Brushing off the dust

In my opening post last February I wrote the following:

It is funny where life takes us, sometimes without much warning! But I guess that is the essence of life...we never know where we will be the next moment.

Isn't that the truth??

I realize that it is unfortunate that I have not written a post in many, many moons. I guess that is what happens when you get caught up in life. Now that we are making a new transition, I thought that maybe I should put it in writing again.

A year later and we are finished with Montenegro. I just read over all my old posts and it is amazing what can happen in a year. It makes me laugh, really! It is a good thing that we can't predict the future, and I am certain that I will be thinking the same thing a year from now.

To sum up the past year: kept a puppy and worked at the international school; got into a routine and home base was comfortably set up in Montenegro. Took a few trips back to Japan and a couple to the States. Thought that we would be in Montenegro until the summer and took a trip to Japan in early March. On March 11, 2011 at 2:46 p.m. the Tohoku region was devastated by a 9M earthquake and subsequent tsunami. A reminder from Mother Nature that everything can change in a second. Flew back to Montenegro, packed up the apartment in 2.5 days, said some very sad good-byes, and headed to the States with Sophie. Spent 2 weeks there that, of course, passed too quickly. We are now in Japan (again) in preparation for our next post...

Laos!

Right now I am trying to relax and enjoy being in one spot for awhile. Our travel for the past month or so has been epic...thank goodness for Premier Executive status with United Airlines!

I miss this face but I know that she is living the good life with Grandma in Wisconsin during this transition time...

The only free time I have is when I am sick

Hello to anyone reading this out there! Mayhaps I have lost everyone since I rarely have the chance to update this thing anymore.

And why do I have the time today? Because I am home sick with some viral infection...lovely. These kiddos are going to do me in. I finally broke down and went to see a doctor yesterday. The only good English-speaking doctor who was recommended turned out to be a pediatrician (connection with the international school), but she doesn't mind seeing younger, healthy adults. If I were 87, it would be a different story. So now I am all drugged up and hoping to go back to school tomorrow.

At least I have company...that makes things so much better.

Let's see...what has happened recently??

Our trip back to Japan was awesome as expected. The wedding was beautiful and it was wonderful to see family and friends.

Last week Thursday and Friday were some professional development days for the school staff in Tirana, Albania. It was great to do some traveling in the Balkans and meet new, very entertaining people. We visited the QSI school in Tirana and stayed with their staff members. The bus ride was epic. About 14 of us in a small bus, bouncing along the pothole-filled roads in Northern Albania for 4 hours, getting pulled over by the police who were just in a bad mood (driver paid only 5 euros to keep us going on down the road!).


Oh, and I turned the big 3-0.

I think my meds are kicking in and I feel a nap coming on..........zzzzzzzzz.

So. Tired.

Ha...my last post was on our trip to Japan in August and now it is time for us to go back again.

I have been working full-time at the international school and it is exhausting. Two days into school and I caught a bug from the kiddos...followed by 3 weeks of sickness. Lovely. It is only now that I am feeling like myself again.

On a happy note, BG #2 has found a new home, and in my mind, she is very, very happy. I took her to the vet where she was going to stay for a week in the hopes that someone would adopt her. Turns out, an employee at the office took her home. Yay for Maddie!

We leave on Wednesday and I feel like I have a million things to do. But instead....I may just take a nap here on the couch with my Sophie.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

You lookin' at me??

We are back "home" in Montenegro now. Meh. I so loved being in Japan...it really was a wonderful trip. Family, friends, good eats!! Sigh.

But the main point is that the hubby and I can be together here, and I had these precious little faces to come home to. All together now...aaawwwwwwwwww!!

School will start in a few weeks so that will keep me busy soon.

Can I stay here?

We have been having a fab-u-lous time here in Japan. Good eats, good friends......

I really don't want to get on a plane this Sunday.

Perhaps I could just have my puppies shipped here?!?

My bubba-loos

Yup, it's official...I am attached and in love. With my bubba-loos. My stinker-winkers. My baby girls. I am going to miss these crazy kids while we are in Japan.

In their hyper-active terrierness last night (that is going to be a word...terrierness), they both learned how to jump up on the couch! Such a big leap for the little ones. I think that it was their heightened state of energy that allowed them to do so as later attempts to repeat said ability failed. There is a learning curve to these things.

Today is shaping up to be a busy day. I need to run to the vet to get more puppy food and will probably spend a good chunk of the day packing as we leave tomorrow morning. My friend is going to come to pick up the bubba-loos this afternoon; I will go with her to her house and make sure that they get settled in.

So, I imagine that I better get a move on.

I'll leave you with this.....

And isn't it amazing how they can go from that to this in a matter of 5 minutes?!


Oh, puppies...how can you not just adore them?? :)

Edited to note: Sophie has now jumped up on the couch this morning 3 times. Learn to jump up on the couch...check!!

日本

This time next week, I will be here..............

YAY!!! :)

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