Wild, wacky and wonderful world!

We have had a great weekend so far, starting with Michael McKenzie's arrival Wednesday evening with his friend, Ali. The weekend in Saudi Arabia begins on Wednesday night, so Michael (who works in Dammam in the KSA) has Thursdays and Fridays off. Fortunately, classes finished last week, I had no doctor appointments or tests and we were able to enjoy company for a couple of days. We didn't do anything spectacular really. We showed them various areas of Doha, and, of course, took them to Souq Waqif and the Corniche. We had a fun little jaunt on a dhow at the Corniche. Nelson or I will post photos on Facebook later. We finished off the visit at a small restaurant on the Corniche which serves a variety of Middle Eastern foods and we ordered a lot of appetizers for a light meal. It was so much fun. Ali was quiet but delightful and he and Nelson both enjoyed talking photography. They both have a Canon camera and Ali wasn't sure what all the settings were for, so Nelson enjoyed showing him some of the different features.

Michael and Ali left for KSA about 6:30 last night and Nelson and I headed over to Veronica and Colin's for pottage (South African stew) and karaoke. Veronica and Colin are the friends we made through their African Grey parrot, Habib. Habib has come a long way and is now quite a sweet bird. He stayed with us for a week or so last fall while Veronica went back to South Africa. He was not a very nice bird, but he needed some time to adjust. After a second trip away, he seemed to realize how much he loved her and how lucky he was to have the home he had and did an about take....you know what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder. He still hates Colin, but Veronica can handle him and do all sorts of things with him that she couldn't do before. I think Habib thinks she is his bird wife. :)

In any case, the group of people there LOVE karaoke and really get into it. The more wine, beer and alcohol that is consumed increases the fun. I had ONE glass of wine. Nelson had none. He sang Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind," (so sweet!) and I sang (with everyone joining in), "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. It was quite fun!

So, it's still Saturday, and we plan to take Thai to see "Night at the Museum 2" today. We have been wanting to see it and his mom has to invigilate today (HA! I finally have a reprieve!), so it's off to City Center and the movies today!

I am working on a formula for my treatment this summer that includes some natural/herbal remedies. I have my pulmonary function test tomorrow, Nelson has his CT scan on Monday, I see my doctor on Thursday and he sees his doctor on the following Sunday. We then have a week before heading off toward home. However, we will be stopping over in Paris for a couple of days to break up the trip (it's 17 hours actual flying time, not including layovers). Our bodies just can't take it. The plan is to get a medical certificate from my doctor so I can go home and try an antibiotic course of treatment for my sarcoidosis. It may make me very sick, so I don't want to travel when I'm sick. And I'd like to get a full three months of the therapy going before I start teaching again (September 27). So, wish me luck. And if I get this thing kicked for good, I'll certainly let everyone know. I am still keeping my blog (http://4wardclimb.blogspot.com/) about my experience with this journey I am embarking upon. I am going to kick this thing and feel like a new person. I am already experiencing an improvement with the few simple steps I have already taken in preparation for the treatment.

See you all soon or somewhere soon, Inshallah! Keep in touch!!