Lots has happened here in Bloomington in the past week. We have moved the cats from Temp House 1 to Temp House 2, and the transition apparently has not gone smoothly. Rewind and Dixie have been placed in a lovely room with a window, but there's another cat in the house, who is rather possessive of her digs. Rewind, being the little aggressive shit that he is, makes guttural growls that could replace the demon in The Exorcist, and has frightened the somewhat-aggressive residing cat into the basement. I'm tempted to pull him out just to make sure his health doesn't deteriorate. Into the storage unit for him.
We got Wiley's suit, and it looks smashing. I waited and waited for the sale to grab his shirt - who wants to pay $45 for a shirt? Anyone? Sorry, if you do, I don't get you. I don't want to pay $45 for a shirt. So I didn't. And I got it on sale! And two ties too. Today he took the pants in to be hemmed. I still have to take my dress and slip in. He's ahead of me.
Still waiting on the sample bouquet from the florist. Apparently her dealers don't have the goods in stock to make a silk bouquet. Aren't fake flowers around all the time? Especially to replace the ones in the pots that are dying because it's so damn hot??
Invitation responses are flowing, and more people so far are coming than are not. None of my family members have sent in their cards. Don't you know that you're coming? Hello?? Auntie Em?
Wiley got shorn today. He won't need a haircut again until after the wedding. His head almost looks normal-sized right after he gets it cut. For those of you who don't know him, he has a ginormous head. I used to joke with him that I felt sorry for his wife.
We'll be in KC on the 16th to see some friends and order Wiley's ring. Think I'm looking forward to the 8 hour car ride? Think again. Oh, yes, I look forward to some Oklahoma Joe's and Corner Cafe and Abuelo's, not to mention those friends, but man, do you know what's between Indiana and Missouri? That's right - Illinois. Slow driving. And more of the same that's in Indiana and Missouri: cows, tall grass, and road kill. Mm mm good.
We found the TV show Weeds. Love it. I'm going to miss cable. Having it for this month has been nice. There are these channels that play nothing but music. Have you ever?! Yeah, I know, get in the 21st century already. No! I'll not be a slave to my belongings! I chuckle as I sit at my laptop and Wiley sits at his. Sigh.
Can't win them all. Oh, but I did finally beat Wiley twice at racquetball. Fairly. And finally. I rule.
Showing posts with label Various Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Various Thoughts. Show all posts
Friday, August 8, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Ponderous
While I was washing my face tonight, I looked at my hair. I got it cut quite short at my last appointment with a brand new stylist, and she definitely gave me my money's worth. I' m pretty sure I won't have to have it cut again before the wedding.
But as I looked at it, I noticed highlights. I thought this was odd, considering I haven't been outside all that much. And then it dawned on me.
Those aren't highlights. They're white, not gray, hairs. Stark white.
It's time to start the all-over coloring.
But as I looked at it, I noticed highlights. I thought this was odd, considering I haven't been outside all that much. And then it dawned on me.
Those aren't highlights. They're white, not gray, hairs. Stark white.
It's time to start the all-over coloring.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hauntings
It's been roughly four years or so since the breakup of my first marriage. Someone at work was quite surprised when she found out I was married. "You?" she said. Yeah, I know, cute little inquisitive thing like myself, sometimes described by another as meddlesome, with a big smile and flashy eyes, is a divorcee. Just goes to show you we all have our skeletons, and nothing is as it seems.
It wasn't until talking to Wiley later today that I realized sometimes I am still haunted by my ex. I never really saw it while we were married, but he was quite a control freak. When I still talked to him, of course I could see it, but it's funny how much you get burned when you're close to the flame but you never realize it's happening until you move away from it. While I was married, nearing the end of the 8 years we'd been together, but not knowing it at the time, my ex told me he'd lost respect for me because I had no goals. And because I'd "gotten fat". I'll let that one go for now. But as for the goals, he was right: I had no goals. To me, I see goals as too far in the future - and if you focus too much on the future, you lose sight of the present. I'm currently reading Never Eat Alone, which is changing my view on goals, slowly. But I can see that it still affects me. I want people to be proud of me. I want people to respect me. I think I didn't get enough of that when I was a child that I still crave it now, sometimes ferociously. I worry that Wiley won't continue to love me because I haven't figured myself out yet, that I don't have goals that are concrete. Through tears and snorts on the phone because one nostril fills up quicker than the other (this is something that I must've had before going to Bosnia but never noticed until I went there, got infected, and came home thinking it'd go away, and surprise, it hasn't), I unleashed my thoughts to Wiley, who patiently listened to my snorts in his ear, rather loudly at times because when you have on headphones and a mic is right next to your face, it's a bit difficult to regulate, then told me that he wanted to give me the space to figure myself out and the ability to do so without any pressure from him. (And that my ex beat me down too much.) "All my friends go through this," he reassured me, to which I hiccuped, "At my age?" and he chuckled and said, "Close enough."
Puffy eyes are mostly dry now (must remember to get cucumber packs ready for the wedding just in case a tear is shed). Thanks, Wiley. I love you so very much.
It wasn't until talking to Wiley later today that I realized sometimes I am still haunted by my ex. I never really saw it while we were married, but he was quite a control freak. When I still talked to him, of course I could see it, but it's funny how much you get burned when you're close to the flame but you never realize it's happening until you move away from it. While I was married, nearing the end of the 8 years we'd been together, but not knowing it at the time, my ex told me he'd lost respect for me because I had no goals. And because I'd "gotten fat". I'll let that one go for now. But as for the goals, he was right: I had no goals. To me, I see goals as too far in the future - and if you focus too much on the future, you lose sight of the present. I'm currently reading Never Eat Alone, which is changing my view on goals, slowly. But I can see that it still affects me. I want people to be proud of me. I want people to respect me. I think I didn't get enough of that when I was a child that I still crave it now, sometimes ferociously. I worry that Wiley won't continue to love me because I haven't figured myself out yet, that I don't have goals that are concrete. Through tears and snorts on the phone because one nostril fills up quicker than the other (this is something that I must've had before going to Bosnia but never noticed until I went there, got infected, and came home thinking it'd go away, and surprise, it hasn't), I unleashed my thoughts to Wiley, who patiently listened to my snorts in his ear, rather loudly at times because when you have on headphones and a mic is right next to your face, it's a bit difficult to regulate, then told me that he wanted to give me the space to figure myself out and the ability to do so without any pressure from him. (And that my ex beat me down too much.) "All my friends go through this," he reassured me, to which I hiccuped, "At my age?" and he chuckled and said, "Close enough."
Puffy eyes are mostly dry now (must remember to get cucumber packs ready for the wedding just in case a tear is shed). Thanks, Wiley. I love you so very much.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Island Memories
When I was 16, I was lucky enough to go on vacation with my parents to the little island of Kauai. Granted, vacationing with parents when you're 16 never really sounds like fun, but I got to go to Hawaii, while Iowa was dealing with winter, and frolic on beaches. I went horseback riding in a sugar cane field that led to a sandy white beach with crystal blue water. I got to go to a luau and watch hula girls and guys dance and play with fire. Some guy in his 20s thought I looked cute while feeding peacocks and gave me his phone number. (What, I was going to give him mine? Ha. I knew how to play the game.) While it was only 70 degrees and the locals were wearing jeans and sweaters, we were wearing swimsuits and shorts and laying out near the water. We went just a couple of years after a hurricane blew through, and the island wasn't up and running yet. People were living in the condos we were staying at because they had nowhere else to go. I thought it was kinda fun to have roosters wake me up at 5 am. In Hawaii!
And I don't know why the memory struck me tonight, but I remember going to the grocery store with my mom. It was just the two of us - my dad and his mom were back at the condo, and friends who had come with us were off on the island doing their own thing. I marveled at a $5.00 gallon of milk. Paradise, it seemed, came with a cost.
While we were getting in line, a man with a small red basket of items came up to us and asked my mom to help him pay for his groceries. She faltered and said she couldn't. He said, "That's ok," and then left, leaving the basket near the front of the store. Mom immediately regretted her decision and told me to go running after him to find him, and I tried, but when I got outside, he was nowhere in sight. I found it a little odd. He wasn't more than 10 seconds ahead of me, and the parking lot was large, but he was just gone. Vanished.
After my mom passed away a few short months later, I thought about this incident. In addition to this oddity, not long before my mom passed away, she told me of a strange dream, only she swore it wasn't a dream. She said she woke up in the middle of the night, and a cloaked figure was standing at the foot of the bed. She called out my name because I was the only other one in the house (Dad was sleeping next to her). The figure didn't move, didn't say a word, just stood there. She told me she hid under the covers, and when she looked again, the figure was gone.
I wouldn't say that I was superstitious, but after she died, I really started to wonder at these two phenomenon. Was the man in Kauai an angel testing her to see how nice she was and if she passed the test, would she have lived? Who was the cloaked figure? Another angel, deciding it was definitely her that was going to be next?
More likely than not, the guy in Hawaii was probably someone who just happened to look at a lady who had a kid and thought she looked nice enough to help him out. She was; she just thought of my dad and how mad he would've been if he knew she spent money to help a complete stranger, and having to deal with a mad alcoholic is no way to spend a vacation.
The cloaked stranger likely was a dream as well, but you know there are times when dreams feel so real (like every night as I'm going to bed and I dream a spider is spinning a web down to my bed), you're convinced you were awake.
Is there a point to this story? Not so much. But if you're looking for one, stop being a schmuck and be nice. Help someone out, especially someone who a) could really use it and/or b) doesn't expect it.
And I don't know why the memory struck me tonight, but I remember going to the grocery store with my mom. It was just the two of us - my dad and his mom were back at the condo, and friends who had come with us were off on the island doing their own thing. I marveled at a $5.00 gallon of milk. Paradise, it seemed, came with a cost.
While we were getting in line, a man with a small red basket of items came up to us and asked my mom to help him pay for his groceries. She faltered and said she couldn't. He said, "That's ok," and then left, leaving the basket near the front of the store. Mom immediately regretted her decision and told me to go running after him to find him, and I tried, but when I got outside, he was nowhere in sight. I found it a little odd. He wasn't more than 10 seconds ahead of me, and the parking lot was large, but he was just gone. Vanished.
After my mom passed away a few short months later, I thought about this incident. In addition to this oddity, not long before my mom passed away, she told me of a strange dream, only she swore it wasn't a dream. She said she woke up in the middle of the night, and a cloaked figure was standing at the foot of the bed. She called out my name because I was the only other one in the house (Dad was sleeping next to her). The figure didn't move, didn't say a word, just stood there. She told me she hid under the covers, and when she looked again, the figure was gone.
I wouldn't say that I was superstitious, but after she died, I really started to wonder at these two phenomenon. Was the man in Kauai an angel testing her to see how nice she was and if she passed the test, would she have lived? Who was the cloaked figure? Another angel, deciding it was definitely her that was going to be next?
More likely than not, the guy in Hawaii was probably someone who just happened to look at a lady who had a kid and thought she looked nice enough to help him out. She was; she just thought of my dad and how mad he would've been if he knew she spent money to help a complete stranger, and having to deal with a mad alcoholic is no way to spend a vacation.
The cloaked stranger likely was a dream as well, but you know there are times when dreams feel so real (like every night as I'm going to bed and I dream a spider is spinning a web down to my bed), you're convinced you were awake.
Is there a point to this story? Not so much. But if you're looking for one, stop being a schmuck and be nice. Help someone out, especially someone who a) could really use it and/or b) doesn't expect it.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Uggghhh.....
Not again is what I want to say. Is there ever a time in your life when you're supposed to feel settled? I've been feeling very unsettled lately. Oh sure, Dear Reader, you can point to the fact that I'm living among storage bins and getting ready to move for the third time in a year - those things may in fact lead to a feeling of being unsettled. But it's more than that.
I believe it is the setting in of Cold Feet.
I find this hysterical as well as, well, unsettling. Hysterical because there's really no reason for it. Unsettled because there's really no reason for it.
See my state of confusion? I'm talking in circles!
Some people, though it seems the list is shrinking, don't know that this will be Marriage Number Two for me. While I'm not embarrassed now to say I screwed the pooch on the first one (though I felt like I was wearing a giant red "D" on my chest for a long time), it always surprises me when someone I didn't think knew comes to me and says, "So I hear you've already been married! What happened? How long were you together?" Groan. Eight years total. I had issues, he had issues, we couldn't work through said issues, relationship kaput. We're not bad people; we just didn't work well enough together. End of story. Pick self up, brush off dust, begin anew.
While I like to think that I have effectively dealt with my past, sometimes it bites me in the butt. Every so often I wonder if I'm going to screw this one up too. More than one person has asked me if I'm really ready to walk down the aisle again, knowing full well that it too could end badly. Every single time I say, "Yes," without hesitation. But the past couple of weeks, I think, Really?
The past couple of weeks have been very difficult. I've decided that two months is about all I can handle living without Wiley. After that, things seem to break down just a bit. I get testier with him. I suppose that it's during these times of separation that I really start questioning everything. We have a good, strong relationship. But it really does get tested when we don't get along and there's an ocean separating us. I know that communication is key, but sometimes I find it so difficult to really say what I need to say to make my feelings heard. When I'm mad, I tend to act out: fester, blow, retreat to cool off, come back to it with a calmer head. I had such a good handle on not festering and not blowing for the longest time, but lately I haven't been able to do as good a job.
I left Sarajevo early, too early, it seems. The whole city has come to life. Wiley tells me of all his outings and people who come to visit him. Last week it was some chick from IU who stayed with him all week - I trust him, no problems, though I got tired of hearing "we went to dinner, then went to lunch...". Not long before that, it was a friend from Austria, and next weekend, another friend from Austria. Part of me wants to say, What are you doing? Are you really working? Because all you tell me is when you go out. I'm working my ass off over here and he's working but not in the same way. Grr. The rational side of me knows that he's working, really, he is. The side of me that's really tired of being apart wants to scream, "Work the weekends so you can come home early!" Not an option, and I know this, but I still want!!! We work very well together most of the time. I just miss my man.
Add to this the fact that I'm not a goal-setter. I actually really don't like the word "goal" because I think it forces people to think so much about the future that they miss the present. However, part of me is nagging myself. Are you sure you're not just lazy? my inner self will say. You go home after work and stay in, hardly go out, don't open up a book though you read a lot of blogs. The goal I suppose I had before going to Sarajevo was to go back to school. I broke it down to be more manageable - researched schools, figured out how to pay for it, got letters of recommendation, wrote a personal statement, handed over my money and applied, even got accepted! Now it seems like something that's not going to be tangible for a few years, and now I'm also starting to question if it's what I really want to do. So now what??? Good at this, good at that....but you know, for all the things I'm good at (advice, violin, photography, the occasional blog-post or some other writing piece), I would trade them in to be great at just one thing. To have passion for just one thing that I could pour myself into, that's what I want. Maybe then I would be a little more settled. At 31, I'm supposed to be settled, damnit, not feel like I'm just graduating college and have my whole life ahead of me so I can make a few wrong turns. Where is my path?
I believe it is the setting in of Cold Feet.
I find this hysterical as well as, well, unsettling. Hysterical because there's really no reason for it. Unsettled because there's really no reason for it.
See my state of confusion? I'm talking in circles!
Some people, though it seems the list is shrinking, don't know that this will be Marriage Number Two for me. While I'm not embarrassed now to say I screwed the pooch on the first one (though I felt like I was wearing a giant red "D" on my chest for a long time), it always surprises me when someone I didn't think knew comes to me and says, "So I hear you've already been married! What happened? How long were you together?" Groan. Eight years total. I had issues, he had issues, we couldn't work through said issues, relationship kaput. We're not bad people; we just didn't work well enough together. End of story. Pick self up, brush off dust, begin anew.
While I like to think that I have effectively dealt with my past, sometimes it bites me in the butt. Every so often I wonder if I'm going to screw this one up too. More than one person has asked me if I'm really ready to walk down the aisle again, knowing full well that it too could end badly. Every single time I say, "Yes," without hesitation. But the past couple of weeks, I think, Really?
The past couple of weeks have been very difficult. I've decided that two months is about all I can handle living without Wiley. After that, things seem to break down just a bit. I get testier with him. I suppose that it's during these times of separation that I really start questioning everything. We have a good, strong relationship. But it really does get tested when we don't get along and there's an ocean separating us. I know that communication is key, but sometimes I find it so difficult to really say what I need to say to make my feelings heard. When I'm mad, I tend to act out: fester, blow, retreat to cool off, come back to it with a calmer head. I had such a good handle on not festering and not blowing for the longest time, but lately I haven't been able to do as good a job.
I left Sarajevo early, too early, it seems. The whole city has come to life. Wiley tells me of all his outings and people who come to visit him. Last week it was some chick from IU who stayed with him all week - I trust him, no problems, though I got tired of hearing "we went to dinner, then went to lunch...". Not long before that, it was a friend from Austria, and next weekend, another friend from Austria. Part of me wants to say, What are you doing? Are you really working? Because all you tell me is when you go out. I'm working my ass off over here and he's working but not in the same way. Grr. The rational side of me knows that he's working, really, he is. The side of me that's really tired of being apart wants to scream, "Work the weekends so you can come home early!" Not an option, and I know this, but I still want!!! We work very well together most of the time. I just miss my man.
Add to this the fact that I'm not a goal-setter. I actually really don't like the word "goal" because I think it forces people to think so much about the future that they miss the present. However, part of me is nagging myself. Are you sure you're not just lazy? my inner self will say. You go home after work and stay in, hardly go out, don't open up a book though you read a lot of blogs. The goal I suppose I had before going to Sarajevo was to go back to school. I broke it down to be more manageable - researched schools, figured out how to pay for it, got letters of recommendation, wrote a personal statement, handed over my money and applied, even got accepted! Now it seems like something that's not going to be tangible for a few years, and now I'm also starting to question if it's what I really want to do. So now what??? Good at this, good at that....but you know, for all the things I'm good at (advice, violin, photography, the occasional blog-post or some other writing piece), I would trade them in to be great at just one thing. To have passion for just one thing that I could pour myself into, that's what I want. Maybe then I would be a little more settled. At 31, I'm supposed to be settled, damnit, not feel like I'm just graduating college and have my whole life ahead of me so I can make a few wrong turns. Where is my path?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Oh, Only 6 Days
I thought it had actually been longer than that since the last post.
Latest developments: we get to move into our friend's house. On August 28th. And from July 31 until then, we're essentially homeless. We are able to stay at a friend's apartment while she's gone, but we'll have to share the place with her roommate for a couple of weeks, which could be interesting considering I realized she had the hots for Wiley a couple of years ago...nothing too major...a small crush, but still. The cats unfortunately will need to board elsewhere, as our friend has allergies and is worried that the cat hair will forever be in the carpet.
In the meantime: I have little black bugs in the house. Bugs isn't quite the right word. They're the size of maggots, but they're black, not yellow. Do maggots come in another color? I don't smell anything out of the ordinary. Originally, when they were landing in my toilet, I wasn't too concerned because hey, it's the toilet. They fall from the bathroom vent into the toilet, which just leaves me to flush. But then I started noticing them coming out of the wall between my bedroom and the bathroom, and I got slightly freaked out. First, the cats could eat them. Second, just what are they? Third, why are they here? Roly polies I can deal with. Spiders I can even deal with - although since about the time I moved in here, at least once or twice a week as I'm falling asleep, I have a dream that I'm watching a spider descend from the ceiling. And we're talking giganto-spiders, like tarantula size. So I flip on my light and look around, only to realize I'm dreaming. In my linen closet, I ran into some kind of insect I'd never seen before...looked like a green cricket. I looked at him. He looked at me. I gave him the speech I give most of the bugs: "Outside, you're fine, inside, you're mine," squish. Earlier this week a friend told me that it's a carmel spider or something like that - it jumps, and I mean, jumps. My friend had one in his basement while I was doing a little paperwork for him and I decided for the day to name him Juan. Yesterday, when I went over, Juan was missing. I'm guessing Juan went the way of the dodo. Apparently, I'm not the only one with house rules for insects. Anyway, back to the black maggots...I can deal with them, but I really don't want to. Is this a lesson in control? That I've gone back to my ways of worrying about every little thing and by dealing with all of these critters I have to learn that I can't control everything? Bah.
The new job is going well. Today I got an ergonomic keyboard. I've named her Darth. She's all black and shiny and just a beastly thing. I hope it works better than my old keyboard. At least this one has no crumbs in it! And apparently I am liked - today my boss told me that no one could hire me away - "I will find them!" she said. It could have been helped by the fact that I brought in cupcakes, but this really was said before she tried them and exclaimed them to be the best cupcakes she'd ever tasted. Yep, I know my bakeries. My taste buds sing.
Bloomington is a little quieter now thanks to the students going home for summer vacation. But seriously people, we need to work on the 4-way stops. They go, then you go. Then they go, and you go. If you get there the same time as others, the person to the right has the right of way. (Right?) If someone doesn't want to go and the person who's facing you decides to go and you got there at the same time, it's ok to proceed as well. You don't get extra points for one car going at a time through an intersection.
On the other hand, I have got to hand it to the road crews. This morning, I drove on a road that was barren - all old asphalt taken off. Today, at lunchtime, all 4 lanes had been repaved. So there are some perks to living in a small town after all...
Latest developments: we get to move into our friend's house. On August 28th. And from July 31 until then, we're essentially homeless. We are able to stay at a friend's apartment while she's gone, but we'll have to share the place with her roommate for a couple of weeks, which could be interesting considering I realized she had the hots for Wiley a couple of years ago...nothing too major...a small crush, but still. The cats unfortunately will need to board elsewhere, as our friend has allergies and is worried that the cat hair will forever be in the carpet.
In the meantime: I have little black bugs in the house. Bugs isn't quite the right word. They're the size of maggots, but they're black, not yellow. Do maggots come in another color? I don't smell anything out of the ordinary. Originally, when they were landing in my toilet, I wasn't too concerned because hey, it's the toilet. They fall from the bathroom vent into the toilet, which just leaves me to flush. But then I started noticing them coming out of the wall between my bedroom and the bathroom, and I got slightly freaked out. First, the cats could eat them. Second, just what are they? Third, why are they here? Roly polies I can deal with. Spiders I can even deal with - although since about the time I moved in here, at least once or twice a week as I'm falling asleep, I have a dream that I'm watching a spider descend from the ceiling. And we're talking giganto-spiders, like tarantula size. So I flip on my light and look around, only to realize I'm dreaming. In my linen closet, I ran into some kind of insect I'd never seen before...looked like a green cricket. I looked at him. He looked at me. I gave him the speech I give most of the bugs: "Outside, you're fine, inside, you're mine," squish. Earlier this week a friend told me that it's a carmel spider or something like that - it jumps, and I mean, jumps. My friend had one in his basement while I was doing a little paperwork for him and I decided for the day to name him Juan. Yesterday, when I went over, Juan was missing. I'm guessing Juan went the way of the dodo. Apparently, I'm not the only one with house rules for insects. Anyway, back to the black maggots...I can deal with them, but I really don't want to. Is this a lesson in control? That I've gone back to my ways of worrying about every little thing and by dealing with all of these critters I have to learn that I can't control everything? Bah.
The new job is going well. Today I got an ergonomic keyboard. I've named her Darth. She's all black and shiny and just a beastly thing. I hope it works better than my old keyboard. At least this one has no crumbs in it! And apparently I am liked - today my boss told me that no one could hire me away - "I will find them!" she said. It could have been helped by the fact that I brought in cupcakes, but this really was said before she tried them and exclaimed them to be the best cupcakes she'd ever tasted. Yep, I know my bakeries. My taste buds sing.
Bloomington is a little quieter now thanks to the students going home for summer vacation. But seriously people, we need to work on the 4-way stops. They go, then you go. Then they go, and you go. If you get there the same time as others, the person to the right has the right of way. (Right?) If someone doesn't want to go and the person who's facing you decides to go and you got there at the same time, it's ok to proceed as well. You don't get extra points for one car going at a time through an intersection.
On the other hand, I have got to hand it to the road crews. This morning, I drove on a road that was barren - all old asphalt taken off. Today, at lunchtime, all 4 lanes had been repaved. So there are some perks to living in a small town after all...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Rallying the Troops
Tonight, my friends called me up and asked if I wanted to go with them to the Obama rally here in Bloomington. As I'd never attended a rally, I thought it would be good if I go. Doors opened at 6:30 for an 8:30 start, but we decided to leave home at 8:30 and avoid the crowd. It turned out to be a great choice. The Secret Service said I was not a threat, and neither was my purse. Barron Hill came out to try and pump up the crowd, and then Obama came out with his rolled-up white shirt and black pants. That was really all I could see because we were in the middle nosebleed section, except that I think he's got large feet.
Obama can be a very charismatic speaker. However, I learned that he's not big into details. For example, he tried to tell us to get out and vote on Tuesday, but he flubbed up the time. It seemed that he didn't read the sheet before and said "uh" a lot. That's not the image you regularly see on TV, so it surprised me he wasn't quite so polished. But then he was when he started describing Everyfamily that has their share of problems, such as being sent to Iraq with a baby on the way and not having health insurance and not having a job. He had a lot of ideas, but he didn't back anything up with proof of a plan. One minute, we're spending $10 billion a day, the next we're spending $100 billion a month on the war. He wants students to get a $4000 credit so they can afford college by doing community service, but he didn't really outline any sort of plan. So at this stage of the game, there's a lot of marketing, but the product is still a little fuzzy. I will say that he didn't attack Hillary much. He said that they have differences, which pale in comparison to the differences between Dems and McCain, and that the Dems will be united come November. After 45 minutes of hearing his speech, we decided to leave and go to Tutto Bene for some drink and conversation. A friend is driving to Nebraska tomorrow - I told them how to find the cheese curds. Another's parents from Germany were in town - I asked them how their flight was in German, but that was about all I could squeak out. My brain just wasn't working. I might have a part-time gig setting up an office for a rental business that's taking off. All in all, a good night, but oh goodness, morning is going to come too early, so I'm hauling my azz off to bed.
Obama can be a very charismatic speaker. However, I learned that he's not big into details. For example, he tried to tell us to get out and vote on Tuesday, but he flubbed up the time. It seemed that he didn't read the sheet before and said "uh" a lot. That's not the image you regularly see on TV, so it surprised me he wasn't quite so polished. But then he was when he started describing Everyfamily that has their share of problems, such as being sent to Iraq with a baby on the way and not having health insurance and not having a job. He had a lot of ideas, but he didn't back anything up with proof of a plan. One minute, we're spending $10 billion a day, the next we're spending $100 billion a month on the war. He wants students to get a $4000 credit so they can afford college by doing community service, but he didn't really outline any sort of plan. So at this stage of the game, there's a lot of marketing, but the product is still a little fuzzy. I will say that he didn't attack Hillary much. He said that they have differences, which pale in comparison to the differences between Dems and McCain, and that the Dems will be united come November. After 45 minutes of hearing his speech, we decided to leave and go to Tutto Bene for some drink and conversation. A friend is driving to Nebraska tomorrow - I told them how to find the cheese curds. Another's parents from Germany were in town - I asked them how their flight was in German, but that was about all I could squeak out. My brain just wasn't working. I might have a part-time gig setting up an office for a rental business that's taking off. All in all, a good night, but oh goodness, morning is going to come too early, so I'm hauling my azz off to bed.
Monday, April 28, 2008
We're Going to be Washed Away.
Man, this weather is odd. During lunch, my car was practically blown sideways, and then it poured down rain, and now the sun is out. I think Mother Nature is going through menopause.
Tonight I got some borax and sprinkled my furniture with it and pushed it into the floor where the wood doesn't quite meet the wall. On Wednesday, we vacuum. I've also washed all the blankets and my bedding and am keeping the cats out of my room. They hate that. They love the bed! But sleep last night was not easy. I think it was midnight before I went to bed, and 1 before I fell asleep. And then I had dreams that spiders were falling from the ceiling, and that I got to work and my inbox was overflowing with stuff I had to get done that day. So when 6:19 rolled around, my phone woke me up - Wiley got some more money for his phone so he could text me - and I grudgingly got up. He's currently in Zvornik interviewing people, which turned out to be a bad time because of the holidays (Easter and then another one I can't remember). His phone thinks he's in Serbia, so it eats money. But he's taking pictures so soon you (and I) will see! So morning came early, but I got up, fed the cats, and went for a run - a whole mile without stopping once! The trail I use was deserted this morning at that time - just me and one other person, then two on my way back. The trail is around 3 miles, but I only go about a mile into it and then the mile back. I don't have much time, especially if I walk it. But my arse, oh boy, what pain it feels. I think it may rain tomorrow, which will hamper my plans, but if not, I'll attempt again and hopefully the muscles will feel better. It's times like this that I apologize to my body for abusing it and not using it regularly like I should.
Tonight I got some borax and sprinkled my furniture with it and pushed it into the floor where the wood doesn't quite meet the wall. On Wednesday, we vacuum. I've also washed all the blankets and my bedding and am keeping the cats out of my room. They hate that. They love the bed! But sleep last night was not easy. I think it was midnight before I went to bed, and 1 before I fell asleep. And then I had dreams that spiders were falling from the ceiling, and that I got to work and my inbox was overflowing with stuff I had to get done that day. So when 6:19 rolled around, my phone woke me up - Wiley got some more money for his phone so he could text me - and I grudgingly got up. He's currently in Zvornik interviewing people, which turned out to be a bad time because of the holidays (Easter and then another one I can't remember). His phone thinks he's in Serbia, so it eats money. But he's taking pictures so soon you (and I) will see! So morning came early, but I got up, fed the cats, and went for a run - a whole mile without stopping once! The trail I use was deserted this morning at that time - just me and one other person, then two on my way back. The trail is around 3 miles, but I only go about a mile into it and then the mile back. I don't have much time, especially if I walk it. But my arse, oh boy, what pain it feels. I think it may rain tomorrow, which will hamper my plans, but if not, I'll attempt again and hopefully the muscles will feel better. It's times like this that I apologize to my body for abusing it and not using it regularly like I should.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Cards
Tonight was supposed to be Girls' Night, but it turns out a friend's wife was in town (she's a prof. in Virginia while hubby is still here), so we went to a local Mexican joint and then went back to the house to play cards. We decided on Hearts.
As I'd only played Hearts on the computer, I wasn't sure I could play with people. But I turned out to be pretty good, garnering some "ooohs" and "aaahhhs" when I played a certain card. When we finished, I was in second place, having gotten the queen of spades just one time and maybe 22 hearts.
My oven decided to quit working today. I emailed the landlord, who assured me when I moved in that he would come out the same day I reported a problem to take a look. Hmmm...unless he's coming in the next 45 minutes, ain't gonna happen today. What really pisses me off was that I was making cookies...had them on the sheets ready to go in, and kaput. Burners work, but not the oven itself. I toggled the heating coils, but got nothing in return. So now the cookie dough sits in the fridge, waiting to be baked. The bad thing is that I also like cookie dough, so it's hard not to get into it...after all, it's just sitting there. A friend used to like me to make her a batch without the egg so she could just munch on it. Tasty vittles.
As I'd only played Hearts on the computer, I wasn't sure I could play with people. But I turned out to be pretty good, garnering some "ooohs" and "aaahhhs" when I played a certain card. When we finished, I was in second place, having gotten the queen of spades just one time and maybe 22 hearts.
My oven decided to quit working today. I emailed the landlord, who assured me when I moved in that he would come out the same day I reported a problem to take a look. Hmmm...unless he's coming in the next 45 minutes, ain't gonna happen today. What really pisses me off was that I was making cookies...had them on the sheets ready to go in, and kaput. Burners work, but not the oven itself. I toggled the heating coils, but got nothing in return. So now the cookie dough sits in the fridge, waiting to be baked. The bad thing is that I also like cookie dough, so it's hard not to get into it...after all, it's just sitting there. A friend used to like me to make her a batch without the egg so she could just munch on it. Tasty vittles.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tuesday Time
I really like being unemployed on sunny days. I was able to clean up my house and then read in my hammock for awhile while the sun warmed my spirit. I listened to the birds chirp, and today I learned the sound a cardinal makes. He would sing, and then he'd be answered by an unseen cardinal, and then he'd sing again, and he'd be answered again, and then he flew away to find either his brother or his mate. (I don't know if females sound the same or not.) It's kinda fun to stop and breathe in a day.
I also got a key to the shed that houses the lawnmower. Shed is filthy and has a huge hole in the ceiling, so the bins will not be going in there. I saved a big black furry caterpillar from certain death by moving him out of the way of the door. I realized that boxers leave big piles of poop, which is no wonder why I smell it when I'm in said hammock. I need to figure out a solution to this stinky situation.
I tried to update my iPod today, and my computer said my virtual memory was low. Now I don't understand why this is happening to me, and I don't quite know how to fix it. My iTunes is on my external hard drive.
And I made my famous cookies tonight. A friend's birthday is today, so I thought I would give her the gift of fat. Dinner out with her fiance isn't enough in my opinion!
Now I have a huge headache, and I just spilled all my Aleve on the floor. You know what? Screw it. They're still digestible. Note to self: do not offer any Aleve to friends.
I also got a key to the shed that houses the lawnmower. Shed is filthy and has a huge hole in the ceiling, so the bins will not be going in there. I saved a big black furry caterpillar from certain death by moving him out of the way of the door. I realized that boxers leave big piles of poop, which is no wonder why I smell it when I'm in said hammock. I need to figure out a solution to this stinky situation.
I tried to update my iPod today, and my computer said my virtual memory was low. Now I don't understand why this is happening to me, and I don't quite know how to fix it. My iTunes is on my external hard drive.
And I made my famous cookies tonight. A friend's birthday is today, so I thought I would give her the gift of fat. Dinner out with her fiance isn't enough in my opinion!
Now I have a huge headache, and I just spilled all my Aleve on the floor. You know what? Screw it. They're still digestible. Note to self: do not offer any Aleve to friends.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Soggy.
It rained last night. So much that I couldn't put out my three recycling bins because if the paper is wet, they won't pick up. So I set my alarm for 6 am, and at 5:19, I woke up. I figured that since I was awake, I'd go ahead and put out the trash and the recycling. Good thing too - the trucks came at 5:54. I hate to think what I would've done had I had to deal with stinky trash and a mouse carcass for another week. It's raining again, and hard. And while FEMA tells me I don't live in a flood zone, my landlord told me he was required to get flood insurance when he bought the house. The creek isn't all that far from my house, and while I don't think the creek will get me, there is certainly no drainage. The ground is soggy; I have to walk in my yard to get my mail because a lake fills up in the street in front of my box. I'm debating getting flood insurance myself just for peace of mind.
Today I stayed inside the house all day, talking to Wiley via internet and unpacking bins. We went through 6 bins of books of Wiley's, and I now have four bins of books to donate and three bins of books to sell (I also went through my books again). On top of that, I made great progress in the office - I got through all of the bins on the floor and only have eight more bins to go through in the entire house before I'm finished. Of course, I'm running out of room...there are about 7 bins that can't be unpacked now, so I can't wait to see what's in the rest of the bins (two have even more books, and my three bookcases are already full!)
I start training to be a youth counselor/case worker on Monday. I have training for two weeks, and then they let me loose in a strange county I've never been in. While I was at Lowe's for the millionth time earlier this week, a guy told me he was from Greene county. I asked him if it was an easy place to navigate, and his response was, "If you stay on the main roads, you'll be fine, but if you have to go on the back roads, you're going to get lost." So if anyone's thinking of getting me a late birthday gift, I'll take a little GPS gadget. I need to find a map of this county...everyone says Greene county; they never say what town they live in. In Monroe, or Brown perhaps, we have a Gnaw Bone. Maybe they have something like that, like Cattail Junction or Wet Willy. But I'll find out soon enough.
I'm really nervous about this, and part of me wishes I'd stayed in the legal world. At least I knew what I was doing there, so I could have something comfortable somewhere in my life. There's nothing but change swirling around me - new city, new job, new friends, new home - and sometimes I feel like the boxelder bug in the toilet as it flushes: trying like hell to stay afloat, even though the vortex is pulling me down. It's not that I don't think I can do the job, but you never really know how something is going to treat you until you're in the thick of it. It's really a leap of faith; I think counseling is the way to go for me, and while I may have missed the mark by a hair, this could be really good experience for me and help me figure out if counseling is my next career. My career counselor three years ago told me to get out of the office; it wasn't for me. And I was ecstatic when I made the jump and moved overseas. But now that I'm back, reality has hit kinda hard. I can see why people choose to stay in one career for years - it's comfortable. And I have been so uncomfortable lately; anxious over the smallest thing (like mice, and having my power flicker and wondering if I blew a fuse how do I fix it, and worrying about flooding), almost to the point of brooding and getting no sleep (it's almost 1 am and I'm WIDE awake now). I'm guess I'm just ready to be settled. Not being settled is exhausting.
Today I stayed inside the house all day, talking to Wiley via internet and unpacking bins. We went through 6 bins of books of Wiley's, and I now have four bins of books to donate and three bins of books to sell (I also went through my books again). On top of that, I made great progress in the office - I got through all of the bins on the floor and only have eight more bins to go through in the entire house before I'm finished. Of course, I'm running out of room...there are about 7 bins that can't be unpacked now, so I can't wait to see what's in the rest of the bins (two have even more books, and my three bookcases are already full!)
I start training to be a youth counselor/case worker on Monday. I have training for two weeks, and then they let me loose in a strange county I've never been in. While I was at Lowe's for the millionth time earlier this week, a guy told me he was from Greene county. I asked him if it was an easy place to navigate, and his response was, "If you stay on the main roads, you'll be fine, but if you have to go on the back roads, you're going to get lost." So if anyone's thinking of getting me a late birthday gift, I'll take a little GPS gadget. I need to find a map of this county...everyone says Greene county; they never say what town they live in. In Monroe, or Brown perhaps, we have a Gnaw Bone. Maybe they have something like that, like Cattail Junction or Wet Willy. But I'll find out soon enough.
I'm really nervous about this, and part of me wishes I'd stayed in the legal world. At least I knew what I was doing there, so I could have something comfortable somewhere in my life. There's nothing but change swirling around me - new city, new job, new friends, new home - and sometimes I feel like the boxelder bug in the toilet as it flushes: trying like hell to stay afloat, even though the vortex is pulling me down. It's not that I don't think I can do the job, but you never really know how something is going to treat you until you're in the thick of it. It's really a leap of faith; I think counseling is the way to go for me, and while I may have missed the mark by a hair, this could be really good experience for me and help me figure out if counseling is my next career. My career counselor three years ago told me to get out of the office; it wasn't for me. And I was ecstatic when I made the jump and moved overseas. But now that I'm back, reality has hit kinda hard. I can see why people choose to stay in one career for years - it's comfortable. And I have been so uncomfortable lately; anxious over the smallest thing (like mice, and having my power flicker and wondering if I blew a fuse how do I fix it, and worrying about flooding), almost to the point of brooding and getting no sleep (it's almost 1 am and I'm WIDE awake now). I'm guess I'm just ready to be settled. Not being settled is exhausting.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Settling In
Today, the gods smiled upon me, for today, I was blessed with internet capability at home. As soon as I opened my eyes this morning, I got my modem/router from AT&T and bounded into the living room, plugged in my gear, and got two green lights and a red blinking light. I checked the directions; hmmm....red blinking light isn't something I should see. So I called AT&T and asked what was up. They told me I wasn't supposed to have service until tomorrow, but I had the packing slip right in front of me, and they agreed I was right and they were wrong. Finally, a guy who looked like he rode Harleys for a living showed up at my door and said he was there to connect my service. I practically mowed him down because I was so excited that my internet was almost ready. Half an hour later, it's smooth sailing for me. I don't want to shut it down for fear that it may not work again!
Tonight has been productive, but I suppose I should backtrack a bit. It took us 10 hours to move the bulk of my belongings to Indiana. I retrieved two of my cats, who were not one bit happy to see one another, so I had to separate them in the car. At hour 8, Dixie's constant meows hit a fevered pitch, and then I smelled the shyt. I pulled over about 10 minutes later, when I saw the first exit, and surveyed the damage. The poor thing had a massive poop that exploded everywhere, even on her. I'm sure it was quite a sight, me trying to clean up her cloth carrier while holding onto her at the same time so she didn't track poop everywhere in the car. I tried to put her in the carrier with Rewind, but he had an absolute fit, so she ended up staying in the carrier and he ended up sleeping on my lap the last two hours of the trip. So the first thing I did when I got to the house was give her a bath, which made both of us wet and neither of us happy. She objected very loudly to the point where I was sure the neighbor was going to call the cops on me for animal cruelty. After her bath, she sulked in the bedroom for awhile, but got even with me all night long, walking on me, over my head, and keeping me from sleeping straight through the night.
Wiley's friends came over and helped unload the large dresser and mirror from the trailer, and then we loaded up Wiley's things. Boy, what a lot of stuff. You never think you have a lot until you move it all. His friends joked and asked me where he was going to live when he returned, then they suggested he move into the other half of the duplex. Yes, it's small, maybe not even 900 square feet. I don't have a basement; I don't have an attic. After this ordeal, I realized I'm a very bad judger of space. But in less than four hours, everything was out of the trailer and into the house. The washer/dryer combo is a real pain to move, but Wiley's friends made it look pretty easy, except for the one whose head was actually in the dryer as she helped take the weight of the beast Here's a hint: don't get a combo unit.
Unfortunately, with everything out of the trailer and into the house, I had no living room, just a sea of blue and bronze Rubbermaid storage totes. We were able to get most of them into the office, and I've unloaded about 10 or so so far. I've also loaded up three to go to Goodwill. That's the joy of merging stuff.
Wiley's parents are amazing when it comes to gadgets and fixing things up. My bathroom is the size of a small closet. The toilet is so close to the sink that putting one of those over-the-toilet organizers isn't an option. But Wiley's mom told me about the shelves she and hubby made for her scrapbooking stuff. We went to Lowe's and looked around and didn't find them. But of course, when you're moving, you need things many different times, so on the fourth trip to Lowe's, we found what she was talking about, and they put them up in the bathroom. I was so happy that when my landlord came over today to give me a new screen door, I drug him into the house to see. Apparently he isn't as impressed with such things as I am.
One very unpleasant surprise I woke up to on Sunday were these little brown things that looked like mini chocolate chips on my counter. Upon further inspection, I realized it was mouse poop. Then I went all through the rooms and found more and more mouse poop. Wiley's mom tried to tell me that this happens and I can deal with it, but I was practically non-responsive. How could I have missed mice when I inspected the place? Mice! I haven't had to deal with mice in my own home since I was a kid and they were living in my closet (grandma had mice a few years back and that was also unpleasant, but I could leave). I remember my parents getting the glue traps, and one got stuck and woke me up with his squeaking. I felt sorry for him, but no way in hell was I touching that thing. I complained to my new friends, who tipped me off that Lowe's sells a mouse trap that electrocutes the mouse. Just one little zap and they're dead! Of course, I have to dispose of the body, but at least it's intact and looks like it's sleeping. And for everyone who thinks about it, yes, my cats should do the job, but no, they don't. And I'm ok with that. So this morning, I opened the closet where we thought the mice were probably coming in, and sure enough, there was a little tail sticking out the back, and the light was orange. So I put on my gloves, went outside and dumped the body in the trash. At first, it got stuck, which freaked me out, but I shook a little harder and it rolled right in. I don't look forward to this task, but I want these suckers gone. I told the landlord today about it, and he said he'd put poison in the crawlspace so hopefully that will take care of them. Not to be outdone, I got some steel wool, and I've been putting it in all the nooks and crannies I think a mouse would use...mostly in the floor, as the laminate was put on but no cording to go on top and cover up the little holes. It's a bit unsightly in some places, but it's too late to move now. And I put all the spices in plastic containers that would be harder to chew through, as Wiley's parents said they could climb into my cabinets. Steel wool is kinda painful to handle without gloves.
I also put up some pictures, which if you've seen the pictures Wiley has, you would appreciate this little feat. He's got two pictures that are probably four feet wide and 18 or so inches tall...pretty heavy things, and he said he thought they'd look nice on the wall. I thought they would be perfect in the dining area, so tonight, I measured, and put up picture hangers, and remeasured, and screwed up a few times so I have extra holes that can't be seen because they're behind said pictures, and after a half-hour or so, I now have two very nice pictures on the wall, and they're straight, and even at the same height. Yeah, I'm patting myself on the back. You can too.
Now it's off to bed for me to be up in time for the donations truck to stop by and take a few things off my hands.
Tonight has been productive, but I suppose I should backtrack a bit. It took us 10 hours to move the bulk of my belongings to Indiana. I retrieved two of my cats, who were not one bit happy to see one another, so I had to separate them in the car. At hour 8, Dixie's constant meows hit a fevered pitch, and then I smelled the shyt. I pulled over about 10 minutes later, when I saw the first exit, and surveyed the damage. The poor thing had a massive poop that exploded everywhere, even on her. I'm sure it was quite a sight, me trying to clean up her cloth carrier while holding onto her at the same time so she didn't track poop everywhere in the car. I tried to put her in the carrier with Rewind, but he had an absolute fit, so she ended up staying in the carrier and he ended up sleeping on my lap the last two hours of the trip. So the first thing I did when I got to the house was give her a bath, which made both of us wet and neither of us happy. She objected very loudly to the point where I was sure the neighbor was going to call the cops on me for animal cruelty. After her bath, she sulked in the bedroom for awhile, but got even with me all night long, walking on me, over my head, and keeping me from sleeping straight through the night.
Wiley's friends came over and helped unload the large dresser and mirror from the trailer, and then we loaded up Wiley's things. Boy, what a lot of stuff. You never think you have a lot until you move it all. His friends joked and asked me where he was going to live when he returned, then they suggested he move into the other half of the duplex. Yes, it's small, maybe not even 900 square feet. I don't have a basement; I don't have an attic. After this ordeal, I realized I'm a very bad judger of space. But in less than four hours, everything was out of the trailer and into the house. The washer/dryer combo is a real pain to move, but Wiley's friends made it look pretty easy, except for the one whose head was actually in the dryer as she helped take the weight of the beast Here's a hint: don't get a combo unit.
Unfortunately, with everything out of the trailer and into the house, I had no living room, just a sea of blue and bronze Rubbermaid storage totes. We were able to get most of them into the office, and I've unloaded about 10 or so so far. I've also loaded up three to go to Goodwill. That's the joy of merging stuff.
Wiley's parents are amazing when it comes to gadgets and fixing things up. My bathroom is the size of a small closet. The toilet is so close to the sink that putting one of those over-the-toilet organizers isn't an option. But Wiley's mom told me about the shelves she and hubby made for her scrapbooking stuff. We went to Lowe's and looked around and didn't find them. But of course, when you're moving, you need things many different times, so on the fourth trip to Lowe's, we found what she was talking about, and they put them up in the bathroom. I was so happy that when my landlord came over today to give me a new screen door, I drug him into the house to see. Apparently he isn't as impressed with such things as I am.
One very unpleasant surprise I woke up to on Sunday were these little brown things that looked like mini chocolate chips on my counter. Upon further inspection, I realized it was mouse poop. Then I went all through the rooms and found more and more mouse poop. Wiley's mom tried to tell me that this happens and I can deal with it, but I was practically non-responsive. How could I have missed mice when I inspected the place? Mice! I haven't had to deal with mice in my own home since I was a kid and they were living in my closet (grandma had mice a few years back and that was also unpleasant, but I could leave). I remember my parents getting the glue traps, and one got stuck and woke me up with his squeaking. I felt sorry for him, but no way in hell was I touching that thing. I complained to my new friends, who tipped me off that Lowe's sells a mouse trap that electrocutes the mouse. Just one little zap and they're dead! Of course, I have to dispose of the body, but at least it's intact and looks like it's sleeping. And for everyone who thinks about it, yes, my cats should do the job, but no, they don't. And I'm ok with that. So this morning, I opened the closet where we thought the mice were probably coming in, and sure enough, there was a little tail sticking out the back, and the light was orange. So I put on my gloves, went outside and dumped the body in the trash. At first, it got stuck, which freaked me out, but I shook a little harder and it rolled right in. I don't look forward to this task, but I want these suckers gone. I told the landlord today about it, and he said he'd put poison in the crawlspace so hopefully that will take care of them. Not to be outdone, I got some steel wool, and I've been putting it in all the nooks and crannies I think a mouse would use...mostly in the floor, as the laminate was put on but no cording to go on top and cover up the little holes. It's a bit unsightly in some places, but it's too late to move now. And I put all the spices in plastic containers that would be harder to chew through, as Wiley's parents said they could climb into my cabinets. Steel wool is kinda painful to handle without gloves.
I also put up some pictures, which if you've seen the pictures Wiley has, you would appreciate this little feat. He's got two pictures that are probably four feet wide and 18 or so inches tall...pretty heavy things, and he said he thought they'd look nice on the wall. I thought they would be perfect in the dining area, so tonight, I measured, and put up picture hangers, and remeasured, and screwed up a few times so I have extra holes that can't be seen because they're behind said pictures, and after a half-hour or so, I now have two very nice pictures on the wall, and they're straight, and even at the same height. Yeah, I'm patting myself on the back. You can too.
Now it's off to bed for me to be up in time for the donations truck to stop by and take a few things off my hands.
Friday, March 7, 2008
A Blog Worth Reading
I am finally caught up on reading all the posts I've neglected. I've also decided that there are some blogs I'm no longer going to read. It's not that they're bad, or the writing is poor; it's just that I need to go in a different direction. So, in other words, I'm trimming the fat.
One of the blogs I am keeping is written by Pam Slim called Escape from Cubicle Nation. She offers good tips, not just for those who want to escape their pod, but for daily living. Most recently, she wrote about perfectionism and how many opportunities will pass right by you if you wait until you're perfectly prepared to snatch them. OhmygoodnesscouldIsaythatsbeenmeinthepast? Um, yes. She offers advice on how now to be such a perfectionist - wanting to produce good work is fine, but if you stagnate because of your perfectionistic tendencies, you're missing out.
Another post of hers that I liked was her post on belief-busting. Where do we get some of our ideas? And do they get in the way of what we think we should do, or what we want to do? One great example of this is a relative. Because other people have had bad experiences with this or that, she won't even try a particular product to see how it'll work for her. She lets other people's reality be her own reality, which drives me insane (partly because I suffer because she won't try something, and I don't like suffering when I don't see a need for it!). And I know now where I got that idea from, and it took quite awhile for me to unlearn that belief.
So go check out her blog (Logtar, I think you might find some of this stuff useful on your journey of self-fulfillment) and enjoy! I have to put my laundry in the dryer. (I get to use dryers now, though for some things air-drying is just fine by me!)
One of the blogs I am keeping is written by Pam Slim called Escape from Cubicle Nation. She offers good tips, not just for those who want to escape their pod, but for daily living. Most recently, she wrote about perfectionism and how many opportunities will pass right by you if you wait until you're perfectly prepared to snatch them. OhmygoodnesscouldIsaythatsbeenmeinthepast? Um, yes. She offers advice on how now to be such a perfectionist - wanting to produce good work is fine, but if you stagnate because of your perfectionistic tendencies, you're missing out.
Another post of hers that I liked was her post on belief-busting. Where do we get some of our ideas? And do they get in the way of what we think we should do, or what we want to do? One great example of this is a relative. Because other people have had bad experiences with this or that, she won't even try a particular product to see how it'll work for her. She lets other people's reality be her own reality, which drives me insane (partly because I suffer because she won't try something, and I don't like suffering when I don't see a need for it!). And I know now where I got that idea from, and it took quite awhile for me to unlearn that belief.
So go check out her blog (Logtar, I think you might find some of this stuff useful on your journey of self-fulfillment) and enjoy! I have to put my laundry in the dryer. (I get to use dryers now, though for some things air-drying is just fine by me!)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Finally, Some Sun Here
It's really cold, but at least there is sun. This is the second day since I've been here that I haven't had to shovel the driveway. This makes me very happy because I hate shoveling snow. I'd rather be at the gynecologist's office with my hoo-ha bared for all to see. So you can see how much I hate shoveling snow. This could be a bad thing, as I have no idea where I'll be living in the years to come.
My niece bought a house. It's an adorable bungalow, and she doesn't really have to do anything to it to be able to live in it. She's working on the kitchen, which I call the Cherry Pit (it's ALL RED, which normally isn't bad, but in a small space, it looks even smaller), but everything is still useable. Her cats seem to have gotten used to it. I got to help decorate, which was fun. And the basement is part cave. Wiley, you'd love it. Me, I'd hate it. Wood paneling, anyone? If that was gone, it'd be perfect. No windows to see out, which for me, would be great. I can't sleep if it's not dark. And when I say dark, I mean pitch-black. So I always have my eye patch with me.
Today I finally figured out how to get the internet to work at my grandmother's house, and I've been a computer whore all day. First, I was at Panera, where it took me a half-hour to figure out what was wrong with my computer (it wanted to dial to get a connection - my computer is old, but not that old), and Wiley was on the line with me helping figure it out. But once I got going, there was no stopping me. I emailed, I chatted, I applied to more jobs, I checked out some career sites...all while sipping tea and eating a cherry breakfast pastry in the corner.
I have two job interviews next week! Both of them sound like great positions, even though they are in completely different fields. But see, when a recession is a'hittin', and you're a bum like me, you can apply to everything you'd ever want to do, and let the chips fall where they may. There are times when I grip the table and imagine myself a homeless woman with nits in her hair, but that's still a ways off. If I don't have a job in a couple of months, this could very well be me. But I'm a gracious moocher...or I like to think I am. You can ask Wiley's parents and my grandmother for their opinions if you like, but I'm happy believing I'm a gracious moocher.
Because of my job interviews, I needed a new suit, which I snagged at the outlet mall in Williamsburg, Iowa. And oh yes, we got cheese curds, and they are tasty.
Since coming back to the States, my taste buds have reveled in all they've experienced: cheese curds; avocados; Wendy's; Sonic; Sheridan's; popcorn; Coke Zero; Tostitos tortilla chips; cinnamon and raisin cereal; my Kashi cereal; salads; and even graham crackers with frosting. I'm pulling out all the stops. Tasty vittles, Dear Reader, tasty vittles.
And on Monday, I drive 7 or 8 hours east to hopefully land a job. Cross your fingers, do a dance, whatever you believe in. Me, I'll be preparing for the interviews by talking to myself in the car and in a mirror to see if I sound ridiculous or look retarded. I doubt I will, but preparation is key to keeping those willies at bay.
My niece bought a house. It's an adorable bungalow, and she doesn't really have to do anything to it to be able to live in it. She's working on the kitchen, which I call the Cherry Pit (it's ALL RED, which normally isn't bad, but in a small space, it looks even smaller), but everything is still useable. Her cats seem to have gotten used to it. I got to help decorate, which was fun. And the basement is part cave. Wiley, you'd love it. Me, I'd hate it. Wood paneling, anyone? If that was gone, it'd be perfect. No windows to see out, which for me, would be great. I can't sleep if it's not dark. And when I say dark, I mean pitch-black. So I always have my eye patch with me.
Today I finally figured out how to get the internet to work at my grandmother's house, and I've been a computer whore all day. First, I was at Panera, where it took me a half-hour to figure out what was wrong with my computer (it wanted to dial to get a connection - my computer is old, but not that old), and Wiley was on the line with me helping figure it out. But once I got going, there was no stopping me. I emailed, I chatted, I applied to more jobs, I checked out some career sites...all while sipping tea and eating a cherry breakfast pastry in the corner.
I have two job interviews next week! Both of them sound like great positions, even though they are in completely different fields. But see, when a recession is a'hittin', and you're a bum like me, you can apply to everything you'd ever want to do, and let the chips fall where they may. There are times when I grip the table and imagine myself a homeless woman with nits in her hair, but that's still a ways off. If I don't have a job in a couple of months, this could very well be me. But I'm a gracious moocher...or I like to think I am. You can ask Wiley's parents and my grandmother for their opinions if you like, but I'm happy believing I'm a gracious moocher.
Because of my job interviews, I needed a new suit, which I snagged at the outlet mall in Williamsburg, Iowa. And oh yes, we got cheese curds, and they are tasty.
Since coming back to the States, my taste buds have reveled in all they've experienced: cheese curds; avocados; Wendy's; Sonic; Sheridan's; popcorn; Coke Zero; Tostitos tortilla chips; cinnamon and raisin cereal; my Kashi cereal; salads; and even graham crackers with frosting. I'm pulling out all the stops. Tasty vittles, Dear Reader, tasty vittles.
And on Monday, I drive 7 or 8 hours east to hopefully land a job. Cross your fingers, do a dance, whatever you believe in. Me, I'll be preparing for the interviews by talking to myself in the car and in a mirror to see if I sound ridiculous or look retarded. I doubt I will, but preparation is key to keeping those willies at bay.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Oh My Gosh It's Been Awhile
It's been ages since I've blogged, but I literally haven't had time. I am back in the States, and to those of you who were dying to see me at the blogger meetup (I know you were, don't tell me otherwise, I won't believe it!), I let you down. Friends planned a dinner for me that night, so while Cara was able to stop in and say hi, I was not. I'm sorry.
So, let's see, where did I leave off? I believe I told you I made it home. Before I left, we spent time in Munich, which was awesome. A lovely city I would be happy to live in or visit again. Amsterdam's airport was nice, but they have bulldogs for security...I suppose that's a good thing, but when you just want to get on the damn plane, getting hauled over to a little desk and being questioned about your trip, about why you're traveling alone, about why you have no supporting documentation for living in another country is the last thing you really want to deal with.
The Memphis airport is pretty big. The last time I used it, I was flying out of the country, and I didn't really notice how big it was; this time, it felt like a very long, straight maze to get to baggage claim. Customs took all of five minutes; then it was waiting for the bags that took forever...about 40 minutes or so. Then there was the line to put it back on the belt so it could go to baggage claim. Then there was the security line. As one guy put it, "You're not in Memphis until you're past security." Thanks, man. So after taking off my coat, shoes, taking the computer out of the bag, making sure I didn't crush the glass ornament from Vienna, I get to walk through security. Oh, but the iPod is still in the bag, so I had to go back and put it in its own big-ass container, and then all was peachy. Walking, walking, walking through the airport to baggage claim, I am ready to get out of there. Finally, I spot Wiley's dad, and then his stepmom, and then we get the bags. One ended up being 56 pounds, the other 42 or something like that. Do you think they checked in Munich? Nope! The agent even gave me the exit row seat from Munich to Amsterdam, but clearly he could tell I was as short as a tomato plant. See what a little smiling can do for you? Turn on the charm, peeps, I tell ya, it works wonders.
Blah blah blah....so onto Arkansas, where the wedding will be, and on Saturday we headed out around 8 am for some breakfast at the dining hall, then a meeting with people from said dining hall. Everything goes off without a hitch, and I breathe much easier because the hall is simply stunning. Hardly any decorations will be needed to spruce it up because nature is all around, and during fall, it's nature's time to shine...well, me too, but Nature is ok with that. After that meeting, we headed to Little Rock for some dress shopping. I am so good at the squat n' pray, I could do it all day. The owner of the shop helped me into these ginormous dresses. I put my hands up above my head in the prayer position, then hunkered down so she could get the dress over me. Some dresses looked awful, especially the ones where half your back can be seen because the dress is too small and can't be zipped up. That was slightly irritating, as you had to go out in front of strangers milling about, and all could see and comment. But I got the choices narrowed down, and that was that. Then it was off to talk to the florists, which was a bit of a let-down because they were no longer independent, so it seems I can get most flowers from them, but not all flowers. No big deal, just something to deal with. Then it was off to talk to the photographer, who I think is a doll. He has a really creative spirit, so I think we're going to get along just fine, and I'm excited to have him shoot the pictures. A little while after that, we went back to the hall to see how it was lit at night and to hear the music. The hall at night is spectacular. The fun thing is that there are floor to ceiling windows. During the ceremony, it'll be light, and during the dancing, it'll be dark. The lights illuminate the tables, and the whole effect reminds me of candlelight, so I was very happy. The next day was pretty quiet - I stayed home and talked to Wiley's stepsister about decorations and invitations. She is a whiz at scrapbooking and making cards, so we asked her if she'd be available and willing to make our invitations. She's a lot of fun to talk to because she can go a mile a minute and not get winded. And I can keep up!
Monday saw me leaving Arkansas, and of course, I got lost. I took a wrong turn on the bypass - but hey, when you want to go north, you follow the signs that say north! After an hour, I got a little worried that I hadn't hit the main highway yet, and sure enough, I goofed, but I was able to correct it pretty easily. I ended up going through Mountain View, which was one of the towns that got hit by the tornado. The fire station was gone, the hospital roof was gone, centuries-old trees were torn out by their roots and on their side....I've never seen such devastation, and it was creepy seeing just where the tornado's path was because everything else around it looked fine. So after winding my way around the hills in Arkansas, I finally made it to KC, where I got to see my Dixiebella kitty and see my friend Cara! The night was pretty uneventful. Tuesday was the day that I ran around all over the place...another dress shopping experience, where I finally decided on the dress I'm getting, and then over to talk to the jeweler about my ring. Guess what? The price of gold rose to $950 an ounce. Guess what that does to platinum? Makes the price of that go up too. In between his talking to Wiley and me, which was about a month, the price of platinum doubled. Doubled!!! But I was able to get the setting I wanted, and now he's looking at stones for me. Phew!
In between the dress and ring shopping, we stopped by Oak Park Mall to do a little browsing, and I realized, with a bit of horror, that I hate shopping with people when I'm shopping for something for myself. It was an awful realization. I used to enjoy shopping greatly, and yesterday I walked around Zona Rosa for just a bit to get a few things, but I don't want people with me now when I shop. Nor do I want to go for hours and hours. I think it's bizarre...perhaps it's culture shock.
Since then, things have slowed just a tiny bit. I seem to have caught the KC Cold, and if you've been reading me for awhile, then you know that I have a deviated septum that acted up in Sarajevo and am now terrified I'm going to get another sinus infection, so I try to keep it clear all the time. With a cold, that proves difficult. Sleep has been a little hard, but today I'm feeling better than I did yesterday.
Tomorrow I leave for the cold bitter north of Iowa to visit more friends and family. My eldest niece informed me she bought a house, so I'm very excited to see it. And I get to help her with the curtains! I will eat Maid-Rites, and we will go cheese curd hunting as well as shopping, which could be interesting, considering I don't like shopping with people...but that's really only for myself. So we'll see how that goes. So that's why I've been absent. But I see all of you have been writing away...I only had about 170 posts to read! Now I'm going to watch the Golden Girls and sip more tea and have something to eat. It's hard to eat when you have a cold. Nothing really sounds good.
So, let's see, where did I leave off? I believe I told you I made it home. Before I left, we spent time in Munich, which was awesome. A lovely city I would be happy to live in or visit again. Amsterdam's airport was nice, but they have bulldogs for security...I suppose that's a good thing, but when you just want to get on the damn plane, getting hauled over to a little desk and being questioned about your trip, about why you're traveling alone, about why you have no supporting documentation for living in another country is the last thing you really want to deal with.
The Memphis airport is pretty big. The last time I used it, I was flying out of the country, and I didn't really notice how big it was; this time, it felt like a very long, straight maze to get to baggage claim. Customs took all of five minutes; then it was waiting for the bags that took forever...about 40 minutes or so. Then there was the line to put it back on the belt so it could go to baggage claim. Then there was the security line. As one guy put it, "You're not in Memphis until you're past security." Thanks, man. So after taking off my coat, shoes, taking the computer out of the bag, making sure I didn't crush the glass ornament from Vienna, I get to walk through security. Oh, but the iPod is still in the bag, so I had to go back and put it in its own big-ass container, and then all was peachy. Walking, walking, walking through the airport to baggage claim, I am ready to get out of there. Finally, I spot Wiley's dad, and then his stepmom, and then we get the bags. One ended up being 56 pounds, the other 42 or something like that. Do you think they checked in Munich? Nope! The agent even gave me the exit row seat from Munich to Amsterdam, but clearly he could tell I was as short as a tomato plant. See what a little smiling can do for you? Turn on the charm, peeps, I tell ya, it works wonders.
Blah blah blah....so onto Arkansas, where the wedding will be, and on Saturday we headed out around 8 am for some breakfast at the dining hall, then a meeting with people from said dining hall. Everything goes off without a hitch, and I breathe much easier because the hall is simply stunning. Hardly any decorations will be needed to spruce it up because nature is all around, and during fall, it's nature's time to shine...well, me too, but Nature is ok with that. After that meeting, we headed to Little Rock for some dress shopping. I am so good at the squat n' pray, I could do it all day. The owner of the shop helped me into these ginormous dresses. I put my hands up above my head in the prayer position, then hunkered down so she could get the dress over me. Some dresses looked awful, especially the ones where half your back can be seen because the dress is too small and can't be zipped up. That was slightly irritating, as you had to go out in front of strangers milling about, and all could see and comment. But I got the choices narrowed down, and that was that. Then it was off to talk to the florists, which was a bit of a let-down because they were no longer independent, so it seems I can get most flowers from them, but not all flowers. No big deal, just something to deal with. Then it was off to talk to the photographer, who I think is a doll. He has a really creative spirit, so I think we're going to get along just fine, and I'm excited to have him shoot the pictures. A little while after that, we went back to the hall to see how it was lit at night and to hear the music. The hall at night is spectacular. The fun thing is that there are floor to ceiling windows. During the ceremony, it'll be light, and during the dancing, it'll be dark. The lights illuminate the tables, and the whole effect reminds me of candlelight, so I was very happy. The next day was pretty quiet - I stayed home and talked to Wiley's stepsister about decorations and invitations. She is a whiz at scrapbooking and making cards, so we asked her if she'd be available and willing to make our invitations. She's a lot of fun to talk to because she can go a mile a minute and not get winded. And I can keep up!
Monday saw me leaving Arkansas, and of course, I got lost. I took a wrong turn on the bypass - but hey, when you want to go north, you follow the signs that say north! After an hour, I got a little worried that I hadn't hit the main highway yet, and sure enough, I goofed, but I was able to correct it pretty easily. I ended up going through Mountain View, which was one of the towns that got hit by the tornado. The fire station was gone, the hospital roof was gone, centuries-old trees were torn out by their roots and on their side....I've never seen such devastation, and it was creepy seeing just where the tornado's path was because everything else around it looked fine. So after winding my way around the hills in Arkansas, I finally made it to KC, where I got to see my Dixiebella kitty and see my friend Cara! The night was pretty uneventful. Tuesday was the day that I ran around all over the place...another dress shopping experience, where I finally decided on the dress I'm getting, and then over to talk to the jeweler about my ring. Guess what? The price of gold rose to $950 an ounce. Guess what that does to platinum? Makes the price of that go up too. In between his talking to Wiley and me, which was about a month, the price of platinum doubled. Doubled!!! But I was able to get the setting I wanted, and now he's looking at stones for me. Phew!
In between the dress and ring shopping, we stopped by Oak Park Mall to do a little browsing, and I realized, with a bit of horror, that I hate shopping with people when I'm shopping for something for myself. It was an awful realization. I used to enjoy shopping greatly, and yesterday I walked around Zona Rosa for just a bit to get a few things, but I don't want people with me now when I shop. Nor do I want to go for hours and hours. I think it's bizarre...perhaps it's culture shock.
Since then, things have slowed just a tiny bit. I seem to have caught the KC Cold, and if you've been reading me for awhile, then you know that I have a deviated septum that acted up in Sarajevo and am now terrified I'm going to get another sinus infection, so I try to keep it clear all the time. With a cold, that proves difficult. Sleep has been a little hard, but today I'm feeling better than I did yesterday.
Tomorrow I leave for the cold bitter north of Iowa to visit more friends and family. My eldest niece informed me she bought a house, so I'm very excited to see it. And I get to help her with the curtains! I will eat Maid-Rites, and we will go cheese curd hunting as well as shopping, which could be interesting, considering I don't like shopping with people...but that's really only for myself. So we'll see how that goes. So that's why I've been absent. But I see all of you have been writing away...I only had about 170 posts to read! Now I'm going to watch the Golden Girls and sip more tea and have something to eat. It's hard to eat when you have a cold. Nothing really sounds good.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Catching Up
I'm not even going to my Google Reader...I haven't read any blogs since Wednesday, and I'm sure you've all been pouring your hearts out on your blogs.
Me, I've been a travelin' gal.
Wiley and I spent last Monday through Friday in Munich. What a glorious city. The weather was great, the food spectacular, and the souvenirs plenty. Quick recap: went to a couple of castles Tuesday, shopped a bit on Wednesday (found more garam masala for Indian food, yay!), went to a soccer game on Thursday, and said our goodbyes on Friday. Wiley put up links to the castles, soccer and Munich to the right.
While I'm not a sports person (I'm way too competitive and not a good sport at times), I have to admit I had a good time at the soccer game. The ubahn ride to the stadium was fun - there were guys in kilts already drunk along with guys in red jerseys also drunk singing at the top of their lungs all crammed in like sardines in a car. But while waiting to get felt up by a woman, I noticed just. how. short. I. am. I really wish I was a bit taller. I felt like a midget.
Friday was a long day. I flew from Munich to Amsterdam and got grilled by security for not having documentation proving I lived in Sarajevo. "You have to have documentation to get back into the country," the blonde-haired woman yelled at me. "Where is your husband? Why isn't he with you? Where's your eticket to get back to Munich?" I was a bit flustered, and I worried that they were going to haul me off and interrogate me and make me miss my flight, but she finally let me go. Oi vey. The 10 hour flight from Amsterdam was a bit long, especially after 6 hours, but I arrived without any problems. Customs and baggage took almost an hour to get through after I landed. My iPod held up the line because I didn't take it out of my backpack. Normally, I feel bad for holding up the line, but by this time, I had been up for over 24 hours straight and I just wanted my bags and a bed. I finally got my wish and slept 6 hours before waking up.
Today was a fun-filled day of wedding planning, but I'm too tired to tell you about it. Suffice it to say, it involved strangers looking at me in wedding gowns that were not zipped all the way up, talking to the dining hall people about the reception, and meeting the photographer who had a black cat that was friendly. Now I must sleep again.
Me, I've been a travelin' gal.
Wiley and I spent last Monday through Friday in Munich. What a glorious city. The weather was great, the food spectacular, and the souvenirs plenty. Quick recap: went to a couple of castles Tuesday, shopped a bit on Wednesday (found more garam masala for Indian food, yay!), went to a soccer game on Thursday, and said our goodbyes on Friday. Wiley put up links to the castles, soccer and Munich to the right.
While I'm not a sports person (I'm way too competitive and not a good sport at times), I have to admit I had a good time at the soccer game. The ubahn ride to the stadium was fun - there were guys in kilts already drunk along with guys in red jerseys also drunk singing at the top of their lungs all crammed in like sardines in a car. But while waiting to get felt up by a woman, I noticed just. how. short. I. am. I really wish I was a bit taller. I felt like a midget.
Friday was a long day. I flew from Munich to Amsterdam and got grilled by security for not having documentation proving I lived in Sarajevo. "You have to have documentation to get back into the country," the blonde-haired woman yelled at me. "Where is your husband? Why isn't he with you? Where's your eticket to get back to Munich?" I was a bit flustered, and I worried that they were going to haul me off and interrogate me and make me miss my flight, but she finally let me go. Oi vey. The 10 hour flight from Amsterdam was a bit long, especially after 6 hours, but I arrived without any problems. Customs and baggage took almost an hour to get through after I landed. My iPod held up the line because I didn't take it out of my backpack. Normally, I feel bad for holding up the line, but by this time, I had been up for over 24 hours straight and I just wanted my bags and a bed. I finally got my wish and slept 6 hours before waking up.
Today was a fun-filled day of wedding planning, but I'm too tired to tell you about it. Suffice it to say, it involved strangers looking at me in wedding gowns that were not zipped all the way up, talking to the dining hall people about the reception, and meeting the photographer who had a black cat that was friendly. Now I must sleep again.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Oh, Sarajevo....
Today, I got my tax return info. I'm getting a refund! (Note: already spent on photographer, dangit.) I was told to print off a page, sign it, scan it and send it back. No problem. So I printed a page and noticed that it was black on top, then it was grey, and then practically nothing. I knew the time had come to replace the ink cartridge. We'd already used one color cartridge, but finding a replacement wasn't difficult.
But expecting things to go the way they've previously gone has gotten me into more interesting situations.
Wiley and I put on our coats to go across the street to the computer store that had sold us our color cartridge, but they didn't have the black ink cartridge. We went to the shop that sold us the printer, and they didn't have it. We walked about 10 minutes west of us to a computer store that had printer paper, but they didn't have the cartridge. We walked upstairs in the complex, and they only had the color cartridge. We walked outside to a winter wonderland - big, fat flakes were starting to fall, and with the flakes, came the wind, which made my ears sing. We hurried along the road, stopping at two more computer shops, to no avail. Then, Wiley found a bookstore and figured it couldn't hurt to look. I had this thought, but then I reasoned with myself that a bookstore would only carry books. I mean, a butcher carries raw meat; the computer shops are supposed to carry computer equipment and supplies; the curtain store only has curtains; paper shops carry paper; so a bookstore should only carry books. And of course, this is where we found it: the black cartridge, the only one left, the one in the display. And we snatched it up and went home to drink the last of the sugar-free hot cocoa Auntie Em sent me last month.
I kinda chuckle at this experience...it reminded me (and Wiley) of our first weeks here, searching in vain for curtains, food, printers, paper. It irritated me a little then, and since it was cold, it irritated me tonight. Me thinks this is God's way of lessening the pain that I'll feel when I leave this city and Wiley. "Remember convenience - one-stop shopping - WalMart, Target, Trader Joe's..."
Oh yeah...I'm looking forward to that.
But expecting things to go the way they've previously gone has gotten me into more interesting situations.
Wiley and I put on our coats to go across the street to the computer store that had sold us our color cartridge, but they didn't have the black ink cartridge. We went to the shop that sold us the printer, and they didn't have it. We walked about 10 minutes west of us to a computer store that had printer paper, but they didn't have the cartridge. We walked upstairs in the complex, and they only had the color cartridge. We walked outside to a winter wonderland - big, fat flakes were starting to fall, and with the flakes, came the wind, which made my ears sing. We hurried along the road, stopping at two more computer shops, to no avail. Then, Wiley found a bookstore and figured it couldn't hurt to look. I had this thought, but then I reasoned with myself that a bookstore would only carry books. I mean, a butcher carries raw meat; the computer shops are supposed to carry computer equipment and supplies; the curtain store only has curtains; paper shops carry paper; so a bookstore should only carry books. And of course, this is where we found it: the black cartridge, the only one left, the one in the display. And we snatched it up and went home to drink the last of the sugar-free hot cocoa Auntie Em sent me last month.
I kinda chuckle at this experience...it reminded me (and Wiley) of our first weeks here, searching in vain for curtains, food, printers, paper. It irritated me a little then, and since it was cold, it irritated me tonight. Me thinks this is God's way of lessening the pain that I'll feel when I leave this city and Wiley. "Remember convenience - one-stop shopping - WalMart, Target, Trader Joe's..."
Oh yeah...I'm looking forward to that.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Celebratin' from Sarajevo
Sarajevo's not too big on Valentine's Day. At the grocery store, there was a small display of heart-shaped pillows, but as Wiley and I aren't really into it (and like Logtar we won't go to the extreme of protesting it), it's no big deal. I made some sugar cookies today so Wiley would have some food made by me after I'm gone, and then we headed into town to buy some souvenirs. We bought a Bosnian coffee set, so anytime anyone comes over and wants coffee, guess what you're getting? Yep - sludge in a cup. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I can say that.
Then, we decided we hadn't spent enough money, so we walked around a little more. We had been eyeing some rugs in the past, and we decided to go into a shop tonight and see what they had to offer as far as colors and designs. Upon hearing my "Dobar dan", one of the guys inside switched to English. I figured his English was good enough for me to kid with him, so I asked him how he knew right off the bat that I didn't speak Bosnian and that English was my first language. I mean, it could've been my short, blonde hair, the fact that I'm not wearing boots with my jeans tucked in or the huge sunglasses that I don't have, but I thought I'd check to be sure. Sure enough, it was the way I said "Dobar dan". I think I must've said, "Doh-ber" instead of "Dough-bar". Ah well, we all laughed and had a good time. They pulled out these beautiful rugs - all made in Bosnia - and showed us which part of the sheep the wool came from - the fringe came from the underside, tug tug, and the woven stuff came from the hind, tugging harder. So whenever the cats go near the rug, I can specify where they should puke. We ended up buying a smallish rug that's about six feet long and about four feet wide. I mean, I do have to take this in my luggage, and I'm worried about going over the weight - so getting a 20 pound rug just wasn't in the cards this time, beautiful as they are. Maybe in a few years when we're back. The rug in question is white, black and red, and we think it will be a great addition to the living room. I look forward to putting it up somewhere. While we were in the shop debating which rug to buy, they told us that one of the rugs hanging on the wall was 130 years old. I looked at Wiley and said, "Great, now we have an estate."
After plunking down the cash for our rug, we went to dinner at Park Princeva (Park Prin-CHAY-vah), which overlooks the city. The hills started to twinkle as the sun went down, and we had a bottle of wine and great food. So I guess we did celebrate somewhat, though it was also a place we'd wanted to go again before I left. We found it last May when we visited for a weekend, and this time was even better.
I've decided that one goal I have upon returning to the States is drinking a bit more. I had half a bottle of white wine in the span of 2 hours with food and water, and when I stood up, I swayed - just a bit, mind you. I'm just now feeling the effects wear off completely. What's a life without goals?
Then, we decided we hadn't spent enough money, so we walked around a little more. We had been eyeing some rugs in the past, and we decided to go into a shop tonight and see what they had to offer as far as colors and designs. Upon hearing my "Dobar dan", one of the guys inside switched to English. I figured his English was good enough for me to kid with him, so I asked him how he knew right off the bat that I didn't speak Bosnian and that English was my first language. I mean, it could've been my short, blonde hair, the fact that I'm not wearing boots with my jeans tucked in or the huge sunglasses that I don't have, but I thought I'd check to be sure. Sure enough, it was the way I said "Dobar dan". I think I must've said, "Doh-ber" instead of "Dough-bar". Ah well, we all laughed and had a good time. They pulled out these beautiful rugs - all made in Bosnia - and showed us which part of the sheep the wool came from - the fringe came from the underside, tug tug, and the woven stuff came from the hind, tugging harder. So whenever the cats go near the rug, I can specify where they should puke. We ended up buying a smallish rug that's about six feet long and about four feet wide. I mean, I do have to take this in my luggage, and I'm worried about going over the weight - so getting a 20 pound rug just wasn't in the cards this time, beautiful as they are. Maybe in a few years when we're back. The rug in question is white, black and red, and we think it will be a great addition to the living room. I look forward to putting it up somewhere. While we were in the shop debating which rug to buy, they told us that one of the rugs hanging on the wall was 130 years old. I looked at Wiley and said, "Great, now we have an estate."
After plunking down the cash for our rug, we went to dinner at Park Princeva (Park Prin-CHAY-vah), which overlooks the city. The hills started to twinkle as the sun went down, and we had a bottle of wine and great food. So I guess we did celebrate somewhat, though it was also a place we'd wanted to go again before I left. We found it last May when we visited for a weekend, and this time was even better.
I've decided that one goal I have upon returning to the States is drinking a bit more. I had half a bottle of white wine in the span of 2 hours with food and water, and when I stood up, I swayed - just a bit, mind you. I'm just now feeling the effects wear off completely. What's a life without goals?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Movable Feets
Tonight I found out one more thing about Wiley: he can't splay his toes. His toes can only move up and down, not side to side, whereas I can wave with my pinky. (I can see everybody now tearing off their socks to see what the toes can accomplish.)
Isn't it funny the things we learn? After Googling "splayed toes", I found that splayed toes are a well-documented characteristic of "primitive" indigenous people, as well as camels. (Courtesy http://members.ozemail.com.au/~gamgee/barefooting.html)
The phrase "camel toe" now has new meaning, and that's all I have to say about that.
Isn't it funny the things we learn? After Googling "splayed toes", I found that splayed toes are a well-documented characteristic of "primitive" indigenous people, as well as camels. (Courtesy http://members.ozemail.com.au/~gamgee/barefooting.html)
The phrase "camel toe" now has new meaning, and that's all I have to say about that.
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