We're Back On

Well, I am finally going to start updating this thing again. Bad me...no updates since July!!!

So...here we go...

Chad, the kids (Nicholas and Joshua) and I have moved to Doha, Qatar and love it here! I understand that we are in for a hot summer where daily temps in the 110's-120's is the norm, but there are tons of malls where we can go to cool off so that is good. Today, it is raining. The first real rain I have seen since arriving here in November. I tried to take the kids out and ended up coming back home. I got to the mall, got out the stroller and parked it between 2 cars hoping the kids would get the least wet that way. Well, they have covered parking here, but apparently where I parked the covering didn't have the ability to keep out the rain. By the time I got out and got my stroller out and Nicholas in it, Joshua's seat was soaking wet with puddles of water so I stuck the kids back in the car and went back home. I will say this...these people tend to drive pretty safe (mostly) in the rain...and they hate puddles. Probably the safest outing since I have been here.

Phone's ringing so I gotta go.

WonderBoobs

Chad had some friends come in town last weekend. It was a GREAT time. I took them to the airport Monday morning and was witness to something I thought I would never see.

So, there we were driving in the car and we see a couple of women walking along the street on the sidewalk. I glance over and see a boob. Yep, you read that right...a BOOB...as in tit, booby, breast, jug, whatever you choose to call it...there it was in plain sight for all to see. And what do you suppose was attached to this boob but a baby!! Yes!!! This woman (looked like a gypsy) was walking down the street, chatting away with her friend, and nursing her child. The poor kid looked like he/she was barely hanging on. But this woman seemed unphased. She held the kid with one hand and carried on with business as usual. And please don't get me wrong, I was in no way offended by this display of motherhood...just a bit shocked to see it walking down the street. I am actually quite envious of the lady. When I was nursing Nicholas, I had to have my stacks of pillows, shirt completely undone, boobs hanging out everywhere, and trying with all my might not to scream out in pain. There is absolutely no way I could have done what this lady was doing. Cheers to her...and her boobies!!!

A New Job Opportunity???

I was at Metro (like a Sam's/Costco) today doing a little shopping. My Mom and her girlfriend, Karen, went out to load up the Passat while I stayed behind to pick up a few tasty sweet pastry treats. When I finally made it out to the car there was a guy in uniform talking to the gals. I saw money pass hands and thought "What happened? Did I park in a reserved spot? Did we do something wrong? Why are we (I say "we" but really mean "they") paying him??? When I get to the car the gals are laughing as the guy walks off. "What happened?" They proceed to tell me that one of the items fell off the shopping cart. The guy in uniform was "being nice" and brought it over to them because the fall went unnoticed, and he wanted money for his "good deed" (really he wanted the money to get himself a cup of coffee)!!!! He whipped out a 10,000ROL bill (probably like 30 cents), and they played stupid for awhile but eventually gave in and gave him a 10,000ROL bill. Now I realize that 30 cents is not going to put any one of us in the poorhouse, but it is the idea that this guy actually asked for money for his "good deed". And he probably only asked for 10,000ROL because that was all he had in his pocket. I guess it's a good thing there wasn't anything bigger in there. So, after awhile of reflection, I thought that I could make some money using this guy's idea. Maybe he isn't so crazy afterall. I mean, think about it. How many times have you dropped something out of your shopping cart or left an item at the checkout only to realize it AFTER you get home when it is too late to do anything about it??? I could scope out the checkouts and parking lots, pick up dropped and left behind items, and then give them back to the rightful owners for a small fee. I bet it would add up quickly and before you know it I could run over to Starbucks and get myself a latte without spending a dime of my own money. Not a bad plan...

A True Romanian Driver

I feel like a real Romanian driver. I went to the school where I am working/volunteering and there was really nowhere to park. So...what did I do?? I parked ON THE CURB!!! Yep. I took up the entire sidewalk. It may seem silly, but I was really proud of myself. I also drove through the center of town which is very busy with all sorts of craziness going on. And I did a marveolous job, if I do say so myself. I feel like I am really getting the hang of this driving thing around here. Now, I will just have to remember to take off my Romanian driver's hat when I go home. I am pretty darn sure they won't appreciate me parking on sidewalks and going down roads where cars just aren't allowed.

Strange But True

I was getting a taxi to go home today when I saw the most bizzaar thing...a guy was getting in a taxi with 2 dogs. And do you know where the dogs went??? IN THE TRUNK!!!! Yep...the guy put both of his dogs in the trunk fo the taxi. And these weren't even small dogs (not that that would make it any better). One dog was a chow chow and the other was a I dunno what (maybe a mix). So I made up my mind right then and there that I would NEVER take a taxi with my Buster Bear. Can you imagine me stuffing him in the trunk of a car?!?!?!

Sidewalk Short-Cut

Went to run some errands with my mom today. It was raining and generally yucky outside. When we were finished we hopped in a taxi. The poor taxi driver kept trying all of these short cuts, but everytime he ran into more traffic. So, in a last ditch effort, he decided to cut through this small street, which ended, so he went up in this building parking area (or what looked like a parking area...but it wasn't), that too ended, so he drove on the sidewalk!!! And the really weird thing is that the pedistrians weren't phased by this!!! They just simply stepped to the side to let us by. And when there was a break in the parked cars on the street, he got off the sidewalk and proceeded to take us home.

I decided that one day I will drive around with my video camera and really get a good perspective of all teh crazy stuff that goes on around here. It's crazy and nobody at home will really believe or understand what I am talking about if they don't see it for themselves.

Spring Cleaning

I am actually recycling this bit of info...I used it for the women's club monthly newsletter I write/organize/put together. I got some pretty nifty tips from friends. So, read on and GET CLEANING!!!!


Aaaaaahhhhhh...spring is in the air. Birds are chirping, trees are getting green, and flowers are blooming. And with spring comes SPRING CLEANING. Time to throw open those windows, clean out those cupboards, and unpack those summer clothes. I love the spring. It’s not yet hot like summer, but it isn’t cold anymore either. So, in honor of spring and spring cleaning, I have decided to devote this issue to cleaning tips. I know I could always use a good tip for getting streak free windows.

* For those having problems with ants in their home, a tip Amy Ciortea learned last year is to sprinkle powdered cinnamon around where they are coming in and leave it there. You can also put some cinnamon sticks around the house. Ants don't like cinnamon... and they will avoid coming inside. Yes, this does mean you have little piles of cinnamon from time to time, but it also means your house smells great and you don't have any crawling creatures all over your furniture, etc. (if you live in an older house like I do and they come up through the floorboards you can just sprinkle cinnamon on the floor and sweep it into the cracks!)

* If you have a scratch on a piece of wood, take a Brazil nut and rub it on the scratch. The nut will imbed itself in the scratch and eventually turn the color of the wood. No more scratch!!

* For streak-free windows and shower stalls, take 1/4-1/2 cup white vinegar and mix it in a bucket half filled with water. Pour solution in a spray bottle for easy application. Spray on glass or shower stall and wipe clean with newspaper or a cotton rag. You can also use a mixture of dishsoap and water.Good-bye streaks...hello sunshine!

* Do your walls need cleaning? Mix 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda. Dip in a cotton cloth and wash away the dirt and grime on your walls.

*And we all have that pesky limescale on our sink and shower taps. To get rid of it, mix water and vinegar in a plastic bag. Tie the bag over the tap with a rubber band. Bye-bye limescale!

So there you have it...a few helpful tips to jump start your spring cleaning. Good Luck!!!