Hostess

Today I am entertaining. My first visitor. It's just Martin coming over for steaks on the grill and an an adult beverage or two. But even so, I spent all morning cleaning the house.

The cleaning frenzy started after I took the dogs out on our usual weekend morning desert jog. We went to a new place, a cluster of jebels tucked away on the edge of camp. I chose the most difficult route, lots of up and down alternating with jogging along wadis filled with soft sand. The dogs are exhausted, all according to plan. They spend far too much time laying on the couch but it's not like I have other options for them right now.

Regarding adult beverages, I neither made them (a lot of trouble, time, and effort) nor brought them onto camp (very risky). I sweet talked a friend who makes very decent brown and white sid into supplying me on a regular basis. He puts the sid in real liquor bottles--most people do--which can cause amusing moments if you happen to have the real thing sitting around: now which one is the "real" rum? (People with good connections at the US Consulate usually have a large supply of the real thing.) I have to return the bottles to my friend for refilling. Of course I pay for the transaction. There is quite a bit of labor that goes into any alcohol made on camp so there is a cost associated with that. And he's doing me a favor as he does not usually sell his product.