Okay, I sent off the first instalment of the BIG project and I’ve got time now to catch my breath. Not much time, mind you, but a little bit of time in order to catch up on emails, bake some pineapple tarts, clean the house, get it ready for my niece who’s planning to come on Friday, and then mail off a batch of pineapple tarts to the nice guy who helped me with the screen writing.

On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t be blogging, I should go and get some work done.

This morning I was cursing myself for not being efficient.

Back in June, when it seems everyone was getting their passport renewed, probably to take their kids overseas for vacation (why didn’t I think of that???) I had to get my son’s passport renewed so I sat in line for about an hour and a half, and when my number finally came up, it occurred to me then that I should have renewed mine too.

Mine isn’t expiring till May of next year, but renewing two would have been almost the same amount of work as renewing one.

Oh well, suffice it to say that I didn’t renew it.

Then my nephew, who lives in Dubai, and whom I’ll be visiting after I go for the big pilgrimage in about six week’s time, asked me if I had an Israeli stamp in my passport because getting into Dubai would be difficult if I did.

A few weeks ago he said I should check and make sure everything would be okay.

I didn’t check till yesterday and not only isn’t it okay for Dubai, turns out it isn’t okay for Saudi Arabia!

Yikes!

I had to renew my passport, get a nice clean one with no Israeli stamp in it.

I went to Jerusalem to pray at the Dome of the Rock when I went for the mini pilgrimage back in 2008. I had asked the stupid &&^%**$ Israeli clerk NOT to stamp my passport please, but did she listen? Nope!

So this morning I had to run around and get it renewed again, and now there’s a time factor involved!

I HATE worrying about getting visas on time!

And now, after I thought I was just fine and dandy, I have to worry about this nonsense.

Oh well, it’ll probably be okay, but still.

A proper thought at the right time would have saved me a LOT of hassle.

It’s like when I booked my son’s dentist appointment for 5:30 pm on the day before Eid!

What was I thinking???

I’m constantly doing boneheaded things like that.

Got to learn. Got to learn.

A lesson not learned is doomed to be repeated.

That’s a mantra I constantly tell myself.

And the lesson to be learned is take a moment to think ahead.