Settling In

You guys are probably wondering, "why so far & few in between?". Well, it's like I told you it would be...we're settling into life here in Qatar. Not everyday is an adventure any more, well you might need to exclude the driving on that. Everyday that I drive, I am truly amazed at what these people do in traffic. It is beyond total comprehension. A blog in itself. I've gotten back on the saddle, since my oven has been fixed (actually, the maintenance man showed me how to operate it) and my vent is going strong. We did have a nice meal of chicken parmesan. Totally edible, I must say, but not that there wasn't room for improvement. You might also be happy to hear that Kayla & Dustin are faring quite well in the kitchen. Kayla decided to make Swiss Steak and asked me to "dumb down" the recipe (no further comment). She was in the process of cutting up the steak & gathering ingredients when she realized someone had used the frozen onions & bell peppers. Who does that? Hmm, maybe the salsa man aka Dustin. She promptly requested that he run to they grocery to pick some up. You know, young ones...they must work on their own timetable & this wasn't on Dustin's timetable agenda. Long story... ensuing argument, Kayla behind closed doors & much to be done in the kitchen. Dustin puts on his chef hat after he consults his Tennessee JoJo on what to do to solve his cooking dilemma. She mentions a few spices to substitute for the onions, but Chef D has also discovered that he has no lemon juice. Soy sauce, lemon juice...same consistency, right? Okay, soy it is. Nick the roommate is peeling potatoes & boiling them whole. Dinner is at what time? Anyway, after another consultation with JoJo on the art of mashed potatoes, dinner is served. A little coaxing from Dustin to have Kayla join them for the feast & all is well. As for over here, we're doing a balance of cooking & takeout, which is pretty amazing if you know my track record. Tomorrow, I'm off to the Doha Golf Club for lunch with my next door neighbor & her friend (Canadians). Yes, it is still Ramadan and I'm not quite sure how they are allowed to serve food in the daylight hours. Some of the American hotels here do the same thing for a small fortune. Anyway, it will be my first outing with lady friends & I'm really looking forward to it. Gotta scoot, it's a cooking day!

A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY NIECE, JANA....HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!