Whoops

Wow. I really haven't posted anything in a like a week! Can you say slacker?

I haven't been particularly busy. Just hung out with the hubs all weekend. Grocery shopped yesterday since it was Monday. Today has been slightly more eventful.

Tuesday means Crud. I went to crud practice and tried to work on my crud ineptitude skills. There were only four of us today, rather than the usual 6 or 7. We were far outnumbered by screaming little kids- 6 under the age of, oh, 6. All running around, screaming, demanding snacks, biting and playing Kitty Rescue Center. They are a hoot! However, that was not the high point of the practice. Oh no, I was the high point of morning when I about BUSTED MY FACE OPEN on the side of the table (which is basically a big billiards table) ! Yes, folks, that's right. I, once more, ended up face down on the floor due to my own natural "grace". Here's what happened: I grabbed the white ball from side of the table and was trying to run to the end of the table. I attempted to run around my friend Jaime when I lost my footing. My chin/lowerjaw collided with the corner of wood right next to the corned pocket. I ended up crumpled up on the floor, face in my hands. My eyes watered by I actually didn't cry, big surprise there. There was a slight metallic taste in my mouth. I was about to freak out, not because I smashed my face into an oversized pool table, but because I thought I had knocked my bottom loose if not a few completely out of place! If you didn't know, I have nightmare about my teeth falling out. Thankfully, my teeth are still completely in place and completely stuck in my jaw. We actually played another game after. I even went to lunch with with them afterward and made friends with a few of the little boys. They are so cute!

Rest of Tuesday? Cleaned the entire bathroom including scrubbing the litter box- big fun! Now, I'm working on laundry, listening to Michael Buble- lovin' it! Making Spicy Mango Chicken and roasted veggies for dinner. And you can bet when he gets home, Gerrit will be kissin' my boo boo to make it all better!   : )

One of *Those* Days

I'm having one of those days where I just feel altogether discouraged.

If there is something I want to happened or have been working to achieve, it just feels like its going in the complete opposite direction. You know what I mean? One example: finding employment. I just don't know what I am supposed to do. I have applied for jobs that I believe I am more than capable of doing and that I think I could stand for any period of time. I will not work at a job where I am going to hate every minute and not want to do the best I could possibly do. So far, the total number of jobs possibilities I have heard anything back from- ZERO. Well, that not including the confirmation I got from DODEA saying that they got my application. Doesn't anyone even finding me deserving of a stinkin' interview?!?!?

At this point, all I can do is pray about each of these situations in my life. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what God has planned for me here in England. I have never had a whole heap of patience but I am trying wholeheartedly to improve this. I'm trying to trust God with these situations and not question His plans and His time line for these things in my life. Sometimes, I wish He'd just be a little bit more direct- I don't do subtle very well but I don't thing He is very big into stating the obvious. If only there I can figure out a way to meet somewhere in the middle...

It's just been a rough morning...

Tuesday

Today, I played Crud* for the very first time at my very first crud practice. What is crud????  This is crud. There is a tournament coming up at the end of September and I decided to jump in on the fun. Evedentally, this is a big AF thing. Some people are easy going and some people... are hardcore... even at practice. Lots frantic scrabbling around a large billiards table. Hip checks. Flying elbows. Tons of laughter.

Usually not a mean spirited person, it took two hours before I braved hip checking anyone, not wanting to offend any of my new friends. Rather, they were encouraging the violence and told me I stop being so nice or I was to get pummeled at the tournament. On my second hip check, my opponent moved unexpectedly, graceful me toppled to the ground, trying to cling to the table and still make a shot before the ball was dead- sadly, I failed at the shot but succeeded in making everyone laugh and share more hip checking stories!

Next practice: Thursday morning. I must remember my game face and leave my nicer, friendlier self at home and bring uber-competitive, playground-bullies-couldn't-make-me-flinch Lindsay out of the closet.

The rest of Tuesday? 4 loads of laundry (how does my husband generate that much laundry in a single week?? There are only two of us!!!) including a load of blue, skyping, enjoying my Be Thankful candle from *Yankee Candle (ridiculously scrumptious smelling), and enjoying yet another great book.

Monday

It was a good weekend at the Steenbergens. Cambridge Saturday afternoon and two birthday shindigs that evening. Got my fill of sushi and walking that day! And Sunday, we relaxed around the house, went the gym, cleaned house and watched Monsters vs Aliens, which by the way, was HILARIOUS! Loved it!

Now it is Monday and it's back to skewed sleep schedules, running errands, cooking dinner, and cooler weather, once more. I am finding that I like cooler weather much more than warm when your house does not have AC. I think I might have actually cheered when I saw rainy 60s weather in the forecast for this week.

(As I type, I'm watching George try to shove himself through the mail slot...)

Today, I must squeeze in grocery shopping, working out, and showering around going to a doctors appointment, that hopefully, they didn't change without notifying me.They have Gerrit's number on record and called his phone on Thursday evening . It was an automated call with number prompts, and he didn't answer it before it went to voice mail. Hopefully, they were calling to confirm the appt and not to change or cancel it, considering I have been trying to make an appt for weeks!

However, I am ridiculously excited to be making a big ole pot of chili tonight! It's is wet and rainy and cold enough for Gerrit to wear a jacket so it is perfect first chili of the Fall weather  : )

Did you know that I....

Did you know that I...

..meow? Seriously, I absentmindedly meow when I'm happy.

..absolutely loathe opossums? I saw a commercial with one in it the other day and I seriously winced and almost fell on the treadmill. Not joking one bit here.

.. hate the act of traveling because it causes my stress level to skyrocket, to the point of making me physically ill and sometimes have panic attacks? Don't get me wrong, I love to see other places and explore. It's the getting there that bothers me- like the airports, flying, driving around on unfamiliar roads. *Shudders thinking about it*

..love breakfast? Big breakfasts with toast, bacon, waffles, pancakes, sausage, hashbrowns, biscuits, cereal, oatmeal, fresh fruit, and eggs. LOVE IT ALL. I could possibly eat a HUGE breakfast every single morning and never get tired of it. I could probably eat it twice a day. I'm pretty sure I did that on Tuesday.  :D

..have never ever in my life moved until I moved from Kentucky to England? I moved across the hall, once, when I was 3 or 4, to a bigger bedroom... does that count??? I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

.. was born and raised in the state famous for horses and the Kentucky Derby but have NEVER ridden one? I've always wanted to. I always thought my parents would say know to horseback riding lessons.

..can only ever remember eating at Waffle House twice in my life? Both were in college, and both were with the hubs while we were dating.

..have OCD and have some sort of routine/ritual for everything I do? I have one for getting ready for the gym, leaving the house in general, showering/getting dressed, just to name a few. Each one involves to certain things in an exact- or almost exact- order every single time.

.. am afraid aforementioned OCD will take over my life in my later years?

..made myself cry the other night when I had the random thought that if any of my babies are allergic to cats, I will have to find a new home for George? Yep, definitely did. Gerrit was in bed, and I was on the couch reading a book when it hit me. AND I did it again last night telling Gerrit that I did it the night before.

Homesickness

So I've been really homesick the last two or three weeks- to the point of dreaming (multiple nights in a row) about being back in Kentucky at the my parent's house. I haven't talked to any of my friends in Ky in weeks. I think I've skyped with my mom shortly, maybe once or twice. It's just hard to be here without my support system. I never realized how wealthy I was- was in the sense of when I lived in Kentucky. Two wonderful parents who are not only that, but are also friends as well. Three of the bestest friends a girl possibly ask for- have I ever mentioned I met them in elementary school??? A whole gaggle of good friends from high school, church, college. On almost any given day of the week, I had some sort of date or event with one or more of the wonderful people. If I didn't, they were only a phone call away, sometimes even closer than that, if I needed anything. A hug, a listening ear, advice, a laugh, a little extra strength. Someone to go shopping or run errands with.. To go to lunch, dinner, or the movies with. To make peanut butter pie or puppy chow with. To play volleyball or walk around the park with. Here in England, I feel rather poor. I have no extremely good girl friends with whom I have bonded- just a bunch of acquaintances, people with whom I can go grab lunch and sit there talking, getting to know each other. No best friends who know me and love me exactly as I am, whom I could depend on to be there ASAP if I called and need them. Yes, I have my wonderful husband but who is also my best friend. But alas, he is only one man.

I am not only homesick for Kentucky- I am heartsick for those dear, wonderful people I had to leave behind.

Stream of Consciousness

I have lacked both motivation and topics to blog about since the last. I'm still struggling with sleepiness and being exhausted. Last time I had something like this happen was due to lack of iron because I wasn't eating meat at the time. But I don't think that is the issue this time. I eat meat on a regular basis- it's kind of hard not to when your husband won't live on chick food. Definition of chick food: fruit, yogurt, veggies, cereal, more veggies, salad, etc. It is definitely not a lack of exercise 'cause I get plenty of that. I should be overloaded with endorphins with as much time as I put in at the gym. I sleep pretty much through the night with the exception of when Gerrit's alarm goes off. But I almost never have a hard time getting back to sleep. There is still plenty of sunshine most days so I don't think its lack of Vit D.... It's rather frustrating.... Rather like the job situation. It drives me crazy that employers give the excuse that you do not have enough experience. Well how the heck am I supposed to get hired if no one will give me experience? Does my college degree and background not at least give you some idea of my work ethic, motivation, and IQ- that I just may be able to excel in a job for which I have no experience? That I am smart enough and determined enough to learn the job and do it to the best of my ability? Would it not motivate me to work harder to show that I am capable of doing said job equally as well as anyone who has experience just to prove that experience isn't always a necessary requirement for some jobs? Everyone has to start somewhere. If employers won't give me the chance to start, how am I supposed to find a job??