One of my "resolutions", if I can call it that, is to try to stay more cheerful. My mother and husband keep telling me I'm negative, and even though I don't think I am, I figured I should try to change their impression of me. I personally think I just have a twisted sense of humor.
In any case, 2011 hasn't exactly been an easy year to keep that resolution. If you have Facebook you've already seen that one of my friends was diagnosed with terminal cancer and that Gerd's job is about to evaporate. I didn't get a job I'd hoped to get, and we still haven't made much progress on our house. My cousin is welcoming his first child next month, and after 2 years of infertility we've got our first real IVF appointment next week. I really hope I'm feeling better by then, I have a nasty chest cold. Right, and lets add a little highway ice drama to the mix. I'm fine, but a 360 in front of oncoming traffic is a bit much for the PTSD laden self that I am. And on that note, it seems rare that I manage to sleep through the night anymore.
Now, I don't think I'm being negative in mentioning this at all, it's all factual. There is certainly good new mixed in there as well, and I don't feel obligated to balance the scale, but it is worth mentioning a few things. My friend has been seeking treatment at an Issels treatment center and says they're hoping to cure her. I still have a job, Gerd thinks he's got a while to find a job. I survived another potential car crash (seriously, what life am I on anyway?).
But honestly, is it really any wonder that I'm sick? Despite all the acupuncture, it's clear that I'm stressed. Now that the sun is out again, perhaps I can get myself to start exercising again. Have I mentioned yet how miserable the weather has been this winter? I basically hibernated. I suppose everyone has stressful times in their lives, but it just feels so overwhelming.
So right now school is out for February Vacation (whoever heard of February Vacation?) and I'm grateful. I might not be healthy yet, but I'm hoping that a few days without students and I get hit the reset button. It's not that I want to be "negative" it's just that life has felt a little harder than normal lately. But after this week I'm calling a do-over. I don't want to jinx it, but next month is going to be better, right?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Winter
I was going to post pictures, but since I need to charge my iPhone (that has all of my pictures on it) it'll need to wait for later. I'm up and insomniatic for the night (day 2 no sleep!) so I might as well post something.
We've had 4 snow days so far, although only one of those days meant I didn't have to go to work. Non-profits don't have snow days, students have snow days. I did a miraculous job cleaning out my pantry on the day I had off. Really, it looked (and continues to look) amazing. I've added another Ikea kitchen item to make the kitchen more user friendly, a long counter with storage space underneath. Now I can move all of my kitchen doo dads and pots and pans out of the food storage area and actually put food in the pantry! It's great. I have pictures and everything, maybe I'll actually put them up sometime.
Parking during winter has been better than any other time in Southie. Funny that I thought the cone space savers would be an irritation. Nope, only once did someone move our cone, and that was after enough spots had cleared out that we could still find a place to park. They were allowed, it was after 48 hours (but only by something like 5 hours), but it's pretty much not done here. I've seen people put space savers out since the first snow storm, nobody bothers them. That means I know I'm coming home to a parking spot! Of course I don't drive sometimes because I want to make sure I've got a spot before the next storm. We're supposed to get 21 inches tomorrow and there's no way I'm moving my car before it's over. Driving in Boston in snow is terrible anyway, I'd rather take the hour bus commute. I can read a book.
My iPhone is working again! I dropped it in the toilet and wasn't sure it would ever function again. I'm so happy I don't have to shell out more money for a new phone. I might slightly covet the new iPhone 4g, but I'm soooo close to being done with a contract with AT&T, I don't want to end up with another 2 years with them. I've debated an android, but I'm not sure how that would work with mobile me or how I could sync my calendars.
In order of usefulness, the functions my phone has that I've come to rely on are
1) GPS, I can figure out where I am, and what bus to take, beautiful,
2) Calendar, I know when I'm supposed to do what, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I get alarms, messages on my computer, and can see my calendar from anywhere,
3) Camera, it might be a crummy camera, but I find myself taking all kinds of pictures, because I just happen to have a camera on me, and I can email it straight to my computer, totally phenomenal, and
4) Internet access so I can look up phone numbers, addresses, and anything else that I need or want, right then!
5) Phone, oh right, that's it's main function, right? I could almost go to an iTouch, get a mini microphone and be done with phone plans, but I'm not too sure about that, besides which an iTouch is just as expensive as an iPhone, and I'd still want a data plan.
6) Kindle. I don't need to carry around a book on the bus, I already have one. People ask if it's too small to read, and I say truthfully, no. It's fine, same sized letters you'd find on a book, you just have to change pages more often. It's a flip of the finger, and I don't need to carry anything extra with me. Never thought I'd like electronic books, but I love it.
That being said, after my phone crashing I re-remembered (this is not a new concern) how completely addicted I am to technology. Seriously, I probably should just get rid of the phone and the computer so I spend more time doing things I really want to do, like bake or sew or work on the house. The thing is, even when I do turn off the tec, I come home not really feeling like doing a whole lot other than relaxing. Relaxing? Perhaps I mean vegetating.
This weekend was the first productive weekend I've had in a while. I did laundry, and more laundry, and more laundry. I still have 2 more loads to go (more towels and a load of sheets). I feel like I've washed every article of clothing I own, and my husbands. I cleaned out the refrigerator (wow did it need it). I pulled the carpet off of the stairs (it was hideous). I sorted and filed 6 months of bills and other mail. And I started picking out new colors for the entryway (gray. I want a nice gray color, and I need to strip the knoll post and railing, and stair treads).
Okay, I've bored even myself with this post, but there you have it. That's pretty much why I haven't been posting, because life is pretty boring right now. Every time I think of going to choir, it snows and choir is canceled. I'm caught up with school work for the first time because we haven't had a full week of school since we got back from Christmas break. There's just not much to say, everything is dormant. I can't wait for spring, even if it means rain. I think it's time for a trip to somewhere warm.
We've had 4 snow days so far, although only one of those days meant I didn't have to go to work. Non-profits don't have snow days, students have snow days. I did a miraculous job cleaning out my pantry on the day I had off. Really, it looked (and continues to look) amazing. I've added another Ikea kitchen item to make the kitchen more user friendly, a long counter with storage space underneath. Now I can move all of my kitchen doo dads and pots and pans out of the food storage area and actually put food in the pantry! It's great. I have pictures and everything, maybe I'll actually put them up sometime.
Parking during winter has been better than any other time in Southie. Funny that I thought the cone space savers would be an irritation. Nope, only once did someone move our cone, and that was after enough spots had cleared out that we could still find a place to park. They were allowed, it was after 48 hours (but only by something like 5 hours), but it's pretty much not done here. I've seen people put space savers out since the first snow storm, nobody bothers them. That means I know I'm coming home to a parking spot! Of course I don't drive sometimes because I want to make sure I've got a spot before the next storm. We're supposed to get 21 inches tomorrow and there's no way I'm moving my car before it's over. Driving in Boston in snow is terrible anyway, I'd rather take the hour bus commute. I can read a book.
My iPhone is working again! I dropped it in the toilet and wasn't sure it would ever function again. I'm so happy I don't have to shell out more money for a new phone. I might slightly covet the new iPhone 4g, but I'm soooo close to being done with a contract with AT&T, I don't want to end up with another 2 years with them. I've debated an android, but I'm not sure how that would work with mobile me or how I could sync my calendars.
In order of usefulness, the functions my phone has that I've come to rely on are
1) GPS, I can figure out where I am, and what bus to take, beautiful,
2) Calendar, I know when I'm supposed to do what, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I get alarms, messages on my computer, and can see my calendar from anywhere,
3) Camera, it might be a crummy camera, but I find myself taking all kinds of pictures, because I just happen to have a camera on me, and I can email it straight to my computer, totally phenomenal, and
4) Internet access so I can look up phone numbers, addresses, and anything else that I need or want, right then!
5) Phone, oh right, that's it's main function, right? I could almost go to an iTouch, get a mini microphone and be done with phone plans, but I'm not too sure about that, besides which an iTouch is just as expensive as an iPhone, and I'd still want a data plan.
6) Kindle. I don't need to carry around a book on the bus, I already have one. People ask if it's too small to read, and I say truthfully, no. It's fine, same sized letters you'd find on a book, you just have to change pages more often. It's a flip of the finger, and I don't need to carry anything extra with me. Never thought I'd like electronic books, but I love it.
That being said, after my phone crashing I re-remembered (this is not a new concern) how completely addicted I am to technology. Seriously, I probably should just get rid of the phone and the computer so I spend more time doing things I really want to do, like bake or sew or work on the house. The thing is, even when I do turn off the tec, I come home not really feeling like doing a whole lot other than relaxing. Relaxing? Perhaps I mean vegetating.
This weekend was the first productive weekend I've had in a while. I did laundry, and more laundry, and more laundry. I still have 2 more loads to go (more towels and a load of sheets). I feel like I've washed every article of clothing I own, and my husbands. I cleaned out the refrigerator (wow did it need it). I pulled the carpet off of the stairs (it was hideous). I sorted and filed 6 months of bills and other mail. And I started picking out new colors for the entryway (gray. I want a nice gray color, and I need to strip the knoll post and railing, and stair treads).
Okay, I've bored even myself with this post, but there you have it. That's pretty much why I haven't been posting, because life is pretty boring right now. Every time I think of going to choir, it snows and choir is canceled. I'm caught up with school work for the first time because we haven't had a full week of school since we got back from Christmas break. There's just not much to say, everything is dormant. I can't wait for spring, even if it means rain. I think it's time for a trip to somewhere warm.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A Whole Lot of Snow
It's not here yet, but the sky is getting darker and darker (and not just because it's getting later). Some reports say 12 inches, some say 18, some say 24 inches, but they all say snow. I am NOT moving my car. Hopefully we get a snow day tomorrow, as non-profit workers we don't get days off like the students do. If it's a state emergency and government offices close, then we close. The students are off if the public schools close (and they seem to close if it even thinks about snowing).
So remember my resolutions? Right. One of them was about being better prepared. Our pantry isn't usually exactly stocked, and a whole lot of snow could be a problem if it caused a week of stores being shut down or something extreme like that. Fortunately for me this time around we're pretty well off right now. I've got meat in the freezer, jars and jars of whole grains, pickles, apple sauce, and jelly, and I got my box of veggies and fruits today. If the electricity goes we've got a gas grill, and if we lack water we can always warm up the snow...or maybe I'll just put some in a few jugs just in case.
BUT. If this was a long term problem, how long would my food last me? How many days of emergency rations should I have? I found one site that says 3 days. Another says 7-14 days. A blog I follow says 3 months, and the Mormon guidelines are 1 year. They've actually got a pretty cool calculator online that will tell you in pounds how much you need of everything (only thing is, I'm not sure what I'd make with the ingredients listed...).
So I vote for over-prepared, but not obsessive. For me, for now, that's 3 months. If I need food for a time period longer than 3 months I'd better get the h@ll out of Boston and figure out how to grow my own food.
Here's my initial plan on food:
Enough stuff to make bread once a week for 3 months
4 dozen frozen eggs (whip together than freeze in ice cube trays, pop them out and put in ziplock bags, each cube is an egg)
Stuff to make noodles
Enough meat to have one meat dish a week (24 individual servings?, maybe too much!?)
Emergency back up milk (H milk in Germany)
Yogurt starter! (to use with H milk to continue to make yogurt :)
Canned spaghetti sauce, vegetables, broth, beans, soup, etc. (ideally home canned)
Oatmeal, rice, potatoes, lentils/beans, whole grains
Frozen vegetables
Dried fruits/nuts (no walnuts!) for snacking
Frequently used spices (powdered or frozen)
Oil
Okay, probably incomplete or unrealistic, but it's a start, especially for someone who goes grocery shopping every other day because there's nothing in the kitchen to eat...
What are your thoughts on emergency food stocks?
So remember my resolutions? Right. One of them was about being better prepared. Our pantry isn't usually exactly stocked, and a whole lot of snow could be a problem if it caused a week of stores being shut down or something extreme like that. Fortunately for me this time around we're pretty well off right now. I've got meat in the freezer, jars and jars of whole grains, pickles, apple sauce, and jelly, and I got my box of veggies and fruits today. If the electricity goes we've got a gas grill, and if we lack water we can always warm up the snow...or maybe I'll just put some in a few jugs just in case.
BUT. If this was a long term problem, how long would my food last me? How many days of emergency rations should I have? I found one site that says 3 days. Another says 7-14 days. A blog I follow says 3 months, and the Mormon guidelines are 1 year. They've actually got a pretty cool calculator online that will tell you in pounds how much you need of everything (only thing is, I'm not sure what I'd make with the ingredients listed...).
So I vote for over-prepared, but not obsessive. For me, for now, that's 3 months. If I need food for a time period longer than 3 months I'd better get the h@ll out of Boston and figure out how to grow my own food.
Here's my initial plan on food:
Enough stuff to make bread once a week for 3 months
4 dozen frozen eggs (whip together than freeze in ice cube trays, pop them out and put in ziplock bags, each cube is an egg)
Stuff to make noodles
Enough meat to have one meat dish a week (24 individual servings?, maybe too much!?)
Emergency back up milk (H milk in Germany)
Yogurt starter! (to use with H milk to continue to make yogurt :)
Canned spaghetti sauce, vegetables, broth, beans, soup, etc. (ideally home canned)
Oatmeal, rice, potatoes, lentils/beans, whole grains
Frozen vegetables
Dried fruits/nuts (no walnuts!) for snacking
Frequently used spices (powdered or frozen)
Oil
Okay, probably incomplete or unrealistic, but it's a start, especially for someone who goes grocery shopping every other day because there's nothing in the kitchen to eat...
What are your thoughts on emergency food stocks?
Sunday, January 9, 2011
40, with 3 months to live.
Sometimes perspective comes with bad, bad news.
My friend Bettina, who has battled breast cancer for 3 years, found out her cancer has metastasized and spread to her lungs. She turned 40 last summer and won't make it to her 41st birthday.
She's still trying to fight. In a few weeks she'll head out to California to try an experimental medicine program, and perhaps it'll work. Somehow though, I think it's probably the end of the line. That sucks. Bettina is such a vibrant character it's hard to imagine her helpless at all. She's strong, and fearless, and she shouldn't have to go through this.
She shouldn't have to die like this. Not this young.
And unless something goes wrong with my health, I've got a lifetime. Why, when life can be cut so short, am I not using every minute to be thankful for what I have? I should be thankful for even the unhappiest places in my heart because it's all a part of life, and of living.
I can only hope that whatever life there is after death is so much better a ride. I'm not sure what heaven holds, but if it's going to be better than earth it's got to be pretty spectacular. I can't imagine beauty greater than our creation, happiness greater than loving our friends and family, or purpose more than seeking to live well. But it's got to be more. For Bettina, and for everyone else who dies, it has to be more than what we have here if it's going to be heaven.
But I still don't want her to go. Not yet anyway. I want her to live.
My friend Bettina, who has battled breast cancer for 3 years, found out her cancer has metastasized and spread to her lungs. She turned 40 last summer and won't make it to her 41st birthday.
She's still trying to fight. In a few weeks she'll head out to California to try an experimental medicine program, and perhaps it'll work. Somehow though, I think it's probably the end of the line. That sucks. Bettina is such a vibrant character it's hard to imagine her helpless at all. She's strong, and fearless, and she shouldn't have to go through this.
She shouldn't have to die like this. Not this young.
And unless something goes wrong with my health, I've got a lifetime. Why, when life can be cut so short, am I not using every minute to be thankful for what I have? I should be thankful for even the unhappiest places in my heart because it's all a part of life, and of living.
I can only hope that whatever life there is after death is so much better a ride. I'm not sure what heaven holds, but if it's going to be better than earth it's got to be pretty spectacular. I can't imagine beauty greater than our creation, happiness greater than loving our friends and family, or purpose more than seeking to live well. But it's got to be more. For Bettina, and for everyone else who dies, it has to be more than what we have here if it's going to be heaven.
But I still don't want her to go. Not yet anyway. I want her to live.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Survival
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a little concerned about all of these dead birds, dead fish, dead other animals that have been piling up. Okay, so it's probably not the end of their species...yet, but it's strange nevertheless.
Somewhere along the line I read an online newspaper comment that redirected me to a website run by a survivalist.
Now, I'd like to be as prepared as possible for chaos, but some of these blogs out there are just as disturbing as the birds falling out of the sky. One woman, whose blog I've lost or I'd post a link, is a single mother who appears obsessed with being prepared for the endtimes. I mean, it's not good enough to have stockpiles of food (you won't be able to cook it) or to garden (people will see you outside). She's now growing her food indoors and has tips for keeping your windows concealed enough that mutinous anarchists won't be able to see in, but the plants will get enough light to produce food.
Usually I say whatever interests you, whatever. Right? I used to dress up in medieval clothing and go camping in the summer. That's odd too.
But seriously, is it healthy to live in that kind of fear? To impose that amount of fear on a child?
Now, I don't know this woman, so perhaps she's managed to seem more upbeat and hopeful with her daughter, but I'm seriously doubting it. And I could be completely wrong to be concerned, considering if her worst fears come true I'll be the one who won't survive.
I don't disagree in general with the concept of being prepared (in fact, I'd like to have more emergency rations myself). But am I preparing a years worth of homemade MREs like this woman? No. I'm more hopeful that if something drastic DOES happen we as community members will somehow be able to organize together to ensure our survival. Just working on a farm for a short time and I already know it's no joke to be able to grow your own food. Seriously, if food supply lines died you're really want some help.
I think people in general completely underestimate the time and effort involved in being self sufficient. In general I'd say the Mormons with their stockpiled food and community membership would probably do the best if something went wrong. They, as a community, could be self sufficient. But look at Jamestown and Plymouth. The original colonists came and settled down, and most weren't really used to farming (especially in Jamestown). Tons of people died because they underestimated how difficult it is to rely on the earth (and they started their growing season a bit too late, but that's life for you).
So I've got to wonder, what is a healthy level of concern for survival? We are in the midst of global climate change, and we're past peak oil, and we live in politically unstable times, and we have very little agricultural or manufacturing communities around us. So how much should a person be concerned?
On one hand, live in the moment. On the other hand there's the story of the cricket who didn't put away food for winter (but the ant did, or was it the other way around?).
I think I'm pretty much beyond hoping to save humanity. We either will, or will not survive a change of atmosphere. What I'm not done thinking about, however, is how we as humans can return to a more harmonious relationship with the earth while retaining the comforts of life as we know it. Seriously, indoor heating (best thing ever).
But I feel like a nut even talking like that. Maybe not as much of a nut as this other lady who gave up her house, moved 1000 miles to buy a house with cash so she could establish a safehouse for the end times. But still a bit of a nut, and I can guarantee you that my husband (who doesn't have the desire to plan a month ahead of time) would not be interested in too much radical preparation.
So how do you feel about the way of the world? What do you think are realistic steps to prepare for the future (which by all accounts will at least be somewhat different than the world we live in today?) Are you and ant or a grasshopper? I'm not sure what I am. Maybe a locust?
Somewhere along the line I read an online newspaper comment that redirected me to a website run by a survivalist.
Now, I'd like to be as prepared as possible for chaos, but some of these blogs out there are just as disturbing as the birds falling out of the sky. One woman, whose blog I've lost or I'd post a link, is a single mother who appears obsessed with being prepared for the endtimes. I mean, it's not good enough to have stockpiles of food (you won't be able to cook it) or to garden (people will see you outside). She's now growing her food indoors and has tips for keeping your windows concealed enough that mutinous anarchists won't be able to see in, but the plants will get enough light to produce food.
Usually I say whatever interests you, whatever. Right? I used to dress up in medieval clothing and go camping in the summer. That's odd too.
But seriously, is it healthy to live in that kind of fear? To impose that amount of fear on a child?
Now, I don't know this woman, so perhaps she's managed to seem more upbeat and hopeful with her daughter, but I'm seriously doubting it. And I could be completely wrong to be concerned, considering if her worst fears come true I'll be the one who won't survive.
I don't disagree in general with the concept of being prepared (in fact, I'd like to have more emergency rations myself). But am I preparing a years worth of homemade MREs like this woman? No. I'm more hopeful that if something drastic DOES happen we as community members will somehow be able to organize together to ensure our survival. Just working on a farm for a short time and I already know it's no joke to be able to grow your own food. Seriously, if food supply lines died you're really want some help.
I think people in general completely underestimate the time and effort involved in being self sufficient. In general I'd say the Mormons with their stockpiled food and community membership would probably do the best if something went wrong. They, as a community, could be self sufficient. But look at Jamestown and Plymouth. The original colonists came and settled down, and most weren't really used to farming (especially in Jamestown). Tons of people died because they underestimated how difficult it is to rely on the earth (and they started their growing season a bit too late, but that's life for you).
So I've got to wonder, what is a healthy level of concern for survival? We are in the midst of global climate change, and we're past peak oil, and we live in politically unstable times, and we have very little agricultural or manufacturing communities around us. So how much should a person be concerned?
On one hand, live in the moment. On the other hand there's the story of the cricket who didn't put away food for winter (but the ant did, or was it the other way around?).
I think I'm pretty much beyond hoping to save humanity. We either will, or will not survive a change of atmosphere. What I'm not done thinking about, however, is how we as humans can return to a more harmonious relationship with the earth while retaining the comforts of life as we know it. Seriously, indoor heating (best thing ever).
But I feel like a nut even talking like that. Maybe not as much of a nut as this other lady who gave up her house, moved 1000 miles to buy a house with cash so she could establish a safehouse for the end times. But still a bit of a nut, and I can guarantee you that my husband (who doesn't have the desire to plan a month ahead of time) would not be interested in too much radical preparation.
So how do you feel about the way of the world? What do you think are realistic steps to prepare for the future (which by all accounts will at least be somewhat different than the world we live in today?) Are you and ant or a grasshopper? I'm not sure what I am. Maybe a locust?
Monday, January 3, 2011
Resolutions
I don't always write resolutions, but there are a few things I really hope to accomplish this year, so I may as well put them down.
1) Exercise. I'm not just talking yoga, which is much more mind body spirit than it is physical improvement. I want to get back into something that keeps me fit. I don't really want to loose weight (okay, maybe 5 pounds) but I want to feel stronger.
2) Professional Development. I know how to create great lesson plans, so I need to start designing better plans. I'm not going to say I'd given up on planning, but its been a challenge at my job, so I need to pull out the big guns. I want to read more professional literature, and that may include a teacher's book club. In addition I want complete licensure requirements for elementary ed and middle school ed.
3) Home Improvement. The bathroom has to be completed by the end of the year. It just has to.
4) Self Sufficiency. I've tried to move more towards local, and that will be a continuing battle. In addition to local, I want to start trying to grow or make more of the things I would usually buy. This includes work on my garden, extending the season and increasing the varieties of plants grown as well as learning new hobbies such as soap making.
5) Preparedness. This includes work on our budget and retirement accounts, but also includes having a good first aid kit, stocking the pantry, and having cat food and litter before I realize I'm already out.
There are definitely a few things out there that either aren't interesting enough to share or as of yet unthought of. Perhaps I should add editing my blogs before posting. Nahh. Too much work and I'd never get anything done.
Well, time will tell how well I stick to my plan, but I feel better already just having written it down.
1) Exercise. I'm not just talking yoga, which is much more mind body spirit than it is physical improvement. I want to get back into something that keeps me fit. I don't really want to loose weight (okay, maybe 5 pounds) but I want to feel stronger.
2) Professional Development. I know how to create great lesson plans, so I need to start designing better plans. I'm not going to say I'd given up on planning, but its been a challenge at my job, so I need to pull out the big guns. I want to read more professional literature, and that may include a teacher's book club. In addition I want complete licensure requirements for elementary ed and middle school ed.
3) Home Improvement. The bathroom has to be completed by the end of the year. It just has to.
4) Self Sufficiency. I've tried to move more towards local, and that will be a continuing battle. In addition to local, I want to start trying to grow or make more of the things I would usually buy. This includes work on my garden, extending the season and increasing the varieties of plants grown as well as learning new hobbies such as soap making.
5) Preparedness. This includes work on our budget and retirement accounts, but also includes having a good first aid kit, stocking the pantry, and having cat food and litter before I realize I'm already out.
There are definitely a few things out there that either aren't interesting enough to share or as of yet unthought of. Perhaps I should add editing my blogs before posting. Nahh. Too much work and I'd never get anything done.
Well, time will tell how well I stick to my plan, but I feel better already just having written it down.
No Place Like Home!
I haven't finished my travel blog yet (mostly because I didn't have working internet for a while and was too tired yesterday when I came home to finish it) but I wanted to write a little about my travels in a different format, so here it is.
Lessons Learned
This trip was "hard" as my mom puts it. It wasn't hell, hell wouldn't have bright spots, like this trip did, but neither was it heaven. Difficult, challenging, frustrating, and possibly annoying are all words I'd use to describe the last two weeks. I'm tempted to say I'll never travel during winter again, but considering I'm married to a German, I know that in 2 years it's his turn again. So, instead of continuing to say how miserable the travel was (and it was) I'll focus on what I can learn from it.
1) Direct connections. After my initial flight over was canceled because my intermediary airport stop was closed, I ended up on a direct flight to Dublin. It was one of two flights that left and arrived on time. The other one was the flight from Paris, which actually left 1/2 hour late, but arrived on time. I'm going to be looking into direct connections to Munich, Berlin or Frankfurt and will probably book a hotel room for the night before continuing on with the train the next day. My reason for NOT booking direct in the past has been that I don't want to get on a 3 hour long train ride after an international flight. A hotel will solve that better than a flight that involves a change of planes.
2) Reduced Tourism. I have previously always planned in other things to do because 2 weeks sitting in a 650 square foot apartment with my in-laws would be too long. After 3 days of eating and sleeping I'm already done with "relaxation". A room full of people who are deliberately doing very little, so that they can relax, is not relaxing for me. Give me pictures to look at and put in a photo album, play a game with me, hook up wifi so I can blog, clear out some space where I can write and I'd probably be fine. I think I spent 3 hours playing games on my iphone because I had nothing to do (already read the book and couldn't download another). I was really looking forward to Paris. So, the plan is for me to come over for a shorter amount of time, and not try to put other things into the schedule so I'm amused. If I came into Germany, say around the 22nd, took the train the 23rd, left again on the 27th, and flew out on the 28th, that would be about the right amount of time for me.
3) Forget New Years. I've stayed longer so that I could be with my husband over New Years Eve. I hate fireworks. I've found that I especially hate fireworks in Chemnitz. Pretty much everyone buys expensive fireworks and sets them off for days before New Years, but then go all out on New Year's Eve. While I would love to be with my husband, there's pretty much no escaping the fireworks there. I debated staying until New Years, and taking a flight on that day (a true escape from the sound of fireworks) but that would involve 3 extra days, and I'm pretty sure I'd get stir crazy by then. No, I think every 2 years I can do without the hoopla. I can find other ways to celebrate the new year with my husband that are probably far more emotionally healthy.
4) Hotel. Having a hotel for the time my brother-in-law and grandmother-in-law were also staying at the house was definitely worthwhile to me. Gerd disagrees and would rather not spend the money on a hotel (it was expensive, but then we had 3 people...I don't have to worry about my mother deciding to visit again for a while, probably never). Having a place to go made a huge difference in the level of stress I felt under. I didn't need to worry that we were taking up the living and dining room space and that everyone else needed to stay in their bedrooms until we woke up. I could get ready in the morning without worrying that I was taking up the bathroom that 5 other people might need. I knew during the day that I would leave at the end of the day, so there would be relief in sight. AND, I think my mother-in-law was happy to have a few less people to worry about. I've really thrown a wrench in their system, and it isn't really easy for any of us.
5) Another Cat Solution. Another benefit of a shorter say would be less worry over the cats. For the first time this year I hired a catsitter that I didn't know well before hand. We spoke over the phone, and she came to visit a week before the trip, but I was concerned about the cats the whole time. It turns out I was right to be worried. I came home to find that they were out of water (well, there was probably a few licks left in each bowl) and their litter hadn't been cleaned in at least 4 days. I don't know if she got the days wrong or if she was just a bad catsitter. I need to send her an e-mail and find out what went wrong. With a 6 day trip I could ask someone to visit on a particular day and I can have enough food and water put out that I know they'll be okay while we're gone. I'm not saying that I'll never take a longer trip again, but it's one less stress over the holidays.
Happy Thoughts About The Trip.
I think it's important to remember that there were good parts of the trip too, so here's the highlights:
- St. Martin's B&B in Galway. Mary was the best hostess ever and she makes a great pot of tea. I can't imagine a nicer person to stay with in Galway.
- Stopping to walk up to the coast of Ireland. I'd done it before, but it was wonderful to see Mom and Wally enjoy it too. Plus, there's just something about the Burren that is incredibly interesting.
- Irish Stew with Brown Bread. 'Nuff said.
- Singing Christmas songs with my mother on the way from Galway to Dublin.
- Drinking Gluwein in the Berlin Christmas Markets (Weinachtsmarkt).
- Dinner at the Nussbalm Restaurant in Dublin. Cozy, and remarkably good lentil soup.
- Christmas Eve service in German. O Come All Ye Faithful and Angels We Have Heard on High sung in German.
- A friendly family taking us to my in-laws door when I got us lost after the service.
- Gerd playing guitar, his mother playing mandolin, and everyone else, including Granny, singing German Christmas songs.
- The excellent food made my my mother-in-law. Most especially the Nueinerlei (or however you spell it, the 9 small things) for Christmas Eve.
- Thoughtful gifts given and received by all. My mother LOVED her pyramid, and I also loved my bicycle bags. Gerd loved his book about the history of Chemnitz.
- The Windsor Hotel in Paris. It wasn't perfect, but the host was incredibly helpful. It was a 10 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower or the subway. And it had wifi.
- Eating in Paris. Again, what else can I say. French Food.
-The crypts of Paris. We didn't see it all, but I'll go again someday.
-The Louvre. I think in the 3 times I've been I've seen maybe 1/16th of what there is to see, but it's all so wonderful you'd need a lifetime to see all of it properly.
- Cooking for my mother-in-law. I'm not sure she likes to have her kitchen taken over, but I liked being able to cook for her for once.
- Gerd playing guitar for me as the fireworks started to really bother me.
- A visit to Vetsa and Andrea, Gerd's friends from elementary school. I really enjoy them as friends.
- Friendly people on trains, buses, planes, and everywhere along the way.
Lessons Learned
This trip was "hard" as my mom puts it. It wasn't hell, hell wouldn't have bright spots, like this trip did, but neither was it heaven. Difficult, challenging, frustrating, and possibly annoying are all words I'd use to describe the last two weeks. I'm tempted to say I'll never travel during winter again, but considering I'm married to a German, I know that in 2 years it's his turn again. So, instead of continuing to say how miserable the travel was (and it was) I'll focus on what I can learn from it.
1) Direct connections. After my initial flight over was canceled because my intermediary airport stop was closed, I ended up on a direct flight to Dublin. It was one of two flights that left and arrived on time. The other one was the flight from Paris, which actually left 1/2 hour late, but arrived on time. I'm going to be looking into direct connections to Munich, Berlin or Frankfurt and will probably book a hotel room for the night before continuing on with the train the next day. My reason for NOT booking direct in the past has been that I don't want to get on a 3 hour long train ride after an international flight. A hotel will solve that better than a flight that involves a change of planes.
2) Reduced Tourism. I have previously always planned in other things to do because 2 weeks sitting in a 650 square foot apartment with my in-laws would be too long. After 3 days of eating and sleeping I'm already done with "relaxation". A room full of people who are deliberately doing very little, so that they can relax, is not relaxing for me. Give me pictures to look at and put in a photo album, play a game with me, hook up wifi so I can blog, clear out some space where I can write and I'd probably be fine. I think I spent 3 hours playing games on my iphone because I had nothing to do (already read the book and couldn't download another). I was really looking forward to Paris. So, the plan is for me to come over for a shorter amount of time, and not try to put other things into the schedule so I'm amused. If I came into Germany, say around the 22nd, took the train the 23rd, left again on the 27th, and flew out on the 28th, that would be about the right amount of time for me.
3) Forget New Years. I've stayed longer so that I could be with my husband over New Years Eve. I hate fireworks. I've found that I especially hate fireworks in Chemnitz. Pretty much everyone buys expensive fireworks and sets them off for days before New Years, but then go all out on New Year's Eve. While I would love to be with my husband, there's pretty much no escaping the fireworks there. I debated staying until New Years, and taking a flight on that day (a true escape from the sound of fireworks) but that would involve 3 extra days, and I'm pretty sure I'd get stir crazy by then. No, I think every 2 years I can do without the hoopla. I can find other ways to celebrate the new year with my husband that are probably far more emotionally healthy.
4) Hotel. Having a hotel for the time my brother-in-law and grandmother-in-law were also staying at the house was definitely worthwhile to me. Gerd disagrees and would rather not spend the money on a hotel (it was expensive, but then we had 3 people...I don't have to worry about my mother deciding to visit again for a while, probably never). Having a place to go made a huge difference in the level of stress I felt under. I didn't need to worry that we were taking up the living and dining room space and that everyone else needed to stay in their bedrooms until we woke up. I could get ready in the morning without worrying that I was taking up the bathroom that 5 other people might need. I knew during the day that I would leave at the end of the day, so there would be relief in sight. AND, I think my mother-in-law was happy to have a few less people to worry about. I've really thrown a wrench in their system, and it isn't really easy for any of us.
5) Another Cat Solution. Another benefit of a shorter say would be less worry over the cats. For the first time this year I hired a catsitter that I didn't know well before hand. We spoke over the phone, and she came to visit a week before the trip, but I was concerned about the cats the whole time. It turns out I was right to be worried. I came home to find that they were out of water (well, there was probably a few licks left in each bowl) and their litter hadn't been cleaned in at least 4 days. I don't know if she got the days wrong or if she was just a bad catsitter. I need to send her an e-mail and find out what went wrong. With a 6 day trip I could ask someone to visit on a particular day and I can have enough food and water put out that I know they'll be okay while we're gone. I'm not saying that I'll never take a longer trip again, but it's one less stress over the holidays.
Happy Thoughts About The Trip.
I think it's important to remember that there were good parts of the trip too, so here's the highlights:
- St. Martin's B&B in Galway. Mary was the best hostess ever and she makes a great pot of tea. I can't imagine a nicer person to stay with in Galway.
- Stopping to walk up to the coast of Ireland. I'd done it before, but it was wonderful to see Mom and Wally enjoy it too. Plus, there's just something about the Burren that is incredibly interesting.
- Irish Stew with Brown Bread. 'Nuff said.
- Singing Christmas songs with my mother on the way from Galway to Dublin.
- Drinking Gluwein in the Berlin Christmas Markets (Weinachtsmarkt).
- Dinner at the Nussbalm Restaurant in Dublin. Cozy, and remarkably good lentil soup.
- Christmas Eve service in German. O Come All Ye Faithful and Angels We Have Heard on High sung in German.
- A friendly family taking us to my in-laws door when I got us lost after the service.
- Gerd playing guitar, his mother playing mandolin, and everyone else, including Granny, singing German Christmas songs.
- The excellent food made my my mother-in-law. Most especially the Nueinerlei (or however you spell it, the 9 small things) for Christmas Eve.
- Thoughtful gifts given and received by all. My mother LOVED her pyramid, and I also loved my bicycle bags. Gerd loved his book about the history of Chemnitz.
- The Windsor Hotel in Paris. It wasn't perfect, but the host was incredibly helpful. It was a 10 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower or the subway. And it had wifi.
- Eating in Paris. Again, what else can I say. French Food.
-The crypts of Paris. We didn't see it all, but I'll go again someday.
-The Louvre. I think in the 3 times I've been I've seen maybe 1/16th of what there is to see, but it's all so wonderful you'd need a lifetime to see all of it properly.
- Cooking for my mother-in-law. I'm not sure she likes to have her kitchen taken over, but I liked being able to cook for her for once.
- Gerd playing guitar for me as the fireworks started to really bother me.
- A visit to Vetsa and Andrea, Gerd's friends from elementary school. I really enjoy them as friends.
- Friendly people on trains, buses, planes, and everywhere along the way.
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