Knox Kids Update**Extra Edition

Shea: Sweeping parking lots of the United States Army in Fort Bragg, NC while he awaits his language class to begin on March 10. The language of choice for him by the US Army is Arabic, which he is trying to get changed to French or absolutely "any other" language. Shea's words.


Dustin: Still trudging along as a SENIOR (yea!) at Texas State University in San Marcos, Tx. He is majoring in Psychology with plans of getting his masters in counseling. He's into healthy eating and Tai Chi. He is also interning at the Austin State Hospital (mental facility) which he really enjoys. While doing all that he still manages to deliver pizza for Domino's and hold down Fort Knox in Kyle.


Kayla: In her 2nd semester of her sophomore at St. Edwards University in Austin, Tx. She has moved back on campus this semester as she has accepted a Residence Assistant position (which pays for her a private residence on campus, as well as her meal plan...yea, again!). She is so happy to be back on campus. She really missed the interaction with all the other students as well as all the activities and resources that were available to her. Kayla is also working at Pluckers in Austin...not to be confused with Hooters.


Kristi: Currently a senior that will graduate from the American School of Doha in June. Get your plane tickets, JoJo & Granddaddy. David and I are excited to have her hang in there with us. She will be joining Kayla at St Edward's in the fall. She's also trying to finagle a side trip to Germany out of us on her way home this summer (with one of her Doha friends). "We shall see", I tell her, which I'm sure she's interpreting as "no problem".

Qatarisafari.blogspot.com is Born

I have suckered another friend into blogland. I'm not sure if Karen realizes what she's getting herself into, as it can be a deep hole with no return...lol. We had our first lesson yesterday afternoon and she's hooked. The thought of her blogging popped into my head while we were at the tennis tournament, and she was taking these awesome pictures of Maria Sharapova (with her brand spanking new, big fine camera) . She then shows me the amazing pictures she took while in Paris last week with her husband Ed while under the guise of business. I wish David would get sent on one of these "business" trips. There is no way she should keep these pictures to herself. I told her she must share them with her family and friends. Well, Karen's blog has been born...signed, sealed and delivered. I wish her the best of luck and want to let her know that blogging will "enhance" her stint in Doha. Now every time she's in her car, in the checkout line, walking the streets her wheels will be turning. Hmm..."Can I turn that into a blog?" Bless her heart, her brain will never be the same.

Daddy's Little Girl

From Kayla's Daddy to whom it may concern: click & play (on the arrow)


You know, it's really funny how rumors get started or just how fast word travels. On David's first night home from the states we were both sitting on the couch doing our usual Fox News and laptops on our laps (we are soooo exciting) and out of the blue he says, "I didn't know Kayla had a boyfriend". I had to laugh. You have to understand David, he doesn't say much about anything even if you try to force it out of him. Well apparently, this was impacting him in some strange way. My response was, "Why do you ask that, did you meet him?". He tells me no, but his sister Sherry from North Carolina told him. I informed David that I think Kayla has a friend and yes, he is a boy, but not necessarily an "official" boyfriend. He proceeds to tell me, but JoJo (David's mom) told Sherry that, so it must be true. Even funnier. Seriously David, all JoJo ever tells our kids is, "you must meet your spouse while you are still in college". That being said, I'm sure Kayla told JoJo about a "friend" of hers and lo & behold wedding bells are chiming. The story had gotten even deeper this morning when I spoke to Kayla on the phone telling her about Dad's revelation. Kayla had spoken to JoJo recently and mentioned her friend and JoJo responded, "don't worry, I won't say anything to your dad". This is something I wouldn't normally blog about, but as I was listening to the radio this morning and heard the Rodney Atkins tune playing I just couldn't help myself. So, I'm not sure who I'm getting in trouble here...JoJo, Sherry, or Kayla??

Family Reunion

Spring break is nearly here, which means Kayla and Dustin will be visiting. They are ticketed to leave Austin on March 6th and will arrive in Doha on Friday, March 7th. This will be Dustin's inaugural visit to these desert lands, while Kayla's an old hand with two visits already under her belt. I'm so looking forward to the reactions of a "newbie" in this country. I'll never forget Kayla's first experience here...watching a truck back down the ramp from the main road while another was approaching to get on the main road. Yeah, you remember the story. Rather than give in, they crashed into each other while never letting off their horns. Yes, fond memories. So, we are ready to indoctrinate Dustin to the land of Doha. Kayla (you know, the bossy one) has instructed us to have an itinerary ready for their visit. So far we have a mosque tour, a dune adventure, and ice sledding scheduled. I'm getting a little nervous about the dune adventure. I hear they get quite radical with lots of screaming involved. My friend, Kim, who is coordinating this event has assured me that she's not heard of anyone dying in one of these adventures....yet. Hmmm. To calm things down, I'm thinking we might throw in tea at the Ritz. Dustin appreciates the finer things in life, so I think he can handle it. Of course, we have to leave some days open to hit all the malls in town and visit the souqs. I'm really looking forward to the visit. The only thing or "one" that will be missing is Shea. He's settled back in at Fort Bragg to continue on with his Special Operations training. On this leg of his training he's learning Arabic which will take quite a few months I'm sure. I guess, eventually, he will be our neighbor. Who would have ever thought that we'd make it to the Middle East before Shea. Life is strange.

Weekend Update

This weekend, I took Kristi and company to see the semifinals and finals of the Qatar Total Open tennis tournament. It was a lot of fun and best of all, it was free. All you have to do to get tickets is show up the morning of the event you want to attend and collect them. Fair enough. On Saturday I took Kristi and her friend Stephanie to see the semifinals. Maria Sharapova vs Agneiszka Radwanska. Easy for me to say. After entering the gate we saw a booth set up that had hundreds of people waiting in line for something. It must have been the questioning look on my face that made the Muslim woman manning the booth beckon me. Being the astute lip reader that I am (we were about 75 feet away), she was saying "Come, come". Looking all around me to see who she was talking to, I saw no one else was in sight. I hesitantly moved a little towards her, and she again motioned for me to "come". The girls were a bit embarrassed and wouldn't come with me. I went on up using all my inner strength to ignore the fact that there were hundreds of people in line. For all my rudeness, she handed me a golf t-shirt, cap, and pen promoting the 2016 Doha Olympics bid that is currently in progress. Of course, the girls jumped on the band wagon and snagged their goods, as well. A perfect example of the "caste system" that's rampant in this country. Kristi was astounded that the woman had just done this (of course, I was too), but I just repeated what I've repeated all those years to the kids, "life isn't fair, get over it". It just leaned in our direction this time. Sharapova prevailed and we went back to the finals on Sunday with a few more friends in tow. I gathered Kim and Karen, Chevron Phillips wives from the Houston area, and picked Kristi and her friends up after school and headed to Khalifa International Tennis Stadium for the main event. It was a great competition with Russian against Russian in the finals. Maria Sharapova pulled off the win and collected her $441,000 check and the keys to a Harley that she proudly posed on for photographers. Many dignitaries were in attendance, as we literally witnessed "the red carpet" being rolled out for them. The Qatar chapter of Harley riders were also proudly strutting their stuff by circling the arena on their bikes. Side note: Al Jazeera is alive and well in Doha, as you can see them reporting live.The video is just a sample of what we heard all evening. I'm not so sure that Sharapova could win without the "whoooo factor"!



P.S. And, of course, the real news of the weekend is that David is also alive and well in Doha as he arrived last night while we were at the tournament. Welcome back, sweetie.

Breakfast With Sykes

People seem to be more interested in Sykes than this exotic life we're living. Did I say "exotic". Hmmm, I'm not so sure you can use that word to describe Doha. Well, for those that have been asking, he's up to the same old tricks... still stealing my toast, still stealing the dish cloth,and stealing socks. His new targets are Kristi's & my makeup brushes I found Sykes lying on my bed guarding the two brushes that he had just conquered. What's really funny is that he had to go to two separate bathrooms to retrieve them. I'm thinking we might have a name change in store for this cat.

Sykes waiting patiently

...while the eggs cook
....while the coffee brews
...while waiting for any leftover scraps

Now, after viewing these pictures I'm sure my Doha Ladies' group is quite relieved that I haven't hosted a brunch. Right about now they are a breathing a sigh of relief that my project is the Mosque tour. Lol, I'll get you yet, my lovely little ladies!!

Plan B

David got word yesterday afternoon on the donor decision. In question was his seizure disorder. Even though David's seizures are controlled and he hasn't had one in over 18 years, the patient advocate physician that did David's physical felt that it was not in his best interest to go through with this procedure. I haven't spoken to David since he heard the news, it was in my email this morning. I'm sure he's very disappointed, but understands that it's just all part of the plan. Life goes on, and fortunately for this patient as well. Much to David's relief, he did find out that there is a back up donor. Apparently, the "best" match is always the first choice, but someone else is waiting in the wings to fill the need. Someone else out there will be blessed to feel the same honor, excitement and humility as David has during this process. So on that note, we will be most happy to "share the love". I would like to say "thank you" to everyone for all the support we received through calls, emails, and prayers... especially the prayers! Kristi and I look forward to welcoming David back to Doha this weekend...he is certainly the wind beneath our wings. Last, but not least...consider joining the marrow program and save a life. Click here for info.

On the Scene in Doha

We were recently out on the streets in the older part of Doha on a Friday afternoon, heading toward the souks (market area). Wow, there were not hundreds, but thousands of people just standing and milling around. 99.9% of them were men, and I never actually saw what the other .1% would have been...not a woman to be seen for sure. As much as we (me, more so than Kristi) love to walk on the unbeaten path, I decided that it might be best for Kristi and I to avoid hitting those streets. Being white and female, our heads may as well be neon signs if we chose to do so.
While walking the streets of the souk area, we did see some interesting sites. Look closely at the picture of me (sans makeup) in front of the butcher shop. Kristi passed on the photo op, so I had to fill in. Can you see the eye balls still in tact on the head hanging? Seriously, can you imagine walking down the sidewalk and unknowingly glancing to the side and seeing these eyeballs staring back at you. And Kristi thought she was scarred for life when she saw the beef hanging at the grocery store. We then ran across a gentleman who had a sandal repair shop set up on the street corner. I did ask if I could take his picture which he easily agreed to. I hope I wasn't suppose to tip him. The man in uniform, I guess he's a roundabout cop. I'm not sure what his purpose is...decoration, perhaps? My favorite pic of that day was the three women in abayas doing the PARTY scene. I better sign off, before I get myself in trouble. Ciao.

One Honey Do Down

It seems I've raised the bar....posting everyday. Don't get used to it, people. Todays post is to let David know that I've salvaged the paint on the Tahoe. The other night, I took the scenic route on my way home from visiting my new found abaya clad friends at the Qatar Guest Center. Noha, from Doha, (I love to say that) had phoned me and asked if I would come visit and discuss the upcoming mosque tour. After visiting and having tea with Noha, two of her coworkers and the imam, I headed back home. Well, being night time and with never ending construction in this country, I missed my exit and had to drive what seemed an eternity before I could get back on track. Two days later David asked where I got all the tar that was on the truck. Oops...one whole side and the back end had tar splattered all over it. He wasn't really nearly as upset as he usually would have been. Hmm, maybe something to do with his dumping the entire contents of my computer last week...never to be found again? He was devastated when he did that and unbelievably, I took it in stride. Must me my new Doha lifestyle. Lol. Anyway, I assessed the tar damage yesterday and realized that tar does not "wash off". Some parts of the side panel looked as though the tar was painted on. I got out my rubber gloves and magic tar remover and went to work. Much to my relief, it came off rather easily when I saturated the area with the tar remover, aka 100% vegetable oil. So sweetie, that's taken care of. I'll get the oil changed tomorrow, bukra inshallah*.





*tommorow, God willing

Back to Business

Okay, time to wipe the tears and move on with the blog. Kristi, David and I attended a speaking event of former Secretary of State,Madeleine Albright hosted by The American School of Doha the evening before he left. She proved to be an interesting and witty speaker. Afterwards, since we were "all dressed up and nowhere to go", we checked out the new Macaroni Grill that opened up at Villagio Mall. I vote that it was the best meal since we've been here. There is something to be said for good old American Italian food. Our waiter was even more entertaining than Secretary Albright. Nikola was his name, and he was from Macedonia. He wowed me when he asked if we had ever been to a Macaroni Grill in "The States". If someone over here asks where you are from and you say the United States or the U.S., they have no idea what you are talking about. You must say, "America", which sometimes sounds quite awkward rolling off my tongue. So, to hear Nikola refer to home as The States was quite refreshing. He pointed to his mouse clad tie proudly telling us that he was from the Mickey Mouse generation, and so he knew all about us, including our crime rate....hmm. That's sort of sad. I'm not sure why I include the picture of Krispy Kreme. It just humors me for some reason. The Qataris are wild about it. There was a huge countdown to its grand opening with posters all over the city. The Krispy Kreme campaign was as big as the current 2016 Olympic bid that's going on. The last pic is of Kristi at Macaroni Grill carving out a birthday message for her friend Emily's 18th birthday who is from....drum roll....you guessed it, The States.

Time for Reflection

The taxi just picked David up 15 minutes ago for his trip to the airport (5:00a.m. Doha time). He'll be arriving in San Antonio, Tx around 11:30p.m. Texas time. I'll leave you with a Josh Groban song that I love.


"You Raise Me Up"

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

Since I laid a hint that I was going to a "Champagne Brunch", I figured that I better report on it. Hats were optional, but since I don't "do" hats, I opted for a heart headband. That's my crazy friend Natthawan in the picture with me. Always showing off by having an uncanny sense of decorating. Note her hat. Mine came off the rack at Claire's. Yes, we do have Claire's in Doha. We had about 20 or so women show up for good food, good hospitality and just down right fun. Nothing like a room full of women together guzzling champagne. I was a designated walker, so I opted for coffee. We had everything from chex mix to sushi. Variety is the spice of life here in Doha. Notice Kellie's forearm in the pic. That would be Kellie in some crazy hat she bought off the streets of Thailand. She mentioned it was her way of celebrating the king's birthday while she was there. Can you say, "inebriated"? Just kidding Kellie!!! Anyway, those are CAMEL bites on her arm. She & friends had made a trip to the inland sea, and of course, had to stop and feed the camels. You might remember a pic in the past that I posted...the one of the camel drinking out of the water bottle? That was Kellie in her element. Well, she has changed elements. After an ER visit and stitches, she has sworn off camels. Can't say that I blame her. So, here it is Valentine's night and David's down the street at one of his buddies strumming on the qatar, I mean guitar and I'm sitting on the sofa in sweat pants and a t-shirt watching Fox News and talking to you guys. What's wrong with this picture? NOTHING, I love it. Just chillin'.

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day, David. I love you. (The song is for David, people...so just ignore it!

Where there's smoke...there's burnt chicken.

Many years ago I bought a coffee mug for my sister, Regina, that had a profound statement on the side. "It's official, I've become my mother". I don't know if she appreciated it at the time, but I sure as heck got a kick out of it. Well, as my dad has always said, "The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree". So in turn, I've become my mom, as well. I guess I've known this for some time now, as my memory fails me more and more. You know the feeling, walking into a room to get something, but not having the foggiest idea of what it was...walking back out, starting over in hopes that it would trigger something to remind you. I'm not alone, am I? A couple of mornings ago, I was doing my morning breakfast ritual of two eggs and two slices of toast. Instead of peppering my eggs, I cinnamoned them. Well, I've been hearing about cinnamon's wonderful health benefits....I hope maintaining (make that restoring) brain function is one of them. Yesterday morning I had to boil a couple of chickens in preparation of making a chicken salad for a Champagne brunch we're having this morning at a neighboring villa. I brought them to a boil and turned the burner down to simmer and went about my business. An hour later I could smell something. Following my nose, I ended up in the kitchen that was filled with smoke. Instead of turning down the burner, I had turned a different burner on to simmer. So my chickens were sitting in a bone dry pot sizzling away. If only the new battery laying next to the smoke detector had replaced itself on its own. As I looked at my burned pot, I thought about all those years mom would hand us a pot to take to Dad in the garage so he could do his magic. I think it's called sandblasting.

What Can I say...She's a Material Girl

David, Kristi, and I made a trip to the souks this past weekend to find material for Kristi a dress. Oh my goodness, I wish I were a seemstress. I would have been in hog heaven. Shop after shop of beautiful silks and chiffons. I don't know if the prices were good, but certainly the selection was. After walking through probably 40 shops, we decided we'd put David out of his misery and take him home. We left with no material, but with a mental note on one for consideration. Kristi and I started out again the next evening on our own. We had decided to go back and purchase "the one" she had been considering, however, we saw one more shop across the street to walk into. Upon visiting this "last" shop, we realized it opened up into another mall with shops and shops of more material. Were we glad that we had left David at home. He would have died. We visited nearly every shop, and Kristi decided she wanted the one we went to get originally. We went back and purchased the material and then had to start looking for a matching solid material and tulle to match. A much harder task than we thought. It's simply amazing how many shades of pink and turquoise there are. It all came together and we found what we needed. A relief. I dreamed of material that night. Upon leaving the souks, we headed to the tailor that Kristi had already consulted. He took a zillion measurements and asked what the date of her "party" was. "Two months?", he asked. We laughed. He didn't. We explained that Kristi is leaving the country on March 15th, so he begrudgingly gave us a March 6th fitting date. That's kind of scary because he warned her that that would just be the lining that was done. "Not to worry", as they always say around here. Time will tell.

Clyde Apprehended in Doha

The infamous Clyde is in custody in Doha after 42 years on the lam

While Ahab is still walking the streets of Doha



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The Gift of Life

In response to all the emails and calls we've received (and I thank you!), here's the update regarding David's pending bone marrow procedure. "Olga" from the marrow center in San Antonio called us at 1:30 this morning (Friday, 4:30pm CST) to give us an update on the itinerary. As it stands, the center will fly David to Austin on February 16th arriving there on the 17th. He is scheduled to have a physical on the morning of the 18th. After his physical clearance, he will begin filgrastim injections on February 28th. Injections will follow on the 29th, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. These injections help move more blood-forming cells from his bone marrow to his bloodstream. The actual donation will take place in San Antonio on March 3rd. The patient will also begin a ten day regimen of preparing for the transplant after David's physical is processed. David is donating his cells through a process called aspheresis instead of extracting the marrow from his spine. It's sort of like dialysis. They will take his blood from his arm, run it through a machine and harvest what they need from it and feed it back into him. The procedure will take several hours and be performed on an outpatient basis. Voila. He will then be put on a plane back to Doha the very next day on March 4th. Chevron Phillips has opted out to give David the leave needed to make this life saving donation. Not a problem, he will use three weeks of his vacation. I was sort of taken aback by their decision. I really thought that they would step up to the plate seizing this moment of good will and using it for P.R. within their own company. Se la vie'. We feel like "The Gift of Life" is meant for our family as well as the 28 year old's family. It gives us a sense of renewal to be able to do this for someone. Certainly not a sacrifice, but an honor.

[Kristi takes over once again]

Most of my friends applied to college months ago and are still awaiting their admission (or rejection) letters from the schools they hope to get into. The majority of my friends will not find out which ones they are accepted into until APRIL. Being the procrastinator that I am, I (more so, my mother) managed to force myself to finally apply to Saint Edward's toward the end of January. After nine long and agonizing days of waiting, I was accepted! Did I mention that I live in Qatar and had to mail my transcript to the opposite side of the world? I believe this nine days is a family record. So now I am carrying on the sibling tradition of attending Saint Edward's.

Blog on

Hey blog junkies! I had the pleasure of helping one of my "Doha Ladies" (the name of our Chevron Phillips wives' group) set up a blog. Sherry had seen mine & decided it would be a great way to share with her family & friends back home in Texas. She's one up on me though, she's a real photographer. She had to pack up and sell her studio back in Magnolia, Texas before starting her trek across the world. Anyway, she emailed me and asked if I'd be willing to come over and help her if she fixed me a cappucinno and panini sandwich. Heck, I told her I'd clean her house for that. Especially, being a Patrizi from the famed Patrizi restaurants in Beaumont, Texas, I knew she'd have to deliver. And, yes she did...it was awesome We got Sherry's blog set up, and now she's off and running. I brought my camera with me (yes, it's working again...see comments) and forgot to take pictures. I think I was overwhelmed (intimidated perhaps?) by all the professional photos in her office. (The pic above is of Sherry and her husband Chris that I pirated from her newly christened blog.) They spent time in Geneva and Milan with Chevron Phillips before landing in Doha. Where was David during those opportunities? Switzerland, oh my gosh. I'm thinking it wouldn't have taken too much to convince the kids on that one. Anyway, as I was helping her, I ran across an option to put in email addresses for anyone that wants updated blogs sent to be sent to them automatically. So, if anyone out there doesn't like the element of surprise when they click on our link wondering if it's been updated, you can let me know and I'll add your email address. You'll be bombarded with emails as blogs are posted. Just kidding. I don't think you need to be worried about the bombarded part, as I fret daily wondering when I'll have absolutely nothing to blog about. Hmm...could that have been today? Tootles.

In the Words of Paul Simon

Okay, some of you guys out there think I have entirely too much time on my hands. Adding music, well that's just the icing on the cake for me. Pics, music, and Doha...what more could one want? Well, I'll tell you what. My Nikon has bit the dust. I'm in mourning today, as I get a "lens error" every time I turn on my camera. Thus, no pictures. All the help forums on this error have been no help. One even suggested beating my camera against the wall, that's what worked for him. Well, I don't know what he paid for his camera, but I can't bring myself to do that. I actually found a "factory authorized Nikon repair shop" in Doha (believe it or not), but my husband "missed the bus" this morning, so I don't have a car. Rumor has it though that it's quite expensive to fix this problem and sometimes just not worth it. I'll reserve judgment on that. Not having my camera while hitting the streets of Doha is like a missing limb for me. My motto has always been, have camera, will travel. As Paul Simon said, "I've gotta a Nikon camera. I love to take photagraphs, so mama don't take my Kodachrome away :(

P.S. If you feel like the song you're hearing doesn't match the blog you're reading, click on your refresh button (or control F5). You can always click on the = sign to stop the music or the Arrow to play it. Another option is to click on the title of the blog you want to read in the left hand column entitled blog archives. It will bring up just that entry and will play the correct music.

Shea Update

Shea graduated from airborne school last week much to his relief. He walked away (thank God in one piece) with the good sense to know that he would not want to do this for a living. I think the once every three months that the army requires for "jump pay" will be plenty for him. He takes a two week break from Fort Bragg on Thursday to head to Austin for hometown recruiting. A very laid back atmosphere for him while he gets to catch up with his friends in Austin, as well as Dustin & Kayla. After recruiting, he will go back to Fort Bragg to begin his language training. Drumroll........you guessed it, يمكنك تحديد لغة البحث . Hmmm, I wonder where his overseas assignment will be? No doubt he will be our neighbor soon enough. Thankfully, Arabic will take a while to learn and maybe delay any tour he might have in the Middle East. Pray for peace.

Sykes Caught Bread Handed

Sykes has been apprehended for the swiping of his owner's bread out of the toaster. This is not his first offense, but this time he was caught bread handed. The evidence is overwhelming. There will be a sure prosecution in this open and shut case. There is also a rug that was mysteriously missing out of his bathroom and found half way up the stairway. Unfortunately, at this time there is only circumstantial evidence to support any pending charges against him. He better watch it. His repeat offender status won't bode well with his owner.