Wondering What Was in the Bag?

7 PM

It is 19:00 (7 PM) and very dark out. Not to mention 5 degrees (40 F). I really need and want to start running everyday. But seriously it is dark out and cold! I was planning to go to the yoga studio but it is closed for two weeks! And finally, I could do a home workout video, right? Oh boy this is the best part. After an hour spent looking through Saturn (the German Best Buy), the only dvd I found in English was Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease. Seriously?!?! The three volume set includes one actual workout titled, "fit to stip". Not that I bought it or anything...

Then there is the problem of jelly beans. This is a battle I have been fighting for the past 15 years. Seriously, who still eats jelly beans at my age?

OK, I think I convinced myself to go for a run...

More London Photos

London Tower Bridge
Buckingham Palace

Covenant Garden

More exciting than my kitchen, right? Although, right now it is 10 PM and what am I doing? Making pasta. I think I need some new really easy meals to make.

Oh, and how much are we loving the "winter" coat? Seriously, who wants to walk around wrapped in a blanket. Although I must admit, it seems totally normal to me now. I just realized how ugly these coats are when I saw the photo.

Cooking

I have been cooking a bit. So far I can boil water and melt a little butter for pasta. I keep thinking I am going to start a fire by leaving the pasta box on the stove. I just checked; it is a safe foot away from the flame.

Mr. Elliot Scott

What a life!

London

Saturday Morning

Saturday mornings are always the same around here, packing.

What I am packing....

What I wish I was packing....

Maybe if I taxi everywhere?

The Truth

Winter is so mean. No, actually winter is beautiful and kind and exciting and fills me with child-like enery each snow filled morning. But fall is such a tease that it makes a beautiful woman like winter seem like a lot of work. Fall with her carefree tempatures that allow you to forget your coat or bundle up with a purple scarf just because you had an extra five minutes to accessorize. Fall with her store windows full of boots and coats that you just know you will look smashing in for months to come. Fall that is crisp and orange and filled with the promise of a glam winter wordrobe that will check the bill of you finally becoming a true sophisticated woman. It was fall that I put my flip flops away for. Fall that I traded my heels into flats for. FALL that I spent all my money on boots for!!!!! And now she is gone. And will she ever even come back? Can spring take her place? Surely my boots will look great in spring I tell myself as I pull on my "winter" boots and zip up my "winter" coat.

Not His Type

Not his type. That is what one of my friends said to me today. Right before he asked me for the third time in ten minutes if I was intrested in going on a date, having an office romance or both. My answer was consistent....No. That is until the third time when he added the interesting tid bit about me and what "type" I was. Well he did not say what type I was, but he sure seemed to have a opinion. That is what was so interesting to me. REally interesting let me tell you. Which is unfortunate on two accounts. First, I was at work under a pile of audit reports and looming deadlines which were beginning to suffer even futher now that I was distracted and interested. And second, he finally had my attention and thus control of the interaction. I like to be in charge especially....well, always. So I asked him for details about me. I mean seriously, why would I ask this guy who barely knows me to tell me about myself. Yet I did, matched his three atempts before I finally got the guy to crack. I think I might have even had to mention something about how I would go on a date with him if a: we did not work together b: he did not have a girlfriend (classy, huh?) and c: he could explain in excrutiating detail (ok just explain) what "type" I am. This is what I got, "It is you and it is hot and all but guys pay for things for you and that is a total turn off." WHAT?!?! How can what someone else does make me a type?! He continued (without prodding this time) digging the hole which would seal the fate of us never going on a date had one of us (him) gotten fired, dumped his girlfriend and sent all of the snow pilled up on the roof of my car to freeze the place of no angels, that he liked how I was independent and took care of myself and all but just would never buy a girl a plane ticket or pay for two dinners in a row. And that is when I got it. It was about him, not me. OK, well maybe it was a little bit about me and I did ask right? And the warning label was there although in my defense it takes some time to translate , "If you are not interested in me than it is irrelevent" into the true meaning....brace yourself, this might hurt. But the truth always does, or usually does. Sometimes hurts? What do they say? Anyway, it did hurt. So I decided to thank him and move on. Wondering where to send my mail from now on? (Which seriously don't you think the Egypt pics are comment worthy? There are only one of the 7 wonders of the world and all! I am getting tempted to post some old shots of the grand canyon just to see if 2/7 of the world's wonders would be comment worthy.) OK, I am not. But I bet the man who received my invitation to share a pizza after work, "since I still owe him dinner and all" is wondering what "type" of girl I am. Not that I am asking!!! Thank you very much...

Umm....SNOW

After wondering for a few minutes how I was ever going to get to the office; I called a taxi. So the day was a success, one resourceful beginning and a wonderful walk home through the snow with my new friend B.

What You Don't Know...

1. I throw up on planes. Great for a girl who pretends to be a jet setter.
2. I am hearing impaired. You can not tell unless I do. However, I am and it makes walking in traffic, talking on the phone, ordering in a loud restaurant and working difficult. But don't feel sorry for me....I am fine.
3. I passed the CPA Exam on my first try. Most people need a little practice.
4. I had braces at 26. Not to straighten my teeth but because I broke my jaw surfing.
5. I have completed 1 full marathon and 6 half marathons.
6. I have traveled the world alone and never driven a rental car. Too afraid!
7. If I was not a CPA I would be a tax attorney or a dolphin trainer.
8. I am horriable swimmer. (Which explains why I am not a dolphin trainer!) My last apartment had a roof top pool. I dreamed of being a graceful after work swimmer. It never happened.
9. Sherman wakes me up in the middle of the night on a regular basis.
10. I had a big phone fight with a girl a few months ago. I thought she might have won. Now I know I did.
11. My family calls me Yvie.
12. I will spend any amount of money on something that I love. But I only buy things that I love. I hate clutter and am a fierce believer in the concept of fashion amortization. Hence the Rolex, but no trendy costume jewlery.
13. I worked as a nanny while I was a student.
I4. I usually have no clue what I am doing and am comfortable with that.
15. I can speak Spanish and am learning German.
16. I am deathly afraid of skiing, but keep taking lessons.
17. I have a beautiful new mercedes but take the bus. I love the freedom of being able to just hop on and off without parking or planning ahead.
18. I was a perfectionist and control freak until my perfect life spun out of control.

Running Pals

I am training for a marathon in Paris in the Spring. I have been a runner for years but my usual marathon training pals are back in the states. So these days Sherman and Ellie come along for the ride. The other day when we got to the woods I let them both off the leash. First Ellie turned around and started running home! Seriously everyone was laughing at us. But finally we were off and running smoothly along the trail. We had a good 30 minute stretch where I was enjoying the music and the orange leaves above our heads and below our feet. Then Sherman took off. I chased him uphill for a good five minutes. Later in the run I let him off the leash again. People are changing around here these days.

Wondering Where I Have Been?

Easy....I am Trying to Mend a Broken Heart Over Here!

I got my feelings hurt today. I will spare you the details. If only I knew the graceful way (the perfect way) to react to hurt feelings. I did react. Was that "right" or not? Why do I care. I think it is fine. I mean who cares anyway. I had the hurt feelings and I did not want to carry them around forever. So why not share them with the guilty party.

My Flat in Europe

A Brand New Day!

Today I got my flat cleaned!!! As if that was not enough, I have hired a dog walker. She will take the boys out while I am at work. I decided it was finally time to ask for a bit of help. Now, I will post pics of the snazzy new flat.

Last week I was sitting on the couch with my boyfriend (yep, I've got one! ) and I asked him if this was how he pictured me in Europe. His response was "kind of". When I asked him to give some details. He said he pictured some things different. Like my flat; which he pictured much cleaner!!! :-) In my defense I travel A LOT and I have anemia.

I actually just returned from a week long business trip in Switzerland. It was beautiful and it snowed!!! Yes, I have some pictures.

Best Friends

These are mine.

Time

I woke up yesterday and realized that i am living my dream life. Eveything is not perfect but it is what I would pick for myself. I am not sure how I got here but I am proud of myself for not giving up or settleing along the way.

A year ago I was suffering from a broken heart. I can remember just wanting to "get better". I constantly harrased my friends, neghbors and complete strangers for advice on how to make my sadness go away and return to my normal life and self. Everyone gave me the same response, "time". Time, time, time. It just takes time. If another person would have told me this whole time business I probably would have cired or laughed or screamed. I just could not believe that by just doing nothing and allowing myself to stay in this sad sleepless nightmare that my life would magically change into one of the chick lit stories I was reading in the middle of my tearful sleepless nights. Also, this was my first breakup and being a bit of a perfectionist I needed details on time. How much time would it take? How do I know if my time is here? Am I progessing though a breakup in the correct amount of time? And my favorite, how do I make it take less time?

Now it has been a year and I am "all better". In addition to being "better", I am different. I am more patient (you should have seen me before), relaxed and balanced. I have fallen in love with yoga and decorated my first home. I have traveled the world and moved overseas. I have become independent and trusting. I have learned how to ski, become comfortable asking for help and forgoten the past.

I spend more time with my family and friends. I allow myself time to just do nothing. I spend more time in the park with my dogs. As I was filling up my days trying to speed up time I found a way to slow down and become better. I am greatful for the time when my heart was broken to pieces because although the pieces of the puzzle looked pretty good from a distance, they were not right up close. Now I have taken the time to put the pieces back together myself. I like this version of the puzzle; it fits and is beautiful.

American Sunday Night

I bought a TV. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is the first one I have ever purchased. And after months of the only English I hear being CNN in hotel rooms; I was ready for a day on the couch with some DVDs. So it looks great and I am enjoying watching DVDs of crap tv shows and eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream. What a perfect way to spend a Sunday night in my flat above the orange leaves.

Prague

I spent last weekend in Prague. Yes, those are PICTURES!!!!! Amazing, I know. I bought a new camera today and finally got my home internet connection working.

Funny, if you are not me!

Sherman was barking at me like crazy. I was telling him over and over again to "stop, I already feed you 2 cans of dog food this morning!" The solution to the barking problem was not the third can of dog food that I gave him!!!! AAHH!!!!

Tired

Well I hate to complain, but I have been tired for weeks. Not normal tired. Tired like I can sleep for 12 hours and still feel exhausted. Now I can only walk around for a few minutes without resting. I am really hoping I don't have mono. I should have the results from my labs on Monday.

On a brighter note, I spent last weekend in Prauge. It was beautiful and the weekend before that I took my mom to Paris. She was here visiting me for two weeks. The week before that I was working in Naples, Italy. That was a great time. I guess it is no wonder that I am tired.

aaahh...

I am alive! And even more importantly, I am happy. I love it here. I finally feel like my life is moving at the right pace and in the correct direction. I have struggled with this a lot of the past couple or years. Actually most of my adult life I have felt that things were moving too fast or towards a dead end. Now I can relax and breath (even when I am not in a yoga studio). I am in the right place and each day is exciting and exactly how it should be.

I am not sure why I had to move across the world to get my balance back....but I did and it worked.

I have been taking pictures and I will post them soon... I have already been to Norway, Munich and Hamburg. In the next couple of months I will visit Italy, France, Prauge, Switzerland and Egypt. The boys (Sherman and Ellie) stay at a dog kennel that is on a little farm. Sherman gets so excited about the chickens.

Going Away Party!

I promise to start blogging again as soon as I am all packed up and moved. I leave in 3 weeks and you would not believe how many things you have to take care of before you move overseas. It has been very exciting and time consuming. I also promise to post a ton of pictures from my new city.

My parents are making me a going away party. If anyone is interested in going, please send me your e-mails. The party will be on May 31st at 7PM. I saw that Natalie posted a similar blog entry about her baby shower. Sorry, I missed it! I read the post after the shower had taken place. The pictures were great...

Moving...Again!

I just accepted a job offer in Europe. I am moving in June!!!

My New Place

I LOVE it! Enough said...

Kids

After looking at Easter blogs for the past few minutes, I decided I must be the only person in the world without kids. KIDS, plural... How did everyone have time to have three or four children?? And how are we old enough to have kids that are 9 years old???

My Poor Little Ear

I feel like I should have been blogging for the past few years, and now I need to get all caught up. So one thing that is very important to me and each day of my life is my ear. Readers Digest version of the story, I got hurt surfing and now I am deaf. Not completely...well completely on my right side. Good thing we are born with two ears. However, we are born with two ears because you NEED two. Each day I face not being able to order in a noisy restaurant, and people giving me dirty looks because they think I am ignoring them....when actually I did not even hear them.... Anyway, I have had four surgeries and the three surgeons who have operated on me have run out of options. So for now, I am deaf....just on the right side. People get used to it. My friends always let me sit on the inside of the booth at restaurants and my wonderful running pals have a fancy little figure eight we do at each dead end in the path....allowing me to seamlessly loop to the outside right edge of the group and keep up with the conversation. I don't really mind it now that I am used to it. I forget most of the time until I notice someone looking at me waiting for an answer to a question I did not hear. I usually just nod and hope I am getting what I intended....or at least not something weird and expensive. OK, readers digest did not really happen..... The important thing here is that I am a nicer person because of my hearing impairment. The accident and injury are a part of me, not just something that happend to me.

I Sold It!!!!

I just accepted an offer for the house I wrote about in my blog yesterday!!! These are some of my favorite pictures taken at the house....when it was my home. Don't worry, my new place is better....very different but a much better fit for me. This place was great for lizard hunting...so Sherman will miss it, but he likes the city and having a view.