Choices

Kelly: Lately I've been thinking a lot about choices. We are all a product of our choices.
A co-worker and friend is trying to decide which of two great jobs to take (not a bad problem to have), but I can see how much she is struggling and weighing all of the ramifications that one choice would bring. Each choice that she had made in her life up to this point has enabled her to have the choices that she is facing presented to her. Free will/ the ability to choose is an amazing gift and responsibility.

Matt is facing a choice of jobs. One option is with his company (secure) but pending a contract award (unsecure). The second option is with a small business without a big reputation (unsecure) but the offer is on the table (secure). His ability to be in this position is due to the many choices he has made in his life.

For both my friend and for Matt, the weight of this decision feels enormous; however, six months to a year from now, this likely won't be seen as a "cruicial" decision, merely one of those decisions in the past allowing for another decision to be made in the present.

Bon chance!

A love affair...and my husband knows about it

Kelly: This weekend we took a roadtrip to France. We drove to Lyon, which was actually quite charming. Lyon is a restaurant mecca. We enjoyed tasty food at one of the many cafes. We dined on the cobblestoned street, watching the business people and tourists mix as they shopped for a restaurant. We stayed in a woman's flat on the fifth floor....good thing I've converted to an ultra-light packer! We rose early the next morning, and it took both of us to figure out how to use the Nescafe coffee maker. After a quick espresso, we headed south. Unfortunately, we weren't going to make it to the Arles Saturday market by closing time, so instead we stopped in Avingon (not impressed) and then on to Aix-on-Provence (impressed). Aix (as the locals refer to it) is a charming cosmopolitan town replete with art and money...how could that be a bad thing? We then made our way to our home base for the night...Arles. We had gathered picnic fare in Aix and after checking in to our tiny but modern room, we picnicked by a Roman arena. Crazy. Then we strolled the streets for a gelato shop, stumbled across a local music fest complete with sod (in the middle of the city), and then made our way home...tipsy on wine and exhausted from a day on the road. Arles was an interesting mix of working class meets cutey shops meets tons of history. It falls into the category of "nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there" which falls in sharp contrast to our destination the next morning...Cassis, which fills the category "nice place to visit, don't want to leave, and how can I possibly live here?" It was a clean as a whistle glamorous fishing village nestled between some amazing glacier-formed cliffs. The Mediterrnaean was amazing...blue/green/clear all at the same time. I'm not a big beachy person, but I loved this beach. Cool breezes, no tourists plastered to cigarette butt covered sand...just white sand and small pebbles in a rugged but calm setting. Did I say I liked this place yet? Alas, we had more to see. We decided to forego the 2+ hour ride to Nice given that we really wouldn't have time to explore it well and still return home. So, we had to "settle" for wine-tasting in Provence. Bummer (dripping in sarcasm). We ended up in Gigondas...a delightful spec of a town with cute cafes and charming flower-box laden homes stacked on the hillside. We were disappointed to learn that the recommended cafe was closed for a party and the other alternatives had only daily menus that contained glutenous fare. But, all was not lost, as we left with two amazing bottles of wine (one of which is from Chateau du Montmirail and has caused me to believe there truly is a difference between 2 euro Aldi wine and this amazing grape blend). So, onward we venture, Samantha (our GPS) sent us the "short" way to the highway...one way streets, cow paths, and...lavendar fields...not quite in bloom (I will return one day to see that). After Sam finally led us to the highway, we stopped at a rest stop for lunch. You might be thinking "ugh...gross"...not so in France. I had a beautiful salad with local basil-infused olive oil. Matt had a chef's salad with the best smoked bacon he had ever tasted....at least the hefty tolls we were paying to drive on the roads were funding amazing food. As we neared Germany, the temperature dropped and the clouds rolled in...too predictable. The at-times torrential rainfall gave way to the most beautiful full rainbow we had ever seen. We returned tired and happy...eager to live in Europe but not Germany!

Last Weekend's Rhine Cruise

Kelly: Glorious weather! This weekend we took part in a Rhine River Cruise as part of resiliency building activity. Matt and I aren’t big fans of the organized group tours; however, this one was enjoyable. Our down-home, Southern-accented, perky tour guide managed to keep everyone happy while pointing out sights from the rock where the legend of Lora lye began to noting passing Ferraris. We visited a castle perched high above the Rhine. Our tour boat was late, but the ride was lovely and very sunny. We were late arriving at the restaurant (3:00 PM) where Matt ate Schnitzel for the first, and possibly last, time. My vegetarian meal was veggie schnitzel but it was covered in bread crumbs, so instead, I ate a delightful salad. We were starving by that time, so we would’ve eaten anything! Then we went to a wine tasting. The jovial alcoholic directing our group of 40+ was definitely entertaining, and the wine was decent, too. We stopped for a quick shopping adventure in lovely Rudesheim before returning home. All in all, a great day.
I was on call Sunday, and I really should have learned my lesson by now. I received a call the night before stating that I had to be there at 1:00. I called just prior to my departure and the flight time had been moved, but I hadn’t been notified. So, I did some chores around the house. We were in Madrid last weekend, and then I rolled right into a super busy week, so I was glad to have a little downtime. I’m feeling rather frazzled because I haven’t attended to the little things that just seem to be adding up. I ended up staying at work until 8:00ish, watered a co-workers plants, and then returned home just in time to get ready for the week. Still frazzled. Despite that, I truly enjoy having houseguests; however, I do feel sad when I think that after 7 months in Europe, our first houseguest was Matt’s intern who I’ve only met once.
Still frazzled, I resolved to accomplish some major organizational tasks. So, last night I cleaned my closets but only found three pairs of shoes with which to part. Nevertheless, I feel inner calm knowing that my T-shirts are folded. Yes, mom, I had to tackle the closet organization without you. This is usually a task for which I have zero patience and that is when I call in SuperMom to the rescue. While folding my shirts with Gap clerk-like precision, I received a call from the hospital stating that a flight was arriving at 4:12, and that I should arrive at 4:45...audible groan. So, I hopped in bed by 9:00, despite it still being very light. Matt drove me to the hospital at 4:30. After waiting for the patients and waiting for the patients and more waiting, I received a call at 0630 stating that they were just going to eat breakfast and would arrive by 0730, when the other clinic staff take over....seriously?

Oh well. Lesson learned.

Madrid Standard Time

Kelly: We arrived back from Madrid at about 1:oo AM this morning. It would've been worse if we hadn't experienced Madrid Standard Time (MST). MST meant leaving for drinks at 9:00 PM, finding a restaurant maybe by 10-10:30...putting food in my mouth by 11:30, 12:00 and returning to our hotel by 1:00AM. So, you can see why this morning's early arrival wasn't too unsettling. What is more unsettling is that it it now 10:18, and I am not sleepy, despite the fact that I have to work tomorrow and have to sound perky for a radio interview.

Madrid was interesting. It was great to see friends from home. It made me miss being able to see them without three months of coordination and a hit to my bank account. It also made me appreciate being able to hop on a plane in the afternoon and be in Madrid by evening. Madrid was messy. Graffiti, trash, dirt, no sense of order (i.e., waiting in lines was futile). The people were not that friendly. In Germany, there isn't much customer service. Germans don't go out of their way to smile or be polite or make smalltalk. My experience of customer service in Madrid was that they went out of their way to be rude....eye rolls when we struggled with the language, ignoring us when we tried to ask for reservations, etc. The food (excepting the Sangria) was underwhelming which could explain why Matt and I both ate a house tonight.

Okay, time for bed. This girl won't have a chance for siesta tomorrow!

Madrid...Really

Kelly: Matt and I are going to Madrid Friday. We are meeting our friends there for a fun-filled weekend. For some reason, it doesn't seem real. Maybe we are getting used to traveling or maybe this week has been a chaotic mess. OR maybe it is because I haven't packed anything and know nothing about Spain or Madrid in particular. Oh well. We are both ready for a break. Matt's job prospects have been questionable at best, but he just found out that his old organization or unit or whatever they call it has been dissolved into nothing, and it appears that he wouldn't have a job when he went back. As it stands now, he's not sure how much longer he will have the little bit of work that he currently has. So, I guess all of the stress related to that is the reason for needing a break! Neither of us has been sleeping much, either. Everything has seemed difficult this week...even the little things. I feel like staying in bed all day...when has that ever happened?

We did have an intersting experience today....I wanted to buy Matt a watch for his birthday, and I wanted to get him a European-made watch (when in Rome...). So, we went to our local (2 seconds down the street) watch shop (yes, they really do exist), and he picked out the one that he liked. The couple who owns the shop started chatting with us. The husband in particular was so so friendly. It really made me feel happy to be a temporary resident of his country. Interesting how my views on living in Europe seem to change with the breeze (a cold breeze...the weather has been unforgiving).

Moday Blahs

Kelly: Ugh. Today was a struggle. I think I got up on the wrong side of the bed. The little things were difficult. The difficult things were more difficult, and I have no motivation to prepare myself for tomorrow. Ugh. The rain and cold weather didn't help. I thought that spring was here. I was singing the praises of bikerides, beanbags, and outdoor eating. Now it is back to sweaters, umbrellas, and a hot beverage glued to my hand. I'm trying to find the good in this, and I think that perhaps I needed a reminder of the contrast...I realize how good the good is when I've dipped a toe back into the blah.

A Wash

Kelly: This weekend was a bit of a wash, metaphorically and physically. I was supposed to be in Garmisch for training this weekend, with a side trip to Munich on the way home with Matt. The training was cancelled for a myriad of questionable reasons, so we were left with a free weekend. We decided to Volksmarch on Saturday in France, because everything in Germany was closed due to the May 1st holiday. So, we packed our backpack and headed west. The skies grew darker and darker, but we pressed on, knowing that the German weather is as fickle and changeable as a moody sister (not that mine are moody :)) When the rain was coming down so hard that we could no longer see the road, we knew that there would be no Volksmarching for us. So, we listened to a series of British-accented "Recalculating...recalculating" as our GPS set a course for Cora...a French department store with a knock-your-socks-off selection of cheese, great bread, and hard cider. We arrived at 11:00 to find a completely empty parking lot. Apparently, Germany isn't the only country who celebrates May 1 by closing down all shopping centers. Frustrated and caffeine-less, we returned home. Mialley barely opened her eyes as we trudged through the door and unpacked. We spent the day completing chores and looking at real estate...the latter more fun than the former. A friend had suggested the movie "Date Night." Matt and I hadn't been to a movie since we lived in the states, so we thought we'd try seeing a movie in the German theaters. The theater, which was less than 10 minutes from our house, was modern and clean, and served alcohol (of course). The movie was cute...a cross between Mr. and Mrs. Smith and American Pie. I finished the second book my Jeanette Wells...staying up way too late.

We went to the commissary early today to avoid the lines and hoards of screaming children. We left just as the masses began to flock in. As we were leaving, we spotted a Starbuck's to-go cup...Matt was convinced it was a mirage. We set out to investigate and stumbled on a coffee shop on base that was open on Sunday and sold Starbuck's to-go coffee. My hubby was a happy camper, which might have been why he volunteered to cook brunch :) Soon after, we left for our local pre-Volksmarch walk. The club leaders of the Ramstein Roadrunners (our local Volksmarching club) take this really seriously. They returned to Europe for the sole purpose of running this club! We ventured out with about a dozen others on the 6K trail to ensure that the markings were sufficient for next weekend's big event. The rains let up just as we left for the walk. We were surprised to see the inter-connecting trails in our own neighborhood! I can't wait to try them at our own (slightly faster) pace. I love being more active as the weather has improved. We returned home and made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies as the rain fell in quater-sized drops.

This week is going to be a busy one! Work picked up a lot last week, and I have articles to write and notes to finish. I have to give an evening training Tuesday. Matt will get our volunteer assignments at the Roadrunners club meeting Tuesday. Matt is going to help a friend assemble furniture one night this week. I have a TDY to a local base about one hour away on Friday...and hopefully some walks and bike rides in between!