Short and Sweet

This is the end of Crazy In Iraq. If you are interested in seeing what is going on in my life now, you can find out by going to my blog and changing the "CrazyInIraq to "afutureofdreamscomingtrue"

I can't believe they blocked the actual site, but you should be able to get there by using the correct format!

Thank you all for following my life in Iraq. Someday I'm gonna write a book! LOL!!!

See you in my new life.

IT'S MY TURN!!

I have seen a miracle. We have elected a man to be our next president based on his promise of HOPE. A man of COLOR!!! Unheard of in the not so distant past, yet the majority of America believes in this man, because he believes in us! We have gotten past ethnicity and voted for the reality of becoming a great nation once again. I am so proud to be an American today! For maybe the first time in my kids lives they are proud, too! I've always been bothered that they didn't have much pride in America, that they have never seen what real patriotism was, that they have grown up in a very disturbing time in our country and wanted nothing to do with it. But for the first time they are proud to be here, proud that we are standing up and taking charge to bring about change! "What a great place, America".

But meanwhile... Let's look at Bahrain!

This picture is a small part of the area where I live, by night it is enchanting. By day, you see so much construction, and so much dirt, but they are building all the time. It is a very quaint little island.

So, I have moved from Iraq to Bahrain. I'm slowly settling in and making it my home. It's funny, it doesn't have the same flavor as when you say "I'm in Iraq!" Telling people "I'm in Bahrain" just doesn't carry the same weight. In fact I think there are many who have never heard of this little island off the coast of Saudi Arabia. But this little island is where I will have a new life with new opportunities in a career that will take me places.

I have left some things behind me, and have grasped hold of the gold ring that was dangled in front of me. Life has taken a turn for the good. I am no longer "CRAZY IN IRAQ". I am now Sane In Bahrain!!! I will be starting a new blog, and it will be all new! The past has been left behind me and I have moved on. Just like President Elect Barack Obama! Change and Hope are my themes! I have a life to live and it will be very fulfilling. It's truly MY turn! So please come visit me at my new blog site, I will be posting it soon, and will let you know when it is up and running. Watch for it!!!

I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. We are celebrating here with our small group. It should be pretty nice, I miss everyone, but it is for the best that this is where I am. I'm Thankful for my family, my friends, my new job, my new life and my new President! Much love and peace to all.

The Good Just Keeps on Coming!

Wow! So much happens when you let go. I am finally free of the chains of loving someone whom I was always trying to make excuses for and trying to believe in. He made a huge blunder and it was the very last straw. I let him go. He no longer tugs at my heart. There are times I think about him, but it is with incredulity that I never realized before how much I was missing by not letting go of hope that he would prove everyone wrong. In fact, the funny thing is, he proved himself right! He told me he wasn't good enough for me and that I deserved better! Why I didn't listen to him before I'll never understand. I'm not one who gives up easily. But I did. And it has had a domino effect!!

A Navy man I met in 2005 worked in the Palace with me, a truly wonderful man who became a good friend. We have kept in touch and he is back in Iraq this week, so I'm going to get to see him and hopefully have time for coffee and a little catch up talk. He is so cool. I'm so glad our paths will cross again.

I got a new job!! I'll be leaving Iraq November 13th, and I'll be in Bahrain on the 15th to start my new job there on the 17th. I'll live in a nice apartment with maid service, high speed internet and satellite TV, to name a few things. We will be a group of 8 people, and one of them I used to work with here in Iraq, in fact he is the reason I got the job. I'm so excited! And one of the best things is that the manager here in Iraq is wishing me well and assuring me that I am welcome to return to ITT anytime, that everything is good between us, I am leaving on good terms.

I'm starting a new life in every possible way you can start a new life! Everything is brand new. Everything is the way it should be.

I'm very anxious to hear the results of the election tomorrow. Who will be our next president? This is an exciting time. Maybe I should wait to say that after the results are in. So Wednesday I'll update my blog with my feelings about the new president.

Until then....

Ah, yes... Fairy Tale, Indeed!

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 25, 2008

I have finally seen the end!

My Fairy Tale was beautiful while it lasted. I'll never forget it. Did I waste almost 11 years? Goodness no! I've had wonderful times and great men in my life. I wonder sometimes if somehow I passed one by because I always hoped for my Fairy Tale ending. But the Fairy Tale was what carried me through some of the most difficult parts of my life. Now it is over. It's kind of funny that I have no hate, no regrets, no malice, just a satisfaction of letting go and moving on. A freedom that I didn't expect to feel. Beautiful feelings kept in part of my heart. Letting go of the source of lies and smooth talking, but keeping the results from my desire to believe in him, my trust that was unworthy of him, my love that he never deserved. Not feeling betrayed, but saying... it was for a reason, a season.. and now it has withered and died. And I walk out of my Fairy Tale into a beautiful reality of hope and unknown wishes that will come true, maybe even in the arms of a man who will give me his heart.

You were right, you know. You aren't good enough for me. You don't deserve me. But thanks for playing. GAME OVER.

Fairy Tales Can Come True

Jimmy Durante - Young at Heart

Fairy tales can come true –
It can happen to you
If you’re young at heart.
For it’s hard, you will find,
To be narrow of mind
If you’re young at heart.
You can go to extremes
With impossible schemes;
You can laugh when your dreams
Fall apart at the seams;
And life becomes exciting with each passing day,
And love is either in your heart… or on its way.
Don’t you know that it’s worth
Every treasure on earth
To be young at heart?
For, as rich as you are,
It’s much better by far
To be young at heart.

And, if you should survive
To a hundred and five,
Look at all you’ll derive
Just by being alive!
Now, here is the best part:
You have a head start
If you are amongst the very young…
At heart.

I have a fairy tale to tell. It hasn’t ended yet, which may be why it is a fairy tale. If I knew the ending maybe it would lose that ethereal quality and be just another story about lost love. But for now… I have wings.

Have you ever experienced love? I don’t mean the wonderful unexplainable kind that you feel the first time you hold your new born child, I don’t mean the kind you have for that most special friend in the world or even the kind you might experience when you meet someone and believe that will be the person you will spend the rest of your life with. Those are all really extraordinary and you know that nothing else will ever be like those loves. But I am talking about loving someone so much that years later you are still in love, in fact more in love than when you met, because that person completes you and makes your heart sing. You have found a true soul mate, your other half, the one person without which you would cease to be who you are. I’m talking about the kind of love that fairy tales are written about. It’s the kind of love you feel your heart will burst from if you love any more. Or die from if you lose it.

This kind of love grows on its own. You don’t have to understand it. You don’t have to work at it. You sit back and look at it and all of a sudden “POOF” it has happened. And you both know it. You know that the person of your affections has become your breath of life.

I have loved someone for many years, but somehow it just never worked out for us. It has been such a tumultuous relationship that there were times we both believed we would never see the other person again. We went through a full year of not speaking. We have a history of friendship, of being lovers, of anger, of fear, of awe, and of falling in love. These things were repetitious, not just a onetime deal. We have run the gamut. I’m sure his friends and family feel the same as mine do, they like me alright, but why are you still around after more than 10 years of this? My fault? His fault? Does it matter? In the end all that will matter is if we make it to the end!

Good Things

All in all, it's not so bad here. There are some really awesome people. Many have stopped to offer me a ride at night. Sometimes I say thank you but walk anyway, other times I gratefully accept. I know they will never see my blog, but I want to say that I thank them all profusely for the kindness offered to a stranger.

I work with a really great guy, too. We get along well. We have different political views, but we can tease each other and not get angry, we discuss things and debate, and in general appreciate each others views.

I've met some good people out here, and my "daughter" is working near me as well, so when I get to see her it's always a treat.

Communication with friends and family in the states seems to have blossomed some. I keep in touch with several people and it's always such a pleasure. Some are by email, some on chat, and some periodically by phone. If any of you read this, you know who you are and that I love you very much.

I have spent my time off here watching some interesting movies, reading some good books, and sleeping. I've done some writing as well. Just wish I knew if what I wrote was good enough to publish. If anyone can tell me how to figure that out, I'd love to hear from you.

Well, it appears as though my "Good" list isn't as long as my "Bad" list. If I was making notes about pros and cons of a guy, I'd have to give him up!! Well, I know there are other good things... I'm able to help my son and his wife get a good solid start, I'm able to get some things taken care of so I can relax a bit when I can finally go home... and I know I'm loved. That is the best part. That pretty much says it all. So, I can end this post on a happy note!

A New Day

WOW! Where does the time go? I have been back in Iraq for six and a half months now. I've decided to challenge the rainy season. I'm determined to make it through. I can walk on pavement almost the entire way to the palace. It just adds on about a quarter more of the distance.

Food, however, is a different story. That may pose a problem. It's all gravel and dirt right now from the street to the DFAC, so it may not be my route to work. Maybe I can bring my meals, or use the truck to go get them. Well worrying about it is not going to do me any good, so I guess I'll work it out as I go. And besides, the option to transfer may be my only alternative if this proves too much of a problem for me.

I'm thrilled to say that I had another Pin-Up rendering done and I'm really excited about how it turned out. Visit http://www.karinadale.com to see the artists site. Here's the art work.
Yep, the secret is out, I really do have a tattoo on my leg, just like the picture shows it. This pose is in honor of my pool playing days when I was on a league back home. I was never really consistent, but I loved it and had a lot of fun with my friends. I hope to get back into it when I return home to stay. I love the personal touches of my thumb rings (which have a lot of emotional meaning to me) and my own pool cue!

So it rained mud yesterday from what I was told. We had a sandstorm, and then it rained in the middle of it. It's a bit early for rain, but it's been humid here lately so I guess it's been building up. It doesn't encourage me! I ordered some boots, but the were being sent to my Stateside home and my kids will have to send them to me. Probably none too soon to get the over here!

I guess things back home have been pretty good. The family has had time to be together and my grand babies adore my daughters. Then put my son and his wife in the mix and you have non-stop enjoyment ... in the form of either intellectual stimulation or laughter, or several combinations of both! But now every one is back in school or work or steeped in personal projects. It's tough to get back to the real world, but yet there are some wonderful challenges ahead for all of them.

Ah, Life! What do you hold for me? I can't wait to find out!

Well, just though an update was in order, so, there ye be! Sending much love to all my family and friends, and the love of my life.