It's raining, it's pouring...

 تشير التوقعات الواردة من المركز الوطني للأرصاد الى هطول امطار تتفاوت شدتها من متوسطة الى غزيرة ابتداءً من يوم الاربعاء الموافق 4/10 وحتى يوم الاحد الموافق 4/14 ويهيب الدفاع المدني من جميع المواطنين والمقيمين أخذ الحيطة والحذر والابتعاد عن بطون الأودية ومجاري السيول واتباع تعليماته في مثل هذه الحالات .

tushir altawaqueat alwaridat min almarkaz alwatanii lil'arsad 'iilaa hutul 'amtar tatafawat shadatuha min mutawasitat 'iilaa ghazirat abtda'an min yawm al'arbiea' almuafiq 4/10 wahataa yawm al'ahad almuafiq 4/14 wayuhib aldifae almadaniu min jmye almuatinin walmuqimin 'akhadh alhitat walhidhr walaibtiead ean butun al'awadiat wamajari alsuyul waitibae taelimatih fi mithl hadhih alhalat

"The forecasts received from the National Center of Meteorology indicate that the intensity of rain varies from medium to heavy, starting from Wednesday, 10/4, until Sunday, corresponding to 4/14, and the Civil Defense calls on all citizens and residents to take caution and caution and stay away from the stomachs of valleys and streams of torrents and follow its instructions in Such cases."

The top Arabic message I just got texted to me from the local Civil Defense, the other two are Google translate. Seems we are to have some more rain this week. Interesting (slightly) story, I got up the other morning and was sitting down to coffee and breakfast and I started to hear this weird noise. I get up and walk around and it sounds like it is coming from the front door. When I open the door I see that there is a torrential down pour happening. Out the back window of my apartment I see three construction workers huddled under the (very) small roof in front of the dispensary and there was a cat that was headed for the same place but saw the guys and ran around the building looking for another likely shelter I dare say.

In a city that has zero in the way of storm drains the after effects were interesting. Many places had large standing water locations. A day later I drove by a parking lot that still had water up to the rocker panels on the cars in there. Today I saw one place where a truck was trying to suck-up the water still flooding the parking lot by a mosque four days later.

In other news, looks like there has been an attack just a few miles from where I live. 2020 just keeps on giving.

Quick post, it's been a slow week

 Some kind of instruction...I just don't know what type to use, any suggestions?

The above is a form that needs to be filled out by people entering KSA. (I'm thinking that Hot&Sour soup might just do the trick and it might keep you from touching your eyes & nose.

It has been brought to my attention that I may not be seeing comments from some followers of my blog. IF you have subscribed to this blog to receive it in email format AND you 'comment' by replying to that email I will never see it. If you want me to see your comment then you must include my email address (jriddell @ gmail.com - remove the spaces) in the TO: area.

Next week I get a root canal done. Yipee!

I will be heading back to Michigan in December and staying through the month. With all the pandemic panic I don't know how many people that I would like to see that I will get to see. We'll see.

Did ya miss me?

 Been a little preoccupied for a while and since it doesn't seem too many people are reading this anyway (judging by comments, direct & posted) I'm guessing I was not really missed. Besides, people have their own lives to live and don't need to live vicariously through me - at least I hope not for your sake.

I've been trying to schedule a visit back to the USA but seem to be stymied at every turn. First I had a very good scheduled itinerary via Turkish Airlines. (You may recall British Airways bailed on me back in the May time frame.) Then, all of a sudden, Turkish airways was no longer flying out of Jeddah. So, back to the drawing board. I booked a good flight, at a lower price, on Royal Jordanian. A week later I first get a notice that they changed my return flight. I thought it was the time but it was the day as well so I would miss my connection back to KSA. The next day, as I was trying to get that straightened out, they canceled my flight out of KSA. So I'm back to square one. Now there are no flights out of KSA except on Saudia (I'm not really enamored of their facilities) and they are at twice the price. Hmmm, seems if you are the only game in town you can set your own prices. I suspect that the government is not allowing any other airline to fly just so Saudia can make up for lost revenue - and jacking up the price since the VAT is 15% now instead of 5%. Naw! That sounds too much like a conspiracy.

The French engineer I work with was ordered to stay home for the week following the initial kerfuffle in France. This was immediately after a security person at the French embassy in Jeddah was injured in an attack. On Veteran's Day in Jeddah there was an IED that went off during a ceremony at the non-Muslim cemetery just 25 minutes south of where I live. https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-blast-int-idUSKBN27R1BI Scary.

Keeps the ants out. They may not
be able to read but seem to
understand the symbol.

I probably need to toss some old containers.

Say hello to my little friend.
(The tile is ~6")

What's wrong with this picture?