24 Hours In

We’ve been here nearly 24 hours now, and things are going ok.  Everyone was tired last night (seeing as how it was 1:30 am here when we finally got settled into the house), so going to bed was not a problem.  Mike and I both woke up around 8 am Saudi time to the VERY LOUD sounds of fighter jets going over AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.  I still can’t believe the boys slept through all that.  It continued all day long.  As I understand it, that it is the Saudi military practicing (for what? I try not to think about that) from the nearby Dhahran airport.  Lawrence finally did wake up about 1 pm to a really loud one going very low over our house, but Everett didn’t wake up until nearly 3.  Mike took an afternoon nap, and Lawrence and I both took early evening naps, and then the boys went to bed at the (closer to normal) time of 9 pm tonight.  Hopefully we will get our sleep schedule sorted out tomorrow or the next day. 

We’ve been to the Commissary two times now, and I’m trying hard to remember how to get there.  It’s more confusing than you might think!  The compound is not that big, but all the buildings are tucked away and the parking is not obvious; it’s not really clear if you’ve arrived where you are supposed to or not.  The Commissary itself is also going to take some effort to figure out – there’s the exchange rate for starters, and then everything is price-tagged, old-timey style, but half the items do not have a tag (so I say they are free!)  And it’s this wild assortment of brands, too.  They have some items with US and foreign brands (e.g., Lipton Tea next to the Arabic tea), but some are only foreign, and some are only our same familiar American brands.  The only kind of molasses is the exact same kind I just threw out from our pantry in Charlotte!  Go figure.  The Arabic laundry detergent has a huge logo on the front that says “DIRT IS GOOD.”  Hmmm.  Don’t think I’ll be trying that one out.  That company and I clearly have a difference of opinion about the morals involved with a load of laundry. 

Mike starts work tomorrow!  Hopefully the kids and I can get all the suitcase clothes put away and the kitchen arranged while he is out.  We’re planning on checking out our neighborhood park, too!  More soon!