Yesterday was the first day I had a chance to breathe. After only going to sleep after 1 am, I slept in until 9 am. Russ went in to school to get started on some work. I first met with Mira, who will help us with cleaning. She will come in once a week to clean the floors, windows, dust and do all the ironing. This will cost USD 500 a month, which I think is definitely well worth it.
I feel obliged to mention the cost of things. Kuwait is an extraordinarily expensive country. Yet, because we are not paying for rent, insurance, utilities, and largely transportation, it seems like an affordable place to live.
Later in the morning, I went with my new friend Maria to the Hilton to check out their workout facility and spa. They also have private access to the beach. Unbelievable opulence. It is close to our house but it is also extremely expensive to buy a membership which I think we will pass on for now.
We are looking to join a gym. Another option is the men's only facility two blocks away from our apartment. That would be a good choice for Russ and much cheaper than the Hilton. We just discovered that the Annex (small apartment building for singles outside of our complex but closeby) has stairs with air conditioning, so that is one cardio option. We also found a more pleasant paved place to work - there is a loop around our building that equals a quarter of a mile, so we can do laps. I would be happy to stick with these options as I like to be more outside than in when working out. There is also our pool which we have been in every night (when the temperatures are still 105 degrees). Rumor is that one of the teachers knows how to teach water aerobics so that would be good, but we can also do some resistance training on our own.
I did a load of laundry yesterday and could not get the water to drain. Turned out there was a blockage of lint and sludge. It was disgusting to clean out as it spewed all over the laundry room, but now things are running smoothly. I really do not like hanging things to dry inside, but don't have much a choice. Some of the other teachers are buying dryers.
The apartment is looking more settled and I will post photos to this blog soon. Cannot wait for Mira to clean the floors so we can lay the carpets down.
We have met some current teachers who live in our building. Harvey and Nancy are our mentors and they have been great, along with their three boys. They have a car so we stocked up on groceries, and Harvey helped with the washing machine fiasco. They are keen brewers. They buy cases of non-alcoholic beer, then add bread yeast and sugar before bottling, and then drinking in about a month. to let it ferment. They also make sherry.
Last night, we went with a science colleague of Russ' - Jeff from Manitoba Canada - to eat out. There were many people celebrating the Eid, so the restaurants were advertising specials. We ended up going for sushi which was excellent. The fish was high quality, which is exactly what you want when you are eating it raw. You also pay for that, which we did, about USD 35 each. This was not a fancy place, just the price to pay for eating out well here.
Today, I came in to work to get some things done. Much like at home, it is hard to get anything done without interruption. I am starting from scratch on many things, and having to learn what the process is here in other areas. I love my new co-worker Nancy. Originally from Lebanon, she works also as a guidance counselor in the high school. Our office is with the principal and assistant principal, which is very different for me (good and bad cops all together). Hope it is not a micro-managing situation, although I like both of them a great deal. There are two other guidance counselors - one for middle school and another for elementary - but I never see them because they are in their own wings of the school.
We will stay home tomorrow and maybe the next day to enjoy the down time before all faculty returns on Sunday.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Breaking the fast
Last night was the first opportunity to "break the fast" even though we are not fasting. The school took us to what they said was the best Lebanese restaurant in the city - Mais Al Ghanim - and I won't argue. We arrived at 6:10 and were invited to sit down at long tables which were already filled with bowls of food, and pitchers of yogurt and fruit drinks. Because the call to prayer had not yet ended, we sat and looked at each other and the food on the table. Once it ended at 6:14 (official sunset time), then everyone started in on the feast.
The first course delivered bowls of salad, hummus, baba gannoush, tabbouleh, raita, and of course warm pitas. To drink, there was a tart yogurt, a sweet apricot juice, or a flat Dr. Pepper-tasting concoction. This of course would have been enough for a meal. In the next course, skewered lamb, beef, and grilled chicken were served with french fries. To drink, fresh kiwi, strawberry, apple, and lemon mint juices were served. I could drink gallons of the lemonade. Lastly, dessert consisted of yummy, sticky, deep-fried, cheese and honey pastries along with a fruit platter and strong Arabic coffee or tea was served. Needless to say, I was still full this morning. (We still haven't found an exercise outlet either).
Today is the end of Ramadan and tomorrow is the start of Eid Al-Fitr. The goal is to read through the entire Quran during five daily calls to prayer (which sometimes come in the middle of the night (there is a mosque nearby that I have sometimes woken up to in the predawn hour). For the past month, Muslims have abstained from smoking, drinking, and eating from sunrise to sunset. Then, they then gorge themselves when the sun goes down but who among us can blame them? I am pretty sure I could not fast from food for twelve hours, let alone not drinking water and especially in this climate.
Breaking the fast is a time to get together with family and friends and whether it is at home or in public, the visiting goes on quite late. As a result, working hours are shortened, and shops and restaurants are often open until the wee hours of the morning.
We have the next five days off before faculty reconvenes on Sunday. We will undoubtedly be going in to school to work on our own, but we are looking forward to the unscheduled time.
The first course delivered bowls of salad, hummus, baba gannoush, tabbouleh, raita, and of course warm pitas. To drink, there was a tart yogurt, a sweet apricot juice, or a flat Dr. Pepper-tasting concoction. This of course would have been enough for a meal. In the next course, skewered lamb, beef, and grilled chicken were served with french fries. To drink, fresh kiwi, strawberry, apple, and lemon mint juices were served. I could drink gallons of the lemonade. Lastly, dessert consisted of yummy, sticky, deep-fried, cheese and honey pastries along with a fruit platter and strong Arabic coffee or tea was served. Needless to say, I was still full this morning. (We still haven't found an exercise outlet either).
Today is the end of Ramadan and tomorrow is the start of Eid Al-Fitr. The goal is to read through the entire Quran during five daily calls to prayer (which sometimes come in the middle of the night (there is a mosque nearby that I have sometimes woken up to in the predawn hour). For the past month, Muslims have abstained from smoking, drinking, and eating from sunrise to sunset. Then, they then gorge themselves when the sun goes down but who among us can blame them? I am pretty sure I could not fast from food for twelve hours, let alone not drinking water and especially in this climate.
Breaking the fast is a time to get together with family and friends and whether it is at home or in public, the visiting goes on quite late. As a result, working hours are shortened, and shops and restaurants are often open until the wee hours of the morning.
We have the next five days off before faculty reconvenes on Sunday. We will undoubtedly be going in to school to work on our own, but we are looking forward to the unscheduled time.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Head in a jar
I am not sure whether it is jet lag or just going non-stop. We have been trying not to nap during the day, but end up only going to bed around midnight and getting up at 7 am. I am exhausted, but so is most everyone else. We have today and tomorrow at school, and then the Eid holiday, which we are desperately looking forward to.
The Avenues Mall was quite an experience. We arrived there at 7:30 pm and the stores were just opening, only to close around 2 am. The restaurants had been open since just after 6 when the sun set. There were men in white dishdashahs and white headdresses, women in black abayas, or otherwise extremely dressed up. The kids also were very dressed up. The mood was a festive one, reminiscent of Christmases back home, with sales and specials abounding. It was a very glitzy place with all of the shops in any upscale US mall. Our first stop was Carrefour, a French-based superstore with groceries, electronics, housewares, and clothing. We got a cell-phone and lots of little household goods. Then Maria (a good shopper who also lived in Namibia in 2000 as a VSO volunteer) and I raced over to Ikea since we were on a time limit. Russ stayed home and finished unpacking. We could have been in any IKEA in the world, although I noticed that the prices were quite a bit higher than in the US. I found some things that we needed and also a few decorations to make the apartment seem more homey. Ikea is so great for design ideas, but we did not even make it through the whole store before we had to get back on the bus (the school rented a flat bed truck to bring all of our purchases back.) One Kuwaiti dinar is about 3.6 US dollars, so it is not hard to blow $100 just at one store.
The traffic going back home at 11:00 pm was insane. Everyone was out and it seemed more like a parking lot than anything else. Apparently speeding is quite a problem here and there are many fender benders. I don't think we will be getting a car; the taxi's seem safe and are a reasonable way to get around.
The Avenues Mall was quite an experience. We arrived there at 7:30 pm and the stores were just opening, only to close around 2 am. The restaurants had been open since just after 6 when the sun set. There were men in white dishdashahs and white headdresses, women in black abayas, or otherwise extremely dressed up. The kids also were very dressed up. The mood was a festive one, reminiscent of Christmases back home, with sales and specials abounding. It was a very glitzy place with all of the shops in any upscale US mall. Our first stop was Carrefour, a French-based superstore with groceries, electronics, housewares, and clothing. We got a cell-phone and lots of little household goods. Then Maria (a good shopper who also lived in Namibia in 2000 as a VSO volunteer) and I raced over to Ikea since we were on a time limit. Russ stayed home and finished unpacking. We could have been in any IKEA in the world, although I noticed that the prices were quite a bit higher than in the US. I found some things that we needed and also a few decorations to make the apartment seem more homey. Ikea is so great for design ideas, but we did not even make it through the whole store before we had to get back on the bus (the school rented a flat bed truck to bring all of our purchases back.) One Kuwaiti dinar is about 3.6 US dollars, so it is not hard to blow $100 just at one store.
The traffic going back home at 11:00 pm was insane. Everyone was out and it seemed more like a parking lot than anything else. Apparently speeding is quite a problem here and there are many fender benders. I don't think we will be getting a car; the taxi's seem safe and are a reasonable way to get around.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Peace Corps dejavu
I am living the Peace Corps training from fifteen years ago all over again. Our entire day is super structured: the bus leaves the housing complex at 8:15 for the thirty minute drive to the school. I go down early to get a seat next to someone who I know is a nice person; Russ and I try to mix up the seating, so we are not always together. We are in sessions from 9:00 to 2:00 with a short lunch break and then we come home for a couple of hours before another outing. Last night, it was a progressive dinner of sorts at the building where the superintendent and principals live - it is on the Gulf Road right across from the water, and these apartments are gorgeous. There is a high standard of living here. Our housing complex is further inland, literally in the middle of new construction and sand dunes.
In terms of jet lag, most other people seem to be coping fine. A lot of them are in their twenties, again reminding me of Peace Corps, and can not only stay up late, but imbibe quite a lot. Yes, there was homebrew at the party last night. People are very creative in making their own spirits - date rum seems to be the drink of choice. Me, I am not even drinking enough water so am staying clear of the science experiments.
There are quite a few single people, and they have their own building, which feels strange to be segregated like that. Russ and I are in the "family" building which is why our apartment is so ginormous. It looks like a place for a family of eight or nine. Most of the teachers are from the US, followed closely by Canadians, who generally as a group, are some of the nicest people we've met. Many of them have taught in China and southeast Asia previously. It will be interesting to see how relationships develop once school starts.
Later today we are going to the largest mall in the country, The Avenues. Shopping is a huge activity and with Ramadan, the stores open up late, say from 5 pm to 2 am. There are supposedly lots of sales, similar to what we might find around Christmas. Ikea is there, as well as another well-stocked grocery store, two or three large electronics stores, dozens of boutique shops, and who knows what else.
Russ has been a big help in getting everything unpacked. We are moving things around, seeing what works, and are toying with the idea of painting the cream-colored walls that seems to be the color of everything in the country.
We are "working" through Monday and then have five days off for the Eid holiday. We will probably come in to school one of those days to get things set up. I can't possibly think of downloading and uploading photos until then. It's just been a whirlwind of activity.
In terms of jet lag, most other people seem to be coping fine. A lot of them are in their twenties, again reminding me of Peace Corps, and can not only stay up late, but imbibe quite a lot. Yes, there was homebrew at the party last night. People are very creative in making their own spirits - date rum seems to be the drink of choice. Me, I am not even drinking enough water so am staying clear of the science experiments.
There are quite a few single people, and they have their own building, which feels strange to be segregated like that. Russ and I are in the "family" building which is why our apartment is so ginormous. It looks like a place for a family of eight or nine. Most of the teachers are from the US, followed closely by Canadians, who generally as a group, are some of the nicest people we've met. Many of them have taught in China and southeast Asia previously. It will be interesting to see how relationships develop once school starts.
Later today we are going to the largest mall in the country, The Avenues. Shopping is a huge activity and with Ramadan, the stores open up late, say from 5 pm to 2 am. There are supposedly lots of sales, similar to what we might find around Christmas. Ikea is there, as well as another well-stocked grocery store, two or three large electronics stores, dozens of boutique shops, and who knows what else.
Russ has been a big help in getting everything unpacked. We are moving things around, seeing what works, and are toying with the idea of painting the cream-colored walls that seems to be the color of everything in the country.
We are "working" through Monday and then have five days off for the Eid holiday. We will probably come in to school one of those days to get things set up. I can't possibly think of downloading and uploading photos until then. It's just been a whirlwind of activity.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Not having to live on bread alone
Grocery shopping yesterday was an amazing experience, one that completely overwhelmed me but that I also can't stop thinking about. The new teachers went to the Lulu Hypermart, which is by far the best stocked store I have ever been, putting to rest the fear that we will starve in the desert. There was one aisle just for yogurt - Greek, Lebanese, Turkish, French, goat milk, to name a few. And there are non-fat options that are absolutely delicious. There were five aisles of imported and local produce, including organic. I found avocados, several types of lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, and peaches.
I could find just about anything I was looking for. Much of it is imported from outside the region, but specialties like olives, oil, nuts, and yogurt are local. There are lots of vegetarian options and foods from all over the world. We will be able to keep our heart healthy diet, while being constantly tempted with rich desserts. Some items were much cheaper than in the States - a whole pound of Lebonese olives was $1.50; a can of Coke was 25 cents, two Norwegian salmon fillets were $5.00. Other things, specifically American brands, were more expensive. Still others were priced exactly right.
A most pleasant surprise - the woman Russ replaced as physics teacher left us an entire apartment of furniture, appliances, and novelties. We got a television, microwave, carpets, and lamps. So last night, we did not get the chance to unpack our own boxes (all survived the TSA and the flights), but did get to move these wonderful gifts from the 13th floor in the singles building to the 14th floor of the families building which is where we live (its funny how it is segregated like that). Fortunately, there is an elevator and some other teachers pitched in to help us. It seemed like good karma, having left so many of our belongings in Botswana, and we are so thankful.
Tonight, a dinner at the admin apartments, but I will have to beg off a nap first!
I could find just about anything I was looking for. Much of it is imported from outside the region, but specialties like olives, oil, nuts, and yogurt are local. There are lots of vegetarian options and foods from all over the world. We will be able to keep our heart healthy diet, while being constantly tempted with rich desserts. Some items were much cheaper than in the States - a whole pound of Lebonese olives was $1.50; a can of Coke was 25 cents, two Norwegian salmon fillets were $5.00. Other things, specifically American brands, were more expensive. Still others were priced exactly right.
A most pleasant surprise - the woman Russ replaced as physics teacher left us an entire apartment of furniture, appliances, and novelties. We got a television, microwave, carpets, and lamps. So last night, we did not get the chance to unpack our own boxes (all survived the TSA and the flights), but did get to move these wonderful gifts from the 13th floor in the singles building to the 14th floor of the families building which is where we live (its funny how it is segregated like that). Fortunately, there is an elevator and some other teachers pitched in to help us. It seemed like good karma, having left so many of our belongings in Botswana, and we are so thankful.
Tonight, a dinner at the admin apartments, but I will have to beg off a nap first!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
40 at 12
Yes, it was forty degrees celsius when we exited the airport at midnight. That translates into the nineties fahrenheit. I like the heat, but this is a bit much. The windows of the bus we took were hot even though we were air-conditioned. True to what we were promised, everything is air-conditioned, and it is quite comfortable. (The air con at home always seemed too cold).
The airport was overwhelming sensual. Bright neon lights and glitzy boutiques were everywhere. There were several fast food and other dining options. It was crowded, partly because of people waiting to pick up travelers, partly though it seemed like the airport was a place to celebrate the end of the daily fast. As we drove across town, it was like being in Las Vegas - everything was bustling and open. I don't think it is like that all the time, but is absolutely surreal to step into.
We were dropped off at our apartment and our luggage was delivered shortly thereafter. Our new apartment is palatial. I am not kidding - the square footage is more than our home in Dalton. We are on the fourteenth floor, and it is quite pretty at night. In the morning, the view is nothing but sand dunes (not like in Namibia) and beige-colored buildings. There is a lot of construction going on. The apartment has high ceilings and large windows. We have three bathrooms, one bedroom, a laundry room, an open living/dining room setup, and about about four empty rooms that could be anything. THere is lots of closet space. The place has obviously been left vacant all summer - it is so dirty, and there is a fine layer of dust on every surface. We could smell the dust. Will be looking for a housekeeper soon.
The school is taking good care of us. We are at the school now after breakfast at one of the teacher's apartments. It is a broad orientation today, and we will go grocery shopping later on. I could sleep a lot more. We have two more days of school work, and then four days off to settle in during the Eid holiday before getting our classrooms and offices ready.
Very hung over with jet lag, but we are doing well. Glad to be here. Fun meeting other people. Hope to use the internet here again.
The airport was overwhelming sensual. Bright neon lights and glitzy boutiques were everywhere. There were several fast food and other dining options. It was crowded, partly because of people waiting to pick up travelers, partly though it seemed like the airport was a place to celebrate the end of the daily fast. As we drove across town, it was like being in Las Vegas - everything was bustling and open. I don't think it is like that all the time, but is absolutely surreal to step into.
We were dropped off at our apartment and our luggage was delivered shortly thereafter. Our new apartment is palatial. I am not kidding - the square footage is more than our home in Dalton. We are on the fourteenth floor, and it is quite pretty at night. In the morning, the view is nothing but sand dunes (not like in Namibia) and beige-colored buildings. There is a lot of construction going on. The apartment has high ceilings and large windows. We have three bathrooms, one bedroom, a laundry room, an open living/dining room setup, and about about four empty rooms that could be anything. THere is lots of closet space. The place has obviously been left vacant all summer - it is so dirty, and there is a fine layer of dust on every surface. We could smell the dust. Will be looking for a housekeeper soon.
The school is taking good care of us. We are at the school now after breakfast at one of the teacher's apartments. It is a broad orientation today, and we will go grocery shopping later on. I could sleep a lot more. We have two more days of school work, and then four days off to settle in during the Eid holiday before getting our classrooms and offices ready.
Very hung over with jet lag, but we are doing well. Glad to be here. Fun meeting other people. Hope to use the internet here again.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I heart Lufthansa
Oh, I love the Germans and was reminded how much I enjoy flying Lufthansa. There was a time when I frequently flew the Windhoek-Frankfurt-Los Angeles corridor and so was able to take advantage of airport lounges and business class upgrades. Going back to economy was not too difficult this time around as it was a relatively empty flight and Russ and I each had a row to ourselves. Here is what makes a difference - feather pillows with cotton cases, excellent food (we preordered special low-fat meal and were rewarded with salmon, julienned vegetables, and a leafy salad) and overall efficiency.
Walking onto one of their planes resembled entering the United Nations, causing one to wonder if Frankfurt was indeed the center of the universe. Once we arrived, the airport bustled with people seemingly dispersing to all corners of the earth. It still smelled the same as I remembered, like freshly baked bread but without the stale cigarettes (it is remarkably smoke-free until you step outside where travelers and employees alike are furtively lighting up).
We discovered one of the best ideas ever - if you have comfortable yet empty hotel rooms, why not rent them out for the day to bleary-eyed travelers for half the cost of an overnight room? We are currently at the Carat Hotel, a four-star establishment with a large fluffy bed, hot water, satellite television, and free internet. We managed to sleep four more hours, shower twice, and just relax before heading back to the terminal for the last segment of our trip. Brilliant and the best part of this twenty-six hour odyssey.
Of of the most startling moments came right at the beginning. As we were waiting in Hartford, the ground started to sway. I immediately thought it was an earthquake but logic prevailed "earthquakes don't happen here in New England." They may not, but the ripple effect did, as we learned of the 5.8 quake centered in Richmond, VA. So an earthquake and tornado warning within two days - what could possibly happen next?
Walking onto one of their planes resembled entering the United Nations, causing one to wonder if Frankfurt was indeed the center of the universe. Once we arrived, the airport bustled with people seemingly dispersing to all corners of the earth. It still smelled the same as I remembered, like freshly baked bread but without the stale cigarettes (it is remarkably smoke-free until you step outside where travelers and employees alike are furtively lighting up).
We discovered one of the best ideas ever - if you have comfortable yet empty hotel rooms, why not rent them out for the day to bleary-eyed travelers for half the cost of an overnight room? We are currently at the Carat Hotel, a four-star establishment with a large fluffy bed, hot water, satellite television, and free internet. We managed to sleep four more hours, shower twice, and just relax before heading back to the terminal for the last segment of our trip. Brilliant and the best part of this twenty-six hour odyssey.
Of of the most startling moments came right at the beginning. As we were waiting in Hartford, the ground started to sway. I immediately thought it was an earthquake but logic prevailed "earthquakes don't happen here in New England." They may not, but the ripple effect did, as we learned of the 5.8 quake centered in Richmond, VA. So an earthquake and tornado warning within two days - what could possibly happen next?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Butterflies abounding
I woke up this morning with a knot of excitement all bound up in my core. Actually, it's more a combination of anticipation, nervousness,and keeping a running list of the last little things to do all straight in my head.
It's been a whirlwind of medical appointments in the past two weeks, mostly to reassure ourselves. Russ really does have a clean bill of health with his heart. I can't wait until he does another lipid profile in December as I am convinced his numbers will be better with all of the changes he has made.
Our last week in the Berkshires has felt like fall. I haven't been in the pool for a couple of weeks, and the leaves are slowly starting to change. After a wicked fierce storm blew through Dalton last night, it was downright sweatshirt-weather this morning. Not for long though as low temperatures in Kuwait are still in the 90's.
Much to the dismay of our nieces and nephews, school starts in Berkshire County next week. On the other hand, we will have two weeks in Kuwait before the students arrive, which I think is a nice amount of time to settle in. Normally, I would be prepping now for the hectic fall schedule, but because I am still unsure of what their process is, I will wait until we get there. Then it will be like going zero to eighty in no time dealing with 140 college-bound seniors.
We jump from Bradley airport in Hartford tomorrow to clear skies at Dulles, before overnighting to Frankfurt. I am extremely happy to have found a hotel we will spend the day at before we fly to Kuwait in the late afternoon. We are told there will be school people to pick us and our eight pieces of luggage up and transport us to our new home. I love the sense of order and efficiency already.
It's been a whirlwind of medical appointments in the past two weeks, mostly to reassure ourselves. Russ really does have a clean bill of health with his heart. I can't wait until he does another lipid profile in December as I am convinced his numbers will be better with all of the changes he has made.
Our last week in the Berkshires has felt like fall. I haven't been in the pool for a couple of weeks, and the leaves are slowly starting to change. After a wicked fierce storm blew through Dalton last night, it was downright sweatshirt-weather this morning. Not for long though as low temperatures in Kuwait are still in the 90's.
Much to the dismay of our nieces and nephews, school starts in Berkshire County next week. On the other hand, we will have two weeks in Kuwait before the students arrive, which I think is a nice amount of time to settle in. Normally, I would be prepping now for the hectic fall schedule, but because I am still unsure of what their process is, I will wait until we get there. Then it will be like going zero to eighty in no time dealing with 140 college-bound seniors.
We jump from Bradley airport in Hartford tomorrow to clear skies at Dulles, before overnighting to Frankfurt. I am extremely happy to have found a hotel we will spend the day at before we fly to Kuwait in the late afternoon. We are told there will be school people to pick us and our eight pieces of luggage up and transport us to our new home. I love the sense of order and efficiency already.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The agony and ecstasy (both finished this week)
Thankfully, the agony part is over. We finally have passports in hand after a lengthy and expensive process. After waiting a month for the US State Department to return our authenticated police reports without response, I resent them to a courier in DC who walked them into the office and returned them to me within two days. Boy, that is the business to be in, with couriers theoretically making over $60 an hour per document to travel over to the office and wait in line in your stead. The next business day after I received the couried copies, the originals came from the State Department but who knew that would happen? Here's the really amazing part of the story though: the police reports along with our medical reports, more money and paperwork was sent to the Kuwait Embassy last Friday and our passports came back to us on Tuesday! With stories of the Embassy taking two to three weeks to process applications, I was expecting to get our visas the day before our flight. So from a paperwork perspective, we are cleared to go and the bane of my summer is now a thing of the past.
Another agony that we are seemingly done with is the pain Russ has dealt with for most of the summer. His situation appears to have healed and we are immensely grateful for that.
Other remarkable things that happened this week - our friend Al found us some super strong boxes to take as excess baggage. I can't underscore how valuable it is to find the right box. We moved in with Fred, Liz, and the kids for our last two weeks, and we are really enjoying their company. I am weary however of living out of a suitcase and look forward to settling in at our new apartment.
The most wonderful event of the week was the spa day that Russ gave me on Tuesday. I drove over to Northampton which is one of my favorite places in Western Massachusetts, and I rarely if ever need an excuse to go. For five hours, someone else took exclusive care of me, my face, feet, hands and hair. Utter bliss. I especially love the plum-colored nail polish. I should schedule it again for when we return in December. I brought over a smoothie concoction that I was quite pleased with - a peach, yogurt, soy milk, basil, and kale. I have been experimenting with different combinations including avocado, berries, and coconut. The basil is a nice touch.
I turn 43 on Sunday and, even given the strain of the past four months, still feel remarkably on the young side for which I am thankful. I think part of this is that I am trying to keep up with Russ' exercise routine. We are both probably in the best shape of recent history.
Another agony that we are seemingly done with is the pain Russ has dealt with for most of the summer. His situation appears to have healed and we are immensely grateful for that.
Other remarkable things that happened this week - our friend Al found us some super strong boxes to take as excess baggage. I can't underscore how valuable it is to find the right box. We moved in with Fred, Liz, and the kids for our last two weeks, and we are really enjoying their company. I am weary however of living out of a suitcase and look forward to settling in at our new apartment.
The most wonderful event of the week was the spa day that Russ gave me on Tuesday. I drove over to Northampton which is one of my favorite places in Western Massachusetts, and I rarely if ever need an excuse to go. For five hours, someone else took exclusive care of me, my face, feet, hands and hair. Utter bliss. I especially love the plum-colored nail polish. I should schedule it again for when we return in December. I brought over a smoothie concoction that I was quite pleased with - a peach, yogurt, soy milk, basil, and kale. I have been experimenting with different combinations including avocado, berries, and coconut. The basil is a nice touch.
I turn 43 on Sunday and, even given the strain of the past four months, still feel remarkably on the young side for which I am thankful. I think part of this is that I am trying to keep up with Russ' exercise routine. We are both probably in the best shape of recent history.
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