Jewel, dates, and knives

Well, that answers that question. Now I know why last week whenever I’d try to peel a boiled egg half the egg cam eoff with the shell. Way back on a work up cruise on the SACRAMENTO I remember Wade saying to me, Billy, that egg is kicking your ass because the shell came off in little flakes and white started tearing away as well. But the past week whe I’ve peeled the eggs the shell has come off in broad patches – ideal. The Marine master guns who sat with me this morning told me he brought the bad eggs to the contractor’s attention last week. He told them how to shock the egg with cold water immediately after boiling it . It worked.
I think I’ve been extended in Iraq, at least that’s what the email said. Not very good news. This ultimate gated community I live in isn’t too unlike a minimum security prison and we’re the ones locked in.
I sat out last night processing this information, listening to Jewel and Cowboy Junkies (infusion of Margo Timmins therapy), staring at the tops of the date palms over the T-walls. The moon is one day past full so the night was blue bright.
I spent yesterday at the convention center inventorying. Once again the personnel over there blew off the preparation I’d requested they do so it is and will continue to be a long, tedious process…for KBR. I mostly walk in the offices, act as liason then sit and talk with the prettiest girl there while KBR counts.
In one of the offices yesterday they had dates fresh off these $25,000 palm trees. The red/brown wrinkled ones were mushy and tasted like ripe plums with syrup poured over them. The yellow green ones which one of the locals assured me was ripe was soft and brown at the bottom but very fibrous and crunchy to bite into. It was just as sweet as the red ones however.
At lunch I walked over to the Al Rasheed looking for deals. I found a 100 year old karanji(sp) knife from Oman. The guy wanted $1000 for it. He told me he paid $700 in 1998 for it. I looked those knives up on ebay but nobody is selling one so I’m not sure what its worth. Their prices tend to run high at the Al Rasheed. I’ve found ivory around here for pretty cheap but the Rasheed’s is high. But I don’t buy ivory.