Hey all,
I thought I'd try my hand at pepping up the look of things around here. Hope you like it!
Rock/Jam out, respectively.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Bland October Update
What's up, y'all?
Things are moving along here...I got my absentee ballot in a timely fashion, thanks to the great folks at the Readfield Town Hall and VOTED which was a great feeling. Paying four Euro in postage wasn't so much the highlight of my day, but you know...even living aboad has a downside once in a while. I've also managed with the help of about a metric ton of lemons and gallons of sage tea to regain my health. Painful process, that--but fortunately unaccompanied by scarlet fever. That really would have put a damper on my Fall, since there's just so much going on!
Thankfully, my Early Childhood Ed program has started picking up. We've got articles to read and presentations to make and the dates for the first exams have already been set. It's a neat feeling to be learning new things, like German custody/family law and sensory disorders. My challenge at the moment is time management and making sure that I distribute my time and energy relatively equally. We're celebrating Halloween at the KiLa this year and of course, as the resident American, I'm expected to be spearheading the whole shebang. One of my colleagues came up to me yesterday and was trying to share her fanastic ideas about a puppet show for the kids and I was completely unreceptive. Ugh. I felt bad for a minute, but firstly, she was telling me shit I already knew and secondly, I had just spend two and a half hours trying to get my monsters to take their afternoon nap--unsuccessfully. Whatever. It was also Friday. I'm sure by Monday I'll manage to have an opinion. Or some ideas. Or something.
The adult ed classes are fun and cool and interesting...but it's definitely a drain. I'm on the fence about whether or not to tell my boss next week to cancel one of my courses for next semester. I mean...having the money is great, and since the exchange rate appears to be levelling out, we'll absolutely be able to use the dinero for our Americana Extravaganza. Ugh. I hate having to make grownup decisions of this kind. I hate it almost as much as I hate cleaning out food debis from the little thingy in the kitchen sink. And I hate that an effing lot.
So yeah...that's what's up here. November is going to be even wilder, since I'm probably going to wind up with 3 evening classes, plus KiLa work, plus school. Don't expect to hear too much from me, then...it's hard enough surviving the week, let alone having a social life or any other extracurricular projects of any kind (blog included). I'd love to go out more often, but by the time I get home from my Friday adult ed class, you might as well stick a fork in me, cause I'm done. I suppose it comes with the territory and getting older and having chosen to combine multiple careers--all of which require a certain amount of take-home prep work. So I can't complain. I guess. Pardon me for doing so anyway...
I'm thinking about saying to hell with lesson planning (I can do it tomorrow after yoga ANYWAY...providing I get there. I haven't been to the gym in so long, it's practically criminal.) and making some apple sauce. We got a ton of pears and apples and corn from Stephan's family while we were there, and we've been keeping them out on the terrace...I'm pretty sure the corn isn't good anymore, but the apples and pears should be fine. It's been about fifteen years since I've make apple sauce from scratch, though...so I'm a bit nervous. Oh well. If I remember correctly, it's not that hard. I could also make a cake, though. Germans have all these great recipes for apple cakes. H'mmmm. We'll have to see how motivated I feel/how many apples we still have. And how quickly I get tired of peeling and coring them.
But since it's already four, I should get moving, otherwise I'll be standing in front of the stove all evening, and I'm not a 1950's housewife.
Hope everyone's well.
Love.
Things are moving along here...I got my absentee ballot in a timely fashion, thanks to the great folks at the Readfield Town Hall and VOTED which was a great feeling. Paying four Euro in postage wasn't so much the highlight of my day, but you know...even living aboad has a downside once in a while. I've also managed with the help of about a metric ton of lemons and gallons of sage tea to regain my health. Painful process, that--but fortunately unaccompanied by scarlet fever. That really would have put a damper on my Fall, since there's just so much going on!
Thankfully, my Early Childhood Ed program has started picking up. We've got articles to read and presentations to make and the dates for the first exams have already been set. It's a neat feeling to be learning new things, like German custody/family law and sensory disorders. My challenge at the moment is time management and making sure that I distribute my time and energy relatively equally. We're celebrating Halloween at the KiLa this year and of course, as the resident American, I'm expected to be spearheading the whole shebang. One of my colleagues came up to me yesterday and was trying to share her fanastic ideas about a puppet show for the kids and I was completely unreceptive. Ugh. I felt bad for a minute, but firstly, she was telling me shit I already knew and secondly, I had just spend two and a half hours trying to get my monsters to take their afternoon nap--unsuccessfully. Whatever. It was also Friday. I'm sure by Monday I'll manage to have an opinion. Or some ideas. Or something.
The adult ed classes are fun and cool and interesting...but it's definitely a drain. I'm on the fence about whether or not to tell my boss next week to cancel one of my courses for next semester. I mean...having the money is great, and since the exchange rate appears to be levelling out, we'll absolutely be able to use the dinero for our Americana Extravaganza. Ugh. I hate having to make grownup decisions of this kind. I hate it almost as much as I hate cleaning out food debis from the little thingy in the kitchen sink. And I hate that an effing lot.
So yeah...that's what's up here. November is going to be even wilder, since I'm probably going to wind up with 3 evening classes, plus KiLa work, plus school. Don't expect to hear too much from me, then...it's hard enough surviving the week, let alone having a social life or any other extracurricular projects of any kind (blog included). I'd love to go out more often, but by the time I get home from my Friday adult ed class, you might as well stick a fork in me, cause I'm done. I suppose it comes with the territory and getting older and having chosen to combine multiple careers--all of which require a certain amount of take-home prep work. So I can't complain. I guess. Pardon me for doing so anyway...
I'm thinking about saying to hell with lesson planning (I can do it tomorrow after yoga ANYWAY...providing I get there. I haven't been to the gym in so long, it's practically criminal.) and making some apple sauce. We got a ton of pears and apples and corn from Stephan's family while we were there, and we've been keeping them out on the terrace...I'm pretty sure the corn isn't good anymore, but the apples and pears should be fine. It's been about fifteen years since I've make apple sauce from scratch, though...so I'm a bit nervous. Oh well. If I remember correctly, it's not that hard. I could also make a cake, though. Germans have all these great recipes for apple cakes. H'mmmm. We'll have to see how motivated I feel/how many apples we still have. And how quickly I get tired of peeling and coring them.
But since it's already four, I should get moving, otherwise I'll be standing in front of the stove all evening, and I'm not a 1950's housewife.
Hope everyone's well.
Love.
Friday, October 03, 2008
German Unification Day
Happy Unification Day, folks!
So far, I've celebrated by going our for nachos, taking a eukalyptus bath and drinking about a gallon of hot water with lemon slices. It's really too bad, actually. The weather's the best it's been in days, and I'm about to drown in my own phlegm. I mean, I should have seen it coming. Usually it hits even earlier--I suppose I should count my blessings that it was early October and not early September when my festering pestilence hit. The timing's actually great. I had to tough out work and Vo-Ho on Wednesday, the I cut classes on Thursday and spent the entire day on the couch. If I keep this routine up, there's no way I won't be cured by Monday. I hope.
Anway, not too much is new at the moment. This week school started "officially" and the idiotic project month finally came to an end. From the one day of classes I attended, it'll be interesting. It's also odd to be back in a classroom setting where I know I'm going to be held accountable for the information I'm being presented with. I mean, so far it doesn't seem too overwhelming, but I'll have to get back to you on that, I guess. I don't have too much to go on at the moment.
As I was walking back from La Cucina Latina today, I saw an older man who looked really fantastic. He was wearing a nice little tweed hat and a cape...but not Sherlock Holmes-like. This thing really looked much more like a garment bag, or a normal trench without any form or tailoring whatsoever...basically a garment bag with a collar. I wish I'd taken a picture with my phone, because it was so modern, but at the same time totally classic. Yeah. That was the streetwise fashion report of the day. Thanks ladies and gents for your time.
In other news...Stephan and I were up in Le Schwies last weekend to celebrate Max's eighteenth birthday. I think it was my dear Angielein who infected me with her pestilence to begin with, but getting there at one in the morning on Friday (or Saturday if you want to split hairs) didn't help much, nor did the ridiculousness which ensued on Saturday night.
I get along pretty fantastically with Stephan's Mum and the other women in the village. When we go up there, it really does feel like I'm visiting part of my family that loves me and looks after me in it's own special way. It's also a great way to really intensively experience the culture of the north east. But anyway, these women DRINK. Not with the desperation of the English, not with the carelessness of the Americans...they do it as methodically and precisely as Germans seem to do everything. They always made sure my glass was full--that everyone's glass was full. Constantly. There was fig vodka, wayyy too much sparkling wine, white wine, red wine, beer...and I forgot that my golden rule is not to mix my booze. God. Those women torched.my.shit. With impunity. Not only did I have red wine stains on my Tillys, I had one of the most godforesaken hangovers EVER. Wret.ched.
But...you know me. I recovered. I made it back to Berlin. With Stephan, a bag of corn, a bag of pears, a bag of apples, a bag of chestnuts, other nuts...and all our other kit. It was a schlepp of epic proportions. We made it, though. But barely, as one notices by the fact that I've been wearing my OSU scrubs for the last 48 hours straight. Anyway...I would say enough geschwaetzt for now. It's time for another hot lemon toddy and a short nap on the couch. Maybe with a side order of James Bond?
Find time to vegitate, kinders. It regenerates the soul.
(brought to you by YogiTea and My favorite pink blanket.)
So far, I've celebrated by going our for nachos, taking a eukalyptus bath and drinking about a gallon of hot water with lemon slices. It's really too bad, actually. The weather's the best it's been in days, and I'm about to drown in my own phlegm. I mean, I should have seen it coming. Usually it hits even earlier--I suppose I should count my blessings that it was early October and not early September when my festering pestilence hit. The timing's actually great. I had to tough out work and Vo-Ho on Wednesday, the I cut classes on Thursday and spent the entire day on the couch. If I keep this routine up, there's no way I won't be cured by Monday. I hope.
Anway, not too much is new at the moment. This week school started "officially" and the idiotic project month finally came to an end. From the one day of classes I attended, it'll be interesting. It's also odd to be back in a classroom setting where I know I'm going to be held accountable for the information I'm being presented with. I mean, so far it doesn't seem too overwhelming, but I'll have to get back to you on that, I guess. I don't have too much to go on at the moment.
As I was walking back from La Cucina Latina today, I saw an older man who looked really fantastic. He was wearing a nice little tweed hat and a cape...but not Sherlock Holmes-like. This thing really looked much more like a garment bag, or a normal trench without any form or tailoring whatsoever...basically a garment bag with a collar. I wish I'd taken a picture with my phone, because it was so modern, but at the same time totally classic. Yeah. That was the streetwise fashion report of the day. Thanks ladies and gents for your time.
In other news...Stephan and I were up in Le Schwies last weekend to celebrate Max's eighteenth birthday. I think it was my dear Angielein who infected me with her pestilence to begin with, but getting there at one in the morning on Friday (or Saturday if you want to split hairs) didn't help much, nor did the ridiculousness which ensued on Saturday night.
I get along pretty fantastically with Stephan's Mum and the other women in the village. When we go up there, it really does feel like I'm visiting part of my family that loves me and looks after me in it's own special way. It's also a great way to really intensively experience the culture of the north east. But anyway, these women DRINK. Not with the desperation of the English, not with the carelessness of the Americans...they do it as methodically and precisely as Germans seem to do everything. They always made sure my glass was full--that everyone's glass was full. Constantly. There was fig vodka, wayyy too much sparkling wine, white wine, red wine, beer...and I forgot that my golden rule is not to mix my booze. God. Those women torched.my.shit. With impunity. Not only did I have red wine stains on my Tillys, I had one of the most godforesaken hangovers EVER. Wret.ched.
But...you know me. I recovered. I made it back to Berlin. With Stephan, a bag of corn, a bag of pears, a bag of apples, a bag of chestnuts, other nuts...and all our other kit. It was a schlepp of epic proportions. We made it, though. But barely, as one notices by the fact that I've been wearing my OSU scrubs for the last 48 hours straight. Anyway...I would say enough geschwaetzt for now. It's time for another hot lemon toddy and a short nap on the couch. Maybe with a side order of James Bond?
Find time to vegitate, kinders. It regenerates the soul.
(brought to you by YogiTea and My favorite pink blanket.)
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