the past few weeks were chaotic...doing administrative stuff...awards, evaluations and such, kept me busy adminstratively that i was on the fence on whether or not to take my little R/R to Qatar as i did last time i was here. i know what to expect, so i didn't feel the NEED to go...it is just another army base in another arabic country...but i won't be working, so i decided to take the painful process of getting there and back, via military aircraft..and, as i expected, totally painful....the flight left at 0215..arrived at qatar on c17 at 0330, then a long wait to get off the plane...as i was freezing by the way, then another LONGER wait in the freezing cold tent in the hanger..then the painful wait at the gate to get onto the base..Yikes.

i started with a 2 mile swim, because the pool is nice. then a lot of hanging out and planning at tour the next day, to the inland sea picnic, which included a long ride to the sand dunes which we traveled in a suv to the beach where we hung out and yes, i swam. jumped in and took off...scaring the tour guides cuz they had no idea where i went! the arabian sea was somewhat clear, but no sea life, except a dead sting ray.

i also went on the doha city tour which was a lotta fun, and went to a few malls--which i don't really care for, but the villagio is just like the venitian in vegas, so that is cool, especially with all the men in man dresses running around...too funny.

i did get quite a few swims in here and there, and a 3 miler straight on sunday to see if i could do it...how boring in a pool.

then the horrific flight home! YUCK. battle rattle on cuz we are stopping in iraq...after a 16 hour ordeal, i made it back yesterday and slept the day away...

NOW, it is time to pack up..my relief, and good friend susan is coming to take MY PLACE, NEXT WEEK! do you think they would let me go home with the first wave...not on your life. so, after i turn over my job, and home and everything else, i will be a transient, living out of a suitcase till mid feb...doesn't that sound like a great way to finish up the deployment????
the only good thing, other than being homeless and jobless--my name is on the list to go cover for a PA in qatar for 2 weeks in january...sounds too good to be true--just waiting to hear the verdict, if not...i will be living in open bay transient berthing out of a suitcase and working in a TMC down at AJ--at least i can swim.....

now that the weather is cooling off dramatically, yes, i am wearing sweatshirts/pants and my black fleece coat..noa said we should get together one night and cook smore's....
the problem, getting marshmallows....i mentioned it to the post office guy, who lives out in town, and "poof" i had 5 huge bags of marshmallows on my desk the next day.
since we live next door to the fire department, we got a permit and a fire pit, and sat night we had a raging fire, roasted marshmallows and at smore's. i sat by the fire, while the guys either played volleyball or threw the football around....
a rather nice way to celebrate a holiday weekend.
i think we will try to do this more frequently...definitely new years!

another deployed thanksgiving for me!
unfortunately i had a lot of work to do and spent most of the day in the clinic.

i did get the opportunity to serve the troops in the dining facility which was fun, but they canned us after 30 minutes cuz we were toooo slow. we ate as a group, my staff--the ones that stayed behind as all the girls went to a spa/dinner at the hilton.
the dining facility was decorated like you would not believe...they made a life size crocodile out of pine apples...very creative stuff they did with food.

the best part of the day, was the swim i did that afternoon... 2 miles and tried to work off that turkey. nothing like mom's.