Pitter, that sounds wonderful. As always, I enjoyed reading your diary entry.
Dear Diary,
Christmas and New Year's and a nice long vacation are all over. I had a good time. My brother was in Germany for two days with his daughter.
I started to work again last week and it feels like I never had a vacation. We are well into planning the big meeting in Spain in February. Next week, my boss and I will fly down to Malaga for a day to check the hotel and everything.
And today Stefan booked our flight to Orlando in April. We are flying from Stuttgart to Amsterdam, on to Memphis and then to Orlando. Not exactly the shortest way - but we will get there :-)
Ooooooo...both Pitter and Urs within a few postings...love it
And good to see you, too, Mapleleaf!
Hi Husker, hi Urs, Hi Mapleleaf glad to see you all on this thread.
Dear Diary,
You are in luck...I'm actually in the frame of mind to write...NW Georgia has settled down to lows +/- 30 degrees, highs 10 to 20 degrees above that. No snow. No ice. None of it compares to my family in Michigan.
The 5 weeks of holiday illness have thrown off my medicines...but, hey, my wife got the whole family doing the South Beach Eating Plan (adult children, their mates, and her best friend's family)...I've lost 15 lbs in the process...she wants to lose a lotttttttttt.....sooooooooooo I'll stick with her. Isn't that something; I may lose more weight because I love my wife than I would have for myself....that's good...right?
The grandson...oh, the grandson...what a pickel. He now moves grandma's two step kitchen shelf helper anyplace he desires...in the kitchen, this means his reach has increased to the second level of shelves...for the uninitiated, this means he can broad the counter, then scoot on top, standup and crap the plates or whatever.
diary.....
There is nothing fansy or fantastic going on in my life just now. Well, I'm alive, and that definitely counts for something.
I have decided to learn javascript. I know I know, it's pretty late in coming, but I've been busy focusing on the development of other things in life. Ho Hum. I was in SUCH a crappy mood this morning. I don't really know why - but it was not PMS. It went away eventually. Family would have had a rough time otherwise. I am not very together. I should more than likely not be writing right now...be back later I think.
Dear Diary
I drove from Cali up to Restrepo today (first long drive alone, no problems). It's a turn off to the left a little ways before the entrance on the right to Lago Calima. At the Buga/Buenaventura traffic circle I picked up my Dutch friend who bused down from Trujillo. During two years in the Buga carcel he befriended two guys who live in Restrepo so we decided to visit them and see the town. The first friend has a small finca about fifteen minutes past the village. He was the mayor there then later the director of the jail. His story is that on his watch two presos went out on a release to work and never came back so he was sent to jail himself in Buga. Another story has it that he robbed a bunch of city money while mayor. Either way he's a very gracious guy and I'd already met him when visiting my friend. His wife served us a nice lunch and then the three of us took a long walk over hill and dale. Later he rode with us to find the other jailhouse buddy on the other side of Restrepo towards Lago Calima. That guy and his brother, both in their thirties inherited a spectacular, huge farm from their father where they've instituted some forest saving agricultural practices that allow them to produce pineapple, coffee, fruit trees, walnut trees, cattle and orchids for nursery sale all at the same time. He by the way was sent up for rape but was released after eight months when it came to the fiscal's attention that four other men had over a number of years been accused and sent up but the same "victim". Their farm is surrounded on three sides by American owned Murphy Paper Company planted in non-native pine. We spent a couple of hours hiking around the farm then returned to Restrepo to drop off the ex-mayor. As we were saying goodbys a woman and her daughter of about sixteen came up to me and shoved a prescription in my face demanding in a very aggressive manner that I pay for it! Like jeez louiz lady! Then my Dutch friend and I headed down the mountain, I dropped him at the "round point" to catch his bus to Trujillo and I headed back to Cali arriving safe and sound.
Dear Diary,
I have dreams and those dreams are about free education and health care for everyone...no taxes for seniors 65 and over (unless they are VERY wealthy)...jobs for everyone...no homelessness, no drug addicts, no social ills of any kind...freedom for everyone...cures for every debilitating and fatal disease in existence...no suffering of any kind...
Do you think I've covered it all? I know they're just dreams, but that's allowed, isn't it?
Dear Diary,
It's done - the big meeting in Spain is over. And it went extremely well. Lots of work and I was very, very nervous - could not sleep Wednesday night. But now I am very proud of myself. We did a very good job. And of course it was a lot fun. A great chance to meet all these people that I know from the phone and emails. We were 130 people from 20 different countries.
I am not working today and enjoy having some time with Stefan. Outside it is cold and snowing from time to time. The cats cuddle up to us and seem to be happy to have us here. :-)
Dear Diary,
I wonder why it has become so quiet here. Perhaps everyone has, like me, become too busy worrying about everyday life to sit quietly, think, and reflect on it.
I, for one, can no longer stand living my life the way I have been. I don't like Texas. I don't like my job. I don't like my relationship. I am coming home.
Of course, it's a lot harder than just announcing I'm leaving. There are the problems of the lease, the joint checking account, and Brian not wanting to accept that it's over. There is also the enormous project of packing, shipping what won't fit in the car, and then driving for three days across the country. And then there is finding a job to go to when I get there.
Also, I know I have at least three places to stay for a little while, but I do not yet have a place to live.
Dear Diary:
I'm glad you're here for MaryCat to talk to. I miss seeing that MCGirl around.
The dogs are snoring this morning. It's a nice sound, especially mixed with the little sighs when they snuggle in tighter and tighter. I've learned a lot about the joys of snuggling from these little dogs.
ehB2
What a bummer Marycat. Sorry to hear it. Well if it's time to move on (or back) so be it. Life isn't long enough to waste on situations you're not happy with.
Thank you, ehBeth.
Thank you, Pitter.
Everyone knows that misery is not something worth sticking around for. So why do I feel the need to stick around and try to fix it when it is my own misery? Is it that hard to learn from one's worst mistakes?
I feel a lot better now that I've found the resolve to go through with it. Stronger. More like the old marycat. Where has she been all this time?
Oh Marycat, sorry to hear of the tough choices and great strength you've needed to find. At least you know you have places to go, people who care, that is important.
You will be just fine. It may take some time however, all shall be well eventually.
Fingers crossed all goes smoothly for the trek.
HUG
Hello quinn, WOW! marycat....hang in there. Keep us up to date...maybe some of us can be helpful or at least, understanding.
Gosh, marycat, I saw the other references and figured as much but hadn't seen this yet.
Sorry about the misery, but I very much understand what you mean... I seem to get into this "worth it" rut. "Well, if I stick around and make [fill in the blank] work, then it will have all been worth it." I just recently recognized that, and have been doing my best to get myself out of that way of thinking. If it ain't working, it ain't working, onward and upward. Life's too short.
Dear Diary:
I am delighted to see husker here - and he's wearin' the Green!
