October 2007 Archives

I've decided can't let the little things get to me (years and years and years after everyone has been telling me the same thing). I'm taking things a little slower and if it doesn't all get done, then it simply doesn't all get done. I'm starting yoga classes. I'm reading more. I've picked up my knitting again.

This weekend has been about finding ways not to worry about the little things (despite the strikes cramping my social life a little). Podcasting sillyness, dinner with friends, new and exciting projects, travelling plans.

Today we went to the market, as we do whenever we are at home on a Sunday. Celery branches. Spring onions. Firm eggplant. So many capsicums. Zucchini. Grapes from Italy. Figs, bursting with sugar. Potatoes that will need a lot of washing in order to be used. Pink Garlic. Basil. Delicious coriander that I started munching on before we had even paid. Enormous Coeur de boeuf tomatoes. Fromage frais. Livarot. Saint-Félicien. And of course a still-warm baguette. Our bags were over-flowing.

We didn't have much to do this afternoon, so we piled up all the vegetables on the kitchen bench and made freezer food for the next few weeks. Curries. Soups. The obligatory bolognaise sauce. We felt very productive, and connected.

As Sylvain stirred a green curry with a glass of pineau in his hand, and I leaned against the fridge, nursing my vodka and orange juice, we laughed and talked about what we're doing this week, this month, this year. Ordinaryness is not such a bad thing. These are the little things that I like to worry about.

Oh, and if you haven't listened to the podcast lately, go over and check it out - we've been talking about some really interesting subjects lately, including what "home" means and the challenges of learning and living multiple languages. And laughing about it, of course.

I woke up at 7.30 yesterday morning and looked through the window at the darkness outside - and realised that I've basically missed the summer this year. Overwhelmed with too much stuff going on, I've only been able to enjoy those long summer evenings a few times this year, and now with the seasons changing again, I feel like this whole year has flown by so quickly that I've barely been able to catch my breath.

Things have to change. I can't keep going at this pace and think that I can keep on top of it all. The little scare a few weeks ago is still not over, and I need to find a way to relax, to find the time to breathe. Leaving work at 5.30 on the dot for three nights in a row is a good start, but it's only the beginning. We need to make some changes in our life.

But despite all this, I've been doing lots of exciting things lately. I spent a crazy busy week in Orléans, got lots of compliments on my accent, drank champagne and ate a gourmet dinner in a château in the Loire Valley (someone's gotta do it), drank lots of juice, took lots of photos, discussed travelling plans with Sylvain.

This week at work has been slow, punctuated by a massive strike that began in France today, and which looks to continue tomorrow. The strike is so big that the two train stations near our apartment are closed and we can't get in to work, so this morning we slept in and worked from home today in our pajamas (with Symphony running delightedly between us), and are planning to do the same tomorrow. Sure, it cramps our social life, but at least it's an excuse to take things a little slower and live life at our own pace. As long as it doesn't last for too long. We only have half the season of Heroes and the second season of Desperate Housewives to watch. After that, we'll be making our own entertainment - I'll have to make up a musical or something.

This week's highlights have included numerous visits to the new juice bar near my work, the purchase of two new books, an Amazon order (with Heroes and Desperate Housewives in it) to look forward to, the company of a couple of good friends yesterday, and the acquisition of a toasted sandwich maker which has led to a number of deep and meaningful conversations between Sylvain and I about which recipe is best - the marriage of home-made cajun spiced chicken with sun-dried tomatoes or that of grilled eggplant and capsicum with lightly seasoned chicken - our conclusion is that you just have to have one of each.

The lowlights of this week have been the long hours. Getting home at the end of a long day means that Sylvain looks at me with big, sad, worried eyes. When he looks at me like that, I feel like it would almost be better if he yelled at me. I thought I was getting much better at the end of the week, but the combination of my sniffles and lots of laughing and talking yesterday caused lots of coughing last night. I'm feeling better today, but I have no antibiotics left, and what's worse is that I'll be away at a conference all week, so I'll just have to see how it goes.

I think that after this week is over, I'll need to slow down a little. So today I'm curled up on the couch looking up deals for long weekend getaways. I'm desperately hankering to go to the Maldives or Jamaica, but we'll need more than a few days for that, so we'll keep that up our sleeve for next time. Any ideas of the best places to go at the end of October?

It's just one thing after another. Last week I had a little... how do we say... incident, which involved me not feeling all that well. I had to have some icky tests on the weekend, like that one where they put you in a tube and things spin around your head, but that's all ok. Now we just have to look elsewhere and see what we can come up with. And on top of all that? I have a head so full of snot that I can barely blink without stuff oozing out of my nose, and I have to make sure I don't make any sudden moves because things get a bit drippy. Amazingly attractive, I know. But I always have a better accent in French when my head is stuffy so it's not all bad.

I'm just glad that I had the foresight to make a huge batch of bolognaise sauce, green curry and minestrone on Sunday and now the only effort we have to make this week is to put things into the microwave. I'm a genius.

But I'm not moping around feeling sorry for myself every day. Things are good in my life, I just have to figure out how to juggle it all and have fun. So in the meantime, go and listen to the podcast. It's worth it. Really.