Open ...

... for now? I guess it is official since I did get an email from the U.S. Embassy today (a day late.) KSA seems to be open for (most) businesses, etc. now including Mecca. However, international flights are not taking off yet nor are the borders open. I'll wait 3-5 days for the other shoe to drop. We might just be back to 24 hour curfew, who knows.

I did manage to make it to the 'saloon' today though. No waiting inside and you have to wear a mask - except when you don't.  So, now I feel like a 'real' boy again. I made a joke to the barbers that they must be working around the clock now. After one of them was able to translate the others laughed. Not to bad for  25 SAR ($6.67)

After

Before

The 'saloon'

Reflections on Father's Day 2020

My dad passed away on Good Friday in 2007. After I had moved away from Vermont over 20 years ago, I had called him every Saturday morning only missing a few. Not a week goes by that I don't miss those calls even though we didn't very often talk about very much or for very long. I usually got a few minutes in talking with my mother after Dad and I were finished catching up for the week. I continued to call my mother weekly after that until her death four years ago. That's often what I think about on Father's Day. I miss my dad. There are two songs that remind me of him, in particular is Chet Atkins' "I Still Can't Say Goodbye" (https://youtu.be/wa44cJE1LH0), the other is "The Old Man", this version (https://youtu.be/8h1am4_3fyQ) sung by John McDermott. 

The sky looks rocky to a bug under a stone

Saudi international flight tentative re-opening schedule. Last line is United States starting September 1. They are even allowing flights to China ahead of the U.S. Now this is probably commercial direct flights - I am not certain. Need to review if connecting flights through Europe may be available (and that I can get back.) 

Apologies to Sheri & Lamb Chop...

♫♪
This is the plague that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends.
Some Chinese started spreading it,
Not knowing what it was.
And now they keep on spreading it,
Forever, just because.
♫♪

Repeat ad infinitum...

Worked all last week (YEA!) Then the new curfew dropped (again). Went to work Sunday, all good. Went to work Monday and the Saudi engineer who also has a desk in our office came rolling in at the crack of 8:30 a.m. (our schedule is 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) whom I have not seen for 2 months. We are in opposite groups from the start of all this.

Silly me, I had thought we were over the off/on schedule but apparently we are not. One of the soldiers came in and had a discussion with this Saudi and the upshot is that I got the rest of the week off. At least I still get paid even if productivity has gone to pot. I'll be back next week. 

Since Jeddah is now closed (again) there really is still nothing to go do & not much to say. Last week though, the groundskeepers did get our sidewalk cleaned up so it is passable. My neighbor moved downstairs and trapped himself a kitten which he is spoiling now. It's still a little wild but is much better than it was. At least it is not out on the street and he will get it neutered.

Here we go again...

New notice, curfew is back on, yea! Apparently just for Jeddah? Again, no travel outside the city. Curfew from 3 p.m. through 6 a.m. "Attendance at the workplace is suspended for public & private employees except for essential workers." No domestic air travel. Just fantastic. So much for getting a haircut before the end of June. Yes, I still get to go to work, which is a good thing since I didn't bring anything home to work on over the weekend.

Gas is now 82.8¢/gal. for 95 octane (super high test) and 67.6¢/gal. for 91 octane (high test). It was $2.01.9/gal and $1.51.4/gal BC (Before Covid).

VAT goes from 5% currently up to 15% on July 1st. Yay, everything will cost 10% more! I can hardly wait. Who says epidemics don't pay?

Weather report: Temperature - 33°C (91.4°F); wind chill - 40°C (104°F).