Things that look down and things that look up...

One word: stomach flu. Ok, so that's two words but still. ; ) 'Tis the season apparently. Luckily I don't have it, yet, but people in and around the office has it so cross all fingers and hope for the best. On my way home from work yesterday I bought a huge bottle of Coca Cola, just in case. I don't know if it's true that Coca Cola works or not but at least it makes me feel prepared, just in case. I hate stomach flu, passionately. It's by far the worst non-lethal thing you can catch.´

For the first time in years I'm actually excited about this year's book sales. We have one every year around the end of february and I used to go early in the morning when I was younger. Once I even went at midnight just to see what it was like (early is one word for it). The last couple of years I haven't been all that excited thought but for some reason I feel good about books this year. It might be that I managed to finish two (Stardust and The Interpretation of Murder) when I was in Spain for Christmas. I haven't really felt good about books in a couple of years either so that could be it. I'm already making a list of what to look out for, just in case. I'm just hoping that my expectations won't be deflated once the sales catalogues arrive. Ah well, for now I'll just be excited and enjoy that. 'Tis the little things...

Back after the holidays!

Months and months have passed and no posting. Now I'm back though and although I know better than to make promises I can't keep my intention is to post more regularly now.

Anywho, holidays were great. I spent 4 weeks with mother dearest on the Canary Islands. Very unlikely for me, I know, but I have to say I didn't really miss being home for Christmas. It's not like there was any snow at home either. In the town where I work there were 22 minutes of sun in December... Is that even possible?! So it should come as no surprise that it's been grey, grey, grey since I got back. Wonderful and uplifting. Really.

I've had a lot of time to think over these last 4 weeks, both about work and about other things. I've focused on 'other things' though. Like for example why so few Spanish people speak English. Seriously, goat farmers in Mongolia know more English than a person working in a shop in the Canary Islands (or the airport in Madrid for that matter). They can be snotty and damn right mean but they don't know I word in English. The girl at McDonald's in the Barajas airport in Madrid didn't know what 'take away' meant... Hello, you're working in M-C-D-O-N-A-L-D-'-S! Take away is your middle name for crying out loud! So, for me it was 4 weeks of trying to figure out what people were saying and answer as best I could (which is an achievement seeing as I have never taken a class in Spanish). I got the overall picture most of the time but if someone asked me for something specific (like a pen) I was lost. I picked up quite a number of cursewords and slang though. Always good to know.

After my vacation I can also say that I officially suffer from vertigo. I should get a t-shirt saying so. Mum and I took several trips up in the mountains but there was one trip, to end all other trips one might say, which really made me sure I would die. We took a bus (they use huge buses for tiny roads) and sat in the front seat to get a good view. Only thing was the view made me pale as a sheet and mum giggle hysterically, trying not to gasp everytime we rounded a hairpin corner in the teeny, tiny road. I've never been so scared in my life, I'll admit to that.

Being back at work is both ok and not. I guess I really have to figure out whether the current situation is worth the energy it takes or if there is more to life than this. It's weird because things could be amazing but instead I'm still caught in this situation where I'm not able to concentrate on that which I'm supposed (read hired) to do because I have to cover other seats as well. It's pretty tiring in the long run. February will most likely be horrible to say the least and March will not come far behind. On the other hand plans for May are looking up although nothing's really settled yet. And then it's June...

Everyday mysteries

Ok, so it's been ages since I last found enough energy to post on this blog. Explanation? Too much work. As simple as that. Not that things have changed to the better or anything but this morning I took time. New motto: take time! ; )

The busride to work is always a good place for thinking. Most of the time you think about work, what to do after work, what to eat for dinner, what's on tv etc etc but every now and then something happens that breaks the pattern and makes you think about something else. This morning was one of those times. I wish the topic of thought had been something amazing but instead I landed on 'why do grown men giggle in falsetto?' . Let's face it, it's not exactly manly manish, is it? Handsome men who look like they just walked off a Hugo Boss billboard and then they open their mouths to laugh and... *cringe* Anywho, maybe that's what makes life bareble for the rest of us? : )

The rest of my life smells like paint right now. After 1,5 years my landlord finally decided it was time to repaint my kitchen, bathroom and walk in closet (aka the storage room). Of course they made this decision at the worst possible time for me but hey, my flat will be nice for Christmas. So two days in a row the painter has been around, doing his business, and I've come home to a place smelling like a big can of paint. Nice, fresh but smelly. It really did turn out very nicely. And I got a new lightswitch in the kitchen cause the old one broke (*gasp* they only last 40-odd years?!?) and they put in lightbulbs that are energyfriendly so *clap* *clap* for landlord. Now if they could only fix it so that the windows keep the cold winds outside of the flat, that would be great. Well, I'll probably have to wait till Christmas next year for that. Can't be too picky...

Weekend? Not where I'm standing

Normally Fridays mean woho-the-weekend-is-around-the-corner-and-oh-how-much-sleeping-I-will-do. Not for me though. Not this weekend. I'm looking forward to a day at the office tomorrow. Lovely. I stayed untlil 18.30 last night and I'm staying a while today. Then I'm going back tomorrow. Lovely. Really. Can't wait.

They're baaack....

The bus stop this morning was like something out of a scary movie and if that's what it's going to be all year I'll have to seriously rethink how I get to and from work. There have always been quite a number of high school kids waiting there but this morning was an all-time high. Then, to top it all off, the bus company has started a line that runs 5 minutes after 'mine' does. It has the same number but not the same route or destination. Total confusion! People were running between busses at just about every stop. Great planning. One man switched 4 times. Seriously, do you know where you work? I think he ended up at the wrong bus in the end. Fun fact is that all summer the bus company have used their nice busses, clean, with seatbelts, not that the kids are back we're back to old, seatbelt-free busses. I wonder what parents would think about that?

Work is oh so hectic right now. Everything needs to be done for the start of the semester and we're balancing on a fine line between chaos and kind of ok. I get all sorts of questions really and it's kind of difficult to keep calm in all situations. I am a pretty patient person but sometimes it's just a tad too much. It feels like I've got my head above water although there are those who seem to want me under it. Seriously, if I wasn't ok I would say something. Stop assuming that I'm this overambitious angstcase who will fall down any second. Not the case. Just cause I like what I do doesn't mean that I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The only thing I'll own up to is being bored. Cause I am. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, happens here.

I got my new dvds yesterday. I had to watch 'New York Waiting' straight away and it was a good film. Very indie-feelish but in a good way. The music was amazingly good. So, now I'll have Ice Age 1 and 2 plus Bridget Jones (#1) to look forward to for the weekend.

By the way, a man was stabbed to death just a couple of hundred metres from my building the other day. I've lived in Brussels and in Manchester and things happen her, in this tiny place. Unbelievable. Does this mean I'll have to rethink my livingarrangements?

I love myspace!!

One of the main benefits of being back at the office is the opportunity to listen to music on myspace while your working. Could it get any better? Therefore I've decided to start a myspace music-sidebar. Easy access to my favourite bands.

I'm doing my best to get my head around my new office and girl it up a bit. Organizing the office makes me realize what a box and folder-freak I am. My predecessor apparently had this thing for rubberbands, my pet thing is plastic folders. We all have our perks. My main annoyance right now is the cord to the phone. No matter where I put the phone the cord is in the way. Wow, life really is tough. Ain't it.

The downsides of having huge windows

My summer vacation is over and I am back at the office. I'm not too happy about it, I would have needed about 4 more weeks to really get into the kind of mode I was last year when I came back to work. But I guess that's just part of life as an adult. First signs of aging as a 30-something perhaps? (And I've just realised I have huuuuuge windows overlooking the campus. Everyone can see me and I can see everyone. Great.)

The summer has been good. I've spent all of it cooped up in our summer house by the ocean. The first two weeks were a blur for so many reasons but the last two were good. I haven't gotten nearly as much done as I would have wanted but then again, that's ok. My new motto: it's ok. Unfortunately we have to redo the roofing between the two parts of the house but I think the new version will be better and more lasting than the old *holding fingers crossed*. Hopefully it won't cost a truckload of money either. Yeah, cause that's likely when there are screws and wood involved... It's an investment is what I keep telling myself. I am a bit sad I didn't get so much done in the garden cause it needed some work but that's for next year. I did get my mother into the ocean on numerous occasions though which should earn me a medal of some sort. The water wasn't as warm as it has been the last two years but it was more than ok. Let's just say it was difficult to go back here after the vacation was done. When I got off the train I wasn't really sure I'd gotten off at the right stop. I don't know, this just isn't like home. : )

Being back at the office isn't all bad. No one's really around at the moment which is great cause I like the quiet but then again the students are busy e-mailing and calling like crazy. There is so much to be done I'm not really sure where to start.

So, the last and final Harry Potter book has been released and, obviously, I've read it. Not sure what I think. Parts were great, other parts I'm not so sure about, but all in all, it's done. I've also seen the new movie. Can't help thinking they should have signed Alfonso Cuarón (HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban) up for the entire series. His movie was the best so far. I have to get the new one on DVD and see what I think then.

Other than that, saw the Narnia-movie (quite ok actually if you get past the whole Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan-part. Whatever that Lucy-girl is on she should bottle it cause I could use with a teaspoon of that energy), bought Shadowlands (very good, bawled like usual. It really is the new Out of Africa for me. The end kills me every time. Cause I'm a girl is what I am.), and bought series one of the West Wing (aw, the good old days). I've listened to a remarkably small amount of music which is totally uncommon for me. Then again I've hung out with a remarkably small amount of people which is quite uncommon for me as well. Just didn't have the energy. Didn't even watch a lot of TV and that is uncommon for me. Watched the usual Foyle's war, Midsomer Murders, Ms Marple, Veronica Mars (would she quit tormenting Logan already!!) and the occasional movie (Chicago was better than I expected).

So, beginning of term, new job, possible changes to existing job perhaps (?), new people, erm, hm... Well, no matter what I think of it you can't really stop time now can you? ; )