Sunday, May 15, 2011

Book em!

I thought about waiting 3 more days to post to make it an even two months since I'd posted anything, and then figured that I had better post while I was in any kind of mood to do it or that three days might pass right by, along with another 60!

I'm not hiding or avoiding, there just hasn't been anything going on.

I stopped my picture a day some time ago as there was just nothing I felt like taking pictures of since I don't get out that much.  Though I am still interested in this project in general and may restart at some point, a fresh start.  And perhaps with a specific subject matter instead of random pictures every day.

The biggest news at the moment, aside from the fact that allergy season has hit at last, is that I booked my tickets for a visit back to the States.

I had hoped hubby would be coming but it looks like it's just me this time.  He has some work that he can't leave, and in addition, he'll most likely be traveling for work as well, so it works out fine.

I'm excited beyond belief to get back home for a visit.  I miss my family a lot.  And how easy everything is in the States.  How accessible everything is.

Not looking forward to the flight from Paris to LA, but until they invent that teleporting machine, or they let me fly on a Concorde, then I think I just have to deal with it.  Hard to be bored and "trapped" in a long tube with several hundred other folks.

Anyways, it's nice having this trip to look forward to.  And I feel energized, making lists and having something to do besides the normal nothing.

Not sure when I'll post again.  No promises.

Oh, and here's the last day of the journal, I think I missed posting it before.  There's not much to it, things had really died down by that point, at least in our neighborhood.

:::

Saturday, February 5th

Woke about 10:30.  Nothing new overnight from what I could see.  And for the most part, at least looking from the outside in, it would have almost seemed like business as usual today.  Much more traffic about, more stores open, more people out.  But, banks and stock exchange still closed until Monday.  And still shortages of some goods and money, gas, etc.

I think the tanks are gone from this area, at least the patrol tanks.  Gone back to wherever they came from.  Fine by me.  I'm not sure if they did any good or not.

Not much gun fire to speak of.  A few shots around 8 p.m. and also at 11 p.m.  A helicopter now and then.

So things in one sense have settled down.  And yet, the tension is still high, people are still waiting, nothing feels like it's been accomplished.  Of course, there are things that have happened, and I think there have been some moves in a positive direction, but still waiting.  It's like that itch you can't scratch that starts to drive you mad after a while.

Not feeling safe enough to leave the apartment at this point.  Easy enough for hubby to go out to the stores or cafe, but I'm still hearing bad things about foreigners being detained and I don't think there's any reason to risk that kind of thing.  It would be unpleasant to be detained, to say the least.

So for now, watching like the whole world, waiting like the whole world.

When you really see the way this government has acted, when you really understand who these people are, it's enough to make you ill.  How does the rest of the world not step in to stop leaders like these?  How has this gone on for 30 years with no intervention? 

I know that I have taken so much for granted, growing up and living in the United States.  There are negatives to be said about the country, just like for any country, but there are definitely positives as well.  And one thing I can't stress enough are the rights that the people living in the States have, that are not a given in other countries like Egypt. 

Because they have been living under "emergency law" for 30 years, they essentially have no rights at all.  None.  No rights and further, the police can come and take you at any time, detain you as long as they wish and for whatever they wish.  Maybe most people don't worry about something like that, but after seeing what the government is capable of in the last couple weeks, I think they should.

Some limited gun shots during the wee hours but nothing too major.  Not much else happening.  5 a.m. and time for sleep.