Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Lots of New

Today, I said goodbye to one of my jobs. For the last year-and-a-half I've been working for a lady's gym wearing many hats including file clerk, custodian, counselor, technology specialist, and oh yeah, coach. I loved my time there, but with students coming in left and right, I didn't have any more time to give, let alone to have for myself. So I had to say goodbye. It's bittersweet.
Yesterday was my Mama's birthday and today I took her for a lovely and luxurious high tea as her present. We spent about 3 hours there between teatime with lunch and the shop below. It was wonderful. I also gave her a double-thick extra scrubby dishcloth since all of hers are so well used that they're falling apart! I had started working on a tea cozy for her, but realized I made it too short. I forgot that most of her teapots are medium-large-quite large, and the tea cozy I started was small-medium. But she'll get a good one from me in a few weeks. =)
I have to confess that I am absolutely dying to see "The Lady In Black" or "The Woman In Black", I can't remember which it is, but the one with Harry Potter that looks super scary and that I'll probably regret seeing because it'll give me nightmares. I realized that I am much more adventurous with scary movies when I have someone to keep me company at night. I came to know this when Friend L started making me stay overnight with her so we could watch scary movies, something I've never been into in the past. But with someone else there (and not the creepy I'm-totally-alone noises that always happen after such movies) I feel protected. I also know this because I share everything with Husband, including sleep time. I feel invincible to the scary movies. Even though they still scare me. =)
I get the feeling that I'm on the edge of something really life changing again. Everything is going so well and falling into place, it's a little frightening. Like I'm expecting something to fall apart because nothing could be THIS great. But honestly, so much has happened in the last 4-ish months that I don't know if I can take much more, but it's exciting! There are so many new things happening in my life, and with Husband. And can I just take a moment to say how awesome Husband is? What an amazing support plank I've got. I honestly feel that I can do ANYTHING I want, even something crazy and out there and he'd be like, "Yeah, if that's your dream, we can go for it." I was talking with Mama today at tea/lunch and she said, "Y'know, Husband really... GETS you." And it's so true.
I've been getting more ambitious with my tea experience. I used to pretty much stick to the British black types that go well with a little splash of milk and "one lump or two?", but I'm branching into the herbals and greens and flowery ones and finding them delightful. I am also learning how deeply important steeping time is. Until I started taking the tea (or tea bags) out after a certain amount of steep time, I didn't realize I was over-steeping and the tea was getting bitter. Now that I've learned, I get a whole pot full of tea that tastes fresh cup after cup! =)
Reading "Memoirs of a Geisha", going with the whole international-tea-outlook, and it's a phenomenal book. So well written, beautifully descriptive, and a truly unique story. I admit, I first got it because I really loved the movie they made based on it (which was also well done), but the book stands alone. It's a good read.
Hopefully I'll be able to write a little more since my time will be one less split, and I also know that some of the gym ladies have found my little corner of Blog Land and would like to keep up. I'll do my best to provide. =)

Love to all,
B

Friday, January 20, 2012

Adventures of the Newly Wed

Husband has a PlayStation2. He found out a few weeks ago that they won't be making games for that unit anymore, so when we passed by GameStop and went in, we noticed that all the PS2 games are on super sale. So we got a few games for 2 and 3 dollars a piece. One of them was the Sims 2. We've been playing together, and I noticed (as anyone will when they play the Sims) that every minute of their world is only a second in real time.

WELCOME TO MARRIED LIFE.

I feel as though I've suddenly become part of an experiment in time warping. There does not seem to be enough hours in the day or days in the week to see everyone and do everything I want to do! Some of this has to do with holding 2 jobs, which will only last til the end of the month. But, as I'm so wisely learning vicariously through my sister who recently cut her working hours, those hours fill up really quickly too if you don't set them aside. The stack of laundry to be done is... I can't even describe it. =P Dishes in the sink, food to be cooked, laundry to fold, groceries to buy... My dad would say, "Welcome to REAL life". And of course, he's right.

The only lamentable thing is that all of these mundane chores take away from time spent with the people you love. No wonder parents assign them to kids once they're old enough, I'm gonna! I used to have spare time to do things I really liked doing, thanks to living at home. And I still find time to do those things, it's just split between things I really like doing and things I HAVE to do in order to function. I'm actually making sure those things don't rob my joy with life lately. And even on my busiest week of working maybe ever, I've found bits and pieces of fun time.

Was introduced to a wonderful series called The Luxe by my Friend E. It's set in the Victorian age in New York and follows a group of high society young ladies and gents. It's totally a "girly" series, but it is full of intrigue and adventure and just the right amount of suspense mixed in with all the romance. A few twists and turns along the way. In short, every element I love in a good book. There are 4 in the series, and for THAT I could kill Friend E, but thankfully I got an Amazon gift card at Christmas, so the series was my gift to myself. Does anyone write single books anymore?

Speaking of writing books, I'd like everyone to know that I have been writing a novel for a very long time. I want everyone to know this so that people will ask me how it's going. So that I can actually finish it. And maybe send it out to publishers. It's quite a good book (I know I'm biased) but even Husband has suggested that I finish it. So there. It's out. I'm a writer.

I've also been perfecting a pattern for tea cozies that is my own. My mama got very excited about this when I told her. As previously mentioned, she loves to be my guinea pig for knitted things. I think I shall make a gift for her birthday that is tea-themed. I can never go wrong with Mama and Ginan in making them tea themed things. I'm taking her to a precious little gem of a tea shop in a quaint historic town for her birthday celebration. Last year we took each other for our birthdays because they're so close together, and I looked forward to any time we can make an excuse to go. It's so nice. =)

My cup of tea is almost finished and it's time for me to get all ready for one of my jobs. I hope you've all missed me and am glad I'm back. I'm glad to be back. =) Cheers to the weekend!

lots of love,
Bianca