A Functioning Adult

A month of silence is not so bad. I've probably been much worse in the past. It's just that guys, real life is busy.

A year and a half of teaching, with crazy hours and long midmorning breaks meant I had a lot more time to be productive watch tv. Now that I'm back in a regular office job, the days fly by so quickly and by the time I get home, I feel like it's almost time for bed and to start again. Or take advantage of the nice weather and go have a beer. That seems much better than coming home and banging out a blog post. So that's what I've been doing.

It's an adjustment phase. I fully plan to not be so useless fairly soon. It's just that being productive means tackling the massive (and growing!) pile of ironing, which, quite frankly, seems duller than dirt. Oh, how I miss the days of jeans and leggings.

But it hasn't been all just work and bumming around. Donut and I (well, mostly Donut) spent the weekend repainting the apartment, changing it from the manic bachelor pad red that was on the walls to a nice, calm blue-grey (it turns out, not entirely surprisingly, that I'm pretty crap with a paint roller). My desk is finally all set up and organized (contained!) so my crafty things aren't in an overflowing mess in the corner. We made some adorable little Sharpie mugs (but really, who hasn't?) and I'm currently staring at a blank canvas that will eventually go on our blank wall and filled with terror at actually doing anything to it. I've been busy supporting the local businesses via manicures and haircuts (and beer. and schnitzel.) and we got our season pass to the zoo (baby elephant, squeeeeeeeee!).

Now we're trying to figure out what to do with our bank holiday Wednesday (rather unsuccessfully, tbh), and my motivation level is matching the weather (read: mehhhhhh), so I better go put my thinking cap on. Will try harder in future, promise. xx

Big Changes

Massive delinquency... but it's been a busy couple of weeks. I found out the day before flying to the UK that I got a new (excellent!) job, which was fantastic (albeit rather unbelievable) news. Week in England spent shopping for new professional wardrobe and all of those essentials that can't be found in Prague (although I feel Donut perhaps would not say that my mugs or giant spice rack constitute essentials, though they've been very heavily used since my return). Returned home to begin final moving phase - aka, pack up everything, massive scrubdowns of apartments, and frantic list-making, all while Donut sipped wine and ate cheese and enjoyed the sunshine of the lovely French Alps. Then moving, transformation of flats into makeshift IKEA warehouses, part-time carpentry gigs, running around with last minute errands before real life begins again anddddddddd here we are. New job starting on Monday, things finally starting to look a bit less chaotic, and still not enough hours in the day. Have lots of little bits to share with you, but can't manage to find the time. Hopefully things will settle down slightly and I can clue you in on what's been going on. Phewwwww...

Back to the Motherland

I know I have been delinquent again, but I promise, I've had lots and lots of ideas to write about... I just haven't actually gotten around to doing them. I'm off to jolly old England tomorrow so will probably continue to be MIA, but have lots of fun things geared up for when I get back!

xx

Moving Blows

I've lived on Stross for longer than anywhere since leaving college (I should be a pro at moving by now), and I absolutely adore our apartment. Not only is it big and bright and sunny (well, now that the sun has finally made its reappearance - yay March! Good start!), but it's packed full of memories of fantastic times with unforgettable people.

I'm in the middle of packing up all of my stuff (aka being covered in dust - one thing I won't miss from this place) and thought I'd give myself a well deserved break. Since I'm getting all the non-essentials rounded up, I figured this is a good time to snap some pics of the products of our lazy art Sundays. So here goes (I think you'll notice a theme quite quickly...):

Láska

The thing about short months is that they're over before you know it. So that's why you're getting your final February post... in March. 

Une Nuit à Paris

In Part Deux of our 12 Dates in 12 Months schtick, Donut and I "went" to Paris for Valentine's Day. Well, I knew we were going for Valentine's Day. Donut, in his Czechy practicality, doesn't appreciate VDay like us Americans, so for him this was just Thursday. With dinner. And a theme.

I picked up some macaroons from Paul for dessert as I feared French pastries were a bit beyond my means.

Be still my heart

18. Today's post is an easy one. Sorry Donut, but another man has stolen my heart. 100% of my Prague love today goes to the little grandpa at the insurance company who saw me staring dumbfounded at the electronic entrance machine, smiled through my awful attempts at Czech, explained to the women behind the desk what I needed help with and got me in and out in half an hour. The bureaucracy here can be a bitch (hence tear-filled breakdown at the foreign ministry last week), so anyone who is ready with a smile behind a counter is automatically a winner in my book. Also, similar snaps to the man at the post office (I swear, we have the loveliest staff at our branch, nah nah). Lots of tourist guides paint Czechs as a surly lot who lack even the most basic of customer service skills, and to that I say... perhaps the problem lies with you.