Things to do in Dubai when it's hot...

1. Shop.

2. See number 1.

The family have left me, with Michele and the kids having returned to the UK for 6 weeks to escape the heat (now pushing 45 degrees daily), as is the summer tradition here for many families. A tradition which we vowed, in the pre-Jack days, we would never succumb to. I recall many a time going out for dinner in the summer evenings, Michele and I commenting on the tragic sight that is the single husband, quietly seated at a 'table for 1' with his half bottle of wine and a book. At least I have not got that desperate yet. I prefer to do my lonely drinking at home with a take away pizza!

Still, musn't grumble. Yesterday was my first day as a W.A.N.K.E.R. (Wife Away, No Kids, Eating Rubbish) and I spent the day doing something that I had probably not done since University. I watched a stupid amount of TV. Like, about 18 episodes of the latest series of 24.

And it was great (both the show, and the watching of it). To some (my parents and perhaps even Michele) this would no doubt seem like a pointless waste of a day, and maybe it was. But that was the entire point. I don't intend to spend every weekend I am here by myself being so reckless (believe me - compared to normality, this is recklessness defined!), but when the alternative options of how to fill the day are so otherwise limited, and given that it had been so long since the biggest thing I had to worry about was whether the beer in the fridge was cold enough, I was happy as the proverbial pig in shit.

Of course, I had not set out to watch that much TV in one day, and so once I got several hours in it became a bit of a challenge as to how long I would keep sitting there in my little world of TV heaven. But it being early afternoon (high noon in outside temperature terms) I could find no obvious reason to Turn Off The TV And Go Do Something Less Boring Instead™.

And when, by around 8pm, I had only 4 or 5 episodes left to go, there was a certain inevitability to seeing it out to the end of the series - poor Jack Bauer was getting himself into an unusually high number of very unfortunate scrapes, to say nothing of the fact that he hadn't eaten or had time to go to the loo all day. (Also, note to self: must get myself one of those 'self-charging, never ending' mobile phone batteries that he has). I went to bed at nearly midnight feeling thoroughly fulfilled by the sheer amount of nothingness that I had achieved during the day.

No doubt my reading audience will be split roughly evenly between those who understand (and are maybe even slightly envious - that's right, you with the kids!) regarding what I 'achieved' yesterday, and those who think I have lost a day that I can never reclaim. To the former, I know who you are, and to the latter I say that I'll go to the gym tomorrow to make up for it. Maybe.

What are the odds?

Of course, part of our holiday in Cyprus (see previous entry) was spent celebrating Michele and Emma's joint birthdays, on 1 July. Which is also the date of my Dad's birthday.

Which got me thinking.... not just about how expensive this day is destined to be for me for years to come, but also about the odds of 3 family members being born on the same day. By my reckoning it is 1/365 to the power 3 - which is 1 in 48,627,125. Which is surely about the same odds as winning the lottery.

Which of course (he says, being quick to point this out before someone else does) I have already done in lots of ways by virtue of being related to the aforementioned 3 persons.... (sigh).

Anyway, I know enough clever mathematicians (correct spelling?) to know that someone will no doubt confirm whether I am right or not before too long.

Ah, Cyprus...

We have just returned from a glorious week in Cyprus. I have been once before, some 10 years or so ago, but it was one of the few places left on Earth that was new for Michele.

And save for the fact that we were unable, on any day, to sychronise Jack and Emma's well earned mid-day sleeps to enable us to have more than about 5 mins to ourselves during any day, it was a truly wonderful holiday. We stayed at the relatively new Aphrodite Hills resort, in this villa. And it was a great change from Dubai. Hot, but with a cooling breeze. And I just love the Meditterannean feel of walking round the streets in the early evening, with no particular purpose or direction, but maybe stopping at a random taverna for a drink, or watching the street artists, or maybe browsing the souvenir shops. Nothing like it for pure relaxation...

Anywhere, some random photos can be found here.

Incidentally, re the last photo, just for the record we are not really accustomed to storing our children in cupboards. They just seem to end up there...