Caribou

I'm going to try to write a short journal here.

I had a really early start today. The alarm was set for 5:50 am. I can't remember the last time I set my alarm to go off before 6 am! G may have two very early starts every week. After suggesting she drive herself to school today, I decided I would drive her and then get the car seen to. The gear changes are not smooth and I wanted to get the transmission oil checked.

Long story short, I ended up in the dealer's garage on the other side of town. It was test-driven by a senior mechanic and the diagnosis is not good. Too many major things to overhaul or replace. I am now definitely ready to part with this car and have concluded that the best new owner for it would be a mechanic. There might be some interest from someone in the garage!

I called in at an RTA Happiness Centre on the way to collect G. Since renewing my driver's licence online, I have not had the chance to pick up the physical card. You complete the process online and then visit a SMART Teller to get a printout of the card. Whilst there, an older Emirati gentleman who works there recognised me and asked where is my friend who he always sees with me? I can't get over his memory. We had a little chat. A new paid parking system means we only get 20 minutes of free parking. Fortunately, they have streamlined their processes so much it is possible to do what you need without paying for parking.

We stopped at Dubai Mall on the way home. G fancied a little jaunt out, so I suggested Caribou Coffee as our pit stop. We both tried the Turtle Mocha. I love the messages that CC have all over the place. The Scenic Route one is just perfect for G. She ALWAYS takes the scenic route in life! We also had a good look at the Inifiti des Lumieres (immersive) art exhibition.

We had two Zoom calls in the evening. The first one was with friends in Stourbridge (Malcolm & Sally), immediately followed by another call with Hilde in Switzerland. We chatted for three hours altogether. Add to that the call I had from Miriam in the afternoon, and it's been a big day of catching up with long-time friends!