November is my favorite month of the year!
Yes - One can have a favorite month!
It is autumn. The leaves are changing color. The temperature has finally cooled off. Soup is a daily meal. I'm most likely wearing jeans. Thanksgiving is approaching.
November is my birthday month! I have been known to use the entire 30 days to celebrate my birthday! I'm already amazed that today is the 5th, so that will not be the case this year. I believe that I will just celebrate the day.
What has thrown me off this year is TIME. It all started with the time change. In the USA, most states follow the Daylight Savings Time schedule and this past Sunday we returned to Standard time. Singapore, with its proximity to the equator, has no need to observe daylight savings as there are almost 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness year round. Belgium is so far north that even on standard time there are very few hours of sunlight in the autumn/winter!!
I usually look forward to the return to standard time as it usually means getting an extra hour of sleep. However, as one gets older, this is NOT the case! All week my body is still thinking it needs to wake up at my regular time! You would think I would use this extra hour in the morning wisely and get lots accomplished. So far it has meant me lying around in my pajamas an extra hour and another cup of tea before I get around to starting my day! So I have NOT benefited from this extra hour!!!!! Worse yet, I feel I have lost the critical hour in the evening before supper!! We don't eat supper until 6:30 or 7pm because I like to eat together as a family and the Engineer has a horrible commute so he doesn't arrive home till then! This week, by the time I have supper on the table, it is totally dark and feels like 10:30pm and that the kids should have been in bed hours ago!!!! You also might think that I would be wise and go to bed on time as it already feels like midnight, but NO! Last night, the TV sucked me in with election results! I kept saying I'll go to bed after the next polls close! Ha! It was ridiculous as they were just predictions and not official results.
So MoustacheMan will ask me what this has to do with repatriation and I'm going to say nothing really other than I didn't have to deal with this on my last expat assignment - Daylight savings or election results as we mailed in our ballots and Singapore TV didn't cover moment by moment election results!
All in all - I just feel short on time. I need more time to cook, clean, plan, organize, exercise. . . . . just to live life! It just seems as if I've been robbed of it!
Ecclesiastes 3:1 - There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
The Autumn Update
Autumn officially started back on September 21st or 22nd - about a month ago! I will excuse myself for failing to document this in the blog because I live in Texas! Correction - I live in Southern Texas! Autumn doesn't occur in Texas until late October and possibly not until late November. This year it might actually be starting now. We have had a few cool mornings where it starts off in the low 50's F.
As an expat in Singapore - I missed the Autumn season the most! For those who don't know, Singapore is 90 miles from the Equator and doesn't ever experience seasons other than the monsoons which just means more rain. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Singapore was 70F!!!!!
I don't know what it is about a cool, crisp morning, but it wakes you up and makes you feel energized and ready to conquer anything.
There are some things that mark this autumn and make it unique for our family.
We have been in this house a year now! If feels weird to say that. In some ways, It seems we've been here a looonnnngggg-long time, but in other ways, it was just yesterday we were in Singapore. I'd like to think that we are settled, but we aren't quite there! Last year, at this time, I was surrounded by towers of sea shipment and storage boxes trying to figure out the best place for all our "stuff" in this brand new house that still was somewhat under construction! Believe it or not - I STILL have contractors coming to my house to fix the things that weren't done properly. However, I can honestly say that I have opened every box and though I may not have a place for everything, I do have a goal that by next summer I want to be settled. Don't ask me to define - settled! I am told I have 2 years to get settled!
I have a YLP list and the Engineer has a spreadsheet. Both, I would say have 3/4 of the items crossed off so I believe next summer is an attainable goal!
The pool and the landscaping are finally done.
Autumn is also hunting season for those who don't know. Mine was marked with the acquisition of the deer mount of the the buck from last season coming home to hang above the fireplace in my new home.
I am told that I am a wonderful, understanding wife. I suppose I am because my neighbour isn't so lucky. All his mounts are hanging up in his garage and I am amazed that they are still looking good with all the heat and humidity in southern Texas!
For those of you ladies who are married to good ol' boys, there is an awesome book titled The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle. It is a good book that finds the humour in marriage and life in general. I laughed out loud several times and thought, "She must be a fly on the wall in my house, this has happened to us!" Incidentally, Melanie also has a blog titled Bigmama that I find quite amusing. I learned about it from the Pioneer Woman's blog. Both women are close to my age and I find I could easily be best buds with them! We just haven't met yet!
October 5th was Chewbacca the wookie dog's 1st birthday. No - I didn't make him a cake or anything. He got bacon in his bowl! He's a good dog. Still cute, and knows it! He is the great lizard hunter! Such a gross past time, but he's so proud of catching them. He also likes dragonflies, but they are way too fast for him.
Autumn means planting mums and dianthus! I'm not ready to take on fall vegetable gardening yet. That will be a next year thing - after I'm settled! But look what I found crawling around the air conditioner.
Autumn also means wearing jeans & boots!
Autumn also means cooking! Soups, Gumbos, stews! Acorn & butternut squashes! Brussel Sprouts, rutabagas and parsnips. Baking - Pumpkins, apples & pears. Cranberries - Oh, I LOVE cranberries.
These are all things that make your house smell so good and yummy. It makes you want to invite people over.
This weekend I made homemade cranberry bread.
I also made roast - recipe from Finecooking.com Pot Roast with Fruit & Chipotle Sauce.
These were gone before I remembered to take pictures for the Blog. - Still learning . . .
What I love about Autumn is it makes me grateful! I slow down . . . stop . . . look around. . . and appreciate all the things great and small that God has blessed me with.
Fall is my very favourite time of the year!
I don't know what it is about a cool, crisp morning, but it wakes you up and makes you feel energized and ready to conquer anything.
There are some things that mark this autumn and make it unique for our family.
We have been in this house a year now! If feels weird to say that. In some ways, It seems we've been here a looonnnngggg-long time, but in other ways, it was just yesterday we were in Singapore. I'd like to think that we are settled, but we aren't quite there! Last year, at this time, I was surrounded by towers of sea shipment and storage boxes trying to figure out the best place for all our "stuff" in this brand new house that still was somewhat under construction! Believe it or not - I STILL have contractors coming to my house to fix the things that weren't done properly. However, I can honestly say that I have opened every box and though I may not have a place for everything, I do have a goal that by next summer I want to be settled. Don't ask me to define - settled! I am told I have 2 years to get settled!
I have a YLP list and the Engineer has a spreadsheet. Both, I would say have 3/4 of the items crossed off so I believe next summer is an attainable goal!
The pool and the landscaping are finally done.
Autumn is also hunting season for those who don't know. Mine was marked with the acquisition of the deer mount of the the buck from last season coming home to hang above the fireplace in my new home.
Beautiful isn't it???!!!!
I am told that I am a wonderful, understanding wife. I suppose I am because my neighbour isn't so lucky. All his mounts are hanging up in his garage and I am amazed that they are still looking good with all the heat and humidity in southern Texas!
For those of you ladies who are married to good ol' boys, there is an awesome book titled The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle. It is a good book that finds the humour in marriage and life in general. I laughed out loud several times and thought, "She must be a fly on the wall in my house, this has happened to us!" Incidentally, Melanie also has a blog titled Bigmama that I find quite amusing. I learned about it from the Pioneer Woman's blog. Both women are close to my age and I find I could easily be best buds with them! We just haven't met yet!
October 5th was Chewbacca the wookie dog's 1st birthday. No - I didn't make him a cake or anything. He got bacon in his bowl! He's a good dog. Still cute, and knows it! He is the great lizard hunter! Such a gross past time, but he's so proud of catching them. He also likes dragonflies, but they are way too fast for him.
Autumn means planting mums and dianthus! I'm not ready to take on fall vegetable gardening yet. That will be a next year thing - after I'm settled! But look what I found crawling around the air conditioner.
I've never seen such a big caterpillar!!!!
Okay - Looked him up online - This big, green monster is the caterpillar of the Luna Moth. How cool is that! The Luna moth is about the size of a sparrow.
Autumn also means wearing jeans & boots!
Autumn also means cooking! Soups, Gumbos, stews! Acorn & butternut squashes! Brussel Sprouts, rutabagas and parsnips. Baking - Pumpkins, apples & pears. Cranberries - Oh, I LOVE cranberries.
These are all things that make your house smell so good and yummy. It makes you want to invite people over.
This weekend I made homemade cranberry bread.
I also made roast - recipe from Finecooking.com Pot Roast with Fruit & Chipotle Sauce.
These were gone before I remembered to take pictures for the Blog. - Still learning . . .
What I love about Autumn is it makes me grateful! I slow down . . . stop . . . look around. . . and appreciate all the things great and small that God has blessed me with.
. . . STOP. . .
look around you
take a moment
to
appreciate
someone or something!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Repatriation Vacation
Alrighty then! I know it has been almost two months since I've posted anything, but I was busy - really!
Almost a month of my absence from posting was spent on our first vacation since repatriating. The rest of the time was to deal with both kids going to Junior High - that's a blog for another day! I have several points to make, but hopefully they won't get lost in the rambling that goes along with blogging.
As expats in Singapore, we took many vacations (holidays). Singapore is a relatively small island filled with 5 million people. There were many days where I felt a desperate need to GET OFF THIS ISLAND BEFORE I HURT SOMEONE! Okay, it may or may not have been that bad! We went all over S.E.Asia visiting several different countries. It sounds exotic and amazing and for the most part it really was! Our family has been truly blessed by the experiences and I think we are richer for it. --- It built a lot of Character!!! Since returning to the USA, the Engineer and I have realised that our children know VERY LITTLE about their home country. We started to feel some guilt that though they have seen the Great Wall and the ruins of Angkor Wat they have not seen many of the USA's national treasures. They need some help in US geography because although they can tell you where Laos is,they were a bit unsure about where Wyoming is located!
The Engineer felt we needed to be in nature - My Louisiana country boy is still recovering from living in a metropolitan city for years! He decided we needed to show the kids Yellowstone National Park before something happened to it and it was lost forever!!! (WittyGirl was distressed about this because she did a research project in Singapore on volcanoes and discovered that Yellowstone is really a super volcano that can explode at any moment in the next 100,000 years) My parents had taken me there oh so many years ago, but of course, I was way too young to remember it! I looked into cabins and hotels - consulted Trip Advisor, tried to determine a route to take. The Engineer spent one Saturday on the computer and by supper time announced he had the trip all planned out and MOST importantly it was on a spreadsheet!!! He didn't consult my notes or anything!! I was miffed! He proceeds to explain the details of the trip . . . WHAT??!!!! . . . We are renting an RV???!!! In true Engineer fashion, this trip was planned in the most economical and efficient way possible - - -It is all on the spreadsheet so you can check your work!!!!
I was VERY skeptical about this, but in hind sight, I have to say this was the best way for our family to see Yellowstone Nat'l Park. The Engineer was right!- see Honey, I put it in writing, in my blog, for all to see - you were right! I am so VERY thankful that he didn't make us tent camp!!! The only thing is we rented a VERY LARGE 30ft RV! The Engineer also expected me to drive it some . . . . . (See earlier posts about my truck driving skills). . . . .
Incidentally - We hiked 2 1/2 miles to a geyser called the LoneStar geyser. It isn't on a regular pattern like Old Faithful, but it shoots steam about 30 feet into the air and you can get quite close to it. There were probably only 10 other people who made the hike out to the geyser and waited around for it to explode. I enjoyed it much more than Old Faithful!
Whether you are an expat, native or foreigner visiting - Yellowstone National Park is truly a treasure and a place I would recommend everyone to see.
Some things I have noted about a repatriated vacation:
*It was really nice to be able to get a room that all 4 of us could stay in without having to explain I have 2 children and they can't possibly sleep in a single bed together or in another room across the hotel from us! It was also nice not to pay extra for having a 2nd child! Didn't matter during the time in the RV.
*Most hotels in the USA provide a light breakfast for free - granted it isn't the sumptuous feast that a Marriott resort lays out, but it is free - no vouchers needed. We cooked our own meals in the RV and dined with bison in the background.
*The flight was quick to me - didn't get to finish a movie or read even a quarter of my book. Still no leg room. Americans are NOT nice travellers! No offence!
Almost a month of my absence from posting was spent on our first vacation since repatriating. The rest of the time was to deal with both kids going to Junior High - that's a blog for another day! I have several points to make, but hopefully they won't get lost in the rambling that goes along with blogging.
As expats in Singapore, we took many vacations (holidays). Singapore is a relatively small island filled with 5 million people. There were many days where I felt a desperate need to GET OFF THIS ISLAND BEFORE I HURT SOMEONE! Okay, it may or may not have been that bad! We went all over S.E.Asia visiting several different countries. It sounds exotic and amazing and for the most part it really was! Our family has been truly blessed by the experiences and I think we are richer for it. --- It built a lot of Character!!! Since returning to the USA, the Engineer and I have realised that our children know VERY LITTLE about their home country. We started to feel some guilt that though they have seen the Great Wall and the ruins of Angkor Wat they have not seen many of the USA's national treasures. They need some help in US geography because although they can tell you where Laos is,they were a bit unsure about where Wyoming is located!
The Engineer felt we needed to be in nature - My Louisiana country boy is still recovering from living in a metropolitan city for years! He decided we needed to show the kids Yellowstone National Park before something happened to it and it was lost forever!!! (WittyGirl was distressed about this because she did a research project in Singapore on volcanoes and discovered that Yellowstone is really a super volcano that can explode at any moment in the next 100,000 years) My parents had taken me there oh so many years ago, but of course, I was way too young to remember it! I looked into cabins and hotels - consulted Trip Advisor, tried to determine a route to take. The Engineer spent one Saturday on the computer and by supper time announced he had the trip all planned out and MOST importantly it was on a spreadsheet!!! He didn't consult my notes or anything!! I was miffed! He proceeds to explain the details of the trip . . . WHAT??!!!! . . . We are renting an RV???!!! In true Engineer fashion, this trip was planned in the most economical and efficient way possible - - -It is all on the spreadsheet so you can check your work!!!!
I was VERY skeptical about this, but in hind sight, I have to say this was the best way for our family to see Yellowstone Nat'l Park. The Engineer was right!- see Honey, I put it in writing, in my blog, for all to see - you were right! I am so VERY thankful that he didn't make us tent camp!!! The only thing is we rented a VERY LARGE 30ft RV! The Engineer also expected me to drive it some . . . . . (See earlier posts about my truck driving skills). . . . .
I did indeed drive this big thing - mostly on open highway, but I did drive in the park one afternoon!
This is Yellowstone Canyon. This was taken on my iPhone - can you believe it! Absolutely gorgeous!
I am disturbingly close to this bison!
The animals are part of what makes Yellowstone unique. These two fawns were with their mother but only about 30 feet from WittyGirl & me!
Old Faithful!
Incidentally - We hiked 2 1/2 miles to a geyser called the LoneStar geyser. It isn't on a regular pattern like Old Faithful, but it shoots steam about 30 feet into the air and you can get quite close to it. There were probably only 10 other people who made the hike out to the geyser and waited around for it to explode. I enjoyed it much more than Old Faithful!
These are the Grand Tetons - just south of Yellowstone Nat'l Park - I cannot count how many times we pulled the big RV over to take yet another picture.
Whether you are an expat, native or foreigner visiting - Yellowstone National Park is truly a treasure and a place I would recommend everyone to see.
Some things I have noted about a repatriated vacation:
*It was really nice to be able to get a room that all 4 of us could stay in without having to explain I have 2 children and they can't possibly sleep in a single bed together or in another room across the hotel from us! It was also nice not to pay extra for having a 2nd child! Didn't matter during the time in the RV.
*Most hotels in the USA provide a light breakfast for free - granted it isn't the sumptuous feast that a Marriott resort lays out, but it is free - no vouchers needed. We cooked our own meals in the RV and dined with bison in the background.
*The flight was quick to me - didn't get to finish a movie or read even a quarter of my book. Still no leg room. Americans are NOT nice travellers! No offence!
Plan to visit some place in your home country - maybe even in your home town!
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Mahjong Reunion
There are some things from expat life that you miss and if you try to recreate it for repatriated life it doesn't quite work the same.
Mahjong is that thing for me.
Let me try to define Mahjong for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about.
Mahjong is a game that originated in China. It is played all over Asia and especially in Southeast Asia! The actual game play is somewhat similar to playing Rummy. It is a game of skill, strategy and calculation. Instead of cards, the game is played with tiles with Chinese characters and symbols. It is typically played with four players representing the four winds, but you can still play it with three players. Engineers tend to play well as they can hold numbers in their heads, calculate and remember what has been played/discarded! Ordinary mahjong is easy to learn. It is more challenging when you branch out and play other hands and I think there are hundreds of hands. I play by the International Rules of Mahjong. I have Singaporean friends who wanted me to play their version of Mahjong. I was always a little skeptical as they played for money and I would have had no idea if their hands were real or not. Let's just say if you play Mahjong with a person of Chinese decent the game is a little different. For the Chinese, the symbols on the tiles and each of the hands have meanings.
Now that you have the idea . . . . .
I LOVE to play Mahjong. It could have become an addiction for me if I was a weaker person! I love the challenge of trying to win with difficult to get hands. It is one of those things that is mindless and engaging at the same time. The AWA (American Women's Association) in Singapore would have Mahjong every Monday at the club. I restricted myself to only playing once a month with the Company's Spouses group. I think it is like the Bridge groups of the 1960's here in America. Groups of women get together to play and the social aspects are nice too. Anyway, for a couple years a foursome of us would get together once a month on our own. We would gather in the morning and play until we had to catch taxis to beat our kids' school bus home - some days were close, especially if it was raining!!!! The four of us are very different women in very different stages of life, but we each had a special relationship with each other and then as a foursome. Anyway as life happens, expats get new assignments or repatriate and our little foursome was split apart. I had the great joy this week of hosting a little Mahjong reunion for our foursome. It was a fantastic day! We all just fell into place and it was as if we had never been apart! We had not played as a foursome in three years. We had such a great time!
I have taught my kids to play so I can play Mahjong on family fun night and I am about to teach my parents (they need something mentally challenging to do). I continued to play mahjong with the spouses group in Singapore until I repatriated and really enjoyed it. However, the foursome can't be replaced and it is somewhat bittersweet that we have moved on in life.
I do hope to have another Foursome of Mahjong gals someday.
Mahjong is that thing for me.
Let me try to define Mahjong for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about.
Mahjong is a game that originated in China. It is played all over Asia and especially in Southeast Asia! The actual game play is somewhat similar to playing Rummy. It is a game of skill, strategy and calculation. Instead of cards, the game is played with tiles with Chinese characters and symbols. It is typically played with four players representing the four winds, but you can still play it with three players. Engineers tend to play well as they can hold numbers in their heads, calculate and remember what has been played/discarded! Ordinary mahjong is easy to learn. It is more challenging when you branch out and play other hands and I think there are hundreds of hands. I play by the International Rules of Mahjong. I have Singaporean friends who wanted me to play their version of Mahjong. I was always a little skeptical as they played for money and I would have had no idea if their hands were real or not. Let's just say if you play Mahjong with a person of Chinese decent the game is a little different. For the Chinese, the symbols on the tiles and each of the hands have meanings.
These are the three suits in Mahjong.
Characters
Circles (Stones or Coins)
Bamboos
Other tiles are:
The Dragons: Green, Red, & White
and
The Winds
This is an example of a winning hand of Ordinary Mahjong
For ordinary mahjong you need four pungs (3 of a kind) and a pair of the same suit
OR
you need 3 pungs (3 of kind), 1 chow (a run of 3) and a pair in the same suit. Pungs in winds and dragons are acceptable.
Now that you have the idea . . . . .
I LOVE to play Mahjong. It could have become an addiction for me if I was a weaker person! I love the challenge of trying to win with difficult to get hands. It is one of those things that is mindless and engaging at the same time. The AWA (American Women's Association) in Singapore would have Mahjong every Monday at the club. I restricted myself to only playing once a month with the Company's Spouses group. I think it is like the Bridge groups of the 1960's here in America. Groups of women get together to play and the social aspects are nice too. Anyway, for a couple years a foursome of us would get together once a month on our own. We would gather in the morning and play until we had to catch taxis to beat our kids' school bus home - some days were close, especially if it was raining!!!! The four of us are very different women in very different stages of life, but we each had a special relationship with each other and then as a foursome. Anyway as life happens, expats get new assignments or repatriate and our little foursome was split apart. I had the great joy this week of hosting a little Mahjong reunion for our foursome. It was a fantastic day! We all just fell into place and it was as if we had never been apart! We had not played as a foursome in three years. We had such a great time!
I have taught my kids to play so I can play Mahjong on family fun night and I am about to teach my parents (they need something mentally challenging to do). I continued to play mahjong with the spouses group in Singapore until I repatriated and really enjoyed it. However, the foursome can't be replaced and it is somewhat bittersweet that we have moved on in life.
I do hope to have another Foursome of Mahjong gals someday.
Treasure your friends as life moves and changes quickly!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Officially Summer
Allrighty, then! As of Saturday, June 21st it is officially - SUMMER!
It amuses me to no end that the newscasters tell you to dust off your BBQ grills and get them ready for use now that it is officially Summer . . . . .
If you live in the South - - - the BBQ grill has been in use since Spring Break and if you live in South Florida the grill is in use year-round!
For those of you who live in the NORTH - I feel for you!!!! By all means, DO dust off the grill and get to barbecuing!
So this is our first official repatriated Summer. Last summer was when we actually repatriated, but it doesn't count as we spent the entire summer trying to find a place to live. I was jet-lagged and ornery, the Engineer was jet-lagged, ornery, and trying to acclimate to a new job assignment. The kids were just dazed and we were ALL living with my folks. I didn't have a car or phone. These were DARK times!!!!!
This summer is going so much better although it is weird and is taking some getting used to!!! Usually by the end of June, I am just getting over the jet lag and emerging as a human being again. I am usually shopping for clothes, shoes and all the items to take back overseas that either are too expensive over there or can't be found.
This summer I am getting adjusted to carpooling kids to different summer camps. When they aren't at camp they seem to be on the computer thus, taking over MY computer time. So I only have time to blog at 6:30 in the morning and most of the time I am not coherent at 6:30 am so THAT is why there have been a shortage of posts lately.
For our big summer plans:
The Engineer has decided we need a pool in our backyard. WittyGirl is a mermaid so she agrees.
A few weeks ago, they broke ground
We had steak for supper last night. Yum! USDA Black Angus Ribeye steak, aged just right. The Engineer picked the meat out for me and he has been teaching TechSavvySon the "Art of Mastering the Grill" - it is a right of manhood I think?!
In Singapore, a good steak was hard to come by without breaking the bank.
The last thing I'll mention about summer in the USA is the fruit! While I love the tropical fruits that were abundant in Singapore - Mangosteen, mangoes, passionfruit, dragon fruit . . .
I absolutely LOVE fresh peaches!!!! The peaches we got in Singapore never tasted quite right and were outrageously expensive!!!
I made peach and blueberry pie to go with our steak. Yum! Delicious!
Here are the pictures of the process:
The Engineer wants to know why this can't be a breakfast food. I don't know - too much sugar for that early in the morning???
It amuses me to no end that the newscasters tell you to dust off your BBQ grills and get them ready for use now that it is officially Summer . . . . .
If you live in the South - - - the BBQ grill has been in use since Spring Break and if you live in South Florida the grill is in use year-round!
For those of you who live in the NORTH - I feel for you!!!! By all means, DO dust off the grill and get to barbecuing!
So this is our first official repatriated Summer. Last summer was when we actually repatriated, but it doesn't count as we spent the entire summer trying to find a place to live. I was jet-lagged and ornery, the Engineer was jet-lagged, ornery, and trying to acclimate to a new job assignment. The kids were just dazed and we were ALL living with my folks. I didn't have a car or phone. These were DARK times!!!!!
This summer is going so much better although it is weird and is taking some getting used to!!! Usually by the end of June, I am just getting over the jet lag and emerging as a human being again. I am usually shopping for clothes, shoes and all the items to take back overseas that either are too expensive over there or can't be found.
This summer I am getting adjusted to carpooling kids to different summer camps. When they aren't at camp they seem to be on the computer thus, taking over MY computer time. So I only have time to blog at 6:30 in the morning and most of the time I am not coherent at 6:30 am so THAT is why there have been a shortage of posts lately.
For our big summer plans:
The Engineer has decided we need a pool in our backyard. WittyGirl is a mermaid so she agrees.
A few weeks ago, they broke ground
They have been working on the plumbing and electrical stuff while they wait for the gunnite to cure. The Engineer and I have been doing exciting stuff like picking out rocks . . . . We also are working on choosing tile. Once again, I will note that my husband is THE ENGINEER and a perfectionist. To me, a rock is a rock is a rock, but not so to the Engineer. Since I have absolutely NO IDEA of the structural soundness or working of the pool system, I find myself just nodding in agreement to so much of what the Engineer says. I did have a say in the tile - I hope that is the one they go with. I'll update the pictures as new stuff is added.
The Wookie dog isn't too sure what to make of the monstrosity that has taken over his backyard. I think he has decided he likes the stuff to explore.
I think he will like the pool when it is finished and will probably swim or sit on the first step. He's already wandered down in the pool to where the rainwater is trapped.
Gross - I know! Combine that with "Eau de dead frog". He thinks he's awesome.
He proceeded to eat "dead tree frog" NOTE: tree frogs are toxic to dogs!!!! I got to spend the next 48 hours cleaning up the vomit & poo caused by toxic tree frog!!!! DUMB DOG! (where are these "responsibility" learning kids of mine - ASLEEP - it is summer!)
In exciting news, the Wookie dog graduated from obedience school!
I'm not sure who got trained? He will perform any task for a treat! He snorts at you and looks like "Do I HAVE to do this?" He loves going to Petsmart though. He'll be sad when we don't go every week now.
In Singapore, a good steak was hard to come by without breaking the bank.
The last thing I'll mention about summer in the USA is the fruit! While I love the tropical fruits that were abundant in Singapore - Mangosteen, mangoes, passionfruit, dragon fruit . . .
I absolutely LOVE fresh peaches!!!! The peaches we got in Singapore never tasted quite right and were outrageously expensive!!!
I made peach and blueberry pie to go with our steak. Yum! Delicious!
Here are the pictures of the process:
The Engineer wants to know why this can't be a breakfast food. I don't know - too much sugar for that early in the morning???
DUST OFF YOUR GRILL
DIVE INTO THE POOL
AND MAKE A PIE
IT IS SUMMER!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Repatriation Anniversary
YES! This week marks the year anniversary of our repatriation to the USA!
What a year it has been! I have not been on a plane in one full year!!!!! No jet lag to deal with. I am sooooo thankful for that!
I may or may not have unpacked the last of the boxes. The year anniversary of being in our house isn't until October so I have time yet. Even so, I think you have 2 years to settle into your new place!!!! Right??? RIGHT!!!!
This week is also the first official week of Summer for our family. WittyGirl & TechSavvySon finished school last Thursday. They both did well and we are pleased with how they made the adjustment from an International school to American public school.
We shall see how they make the adjustment to regular American summer life ( If there is such a thing)
Anyway, I laid out some Summer Expectations for my kids.
Here is my thinking on the matter:
I want my kids to learn a certain amount of responsibility. As expats, one's ability to have teachable moments through common household activities is severely limited. Most expats employ a maid, most expats live in rental property, drive rented cars, don't have yards. As a result, you don't ask your kids to do things like cook a meal for the family, do laundry, help plant and weed the garden, paint a room, help dig trenches for a sprinkler system, change oil in the car and other odd jobs that come about!
So this is the first summer that we are in our OWN home where OUR rules apply and our house is at risk. We aren't in a resort, or hopping from a friend's home to a relative's home. I'm NOT being a mean mama! I'm just asking them to learn a few skills needed for life. So I shared these expectations with the kids and they both fairly melted to the floor with dread.
I'm not fooled.
They even tried to say, "No one asks their kids to do this!" My reply was that maybe no one in Singapore did, but in America that's how we do this! I may or may not have thrown in - "It builds character" and "When I was your age …"
So WittyGirl cooked supper this week for the family and TechSavvySon learned to do laundry. TSS also helped fix the sprinkler system and install a ceiling fan (under supervision from the Engineer Extraordinaire).
I think by the end of Summer the kids might be begging for another expat assignment.
I'll update you on their progress.
For those of you flying around the world … prayers for your safe travel and hope for speedy recovery from jet lag.
What a year it has been! I have not been on a plane in one full year!!!!! No jet lag to deal with. I am sooooo thankful for that!
I may or may not have unpacked the last of the boxes. The year anniversary of being in our house isn't until October so I have time yet. Even so, I think you have 2 years to settle into your new place!!!! Right??? RIGHT!!!!
This week is also the first official week of Summer for our family. WittyGirl & TechSavvySon finished school last Thursday. They both did well and we are pleased with how they made the adjustment from an International school to American public school.
We shall see how they make the adjustment to regular American summer life ( If there is such a thing)
Anyway, I laid out some Summer Expectations for my kids.
Here is my thinking on the matter:
I want my kids to learn a certain amount of responsibility. As expats, one's ability to have teachable moments through common household activities is severely limited. Most expats employ a maid, most expats live in rental property, drive rented cars, don't have yards. As a result, you don't ask your kids to do things like cook a meal for the family, do laundry, help plant and weed the garden, paint a room, help dig trenches for a sprinkler system, change oil in the car and other odd jobs that come about!
So this is the first summer that we are in our OWN home where OUR rules apply and our house is at risk. We aren't in a resort, or hopping from a friend's home to a relative's home. I'm NOT being a mean mama! I'm just asking them to learn a few skills needed for life. So I shared these expectations with the kids and they both fairly melted to the floor with dread.
I'm not fooled.
They even tried to say, "No one asks their kids to do this!" My reply was that maybe no one in Singapore did, but in America that's how we do this! I may or may not have thrown in - "It builds character" and "When I was your age …"
So WittyGirl cooked supper this week for the family and TechSavvySon learned to do laundry. TSS also helped fix the sprinkler system and install a ceiling fan (under supervision from the Engineer Extraordinaire).
I think by the end of Summer the kids might be begging for another expat assignment.
I'll update you on their progress.
For those of you flying around the world … prayers for your safe travel and hope for speedy recovery from jet lag.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
The Wookie goes to school
Remember Chewbacca - the Wookie Dog?!
Well I think he has entered the terrible two/threes in Dog years! I decided his little sassy attitude needed some adjustment and that he needed to remember who was the Alpha dog - ME!!!!
We go to training class at Petsmart and I make WIttyGirl and TechSavvySon attend also because it is good for them and it "builds character". Although WIttyGirl, has recognised that I use some of these training techniques on them.
Hey - Don't judge! Pet ownership often parallels parenting! - - - Think about it!
Chewie is brilliant! Of course, he'll do anything for a treat. Actually, he's doing pretty well - as long as there are no squirrels, birds, or other dogs to distract him from what he's suppose to be doing!
He needs practice, though. So do the kids!
Well I think he has entered the terrible two/threes in Dog years! I decided his little sassy attitude needed some adjustment and that he needed to remember who was the Alpha dog - ME!!!!
He's still a cutie pie and the problem is he knows it.
We go to training class at Petsmart and I make WIttyGirl and TechSavvySon attend also because it is good for them and it "builds character". Although WIttyGirl, has recognised that I use some of these training techniques on them.
Hey - Don't judge! Pet ownership often parallels parenting! - - - Think about it!
He's not in jail - He's on the stairs!
Chewie is brilliant! Of course, he'll do anything for a treat. Actually, he's doing pretty well - as long as there are no squirrels, birds, or other dogs to distract him from what he's suppose to be doing!
He needs practice, though. So do the kids!
Enjoy your day!
Chewie says don't forget me! I can go to school.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Sewing - and they are up!
I took on the challenge! I haven't been posting on the blog because I've been doing this!
Here's where the Engineer Extraordinaire came in. He built the frames for the curtains to hang from. I appreciate all his calculations. I think they turned out great!
What about you?
Not too bad for a person who really doesn't know how to sew! I think they are beautiful even though I know they aren't perfect. You won't know the flaws unless I point them out so - I won't!
While I was at the fabric store I found a bolt of fabric at a discount price that would be perfect to recover my dining room chairs.
Now, these chairs were in storage here in Houston for the four years I was in Singapore. They came out of storage looking a little sad! I don't know if it was the heat or humidity or what, but the seats were stained and it wasn't a pretty sight!
I don't have before pictures - which is sad because it was more work than I imagined to recover them. I have recovered chairs before (It doesn't require sewing - just a staple gun - which I am an expert with!)
These chairs, however, were a pain!!!!
The covering on the seat was the original and I think they must have been stapled with some high-powered machine! I could NOT get under the staples to remove them! They were sooooo tight! I had to call in the big guns! The Engineer Extraordinaire was busy with other "stuff" so MoustacheMan came to my rescue. He got the staples loosened with an ice pick and a hammer tapped under them and then GG and I removed them with pliers. This should have been easy! It turned into a 3 day event!
However, here are the results!
One step closer to a finished house . . .
Here's hoping you GO FOR IT on those projects that might be a little out of your comfort zone!
Remember:
I actually used a sewing machine!
Then, I actually used thread and needle.
Here's where the Engineer Extraordinaire came in. He built the frames for the curtains to hang from. I appreciate all his calculations. I think they turned out great!
What about you?
Not too bad for a person who really doesn't know how to sew! I think they are beautiful even though I know they aren't perfect. You won't know the flaws unless I point them out so - I won't!
While I was at the fabric store I found a bolt of fabric at a discount price that would be perfect to recover my dining room chairs.
Now, these chairs were in storage here in Houston for the four years I was in Singapore. They came out of storage looking a little sad! I don't know if it was the heat or humidity or what, but the seats were stained and it wasn't a pretty sight!
I don't have before pictures - which is sad because it was more work than I imagined to recover them. I have recovered chairs before (It doesn't require sewing - just a staple gun - which I am an expert with!)
These chairs, however, were a pain!!!!
The covering on the seat was the original and I think they must have been stapled with some high-powered machine! I could NOT get under the staples to remove them! They were sooooo tight! I had to call in the big guns! The Engineer Extraordinaire was busy with other "stuff" so MoustacheMan came to my rescue. He got the staples loosened with an ice pick and a hammer tapped under them and then GG and I removed them with pliers. This should have been easy! It turned into a 3 day event!
However, here are the results!
I LOVE THEM!
One step closer to a finished house . . .
Here's hoping you GO FOR IT on those projects that might be a little out of your comfort zone!
Remember:
"It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" - The Nester
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
It's curtains for me!
Curtains, drapes, shades, shutters, blinds - they are all window treatments!
They are the bane of my existence at the present moment!
As an expat, I didn't have to worry too much with window treatments. Both in Belgium and Singapore, we rented our condo and flat. The Landlords provided window treatments as part of our lease agreement. They were still a source of contention with the Engineer though, as the lease agreements required that the drapes be cleaned before we handed the condo back over to the landlord. Both places charged an exorbitant fee for this service. In Belgium - I agreed with my husband that this was an unnecessary expense as we were there less than a year and I don't think it is good for drapes to be cleaned too often as they tend to shrink and become distorted with each washing. In Singapore, we lived there for four years and the geckos, I think, hid in the folds of the drapes and left little presents! GROSS - I know! But remember, geckos are your friends as they eat the other critters that I'd rather not deal with! So while I do think the drapes needed to be cleaned - I didn't agree with the cost to clean them. $2,000 was one quote we got - I only had 5 windows with drapes! My comment was that you could buy new ones for that price!!!!! A wonderful, expat friend gave me the name of a lady who did it for 1/3 that price. Thank God! but it still left a bitter taste with the Engineer!
The Engineer and I have totally different views on window treatments. I think they complete the look of a home- make it cozy. The Engineer believes they are a complete waste of money. They serve the function of blocking the sun and providing some privacy, but (on the spreadsheets) they don't ever add up (meaning the money they cost, you never get back)!
The one thing we agree about window treatments is they are ridiculously expensive!
We bought a new home (never been lived in before)! The new trend is to have very large windows. I love the natural light and the openness these windows create! However, I think the builders are in cahoots with the window companies and the window treatment companies. There is not a single, standard size window in this new house of mine. Guess what that means?
Every window requires a custom window treatment!!!!! This just adds more expense! I can't just order them out of a catalog!
Luckily, most of the windows are a normal width (meaning they are within the width of a normal bolt of fabric). Unfortunately, the kitchen window - the one everyone sees and I look at everyday as the computer sits right in front of it - is 6" wider than a bolt of fabric. This is a problem because I can't sew! SOOOO - If I want window coverings to complete the look of the room, I have to be crafty! I am so NOT crafty when it comes to things on a large scale! Scrapbooks, school projects, cooking - those things I can do. I can do a staple gun and a glue gun with relative ease, but sewing - NO!
In typical Engineer style, my husband said that if I wanted drapes I had to "go figure out" how to do them in the most inexpensive way possible!
Glue gun here I come!
My solutions were quite satisfactory to me. I love the website www.thenester.com
She says, "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". She also says, "People don't have to know you used a glue gun - They just see the finished product"
AMEN - sister!
My solutions usually involve a cornice board (staple gun) or a pole with fabric to wrap around.
See this is how I dealt with my Master bedroom. I found a website that sold custom roman shades for a reasonable price. Then, found fabric at a discount fabric store and just folded and hung swags of material between the windows. I couldn't use a pole as these are set of bay windows and each is at a slight angle to the others (there are two more windows). It isn't perfect, I know, I still have to make adjustments, but how many people are going to go into my Master Bedroom and scrutinise my curtains.
Everybody who comes into the house will see this window. I sit in front of this window everyday! I am right now! A cornice board is how I usually handle these windows. The kitchen window over the sink is no problem as it isn't wider than a bolt of fabric - You just staple the fabric to the board and hot glue the fringe and you are good to go. This is great, if you choose a solid fabric with no pattern. So now, because I chose this lovely fabric, I have to match the pattern for the other window. PROBLEM - I can't sew! The Engineer has instructed me to "figure it out". That is what I have been working on all week.
The Engineer believes he can sew and doesn't see why I don't think I can. (He's also a perfectionist, so where as I can often get away with good enough - here's an example of, if the pattern is off - he will notice and it will constantly bother him!)
The blue tape in the picture above is an example of his pattern and his attempt to help me figure it out on my own. I've called in my mom because once upon a time she did sew - before arthritis set in. She also has a sewing machine and is willing to guide me through the basics, but I'm concerned. I've been watching a lot of YouTube teaching videos, but I'm not quite getting it.
I will update y'all on my progress - hopefully it will get done soon.
Just plan for the cost of window treatments upon repatriation!
It doesn't help if we chose a pre-existing house - maybe it would a little - but in ALL my moves - the previous owner's taste in window treatments did NOT match mine - yet, another reason the Engineer thinks it is a waste of money. They aren't like furniture - you can't take them with you - why? - because nothing is standard anymore and it won't fit into your new house!!!!!
They are the bane of my existence at the present moment!
As an expat, I didn't have to worry too much with window treatments. Both in Belgium and Singapore, we rented our condo and flat. The Landlords provided window treatments as part of our lease agreement. They were still a source of contention with the Engineer though, as the lease agreements required that the drapes be cleaned before we handed the condo back over to the landlord. Both places charged an exorbitant fee for this service. In Belgium - I agreed with my husband that this was an unnecessary expense as we were there less than a year and I don't think it is good for drapes to be cleaned too often as they tend to shrink and become distorted with each washing. In Singapore, we lived there for four years and the geckos, I think, hid in the folds of the drapes and left little presents! GROSS - I know! But remember, geckos are your friends as they eat the other critters that I'd rather not deal with! So while I do think the drapes needed to be cleaned - I didn't agree with the cost to clean them. $2,000 was one quote we got - I only had 5 windows with drapes! My comment was that you could buy new ones for that price!!!!! A wonderful, expat friend gave me the name of a lady who did it for 1/3 that price. Thank God! but it still left a bitter taste with the Engineer!
The Engineer and I have totally different views on window treatments. I think they complete the look of a home- make it cozy. The Engineer believes they are a complete waste of money. They serve the function of blocking the sun and providing some privacy, but (on the spreadsheets) they don't ever add up (meaning the money they cost, you never get back)!
The one thing we agree about window treatments is they are ridiculously expensive!
We bought a new home (never been lived in before)! The new trend is to have very large windows. I love the natural light and the openness these windows create! However, I think the builders are in cahoots with the window companies and the window treatment companies. There is not a single, standard size window in this new house of mine. Guess what that means?
Every window requires a custom window treatment!!!!! This just adds more expense! I can't just order them out of a catalog!
Luckily, most of the windows are a normal width (meaning they are within the width of a normal bolt of fabric). Unfortunately, the kitchen window - the one everyone sees and I look at everyday as the computer sits right in front of it - is 6" wider than a bolt of fabric. This is a problem because I can't sew! SOOOO - If I want window coverings to complete the look of the room, I have to be crafty! I am so NOT crafty when it comes to things on a large scale! Scrapbooks, school projects, cooking - those things I can do. I can do a staple gun and a glue gun with relative ease, but sewing - NO!
In typical Engineer style, my husband said that if I wanted drapes I had to "go figure out" how to do them in the most inexpensive way possible!
Glue gun here I come!
My solutions were quite satisfactory to me. I love the website www.thenester.com
She says, "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". She also says, "People don't have to know you used a glue gun - They just see the finished product"
AMEN - sister!
My solutions usually involve a cornice board (staple gun) or a pole with fabric to wrap around.
See this is how I dealt with my Master bedroom. I found a website that sold custom roman shades for a reasonable price. Then, found fabric at a discount fabric store and just folded and hung swags of material between the windows. I couldn't use a pole as these are set of bay windows and each is at a slight angle to the others (there are two more windows). It isn't perfect, I know, I still have to make adjustments, but how many people are going to go into my Master Bedroom and scrutinise my curtains.
Now the big problem is my kitchen window.
Everybody who comes into the house will see this window. I sit in front of this window everyday! I am right now! A cornice board is how I usually handle these windows. The kitchen window over the sink is no problem as it isn't wider than a bolt of fabric - You just staple the fabric to the board and hot glue the fringe and you are good to go. This is great, if you choose a solid fabric with no pattern. So now, because I chose this lovely fabric, I have to match the pattern for the other window. PROBLEM - I can't sew! The Engineer has instructed me to "figure it out". That is what I have been working on all week.
The Engineer believes he can sew and doesn't see why I don't think I can. (He's also a perfectionist, so where as I can often get away with good enough - here's an example of, if the pattern is off - he will notice and it will constantly bother him!)
The blue tape in the picture above is an example of his pattern and his attempt to help me figure it out on my own. I've called in my mom because once upon a time she did sew - before arthritis set in. She also has a sewing machine and is willing to guide me through the basics, but I'm concerned. I've been watching a lot of YouTube teaching videos, but I'm not quite getting it.
I will update y'all on my progress - hopefully it will get done soon.
Just plan for the cost of window treatments upon repatriation!
It doesn't help if we chose a pre-existing house - maybe it would a little - but in ALL my moves - the previous owner's taste in window treatments did NOT match mine - yet, another reason the Engineer thinks it is a waste of money. They aren't like furniture - you can't take them with you - why? - because nothing is standard anymore and it won't fit into your new house!!!!!
HAPPY DECORATING!
Friday, May 9, 2014
100th MOTHER'S DAY
On May 8th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day in the United States. This Sunday marks 100 years that Americans have been honouring their mothers on this specific day in May!
You know me by now - I, of course, googled Mother's Day history around the world.
Here's what I found interesting:
This is from www.history.com - This is a fantastic website! I use it all the time and also send my kids here for any projects!
I'm treating my mom to an early brunch! I searched all the menus at the local restaurants and settled on the one that serves a crab cake benedict!!!
YUM! Can't wait to try that! I'll take a picture for the blog! If I was in Singapaore, we would be going to TWG Tea Salon in ION Orchard!. I'm not exactly sure what the kids are going to do for me. I gave them some suggestions, but we'll see. . . . .
For some people Mother's day is a tough day! Some women can't have children, some have very topsy-turvy relationships with their moms, still others have lost their moms.
No matter your circumstance - remember that GOD LOVES YOU! Take the time to honour and cherish the people around you that are special whether they are a mom or not -
You know me by now - I, of course, googled Mother's Day history around the world.
Here's what I found interesting:
MOTHER’S DAY: HISTORICAL PRECURSORS
Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
I'm treating my mom to an early brunch! I searched all the menus at the local restaurants and settled on the one that serves a crab cake benedict!!!
CRAB CAKE BENEDICT
Poached Egg, Hubbell & Hudson Crab Cake, Spinach, Lemon Rosemary Beurre Blanc
Poached Egg, Hubbell & Hudson Crab Cake, Spinach, Lemon Rosemary Beurre Blanc
For some people Mother's day is a tough day! Some women can't have children, some have very topsy-turvy relationships with their moms, still others have lost their moms.
No matter your circumstance - remember that GOD LOVES YOU! Take the time to honour and cherish the people around you that are special whether they are a mom or not -
SPREAD THE LOVE!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Driving again!
One of the topics that my expat girlfriends and I often talked about in Singapore was the type of car we would get upon repatriation!
We were a mix of ladies - some of us actually took the driving test in Singapore (see earlier post) and some of us did not. Singapore has great public transportation. You really didn't have to drive. You could always walk (remember your umbrella), take the bus or MRT and then there were taxis (as long as it wasn't raining). However, I certainly missed the freedom of getting in the car and driving myself wherever I was going, when I wanted to go and not have to plan and consult traffic or bus schedules.
Anyway - in Texas, especially out here on the edge of Suburbia, a car is a must have! There are no taxis or buses! You could walk, but it is 5 miles to the nearest store of any kind from my house.
Size of car is the other factor we would discuss as expats. A Toyota Camry was considered a BIG car in Singapore. That is quite laughable to my Texan neighbours. They all drive SUVs or trucks.
Cost of cars is another factor. A Toyota Camry in Singapore costs over $100,000 dollars because of their tax, tag & license laws. Ridiculous! However, Singapore is a tiny island nation and they are trying to limit the amount of cars - that is why they provide good public transportation.
One of the things that amused the Engineer the most was that there were many very wealthy people who could afford any car they wanted even with the exorbitant tax,tag, & license fee. These wealthy people would buy and drive lamborghinis, ferraris, maserattis … cars all designed for speed. The top legal speed in Singapore on any road was 90km per hour. That is roughly about 55 mph!!!!! It was ALL for show!
Anyway - It was in Singapore that I discovered my dream car and fell in love with it.
I found a website that lets you design your own personal style for the car. For kicks, I designed mine:
This is the Audi R8! This is my version of what I designed and it only comes to $156,000 US dollars - who knows what it would cost in Singapore. I could NEVER justify paying that much for a car no matter how luxurious it is - I'm just too practical. It is fun to dream though.
REALITY & PRACTICALITY smack you in the face upon repatriation though - to keep you grounded!
I've mentioned before that I'm pretty simple and practical, but I am also married to the THE VERY FRUGAL, PRACTICAL Engineer!!!!!! This might be totally unique to me, but I'll share anyway. Buying a car in our family is a very painful, weary process for me! I'm pretty simple. A car just needs to be reliable and have air-conditioning to please me. Amenities are nice, but not necessary. I don't live in the car it just has to get me (and sometimes the kids) around town. This is why the R8 is only a dream - it can only transport one kid at a time - yeah - that's the reason why I'm not getting the R8!
Anyway, with the FRUGAL Engineer - buying a car involves numerous spreadsheets comparing car reliability, fuel efficiency, price, resale value, insurance, etc. etc. etc.!!!!!! I refused to go "shopping" with the Engineer until he needed my signature to actually purchase a car! We arrived back in the States in June - we did not actually purchase a car until September!!!!!!
To his credit, these are the parameters that we had to work with. The Engineer is a manly man. He plays ALL sports! He loves to camp and I don't mean glam camp - He is in the back country having packed it all in! He fishes. He hunts - anything and everything. He gardens. He builds things. He can take any kind of machinery apart and put it back together. This is why I call him the Engineer Extraordinaire! The manly man needs a truck! Oh and not just any kind of truck, but a BIG truck! One that can handle all the demands the manly-man, Engineer Extraordinaire would require! The PROBLEM came in when the spreadsheets didn't match up with the wants!
The COMPANY has the Engineer working at another location 70 miles from our house and 50 miles from where he will eventually be located! The Engineer HAD to have a fuel efficient car! A BIG truck is NOT fuel efficient by any means. The Engineer still wanted a truck so he could engage in ALL the activities mentioned above that were NOT possible in Singapore. In order to "Have his cake and eat it, too", the Engineer had to ask his wonderful, understanding wife if she would consider driving a BIG truck as her vehicle. Since his most gracious and loving wife still didn't have a vehicle after 3 months of living back in the States and since the truck had Air-conditioning and could transport both kids, she agreed to drive the BIG truck!
After 7 months of driving the BIG truck, I might be getting the hang of it. It isn't too bad out here on the edge of Suburbia. I fit right in with the cowboys (although, I don't wear a hat or cowboy boots). I like being up high above everyone else. I see other women driving BIG trucks - BIGGER than mine - you have to take two steps just to get in them! I still am having trouble parking it. We should get a back-up camera for the truck! I prefer angled parking spots! I usually just park way out in the parking lot - it is part of my keep fit plan to never park close!
We were a mix of ladies - some of us actually took the driving test in Singapore (see earlier post) and some of us did not. Singapore has great public transportation. You really didn't have to drive. You could always walk (remember your umbrella), take the bus or MRT and then there were taxis (as long as it wasn't raining). However, I certainly missed the freedom of getting in the car and driving myself wherever I was going, when I wanted to go and not have to plan and consult traffic or bus schedules.
Anyway - in Texas, especially out here on the edge of Suburbia, a car is a must have! There are no taxis or buses! You could walk, but it is 5 miles to the nearest store of any kind from my house.
Size of car is the other factor we would discuss as expats. A Toyota Camry was considered a BIG car in Singapore. That is quite laughable to my Texan neighbours. They all drive SUVs or trucks.
Cost of cars is another factor. A Toyota Camry in Singapore costs over $100,000 dollars because of their tax, tag & license laws. Ridiculous! However, Singapore is a tiny island nation and they are trying to limit the amount of cars - that is why they provide good public transportation.
One of the things that amused the Engineer the most was that there were many very wealthy people who could afford any car they wanted even with the exorbitant tax,tag, & license fee. These wealthy people would buy and drive lamborghinis, ferraris, maserattis … cars all designed for speed. The top legal speed in Singapore on any road was 90km per hour. That is roughly about 55 mph!!!!! It was ALL for show!
Anyway - It was in Singapore that I discovered my dream car and fell in love with it.
I found a website that lets you design your own personal style for the car. For kicks, I designed mine:
This is the Audi R8! This is my version of what I designed and it only comes to $156,000 US dollars - who knows what it would cost in Singapore. I could NEVER justify paying that much for a car no matter how luxurious it is - I'm just too practical. It is fun to dream though.
REALITY & PRACTICALITY smack you in the face upon repatriation though - to keep you grounded!
I've mentioned before that I'm pretty simple and practical, but I am also married to the THE VERY FRUGAL, PRACTICAL Engineer!!!!!! This might be totally unique to me, but I'll share anyway. Buying a car in our family is a very painful, weary process for me! I'm pretty simple. A car just needs to be reliable and have air-conditioning to please me. Amenities are nice, but not necessary. I don't live in the car it just has to get me (and sometimes the kids) around town. This is why the R8 is only a dream - it can only transport one kid at a time - yeah - that's the reason why I'm not getting the R8!
Anyway, with the FRUGAL Engineer - buying a car involves numerous spreadsheets comparing car reliability, fuel efficiency, price, resale value, insurance, etc. etc. etc.!!!!!! I refused to go "shopping" with the Engineer until he needed my signature to actually purchase a car! We arrived back in the States in June - we did not actually purchase a car until September!!!!!!
To his credit, these are the parameters that we had to work with. The Engineer is a manly man. He plays ALL sports! He loves to camp and I don't mean glam camp - He is in the back country having packed it all in! He fishes. He hunts - anything and everything. He gardens. He builds things. He can take any kind of machinery apart and put it back together. This is why I call him the Engineer Extraordinaire! The manly man needs a truck! Oh and not just any kind of truck, but a BIG truck! One that can handle all the demands the manly-man, Engineer Extraordinaire would require! The PROBLEM came in when the spreadsheets didn't match up with the wants!
The COMPANY has the Engineer working at another location 70 miles from our house and 50 miles from where he will eventually be located! The Engineer HAD to have a fuel efficient car! A BIG truck is NOT fuel efficient by any means. The Engineer still wanted a truck so he could engage in ALL the activities mentioned above that were NOT possible in Singapore. In order to "Have his cake and eat it, too", the Engineer had to ask his wonderful, understanding wife if she would consider driving a BIG truck as her vehicle. Since his most gracious and loving wife still didn't have a vehicle after 3 months of living back in the States and since the truck had Air-conditioning and could transport both kids, she agreed to drive the BIG truck!
After 7 months of driving the BIG truck, I might be getting the hang of it. It isn't too bad out here on the edge of Suburbia. I fit right in with the cowboys (although, I don't wear a hat or cowboy boots). I like being up high above everyone else. I see other women driving BIG trucks - BIGGER than mine - you have to take two steps just to get in them! I still am having trouble parking it. We should get a back-up camera for the truck! I prefer angled parking spots! I usually just park way out in the parking lot - it is part of my keep fit plan to never park close!
HERE'S HOPING YOU GET THE CAR YOU WANT UPON REPATRIATION, BUT IF NOT, YOU HAVE A COMRADE IN SPIRIT!
HAPPY DRIVING!
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