Qatar

It's almost 4pm here. Why am I staring at the clock? I'm at home, and I'm about to go to work. Starting tonight, I'll be at work from 6pm to 6am (which is 10am to 10pm Central). I stayed up until 4am this morning so that I could sleep late today in an effort to shift my clock. At 2pm, I just couldn't sleep anymore. I'm sure I'll be good and worn by tomorrow morning, but I should be fully converted by tomorrow, I think.

I'll tell ya how!  When your wife sends a box full of fun stuff like:

• Slinky
• Pinwheel
• Loopy Straws
• Play-Doh
• Cartoons
• Yo-Yo
• A personal fan with digital message blades
• Souvenirs from Florida
• A rubber #1 finger
• Snacks

Thanks, wife!  You're too sweet! Read more »

It's almost bedtime, but I've got to finish my Pepsi spiked with Captain Morgan.  What the hell, I may as well post an update.

I know I said I'd try to write at least once per day while I'm here, but that was before I realized just what a 12-hour day would do to a person.  I've had a few days off here and there, and on those days, I walk to the Villagio mall and grab a nice lunch and poke around.  It's a real treat to go eat a plate of Cajun Shrimp and Chicken Pasta from TGI Fridays, and then walk around with an ice cream cone! Read more »

I finally started work last week.  I was able to get my CAC card last Wednesday, which was a bit of an ordeal, but that's another story.  Also, it turns out my security clearance was in good enough shape that I could start working as soon as I got my CAC card.

 Read more »

My first few days here in Qatar have been rather uneventful.  I arrived here Thursday evening (local time), but I haven't been able to start work because I was not able to get a CAC card (basically, a military ID card) while in Tampa last week.  Also, there seems to be a minor issue with my security clearance, and I'm not sure how long until that gets resolved. Read more »

I didn't write anything yesterday -- I was a bit homesick and I was afraid my emotions would prevent me from writing about my experience accurately.

John Denver sang about it.  During the next year, I hope to write at least once per day about my stay in Qatar.  Today, I flew from Lubbock to DFW, and then to Tampa.  Both flights were fine, but I contracted a nasty headache somewhere around the second half of the flight to Tampa and it's just now subsiding.  I had a pretty irritating experience after I left the airport on my way to the hotel, and the headache didn't help. Read more »