Hey, I’m bite-free!
I know you were just sitting on the edge of your chair, hitting refresh every 10 seconds, waiting to hear if I was okay. Rest easy, okay? I’m fine.
The job is good. It’s a new experience, and so somethings are still weird, but overall, it’s good. I’ve got another interview for a second job scheduled for Monday - it’s one I’d really like, so send the good mojo my way Monday afternoon between 4 and 5 central time. More details on that when I know more myself, as I’d hate to jinx it!
Oh, okay, so I’m running again. (Wooooo!!!!!) My times are fairly slow, and it frustrates me mostly because they’re a bit slower than they were last summer before I left for Taiwan. Of course, back then I did the Couch to 5k before I started in with Hal Higdon’s Spring Training, and this time I just jumped in with the spring training, but still. I want my old times back now, please. But, of course, my legs have other thoughts - not getting injured, perhaps - and insist on going a bit slower. I know it’ll get better, and as it warms up, I’ll be able to start running in the mornings before work (and before eating!), which I vastly prefer to running in the afternoon or evening. In the past, afternoon runs always seemed slower, as if the day’s work (or was it the day’s food?) was slowing me down. It’s okay though. I’ll keep going, and I’ll improve, and I’ll be healthier and happier for it, right? Plus, I’ve got myself a few long-distance training partners to keep me on my toes, pushing me to greater and greater distances. Tomorrow may only be 3 miles, but this fall? Marathon, baby.
Oh, yeah. It’s on.
Uumph. Last day of teaching - you’d think I’d be jumping for joy. Instead, I’m tired down to my bones, and plan to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Things I Can Do In The US That I Can’t Do In Taiwan:
- Read nutrition labels and get back to eating better using foods I know and love. Mmm….
I woke up this morning with a pounding headache, my sinuses all crammed with congestion. Teaching one class was exhausting, and so I came home afterwards and took a nap before Seth and I headed south for Caleb’s birthday party. We had dinner with everyone, said a few goodbyes (real goodbyes, not just “See you later”), and then got on the train to come back home. We’ve got plans tomorrow to help another friend finish packing up her apartment - she’s leaving a few days before we are. It’s been a pretty uneventful day, but each day’s passing means we’re that much closer to coming home. I’m really excited - this is so clearly the right decision for us. Someone at dinner - I forget who it was - even noticed and commented on how happy I looked.
It’s strange. By all rights, I should be completely freaking out, since we’re not packed, I don’t have a job lined up, we still don’t have tickets in hand, and we leave in just over a week. Make no mistake - there is some freaking out. But the worry is outweighed by the relief and anticipation of going home. Seth and I hadn’t realized, and never would have guessed, just how much we’d miss boring old Kansas. I guess I should have paid more attention all those time I watched The Wizard of Oz - Dorothy’s joy to be home after her Technicolor adventure is a pretty good approximation of how I feel.
Things I Can Do In The US That I Can’t Do In Taiwan:
- Buy some new bras. I’ve been making do with ill-fitting ones for a while, and I’m excited to be able to fo into a store and know they’ll carry my size, and not just the teeny-tiny, padded, frou-frou confections they carry in the multitudes of lingerie stores here.
Well, crap on a stick and call it a corndog! The sun came out today! We didn’t get to enjoy it much, since we had to go to work, but the rain-free ride there and back was a pleasant change.
It looks like we’ve found a buyer for almost everything we weren’t planning to pack, which is nice. It’s a good deal on both sides, as she’s getting lots for a song and we don’t have to worry about what to do with all of our stuff.
In other non-news, I feel like I’m coming down with something, and am actively considering going to sleep now, well before 10pm. After all, we’ve got plans to play tourist again tomorrow, so I’d hate to be a big grey cloud (with a drippy nose and gurgly tummy) hanging over our day.
* I miscounted yesterday. We leave on March 3rd!
Well.
What the heck happened to me? I go and tell you we’ve got big news coming, then let Seth tell you all about it while I forget to blog for two days running. Uh…that wasn’t my plan.
Anyway, as Seth said, we’re headed back home in the very near future. Lots of things factored into the decision, but really, when it comes down to it, we aren’t happy here, and that was affecting our health and our general outlook. Not cool!
Now that we’ve given notice, we’ve got one-and-a-half weeks of work left, and then 5 more days after that before we get on the plane. It’s a little crazy, and I look around our apartment and wonder how the heck we’re going to get it all taken care of. We’ll leave plenty of things here, of course - I’m not planning to lug home the toaster oven or anything. Still, it’s going to be whirlwind, but we’re excited. Seth has a pretty firm job offer already, and I’m probably going to concentrate on renewing my teaching certification, looking for a teaching job for 08/09, and finishing up my languishing master’s degree. There’s going to be so much to take care of, from finding a car to getting real winter clothes, but I’m really, really looking forward to being home.
T minus 19 days and counting!
Lisbeth promised big news, and she’s letting me deliver it.
We’ve purchased tickets to the US and given notice at our job. After much flip-flopping, wishy-washiness, mind changing, and whatever else you may call it, we’ve made a final decision to come home. See you soon!
Mum’s the word for now, but I’ll have details for you very soon, I promise.
Stay tuned!
This is all I’ve got tonight, folks:
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Despite a much better work schedule, I’m still beat tonight. I need to sleep or my throat will never forgive me.
So, my throat hurts (on both sides now - yippee!), and I think maybe I’m getting still sick. Oh, right. This is the status quo. How could I have forgotten?
Stupid insane work schedule. Stupid rain all the ding dang time. Stupid air pollution.
I got to play my favorite game in class today. It’s a dumb one, really, but the students always enjoy it, and it’s easy.
It’s pictionary with language patterns in the questioning - you draw part of something (two time, since we’re learning Are they nouns? Yes (No), they are (not) nouns.) and they ask “Are they blah blah blah?” Nod or shake, and the whole class answers. Then you let then kids take turns drawing. Woo! So not-innovative! So easy to stand to the side and not have to think much! And yet, the class was pretty clearly enjoying themselves. Of course, they were having so much fun they forgot they were in English class, and the Chinese slipped in, but then again, it’s a very small class that I don’t teach regularly (actually, no NST is regularly scheduled for their class), and I think their usual teacher lets them get away with more than she probably should. Little buggers. The four who slipped up got double spelling words - 10x each instead of 5x. That’s usually a pretty harsh gig, but today they only had one stinking word - no. Not such an awful fate today, huh?
blah blah blah hacking cough blah blah blah working too many hours blah blah blah watching Battlestar Galactica blah blah blah you’ve read it all before
Actual content tomorow? Maybe.