sweetsendoff, fabflights,marrakesh

Im in Marrakesh!
Im typing on an arabic computer; so forgive the issues with punctation marks;;;:::
Thanks all for ze bon bon voyage...( Im having ample time to practice mi francais ici)
Thanks to Carol Mckinney Catering for fantastic spread at said sendoff and thanks to wise Jennifer for sharing current mantra: "not gonna take it personal"

Yeah, everybody,s got their trip;;;
My trip to here was perfect; On the flight from MSP to JFK sat next to Justin, young genius, who carried on Johna(thin)s conversation about the prevalence of empty calorie corn products and their contribution to obesity and diabetes in the US. Justin recommends the book, "The fattening of America" and the documentary "King Corn"
Who knew?
In JFK I met Heather from Canada whom has been to Morocco eight times and has family in the capital, Rabat. She extended an invitation to visit and was a wealth of information and good energy.
Met Bailey on the flight, whom I recognized from Morris Js class in Mpls; She was on her way to Conakry, so she stayed in Casablanca to wait for her flight while I took the train to Marrakesh.
Yep; the Marrakesh express;
Here in Marrakesh, even the call to prayer blasted from the local mosque could not wake me from my slumber after 36 hours or so of relative sleeplessness; SHOCKING.
I had spent the evening settling into the two places i booked for myself :) oops; and then to Djemma el fna square in the center of the city /medina . I apparently carried some pathetic look that had two women from Switzerland inviting me to join them after I was seated by myself in a restaurant on the square; Florence and Francine had spent much of the day in search of wine, which is, unfortunately, not readily menu-available at most restaurants; You can find bottles -with some persistence- to take back to your riad/small hotel and drink it there. The three of us had delicious cous-cous , then I wandered around the square briefly. It is amazing at night filled with fruit stands and food vendors and huddles of people around musicians and drummers and acrobats ...
I met my guide from the riad back at the restaurant where he had left me and he walked me back through the labyrinth to my bed for the night; where I politely declined an offer for wine and "massage"
So;;;;

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!
At 6pm think of me- it will be midnight here- I will be hanging out with Francine and Florence .....and Mohammed and Rahid and Nabil and Mohammed and Mohammed and Mohammed;;;;
jk, Mom.

pictures later if I figure it out

testing...testing....ahem...ahemmm......1..2...3.....