Whoa, Speed Racer, Whoa!

New Cameras, I've been told
They're popping up around town. The new "smart" camera, that is. Technology is about to put a big clamp on the speed games drivers play along the roads of Qatar. We currently have standard radars set up all over Doha, but the problem is that either people are warned with a "surveillance ahead" sign or they've already read the updates on where all the cameras are located. So, the procedure a lot of drivers follow is spot the camera, slow down until they're out of the "flash" range, and then speed back up and go on their merry way. Not so fast Speed Racer, that's all fixin' to change. These new handy dandy smart cams calculate your average speed between cameras and decide if you are the lucky recipient of a brand new ticket. For a way better explanation of how these newfangled devices work, check out Mr. Q's post on the subject. I can already envision what some of these young crazy drivers are conjuring up in their minds to beat or more like mock the system. Let's see, clear the radar at the established speed, put the peddle to the metal for a while, slow down to do a few donuts, then approach the next camera at the exact time it calculated that they should lawfully arrive. Skills, baby, skills. Trust me, it's not that far fetched.

Go, Speed Racer, Go

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A Day on the Green

David and I rode out to Doha Golf Club to check out the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters that's in full swing right now. I don't really keep up with golf too much unless your name is Tiger, and truthfully I probably know more about his private life these days than his golf stats. A few of the players are names are vaguely familiar to me, but that's about as far as it goes. Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Ian Poulter, and Alvaro Quiros (winner from last year) are a few of the names on a very long list of players. If you are a true golf fan, it's definitely a great venue to check out. The weather was absolutely gorgeous today which made it perfect to stroll around the grounds even if you're not a fan. There were food booths, various vendors, sleek BMW's on display, and just a festive atmosphere in general. Admission is free, so you might want to check it out in the next two days. Oh, and it is one of the few spots in the area that you can get a cool brewski, if your heart so desires.









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The Boys are Back in Town

Correction, they were back in town. I'm talking belatedly about a Christmas visit to my dad, from my boys, Shea and Dustin, along with their cousin, Kennie. I ran across this picture while trying to put together some resemblance of order to all my photo files and realized that I had never shared it with mom as promised. Since I'm always spewing girl stuff, I guess it's time to give the boys their due (besides it gives me a good opportunity to jam to a little Thin Lizzy). "The boys" were all born within a twelve month period, ensuring that "PaPa" was spread pretty thin traipsing from field to field for many a ball game. Dad was always so proud of them and still is. Ditto.

Kennie (top), My dad, Shea, and Dustin

The Boys are Back in Town ~ Thin Lizzy

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Venus, Come Down from Mars

Oh, Venus. What were you thinking, girlfriend? Tennis great Venus Williams decided to show off her self designed court duds at the Australian Open that is currently in play. Speaking only for myself, I think it's pretty raunchy. Is she playing a game or providing a faux peep show for the fans? Maybe she was just jealous of the latest American Idol "Pants on the Ground" fervor and decided to join in. Get your pants off the ground, Venus, and play ball.

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Have Money Will Travel

I briefly visited the Doha Trade Fair yesterday on its closing day. It wasn't really my cup of tea as it was throngs of unruly people looking for a bargain. For those that don't live here and haven't had the pleasure of walking through crowded malls or public areas, it is up to you to yield the right away or risk bodily injury. No "excuse me, madame", no apologies, just God given rights to bulldoze you over. I yield, no more. I stop, I plant, and I pray that my shoulder wins out. It somehow gives me self satisfaction to know that I didn't flinch. David doesn't appreciate my steadfast stubbornness to stand my ground. He's like, "just move and get over it". I shan't. Sorry, this wasn't meant to be a post about the lack of respect for each others personal space, but thinking back on my outing somehow got the best of me.

I was just meaning to report my positive experience upon leaving the trade fair. I witnessed an ATM on wheels that I found to be quite innovative. Personally, I've never seen one and maybe I've been under a rock, but I thought what a great idea. The mobile money seemed to be very popular as there was a steady stream of customers taking advantage. Cha-ching.



O'Jays-For the Love of Money

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Best Wishes Jeff and Erin

It's off to work day, but I'll leave you with what I thought to be an ingenious and entertaining wedding invitation via Youtube (Thanks, Mer). No, I don't know these people, but I'd venture to guess they would be a lot of fun to hangout with. The video is only a few minutes long and I promise it should, at the very least, put a smile on your face. Pour yourself a cup of java and enjoy Jeff and Erin's story...



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Post With Care

Since I've learned a few things from photographer, mentor, friend, and employer, Sherry, I decided to download a free trial of Photoshop for my own personal fun when bored. I posted my very first creation on daughter, Kayla's, Facebook page, whom by the way did not share my enthusiasm for my masterpiece. Her comment on my post:

While searching for her quote for this entry, I found that Kayla, had indeed, removed the picture from her "wall" herself. That little fact did give me pause about posting it on my blog, since she has been known to "defriend" me in the past for overstepping my boundaries in her Facebook world. It's a fine line, my friends, but with her blessings and permission I am free to post the following.

Kristi, Rafa Nadal, & Kayla sharing Tea at The Ritz

Ok, so maybe he wasn't really right there at that exact point in time, but he could have been.

Probably the difference between man and the monkeys is that the monkeys are merely bored, while man has boredom plus imagination.

~Lin Yutang

I'm no monkey...that's my story, and I'm sticking to it ;)

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Yaba Daba Doooo!

I can't keep the theme song from the Flintstones from popping into my head every time I pass this street sign next to our villas. With a little dyslexia, I can actually hear Fred belting out his famous "Yaba daba dooooo!". Streets signs are a fairly new phenomenon in Doha. Once upon a time, there was only a sprinkling of them, but they are popping up all over town. People usually give directions around here according to landmarks, such as Decoration Roundabout, Cholesterol Corner, The Clam, Immigration Roundabout, etc. No one would know what you were talking about if you actually interjected a street name into the conversation. My personal favorite given direction is..."turn by the mosque". Yeah, right. Good luck with that one.



Here's a bonus clip that is a real blast from the past. After I typed yaba daba do, a very old commercial came to my mind. Remember Brylcreem's slogan, "A little dab'l do ya."?




Theme from The Flintstones

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...And There it Goes

On my way home from work (that four letter word that I LOVE) the other day, I noticed that another beautiful Doha sunset was in the works. I snapped pics all the way home never finding that perfect vantage point. Forget the fact that I was negotiating turns and roundabouts while clicking away. Doha is not exactly "navigational" friendly, as there is no such thing as just making a turn here and a turn there to get to where you think you might land. It's complicated and hard to understand the process if you don't live here. After three years, I still don't understand it, but
I am just a bit directionally challenged to begin with. Anyway, if you haven't been stepping out of the house at sunset, you may want to do so.





Here Comes the Sun~The Beatles

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Greetings, Dear Mom!

Happy Birthday, Mom. Do something you never get to do...kick back, relax and enjoy!

Pic from my recent visit to Texas...it's me and my mom doing what we do best together. Eating out!



Texas Roadhouse


Mini post:

It's time for that semi annual weather report. Regardless of the few outbursts of frigid temps from the local newspapers, it seems that winter is passing us by this year. Yeah, we did bundle up for one of the evening tennis games, but I'd hardly call the breezy 65F it was that evening a visit from old man winter. So, the heaters that were passed on to us from expats gone by are still in storage waiting for a chance to strut their stuff. Trust me, I'm not complaining. With no heat in the villas to warm us if by chance the old man does make an appearance, it's not something I relish. Once the chill sets inside these concrete walls, it can take a while to warm up. So, let's keep these steady mild temps coming as long as we can.

Now, that's what I wrote in preparation of today's post. The following was added to the forecast this morning...

We shall see.

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