Ok I know where have I been? Really no where but around the house and DQ. Lets see we went to a new comers party at the ambassadors house and it was OK. I had 4 "Teas" A was sick so he only got soda. I think I was the oldest female and the only one without kids. Lots of little kids oh yeah my favorite. I did get to speak with some of the teen age girls going to the American school. They say its not that bad here to live you get together with your friends, go to the malls, bowling things like that. They say it actually easier being a girl than a guy because they can't go any where on weekends with just guy friends because they are not allowed in the pubic places without their mothers or older sisters. Sooo there you go Tanner you need your mommy to go to the mall, That is to keep the sexes separated from just hanging out. One never knows what kind of trouble you could get into in a public place with a girl.
 Lets see we visited car dealers a few times and I pimped myself to get help, I guess if you don't look like you have lots of money they don't help you. A is lucky I'll go up to anyone and talk. The sales guys were a bit surprised that I knew about cars and what we needed for the desert. I asked if I could test drive a car and the response was you husband may try it. Sucks The small exclusive dealer we visited had coffee and dates the larger one had nothing to offer not even a better deal so far. A wants me to go out alone, that means with a driver and check prices from one dealer to the next, that should be fun I'll take my camera A won't let me he with him he thinks I'll get in trouble.
I think it will be so boring here I'll have to get a job so I am applying for some at the embassy of course you will hear back till after Eid (feast of the sheep) soon for 10 days I'm told, so add a few days in the front and a few to the back and you have a holiday here. My guess maybe around third week in November oh wait then we have Thanksgiving.
No word on the new digs remember add a few days to the number that give you and wait.
We still don't have our local Dip ID's, it seems the photos taken at State HQ were to light and we need new ones. Yep just found out today what have they done for the last three weeks. So off to the photo place I go, painless quick even if we fudged a little on the time with the call to pray. Got them to the embassy but the guy left, I guess tired of waiting for me. My bad I should have not waited 25 minutes for the Embassy driver to came and get me, then of course the call to pray.........
Now I'm back home just got back from our two mile walk the dogs and I. We would be watching TV right now but the AFN satellite is out now for 20 hours, back to my book.
Two years is looking good.

Not much going on we went to the club at the Embassy thursday night and had a couple "Teas" and burgers. It was a dive, one I won't be soon repeating unless we go with a fun group. The burger was fine and the TEA was Germany so no complaints there, just to many FSN's with their gangs drinking TEA and smoking not a whole lot of people our age. I found a good market or I should say Tag my driver took me to a good market called the EuroMarket. It had a great selection of meats, veggies and fruits plus a nice arabic cookie bakery and it's open 24 hours a day. To night we went to a Birthday Party for someone in As office. It was so crowded I had a hard time meeting people, As boss is nice, the Ambassadors wife is nice and a handful of others seem as a whole ok. A few things planned for next week Jee-Haww.

A Monday

So we are now official we have our badges and belong to the Embassy club. I have signed up for Arabic lessons and plan to attend a few local shin-digs. I learned that you can't take photo's of anything military, security, government or places "you should be able to recognize them because you would want to go in that building" OK I'll keep that in mind when walking. Our original assigned housing will not be ready for at least 2-3 months so I got to choose from 2 other models, I went with the bowling alley plan. I'll give you a look-see when we move. A day without boredom was my new Saudi experience of the day. Tomorrow I am headed to a souk to get a scarf and buy some fruits and veggies. 

The real Arab sidewalk manhole covers. For some reason they seem to break often and are never replaced. These are made in the US by the Ford Water Box CO., might have to research this company. I think they are fakes and all the countries around here are getting ripped off with these faulting metal covers w/ no replacements. They make for fun walking at night thinking I'm on the sidewalk it should be safe.

 This portable boosting station for the local phone company STC is almost in my line of site but, I can't get signal in the temp house. Next to it is a much larger permanent one, it seems it can't do its job either. Note to self try another phone company that is after I get a phone.

There are beautiful manmade rock formations allover the DQ what they are or represent I have no idea.

A and I learned the hard way you CAN'T drive on the rock, dirt or gravel roads. A policeman stopped us and told A they were historic and we must ONLY walk on them. The poor cop left shaking his head  as usual we had no ID, no passports, no driver licenses (not that mine would count), and no national ID card, no dip badges. He could not identify us as real stupid Americans just took our word for it and said go home.

Last night A took the dogs for thier last potty and all three were attached by a killer kitten smaller than Pablo. It followed them to the corner and back, hissing, spitting and growling. I think it was a fake cat spybot so A should take a gun or knife or something and take it on tonight. Today I went on a walk to see the big Wadi here on the DQ with the dogs. My excitement for today, damm I must find something to do. Tomorrow be become official U S Embassy persons with badgers and now I'll be able to find out what's going on for those of us that don't work. A came home this evening and said there is a trip to the old souq this weekend--- sign me up I live souqs----- Say tuned for some souq photos will they be of Gucci, D&C, Prada and all the high end shops or will it be a smelly old area with lots of character and heaps of stuff all around with an adventure around every turn? I'll have to bargain for a good battery powered wall clock nothing keeps time except computers here????

 Duba Pablo and I headed for our favorite dirt mound to watch the sunset last night. The dogs guarded my spot for about 30 minutes waiting for the show only we watched. It was a good one I may have to do it again tonight. After the sunset I thought a short walk along the trail surrounding the DQ was a good idea. Three hours later, tired and thirsty we returned home, next time I take taxi money, a map, a cell phone and a GPS. I have only the taxi fair as yet so I might have to stick with the area surrounding our house that I know for now. I could have always flagged down a policeman but, I didn't want to admit I was lost and stupid enough not to know where I was. I could just see the report being sent to the Embassy about me and I'm not even officially there. A- arrived soon after my adventure we had dinner of his favorite eggplant dish. Then off to get a rental car with a driver, I grabbed my tent and A his wallet after a thirty minute ride we arrived at Avis Rental Car. Yep Avis not something exotic like Ali's fling carpets. They had a few cars to choose from and A picks a Toyota Camry automatic of course it's a big city with lots of traffic. I step into the car tent and almost got sick. The car as all cars at rental agencies are smoke scented. Our ride home included a stop at the gas station because the tank was empty and following the driver back to the DQ through all the rush hour traffic. A poster at Avis stated that seven of the eight years it was voted number one rental car agency in Saudi. I wonder who gets to vote? We returned home with our lungs feeling as if we had smoked a pack of cigarets. Ugh......................

Pablo

My Guard Dogs

Buba the Mighty

Fish for dinner tonight

Driver I need to go to.................  the Embassy and they told me to come back next Monday with my husband. *****,******,*****. So I made an eggplant casserole and rice for dinner. Not having happy thought about my government. The foreign employes have been very nice. Today I had about 20 light bulbs replaced from a nice guy who will have worked for the Embassy for 30 years in December. I wonder if he gets a watch and a plane ticket home?

                                                 Garage and front area of  temp quarters

                                   Needed a new water tank access in the bowels of the garage.

                                               Front door and window to the men's salon.

                                                   View to the left as you walk out.

                                                 A small mound of dirt viewing area.

                                                                Downtown view

                                              Entrance to one of many parks in the DQ.

                          I guess I'm the animal they are keeping on or are they keeping them out?

                                                            Big brother is watching!

                                                                        Grass

                                            What the backside of our duplex will look like.

 The front of it. The one on the right has screens so people can't look in and see a shadow of a woman.

                              Climbing walls are found on both of the big water storage tanks.

                                                              Stonehedge Riyadh