Archives for August 2018

Just a short post today because I don’t have wifi here and only a rather restricted data plan.

My trip went very well yesterday and the first evening of the family reunion was a real pleasure. I went to bed way too late after an evening of talking and singing.

I am already looking forward to the food at home, though.

It is raining like crazy at the moment and we are going to go sightseeing outside, so that will be fun. Good thing I took my raincoat and umbrella, then.

I woke up at 6 after not quite enough sleep and promptly didn’t write. My head was buzzing with everything I still needed to do. Not that that stopped all day.

When making my breakfast I found that the boy had eaten the last of the bread the night before and since we were out of frozen buns and the bread in the freezer wouldn’t have been thawed in time I went out to the bakery. That had the added bonus that I could get some buns for myself to take with me on my trip. So, I decided to take my food with me.

The boy came down at nine which was rather unexpected.

After breakfast and some more talking with my husband, and trying to find out how to buy a ticket for the last leg of my journey I set off on my bike to Munich so I could buy stuff I wanted to have for the trip. After years of longing for a second packing cube and some Nalgene bottles I finally got around to getting some. The outdoor shop was pretty easy to navigate, only they didn’t have any Eagle Creek packing cubes and it took me a long time to decide which one to take instead.

Then I went to the mall on a quest for pantyhose. That was fun. Not. I never go there and find it really overwhelming. It took me ages to walk around and look into all the shops to see if they might have what I wanted.

In the end I went to a drug store. At least it was one that we don’t have here in town. And again I had to decide between dozens of kinds of pantyhose. I mean, what’s the difference between the „Chinchilla“-model and the „Cashmere“-model? At least they had a handy chart on the back that helps you decide which size you need. It has height and weight. I keep forgetting that I need to take pantyhose a size bigger because I have long legs.

Then I sent the boy a message that I’d be home in about half an hour.

When I came back my husband was all worried. It had taken me 45 minutes to bike back. (Half an hour on my way there, by the way.)

I had a late lunch:

It was very good.

Then I worked on the podcast, sent an email to someone helping us with marketing for our teaching, did all the dishes, and finally packed. There are always so many small moving parts to think of. Which makes me really grateful for my lists.

I probably could leave for a four day trip with just the clothes I’m wearing, toothbrush, wallet and my phone (plus charger) but I prefer not to. (For inspiration on ultra-light packing check out this article about a couple who traveled completely without luggage, this post about a woman who did a weekend trip with just her purse, and this one that I really love about a woman traveling for three weeks with just a purse.)

I can tell you that my luggage will certainly be heavier than that. I will take my iPad with a keyboard and my Kindle and my phone and a big notebook and a change of clothes. Also pajamas and chocolate and a knitting project, a camera, a shawl and an umbrella. Also two water bottles and my lunch.

As I’m writing this I’m still waffling about the ukulele but I did pack the lead sheets as I said.

I might be completely offline for two days or so because I don’t think the B&B has wifi. I’m not sure if I’ll post here or not. I’d like to keep the streak going, only a few more weeks until a year of daily blogging.

I guess you’ll find that out tomorrow.

I had a rather good morning with actual writing (166 words in five minutes) and meditation and such.

My husband and I did also start talking about marketing for our teaching a little, so that was good.

Running went very well:

Unfortunately I decided to run a bit of the path that I usually walk and there was a root buried underneath the leaves on the ground and I went down.

It’s nothing serious but I have a badly skinned left knee. My hands were affected a little as well but they are almost fully recovered by now.

So I was a little shaken but not too much, and took a shower, trying to wash the dirt out of the knee. Then I disinfected the wound and found that my disinfectant had a „due by 2012“-date on it. Also, that I didn’t have big enough band-aids.

So I went to the nearby pharmacy and was lucky enough to get my very favorite sales woman (not). I still remember the conversation we had several years ago (might have been more than ten) when I went in (different pharmacy) and asked for allergy medication. First, she told me I should try the homeopathic pills instead (was a bit miffed when I told her that I had already tried those and they didn’t help at all, unfortunately with those the placebo effect did nothing for me, too bad) and then she told me that nobody needs a 100-pill package of allergy medication because – and I quote – „hay fever only ever lasts three weeks in the spring anyway“.

Yeah. I wish. Funny how my current doctor prescribes really heavy allergy medication to me in 100-pill packages several times a year. Grasses can send out pollen any time between January and October in these parts and my own allergy symptoms are usually worst at the end of July.

Well, turns out she can’t see blood as well. I’m sorry that I went into the pharmacy with my knee all skinned and awful but I really needed some different band-aids. Turned out she was pretty helpless and didn’t know what to do either. At least she sold me a new bottle of disinfectant and some band-aids that are almost broad enough to cover my knee. Oh, and then she said, „And skinned knees always hurt so much,“ with a shudder.

Now, my knee didn’t really hurt at that point, I might still have been in shock a little, I don’t know. But I just spent several weeks with my foot hurting like crazy with stabbing pain alternating with burning pain that woke me up in the night. Also, I’m rather happy that I didn’t break anything. And that my glasses aren’t broken. Thanks.

Then I helped making the salad for lunch:

Homemade arugula pesto on capellini with salad and a rather yummy white wine.

Then I did some urgent procrastinating, and managed to get ready for the podcast. I forgot one project so there isn’t any picture. Next time.

I also made a packing list for my upcoming trip and it’s epic.

Then I recorded the podcast, started the cutting and post-production and waited for my student.

Saw some very good Star Trek with the boy, decided to attend yet another webinar (about email list-building with Nick Stephenson and Joanna Penn, that was the one that went wrong last week). And then I started writing this post.

Went to bed too late but managed to get my makeup off and my teeth flossed anyways. I count that as a win.

Today there will be: the getting the podcast ready to be published, the finishing of the current pair of socks, the going to Munich for errands (either by bike or if my knee is not up for that I’ll take the train), the second round of strength training on the new program (I’m still having sore muscles from Monday. Note to self: don’t triple the beginner workout next time.) the research about train and bus connections for tomorrow, and the packing.

I’m still waffling about taking the ukulele or not but I already did pack the lead sheets. I’m also waffling a little about jeans versus skirt. Jeans is in a way easier but would mean I’d have to insert a zipper into an almost finished cardigan. The skirt would be more comfortable, has the bigger pockets but would mean buying new pantyhose. And showing off my neat knee band-aid. I’m not quite sure how sophisticated that is but then sophisticated probably is beyond my reach anyway.

Oh, and I need to get everything done today that I didn’t manage in the last few days as well.

This will be a lot of fun for sure!

I had this great idea to leave my phone and laptop in the kitchen overnight to force myself to start the day with writing.

It didn’t work. (Forcing me to do anything is rather futile.)

So I need a better idea.

I had a wonderful night of sleep and then felt pretty sluggish most of the day. Didn’t do much at all but started reading two more books and bought another one. This is getting a little out of hand.

I wanted to spend the whole day reading but settled for at least doing some things on my list.

I went to the pharmacy to get my anti-allergy medication and we rode our bikes to the beer garden for lunch:

Then we had to hurry up so I could get to my optician in time. Turned out that the reading part of my glasses is fine, only I need weaker glasses for the distance portion. I chose new frames, round and brown. A little bigger than the old ones but not too big. For one I have a small face and two I need really thick lenses so the bigger the frames the heavier the glasses.

Now I have to wait for seven to ten days to wear them. And then another one or two das before I can get my „office glasses“. I’d also like one of those clip-thingies with tinted glass to change my regular glasses into sunglasses in a pinch. I know those are super dorky but since a pair of glasses for me is about 900 Euros I’ll refrain from ordering three pairs at once.

I also bought some sock yarn on my way back home.

Then I slumped down gracelessly in the kitchen trying to get myself going again before it was time for my one student of the day.

Decided to watch some Star Trek with the boy first and only watch the replay of the Orna Ross webinar another time.

Today there will be running and the recording of the podcast and the slowly freaking out because of impending travel.

My plans for what to pack seem to be moot, the weather is now supposed to be firmly in jeans, t-shirt, and sweater territory.

No wonder I need to buy so many books.

One can clearly see why it’s wise to not pay too much attention to feelings in the moment. They just go up and down all the time anyway.

I spent the first hour of the day wasting time again.

But. I did manage to have breakfast not too late, do my daily drawing and meditate before my husband was up.

Started the second sleeve of my Cria cardigan, talked with my husband, talked a little with the boy, did the dishes, went running a little too late (it was pretty warm already):

I took a slightly different route so I had more shade. No field for me yesterday.

Came back home, finished reading an amazing novel („Jane Doe“ by Victoria Helen Stone, it came recommended by Ilona Andrews and since it’s in KU I read it right away). Helped making the salad the we had along with leftover moussaka:

I did not drink wine for lunch even though my husband did because I had that doctor’s appointment in the afternoon.

I did manage to write 300 words after lunch before I had to leave.

Doctor’s appointment went very well, we were just going over the preparation for the colonoscopy and since the doctor is a kind of friend and we hadn’t talked in ages we filled each other in on what happened in the past months. He is injured yet again, he has had some really bad months lately.

I went to the nicer health food store after that and took the train back home, went to the pharmacy to get my allergy medication (they didn’t have it, it will be there later today), tried writing some more but needed a break.

Then the boy and I did the first and easiest exercises from the book „Convict Conditioning“. It was fun. I’m really out of shape in that regard and will need to take things very, very slowly. But that’s okay. (No handstand pushups in my immediate future. In fact, we did wall pushups today. Baby steps.)

Then we watched some Star Trek and had endless discussions whether the science behind the story works. The boy is very concerned about that, which I get, but still he could just pretend that it’s all magic. He’s fine with magic in stories, just not with almost real science.

Then my husband decided that instead of going swimming in a lake by himself as he had originally planned for today he’d rather go to another beer garden with us for lunch. No argument from me. I would have liked the swimming excursion as well but I don’t have time for that this week.

The boy did complain about things always being so last-minute (the night before). Also, outside and hot and such. But he gave in.

So today I will write and do all the usual things, and then ride my bike to a very nice beer garden, then come back home in time to choose new glasses, then make music, and then teach a student. The day will be topped off with another webinar (the monthly Orna Ross one). And somehow I need to find the time and headspace to prepare the podcast and start writing my monthly Patreon newsletter. Which was due at the beginning of the month. Ahem.

I’ve also been thinking about what to pack for my weekend away. The weather will be pretty mixed, one day of scorching heat followed by three days of cool and wet. That makes minimalist packing a little hard. But I think I’ll just wear my denim skirt and add a cardigan and pantyhose into the mix. And a raincoat. And an umbrella.

I have also researched possible sock patterns to knit while traveling and have come to the only possible conclusion:

I need to buy more sock yarn.

Of course. What else.