Sorry for the long dry spell (if you will). We got our container at the beginning of the month and we've been working on making this pile of cement blocks and cardboard boxes look and feel like home.
In a nutshell: Wow. What a difference a few rugs can make. We haven't got the pictures up and the kids' rooms are basically a disorganized jumble but other than that we're pretty well settled. I'll go on record here - I thought it was foolish to ship four beds halfway around the world to a fully furnished home. I was totally wrong. Sleeping in our own beds has been a godsend.
And for those who have been wondering, buying a car reasonably cheap in the US and shipping it over to the inflated Middle East hasn't been quite as good a deal as we had hoped. Finanically it's still worked out to our advantage, but it was a much, much, MUCH bigger hassle than we had anticipated. It slowed down receiving our container and took an extra week or so in customs (all because separate customs offices here handle cars and possessions). Then, just a few days after it finally arrived, just about when Daddy-O was finally beginning to breathe easy, the electrical system went kaput. Another week, a trip to the dealership, unknown costs, and hopefully he'll get it for good tomorrow. Insha'allah.
On the other hand, we could not possibly have predicted the ease with which we found and bought a used SUV. It's huge and black and previously owned by another American whose meticulous nature is well known. And you know the best part? On Friday the low fuel light went on so I filled it up for 56 riyals. That's about $15. Including tip for full serve. And the other best part? I can drive over curbs like a native. Yeah, baby.
What else? Rapid fire: the kids are all in school (photos coming any time now) and they admit to loving it there. Pretty much all our friends from last year were still here and we've been able to fall right back into those warm fuzzies. As an added bonus, there are heaps more kids in the compound now, which means I don't have to feel guilty for allowing my kids to totally monopolize one or two families' attention. We're halfway through the holy month of Ramadan. I've started cycling on Friday mornings with some amalgam of the group I enjoyed so much last year; it's actually worth waking up at 4:30 for. And I volunteered for the PTA board - Treasurer - and that's a whole nother posting. I haven't done a job search yet but geez, give me a break. Maybe once I get my residency card...
So what have you been up to?
