I have to begin today’s post saying mixed nuts are the most frustrating rip off ever.

Yes, I know I begin with quite a random left field thought, but I was thinking that a few minutes ago as I was digging through (yes, I am one of those gross diggers that am up to my elbows searching for the last macadamia) trying to find anything but a peanut.

Peanuts are okay and all, but they are no macadamia, or almond, or even cashew. Pretty frustrating. maybe I’m just buying a bad brand. All I get are peanuts. Yet another dork confirmation. Maybe I have mixed nuts on my mind because I have no healthy eating schedule and seriously need to get a job so I am not 10 feet away from the kitchen!

My legs are like stone today, however, because my sister and I did some new boot camp type exercises that she learned from cheerleading- making me hate all cheer coaches now.

No arresting prostitute excitement to talk about today, which in some sick way was sort of a disappointment. I really need to get out more.

Today was pretty boring, and my “Friday” evening has been just about the same. Will is a zombie come every Wednesday night and literally goes to bed around 7:30. The long days here are tiring, but it gets him ready for the weekend, so that’s good I guess. I am waking him up at 10:00 to check on his draft, and then I’m sure he’ll go back to the cave.

Well ladies, I am still hanging in with this fantasy football stuff! Will has three leagues going, two by himself and one with me. Ours is probably the weakest at this point, but a lot can change and we still have several more rounds to go- this is an exhausting hobby! Each person gets like 12 hours to draft each round, so it is a very long and excruciating process because some may use the full amount of time while everyone else is waiting- it is a one at a time thing so you ahve to wait on those in your league. I’m being confusing. Enough with the football stuff.

We booked the hotel and flight for our trip Saturday. Everything under the sun was booked so we are staying somewhere pricey, but we are just going to enjoy it and remember that in a few weeks I’ll actually have a paycheck and that will replenish our Christmas trip savings.

We had to make certain that there was a business center in the hotel before we booked it so Will can keep up with his draft, so maybe while he is spending some time doing that (with me cluelessy nodding to the random pick for our team), I’ll be able to post about all the fun stuff we’re doing. I am really getting excited about our trip. We are going to have to be frugal, but I still think there will be lots of interesting things to see. I have a book at all the things to see and do, so I think it will be fun.

I do hear that it’s stick to your clothes humid, so that is a bummer. I am already obsessing over the fact that I won’t be able to bring my straignthener because we can’t lug our huge converter with us- this will be bad. Beyond bad nay be the correct term. I will resemble Monica’s Diana Ross’ look when they took their trip for Ross’s convention thing. I’m sure our pictures will be quite humerous.

“Where is Will?”

“Oh, he is behind my huge afro.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah I see him now.”

Out of frustration I had to stop what I was doing and post.

Sort of a blah post today.

I guess I am obsessed now to the point where posting has become theraputic. Whatever the case may be, I had a headache starting to spread throughout my entire head and I had to stop and breathe and just vent in a post.

The last three months have been far from stressful in terms of having things to do, yet they have been stressful in other ways. I am learning how to deal with this kind of stress, but today I was confronted with “normal people’s” life stress and it was like, “What is this!?” I guess I’ve forgotten that sort of stress.

Welcome back.

Where do I start? The events don’t tie together, but I just felt like writing about them. They all don’t have to do with stress, but I guess that is how I’m how I’m feeling right so maybe I will start with that. Hmmm. Am I being confusing? Maybe. I apologize. I guess I just need to get a thousand things out and I don’t know where to begin piecing everything.

Okay.

Maybe I should start with last night. I have been totally void of “HEI” for the last 3 months. Let me clarify. HEI. Human Environment Interaction. My 7th grade geography teacher would have been proud that I actually remembered a concept. I’m sure all she remembers about me was that I used to flirt with William W. during class, and the very last day of school she had to separate us (I had a thing for Wills even back then). Well Mrs. K, I was listening. Anyway, my sister had old Mrs. K 7 years later and also learned the HEI concept. We had a talk about it yesterday and I was like, “That is IT! This is my problem.”

Human Environment Interaction makes the world go round and I have never been more void of it in my life. Seriously, if anyone came over to visit me tomorrow I would probably attack them with excitement. I’m not joking. I don’t think I would behave myself. I’d probably be going a million miles a minute just because I had someone out of my micro sphere of interaction- my sister- to talk to. I would probably scare a guest with being over-friendly and over-bubbly and overly everything.

Anyway, because my last few months have been different than anything I’ve ever known, and because I love being around people and haven’t, I have become clingy to Will (Agh! All men around the world have heard me say the “C“ word and run the opposite direction screaming in a high pitch shrill) This just stared to happen over the last 2 weeks. I don’t know if its because I know i have a job and am so anxious to start but haven’t been able to so I gotten edgy or what the deal it.  I don’t really know the right way to explain how I’ve been, but it’s even annoying me!

I get so glad that he is home and I want his full and total attention because for me, he is pretty much the 2nd person I’ve seen all day, but he has interacted with tons of people throughout the day. He wants to spend time with me, but he doesn’t want to be mauled with a million questions and the Spanish Inquisition of ALL details,

“How was your day!?”

“What did you do?”

“What did you have for lunch?“

“How many times did you go to the bathroom?“ and everything else (okay, so I don’t as the bathroom thing, but if I don’t get myself together this question could be included in the repertoire).

I don’t do this to be annoying, but it feels like I was apart of the day he had, and not sitting around all day totally bored watching Roseanne.

I know the way to fix this is for me to start working and to get out of this apartment and be able to have a “normal” schedule with normal HEI, but until then I really have to stop with the annoying stuff.

I have become so naggy to Will because it’s like I expect him on his best behavior and I am so sensitive if he doesn’t want to answer questions or he doesn’t seem as excited to see me as I am to see him. I have to realize that I am so giddy because he is my second HEI all day. He has had lots of HEI interaction and simply wants me to sit by him and relax a little.

Anyway, last night was bad. i was being sensitive about something and I don’t even remember how everything escalated, but we got in an argument and Will told me how he had been feeling- as if I didn’t already know-like I said I’ve been annoying myself for the last 2 weeks. I felt terrible.

He had gotten a box a 1983 football cards in the mail and was so very excited to open them with me (because this is a set we are collecting together), and I had to ruin the night.

I really did. I felt so bad.

I started crying and we talked and Will pretty much told me that I had to SHOW him that I was sorry and I couldn’t just say it. He is right. I felt yucky, but Will thought we shouldn’t focus on that stuff and should open our cards since we were looking forward to it for a few weeks now.

It was so awesome. talk about nostalgia. We bought 83 because it is my birth year and we are looking to by an 80 for Will. They were OLD cards, but it was so cool to open up a never been opened box of 22 year old cards with Bazooka gum still in the package.

Yuck.

Of course, I’m a weirdo and had to try this 22 year old gum. It turned to crap and powder in my mouth. Does that mean that since I’m 22 I have terrible taste and fall apart at the sight of trouble? You’d think during these last couple of weeks that was true! I really need a job! I’m ready to feel like my goofy, crazy (in a good way… if that is possible) self again.

The night was fun after that, seeing if we would pull any famous people and just the idea tht these were “historic” cards. It wasn’t as great as it should have been, but I’m glad it wasn’t totally ruined.

I really have to get some HEI in my life. I need to be able to be my friendly self and just smile to other people other than my sister!

I just want to get some HEI!

Well, I’m getting what I wish for.

Praise the Lord.

Unfortuately, it’s not going to be as easy as I had hoped. I got a letter from my recruiter and I have to leave the country so I can get my working visa. Will and I get to take a trip! Yay. The concept sounds exciting, but I’m afraid it is going to be stressful up until we get on the plane, and maybe even a little during the trip. We found out about having to take this trip last week, but weren’t able to make plans because we didn’t know when they would give me the go to leave.

So we have 3 days to plan a trip.

So many of the hotels are booked, and the ones that are available are out of this world. We didn’t get a chance to plan and save for this trip, so it has been a stressful afternoon. I’ve been searching endlessly for hotels where we are going only to be seriously disappointed. I feel bad because I know Will is stressed about everything and plus he has to ask off work last minute. On top of that, Will’s fantasy drafts started today and I know he is worried that we won’t be able to find a place where we can get on a computer to draft and stuff. I don’t need to tell you girls again how much of a priority that stuff is! (I did find an internet cafe online, hopefully it’s legit and he can draft and I can post a quick note of all the things I’ve seen) It just doesn’t feel like much of a trip right now. It seems more like a headache!

We had been saving Will’s living allowance for plane tickets back home for Christmas, so that wipes that account out! Sort of a bummer, but that is life. I hope tomorrow I will have more optimistic news, because we will have to book a hotel by tomorrow morning. I think once we secure a place, even though it’s organ donor expensive, I will feel a little better. I think it will be really great to get to see another place in the Middle East, so I just need to stay positive and enjoy time away with Will- God knows I need it and that I need some HEI.

So thats why I had to stop what I was doing. Last minute hotel searching in an expensive place- there is no fun in this.

As for some other news, we actually had some excitement in our area this morning! Okay- we do not live in the ghetto, but this story will probably make it sound like it. There is a decent amount of quiet prostitution and affairs and stuff that go on in this country, which is totally illegal.( yet the Kuwait orphanages are over flowing because so many Kuwaiti men sleep with their Filipino maids or store workers and they have to give up their child for adoption and the guy never gets caught. It’s all about wasta- or power).

I’ll tell you how little they tolerate indecency: 2 American employees were making out in a company car in the back of their apartment compex- it wasn’t in a crowded area or anything. Anyway, 4 cops dragged them out of their car, arrested them, and deported them back home. So, as you can see there isn’t much tolerance- even for some teenage-necking adults.

Every now and then you will read in the paper that they busted some TCN traffiking ring and stuff. Today we had a tiny little arrest at our complex! Its amazing how exciting things can seem after you sit in an apartment all day. The housing Nazis were doing inventory this morning, so my dad was home later than usual this morning. He got a call from a friend telling him to go out to the balcony. We go out and hear this deafening screaming. 2 police men had managed to struggle two women (there were originally 7, but the others somehow scattered and got away) into their car, close the door, only to have them to escape. They were chasing them, and the women were beating the cops and kicking them and yelling. They were laying on the ground and screaming hysterically. It was scary. My sister- sweet, empathetic soul- gets our camera out to capture the exciting “Keeping the Country Prostitution-Free” moment on tape.

From that moment on I can see the struggle and the fighting- which was totally weird- but all I can hear is my sister saying such Christian things like, “You slut!” and “I bet you were screaming like that last night!”

What a well-mannered, even-temered girl.

She does not get this yelling at those about to be arrested stuff from me!

I had to go in because I was afraid the cops were going to come after us next (I’m totally joking, they didn’t hear). I can’t do the story justice, you had to be there, but it was pretty crazy. The cop was doucing her with water and she was spitting on him and kicking him. I’m honestly surprised at how much restraint the cop showed. He sure did yell at her before he picked her up and forced her in the police car, this time for good. Oh the excitement. How sad.

Did I say I needed some HEI?

Yeah.

That’s evident.

Timing is everything.

I’ve heard this addage so many millions of times, but it really is true. I’m sure at one time or another we can say we are living proof of how timing is everything. From the moment we realized we wanted to spend forever with our husbands, to deciding it’s the perfect time to add another addition… for most people kids… for me a dog (at least now. Maybe in 27 years I will change my mind).

On a serious note I feel like I am having a never ending “timing is everything” moment in my life here in Kuwait. I know I have to wait on the Lord- His timing and not mine- because timing really is everything. I’ve messed up so many things by doing things at the wrong time.

My life is a big ball of wrong timing moments! Not ones that are bad really- just make for funny stories (though not so funny at the time) and embarrassing moments. Anyway, today the whole concept of timing is everything and playing the “what if” game gave my sister and I good laugh.

About 81% of our day is complaining about how fat we are. Okay- we are not fat, but this is the subject of the whole day for us. I think the reason we let the whole fat issue consume us is due to the fact that we are so lethargic. We are cooped up, sitting in the apartment all day and it is hard to feel like you’ve accomplished a lot of great things, even when we do go to the gym.

Anyway, that is the basis of today’s timing is everything story.

We talk about “fat” constantly (it probably doesn’t help that we make poor eating choices), it’s really annoying I’m sure. The new thing I’ve brought to the table is the idea that exercising in absolutely nothing but a sports bra would make you work harder to target those not so attractive areas- for me that means my butt, hips, and love handles. If only that could be possible. We joke a lot about how funny that would be… okay talk about intimate self disclosure with you guys… you thought I was crazy before, now you probably think I’m insane!!!!

Well, it gets better. You might just want to go back to the main page and read tomorrow’s post if you are thinking I’m crazy at this point because it only gets worse!

Today we were in nothing but little t-shirts looking at ourselves up close in the mirror and talking about all the things we need to work on at the gym. This was about a 15 minute conversation.

“Do you think I have a pear shaped body?”

“Look at how huge my hips are compared to yours!”

“Stand in front to me and see how far my hips protrude.”

Yes, I know. I am a dork. My 15 year old sister is going to be thinner than me. Deal with it Brittny.

Anyway, we decided to put our panties on to get ready to go to the gym (being that we had just had pizza for lunch… and I wonder why I feel chubby all the time...) and all of a sudden the doorbell rings! We freaked out.

We absolutely will not answer the door here when we are by ourselves because there should be no reason someone would be at our door and if there is, it is most likely a man. I was near the door, so I looked out our peephole and not only was it a man.. but there were 4 of them! I freaked out. I signaled to my sister to be quiet, put shorts on, and go to the kitchen, which is the farthest room of the house. We go there and close the door and all of a sudden the door opens!!!! These 4 men were in our apartment!!! I was hypervenhilating. I had shorts in the dryer (thank the Lord!) and threw them on and got myself together.

I knew I should have taken that stupid self defense class.

Do I get a knife?

Do I call Will?

My sister had my dad on the phone. The housing crew was supposed to come tomorrow and fix our AC, but NOT today! He thought that was who it might be.

MIGHT BE!? Great- so it COULD be normal working people doing their job, but it also MIGHT BE some crazy group of extremists!

I go out there a little flustered and the housing guy, the only American, shakes my hand and apologizes for the mix-up. The complex wrote the wrong day on the paper that was given to us, today was the day they were going to come… yeah, evidently!! I let them do their thing and my sister and I just stayed in the back room talking about, “what if he would have opened the door 5 minutes earlier!” He had the key- he could have just waltzed in! What a surprise that would have been. I can’t even BEGIN to think about the way I would have introduced myself to this guy that works at the same company as I will be working.

Yeah. That would have been realllll hot.

You think I would have learned the first time. This actually has happened to me before! Yes, this could only happen to me twice. You’ll have to look in March’s archives for that whole barge in on Brittny time number one. I guess old habits die hard.

Timing is everything.

Thank goodness today we were running early.

** ** **

A more tame subject you want? Okay. That’s fair.

My sweet Will won’t be home for a while tonight. His hair is super long and needs a cut. Every now and then I would go with him to his stylist back home, but women are stricly forbidden from a male’s “saloon” (isn’t that a funny name? I guess since alcohol is outlawed, that is the closest thing to a “bar” they have to get away and complain about stuff without women being around). Anyway, last time he went the guy attacked his face. Will was freaking out- it turned out to be a facial, but at first Will said he thought they guy was trying to break his nose. What a goof. I guess he must have liked it because he’s getting one again- and he used to say that was girl stuff. How funny.

I think I should just walk away from the computer now. I’ve done some real soul baring today .

Apparently we live in the armpit of the Middle East (gross analogy!).

Okay- minus Saudi, Iran, Iraq, and maybe a couple of others- we do.

I don’t know. Kuwait has some really cool places, but it also has some not so nice areas… maybe I’m being too generous. Anyway, my family’s trip to Qatar opened their eyes to the beauty that is in the Middle East- minus the humidy! They had a good time.

The Middle East is known for their gold and pearls, so my parents brought me back a gorgeous string of pinkish pearls with a matching pearl braclet. I can’t even really describe the color, but they are incredible. They also brought me a chunky amber charm. I have to get a necklace to put it on. That was a fun surprise.

Anyway, Qatar sounds awesome… for Middle East traveling that is- plus they have an Arby’s, so I’m already sold.

Qatar is hosting the Asia Games next summer, so there is all sorts of awesome construction and things to see. My parent’s got some really good pictures of everything.

I’m not sure where Will and I will go for my trip for a visa, but it sounds like any of the countries we were considering will be a good choice. It would be neat to see Qatar since my family just went there. If only things weren’t so freakin’ expensive over here!!! I do think, though, that the Qatari rial is a lot better than the Kuwaiti dinar.

Anyway, my family took this tour of the area and learned some pretty interesting stuff. Get this, it is totally legal there for a man to have up to four wives. However, he has to buy them all houses that are similar in price and they have to all live on the same street, and he has to have children with all of them (talk about desperate housewives!!). Then, if he buys one wife something he has to buy the other wives the exact same thing. If he spends a few days at one wife’s house, he has to spend the same amount of time at his other wives’ houses. If he doesn’t, a wife has the legal right to call up one of his other wives and ask if he has been over there. If he has been at another wife’s house but not hers, she can report him missing! Talk about some major drama!

I’m sure all men think they hit the jack pot- being able to have more than one beautiful and fertile wife.. ha ha, but I guess the joke is on them! I can just imagine what Will would think if he had to hear not one Brittny, but TWO Brittnys telling him to get off that stupid Play Station. How funny.

All of that was probably totally confusing! Oh well, I did my best.

Well, I have some more job frustrations. The main boss that is over the entire division where I will be thought my first day was yesterday. He was hoping I would be able to train under the lady whose place I’ll be taking. It’s frustrating to know that the lady will be gone by the time I get there… and I really don’t even have any clue when I will start yet! I hope it is soon. I would really like to be able to take our trip, get my visa, and start within 2 weeks, but I guess we’ll see.

Tuesday we’re having more visitors over (ha ha). I think like at 5 that morning, people from Housing are going to come by and do inventory of our apartment. So, I am going to be cleaning house today to get ready for the Housing Gestapo. Hopefully everything will be okay with that.

Wow.

Boring post today!

Sorry guys.

Hang tight, maybe this afternoon I’ll have something interesting to report, but if not have a great rest of the weekend

I always feel a little down each time Friday afternoon rolls around because I know that my weekend is coming to a close and that yours is about to begin.

I was always that kid on the day before school started that sulked around because school was the next day instead of getting out and enjoying the last day I had. How stupid, but there you go. Maybe once I get a job I’ll view my time off differently. I hope so!

I think I would much rather be on America’s schedule! I get to read more blogs that way! I get sad thinking that I will have to catch up Saturdays on reading your posts from Thursdays and Fridays until Will and I get a computer (I have a terrible Nest addiction). And then the fact that I won’t be able to post on thurdays and fridays until we get a computer… did I mention I’ve become obsessed? This is terrible! A computer is on the top of the purchase list once I get a job, but until then I guess I will have to post at work and play catch-up (Great- that’s JUST what I need, more time spent on the Nest).

Well, in my eyes, the weekend is pretty much over. My parents will be home soon, so our weekend of “being married“ again is over. I was frustrated with Will yesterday because he spent most of the day on the playstation. Not exactly what I had hoped for. We were going to catch a movie, but about an hour before it started Will was still hin his boxers and a tee so that was the end of the movie discussion. Today he is taking me out to Chilis, so that should be fun. I will say though, despite my grumpiness we still managed to have some bouts of fun. I packed Will’s ancient Wal-mart vest from when he worked there in high school and some of college. (we were only allowed two suitcases each, so I managed to pack the important stuff. ha ha) We had some laughs with that. Yes, it is confirmed. I am a total weirdo.

I have absolutely nothing of value to talk about today, then again, there have been many days that this has been a truth yet I’ve posted anyway.

I read a cute article in the Kuwait Times (click on the link and then go to page 5) that you will all have to check out. Once you get to page 5, scroll down to “Saudi Youths Find Way to Flirt” and zoom in.....

(waiting while you read)

Isn’t that too funny!? I guess you just have to roll with the situation at hand. Cell phones are the biggest deal ever, ever, ever here- and now I guess I can understand why a bit more!

My sister has the Bluetooth chip in her phone (not to flirt with boys… or at least I hope not! I’m not ready for all that yet!), but all she’s gotten from it was a virus on her phone! There are also a lot of terrible things that get sent to Bluetooth users as pranks too- but they are far from funny (I will spare your stomach and virtue), so I’ve never been too impressed with Bluetooth, but I guess for some people, it’s their only communication with the opposite sex.

I can’t even imagine having to live life that way, but I guess for many of them that is all they know. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice’s (the Saudi Religious Police) sole purpose is to make sure things like that (and other things such as making sure the womens’ abayas are worn properly) don’t go on. This sounds so crazy, considering I’m living in a similarly conservative region- but I am so glad I live in Kuwait compared to some other places around here.

I can’t imagine Will picking me up from behind a wall at Johnny Carinos! I wonder what sort of text he would of used… Obsessed Sports Fan looking to hook up with y"OU". Probably something real “hot” like that. Ha Ha.

However, that crazy guy totally had be buffaloed about how much he liked sports the first few months we were dating (I had absolutely no clue he was as big of a fan as I later found out… I was totally blind), so he probably wouldn’t have put that.

Maybe Cute Preacher Boy looking for Choir Girl. Ha Ha. This is probably annoying everyone else, but now I’m just having a good time!

Makes ya think!

That’s a lot of pressure for guys. Would I REALLY have ended up with Will if it depended on a texting system (I am just being silly-of course I would have… but I do wonder what interesting things we would have talked about having never really met)?

Thank goodness for good old American dating.

As for other news, there isn’t much! Just about to begin another lazy couple of days spent here at the apartment. I decided to enjoy these next few days because they will be my last forever! I will never have this much time off once I enter the “real world.”

Have a great weekend. <3

I’m about to take the shortest “vacation” (ha ha… vacation) in my life.

My tourist visa is expiring this weekend, so you’ll never believe how I’ll get to spend my Wednesday!! ( <---- sarcastic excitement) On a vacation to one of the most beautiful places on earth (okay, so I’m TOTALLY lying now)!

Because my visa is expiring, I am required to leave the country and obtain a new one. So, today I will fly out of Kuwait (with my parents and sister, because they actually are going on vacation), sit at the Qatar airport for a couple of hours, and then fly back to Kuwait that same day and get a new stamp. All that for a stamp! Pretty expensive trip for a stamp.

I wish Will could have went along with me, but its sort of silly for him to pay for a ticket when I’ll be with my parents. It just would have made those few hourts of sitting at the airport more fun.

I am such a goof. I got a little misty eyed as I said bye to him this morning. I know I’ll see him at the airport when I get back, but I’m all nervous about having to do all this visa stuff alone, so I was sort of sad. I told him I’ve never been a whole country away from him before! He just sort of laughed.

To him I’ll just see him a few hours later than normal- he sees the beginning and end. I, however, see all the details in between from who I’m going to sit by on the way home to getting my visa stamped by the scary Kuwait army men. I can’t just go from start all the way to finish, I am focusing WAY to much on the journey today!  This is totally different than doing things back in the states- I feel like a kid who got lost in the grocery store! I wish I had Will to hold my hand while I did all this! I sound so silly, but I guess that’s okay.  This is sort of a new things today, so it’s okay to feel like a small fish in a big pond as I venture on my own for the very first time in over three months (isn’t that crazy!? I have not done anything alone in over 3 months! wow)!

This whole thing should be quite an experience.

Here’s the kicker… I might have to do this whole thing AGAIN in a few days! Because I just got a job, the company will need to get me a working visa and I can’t be in the country while they obtain that because they will have to cancel my tourist visa. So, I will have to fly out again, but this time for a few days until they are able to get me one. Such madness!

I guess I’ve unknowingly started a goal to visit all the Middle Eastern states in a week’s span or something! Hopefully Will will go with me on that trip. Someone will have to be with me then, but it would actually seem more like a vacation if Will got to go. If not, one of my parents will have to. It’s just not safe for a young American girl to be out alone for all the guys wanting their second or third wife.

I’ll be a Middle Eastern world traveler by September! So anyway, I’m sure I’ll have interesting things to report tomorrow after this adventure.

See you all Thursday and have a good Wednesday

This morning my sweet husband- having not put his contacts in- went to the bathroom-and failed to lift the lid- and peed all over the seat. I unknowingly hopped out of bed and headed straight to the toliet. Oh what I surprise I got this morning as I sat down. How lovely, Will.

Yesterday can be equivilated to a a “sitting on a toilet seat with pee everywhere” sort of day. Okay, it wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t overly wonderful either. If I sound overly negative, I apologize because it wasn’t terrible or anything, just different.

We all rolled to the airport around 2 yesterday afternoon and of course had to park in the long-term area since my parents would be gone all weekend. You’d think after living in the hottest place on earth, the architects would have made it a little more bearable to walk the 8 minute trek from the parking area to the airport by making some of it indoors, but they didn’t see this as a priority.

I had tried to look cute for Will (since the first time I would see him all day would be when I got into Kuwait for the night), but I was all wilted before I even got to the airport.

We got in line to check in. That was fun. For some weird reason you are not issued seats until you check in, so we had to wait for 15 minutes while they tried to find seats for us together. I think my dad told the guy about 4 times, “We don’t all have to sit together.” The guy ignored him 4 times. He told us one of us was going to have to fly stand-by because they couldn’t get us together.

“Maybe my dad wasn’t speaking English the first 4 times! We DON’T have to sit together!” (This is that I was thinking, and NEVER in a million years would have vocalized, though it might have been funny- but probably not).

So, after that shananagan we all had to get our visas stamped. I, of course, had to have the difficult one since it was expired. I was trying to hear what the Kuwaiti army guy was trying to tell me, but all I heard was my goofy sister whispering, “He is SO hot” in my ear, so I didn’t hear all the important information that I needed. All I heard was that I needed to go to imigration.

We started aimlessly wandering around and the guy was like, “No! No! Over there,” as he pointed to aimless space. Then laughter errupts from him and all his friends and the 87 other Arabs waiting in line.

“Yes. Hi. Hello. Mmhmm. It’s us. The stupid Americans living in your country, and yes, we have no idea where we are going.” So much for trying to lay low and keep a low profile.

At this point I wanted to pull a Carla Tate from The Other Sister and make a scene and yell, “Stop laughing at me!” in front of everyone, but I exercised self-control for the sake of us all. It might have been funny, but probably not.

So, after that we went to immigration and got everything ready to go and headed to our gate. I should probably tell you upfront now that all I did yetsrday was eat. Eat and eat- and had absolutely NOTHING (I’m not joking) of nutritonal value yesterday. After my cherry chip cake with rainbow frosting for breakfast and my sour Jujy fruits in the afternoon, I polished off a happy meal for lunch. (I don’t think it would be bugging me near as much if I would have went to the gym more this week, but I didn’t go like I should have.. that’s another post though!)

Anyway, so then since we had time on our hands guess what we did!? Ate. My sister and I got shakes from Sweeney’s. It wasn’t like we were hungry, we just did it. That part of the story gets better. After that depressing fun, we sat down and waited to get on the plane. It is a free for all here. They just come out and say, “Okay, you can get on now.”

There is no calling by row number.

Ladies first? heh. Right. you would have thought we were in the middle of the Running of the Bulls and they were headed our way or something. Everyone shot up and ran to the door and pushed and shoved. Did they not get their seat number at check in or something?

I think the goal of the Kuwait Airport is to make you want to get out of there as fast as possible. Between the “desert walk” to the airport and next event, they accomplished their goal easily (and then some) with Brittny.

We headed down the terminal thing and as I thought we were apporaching the plane, it only got hotter. We made a turn and were greeted with the outside. Outside? What? We have to go outside! I’m sweating like I just ran a marathon and you want me to go outside again…

We hopped on these nasty, unairconditioned busses along with a large number of others. The smell? I don’t think I need to tell you it burned our nostrils.

We got to the plane and got one. “finally, some AC,” I whispered to myself. I really thought I was really going to lose it as I got on the plane. It was so hot and stuffy. I know this Is Kuwait Air, but believe, me I’ve already had the “Kuwait experience” these 3 months, you don’t have to remind me of how miserably hot it is in your country.

It was hot and smelled just as bad as the bus. I don’t know what the theme the airline was going for was. Depressing maybe? I don’t know.

All I know is that they were playing the creepiest music ever. Didn’t they do testing groups to see how people responded to certain things? Did they not test the music selection? I don’t know if the speakers were shot of if that was really how the music was supposed to sound, but it was creepy. It sounded like it came from an old 50s horror movie. A string orchestra playing all muted and strange things. My sister just sort looked at eachother and had a conversaion with our eyes. I really can’t do the music story justice, because you had to be there, but trust me, it was weird and eerie.

Well, what the lacked in ambviance they made up for in food. Go figure I would be the one to say that. Just give me chocolate and I forget about everything else.

Kudos to Kuwait Air- they serve REAL snacks on their flight and you don’t have to freakin’ pay for them like in the States. It wasn’t a snack. It was a small meal, and of course I had to try it. It was a pita, one half stuffed with feta and the other half stuffed with tuna salad. They were really good. They finished it off with a mini Bounty chocolate bar. I forgot about all the bad attributes of the flight and simply thought, “They gave us a meal for a snack. You rock.”

I’m such a sucker.

The flight was only 45 minutes, so that was good too- that way I didn’t have time to change my favorable opinion of this yucky airline.

We landed and were greeted with another bus and a person that simply said, “Welcome to Qatar, where it is hot as hell and humid as a rainforest.” (okay- so I threw in the weather analogy myself). The windows on the bus waiting for us were raining condensation. It was so humid, even worse than Kuwait has been lately. (kuwait still beats the world in miserable heat I think)

We got to the airport and I got a sinking feeling in my stomach as I saw the layout. I was positive I was going to have to go through the gate alone and without my family. Lucky for me I, the flight was leaving about 45 minutes from the time we got to Qatar, so I didn’t feel so nervous. I said my goodbyes and thought I was going to throw up all over myself because I was so nervous.

I went through and checked in and got my seat assignement with no problem. I asked for directions of where I was going next and went straight there. I gave the guy my ticket and he was like, “I’m going to keep this for now, you just sit down.” I was freaking out. I was the only one he did that to. I don’t know if he was just being a jerk and giving me a hard time because I was a Westerner and by myself, or what, but everyone else got their ticket torn and given back to them.

A small group gathered and started taling about me. This man (who worked for the airlines) came over to me and asked to see my passport. My stomach was in knots. It’s not the greatest thing to flash around an American passport. You pretty much only show it when you absolutely have to. So, I didn’t really know what to do. I wanted my stupid ticket back, so I showed it to him and in a loud voice he tells his colleagues at the front desk, “she’s American!” Great. Do you want a P.A. for that!?

About 5 minutes later I got my ticket and calmed down from the small panic attack I was suffering. Everyone pushed their way to the bus and were blasted with the sea of humidity. I was in Qatar for maybe 35 minutes. That wasn’t too bad. I did it! Wow!

I got on the exact same plane I had gotten off of a few minutes earlier and sat two rows back- but this time I had a window seat. About 10 minutes in they begin shoving food at me again. Do you think I took it? Do you really have to wander? This time it was two little tea sandwiches. One was cucumber and cheese and the other was bologna. I had the cucumber one and then sweetly tucked away my mini mars bar away for Will. I tried to freshen up in the plane so I would look nice for Will. What I really needed was a perfumery to douce their creations on me. I was put through a lot of interesting smells yesterday.

As we were flying into Kuwait and I could see the fire burning off the top of their oil well things (I don’t really know what they’re called, but it is a good fire) in the dark of the night I was actually happy. Okay, so we are coming here for a goal and Kuwait isn’t our home, but I was so glad to be back. I guess the main reason was because I knew Will was waiting for me.

We landed and finally didn’t have to be bused! I found the visa desk and took a number. I waited a few minutes and had the army guy get everything ready for “Brittny Spears.”

Ha Ha, so funny- just give me my flippin’ visa.

I got it with no troubles. I breathed a sigh of relief. Now was the time for a little apprehension! It was time for the “gauntlet” as it has been dubbed by many Westerners.

You are in one area of the airport, it is fairly quiet and not too overwhelming, but then you go through these glass doors and if you are not ready you are getting the shock of your life! (I’m glad my mom and sister came to Kuwait before we did so they could warn us when we first came!) The gauntlet is this long aisle walkway, and the sides are roped off. So, those arriving walk out of the glass doors and are met with hundreds of yelling Arabs, trying to find those who are coming in to meet them.

It is straight chaos.

They are yelling and waving hands, taking pictures of girls that come out and everything in between. It is a mess. I walked through the “gauntlet” and fought my way past the crowd in the back and called Will. He was smart, he stayed on the second level so he could have a clear view and could find me.

He came downstairs and we were out of there! We stopped by Hardees and Baskin Robbins (he hadn’t eaten and I figured we’d get some icre cream for the weekend alone).

I was hoping for a romantic evening since we were alone for the first time in ages, but I had a splitting headache (from freaking out all day) and we were both exhausted. We crashed as soon as we got home.

So, that was my day. It wasn’t too bad, and it was definitely eye-opening. I was impressed with how well I handeled the stress of doing everything alone here.

I was sad today because Will and I woke up at 11:30- so there went half our day. I don’t think we are going to do anything exciting, which is sort of disappointing. There is so much I want to see here. I really want to get better aquainted with my surroundings, but I think we agree it’s too darn not for that now. Come October or November it will be more bearable and we’ll get out and do more things. At least we will be together and have the freedom to do what we want. I can’t wait to get our own place soon! how much fun!

Thanks for sticking through this extra long edition of my crazy life’s post.

I hope you are having a great thursday.

As always, more to come… <3

I GOT AN OFFER LETTER!!!!

Praise the Lord oh my soul!!

I know absolutely no details at this point, but frankly I don’t care. The fact alone that I got a job offer has sent me into an excitement frenzy.

I just printed the stuff off and will look over it when Will gets home.

YAY! We’ll get to move out soon!

Just wanted to let you all know that.

I CAN’T BELIEVE I’LL BE EMPLOYED SOON!!!

I truly love “Saturdays.”

It is my favorite day.

Will and I had a super time today. It wasn’t like we did anything extra wonderful, but it was just nice to get out (I think I say the exact phrase after every Thursday afternoon… sorry, but’s that exactly how I feel!).

I don’t have anything overly entertaining to write about, but I wanted to “document“ my day so a few years from now I can look back and read my blog and think, “See, you didn’t really hate the first few months here.“

As usual, I was in a deep sleep and dreaming something wild that involved me and Will trying to move into a new place, only we couldn’t… and it was like we were home, but we really weren’t… something like that. The substance of my dream isn’t at all pertinent. The fact that in the middle of my deep sleep we got the usual Saturday morning phone call is what counts.

I was up.

For about an hour. I tried really hard to go back to sleep, but just couldn’t. I checked my email and piddeled around a bit and then went back to bed and finally fell back to sleep and slept until around 9:30. I had to force Will out of bed, and he wouldn’t budge until about 10.

We just sort of hung out all morning. My family had went to grocery shop and run errands so we had the place to ourselves. The plan was to go to eat around 1ish, but by 12:30 Will was still figuring up his fantasy football draft, picks, something or other, so we missed that goal.

I was ready and watched my usual Thursday afternoon show, the terrible Trading Spouses. We ended up leaving near 2 or something, but I guess all that info doesn’t matter much.

Usually when we go out on the afternoons, the resturants are dead because we go early compared to the Kuwaitis. However, today since we had went so late it was busy. It was a strange feeling eating in a busy place during the afternoon. We ate our “cheapest“ sit- down restaurant meal since we’ve been here. It’s so hard to realize that we really did eat cheap when all Will and I do is convert our bill into US dollars and get depressed at how much we “really“ spent. Between the two of us we had 5 tacos and one drink. That is it. It was only 5 KD, but back home it would have been almost $20. It isn’t as gratifying to know you ate cheap in Kuwaiti terms because you know it was just a normal bill back home.

After lunch we headed to the pharmacy to get my birth control.

What an experience that was.

It was my first time ever at the pharmacy and I didn’t really know what to expect. We chose a small one and went in. Of course there were about 5 other people in this small pharmacy looking at “normal“ stuff like face wash and shampoo. I, the blonde American that totally sticks out (as if that wasn’t uncomfortable enough), was there for birth control. Okay, so to everyone else this seems like a dumb thing to get nervous about, but I WAS! Their culture is just so different so I was all uptight about having to go in and get it. Of course there is promiscuity, but you can get in serious trouble if you are caught. You can even get in trouble for showing too much affection in public- even if you ARE married! l don’t know why, but I was totally nervous to do this.

The Kuwaiti pharmacist, all in his dish dashya (I’m not totally sure on the spelling- it’s their long white garb) looking like the most devout Muslim I had ever seen comes over to me. Of course I get the “real“ guy! He probably thinks I’m some unwed 18 year old with her older boyfriend and since Americans are “racy” I’m sure he thinks I have tons of sex with a million people. Why did I have to get the “real” guy?  His helper- in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt is consulting a lady on face creams.

Great.

I tried to flash my wedding ring.

Why did I care? I don’t know. I’m still getting used to things over here… I’m a dork.

“May I help you?“

“Uh. Yeah. Uh… Yeah, I need to pick up some prescription drugs. No. Wait. Not prescription… there is no such thing...Uh...”

( at this point I want to grab Will and tell the guy, “Look. I want to have lots of legal sex with this guy right here but I don’t want to ger pregnant so can you please just put the stuff in the bag so I can go now!!!!)

“uh. I need to pick up some birth control… some Minesse. Two months worth (so I don’t have to come back to this place for a long time… maybe ever if I can talk Will into getting them for me. Do you HAVE women that work here?!)

So we got two months, paid the man, and left. 2 months cost me 16 American bucks total. That is amazing.

After that adventure Will and I headed off to the Sultan center to pick up a few things we needed… and a few we didn’t. I got some yummy chocolate to take to the movie we were about to see so I wouldn’t have to buy their expensive stuff.

I’m cheap when it comes to that stuff. What can I say. We saw The Island. It was a lot better than I expected.

After that we came back to the apartment. Will got the funnest and most intriguing gadget- an ear and nose trimmer (oh, the things that excite me). Will has used one before, but I’ve always been nervous about inserting a buzzing tool up my nose. He came into the bedroom all cute and excited and said, “You gotta see this!“ I have to admit, I was a little interested. We went in the bathroom and he showed me how it worked. I was giggling like a little kid as I marveled at this contraption. Will kept saying, “ C’mon! Try it, you big baby! It’s not going to hurt you!“ It took about 5 of those and finally I nervously took the buzzing thing and gave it a go. What strange things we do to keep ourselves presentable.

So that has been our Thursday up unitl now. Once again we will be going to bed early and waking up around 3 to watch football. I think it will be a lot more fun knowing we get to sleep in together tomorrow

Let’s talk about Hungary’s very own Little Becky’s Fruit Mallows Original. The pretty colors are so decieving.

I truly gave into male-like carnage today and ate something simply just to eat it. Why do I do this? I know its something I don’t really feel like, yet if I see my sister eating it’s like a trigger in my brain goes off, telling me that I HAVE to eat, just because she is. I could have eaten half a loaf of bread slathered in peanut butter and be about to throw up all over myself, yet because my sister is eating, so must I.

Anyway, today was a good example of how stupid this stigma is. Sweet Little Becky. Child laborer from Hungary. Forced into the marshmallow business to earn money for her circus-star parents.

Green- Lime

Yellow- Lemon

Orange- Orange

Pink- Strawberry

That is what it says on the bag anyway, but I have to believe the verdict is still out on these concoctions, and even Little Becky ponders just what in the world “Green” really is.

Today Little Becky gave my sister and I a huge laugh. We opened the bag thinking we’d indulge in a pre-dinner sweet only to be seriously disappointed.

That is such an understatement. It was like the anticipation you had as the guy you were dating rang the doorbell and you rushed out to confidently welcome him… only to have your underwear stuck in your skirt or something. It was that kind of let down.

I let her go first. I’m not a big fan of flavored marshmallows ( you never would have known this afternoon… I was eating them like they were on fire).

“Yellow.” A funny smile came across her face as she played with the jumbo fluff in her mouth.

However,you can’t just stop there though! For some reason known only to these 2 strange sisters, you have to try every flavor, to see if there is one better than what you just had, or in our case- was there really one that had the potential to be worse? Why we sought eating crappy flavored sugar and gunk and didn’t just throw them away after “yellow,” only we will know.

We had to go on. There were still 3 other flavors! So, I decided to join her. What a goof- I knew she didn’t like “lemon” so why would she like any other ones- and why would I- “I’m not a big fan of flavored marshmallows but pass the bag anyway"- like them if she didn’t?

“Orange. Hmmm. Interesting.”

So then, because we are weird, we had to try every color twice (because another exact form of the exact same color we just had MIGHT be different, right?)- except I let her try lime. I just couldn’t do it.

I don’t know why eating those crappy marshmallows was so funny today, but we were in tears as we each took out a flavor, hoping it to be better than the previous.

I guess you had to be there.

Wow, unemployment is so overwhelming