Thanksgiving

Is it really going to be Thanksgiving in two days? I’m not ready for it. Laurie has invited an eclectic group of people—I’m curious to see how it will all turn out. It has been an adventure trying to provide a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner. But, do you always have to follow “tradition?”
I found frozen deep dish frozen pie shells! I love using the Marie Calendar ones—but I haven’t found those here. The ones I found look as nice and they were deep dish—I had to have deep dish. Timmie loves pumpkin pie—not just at Thanksgiving but any time of the year. So it’s 1045 at night and I’m baking two pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving—one with chocolate chips on the bottom (try it—the pumpkin with chocolate—delish!).
We have a Butterball turkey thawing in the fridge. We found it at Tamimi’s--$5 a pound. Laurie’s afraid that it’s not big enough—so I need to go buy a roast (it’ll probably be lamb).
Lucky for us we also found some stuffing mix. The store also had chicken broth so now I can make the famous stuffing—I’m not sure that it’s really famous—saying that it’s famous makes me good.
At Tamimi’s we found the softest rolls—they are so good. I’m buying fresh green beans tomorrow and some fizzy grape juice. I’m also getting potatoes—the ones from Lebanon—and making mashed potatoes. I’m hoping that Tamimi’s will have a pecan pie—if not I’ll live—but I do like some pecan pie on Thanksgiving.
We can’t find all the ingredients at one store—we have to go to at least two and sometimes three—I’m not sure why. Oh well, going from store to store is adventure—the traffic, prayer time, etc.. It’ll all be worth it though.
Thanksgiving Day is going to be stressful. Timmie has his final basketball game, then we have to rush home to put the turkey in, I really really need a haircut and Mr. Ali is only on the compound Thursday and Friday (I cannot go to Paris with this hair—I need to be groomed). Then the dinner and then bed.
The next day—Friday—is Family Fun day at school—but for Laurie it isn’t going to be much fun—she has to count the money and help make sure things are running smoothly. I'm not sure what I'm doing that day--taking Timmie around and having "fun."
Did I mention that I have to teach Seminary tomorrow—Wed—from 6 – 730 pm and then I’m going out to eat Indian food with my friend Dave (he’s going back to New Zealand—his salary is taxed at 39%--so it isn’t worth it for him to stay here unless…..but that’s a whole different story--he leaves soon). I’ve invited our General and other officers to come and eat with us—we won’t eat until around 830 or 9ish. But the holidays always seem to come with their own adventures--stress--whatever you call it.
I wish all of you—everybody reading this—a Happy Thanksgiving—whether you celebrate the holiday or not. I’m sure all of us can find something that we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for a great family—Laurie and Timmie, for a great job, for being in a place where we constantly have adventures and for all I’ve been blessed with.
Eat some turkey, have some pie, pass the rolls—Happy Thanksgiving!

Typical Thurday--our Saturday

Today our day started at 0845—well really it started at 0630 when I turned on CNN and then watched Charles Gibson at 0700 and Katie Couric at 0730 (gotta hear the news). Right now it’s 1640 (440pm) and we just got home and Laurie and I might go back out again. So here’s what we did:

Left the house at 0845--
0915 arrived at Samba (a bank here)--they have a Ladies Branch were Laurie can cash her check—they didn’t open until 0930—we couldn’t wait since we had dental appts at 1030 (and I knew it would take at least 50 minutes to get there)
1000--arrived Dentist--got there sooner that I thought—Timmie had two teeth pulled, Laurie and I got our teeth cleaned (so laid back—he and his assistant were sitting on the back porch chatting and waiting for us—the best appt I’ve ever had)
1130--Basketball practice / game—this was the funniest game to watch
1310--We were back at Samba Ladies Branch thinking the branch was open until 1630—I had read the sign wrong—it closed at 1300
1312--Laurie suggested we go to Kingdom Mall—the third floor is an all women’s floor and there is a Samba branch there—maybe it would be open longer
1400--Arrived Kingdom Mall—Laurie went to the 3rd floor—the branch was closed—but she looked around a little—then came down the Debenhams to look for a sweater and coat—found a sweater and shirt but no coat (she may have to get a man coat—plenty of those and she used to wear mine)
Ate at the Mall—Laurie had Japanese and I had McDonalds (Timmie ate my fries)
1515--Went to Tamimi grocery store—it caters to the Western palate and richer Saudi’s expensive—bought a turkey ($5.00 a pound—paid $27 for a turkey--Butterball)—bought some delish chocolate croissants and other things—awesome ribeye steaks
1640—Back home
During all this we're in the same city--we never left Riyadh and we only go to part of Riyadh--traffic, lights, cars, parking, prayer--it all takes time. This is typical on the weekends—and not just us but everybody—especially if you have to grocery shop, return things (there are no dressing rooms—well we did find then in Debenhams at Kingdom Mall—but that’s the only place), etc.. AND we might go out after the 630 prayer—I love it here!

630pm--left the house again--decided to go to Riyadh Gallery
650--still in traffic--decided not to go to RG but instead to Hyatt, Jirar and Danube (they're all in the same place--mall, bookstore, grocery store)
Walked all over finding what we wanted
815--left the mall--got stuck in parking lot traffic
840--finally got out of parking lot traffic
930--arrived home
(Yawn--I'm tired)

The Coins

In the US military there is a tradition of coins. The coins can tell a person what unit you are from, what job you do or organizations that you belong to. Being “coined” is a big deal in the USAF—it means that someone very senior thinks your work is outstanding—normally a General or a Chief Master Sergeant.
When I arrived at the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Headquarters and met General Faisal for the first time I gave him a coin. The coin I gave was the 315th Intelligence Officer coin. The General liked it and placed it on a table with other military mementos that he displays. General Faisal then asked me to help design a coin for his directorate. I smiled and said “Sure”—not realizing how long the process would be. I started this in June and finally completed the process in mid-Oct.
I contacted military coin companies in the US. One responded and told me that they had customers all over the world so shipping to Saudi was no big deal. Great. I even got a quote for 1,000 coins.
I took the quote to the General. Yes yes this is good. Ok now design a coin. I thought that should be easy.
I went through four designs before one was finally settled on. The winning design was the RSAF symbol on one side and the intelligence symbol on the other side. Then we had to decide the outer color. I chose green to go with the Saudi flag. That color was changed to blue, then white (Tim why is there so much white? Because you thought it would look god. No Tim this is terrible—please chose another color.) then back to blue. THEN the General decides that he wants to present a special coin to the people at the upcoming intel / security conference being held in Nov. No problem—but there were.
I could not find a decent conference logo from the year before. The guys searched their sites and folders—nothing good. I got some logos but when the company tried blowing then up—yuck. Finally, after three months a folder with the logo was found. I brought the folder home and had Laurie scan it—beautiful—finally the company had something they could use.
Now the coins have been ordered. The company sends me the proofs via e-mail. I send them to the General—it’s Oct. He likes them and tells me to order the amounts we want and tells me use the credit card he gave me. I order the amounts. I give the credit card number—it comes back with an error—the mailing address and billing address don’t match. I call the General and tell him not to worry I’ll use my credit card—after all what’s $4,020 to a rich American like me (HA!). He says Yes yes please Tim do this.
Just to make sure that my credit card will go through I call my credit card company and let them know. Then I call the coin company—all goes well.
Now the fun begins. The coins have been shipped. I have the tracking number. I e-mail the General. He calls me—he never e-mails he always calls. Good good—please track the coins Tim and let me when they arrive in Saudi.
The coins leave Alabama, now Ohio, New York, then to Germany then Bahrain. Bahrain—that’s only 45 minutes from where the General is at the conference. I call Bahrain and ask if we can pick them up—no. The nice lady assures me that the coins will be on the next flight to Riyadh--inshallah—and they are.
Yah! The coins are in Riyadh at the airport. They went through customs. They are scheduled for delivery. I get to work to see if they have been delivered—the delivery is on hold. On hold? Coins? I call.
I get a nice man but he doesn’t speak enough English to tell me the problem or give a solution. I get another man—he speaks great English but sounds doubtful that the coins will be released any time soon. I give the phone to one of the Colonels I work with. They speak in Arabic. The problem is that I’m civilian and the box says “military” which means I can’t have them. The solution is that I need a letter written on military letterhead and I have to accompained by a Saudi military man--then the coins will be released.
I call the General to let him know. Tim go talk to Col Fahid and let him know. Yes sir.
I go talk to Col Fahid—who gets a call from the General—yes yes, DHL, yes, Tim—ok.
An hour later a letter is typed, signed and stamped. An admin guy from the office is my driver—he speaks no English and I speak no Arabic—but the ride is nice.
We get to the airport and find DHL. The Saudi military guy signs papers, I show my ID, the coins—in two big boxes—are brought out—and on top is a big red sticker CUSTOMS DUE. Sigh—I pay 550 riyals ($147). They load the boxes in our official government vehicle and off we go back to RSAF HQ.
On the way to the HQ we get a phone call—go to the airbase—a plane is waiting to fly the coins to Dhahran.
We get on the airbase and find the plane—drive right up to it. The pilots shake our hands. The plane is what I call a General’s jet—a small private type plane—not a fighter jet. We give them the conference coins. I call the General. I tell him that I can’t hear him because the engines are running.
I get a call—while driving home—from the General. I expected a They’re nice or They’re ok. Instead I got Tim these are very very nice. Everybody likes them.
Saturday the General comes to work and calls me into his office. He asks me the amount—joking with me that I keep raising it—writes me a check—in Arabic. I take the check to the bank downstairs—I sign it and put my mobile number on it—I get lots of riyals—I’ve been paid in full.
That same day Col Fahid came into our office and gave us each two coins—one intel and one conference. They are nice. The intel one is probably the nicest that I’ve seen. It has so much detail to it—and the crowns on top look brilliant.
This coin story is finished. This was an adventure I wasn’t expecting. But now the RSAF has their very fist coin—maybe it’ll become a tradition.