Wow! What a day. This morning after Tim went to work I headed over to the Women's Center around 8:30 to go with a group of women from our compound to the British Women's Breakfast. They meet once a month for a breakfast in a fancy hotel here in Jeddah. Breakfast is buffet style with wonderful selections and you sit at a table 9 to 10 women. Around the perimeter of the room there are local vendors displaying their wares so you get a chance to shop, any excuse, Ha! After a time of shopping and visiting and eating a featured speaker gives an informative presentation. The speaker today was speaking on her pet project of the conservation of elephants and rhinos in Kenya, where she had grown up. She had music and slides and she gave a very informative presentation. Then there was a door prize drawing and a raffle with more time afterwards to visit a bit more and shop a bit more. Fun for all.
      When I returned home I was met by the bug sprayers and had to vacate our home for 3 hours. I went for a short walk on compound and then spent time at the computer lab in the recreational building here on compound. Tim met me there when he arrived home from work and we walked over to picked up some old grills from maintenance for the barbeque grill on our patio.
      We received a phone call from the movers and they delivered our stuff from the states to us tonight at around 4:30. Our neighbor Shawn brought over grilled chicken as a house warming gift but we had to put it in the refrigerator for tomorrow night as we were both refraining from eating much because this was the evening Steve and Rosita took us out to my sponsor dinner at the Marriot Hotel. It was an all you could eat seafood buffet and it was awesome. We enjoy Steve and Rosita's company so very much. They have lived in Jeddah off and on for several years and love the city and its people. They know everyone and and everyplace...REALLY!!!! :)
      On our drive to dinner we passed interesting sites, shopping areas and enjoyed stories. Here are pictures of a couple of statues we passed en route to dinner.

The big bicycle

The Cosmos Sculpture referred to by locals as the Fallopian Tube Sculpture, go figure... lol

At the Marriot we wandered the lobby sipping coffee and enjoying the sites of grandeur and..... we shopped a bit in the hotel gift shops. :)  Then we dined on a wonderful selection of seafood and mouthwatering morsels..... We enjoyed laughter..... stories.... good company.....and good food.... now that was a recipe for a delightful evening.
We drove back through the crowded, neon lit, death defying, thrill ride equivalent streets of Jeddah to the compound. I must admit it is a bit like riding the scariest rollercoaster ride you can ever imagine except the danger is multiplied X 100.  It is very exciting and I want to just yell out...."Wheeee!!!!!" Quite a rush!!!! Who needs to bungee jump or sky dive if you can drive through the streets of Jeddah at night! Just try to dive through a roundabout that has no rules with horns blaring and a mass of cars inches from each other fighting for position..... quite a thrill. Well we are safe at home now and yet we have again been blessed with another Great Adventure Episode to remember.... Big Smile!!!!!