STORIES, STORIES

It could be that I have really careless friends, if I look at it negatively, or it could be that my friends have finally developed such a trusting relationship with me (if I look at it positively) that they all, at one point or another, forget their iPads when they are around me. I am the custodian of forgotten iPads. (I don't own one.) Here. Me: I'm looking to sell my iPad. U interested? It's only 5,000 riyals.  Squeek: Your Pinoy iPad-selling mind tricks won't work on me, vile woman! Squeek: Oh, wait.. How do you have an iPad?  Me: I got it from Crusty for free. It was charging.  Squeek: NOOOOO MY IPAD!

And my heart is so badly broken. But life, as is its wont, goes on. And we find new loves. And we find new things to be disappointed and heartbroken about. -- That Jeddah Podcast is now officially jeddahpodcast.com . A lot of good that did.

I'm not very outdoors-y, but I'm starting to love the desert now that I have a newfound goal (besides screaming at bugs) - running a desert trail! It's fantastic! The view is magnificent, you have a myriad of challenges like climbing the rocky mountains and going through the woods (at least in the spot we go to), running for your life from the skinny, wild dogs of the desert (TERRIFYING), paying more attention to proper form with the whack trail that beats your legs up big time, and just really enjoying that run.  Best run of my life yet. I don't know how I'll go back to boring old pavement and/or treadmill. :( Here's a photo of me with the boys, by Sara. Naturally, I'm the one with the bag of chips.

I totally didn't know there was an International Women's Day in existence. I'm un-cultured like that. So just to get on that bandwagon, here's a woman I think everyone should be familiar with because she is funny and smart and because she could very well BE the internet.

Ever since I started my web design/programming studies, I routinely stick Post-Its around my desk with little inspirational stuff that border cheesy. My brother acknowledges this and, as per the troll code, decides to add some inspirational quotes and doodles of his own. My ones: --- His ones: 3 inspirational memes.

According to my mom, here's why I've been down with a fever and a chest cold for the past few days: - I walk on the kitchen floor (tiles) without slippers. - I watch too much (criminal) TV. - I smoke. - I shower post-exercise. - I shower when there's no daylight. - I use my iPod too often. - I go out too much and don't stay home often enough. - Really anything else I do that she disapproves of. - I don't cover my hair in public. - I stopped eating meat. I must disagree with her, though, because there is only one reason I've been suffering chills and nursing a bad cough: I took notice of my jackets again. See, I periodically buy (and possibly hoard) jackets and hoodies JUST IN CASE it gets cold. They always end up in the cupboard, way in the back, unused. But without fail, every time I notice them and wonder when I'd ever use them in this psycho Jeddah weather, I get sick with a fever, at which point I DO use them. So, to prevent sickness,...