Out with the old

2oo8 was a bit rough on us. Although my father’s stroke last December was technically part of 2007, it seemed to belong to this year, somehow.

I lost my job in February and spent until July looking for the next one, which although it offers clear advantages over my last job (let’s get real – a strip joint offers clear advantages over the last job) represents a departure from a career path that I loved. In some small way, I started to pay a little bit for the positives of  my life as an expat.

Then bad, unbloggable things happened – that like the career change, are in some ways irreperable and have gone on to become the wallpaper of my life.

We were blessed in this year with new friends, a new job, the extent of my father’s recovery (and so blessed that he was so briefly affected mentally). We continue to truly enjoy our apartment, and have had fun decorating.  We are having even more fun now that we are nearly done.  D is making progress on his doctoral studies. We had some wonderful experiences in NYC and had a blast doing a little bit of hiking on the last weekends before I returned to work. We have a big trip ahead of us at the start of February.

How bad our lives are not: our most significant illness this year was a non-itchy, non-contageous skin rash that my normal clothes covered and that resolved itself without treatment. And I didn’t follow my primary care physician’s advice to cut off my hair because of said rash.

I have been struggling a bit with the end of the year coming, thinking too much about where I was last year and what was waiting around the corner for me. I am quite honestly not sure if I could do another 2008 – but here we are, and there hasn’t been a day where we didn’t ultimately have what we needed to get through that day. And that’s how we’re going to do 2009.

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This glass bin, near our apartment is one of several I have seen over the course of the alst few days that is sorely in need of emptying.

we have a tree, but as yet no stand. we have a baby computer, but as yet no 3g connection. things are busy and i mean BUSY at the lodge, but no doubt less busy than for all of you who have presents to wrap.

all you family types (and yes paul, that includes you   )- i will likely be on skype on christmas – it would be good to see you.

more tomorow when i have half a brain.

Christmas is coming

the moose is getting fat. Unfortunately, I am picking up a few pounds now that I sit completely immobile for over 10 hours a day. Oh and I freeze. I can sit with long underwear, a sweater and my outdoor coat on and still not be too warm. Last Friday, I took a turn up and down the steps in our building. Looks like I will have to do that more often!

Was in France last week for a few days. Sooo stressful – did I already blog that I wound up hanging over the toilet and depositing my fancy dinner? I was nearly desperate as it was the night before I was to fly back and I wanted nothing more than to get back to Germany where I could understand and be understood.

. . .

ok, apparently my last entry was before I headed off to France. What is there to say? The food is good, but outrageously expensive.   I also noticed how very few other people were wandering around speaking anything other than French. It’s such a different experence than in my little city in German where one hears Russian, Chinese and French all the time. Of course, Turkish, too.

I found the French, more deferential use of space and all the pardon me’s and excuse me’s to be almost unsettling after all this time in Germany. I seem to be more integrated than I though – ack! After 5 years, I have turned into an agressive space invader with sharpened elbows.

On the day of my departure, everything stayed where it was supposed to be, the man at the cafe in the airport was so nice. He let me try with my couple of French sentences and then for one, didn’t turn around and attempt a full conversation – thank you cafe guy for appreciating my attempt! and I was back in mooseville by 1400 the following day – enough time to head over and enjoy a glühwein with my former colleagues. I had a wonderful afternoon.

We’ve generally not been up to much because homework from Mr. Moose’s courses has been keeping him very busy.Yesterday, we were out buying Christmas presents. It was hectic but fun – and let me tell you – free gift wrapping is amazing and was available at both of the shops where we bougth gifts.

The toy shop has been in the same location for 212 years. Not something you run into everyday, even here.

here is the link to the google images search for the presents we were giving niece number 3.

She’s just getting the safety googles, the earphones and the drill. The toys are all marked too old for her, so although it’s what her parents asked for, I am hoping they will put it away til at least the summer. She has Christmas and birthday around the same time, so it will be nice for her to have something new in about 6 monhts.  I cannot for the life of me figure out what could be dangerous with the headphones. There is no way she could swallow them.

And to get her started off in life with the proper brand loyalties – they are bosch

Not much to report. I am better than I was a week ago, but nervous about heading to France on a business trip. I am pretty much a clueless wonder and am just hoping I don’t make any calamitous mistakes.

We had our first couch surfer at our apartment this weekend. It was fun and he was so friendly. It was a real shame that I didn’t have enough time to go to the musical event he was suggesting.

D.’s classes continue and we’ve both got a bit of a cold, but we’ll count our blessings because his boss has the flu (a bad flu) and another young co-worker’s back is out. This isn’t the first time and he’s expecting to be out until after Christmas. Here’s hoping it improves – he was planning his big 30th birthday party for New Year’s Eve.

This all means that D is packing more hours around his lectures than his necessarily should. Things are busier for me at the moment than I think they should be, what with Christmas coming, but we will keep plugging, at least for right now. I haven’t even had any glühwein yet.

hope you are getting to coast a bit toward Christmas (or Chanukah – in which case you’ve got 3 fewer days to go   )