Where to begin...
I got a job. It is going to last at least 6 months. My BFF in Qatar is going home to have her bundle of joy and I'm taking over her position. She comes home, I believe, on New Year's Day, and will decide whether she's coming back full-time, part-time or not at all. My hope is that she comes back part-time so we can split the work. She's fabulous and we will be friends for a long time after this duty is over.
I hosted Emily's (the person mentioned prior's) baby shower a few weeks ago. All went well. Myself and my friends Stacy and Jenne hosted. Jenne had to go home to help out with her Father, but she was there in spirit. (At least, I drank spirits and pretended like she was there). :) It was a great time. I met a bunch of fabulous ladies and hope to see them all again soon. Half of them were from the UK, and I'm not sure who reads Facebook on here or not, but I SWEAR....those women can make anything trashy sound so exquisite. Literally. It's awesome. Trash = Rubbish. BS = Bollocks. Cigarette = Fag...well, maybe not that one, but you get the drift.
Brian and I are TRYING - that being the key word - to buy a car here. First we go to a car "lot." By car lot, I mean a gravel parking lot with a small garage that has 4-5 cars in it, the rest are in the parking lot. They are crappy. I mean...CRAPPY...dusty, dented...and this place has no idea of depreciation. Everything here is probably $1-$2k off of new-car price, used and 5 years old. So we go in...Brian found a truck that he wants. The salesmen (2 of them) tell us to sit down...mind you, we are in the middle of BFE in Qatar, so I'm not completely 100% comfortable. We walk in, the guy asks where we are from. Brian says, "We are Americans." Brian proceeds to ask him where he is from. "Syria." (I'm thinking...'Shit.') The OTHER guy says, "Well, that's not good." So, I'm staring at Brian thinking, 'Let's get out of here,' but we stay. He really wants that truck. The guys call the owner of the truck...he doesn't answer because he is napping. According to these salesmen, that is what Qataris do...nap. So we leave...YAY! We drive down the street to another dealership...see the exact same truck, make an offer and we are on our way. No offense to Qataris, but depreciation will help you sell cars, people!
I've been doing a lot of stained glass lately. I LOVE it and can't stop, so any requests, please send my way. I have, however, (I love you Nancye) been asked to create a Texas A&M piece. Blech...But I WILL do it since it's for my cousin. I have also been asked to do an OSU (Okalhoma State) piece that will be easy, but Brian says it's "not allowed." I made my friend Stacy one for her Bat Mitzvah. She just turned 50, but had never had the party, so a few of the girls from the Embassy gave her one. It was a blast. I am pretty sure I drank too much, but no one hated me the next day, so I'm assuming we are all still in love. :)
We have three kittens that have grown so much and are the picture of health. Joon, our Dachshund, could not stand them at first, but now she sits while all three of them love on her. I'm not kidding, the walk by her and rub on her like she were their Mother. It's adorable.
Brian has been working in the backyard, now that we have grass. It's hilarious because when we lived in the states, he never "wanted a yard," and now he fertilizes, waters everyday, etc. The grass has barely taken and he want to buy top soil to make it "even." Needless to say, we will have a beautiful yard when we have our own home.
So, it is now Ramadan. It is the Muslim holiday that lasts for a month. You cannot eat, drink, smoke, chew gum...anything with your mouth, from sunrise to sunset. If you are not a Muslim, you can do these things in your house, outside of view from the local population. We went to the Qatar Distribution Center (QDC) which sells pork and alcohol. Let me preface this with, people in Qatar are not allowed to drink alcohol or eat pork...there is a store for expats that sells both. We went the day before Ramadan started, because it will be closed for the month of Ramadan. There was a line outside of the door. You grab your cart, stand in line outside the store and you are in the line to check out. Way to celebrate your holy holiday, right? So, Brian stands in line and I run around the store throwing things into the basket. Just for comparison's sake...a CASE of Miller Lite is $55. Yeah. We spent 1055 QR...3.64 QR/$.
We are still trying to get our house together. Brian bought frames for every concert poster I have autographed. It was a LOT of money, but our house is much more awesomer (not a word) now that we have signed ZZ Top, The Shins, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, etc hanging on the wall in Qatar.
I also have to mention that the place we live, has a convenience store....it delivers. That is all. If I need eggs or sugar, that I would usually get from a neighbor....they will bring it to me. HOW COOL, RIGHT!?
That's all for now. I love you and I hope you are all doing well! Please keep in touch and let me know if any of you need/want any stained glass...that isn't opposed to UT. ;)
-Lauren
I got a job. It is going to last at least 6 months. My BFF in Qatar is going home to have her bundle of joy and I'm taking over her position. She comes home, I believe, on New Year's Day, and will decide whether she's coming back full-time, part-time or not at all. My hope is that she comes back part-time so we can split the work. She's fabulous and we will be friends for a long time after this duty is over.
I hosted Emily's (the person mentioned prior's) baby shower a few weeks ago. All went well. Myself and my friends Stacy and Jenne hosted. Jenne had to go home to help out with her Father, but she was there in spirit. (At least, I drank spirits and pretended like she was there). :) It was a great time. I met a bunch of fabulous ladies and hope to see them all again soon. Half of them were from the UK, and I'm not sure who reads Facebook on here or not, but I SWEAR....those women can make anything trashy sound so exquisite. Literally. It's awesome. Trash = Rubbish. BS = Bollocks. Cigarette = Fag...well, maybe not that one, but you get the drift.
Brian and I are TRYING - that being the key word - to buy a car here. First we go to a car "lot." By car lot, I mean a gravel parking lot with a small garage that has 4-5 cars in it, the rest are in the parking lot. They are crappy. I mean...CRAPPY...dusty, dented...and this place has no idea of depreciation. Everything here is probably $1-$2k off of new-car price, used and 5 years old. So we go in...Brian found a truck that he wants. The salesmen (2 of them) tell us to sit down...mind you, we are in the middle of BFE in Qatar, so I'm not completely 100% comfortable. We walk in, the guy asks where we are from. Brian says, "We are Americans." Brian proceeds to ask him where he is from. "Syria." (I'm thinking...'Shit.') The OTHER guy says, "Well, that's not good." So, I'm staring at Brian thinking, 'Let's get out of here,' but we stay. He really wants that truck. The guys call the owner of the truck...he doesn't answer because he is napping. According to these salesmen, that is what Qataris do...nap. So we leave...YAY! We drive down the street to another dealership...see the exact same truck, make an offer and we are on our way. No offense to Qataris, but depreciation will help you sell cars, people!
I've been doing a lot of stained glass lately. I LOVE it and can't stop, so any requests, please send my way. I have, however, (I love you Nancye) been asked to create a Texas A&M piece. Blech...But I WILL do it since it's for my cousin. I have also been asked to do an OSU (Okalhoma State) piece that will be easy, but Brian says it's "not allowed." I made my friend Stacy one for her Bat Mitzvah. She just turned 50, but had never had the party, so a few of the girls from the Embassy gave her one. It was a blast. I am pretty sure I drank too much, but no one hated me the next day, so I'm assuming we are all still in love. :)
We have three kittens that have grown so much and are the picture of health. Joon, our Dachshund, could not stand them at first, but now she sits while all three of them love on her. I'm not kidding, the walk by her and rub on her like she were their Mother. It's adorable.
Brian has been working in the backyard, now that we have grass. It's hilarious because when we lived in the states, he never "wanted a yard," and now he fertilizes, waters everyday, etc. The grass has barely taken and he want to buy top soil to make it "even." Needless to say, we will have a beautiful yard when we have our own home.
So, it is now Ramadan. It is the Muslim holiday that lasts for a month. You cannot eat, drink, smoke, chew gum...anything with your mouth, from sunrise to sunset. If you are not a Muslim, you can do these things in your house, outside of view from the local population. We went to the Qatar Distribution Center (QDC) which sells pork and alcohol. Let me preface this with, people in Qatar are not allowed to drink alcohol or eat pork...there is a store for expats that sells both. We went the day before Ramadan started, because it will be closed for the month of Ramadan. There was a line outside of the door. You grab your cart, stand in line outside the store and you are in the line to check out. Way to celebrate your holy holiday, right? So, Brian stands in line and I run around the store throwing things into the basket. Just for comparison's sake...a CASE of Miller Lite is $55. Yeah. We spent 1055 QR...3.64 QR/$.
We are still trying to get our house together. Brian bought frames for every concert poster I have autographed. It was a LOT of money, but our house is much more awesomer (not a word) now that we have signed ZZ Top, The Shins, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, etc hanging on the wall in Qatar.
I also have to mention that the place we live, has a convenience store....it delivers. That is all. If I need eggs or sugar, that I would usually get from a neighbor....they will bring it to me. HOW COOL, RIGHT!?
That's all for now. I love you and I hope you are all doing well! Please keep in touch and let me know if any of you need/want any stained glass...that isn't opposed to UT. ;)
-Lauren
