A few other shots from my surprise visit home this winter


I hid in a giant box to surprise my sister


hugs


my nephew can now run around and say 'uh-oh'


i played uno with bambi, she's a real card shark


i got my dad and brother 'gudtras' for christmas


a ton of soft balls for my nephew


and a personal sized hookah for carey


i didn't realize they keep the fountain running in mirror lake (at forest lawn) during winter


i think this one is pretty

feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, come on peeps, it's torpedo time!


down the hatch


(e:vincent) and (e:theecarey)


ball dropping master (e:paul)


the countdown


(e:metalpeter) tag team


(e:matthew) excitedly discussing education of little people


climbed to the rooftop via secret hatch, which exhausted (e:terry)


and made (e:kookcity2000) want to sing


i ripped a giant hole in my sweatshirt so had a little help climbing back down to avoid further wardrobe fatalities


Several peeps turned out of a last minute goodbye dinner at JP Bullfeathers. Just prior to it, (e:leetee) did my hair. I was in desperate need of a trim and fresh colour. Thank you everyone for coming out. I enjoyed the beer and company very much!


good times


the gel looked like pumpkin snot


guests (e:drew) and (e:janelle) left too soon for the group shot


as did (e:libertad)


the gang (and yes we're squatting to fit the photo)

I was going to post my new year photos but this is much more important. Mark your calendars folks, today in Doha, it RAINED. It rained ALL DAY LONG!!! I was so excited. I just stood out there looking toward the heavens letting it fall gently on my face. It's the very first day in my 7 months in Doha that I didn't have to wear my sunglasses.


my car is relatively clean now


this is why i had to buy a 4x4. this is an example of a road 'diversion'. they simply close the road where they need to do work and let you off road around it.

So the sandstorm lasted quite a while. Take a look at my car (sorry, she hasn't revealed her name to me yet).



I've been on duty since the night I returned. Thankfully most students are still away on vacations so it's pretty quiet. It's also very cool outside! We're between 60-70 now that 'winter' has officially blown in with the northern winds. People here are bundled up like north pole expeditioners!

I'm just wrapping up Zelda: Twilight Princess. In the beginning I honestly didn't like the idea of running around as a wolf, but it got better once you could transform at will. Just going round collecting all the hearts and bugs for extra padding before I meet the big boss.

I've also been using my down time to GREATLY enjoy watching La Femme Nikita, as in the tv show that used to air on USA. I loved that show so much, hence my code name Nikita for all spy missions. I finally own the entire series and I vowed to wait until I did before I began watching any of them, so I could enjoy weeks of unending joy. Weeks of espionage, betrayal, treason, 'cancellations', psychological warfare, and of course, the beautiful Michael played by Roy Dupuis. Mmmm.

Just desserts everyone, karma likes it sweet!

After a 1 hour delay in Buffalo, a 6 hour layover in D.C., a 12 hour plane ride, and 2 hours waiting for luggage that didn't come...I'm home. I arrived safely in Doha this evening and was greeted with my first major sand storm. It's crazy out there!

I promise I'll post photos soon and write much more but I'm exhausted and really want to sleep. Happy New Year everyone, it was so wonderful to see you :)

It was wonderful to see everyone at the party last night! It was hard keeping my visit a secret but I wanted to surprise as many people as possible. I got to see the friendly faces I knew would be there, meet a few new faces, and a few faces I didn't expect to be there.

However, BOO on all you peeps who's faces weren't there!!!

I'm in the country a few more days so I'd like to do something. Maybe a peep dinner on Thursday? Does that sound good to anyone?

I really missed you all and it brought me a lot of joy to see you again, spend time with you, and I especially loved the hugs :)

Happy New Year estrip!

On the eve of each new year we often reflect on our lives. As I do this dear e-strippers, I wish you joy that never ends and happiness with all your family and friends.

Where were you when 2007 began?
At PMT's in Ab Fab gear

Who were you with?
everyone

Where will you be when 2007 ends?
Unkown

Whom will you be with when 2007 ends?
Unkown

Was 2007 a good year for you?
Very. Probably the single most growing year of my life. I battled depression, graduated again, landed a dream job, bought a new car, traveled, and learned a lot about how strong I really am.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Stepping on the plane in Buffalo that would start my journey to my new home. It was scary and exciting like I've never known before.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Being told I wasn't worth knowing.

Did you reach your New Year 2007 goals?
I crossed off almost everything on my list!

Did you fall in love in 2007?
No.

Did you breakup with anyone in 2007?
Friends, yes.

Did you make any new friends in 2007?
Yes.

What was your favorite month of 2007?
May

Did you travel outside of the US in 2007?
Canada, Qatar, Turkey and Greece

How many different states did you travel to in 2007?
Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2007?
Yes.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
EVERYBODY

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2007?
Death at a Funeral (it's hysterical)

What was your favorite song in 2007?
She's my ride home by Blue October

What was your favorite album in 2007?
Well, what I listened to the most was Black Parade by My Chemical Romance

What was your proudest moment of 2007?
Being offered a great job just 3 hours before graduation.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?
Falling for a 'line' when I knew it was a lie.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?
I'd make sure I had more than 2 day's notice to pack up my life and move half way around the world!

What are your goals for 2008?

Visit family and friends around Europe
Paint my apartment
Get much better at guitar
Go camping in the desert
Go duning - weeee
Get open water SCUBA certified
Travel to Singapore, Cambodia, and China
Don't make assumptions
Always do my best
And try not to take things personally!

Happy Christmas everyone! I hope you had a lovely time which ever way you spent it. Some of you may have received little gifts from me. My dad graciously played santa and made a few deliveries on my behalf. Much cheaper to send one package and buy my dad some gas than individual mailings.

Carey will be delivering my secret santa gift to the new year party. SO, dear secret santa - you can just give my gift to her at the party and she will give it to my parents who will send it along my way :)

I have a mouse in my house. I found it quite ironic that I had just finished watching "Ratatouille" when I discovered him. I now call him Little Chef, though I doubt he'll start cooking for me. I have to go shower now and head for bed. Nighty-night.

My new car. The first car I've ever owned in the same decade it was made. In fact, it's still in the same year it was made! If you've known me in the last 15 years, you know I've kind of always driven a pile of shit held together with duct tape, bungee cords and bolts in wrong places. It feels grotesquely grown up to own such a new vehicle, but it was rather necessary in this place.