It has been brought to my attention...

that not once do I ever mention our Spring Break destination by name. Not once. Thanks Jeni, for pointing that out.

It was Thailand. The country of recent tsunamis, red-shirt protesters and other news-worthy and book topics (have you read "Half the Sky"?).

Now you know.

Well, it could have been Mexico. Florida. Padre. Or even Galveston. I mean there was sand and surf:

Sunburned faces

shell-seeking

and fruity, red, virginal drinks.

There was some good ole family time

And especially fun for us all, a hormonal, angsty pre-teen.

But there were also elephants, elephants everywhere. At the beach, in the restaurant breezeway, and elephants to ride through the rubber tree plantation.

And there were caves. And rafts. And BATS (which there are no pictures of because we were too busy laughing at Kaylie who was terrified of the bats hanging from stalactites and flying all around.)

So, it wasn't any old place for us. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. A chance to see that part of the world we only hear about, where tsunamis, redshirt protesters, and other topics seem to define what you know of a country. But for us and thousands of other European vacationers, it was a most-welcoming, friendly country with lots to offer. I'm so glad we went.

What Have I Been Doing?

Soccer. That's what I've been doing. Indirectly of course. Chief chauffer and cheerleader. Lots and lots of soccer all spring long. Driving to and from soccer practices, sitting through soccer practices and 3 games every Saturday. It's my life and I love it (insert eye roll here).

Kathryn's tournament was first.

And look what Susan and I found outside the snack area. I believe those are kegs. And over there a Smirnoff cooler. I'd say somewhat surprising considering where I live.

And then Scott's tournament, where they lost in the quarterfinals. Amazing soccer skills from some of these 8 and 9 year old boys. This tournament was in Dukhan, on the other side of Qatar, about an hour away. Camels in the countryside, just like cattle in Texas. I thought I had appropriately sunscreened myself that day, it is sunny in the desert after all, but I have a major farmer burn going on now. Very attractive.

Want some more? Just wait - soccer parties and trophies coming this weekend. We're not done, yet.

Arising out of the dust...

Blog post deleted by administrator due to boring content.

Olympics? What Olympics?

I've seen them before. Even when we first arrived in Doha, lo those 18 months ago, the Summer Olympics were on. The commentary, when there was any, was in a completely different language, but at least there was a visual.

Apparently, since there is no winter in Doha, there is no need to broadcast the Winter Olympics. I hear they're going on right now. I hear that the USA is leading in the medal count. I hear that some of these downhill-snowboard-cross -half-pipe-slalom races are kinda fun to watch. I wouldn't know. Haven't seen any. At least recently.

But on Thursday and Friday nights at 8pm, but not always at 8pm as I learned last week, American Idol is broadcast in all its glory. And life is good.

Roundabout Reasoning

Let's talk about roundabouts, shall we?

Doha is full of them. All over town. And each roundabout has its own personality. Some are nice and big and empty. Some are small and crowded. There are some roundabouts at which I will NOT make a left-handed turn due to the ever-present traffic. Some roundabouts have lights. Some roundabouts have police directing traffic at the busier times of the day.

I drive through 10 roundabouts to get to school. 10. Some are no-brainers. Some, still, to this day, when I approach mutter, "PLEASE let there be an opening." And I always know exactly which lane I want to be in at every single one. They used to scare me. Now I'm just hell-on-wheels like everybody else, yelling at the car in front of me "Go. Go. Go! What are you doing? Just Go!" And here's my best advice: Don't Hesitate. If you see an opening, just go.

There's my tip for the week. Now watch and learn (and I just have to say, this roundabout is a piece of cake, but it makes me laugh every time.)

The "E" Word

"Mom! Scott just said the "E" word.

The "E" word? Honey - I'm not sure what the "E" word is.

"You know, the "E" word. He said it and that's a bad word."

Okay - I realize it might be a bad word, but let's just pretend it's not and tell me what it is.

"Eediot."



That's how I felt.