Estrogen Challenged.....

OK (still in US) today I got talked into going to a candle party with my Mom. Actually the woman giving it is a friend of my Mom's whom I've met and she is lovely, so I decided to go and say "hello."

I have to admit, I did not get the girly gene. I don't become visibly anxious when shoe stores have sales. The sight of small children does not make me become a blithering idiot.

I was always the one in jeans riding horses. While I will get decked out for the right reason, I spend most days being rather casual, and can't be bothered to wear makeup. However I do shave my legs and date men exclusively.

So going to any kind of girly gathering is a stretch for me....and bridal and baby showers are an absolute "NO WAY." But the interesting thing is, I have been to a few of these type of parties in the UAE, thrown by some of the Sheikhas. Not candle parties, but over there, women have all female parties, with the exception of young male children.

They do the same things and talk about the same things...and everyone leaves with a gift. No difference.

Now if there would only have girly parties for women that like to talk about business and building empires...sign me up!

The Perfect Family....

They live at the corner listed below....thanks AW for the photo.

Presidential Conventions

In honor of the fact that there is simply NOTHING on TV for 2 weeks because of the conventions, I thought I would post these verses from a former US President;

"Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure."

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

"I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."

These are all quotes from Abraham Lincoln. I think they apply now even more than they did back in his day. You wonder if McCain or Obama would ever be the kind of President someone like Lincoln was. I think with all the special interest groups and lobbyists, it's impossible.

Costco....

This is one of the things I miss when I am in the UAE. I mean, where else can you go and buy a 5 gallon bucket of mayonnaise?

Not that I would ever NEED that much mayonnaise, but it's comforting to know that if I wanted it...I could buy it. Besides, if you go into Costco hungry, you can wander around and eat all the free samples, so by the time you leave, you don't have to worry about what's for dinner.

In the UAE we have Carrefour, it's a French chain of grocery stores. As you might imagine, their bakery and cheese section is to die for, but the rest of the food...well they're French brands, what can I say?

We also have Spinney's and Abela's, these are British. I don't know, but if I am going to put catsup (or ketchup) on something, I want it to be Heinz, not some kind I've never heard of.

Then there's that silly "British English." My friend asked me to "Get a trolley." Now to me, a trolley is that thing that looks like an electric train and it's on the front of the Rice-A-Roni box. (not seen in UAE markets) As I stood there looking stupid, she said, "The thing to put the groceries in." Oh yes.

And what about trousers vs pants; hoover vs vacuum; bathroom vs loo and lounge vs living room? I must say I am doing well with this, only to come back to LA and have to switch again.

Back to the simple things, a single person like me can buy toilet paper (or loo rolls) at Costo in the 40 roll package and have a supply for a whole year. I miss that....