It's Friday and I've worked out 5 times this week. I've done pilates 4 out of the 5 times which is a personal accomplishment. Go me!

Sunday is Eid Adha so . It's the holiday when the pilgrimage to Mecca has ended and we sort of re-enact the sacrifice that Abraham made by offering his son but then God stops him because he knows that Abraham loves him so he let's him sacrafice a lamb instead. We usually go down to South Jersey with friends, go to a farm and pick out our own sheep and do our own thing. It's a special time and it happens to be one of my favorite holidays but I'm really not feeling like doing anything like that this time. Been lately

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to Jersey this weekend. Maybe I'll leave tomorrow instead of tonight--who knows.

Smell ya later!

Been getting my graduate school application ready. I'm requesting my transcript today and need to mail out my letter of recommendation forms to my people. Gosh, I need to do all this soon. Mentally I was prepared for all this but now I'm waiting till the last minute. My deadline is March 1st and I'm actually in decent shape. I'm a little nervous to be going to school but I'm ready to make that step.



It's almost 4 p.m. Just another hour and a half to go. Made some great progress on my grad application. Ordered my transcript, GRE scores , called an old professor and called the head of the art history department to schedule a meeting.

Think that I might go to Jersey tomorrow night and just go for the day. I really don't want to make a weekend out of it.
GO MOROCCO!

It's lmost 11:30 p.m., I went shopping after work today and got some really cute outfits for hanging out AND work. It's tax free week so I figured I better take advantage of it. Tomorrow I'll hit the shoe store.

So we are going to Jersey tomorrow after Issame gets back from watching the game in BayRidge. We kind of have no choice, they went ahead and bought a sheep for us after we told them we were planning on doing something here because the weather has been way too bad t travel. We don;t have a car so its schlepping into Manhattan to Port Authority, boarding a smelly Greyhound and sitting next to a wanna be pimp all the way to Atlantic City.

Sorry I'm so whiney. Got some crazy stuff on my mind....

The countdown to LOVE DAY! begins

Yesterday was a snow day! I had off from work which was nice! The greatest gift that my parents ever gave me (other than Life) is the power snow shovel they bequested to me when they moved to Florida. Heck, they weren't going to need it!

Issame has been a little sicky-poo ever since Monday. But he went to do some construction today. Had his interview yesterday. Neither of us has a good feeling so we've both been down in the dumps a bit since then. I try to stay positive but its hard.

"Here's looking at you, kid"....

MOROCCO BEAT NIGERIA, 1-0
HADJI SCORES!


Good morning, Sportsfans!
Another cold, cold day in New York. No snow but it's on its way! Our office is so cold, I'm all wrapped up in a scarf and sweater.

Issame stayed at a friends house last night so he could get up early to watch the game, then he was going to go to his part-time construction gig. Poor guy, his eyes were all red from the dust and demolition.

I'm hoping that all goes well with his interview with Unemployment tomorrow. Thanks for all your good thoughts.

GOOD NEWS!

On the Issame front, we have some really promising news, the woman who works in the HR department at his old company is working with their legal department to work out a deal with the agency to get Issame a package and secure him unemployment benefits. His company knows that the agency let him go illegally and so they are trying to avoid a law suit. We'll know more about the progress on that on Friday. I am relieved to know that someone is working on the inside to help him out. Good thoughts, think good thoughts!

Now onto me: Have been struggling to find out if my vacation policy changed when I got promoted in September. No one was able to give me a straight answer. Well, now I know. I get 4 weeks paid vacation, baby!!!!

Pack the bags - I am out of here!

Weekend Update:

Saturday
Started the day out with Pilates and Sopranos. Interesting combo, I know but it made the burn bearable.

Then one of Issame's friends and his wife came to pick us up and we went shopping in Manhattan in the freezing cold. It was an interesting experience. We went into this building and on every floor there were merchants selling top name brand items like Roca Wear, Sean John, Baby Phat, Fugu, Gucci bags, Louis Vutton, Coach, Fendi all for really amazingly cheap prices. And of course all the merchants and the buildings owner were Arab so we got on top of those discounts the extra Arab discount. I got an adorable baby blue, Baby Phat track suit with a detachable hood for only $18! Outrageous! I wanted the black or navy blue one but they didn't have my size. It figures!



Then we ended back at our house where I cooked this amazing Moroccan chicken dinner--Chicken Royale. The official chicken dish of the King. It was amazing because , Issame's friend's wife is going to the NY Art Institutue (formerly the NY Restaurant school) to be a chef. So I was very nervous preparing and cooking because she wanted to learn how to do it. We made Moroccan tea with mint (dried mint and it tasted great), salad and french fries. The meal was delicious!

Sunday
Slept late. Did pilates with Tony Soprano (My goodness, what an image). Just hung around the house catching up with the Sopranos (Season 3). It was just way too cold to go anywhere, so I just straightened up the house, read some magazines and hung out online.

Today, Monday
Woke up late for work so some powdered snow already on the ground. They are talking more heading our way tonight. Freezing outside. I have actually been working hard today. It is Monday, I should make an effort. But the 6 year old inside me is praying on her knees that tomorrow will be a snow day!

Stay tuned....

Apparently, Issame is out in this bitter cold working hard for his money. He's working construction with one of his friends for a few hours to make some extra dollars. I have a terrible feeling that his appointment with the Dept. of Labor on Wednesday will not produce any good news.

Trying not to think about that though.

Guess what? It's Africa Cup!

Here's the team:
Morocco
Fouhami Khalid, Regragui Hoalid, Roumani Akram, Ouaddou Abdeslam, El Karkouri Talal, Naybet Noureddine, Zairi Jaouao, Kissi Abdelkrim, Baha Nabil, Hdiouad Mourad, El Yaagoubi Mohammed, El Jarmouni Tarik, Kharja Houssine, Bidodane Mustapha, Safri Youssef, Mokhtari Youssef, Chamakh Marouane, Alla Hassane, Alioui Jamal, Hadji Youssef, Chihab Tariq, Lamyaghri Nadir.

Morocco is playing I think it's this Wednesday, maybe tomorrow. Because you know that we are campaigning to have the World Cup in 2010 hosted in Morocco. One of Issame's friends had T-shirts made and we took photos and sent them to this newspaper Assabah and there I was making headlines in Casablanca. there was a picture of me in the paper holding up the Morocco 2010 banner. Then they printed some of the photos I took in the following days. So now I have an international photo credit. Very cool!

Nothing much on the political front. Have taken a back seat to all that crazy jazz for the moment. Did watch the Golden Globes last night. Some moments I did cringe--like that whole Michale Douglas award ceremony. Cringe-fest!

It's 5:15 p.m., going to hed home now. The fun begins! Get some food shopping done before the cold settles in.

Have a great night and stay warm!

Bon Jour, Amour!

Very happy to have Issame home! He liked Chicago, went to a jazz club, a birthday party in an Ethiopian club and just hung out with the guys. I got a very cute teddy bear that looks like this he's so soft and sweet. Just thrilled to be able to have my baby put his arms around me.

I think I caught the "cyber" sniffles from my two Moroccan-American angels in Paris. . Must be from all those times I kiss their pictures.

To Habibi:

It's a little after 2 p.m. and I think I'm going to head home a bit early. Feeling really droopy and achy. Why now? When I just got over something terrible? Ugh!


It's now 4:20 p.m. and I never really got to get out of here early.

And guess what they are predicting for this weekend.....

I almost forget.....



HAPPY YEAR OF THE MONKEY!

Had dinner with last night, a fellow wife of a moroccan. We had a blast! It was great to catch up and vent about our guys! So very few people know what we go through and for the longest time I thought some of this stuff was just guy things--nope, they're Moroccan things only.

I have a small bumper sticker that says, "On the 8th day God created MOROCCANS and lordy don't some of them act like it. At least mine does anyway, .


Basketball is apparently coming to Brooklyn. the Nets have been purchased by some wealthy Brooklynite and he is bringing them here. Can you believe that?


On the road trip front, Issame is heading home. They left late last night and I have no idea when they'll be back here. I called him around 2 a.m. and he said that they were in Ohio but they had pulled over to the side of the road because the wind was pretty bad. Hope he's alright. I can't wait to see him.

Lots of lips smacking tonight.......

(Tomorrow's post may have to have a XXX rating-)

Need to add this in on the Howard Dean front :

Howard Dean rocks


Giess who just called me? Yeah, it was ISSAME!!!!! He's back in . He sounded happy and safe can't wait to see him!!!! Just a few more hours....