Sorry it's been a while since my last post. We've been staying busy with work and weekend gatherings. As for work, it looks like next week is my last week as the Community Liason lackey at the Embassy. I've got my hat in the bowl for a Consular Clerk position, which will give me room to move to the Consular Associate, which would involve me going to DC to take a month-long course at the Foreign Service Institute. I've also got my hat in the bowl for an Assistant General Services Officer (a/GSO), which will pay almost double of what I'm currently making, so keep your fingers crossed for me!
Brian has been VERY busy with work. Secretary of State John Kerry came to the Embassy last week. He was responsible for the plane. It was actually Air Force II (For the VP), but when he's not on board, it is called something else. He worked his lilly-white off, as did I. I was responsible for the Meet and Greet with the Embassy staff. You will not believe how detailed these peeps are. I had to ensure that his water glass was 3/4 full, water at room temperature and poured exactly 3 minutes before his arrival. WATER. This was not by his request, but his staff. There are more examples, but my blood pressure would increase just thinking about them. Everything went off without a hitch. I was then responsible for the "Wheels-Up" party the day after he left. It was a great time...a ton of work, but people had fun and ate a lot of food. I made 70 hamburger patties...not seven....seventy!
Our backyard is FINITO and it is fabulous. I could sit out there all day and night, but I would look like a brown snowman with the amount of wind/dust we've been having the past week. It's pretty chilly, to me anyway. I am officially a weather-wuss. I get cold when it's in the 70's now. I guess the 130 degrees in the summer will wussify someone. I digress. Brian did a fabulous job on the yard and now our neighbors are jealous! A friend of mine saw our yard and put her husband to work on theirs.
We are in the final stages of planning the backpacking Euro-trip. As of now, we are going to: Munich (Germany), Salzburg (Austria), Venice (Italy), Sirmione (Italy), Geneva (Switzerland), renting a car and driving through the alps to Zurich (Switzerland) and back to Munich to return to Doha. Sirmione is so rad. It is this little peninsula in a lake in northern Italy. Google it. Be jealous. In Salzburg, we are going to see "trick" water fountains and we are going salt mine caving. There is also a casino there for my poker-playing hubby. In Venice, we are going to eat and drink and ride gondolas. Sirmione has a bad-ass castle that is half-way in the water...it's so cool! Then we are training to Geneva where Brian is hell bent on renting a convertible sports car (not my idea) and driving through the alps to Zurich. It's pretty exciting and expensive. We haven't even gotten there yet and have already spent too much on lodging and airfare, but we have to do it while we are here and have the chance, right? Credit cards be damned!
What else....OH...big news in Doha. We now have an IKEA. They invited the whole country to the grand opening...seriously, the WHOLE country. I avoided that area like the plague. That's all the excitement happening here.
Everyone keep in touch and know that we miss you!!!
