Well, I now have someone to run errands for me! I realized it today, when I was cooking and needed more mushrooms. Hunter passed his driving test the second time around....which is pretty standard here! The first driving test was a month ago and he failed within 5 minutes of starting the car! Apparently he didn't swerve enough around a pot-hole so the instructor grabbed the wheel and yelled at him in Arabic...clever!
Everyone fails the first time here, so the Sheikh can make money on the additional training lessons needed, in order to sign up for the test again! It's a conspiracy I'm convinced!
Getting Hunter's license is another hurdle because his father is being difficult. We paid around 4200 dirhams for the classes, incl driving & theory, test, book and an hour in a simulator. Except they never scheduled Hunter for the simulator. He has been practicing around the small roads in our neighborhood so the kid can drive, but he should get what he paid for. Aric asked for the 100 dirhams (simulator cost = $35) as a principle. They have been completely ignorant of this. So Aric said fine, I won't pay for the extra classes (440 dirhams) until you credit the 100. 'Oh but Sir, you have to pay for the simulator, it is part of the whole deal' ! Aric: 'Look-it - if you go to a supermarket and buy groceries, then walk out without them, do you still pay? Or if you drive through a gas station without filling up, do you pay for gas?' I paid for a product and service and didn't get it, so I want my money back for the part I didn't get' ..... the Saga continues and Hunter is without his license!
I cannot believe I have neglected my faithful readers for so long! Let me get this off my chest: not working regularly since February, because some VP figured he didn't need my team; then battling a big corporate entity for another three months, with lawyers slinging legal mud back and forth - sort of took it out of me! Drained is putting it lightly!!
But I prevailed and it is now all behind me! I went to Tempe to see Aidan for 5 days during parents weekend; it was fantastic. We went to the ASU game vs Oregon and ASU won big! Aidan had a lot of homework, he loves school now and truly cherishes his Industrial Design classes, even though it is demanding - but he says it is "his kind of learning" and I think he has come into his own.
So, when he studied, I went to explore. Apache Junction is not far from Tempe and there were mountains and nature which called my name. Hiking alone, under the noon sun, with no water and nobody else on the trail, is not recommended! The temp reached 102 and here I was just diddle daddling along looking at all the tall cactus (or is it cacti?) in any event, I soon realized that I could have ended up having a movie named after me, just like the guy in "127 hours". Imagine seeing a movie called "2.4 miles" about a woman who gets lost on a remote trail called "Lost Dutchman's Trail" - in the Superstitious Mountains? Leave it to the Dutch to get lost a hundred years ago... I mean the trail was signposted pretty well!
When I saw remains and bones from birds and small reptiles, I figured that was it for me....I had stumbled across a giant prehistoric predator who grabs small children on field trips. It was like a scene from "Picnic at Hanging Rock" - the sheer silence broken only by a whistling wind rushing through the rocks....it gave me goosebumps in the hot sun! I managed to drag myself back to the empty parking lot where my rental wreck was baking in the heat. If I had ever earned a cold beer it was now!
Earlier, down the road a ways, I had passed Goldmine City (how original) and they had a genuine saloon, with flapping doors just like a true western flick. How out of place can you be in a tank top, mini skirt and gym shoes? - I was hiking for crying out loud...well every Stetson hat turned and watched me and the bar got real quiet, you could hear a pin drop into a spittoon! Not even a spur jingled! I played it cool and said "howdy, can a thirsty gal get a cold beer?" in my best Arizonian twang. No sooner had I sat down when Madison Taylor introduced herself. And then the rest of the crowd joined in....Sam, Richard, Lonnie....well I be....within 30 minutes I was invited to get on one of Richard's Quarter horses and off we went, with Madison too, on a 2-hour hack in the dry river wash! Try riding western style in a mini skirt!!
During the last 15 minutes we galloped pretty long and fast and one of my reins dropped, (western style reins aren't connected - they are long leather straps on each side of the horse, connected only to the bit) so I stopped and reached down the horse's neck and head, to pick it back up; only as I leaned down, the horse's head came up and we head butted each other hard -I got a huge gash in my forehead. Unreal! Blood everywhere. Richard took his water bottle and poured the content all over my face and then tied a bandana around my head. That supported me for the rest of the ride back to the saloon, where we butterfly'ed it. I drove off to the emergency room, and got silicone glued up. Aidan laughed and we went out for sushi....it was a cracker of a day and I've made some great new friends!
