So, due to a series of family tragedies my boss has decided to close shop. He said that he would pay me the check that he owes me on the 1st of december but i somehow doubt that i'll be getting that (although i really do need it for rent, bills, savings, etc). so here i am... unemployed. we still have some saving to do to be able to make it to scotland in april, i obviously still have bills to pay until then and the market is bare. i'm doing my best to find something but i fear that i will end up at yet another coffee shop making just enough to make ends meet (i hope).
my father and my father in law have said that they won't let it come down to us not having the money to move, so that's one good thing.
really there's no other news. i have tons of packing to do, lots of furniture and books, etc to give away (or sell) and only a few months to do it in.
i can't wait to move and to have all of this stress behind me (and i hope to find a job soon- i know it won't be until after the thanksgiving holidays but i really need something to materialize).
i hope that all of you who read this (and know me personally) are planning on coming out and visiting once we're out there and settled. you know i love you all and would love to have you come visit any time you like.
again, just keeping you posted as to what's up with me.
we'll be doing lots of fun nola stuff in the time that we have left here so if any of you find yourselves in new orleans give us a call and we'll go have an adventure!!
hope you're all well.
happy thanksgiving
i'm thankful for the love of my family and friends.
i'm thankful that i have a place to live and food on my table.
i'm thankful that i have a good life and a chance at an even better one.
i'm thankful that me, my friends and family are all safe, happy (for the most part), and healthy.
i'm thankful for all of you.
much love to you all.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thanksgiving is Neigh (and christmas and new year's and mardi gras)
amazingly enough thanksgiving is fast approaching. here in new orleans thanksgiving sparks off a series of holidays that doesn't end until february 24th.
first we begin with tofurkey day. somehow that doesn't seem to end until almost the end of november. everyone has that 4 day weekend during which they gorge themselves and sleep way too much (i won't even mention the drinking). for some it is a time to spend with loved ones and family-- a happy occasion filled with laughter and fun. for others it's the time of the year during which you can't escape the people you do your best to ignore for 10 months out of the year.
my brother, robin, always says that it's his favorite holiday. there's lots of food, no obligatory presents, drink, merriment and the odd familial argument that is forgotten as soon as there are plates on the table laden with food (at which point all differences are put aside).
i agree with him to a certain extent. not much is expected of anyone on thanksgiving. you show up (either alone or with your wife/husband/partner/kids) and you sit around with people you've known all of your life and you simply eat until you pass out. there is no pressure (except the pressure put on the poor sod that has to cook everything- a good way to alleviate this is to have everyone bring something to the table. let that one person cook the turkey- or tofurkey, as the case may be- and let everyone else bring something that is instrumental to the meal). if everyone pitches in with the dishes then it should be a stress-free holiday for all. it's the perfect time to reminisce about all of the insane things your parents/spouses/siblings/kids have done in the past (but keep it light-hearted so that nobody gets offended!). good laughs can be had by all and it's a perfect familial bonding day.
as soon as thanksgiving is over, however, the rush towards christmas has begun. the day (and weekend) after this most precious of holidays is instantly taken over by the christmas rush. correct me if i'm wrong but isn't the day after thanksgiving known as black friday? the friday (and weekend) after thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day/weekend of the year!! nothing like getting a jump on things!!
so, after thanksgiving we have less than a month to decorate (buy trees and lights and all of that nonsense-- not to mention presents for everyone you've ever met. it's not a time for just spending time with family. it's a time to see if you are going to get what you've been angling for all year. unlike thanksgiving, christmas is not a low-pressure familial romp down memory lane. it's a time to feign delight at the socks that your auntie margret got you (even though you're 30 and you have more socks than you know what to do with). it's not a time of laughing together with no strings attached, it's a time to guage how well your family and friends know you (and how much they like you-- if they get you something at all, that is). christmas dinner can be quite pleasant (if people aren't still bitter about the wonky presents that they've received) but the main thought on everyone's mind is always, 'why didn't i get what i really wanted?'. i, for a long time, labored under the delusion that christmas was a time when we were grateful that our loved ones thought enough about us to go get us presents at all, that it was a spiritual holiday, that we should be happy to be alive and together and to sing carols and one another's praises. i suppose i was wrong.
then, not a week later we have new year's to deal with... plans to go out (parties, bars, intimate celebrations, morning hangovers, resolutions-- and then (in new orleans on new year's day- it's time for cabbage and black-eyed peas- cabbage means wealth all year round and black-eyed peas are for a year's worth of health) for the rest of the world it is then done and dusted...
the holiday season is over and done with-- unless you're in new orleans.
as soon as the new year starts we in new orleans have something altogether different to contend with... the beginning of mardi gras. this year (the 24th of february) is mardi gras day. the parades begin about 3 weeks before the day itself but preparations for the day begin almost as soon as new year's is over with. mardi gras itself is sooo much fun but when you pack holiday on top of holiday it gets a little exhausting. all you want is a break from having to be around everyone you know all of the time.
ok, that's not really totally true. i love being with my family on thanksgiving. i love giving them presents on christmas. i love seeing in the new year. i love seeing my friends on mardi gras.
it all just seems (as i get older, i suppose) that it's just one thing on top of another. it all starts at the end of november and then goes straight on through until the end of february!!
maybe i am an old lady or maybe i'm just old hat at the new orleans non-stop partying and it's wearing me out. i bet you anything that when i move i'll miss it though. no thanksgiving in the uk, no mardi gras... just that week of christmas and new years. now i think that that's it's exhausting. perhaps at this time next year i'll be bored and i'll be pining for the non-stop excitement of my hometown.
i guess we'll just have to wait and see...
first we begin with tofurkey day. somehow that doesn't seem to end until almost the end of november. everyone has that 4 day weekend during which they gorge themselves and sleep way too much (i won't even mention the drinking). for some it is a time to spend with loved ones and family-- a happy occasion filled with laughter and fun. for others it's the time of the year during which you can't escape the people you do your best to ignore for 10 months out of the year.
my brother, robin, always says that it's his favorite holiday. there's lots of food, no obligatory presents, drink, merriment and the odd familial argument that is forgotten as soon as there are plates on the table laden with food (at which point all differences are put aside).
i agree with him to a certain extent. not much is expected of anyone on thanksgiving. you show up (either alone or with your wife/husband/partner/kids) and you sit around with people you've known all of your life and you simply eat until you pass out. there is no pressure (except the pressure put on the poor sod that has to cook everything- a good way to alleviate this is to have everyone bring something to the table. let that one person cook the turkey- or tofurkey, as the case may be- and let everyone else bring something that is instrumental to the meal). if everyone pitches in with the dishes then it should be a stress-free holiday for all. it's the perfect time to reminisce about all of the insane things your parents/spouses/siblings/kids have done in the past (but keep it light-hearted so that nobody gets offended!). good laughs can be had by all and it's a perfect familial bonding day.
as soon as thanksgiving is over, however, the rush towards christmas has begun. the day (and weekend) after this most precious of holidays is instantly taken over by the christmas rush. correct me if i'm wrong but isn't the day after thanksgiving known as black friday? the friday (and weekend) after thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day/weekend of the year!! nothing like getting a jump on things!!
so, after thanksgiving we have less than a month to decorate (buy trees and lights and all of that nonsense-- not to mention presents for everyone you've ever met. it's not a time for just spending time with family. it's a time to see if you are going to get what you've been angling for all year. unlike thanksgiving, christmas is not a low-pressure familial romp down memory lane. it's a time to feign delight at the socks that your auntie margret got you (even though you're 30 and you have more socks than you know what to do with). it's not a time of laughing together with no strings attached, it's a time to guage how well your family and friends know you (and how much they like you-- if they get you something at all, that is). christmas dinner can be quite pleasant (if people aren't still bitter about the wonky presents that they've received) but the main thought on everyone's mind is always, 'why didn't i get what i really wanted?'. i, for a long time, labored under the delusion that christmas was a time when we were grateful that our loved ones thought enough about us to go get us presents at all, that it was a spiritual holiday, that we should be happy to be alive and together and to sing carols and one another's praises. i suppose i was wrong.
then, not a week later we have new year's to deal with... plans to go out (parties, bars, intimate celebrations, morning hangovers, resolutions-- and then (in new orleans on new year's day- it's time for cabbage and black-eyed peas- cabbage means wealth all year round and black-eyed peas are for a year's worth of health) for the rest of the world it is then done and dusted...
the holiday season is over and done with-- unless you're in new orleans.
as soon as the new year starts we in new orleans have something altogether different to contend with... the beginning of mardi gras. this year (the 24th of february) is mardi gras day. the parades begin about 3 weeks before the day itself but preparations for the day begin almost as soon as new year's is over with. mardi gras itself is sooo much fun but when you pack holiday on top of holiday it gets a little exhausting. all you want is a break from having to be around everyone you know all of the time.
ok, that's not really totally true. i love being with my family on thanksgiving. i love giving them presents on christmas. i love seeing in the new year. i love seeing my friends on mardi gras.
it all just seems (as i get older, i suppose) that it's just one thing on top of another. it all starts at the end of november and then goes straight on through until the end of february!!
maybe i am an old lady or maybe i'm just old hat at the new orleans non-stop partying and it's wearing me out. i bet you anything that when i move i'll miss it though. no thanksgiving in the uk, no mardi gras... just that week of christmas and new years. now i think that that's it's exhausting. perhaps at this time next year i'll be bored and i'll be pining for the non-stop excitement of my hometown.
i guess we'll just have to wait and see...
Hope Dawns...
i know that it's a little bit late for this and that i should have posted this the night of or day after the election but i have to say congratulations to my man obama. i know that if you go back and read past entries that i was all for hillary at the beginning but i have learned the error of my ways. i couldn't be happier that obama won (and it's not just about beating out mccain). i'm still a little upset about the whole, 'si se puede' thing, but i think that i can get over that.
i do know that this marks a change in american politics and i hope and pray that he can live up to the emense burden that we've placed on his shoulders. i have faith in him and i hope that all of you do as well. i'm not sure that i ever thought that i would see the day when we would have a black president (that wasn't colin powell).
bravo, obama. i'm proud of you. i voted for you and i'm putting my faith in you (as we all are-- no pressure, mind!). good luck. i know that you can and will turn this country around. i'm proud to call you president.
my only regret is that i didn't buy a box of obama o's! they're still available as far as i can tell...
here's the link if anyone's still interested!!
http://www.airbedandbreakfast.com/obamaos
Saturday, November 22, 2008
what a pain...
so, the countdown has begun...
soon enough i will no longer be writing from the streets of katrinaville, rather i will be writing from the streets of northeastern scotland...
of course the tone will change (not that many people will notice...) but i hope to be able to strike a good balance between what was and what will be. i hope that the few people who read this will enjoy what i have planned. i know that once i move i will have a lot more time to write (and hopefully i will soon have good news about progress concerning our move!).
i just wanted to write to let all of you know that i haven't forgotten about you but that things have been a bit hectic on my end. i promise to write more as things begin to calm down and become more settled (one can but hope).
love to all and i will write again soon.
hope to hear from all of you.
xxx
nic
soon enough i will no longer be writing from the streets of katrinaville, rather i will be writing from the streets of northeastern scotland...
of course the tone will change (not that many people will notice...) but i hope to be able to strike a good balance between what was and what will be. i hope that the few people who read this will enjoy what i have planned. i know that once i move i will have a lot more time to write (and hopefully i will soon have good news about progress concerning our move!).
i just wanted to write to let all of you know that i haven't forgotten about you but that things have been a bit hectic on my end. i promise to write more as things begin to calm down and become more settled (one can but hope).
love to all and i will write again soon.
hope to hear from all of you.
xxx
nic
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