Thursday 27 November 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

This year, instead of moping over missing out on the big meal with my family or griping that people can't pronounce the Th this holiday, I'm celebrating in my own thankful little way. There is too much to be happy about and so much for which I am grateful. This year my only goal is to brighten the day of those around me. I'm sharing a meal of love and kindness. Aren't I the joyful little pilgrim?!

my list o' thanks...

I am thankful for my wonderful family that loves me across oceans and that I love all the way back. I'm thankful for a wonderful husband that makes me smile and fall in love all over again every time we are together. I'm thankful for my job that sends me to new countries and motivates me to work even harder. I'm thankful for a lovely group of new friends in Annecy. I'm thankful for my friends at home that stay in touch and make me feel apart of all that's going on. I'm thankful for this life and this day. I'm excited for this winter for the challenges it will bring, for the rough patches, the smooth spots and everything in between. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Monumental


It really is true. We picked the best man for the job. FINALLY!

Friday 31 October 2008

vote

Sharing just a little bit of hope on a rainy halloween day...

from a very nice blog.

Thursday 1 May 2008

Ca y est!

So the update: we found a totally adorable apartment in Annecy and thanks to Alex's negociation skills and politesse we are the proud owners, I mean renters, of a studio in the vielle ville in Annecy. The new place is adorable and I am so excited to be so close to everything! I'll post pictures in a little bit. We have keys now but I think we'll move in around the 11th.

Today is my last day of work for me. I have a small break and then I start my new position on the 13th. I'm really looking forward to it.

I was talking with a friend that is in nursing school and she was saying that she felt the same as when she had just gotten out of school, the imminent potential of everything. The world is so big and full of possibility. I feel like I got that feeling back, too. There is so much to look forward to!

Wednesday 23 April 2008

tap, tap, tap...is this thing on??

Hello, it's me. I'm back from my brief hiatus. Things are going well. Life is rolling along. New big changes are on their way. I got a job. in Annecy. in export. doing what I do now. but bigger and better. and 100% not from a home office. It means a lot of changes but I feel ready and happy and excited! The timing is impeccable. I'm really excited. Did I mention that? So excited.

I feel like the part of me that got shut down by working from home and being pretty isolated from social contact is coming back. It's freeing. Other than having a pretty impossible time keeping concentrated on finishing up last projects for my work, everything is peachy. The world seems bigger and better with new possibilities.

Indoor volleyball is almost over. Outdoor starts shortly. Things are warming up, the sun is coming out and things are looking up. And it might snow again, it seems like every other morning I wake up to snow fall but at least for me, it feels like spring has finally sprung.

Monday 4 February 2008

just a quick update



MIA, slightly. I have been busy though...I spent a week in Prague for work. I loved it. The city is just beautiful. Work was great and I was really in my element and it was nice to give a presentation in english instead of in french. Yahoo for simplicity and easy improvisation in my native language. I jetted up to Paris for the weekend to catch up with a good friend from college that I hadn't seen in a quite awhile. It was great to experience Paris as a tourist again. We went to the Rodin museum and walked all over. The Rodin museum was fantastic, plus it was just a beautiful day in Paris, sunny and crisp.

Other than that I have been keeping a pretty low profile. I have a delightful new (home) office. Thanks to IKEA. It's heavenly to be at a real desk with a comfy office chair. Also, I decided to start training for the Annecy Half-Marathon on April 13th. If anyone wants to join me? Please do! I am excited to set a goal and go after it. So all in all, things are going well. The tourists have arrived in our little village and there is excitement and activities going on all around. I'm off for a little espresso at my favorite cafe. Also, just a side note, I have decided to commit to updating my blog twice weekly. Tuesday and Friday. We'll see how that goes but I think it makes posting easier if I set a schedule. Hope all is well with you!

Thursday 17 January 2008

sunny disposition

Q:Why do I love living in the Alps?

A:I get to spend my lunch break skiing in powder. A couple hours and I am back down the mountain refreshed and ready to work.

Q: Why am I so excited for January 2009?

A: Stories like this won't be in the news or quotes like..."I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be -- hold hands." --George W. Bush, on how he can contribute to the Middle East peace process, Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 2008.

Monday 14 January 2008

weekend update

Quick update: We had our anniversary dinner at newly renovated, Le Bistro in Chamonix. Menu decouverte - truffes. 4 courses, black truffles in everyone. Need I say more? It was delicious. DEE-LICIOUS.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Saturday: Leisurely grocery shopping at the organic grocery store. I love walking in to the place because it smells like PCC or Whole Foods. I feel right at home.

Back home, I puttered around inside as it continued to snow outside. I read and napped and waited until the very last minute to make a lemon cake for our post volleyball buffet. Despite the time crunch and thanks to some rapid cooling on the window sill in the chilly weather, it was glazed and ready when it was time to leave. (and was very well received, I am happy to report.)

First volleyball match after the break, we were sluggish! We won the first two games but were down 22-16 in the third. I rattled off about 7 serves and tied it up. We finished it 26-24 and I got to end it on on a big kill from the back row. Lots of fun.

Sunday: I helped out at the World Cup Skier Cross competition. It was a gorgeous day with fresh new snow and beautiful sunshine. If you aren't familiar with such a competition, it's essentially 4 skiers go down a course with lots of big jumps as fast as they can and whomever crosses the finish line first wins, or the top 2 move on to the next round depending where they are in the competition. To distinguish between the skiers they must wear colored pinnies or dossards. There was a shortage of dossards so my job was to collect them from the skiers at the finish of the race and then take the ski-lift up to the start of the race and hand them off and then ski down and repeat. It turned out we had enough people helping that you could take your time and hang out and watch a fair amount of the race. I took advantage of the sunshine and hung out at the top of the race. And in a show of extreme vanity, I placed myself right behind the gates where the skiers start so that I would be on Eurosport.

The final race finished and they made it through the day with only one dislocated shoulder and one broken nose. It's tends to be a pretty dangerous sport. They last time I helped out with this someone broke a leg and was airlifted off the mountain. I felt so bad for the girl that dislocated her shoulder she was still wearing her dossard and the woman in charge of getting the pinnies kept asking her for hers, if she could help her take it off, I mean literally in her face. The poor girl didn't even have her arm back in the socket when the woman kept asking for her pinnie. The doctor's finally convinced her to lay-off and from that point on she was helpful and held the girl's hand while they were trying to put her arm back in place. I was there when the guy came through with a broken nose, his pinnie was blood covered. I'm surprised she didn't harass him. Get out a little Javel and try to scrub it down. I asked his team doctor if the guy wanted a ride down on a snowmobile since I heard the injured skiing saying he really wanted to move as little as possible. He said, "Hell no, he's a cowboy. He's fine." I hope the french didn't hear that between Dubya and this guy it's no wonder they think everyone is from Texas and likes to rope and ride.

Finished up the evening by bundling up and and watching the freestyle half-pipe competition with Alex. I had on my big down mittens and ski pants and parka. Definitely sacrificed style for comfort and warmth. Thank goodness I did. It was fun and there were a lot of people that turned out to watch the event. We rounded out the evening with some mexican food or you know as close as you can get here. All in all, a great weekend.

Sunday 6 January 2008

le 6 janvier

You are so much fun to be with, Alex. I love you even more than I did this day one year ago. I remember being so proud of you and of us and how wonderful it felt to announce in front of everyone that this was for real, forever. You amaze me with your thoughtfulness and your kindness. You make me laugh like no one else. This first year was wild. It was fun, a learning experience for both of us and it went by in a flash. Some of the best moments were spent just you and I hanging out and enjoying being together. No matter the country, the language, the day or the week, I love being with you. Thank you for making me your wife. Thank you for making this life, this adventure such a beautiful experience. Je t'aime mon poisson.

Thursday 3 January 2008

in the year 2000...

It’s nice to have 2008 stretching out in front of me. There’s so much to be done so much potential. I hope to be a bit more interesting, a bit more controversial in my blogging this year. Sometimes I get bogged down by thinking about who is reading and that tends to hinder what I write. I have held back a bit and I think this year I am going to let go to expression, give myself a little more space to make mistakes and be more open to others. Sometimes I find myself internalizing much more than I should and it’s time to share the wealth. And the owl? I don’t know, I made it. I like it. Bring on the New Year!