not entirely familiar to me. I still don't know the language and I don't go out of the house by myself. When he isn't here it feels too limiting and a bit scary. I know my in-laws could help with anything I needed but it isn't the same as having hubby here.
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