Friday, February 23, 2018

A Leisurely Week

Our 7th week here (I'm beginning to lose count) was markedly different than the previous 6. We are continuing to make progress on settling in - trying to get some Amazon orders, throwing out trash left by the previous tenant, getting rid of the last of the piles of stuff, etc. But- the biggest difference was that the Kiddo started daycare full-time this week, meaning that I suddenly had the whole day to myself.

a quiet house for the first time in a while

Daycare
So firstly - let's talk about the new daycare. We picked it because it's just around the corner from the house, making it super easy for drop-offs and pick ups - so much better than my old hour-long commute on the metro with him. There are a few things we're not thrilled about already - he seems to have ice cream after lunch most days, and they feed him a full meal called "tea" around 4pm, so he's not hungry for dinner most nights. They also keep him on a shorter nap than he's used to, so he's been just exhausted every night. There are a few things that are much better than the old school though. They have a different activity every day of the week, yoga, music, dance, sports - and one day is devoted to getting covered up in rain pants and boots and playing in the mud (it really rains a lot here).  I think it's pretty awesome - he's still deciding. He seems a little tenuous about the whole thing and is still asking about his old school, but it sounds like he already has a couple friends there - so he'll be fine soon. 

heading off to his first day at the new school

Cooking
One of my new year's resolutions was to spend more time back in the kitchen after not cooking basically all of last year due to the commute. I'm really trying to make an effort at dinner each night, so I've been working through a couple new cookbooks. I realized that I never learned a lot of techniques, and tended to just make the same few dishes over and over - so I'm trying hard to pick up new things. We've had some misfires - like an entire roast that was horribly undercooked for Valentines and got thrown away - but I think I'm making progress.

this was a stuffed pork loin with pomegranates

a roast beef with polenta, squash, and cauliflower that took me 4 hours. 

Hobbies
With all this free time, I've started picking up some old hobbies again. I've been poking around at the kiddo's ukulele - I have a couple cords now and can play Twinkle Twinkle. I'm thinking about learning my guitar or renting a cello again maybe (I last tried the cello in 2005). Also toying with the idea of joining a pottery class again - another thing I haven't done since he was born.

The Gym
Similarly - I joined an expensive gym that I can only justify if I go every day - so I went every day. Everything's hurting right now - so that must be a good sign.  My favorite part is pool because it justifies the hot tub.

everyone needs some exercise around here. 

Work
I'll just mention briefly that I am actually employed, even though I know it doesn't sound that way. My old job kept me on board through mid February, and just asked to extend me through the end of March. It's awkward in a lot of ways because of the time change - but also working out nicely this week. I have all morning to myself. Then when they start waking up in my afternoon, I answer a few emails and take a few calls, but nothing's too intense. It's been just enough to feel worthwhile without a lot of stress. That's all changing soon when things will get really busy, but at least this week was kind of perfect. 

British Literature Project
So last weekend on the Bath/Stonehenge trip - our tour guide made a number of references to classic British literature - we drove by Jane Austen's dad's grave, and a pub where I think Dickens maybe ate once - huge landmarks - which made me appreciate the importance of British literature and its connection to the country - so I started a new goal to read up on the classics. I either didn't read these in school, or just forgot them all. The BBC has a list of the top 200 - so I bought a few off of the list and started a new literature shelf in the living room.

my new British literature and travel sections

My first pick was The Remains of the Day - which wasn't at all what I was expecting but was pretty perfect for this week.  It's a story about a butler who has given his life to the service of a great Lord, and basically let his own life pass by.  As he takes essentially his first vacation, driving across the country, he's thinking back about his career, and beginning to question if the Lord was really that great at all, and whether the whole thing was in fact worth it. I'm looking forward to watching the movie to see how this story could be made into a movie at all. It's really gotten me thinking about work-life balance. Clearly this week was overly leisurely, and I'm thinking my old job was too far to the other side. Not sure what the right balance is or how to get it - but I'm hoping to even it out whenever I get a new job.

feeling good after a much-needed haircut

This week was actually rather busy - but for the first time in a while, my schedule was all my own. Being able to choose how to spend my time is awesome, and has given me back a little of my zen - feeling a bit like my old self.  I know this whole post sounds pretty selfish - but I guess that's the point. I would like to remember in the future when work gets busy again or whatever - the importance of taking time for myself. I know our Vienna contingent has been making this point for a while - but I feel like I just finally understand. Now we just need to figure out the babysitter situation and plan a date night.

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