CAT RETURNED HOME

"Caramel" has been returned to his home! He lives in the neighboring compound, where I had a sign up. The owner was VERY glad to get him back! Turns out he has a bit of a pedigree - he is half Persian and half Domestic Short Hair. He is not netuered yet because they are searching for a white Persian for breeding (those will be lovely kittens!). He had been missing about a week. The owner went door to door in his compound looking for him - but didn't think the cat would have crossed compounds. We are, of course, a bit sad to see him go but are happy for his owners.
Oh well - I will go back to being the designated cat sitter! Sophie, the 15 year old, very sweet cat, should be coming between Christmas and New Year's.

The Bird, the Cat, and the Rain

What a great looking bird!


"Caramel"




Caramel close-up

The cat came first - Tuesday night. He was yowling to get in a friend's house. They already have a cat so they sent him down here to spend the night (yes, they all know the soft touch around here). He is a very smart cat - has been sitting on our laps and purring since his arrival. I put up "Found" signs with his picture in our compound and the 2 neighboring compounds but no one has claimed him. Somebody probably moved and left him behind. As you can see, he has made himself at home!

Thanksgiving at our compound was very nice - about 60 people and 5 turkeys. Lots and lots of food! Ate way too much. Then, the day after Thanksgiving it rained! Just for a few minutes, but it was precipitation. Cold today - only about 80. We put up the Christmas tree and decorations today. Got a new tree - it's upside down!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

AMERICAN SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL BUFFET

Grant at the buffet


North American table

I am at the far left

was today! Lots of food again this year. Not many decorations this year, we were asked to come in our "national dress" instead - which was a great excuse to wear my colonial America costume. At the North America (Canada, US, Mexico) table we had the usual: hot dogs, meatloaf, brownies, choc chip cookies, maple leaf cookies, pancakes and syrup, popcorn, jello, cornbread, cupcakes, KFC, hamburgers, etc; Other continents represented: Europe (where the Belgians made fresh waffles with strawberries and whipped cream), Northern and Southern Africa, Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc; - lots of sushi!), Middle East, Central and South America, Australia/New Zealand (I had to make a brownie delivery to these ladies at one point), Antartica (where the kids picked up bottled water). Lots of great food! So much food that the school construction/maintenance workers ate lunch as well. All together we fed over 2,000 people.

THINGS I MISS, AND WILL MISS

Things I miss: waxed paper, flavored decaf coffee beans, applesauce, stick margarine, walking around the block, BBQ pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw and melted swiss cheese, sliced honey ham sandwiches with mustard and mayo, Caribou Coffee, bleu cheese dressing, fresh peaches, looking out the window and seeing green, the library, Target, Kohls, Moosehead beer

Things I will miss: chicken shwarma, green apple yogurt (from France), Walkers Stem Ginger Biscuits (cookies, from Scotland), Hob Nobs (British biscuits), having both kids in one school, cheap gas, fresh pita bread, maid service, warm weather all year long

LAST WEEK

Andy, sitting in one of Saddam's thrones




Erin being "pinned" - she is now a Junior Girl Scout!





At the Marine Ball

Been a busy week! First, Andy took a short trip "up north" and sat in the throne that Yasser Arafat gave to Saddam Hussein. He came back in time to catch the end of the Marine Ball - celebrating the birthday of the US Marine Corp. We had our Girl Scout Investiture Ceremony, where Erin and the other members of Junior Troop 011 took off their Brownie pins and became Junior Girl Scouts. Also, another leader and I conducted a 3 hour Girl Scout training at our compound clubhouse (learning to put on this training was the focus of our trip to Dubai in October).

It's Friday morning here (Nov. 21). Andy and Grant are off on a Boy Scout campout at the Inland Sea. Erin and I were planning to go, but we decided to stay home and nurse our colds! This coming week is International Week at the American School - I am going to help with the International Buffet on Monday, dressed in my colonial costume. Wednesday I have a Girl Scout meeting and the International Ladies Potluck Group (Turkey - the nation - is providing the food. It will be the day before Thanksgiving - do you suppose they will serve turkey?). Thursday is Thanksgiving. My kids have school that day, but we will have our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Potluck dinner at the compound clubhouse. I am roasting a Butterball (17 lbs) for the occasion.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

COMPOUND CONSTRUCTION

On October 26 everyone in the compound got a notice stating that the front of the compound gate would be dug up on Oct. 27 to install a new electrical cable, and that this would require a detour to get in the compound for one day.

In the U.S. that is a one day job - but this is Doha and EVERYTHING takes at least 3 times longer than it should.

Construction actually started on November 2, and we have had a "detour" like this for one week now! There is still a deep hole behind those barriers. Apparently they hit bedrock, for the past week they have been using a large jackhammer to break up rock - starting time 4:30 am. We wake up to that "beautiful music" every morning (well it does drown out the call to prayer!). When will it end? We have started a "pool" - for 1 QR (about 40 cents) guess the date that the construction will be finished enough so that we can drive straight out the gate. Winner to receive all the money. I guessed Nov. 18 - wildly optimistic. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

WHAT A DAY!

Just finished watching John McCain's concession speech, and Barack Obama's speech on CNN. This was a very rare election year for me - I thought both candidates would make excellent Presidents - the VP choice is what guided my vote. I thought about getting up very early this AM to see how it was going - but ended up getting up at my usual 6 am on Wednesday (that's 10 pm Tuesday on the East Coast). At that point Virginia hadn't been called yet. I am so glad my kids were awake and watching when their home state - Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy - went for Obama! John McCain's speech was excellent - he is a great American and I am glad he will remain in the Senate. Obama's speech was also excellent - kudo's to all the speech writers. I wish his Grandmother had lived to see this moment. Also loved it when Obama and Biden brought Biden's mother to the front of the stage. At this writing it looks like the Democrats will have a majority in the Senate - but not a filibuster proof majority. That's good too - feel it is best when the parties have to work together.

What a day!

HALLOWEEN 2008!

Erin


Grant and Friends








AWitch, Speed Bump & Land Cruiser

Happy Halloween! (from our $40 pumpkin!)

(First, just an update, we heard thunder the afternoon of Oct. 31, but no rain! No rain here since February.)

Hope you had a good time (Halloween is for fun!). First, we went trick-or-treating at a larger compound. Kids had a good time - as you can see. Then Andy and I went to the Embassy Marine House party. Our costumes, a real Doha inside joke, were a hit! (Qataris generally drive white Land Cruisers. At night, usually while you are in the left lane doing the speed limit with 20 cars right in front of you, they will come up behind you and flash their high beams at you to tell you to get out of their way. That's generally how they treat people - all the time. They drive like maniacs - hence the tire marks on the speed bump.)

Take care!