If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...at the mall

Daily report
Hazy, 95 degrees

It won't come as a surprise, if you know how I feel about malls, that I at first refused Emma's kind offer to drop me after work at Al Jimi where "at least there are taxis lined up waiting." After her gentle prodding and the insistence of the heat, which was alternately daring me to walk a bit further in search of a cab and pushing me toward the car door.

I accepted and rationalized the trip by heading into the mall's grocery store to pick up some essentials before stepping back out into the heat and walking a few short steps to the nearest cab--one of the nice, new ones with reliable air conditioning, uniformed drivers who speak English and, of course, the meters that start a dirham higher than the cars with dents, sometimes-cracked windows and English-challenged drivers (with an admittedly Arabic-challenged rider!).

I know, I know. I'm spoiled. But Jacob knew it going in. And, besides, I got the frozen chicken home...still frozen!