April 11, 2009
Tonight we went to Souq Waqif (haven’t been in over a year). I had in my head I was going to find some fabulous fabric and make something. RD ended up buying fabric for two shirts and a “camo” head scarf…I couldn’t find anything. What was interesting, however, is how it was not the least bit intimidating. Not that the smells weren’t still overwhelming, and I still can’t read Arabic, but I am obviously more comfortable in the “Arabic” environment. This time we found a whole section with restaurants that we hadn’t found before. We already had dinner plans but will definitely pop down there to check them out sometime in the coming weeks.
April 12, 2009
After almost 3 months off (travel, sand storms, head cold from hell) I finally got back out to take another riding lesson. Unfortunately the wind was blowing hard and this massive wall of sand was heading across the desert toward the stables. We only made it half way through the lesson before the horses put their ears back and started acting up (a soda can went blowing past the arena banging on the ground as it went by and my horse almost went airborne…that’s when the instructor stopped the lesson). I scheduled another one for 8:30 on Tuesday, hopefully the wind will have died down by then. I scheduled today’s lesson for 9:30 thinking that would be early enough but even with the wind it was too hot. I am going to have to schedule way ahead if I want to get the early lessons so I can get a few more in before full-on summer hits.
It rained hard tonight…lightening flashing and thunder crashing…very abnormal for this time of year.
April 14, 2009
Got up early this morning and went for another riding lesson. Today I had a different instructor and in some ways it was very frustrating and in others very illuminating. In the three lessons I had before I was told to keep my knees out, today I was told to keep them in and she not only explained why but explained why the other one was telling me to keep them out. On top of that instead of just telling me to do a diagonal she told me what I was supposed to be doing with my hands and my legs to make that happen (all news to me, other instructor just said left or right diagonal). She explained what was meant by changing leads (I thought it had something to do with the reins)…another ah-ha moment. I thought that because I could understand the other instructor despite her strong French accent it would be OK, what I failed to realize is that she is not fluent enough in English to give me all the information I need to learn a skill. Next week I will take a private lesson, on a lunge line, with the instructor I had today. I can’t wait.
April 21, 2009
Had a private riding lesson today but it was with yet another instructor. After 5 minutes of explaining to her my previous experience combined with my 4 previous lesson experiences we headed for the arena. She decided to spend the first half of the lesson just watching me ride and correcting as we went along. At one point she apologized for repeating something and I told her to rest assured, I am not offended and I WANT her to think of me as a beginner. The last half she put me on a lunge line and at one point had me close my eyes…I ride better blind. Without your eyes you really have to feel the horse, but not very practical in the woods! After the lesson I spoke with her again and we both agreed that consistency was going to be key for me (along with a lot of practice) so I am set up with a private lesson every week until we leave for the States in May. I’ve left a message for Anna (my riding partner in January), hopefully I can get set up with her to ride at least one other day each week so I can get that practice that I so desperately need.
My friend Jacqueline, who I met here in Doha but haven’t actually seen since last May called tonight and amazingly we are both in the country at the same time! We are meeting for lunch next week.
There is an Orthopedist, a specialist in the foot & ankle, visiting as a consultant. RD got me an appointment to see him tomorrow. I am still having problems from my mid-foot fractures of August 2006 and I’m hoping he will have some suggestions. It has proved to be a real limiting factor in my activity level due to instability, pain, swelling and weakness with walking on uneven terrain (hiking), scuba diving, and riding (after an hour long ride I limp for the rest of the day).
April 22, 2009
When we got to the hospital this morning it took a half hour just to get them to understand that I was seeing a visiting MD. Once that was sorted and I was sent to the waiting room it turned out that the person who was supposed to set up my appointment with the guy “forgot” to do it so he was in surgery. RD and I left, me feeling a bit of a let-down because I was really hoping this guy would have some answers for me. Five minutes later RD’s phone rings and they have found the guy and he has a few minutes to see me before his 10:30 meeting so we race back to the hospital and give him a brief history and he sends me off to x-ray with an x-ray consult set up for noon.
After looking at the x-rays and poking at all my tender spots he feels that my symptoms are due to peroneous longus and peroneous brevis tendonosis (kind-of like arthritis but in a tendon instead of a joint) which means that surgery is not the best option (he said outcomes are OK if you have one of the tendons good and are only addressing the other, with both my tendons involved the outcome sucks). What he is suggesting is a special AFO (ankle foot orthosis…custom made brace) that will stabilize my mid-foot and protect these tendons so they can heal. Bright side…don’t have to wear it forever, down side…3-6 months in sneakers…I haven’t worn sneakers outside of a gym since, I don’t know, ever…
If I do this I will have to have a prosthetist in Missoula cast me based on a specific set of instructions. The cast will then be sent to Akron, Ohio where the brace will be made. A week or two later I have to fly to Akron to have it fitted…Akron for God’s sake…I’m pretty sure I don’t know a soul in Akron.
April 24, 2009
Ola and Katrina (they live here in our compound, Ola is an Anesthesiologist at the hospital) had a BD party for Jim’s 60th (it was actually on the 4th but he was in Paris). Jim is also an Anesthesiologist at the hospital. Champagne and pork sausages…who could ask for more?
April 26, 2009
I met my friend Jacqueline at the mall for lunch…I don’t think I’ve actually seen her in almost a year! We never seem to be in Doha at the same time…she is leaving for Ireland on the 30th and won’t be back until the 27th of May…4 days after we leave for the States…it will be July before I have a chance to see her again. We had an awesome lunch then walked around the Mall paying special attention to the “high end” wing…mostly just looking at the shoes because at $700 to $800 they are usually the cheapest thing in the store. We cruised through Bottega Veneta and I found a purse that was breathtaking. I’m really hard to please when it comes to purses so it is a rare occasion when I see a purse I love. I asked the sales clerk the price and he said 72,000QR…of course I thought he misspoke and really meant 7200 but Jacqueline caught it and corrected him. He said no, it’s 72,000QR that’s $19,776! Damn I hate that I have such good taste. It’s a limited edition woven Ostrich leather in a natural light tan…such a practical color and size…too bad I don’t have a spare 20 thou.
April 29, 2009
Checked the weather in Montana…St. Mary’s got 5 feet of snow in the past 24 hours, Browning got 4 feet…it was 100° in Doha today. I feel like I am in an altered reality.
I spent 5 hours grocery shopping today (a typical Doha Day) to prepare for our party on Friday night. We have decided to have a Cinco de Mayo party on Uno de Mayo…Empanadas, Enchiladas, Quesadilla’s, Nacho’s, Chili con Queso, Quacamole, a Taco “bar”, Margarita’s, Corona’s…I’m going to be cooking all day!
Tonight was the Embassy Party at the Intercontinental, I have been looking forward to it for the past few weeks…what a disappointment! How much Mango juice can you drink? RD said it was the sloppiest color guard he had ever seen and after the guy sang the “Star Spangled Banner” I had to stop myself from cheering (I’m used to hearing it in a football stadium right before a Grizzlies game!)…dead silence. I should have known it would be one of those political protocol events…the Ambassador did half his speech in Arabic (impressive but boring). I thought it was interesting that he mentioned Obama twice in his speech in Arabic but didn’t mention him once in English.
April 30, 2009
Had another riding lesson this morning, it was a disaster. I don’t know if it’s me (I’ve always said I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time) or the fact that I have a different instructor, horse, and saddle every time but I seem to be getting worse each time and my confidence has dropped to zero. I’ll try one more private lesson but it’s getting too hot anyway, maybe I’ll try again in the Fall. 
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