It's gettin hot in her'...

I try to stay positive on this blog, but let’s laugh about the desert weather before I decide that crying is a better option.

Lately the blog has been filled with non-Doha pictures.  This is because it is hot in Doha right now.  I don’t want to die, so we have been avoiding being outdoors when not submerged in a chilled swimming pools or the ocean.  (Cameras and water don't get along too well.)  We have been told that this summer has been mild temperatures.  That statement is terrifying.  Obviously when we decided to move to Qatar, we knew that the summer would be hot, but I’m not really sure we fully understood the meaning of the word HOT.  It is also now humid, which is just wonderful.  By wonderful, I mean your choice of swear word.

We returned home from Iceland to a dead car battery (because the heat kicked it's butt).  Apparently this happens often here so batteries are a hot commodity.  Since we live in a location which doesn’t manufacture car parts, that means they are extremely expensive.  The dealership wanted the offensive price of $550 for a battery so we walked in the boiling temperature to get a knock-off battery for a fraction of the price.  Any bets on how long this battery will last?

In summary, we have been boring.  Our largest accomplishment was finishing all the Breaking Bad episodes and I read three books.  We have been playing lots of board games and cards.  We will continue to shed tears as we read about the glorious weather in Kansas.  You jerks.

Happy birthday Megan.  I couldn't have picked a better sister.  Also, happy birthday to the grooviest 39 year old I know!  Big love Mom.

Seychelles

Today is the end of our Eid al-Fitr party.  Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan.  We observed the holiday in the Seychelles with our gamer friends (also known as the Canadians).

It was a quick five hour flight to beautiful beaches on the island of Mahe.

source

Beautiful beach proof: (I'm no liar)

We toasted to our first time in the Southern hemisphere.

Our sabbatical included:

1. Treking the Dans Gallas trail

There was only a slight freakout when this comrade was blocking the path.

2. Inspection of the Botanical Gardens

3. Tea plantation exploration

4.  Traversing the Anse Major trail to discover a white sandy beach

5. Enjoying the sunset

6. Ample relaxation.  We are now calm and ready for a two day work week.

Happy birthday Grandma Fran.  I hope you feel extremely loved.  Happy birthday Bobby.  Jonathon says he wants to run the gauntlet again.

Eid Mubarak

Thank you for your concern.  Jonathon and I feel very safe in Qatar.  The U.S. Embassies were already planning on being closed the end of this week and next week for Eid al-Fitr (the holiday following Ramadan).  So, the U.S. Embassies closed a few days early due to the threats.  Our office building will also be closed for Eid.  We are heading to the airport tonight to go on a planned vacation.  We will be out of the Middle East until the middle of next week unrelated to the threats.

Eid Mubarak!

End of Iceland

We had a final few tourist activities to ensure that we got the whole Iceland experience.  

1. First up, one last hike up a beautiful canyon.

And just so you know, Jonathon was very dedicated to getting you good blog photos.  These amazing photos might have caused Mom a  few minor heart-attacks.

2. Visiting a sod house.

3. Walking on a glacier.

4. Waterfalls, waterfalls, and more waterfalls (Seljalandsfoss and Skogarfoss)

5. Whale watching

 

We really enjoyed our time in Iceland.  We continued to be in awe of the great landscape and mother earth's power.  And that concludes our million and one Iceland photos.  Does anyone feel like they just sat through Uncle Milton's projector slideshow of family reunion photos?  I just get so excited and want to share everything with you.  Maybe next time we should all vacation together.