Surprisingly, I left the airport without any tears at all. Until I actually start to board and the airline employees tell me that I can't have 4 carry on bags.
2 cameras
5 pairs of shoes
1 laptop
1 kindle
15 outfits
every pair of undies that I own
3 suitcases
1 purse
1 backpack belonging to Mel
Boarding to Narita is now.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Lift them up into the light
If you leave my house, turn left out of the driveway and just start walking for 1 mile, you'll arrive at Lake Calhoun.
Feast your eyes on it for a moment, if you can bear the brightness. At night, overlooking the lake, we face west and there's the sunset and blinding light facing us. Come forward, it says. Swim in me, the lake sirens are calling me on and on, across the universe.
I am going to live here for 100 years.
Feast your eyes on it for a moment, if you can bear the brightness. At night, overlooking the lake, we face west and there's the sunset and blinding light facing us. Come forward, it says. Swim in me, the lake sirens are calling me on and on, across the universe.
I am going to live here for 100 years.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I don't want to say that all Filipinos know each other
But sometimes it seems like they do. Strange but true world when every ex-pat hangs out together stateside and has 4000 filipino friends back home. yayaya.
Said goodbye to a former boss today. I had to leave Happy Hour early to come back to meet some friends for dinner. It's sad, my former boss is moving back to KC, but it's the best deal for him overall. He's not happy in Minneapolis, hates winter, and still has his house in KC. He's moving back to KC to work for an old HRBlock boss, which should make for a good fit. While saying goodbye, I think we both realized that we *probably* won't see each other again. I'm not going to actively seek him out when I go back to KC (right?) and he's not ever going to come up to Minneapolis for a visit. And thus we close a door on a 3 year friendship.
It's been raining all night here and I haven't been able to walk the dog, but I think I'm taking him now.
Said goodbye to a former boss today. I had to leave Happy Hour early to come back to meet some friends for dinner. It's sad, my former boss is moving back to KC, but it's the best deal for him overall. He's not happy in Minneapolis, hates winter, and still has his house in KC. He's moving back to KC to work for an old HRBlock boss, which should make for a good fit. While saying goodbye, I think we both realized that we *probably* won't see each other again. I'm not going to actively seek him out when I go back to KC (right?) and he's not ever going to come up to Minneapolis for a visit. And thus we close a door on a 3 year friendship.
It's been raining all night here and I haven't been able to walk the dog, but I think I'm taking him now.
Monday, August 15, 2011
All moved in~
Here we are, all moved in to our house. First guests came over last night to see it and thus it all feels real. This weekend, we're having our first overnight guests in the house. I hope everyone likes it. Surprisingly, we've also managed to unpack quite a bit of stuff, nearly 90%. The remaining 10%, if these things can be
judged empirically, is related to the desk and filing cabinet, and the desk is back in our old apartment. So everything office-related will just have to wait for awhile to do unpack, because I sure don't feel like going back to the apartment!
We did have a moment of nostalgia for the apartment, though. Neither of us are sure why. We didn't especially like it, but perhaps it was just a moment of relative peace for us. Little stress, mostly relaxation, and really beautiful wooded areas around it may have caused us to like apartment living, just not the complex itself. I know I floating in a peaceful bubble and swimming laps underneath the stars, watching late night thunderstorms roll in before it gets too dangerous to swim.
I'll get the swimming back soon, though! The pool in Manila is really nice, according to the 3 whom have already arrived. I'm trying to not think about it too much. I don't want to leave the house yet and I am scared!I am scared of packing, to be truthful. What do you bring for a 10 week trip?
Our realtor is Filipino and has made some plastic surgery recommendations for me. I knew she would know someone who works in the medical industry and I feel much more confident having procedures done with someone I know vs a random stranger. So we'll see! Would be great to have the operation done on Labor Day weekend, even if it does mean forgoing a trip to Taipei. Time will tell!
judged empirically, is related to the desk and filing cabinet, and the desk is back in our old apartment. So everything office-related will just have to wait for awhile to do unpack, because I sure don't feel like going back to the apartment!
We did have a moment of nostalgia for the apartment, though. Neither of us are sure why. We didn't especially like it, but perhaps it was just a moment of relative peace for us. Little stress, mostly relaxation, and really beautiful wooded areas around it may have caused us to like apartment living, just not the complex itself. I know I floating in a peaceful bubble and swimming laps underneath the stars, watching late night thunderstorms roll in before it gets too dangerous to swim.
I'll get the swimming back soon, though! The pool in Manila is really nice, according to the 3 whom have already arrived. I'm trying to not think about it too much. I don't want to leave the house yet and I am scared!I am scared of packing, to be truthful. What do you bring for a 10 week trip?
Our realtor is Filipino and has made some plastic surgery recommendations for me. I knew she would know someone who works in the medical industry and I feel much more confident having procedures done with someone I know vs a random stranger. So we'll see! Would be great to have the operation done on Labor Day weekend, even if it does mean forgoing a trip to Taipei. Time will tell!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Here we are, on the eve of our destruction
Yeah, and the eve of amazing. Tomorrow we get to move into the house.
Tonight we ignore our upcoming anxiety and go see a movie.
Another book I've read months and months ago: The Help. Converted to a movie. Here we go!
Tonight we ignore our upcoming anxiety and go see a movie.
Another book I've read months and months ago: The Help. Converted to a movie. Here we go!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Insurance again
I really like talking about insurance. And taxes. Yes, I'm terribly boring. Had an insurance scare today with the house, because there's an old knob and tube wire in the attic. Yeah, I'm not a dumb ass. I know to worry about knob and tube. But it wasn't pointed out to me in the 20 page inspection junk report that I saw and now I'm ANGRY CAT. After I vented to my Realtor, I felt like crying. We worked so hard to move the close forward and now we might not be able to close on Friday. *sigh*
Did I mention that I haven't packed yet for Manila and I really can't do that until I UNPACK the house?
No, I'm not worried at all. (sarcasm)
Dan and I are avoiding the scary topics by watching 3 Sheets Manila version and No Reservations, Manila version.
Also, I'm finding it a funny that our perfect island vacation may come true and Dan has zero desire to spend it on a sun drenched island. Oh well. Islands might be boring after all.
Did I mention that I haven't packed yet for Manila and I really can't do that until I UNPACK the house?
No, I'm not worried at all. (sarcasm)
Dan and I are avoiding the scary topics by watching 3 Sheets Manila version and No Reservations, Manila version.
Also, I'm finding it a funny that our perfect island vacation may come true and Dan has zero desire to spend it on a sun drenched island. Oh well. Islands might be boring after all.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Visa status: Completed
Visa request: made. It's in the envelope and about to leave on me on Monday. Good bye, passport. I'll see it in a few weeks. It should be back by the time I leave. We bought our suitcases at MOA on Thursday night after I bought my cousin's bridal shower, bachelorette party present and wedding gift. She hadn't registered anywhere yet, so I was just a bit over the top. I bought weird things that I wasn't sure anyone would like but looked pretty. I let my guilt guide me more than anything, feeling so bad that I'm missing all 3 weddings I was invited to this year, but also the one where my presence would actually be truly missed: the part where I was a bridesmaid.
So anyway, it was kind of a tough week. The market bounced all over, I had another heart attack with an option spread entered incorrectly, but we saved it. The house close got officially moved up, I had a second week of phone lab with new hires and basically the stress of the trip and guilt over stuff with my Dad overwhelmed me after I talked to my grandpa. My grandpa's girlfriend died and thus we had a long conversation, where I mentioned my Dad at the end. My grandpa said "Your dad is just sick that no one wants anything to do with him." Uhh. yeah. Except for that whole part where he has completely ignored us....
I found out that my dad and new wife almost got married on December 7th of 2009. Yeah. 2009. Uhh. yeah. I hope that information was mostly unreliable, but really, I know that it's true. He was in Vegas that weekend for his 50th birthday and............... they were planning on getting married.
PUKE.
Anyway, this week will be stressful. I am going to make it, though. It's great to be excited because of happy things in our lives, like a nice trip and a house closing. :)
So anyway, it was kind of a tough week. The market bounced all over, I had another heart attack with an option spread entered incorrectly, but we saved it. The house close got officially moved up, I had a second week of phone lab with new hires and basically the stress of the trip and guilt over stuff with my Dad overwhelmed me after I talked to my grandpa. My grandpa's girlfriend died and thus we had a long conversation, where I mentioned my Dad at the end. My grandpa said "Your dad is just sick that no one wants anything to do with him." Uhh. yeah. Except for that whole part where he has completely ignored us....
I found out that my dad and new wife almost got married on December 7th of 2009. Yeah. 2009. Uhh. yeah. I hope that information was mostly unreliable, but really, I know that it's true. He was in Vegas that weekend for his 50th birthday and............... they were planning on getting married.
PUKE.
Anyway, this week will be stressful. I am going to make it, though. It's great to be excited because of happy things in our lives, like a nice trip and a house closing. :)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Brain power percentage?
I think if you were to graph my brain in a histogram right now, 97% of the brain power would go to planning for Manila.
The other 3% would go to the dog.
Of course, planning for Manila just means that everything is all worked out for the house, the close, my investment license, planning for all of the stuff I should teach, eat , drink, pack, wear, postcards, postage, drivers, vacation plans, cameras, phone cards, insurance, immunizations, and my overall health. Plus trying to figure out when I can video chat with Dan and how the hell both of us will survive without the other.
Today they changed the tickets to refundable from nonrefundable, since they hadn't booked yet. It's crazy stuff, which makes me think that we might not be going after all. But I won't know if I'm going until I'm nearly on the plane! haha
The other 3% would go to the dog.
Of course, planning for Manila just means that everything is all worked out for the house, the close, my investment license, planning for all of the stuff I should teach, eat , drink, pack, wear, postcards, postage, drivers, vacation plans, cameras, phone cards, insurance, immunizations, and my overall health. Plus trying to figure out when I can video chat with Dan and how the hell both of us will survive without the other.
Today they changed the tickets to refundable from nonrefundable, since they hadn't booked yet. It's crazy stuff, which makes me think that we might not be going after all. But I won't know if I'm going until I'm nearly on the plane! haha
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