Playing Catch-up: Last Part!

So here’s for the last post to wrap up 2014. I’ll start with the Marine Ball, an opportunity for us Embassy folk to get all gussied up and celebrate the Marine Corps’ birthday. This ball was an especially good one; it took place in the Hilton ballroom and had all the required pomp, circumstance, and speeches, which then gave way to drinking and dancing.

Later in the evening, I had my first Algeria clubbing experience. Now, I’m not really an enthusiastic clubber in any country, but I felt like this was an experience I should have before I leave. Algiers doesn’t have too many clubs, and they are mainly attached to major hotel chains. This one was no different (it was at the Hilton – easy access from the Marine Ball). The club was large, a little run down, and very very smoky. So basically a club in the U.S. before smoking was banned. And now I’ve had that experience and probably don’t need to go back.

Thanksgiving was up next – fairly uneventful, but nice. Those of us who remained in town for the holiday gathered at the Ambassador’s residence. Her cook prepared the bird and the rest of us brought sides and dessert. Definitely not the same as Thanksgiving with family, but it was a lovely alternative!

After Thanksgiving I moved quickly into the Christmas season with the annual gingerbread house party. There were collapses, successes, mulled wine, and lots and lots of sugar:

So we’re in December now, and my last trip to the U.S. before leaving Algeria for good. The trip started with a week of training in DC to be an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor, so now I am officially qualified to counsel people who have discrimination complaints.

After a whirlwind week in DC, which included entirely too much dental work and some great catching-up time with various friends, it was down to Orlando for the wedding of 2 friends of mine who met in our foreign service orientation class! It was a fabulous weekend, a great reunion with a group of good friends, a beautiful wedding, and dancing. So much dancing!

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to friends in Florida. But the last big thing of 2014 was Christmas in SC! Which was a wonderful, relaxing week and a half involving movie-going (Annie, The Hunger Games, Into the Woods), shopping, running (outside, on sidewalks), eating, drinking, and general merriment!

Whew! Got through 2014 – I’m almost all caught up. A few things have happened so far in 2015 that might be blog-worthy, but I’m calling this caught-up enough for now! Happy New Year to all!