Friends or is it Fiends?

Just so that you don't feel sorry for me being so far away from long time friends and family, I'd like to introduce you to a few of my friends. I don't have a picture of Phil but he keeps me out of trouble or the other way around. He's getting ready to leave for three weeks on a trek through Africa with a couple from the company. The three of them plan on arriving in Kenya and staying a few days with the Masai Tribe along with a 3 day photo safari. Phil is an excellent photographer with all the right equipment (sorry Ryan - he has Nikon, not Canon). I can't wait to see his pictures upon his return. From there, they go to Mt. Kilamonjaro and a nine day climb to the summit and back. They have been practicing with hikes up the hills in the desert at least once a week. Before coming home, they have another photo safari planned. That's quite a break from the day to day operations here.

Next is Karen. She and Lynn have become friends. Her husband is older and back in Houston. He told her that it sounds like she lives in the dorm. Come to think about it, he's probably right on. Karen acts as our communications officer. She would appreciate your input

John as she wants to go back to college and get a degree in Cultural Anth

opology. John, you are going to have to weigh in and let her know if that will make her a better corporate communications guru. She feels it will give her a better understanding of her audience. She might be getting a bit warped hanging around with all the guys. A couple of weeks ago, a couple of the "boys" tried to convince her that she should just give up and join the male race. I must say, she held her own in that argument.

Now Robert is quite the proper English gentleman. He corrects us when we become too American with that sly wit that the British have. Of course we have him quite outnumbered and remind him often. We also reming him that being from Texas, we can still secede from the union much as Scotland can from the UK. He takes our ribbing very well and can usually put us in our place in a gentlemanly way.

Finally there's Ron Pelekanos. He's a combination of New York and Greek. He's the expert in telling our foreign friends the proper technique of both ordering a New York slice of pizza and the proper technique of rolling, eating and keeping the movement going so as to not lose the cheese into your lap. Ron loves golf and is crazy enough to play each week on the one course that exists here (I don't know where it is) that has plenty of sand traps and the "greens" are oiled. No I'm not kidding as you who have been to the middle east know.This is our usual 6:30 am breakfast group out on the patio. I don't have a picture of Bill from Wisconsin by way of Chicago. He must have slept in the morning I took my camera with me.

I'll introduce you to more later