Dust in the Wind?

I always thought the reason that the majority of cars in Qatar were white was because of the extreme hot and sunny conditions. I've been rethinking the color theme thingy. I washed my "rock red" Jeep yesterday only to walk out this morning and find it covered in a film of dust. It only took me three and a half years and purchasing a vehicle with color to figure out my new hypothesis. Pure genius.

Kansas figured it out. Why couldn't I?


Dust in the Wind ~ Kansas

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Knock Three Times

...remember that song? Tony Orlando and Dawn, now that's a blast from the past. Well, they have been on my mind a lot lately, as that is what I have to do to get my mini washing machine cranked up. Upon arriving home from vacation, David popped open the washer/dryer combo (yes, it is what it is)and off the handle came. A fine time for a mishap when we've been on the road for ten days with loads of laundry to wash. By Doha standards with their micro machines, we're talking quadruple the loads of what one would have in the U.S. It was a tough transition going from my super capacity washer to this bucket. Anyway, the villa people came by, couldn't fix it, took my door with them, and returned an hour later with a rig job that even my dad would envy. Of course opening and closing the door came with new special instructions including some fist pumping and a little hip action. I got this.

Knock Three Times ~ Tony Orlando & Dawn

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Texas Comes to Qatar

Every now and then it feels almost at home and "normal" in Doha. That was the case last night when The Houston Texans and The Dallas Cowboys duked it out in Reliant Stadium. The game was shown LIVE right here in the comfort of our very own pink villa. We do get FoxSports that airs NFL games live, but an eight hour time difference can make kickoff time a bit undesirable, beside that we have to settle for whomever happens to play in the noon time slot out of the thirty two NFL teams. Do the math. Yesterday changed all that with an early game start for an all Texas match up. Can it get any better? In honor of the occasion...wait for it...wait for it...I cooked (wonders never cease!) up some Texas Cowboy Stew. A little caveat, I had to use New Zealand beef, so we weren't quite at home. I then cranked downed the air for some faux fall feeling, and awaited the 8:00pm Qatar time kick off. We then answered Hank, Jr's age old question, "Are you ready for some football?!" Heck yeah, bring it on, boys!

Final Score:

Cowboys 21
Texans 13

Texas Cowboy Stew 4.5 out of 5 stars
(will be a 5 after sitting in fridge overnight!)

There was some unintended humor in the game while one of the refs was having a senior moment when he couldn't remember the penalties to repeat out loud.

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Got Milk?

It's the simple things in Doha that sometimes make it such a pleasurable place to live. I stopped at our little grocery in the complex the other evening for some milk. (I refrain from using the word compound as one pictures guards with Uzis walking the perimeter, which I'll inform you that we no longer have. Rumors were that they didn't really have any bullets, but they had my respect all the same, well, except the one that wore flip flops. I always wondered how a chase scene would play out.) Anyhoo, the clerk was all apologetic that he didn't have my usual order of skim milk, but not to fear, the milk truck would be coming early the next day. Lo and behold I open my door to a ringing doorbell the next morning to find my favorite little grocer with "fresh milk" in hand. I mean, you gotta love it.

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Bed & Breakfast Now Open~Meow

It's not easy to slide back into Doha blog mode coming off a trip to France, but I'll muddle through it in the coming days somehow. Our Doha welfare kittens that we left back at the villa must have gotten wind of the cozy bed and breakfast venues that we stayed in while vacationing and thought they'd give it a whirl themselves. This kitten's got it made. She doesn't even have to get out of bed for her breakfast...

While these two opted for a more exotic backdrop. Resort living at its finest...


After we get their runny noses and eye infections fixed up, they'll be as good as new and ready for any takers out there. The calico one in the food bowl is already a people lover and adventure seeker. The other two are still a bit skittish, but cat trainer Dave is working on that. Come on and share the love.

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France Overview in Pics

The last of my French posts...I promise! Click on the pic for a pretty good cross section of our trip through the Normandy Area, Mont St Michel, the walled city of Carcassonne, The Loire Valley and a few other stops along the way. Take a peak at France or you can wait for the trials and tribulations of our quirky lives in Doha to continue in future posts. Later!

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Flavors of France

This post is dedicated to my brother-in-law, Larry, who thinks
all we did is eat while vacationing in France.

Well, duh!

Homemade pear tart (among other goodies) at bed & breakfast,
Les Haut in St Jean Thomas

Wild Boar Stew ~ Tortellini

Tiramisu ~ Croque Madame

Chili Con Carne ~ Nachos

Bread Pudding ~ Roasted Shrimp & Paella

Ham dinner ~ Duck & Pork Stew






Chocolate Caramel Crepes ~ Oops double posted pic!






Champagne & Pizza Dinner ~ Creme Broulee

Bon Appetit!

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The Chateaus of the Loire Valley

David and I spent our last couple of days in France driving through the Loire Valley to check out some of the beautiful chateaus in the area. It was pretty surreal walking through 15th century castles imagining the lives that their residents led. It's just mind boggling to me to think about how such tasks were undertaken without today's modern machinery and technology.

Chateau de Chenonceau

Chateau de Chambord ~ Chateau de Villandry

Chateau de Chaumont ~ Chateau d' Usse

Gardens at Chateau de Villandry

Couple celebrating their wedding at
Chateau Chenonceau

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