The whole family is going to Abu Dhabi

Everybody is finally cleared to travel!!!

The dog got his VISA, actually his import permit. And the humans all have full clearances. The tickets are even paid for!

We leave on Sunday evening from Dulles; trek thru Amsterdam and onto Abu Dhabi by 11:00 p.m on Monday evening. For family in the states that will be about 1 or 2 in the afternoon on Monday.

We got our vehicle shipped home to family. It was paid for and we would never get much money out of selling it. Plus when we do come back to the states for a month at a time, we will need something to drive.

What was left of our possessions was whisked away this week. We have only what we can carry on the plane.

I cannot believe it is almost here and we are actually almost ready.

Contingencies

It is so very nerve-wracking to go thru all the logistics. There's vehicles to deal with, the possessions you have with you, possessions already in storage, medical clearances, tickets and pet shipping.

Pet shipping is the hardest one right now. Even though I planned and I requested information from my post about how to do it, no one ever really got around to it. When they finally did there simply is not enough time. Our little guy had to have a shot that he has never had before. We just got it on Nov 13, but the catch is that the shot must be at least 4 weeks old on the day he arrives in the UAE-do the math. In all honesty there is a second shot in the series that he should have 2 weeks after the first. More bad math.

I can work with contingency plans and uncertainties, but the many contingencies we are working on right now are way outside my comfort zone.

Now is when you depend on the Lord that everything will work out.

Playful Pit Puppy

We took Spanky for a grooming last weekend. He always comes out so wound up, full of vim and vigor! You would never know he was 15 by watching him run to the nearest green spot.

I had to stand in the cashier line to pay for his grooming and as is the norm, all the people stood with nary an acknowledgement of one another. There was one who showed attention to us. It was a full grown pit bull puppy, straining at the end of his leash for a sniff. The owner spoke to me quickly, "He just wants to play."

You know me-I'll talk to anybody. It was funny that I was the one doing all the talking, but then maybe they are just shy. The puppy was so very playful and so much larger than my petite miniature schnauzer. He literally put his head on the floor and his muzzle right under my little guy's chest in inviting submission, his long legs splayed in all four directions.

I said, "It jus' don' get no cuter than that!!" Still not one word from any of the many people surrounding me. Guess I didn't really wow them with my southern charm, I might even have frightened them. Hmmm.

Musical Chairs

Pollster Frank Luntz says the GOP needs to gain the support of more independents if they want to win elections.

But I think I am more inclined to agree with Rush, who said this week that

"McCain's whole campaign was a concession speech." He also noted that if
Republicans wanted to win elections, they should not put so-called "moderates"
on the ballot." The conservative movement does not need to be rebuilt," he
said. "We had some people abandon the conservative movement, and they need to be abandoned."

I wonder if there were more than a few hard core conservatives who decided against casting a ballot for the man who proudly sponsored legislation to quash speech with McCain Feingold; refused to support tax cuts; supported amnesty for those who entered our borders illegally; was at the forefront of the bailout; and happily joins Democrats to accomplish THEIR goals. Maybe there was a large group that simply sat this one out.

As the power brokers of the GOP meet this week to begin discussing the direction of the party and who the "standard bearer" should be, as they all jockey for position and point fingers, I am quite certain that more than a few will propose that the Republican Party jettison the dragging weight of the right wingers, the "anti-intellectuals" like Sarah Palin and those evangelicals who simply won't change their values.

The so called anti-intellectuals are the people who value common sense, character, moral behavior, pure motives and hard work. Those who consider themselves the intellectuals among us appear to value their own station in life, money, power and elitism above all else. They have very little respect for anyone deemed to be boorish, of improper standing or simply the unwashed masses.

Washington Post article. As McCain returns to his cushy seat as a senator and the power brokers play musical chairs, it seems like a win-win for everyone. Pelosi and Reid gear up for an even more partisan Congress, and Obama picks the members of his new administration-its like Christmas! Wait...what did Jack and Jill get? Oh, yeah, the bill.

Baby Culture Shock

Thanks for reading my blog! I got a compliment today and it really meant a lot - I wasn't at all sure anyone was reading this.

Culture shock can happen anytime you change your surroundings. The bigger the changes the longer the process of excitement, disillusionment and adjustment. Conversely, if the change is minor the process can be quite fast.

I admit to having a little culture shock. The people, the values and overall culture are pretty different here. The adjustment to it is aggravated by the notion that this is my country, my people, I should be the same as them. Not so. JFK is attributed as saying that DC has all the charm of the North and all the efficiency of the South. I'd say that about sums it up.

I met a lady from Beirut, Lebanon and found that we had considerable commonalities. I came away with tears after talking with her because she felt like a touch of home. Civilized, polished and warm.

I do not mean to be negative, but I'm pretty stressed. Time is running out and the list of things I have to do seem to hinge on something else, that just hasn't happened yet.

On a better note: we have received word of our housing in Abu Dhabi. We will have a 2 story townhouse in a gated community. I don't know how many bedrooms, but I did see the 3 different floor plans and the smallest one is 2600 square feet, with maid's quarters. :) I've never lived in anything so big!

Love you all and miss you something terrible!

More MEPI, Palin and Well Wishes

You may have noticed my absence here. It has been a...long week, involving doctors and even a night in the hospital - but we're all good now!

It is hard to comprehend that we leave 3 weeks from today. Sometimes it seems like it is never going to get here, and other times it seems to have happened so fast. We will be soon picking the boxes that we want shipped overseas for us. I'm looking forward to having my own cookware, music and decorations. Funny how you miss the simple things.

I did spend a little bit of time with the Washington Office of MEPI and learned a considerable more about its mission. USAID spends American dollars to build infrastructure, to teach about democracy and how to hold an election. But USAID is limited to working in underdeveloped [read poor] countries. Much of the Near and Middle East are not underdeveloped, but someone saw the need to encourage democratic activities like transparency of government by broadcasting live meetings; education in running a business for women; and translating English language children's books. Thus MEPI was formed. There is an office in Tunis and my office in Abu Dhabi just opened a couple of years ago.

You know that I am a very political person, but you've heard bloody little about the Presidential Campaign from me. I suppose disappointed could describe how I feel about it. I was energized when Sarah Palin was introduced as the VP. I now hear rumors that if McCain loses, they plan to lay blame at Palin's feet. I have heard her called a rogue candidate-by McCain's people. Very bad idea. Palin strikes a chord with people who have all but given up on the Republican Party. Her plain spoken demeanor is extremely refreshing and her words strike the target.

I could ramble on too long, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm still on the face of the earth and waiting anxiously for Tuesday's results.

P.S. Buck and family, we are wishing you well.