theinbetweenismine

just a girl living the expat life

Thinking Out Loud #18

filed under: Thinking out loud

Another Thursday of random word vomit. I appreciate the opportunity to just put down here whatever comes to mind by linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud,  don’t you?

+ The Red Sox are on fire. ON FIRE. They started this baseball season of with such a bang (they just had to surrender their 9 game winning streak yesterday, but still!). I cannot wait to see what the rest of the season will bring, but I am already so glad I shelled out the money for another MLB TV subscription for this year, so we can watch all the games (oh, the joys of being a Red Sox fan on the West Coast).

+ J and I have been making a habit of it to frequent one of the coffee houses in town on the weekends more often. I am usually not one to spend money on coffee shops (I love our home-brewed coffee in our Chemex), but I do like having some couple rituals and going out for a walk and cup of coffee on the weekends seems worth the expense. What small couple rituals do you maintain regularly?

+ First, WordPress decided to send me just the occasional comment email notification, one person’s comments always had to be repeatedly approved (even though I had approved previous comments from that person), and now WP has decided to not send me any comment notifications at all anymore. Are you on WordPress? Does this happen to you, too?  (If I don’t respond or have overlooked comments, especially on older posts, I apologize.)

+ As I mentioned, I started a new knitting project (who’s surprised?) with this beautiful gradient yarn. Pretty obsessed right now. I try to get a few rows in every evening. It’s such a soothing activity.

+  I am currently obsessed with this tortellini soup. We’ve been making it weekly lately and I am not sure when we’re going to stop. It’s  super-easy and quick to make and so full of flavor. It also packs some serious protein and veggies (and I lightened up the original recipe a bit). What’s not to love? Do you find new meals that you keep making over and over again?

+ Yesterday would have been my great-aunt’s 96th Birthday. We lost her 5 years ago. It’s normal that I still get the urge to call her on her birthday, even after 5 years, right?? And that I felt devastated when I couldn’t. Ah, grief. You’re so reliable to always keep showing up.

+ Today is my Friday and I am so ready for the weekend. That’s all.

Thinking Out Loud #17

filed under: Thinking out loud

+ I’ve been back at work since Tuesday and I am not at all feeling it. Thank goodness, it’s almost the weekend again.

+ Do you know how freakin’ soul-cracking it is to delete the “draft files” that I had set up to recap my trip to Germany? Ugh. Dumb. I should have known better not to do this. Oh well, I guess I could finally finish sharing the recaps from my road trip adventure last fall?!  (Taking a mental note!)

+ On a different note: KLM was unexpectedly accommodating. When I called them last minute to cancel my flight, they gave me the full price back as a credit towards future travel (good for one year). I must say, I was positively surprised.

+ Last weekend, since I was here, I was able to participate in the #marchforourlives here in Sacramento. It was fantastic to see how many people came out to protest gun violence and advocate for more sensible gun legislation. I am glad I marched for such an important cause. Did you march, too?

+ So, here’s a lucky story: I am collecting rewards points with our favorite local pizza restaurant and we usually get a free pizza every once in a while. I am pretty sure we had just recently received our latest free pizza. Last weekend, we went to dinner at the restaurant (with my MIL, who is visiting) and when the bill came, they had given us a huge discount. The waiter said that I had apparently accumulated quite a large number of reward points (they took $60+ off our bill *gasp*) and I am positive that this couldn’t have been true. Of course, I am way too honest and alerted the waiter and asked him to kindly double-check. He did talk with the manager and came back to tell us  ‘thank you for your loyalty’. Oh well, guess there was not much more I could do, but say thank you and keep my mouth shut.

+ I also collected my (belated) birthday treat: a deep dish delight (which is a huge chocolate chip cookie with ice-cream, whipped cream, and a cherry on top; pictured below). OMG, it was delicious, but it was such a huge portion and so ridiculously rich. Let’s just say: we weren’t able to finish it, even with three people.

+ We watched a movie on Netflix for the first time in a long time last weekend… I wanted something light and entertaining, so I went with “Bridget Jones’ Baby”. I really enjoyed it and it made me laugh, but I need someone to explain to me why Bridget and Mark Darcy broke up between the ending of the last movie and the beginning of this one. There was a huge gap in the story that I wasn’t able to fill in. (Also oh my, Patrick Dempsey. I never watched “Grey’s Anatomy”, so I had no idea that he aged so well.)

+ Okay, so I said in my recent Currently post that I was not going to ask for recommendations for shows to watch… but I changed my mind, and I am asking for recommendations now (preferably on Netflix), especially for laugh-out-loud comedies. Come at me! Please and thank you.

What’s one thing you are thinking about this Thursday?

I am linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud.

Thinking Out Loud #16

filed under: linkup, Thinking out loud

Illustration by @kimothyjoy

+ It’s International Women’s Day today and I want to say that I can call myself lucky to have some of the most amazing women in my life! I believe women are the ones who are going to change this world.

+ Did you watch the Oscars? I don’t watch awards shows religiously, but I did tune into the Academy Awards last Sunday. Mostly because Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) performed the late Tom Petty’s “Room at the Top” for the “In Memoriam” section. You gotta see it. They couldn’t have picked anyone better to perform this song. (P.S. I love Eddie Vedder, can you tell?) P.S. I have seen none of the Oscar nominated films yet. *shakeshead*)

+ I think I am digging out this old recipe for the weekend. I somehow always forget how well scones go with a cup of coffee and they’re so easy to make.

+ When I was looking for a new book at the (digital) library last night, I ended up adding myself to the waitlist of 15 (!) books ( which I will regret, as they will all become available at the same time. I KNOW IT.) until I could find one that was available to borrow right away. All this hassle in order to read for free, am I right?! #firstworldproblems

+ I am heading to Sephora tomorrow (a little pre-birthday shopping, woot!) and I need your must-have recommendations (both skincare and makeup). Please and thank you.

+ I snatched this awesome shirt (which I had my eye on for a while!) for about 50% off plus free shipping today and I am supporting a good cause. Sometimes it pays off to “wait” for things you want. Do you also pre-birthday-shop for yourself? Or just me?

I am linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud.

Thinking Out Loud #15

filed under: Thinking out loud

Thursdays are slowly but surely becoming my ‘brain dump’-days. You don’t mind, do you? Because all these little tidbits that I’ve been sharing are rarely worth their own posts. But tidbits are fun and tell you so much more about the person behind the blog, am I right? So, for now, I’ll continue to do this by Thinking out Loud with Amanda from Running with Spoons.

+ I am aaaalmost done with my latest knitting project and I can’t wait to show you. This up there is when I started about 4 weeks ago. I also can’t wait to start something new. Do you know that feeling when after a while, you get ‘bored’ with a project and want to start something new? That’s were I am at. Have you been working on a crafty project lately?

+ I am just a teeny-tiny bit so freakin’ excited to tell you that I booked a flight to visit my family back home. I’ll also be able to see my bff (which I am so happy about!) and a skiing trip with my family to Val Gardena (South Tyrol) will definitely be happening again! SQUEE! I CANNOT WAIT.

+ Today is Fat Thursday, or Weiberfastnacht (Weib = woman, Fastnacht =  “night before Lent’) or “Wieverfastelovend” as we say in Cologne. It’s  is an unofficial holiday in the Rhineland. At the majority of workplaces, work ends before noon. Celebrations start at 11:11 am. In comparison with Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), there are hardly any parades, but people wear costumes and celebrate in pubs and in the streets. In many towns across the state of North Rhine Westphalia, a ritual “takeover” of the town halls by local women has become tradition. Among other established customs, on that day women cut off the ties of men, which are seen as a symbol of men’s status. The men wear the stumps of their ties and get a Bützchen (little kiss) as compensation. 

(The photo is a throwback to a time when my bff and I went out for Carnival many years ago and while I was never a huge “(Karnevals)jeck”*, I do miss it a little bit every year. ) 

Untitled
#tbt

+ Last Saturday, I got my Amazon Fire back. Well, I got a new (refurbished) replacement for the Fire that had died (after only two months). That was sad, but on the plus side, I now don’t have “offers” on my screen anymore (which I hadn’t paid for to be removed for my initial purchase). All in all, a little blessing in disguise? Just crossing my fingers that this Fire will last (quite a bit) longer.

+ I am on the edge of my seat again (figuratively speaking, and okay, maybe I am a little exaggerating, because it’s more eye-rolling than anything) about what Congress – or should I say, Trump? – is going to do tonight. Will there be another shutdown? Will they pass the spending bill with a DACA deal attached?

 

*“The word [jeck] is used almost exclusively in the Rhineland, especially in the city of Cologne […]. Jeck can be a noun (ein Jeck), as well as an adjective (you can be jeck). Originally, it refers to a person who actively participates in a carnival celebration. […] But the more important meaning of the word is used year round. In this sense, it is an adjective that reflects the tolerant Cologne way of life and the general attitude of the Rhinelanders, […] a humorous person who does not take things – or himself – too seriously.”

Thinking Out Loud #14

filed under: Thinking out loud

+ J and I have been into watching documentaries lately and we watched “Minimalism” on Netflix Saturday night. It was really good. I’d consider J a minimalist and while I have minimalist tendencies, I am definitely the “maximalist” in our relationship. One thing that the film emphasized though was the fact that minimalism doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t own “anything” at all, but that the things you own should have a purpose and/or bring you joy and I agree with that. (Still, time for another round of decluttering, me thinks).

+ The SOTU address. If you watched it, I don’t have to say anymore. We can conclude that a) DJT can now successfully read from a teleprompter and almost not sound like himself (at least, speech-wise, let’s not talk about content),  b) makes up for that fact by throwing in some heavy breathing, smirks, and “beautifuls”, “incredibles”, and ‘I love yous”, and c) talk for an hour in an attempt to “unify the nation” and ending up as divisive as ever. Well done [\sarcasm off].

+ Best moment of the #SOTU:

+ Are you as excited as I am about a “cost-of-living adjustment” in the new year that is almost completely eaten up by increased healthcare premiums, and such? Yeah, me too. Well, I guess it’s not meant to be – or feel like – a “raise”. At least, it does cover increasing deductions from my paycheck (but I mean, it’s not like groceries, gas, etc. get any less expensive).

+ I’ve been trying to be a bit more active on Twitter, but it’s been a challenge trying to stay on top of my Twitter feed. I mean, if you don’t check in every 20 minutes, how do you even scroll back  far enough to not miss anything? And then, I really appreciate when people re-tweet important stuff, but I have SO MUCH re-tweeted stuff in my feed that I can hardly see the people that I am actively following. How do you handle this? Do you work with lists? Do you mute stuff?

+ Another social media related question/observation: do you have a preferred font for reading blogs? I think there are a lot of great fonts out there for great blog layouts, but I tend to always read the blog entry in my Feedly reader (if the full text is available) and then click over to comment because I find the font (I chose “Sans Serif”) and font spacing so pleasing for the eye. Just me? (Also, let me see your whole blog post in Feedly, pretty please.)

+ My reading has suffered a bit, because my (almost brand-new) Amazon Fire died last week. I put it on the charger at 40% battery and when I went to unplug it, it was dead. Lovely. Tried to reset it. Nothing. I got on chat with Amazon Customer Service right away and they told me to return it. Either they know how to fix it or I get a replacement. In the grand scheme of things, no big deal… but I already miss having it for my bedtime reading. I hope to get it back/replaced in the next few days.

I am linking up again with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud.

Currently | January

filed under: currently, Thinking out loud

thankful for winning another giveaway on Instagram. I’ve been pretty lucky lately! I don’t enter a ton, but since it’s pretty easy to do, I enter the ones that really interest me.

reading finished “Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. Not sure if this book falls into the memoir or self-help category, but I did take a lot away from this book about resilience and would recommend it. (I’ll write more about it in my January book review.)

listening to the news and

wishing it would all make more sense to me.  [insert dramatic sigh and eyerolling here.]

so happy about an extended catch-up Whatsapp conversation with a dear friend back from my exchange semester days. We’ve been friends for 15 years!

eating leftover cherry crumble cake (it’s rainy and chilly here in Northern California and I felt like baking last weekend.) It goes so well with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

drinking tea. Still, and always. I’ve been really into lemon-ginger lately. It’s also really good when you have a cold, just FYI. 

watching Season 11 of ‘The X-Files’. We were so excited when they announced another season. So far we’ve only watched the first episode, but I am intrigued… there are so many plot twists. Are you watching?

excited that I was finally able to start exercising again last week. It’s been a little tough to get back into my routine, but I sure missed being active. I just feel so much better all around when I work out, don’t you?

looking for printer recommendations. My hand-me-down printer is finally on its last leg and I am thinking about replacing it (without breaking the bank). I need a color printer that can print on card stock and envelopes. Any recommendations? Which printer do you have and are you happy with it? 

I am also linking up again with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud.

Thinking Out Loud #13

filed under: Thinking out loud

Time to link up again with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud for some random thoughts on a random Thursday.

+ I ran my first 3 miles of 2018 this morning. I am so relieved I am finally getting to the gym again! I know, it’s already January, 18th and I am getting a late start to running this year. As I mentioned, I caught a cold the flu (I am pretty sure that’s what it was) the week before Christmas and was basically completely “down” for a whole week and then still dealing with the after effects until last weekend. I had a lingering cough and some rib pain that I am pretty sure was associated with that and just overall didn’t feel ‘right’.

And the annoying thing about rib pain? It’s the little brother of back pain and it hurts basically any time you move your body in any direction… which makes it really hard to start your exercise regime again without continuously re-aggravating the rib muscles/membranes. I also suffered from heartburn for a few days last week (and felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest. Just lovely and not how you want to feel when you exercise.)
All this to say, I am finally feeling better (hallelujah!) and need to get back to my routine, because you all know what happens when you stop a routine for too long!

+ My gym smelled like bacon grease this morning (it’s next to a BBQ place and they must be sharing the venting system). I am still debating if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Who’s hungry?

+ New Instagram Algorithm Changes in January 2018. Why Instagram? You make me want to pull my hair out. I have a private account, I don’t follow a whole lot of “business accounts”, so I really do not want “suggestions” in my feed. All I want to do is to be able to follow the people I subscribe to in chronological order. At least make this an option. Which part of this don’t you understand? 

+ J and I did a “happiness jar” last year and we wrote down and put one happy thought for each week into the jar. We forgot to read through the notes at the end of the year (I am planning to do that soon!), but it was so much fun to focus on one good thought per week (even if the week felt shitty), because there is always something good to focus on. Have you done a happy jar? I highly recommend it.

+ We (aka my coworkers and I, other agencies, and people who rely on them) are threatened – yet again – with a government shutdown this weekend. Of course, people are joking on Twitter that “the government that doesn’t do anything is threatening to shut down and not do anything”…hahaha… very funny, but actually, the fact is, Congress – which is the part of the government that doesn’t do their job – wouldn’t shut down, while all the government agencies that are actually doing their jobs would be furloughed.
Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Hmpf.

Currently | December

filed under: currently, Thinking out loud

relieved that we were not traveling for Christmas. It’s always crazy to travel around the holidays and I am trying to be thankful for the fact that we weren’t affected by the madness. But then again, I am…

wishing  that we would have traveled for Christmas, because I really would have loved to spend the holidays with family and friends.

bummed that I ended up being quite sick over the holiday weekend and that we had to cancel all our plans. We had planned to spend Christmas day with our friends in the Bay Area, but that was not in the cards. I think I haven’t been that sick in a long time. I slept for like 4 days straight. Luckily, I’ve started to feel like a human being again yesterday.

thrilled that I got to see and hug my dear friend Cathy (from Sydney) again. She was stopping over in Las Vegas on her way home to Australia after a 4 weeks vacation on the East Coast and I took a quick flight down there to hug her. We also had our first “sleep over” where we lay in bed in our pj’s and talked until 4 in the morning. If you had told me back when we started out as penpals when we were teeenagers that we’d have the opportunity to hang out and have some quality time together like that when we’re 40, I probably would have thought you were out of your mind. I think that might have been my biggest and most precious Christmas present this year.

hoping for some good news from my bff at home. I officially cancelled all my Christmas wishes, because all all I want for Christmas is to know that she’s going to be ok.

eating Halloween candy. Does that last until Christmas in your house? Haha.

drinking mug after mug after mug of tea. I hate how when you have a cold, you’re losing all your taste buds and nothing tastes good. I didn’t have coffee for a week (which should tell you something!), but I can’t wait to try this coffee that my friend Marie sent me from DC.

thankful for all the friends that sent Christmas cards and little packages in the mail this holiday season. It really made the holidays that much sweeter!

watching all the Christmas movies. I am trying to fit in as many as humanly possible this holiday season.  So far I crossed Home Alone 2, National Lampoon’s Christmas, A Christmas Story, Elf and Love, the Coopers off my list. Many, many more to go.

reading This is where it ends by Marieke Nijkamp.

enjoying wrapping up the few Christmas gifts that I have to wrap this year. You must know that wrapping gifts and putting together little packages is probably one of my most favorite things to do around the holiday season, but with postage costing a fortune, I ended up purchasing a lot of gifts online (esp. for my overseas peeps)… which saves on postage (and custom fees and the worry that it might not arrive), but also deprives me of the gift wrapping part.

excited to try my hand at bullet journaling next year. I’ve officially decided to ditch my beloved Inkwell Press Planner for 2018 and try something new. Stay tuned for more on this little adventure. (Also, do you bullet journal? I need your ideas, thoughts, suggestions!)

I am also linking up again with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud 

Thinking Out Loud #12

filed under: Thinking out loud

Time to link up again with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud for some random thoughts and things that are going on in my world right now.

+ As you probably know, Southern California is on fire. Badly impacted is the area where my husband J is from (and where my in-laws still live) in Ventura County. It’s hard to think about the hillside behind the city and imagine it to be completely burned. Ojai, where J went to highschool, has been mostly spared, but it’s completely surrounded by the fire (see map) and it’s terrifying.

As of today, the fire is only 20% contained and still spreading. It has already burned more than 365 square miles.  I signed up for a virtual run #runforventura to help with the relief efforts and I encourage you to join me.


© Cal Fire 

+ I just read on Twitter (via The Verge) that Instagram tests adding posts that your friends like into your feed. Like, if the stupid algorithm isn’t enough, they now want to put stuff in your that you’re not even subscribed too (let alone the sponsored posts, which we had to just accept as well). I really only have two words for you, Instagram: Just no.

+ I got some not-so-good news from my bff yesterday and I am in a state of anxiety right now. I hope to find out more soon, but until then, please send all the positive vibes that you can spare. I’ll love your for it forever.

+ I can’t believe Christmas is only 10 days away. It’s weird to not be “off” between Christmas and New Year’s, as I will be working (to save vacation time). I think all my coworkers are taking the week off and we’ve already been warned that our office building might be cold (because campus always forgets that we’re ‘open’ over Christmas break, while the rest of the campus is closed). I guess I’ll be taking my fingerless gloves and a thermos with hot tea. Better to be safe than sorry. (Are you off between Christmas and New Year’s? Wait, don’t tell me.)

+ I am having a bit of Christmas blues this year. I think the fact that this will be our 4th Christmas not celebrating with family in Germany is wearing on me. I am usually super-enthusiastic about the holidays and I am still enjoying this season, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just not as exciting to be home alone with J as it is gathering with family. Are you seeing family for the holidays or are you home alone like us?

+ I cannot believe Doug Jones won the senate race in Alabama on Tuesday. I know, it’s pretty sad to say that I expected an alleged child molester to win, but the bar has been set pretty low in the last year, to be quite honest. I was almost emotional when I saw Jones’s numbers creep up and then surpass Moore’s on the TV screen last night. What a victory! However, if you’re white woman in the South, I have to have to have a serious word with you.

What’s a random thought on your mind today?

9: Thinking Out Loud #11

filed under: NaBloPoMo, Thinking out loud

I am linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking out Loud.

+ One year ago, that horrible excuse of a man got elected as our president. I can still recall feeling physically sick to my stomach when that became apparent (I was so upset that I actually took a mental health day the next day). I have learned to function again, but no, I haven’t gotten used to the circus he’s created. I cringe every time he opens his mouth and the ridiculousness that comes out of it. Don’t you also feel sometimes like you’re watching a movie? That this can’t be real life? How did we go from Obama to this?

+ I am having a four-day weekend ahead of me and I couldn’t be more excited. We get tomorrow off for Veteran’s Day, but since this is my regular day off (RDO), I get to take the 8 hours off on Monday. Woot.

+ I am seriously considering a Bullet Journal for 2018. I have been a loyal Inkwell Press Planner user for the last three years and the new coil-free planner (which lies flat for easy writing) looks really nice, but something about the bullet journal is speaking to me. However, I am bit intimidated by ‘setting it up’ all by myself. I’ve bookmarked quite a few websites with how-tos and general inspiration. Have you used a bullet journal? Give me your thoughts (and show me your layouts)!

+ Tea all the life-long day. That’s all.

+ Instagram really is my favorite social media platform, but the Instagram algorithm is honestly driving me bonkers. I am following a few people who are doing #onedayhh posts today and the posts all show up in the wrong order. When will you fix this mess, @instagram?

+ I had a really f**ked up dream a couple of nights ago. I dreamed about my grandma. This is very random, because a) I hadn’t really thought about her in the last few days and b) my grandma died when I was 6 years old.  In my dream though, she hadn’t died, but it turned out that she and my grandpa had separated (I don’t remember why) and she had lived a separate life somewhere else  for decades. I mean, WHAT? I was heartbroken and angry about it and rembember screaming and crying in my dream. I woke up so emotionally drained. Anyone want to try some “dream interpretation” on that one? I am so confused. Why would I dream something like that? She would have never done that, she was so dedicated to our family.

What’s a random thought on your mind today?

 

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