23 weeks...

Hello, All! This blog entry is a montage of thoughts...some longer than others (that's if I spend more time in lines thinking about things). Just remember, even though I may be pregnant...the fists of fury is still the same, even though my fingers may be a little swollen at this point!

1) It's been two weeks since our summer trip out to Hatteras Island. What a wonderful week it was! We stayed in a little town called Waves and we rented a 6 bedroom house called "Island Bliss" on the beach with four other couples and Showieb. Ironically (and blessed it be) it was the same group that we traveled with or met through Hajj almost 2 years ago! Pictures are sure to follow once I get out of my lazy mood. It was a relaxing week where the biggest part of the day was cooking our meals. We'd sleep in to about 10 am and eat dinner 9:30-10 pm! We had our turkey dinner, girls time at the pool all week long, glass beading, sleeping on the beach (my personal favorite), Jinn stories by the bonfire, and halal smores!

2) Ramadan Mubarak! It's that time of year again...but this time around I won't be fasting because of the pregancy. I feel bad for Hassan as he goes through the days of fasting alone. During the weekends I have to shoo him to the basement so that he doesn't hear me pull out the dishes or smell the food that I am eating. I try to make it up to him by preparing a hearty sahoor (before sunrise meal).


3) Does cheese in a wax casing have to be refrigerated? I spent almost 30 minutes researching this very important question. I ask because my parents just returned from a Caribbean cruise and purchased a gigantic wheel of gouda cheese encased in red paraffin wax. Although the milk used to make the cheese was pasteurized (safe for preggers), I'm not sure if it was refridgerated the whole time. SO...does anyone know this answer? I have to admit...I did have a couple of bites (and what a good cheese it was), but after reading the risk of Listeria I controlled my urge.

4) Etiquitte in the "Self-Check Out Line" at the grocery store: Our grocery store recently implemented this cost-saving and time-saving idea, unfortunately the mass population must learn (the hard way) the proper strategy when approaching these new machines.
1) Make sure you have a shopping partner: One person to scan items and another person to bag groceries...this saves time. One person will slow down the process and thus crush the "time-saving" concept.
2) Shopping baskets welcome...shopping carts = get into another line: There should be a limit to the number of items that one should consider "self-check out". What's the point in having a 50 items if you have to scan everything and then bag it yourself? Forget getting in that line if that person has no partner.
3) Follow the directions: Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't. Even though there is an automated person talking to you, somehow you do your own thing and the "Please see attendant" warning flashes. Awww...you got in trouble!