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.