I am on a writing spree. Spree is a spell or sustained period of unrestrained activity of a particular kind. That is me at the moment. I have chased away some evil in my life and it is leaving me feeling free, energized and filled with inner peace and happiness. It is the Muslim way and I do know that Allah is most pleased with me, for reasons that shall be revealed in a later blog.
This just learned through the magic of the Internet. At this time, 78.3% of the population is fully vaccinated. This has been a vast improvement over what I had seen in the past, when it was only about 38.6% Now these numbers are not as fantastic as Marin (where I live) nor Dubai but it is MOST hopeful. I had ruled out Qatar as a place to visit (or live) because of the vaccination rate. It is definitely getting respectable, I would say almost there. What would I accept before a visit? Perhaps 85% would be sufficient. Faithful readers will know that I was offered accommodation (for life I think) in a palace in Qatar. It was offered by the third wife of the Abdicated Emir. I am sure that she must have had his permission. But it was impossible even to visit and who would accept an invitation to live in a place you had never even visited? Not me, that is for sure. I am sure this is a reliable vaccination statistic but shall look into it further. I am sure that some people do not believe me about my Qatar connections – they are usually liars. I always tell the truth but liars think that everyone is like them. I do not really care what they think. If Allah wants me to visit Qatar, it will happen. I can afford the airfare, so I will have something to contribute to the process. These travel arrangements are getting complicated, but I am sure it would be possible. There is only one problem. I refuse to travel steerage (as I call it) but insist on my independence. I pay Economy and they pay for an upgrade, that would be a reasonable solution. Of course, the same should apply to Dubai. If they are going to compete there must be a level playing ground. Now what in the world does that mean? It means: a situation in which everyone has a fair and equal chance of succeeding. How is this done? To make a situation or activity more fair and balanced by giving an extra advantage or opportunity to those who would normally be at a disadvantage, or by attempting to take away or diminish advantages, perhaps of one’s adversary or competitor. How does this apply in this situation? Well I have visited Dubai in the past, but do not have an invitation to either reside or visit at someone’s palace. Google also explains that this is an idiom, a level playing field and level the playing field are sports metaphors. Field sports such as football, soccer, field hockey, rugby, etc., should be played on a level field. Where did this idiom originate? This is first recorded in George Burnham’s Memoirs of the United States Secret Service, 1872: “On the level, meeting a man with honorable intentions.”
Hmmm. Well, here comes a BIG SECRET, never hardly to anyone or anything. Faithful readers will know that I am constantly perseverating over completing the book on my uncle Dave Dryburgh. Now this would motivate me. The 2022 World Cup is going to be held in Qatar, November and December 2022. If I could open the games in honor of my uncle it would motivate me to finish the book. The book is being modeled on a book called Stuart, A Life Backwards. It began with the death of a homeless man and ends up at his birth. My book is a story about the relationship between Uncle Dave and Alexis. Soccer played an enormous part in his life, it made him into a sports writer, so it would be most appropriate. However, this must be said:
Me: So would not that be fantastic? I would be so honored and I am sure that Uncle Dave would be.
Alter Ego: But Alexis. Two things. 1) You would cry and that is no way to start the World Cup.
Me: Well, the loosing sides probably want to cry. I could show them how. What is the other thing.
Alter Ego: It would probably be hot.
Me: That is ok, There is probably air conditioning and I would wear my abaya to keep cool.
Alter Ego: If you finish the book, and it sells big you would have to pay taxes.
Me: Let us worry about that later, I could give the proceeds to charity if need be.
So Qatar might have the advantage in the long run. However, I also want to go to Expo 2020 which opens in October 2021, because of Covid. So I could, conceivably, do both. Go to Expo 2020 quite soon and then have time to finish the book before November of 2022.
Me: So it might be possible.
Alter Ego: Well I have another suggestion.
Me: What is that?
Alter Ego: Well, you could just pretend that you were going to open the World Cup in Uncle Dave’s honor.
Me: I do not like that idea at all. This book began for a class in Creative Non-Fiction, not Non-Creative Fiction, as I always used to say when talking about that terrible graduate class taken in London in 2014-2015.
Alter Ego: Ok!! You win.
Me: Thanks, I love winning. I used to be a lawyer and once a lawyer, always a lawyer.
So that is my thinking at the moment. I shall keep you all up to date. Things are a bit confused at the moment. Discarding some old ill advised plans for some new ideas and my thinking on my living situation has radically changed. But, no problem as I could afford the rent increase which is certain to come upon lease renewal and there is NO WAY they can kick me out before then as I have done some research. May not be happy here at the moment but who cares, I can just sleep here and not talk to anyone and a meeting with the Central Marin Police scheduled tomorrow will remove any threat of a repeat performance of Wednesday night. More about that after the meeting. It is also SO unbelievable, that even I cannot believe it. The man I shall be meeting with is a Muslim. That would not be unbelievable if I lived in a Middle Eastern country or a Muslim dominated country like Malaysia or Pakistan. But this is Marin, for goodness sake. This also unbelievable. My PCP of 44 years is retiring and has a replacement, whom I quite love, and she me. She is Iranian, she is a former Muslim. We spoke today of my ambitions and my behavior as a Muslim woman.
Me: Muslim women are the objects of anti-Muslim behavior but if those creeps pick on Muslim Alexis they get a real surprise. They will never pick on a Muslim woman again.
She: (laughingly) Thanks Alexis, for standing up for us.
Me: You are welcome! But I am standing up for myself as well. Hahaha
So there is no infection, it was rewrapped by the physical herself. I cannot bear to look at it, it is so awful. Two photos will accompany this blog. One is the bandaged hand, much better than the one in the ER that took two hours, by the way. The other the cover of the Uncle Dave book, got to stay motivated!
