While the Cats Away

Well this is going to be a very wordy blog as Becky has the camera. Jacob and Becky flew back to England last Friday to spend six weeks in England with family and friends avoiding the worst of Oman’s summer heat. By all accounts, Jacob was a good boy and enjoyed the flight, which was a big change to the vomit fest that he experienced on the way out to Oman. Becky and I packed her violent magenta suitcases the day before without too much fuss and Jacob found that he had a Spiderman wheeled suitcase as hand luggage, boy was he happy! Seeb airport in Oman is a bit of an oddity in that you have to go through security to get to the check in desks, so there is no time for protracted tearful good byes, as soon as you walk in to the terminal building you say your bit and off goes the traveller!
As they were arriving in the UK (late compared to Oman) I had time to check with BAA Heathrow website that their plane had arrived safely and then I was off to bed.
It’s a bit odd being the only person in a large dark house, the only thing missing are large dust sheets over the furniture!
Muscat has really quietened down, all the mums and children have disappeared for the summer and there is a lot less traffic on the road, it feels like a completely different place. The day before they left, Jacob and I spent the morning at the pool and we were the only two people all morning.
When I say Oman is hot in the summer, it is HOT. In England you turn off the central heating, here you turn on the AC and turn off the hot water. Why? well the sun heats the cold water tank so that it comes out really hot and the only way to get semi cool water is to let it cool down in the hot water cylinder!
I went over to the Hyatt for dinner and football on the Saturday (England v Portugal) enough said. Since then it has been solitary nights in front of the TV, hope to catch up on a few films, but don’t seem to be many that I want to see available at the video store. I can however recommend Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jnr. Very funny.
So now is the make or break point, do I have six weeks of vegging or do I get up and about. I have loads of jobs I need to get on with so a positive attitude is essential. I tried to expand our wireless network last night but the access point was kaput. I sorted that out today and aim to have it up and running tonight, easier said than done. Jobs such as sorting out the spare room really excite me, not.
I will however have ample opportunity for diving, this Friday I have to do a rescue exercise and a theory test and then my sports diver qualification is finalised, taken long enough. Still, at least this is between dives, and I get to dive Fahal Island for pleasure. The water has been unseasonably cold (at depth) this year between 22 and 24 degrees, so I am going to be a whimp and put on a 3mm wetsuit and stay toasty warm. If I am millionaire lucky I might just see a whale shark, but I’m not holding my breath (diving pun intended). I have decided to become a Nitrox diver, which means my diving air will contain more oxygen than normal air. Sounds dodgy but it isn’t as it reduces the amount of nitrogen absorbed by the body reducing the risk of the Bends, among other things. I’ll need to fit in a days training to make this possible, oh where oh where will I find the time?
For all those of you who intend to visit us in the near future, I have found a nice little off road sand dune track near the house, where if you ask nicely I might let you take the Hummer for a spin, but not a roll. Now that I have had it for six months I’m not so precious about it, but it is still the best car I have ever owned.
Well I hope you all enjoy Becky and Jacob’s company and that sooner rather than later you will visit us in Oman.
James