Things That I Used To Do

Well... so much for keeping up with this on a regular basis. I'd like to say that I've made some great accomplishments in the last couple of weeks but that is mostly an exaggeration. Although, I have made a little progress in learning to control one of my groups. Basically to sum up my experience teaching here I would say that some days are good, a lot of days are challenging and frustrating and I learn something about teaching and/or myself nearly every day. So I guess that is a plus, besides the fact that I have a job in these unsure times.

I've been thinking about so many things lately and it all becomes a big scrambled mess every time I sit down and try to sort it out, but I will attempt to do so for the next few minutes as that's all the time that I have if I expect to work out today and finish everything else I wanted to do before work tonight. One thing that I have been catching up on is new-ish music. I used to keep up with everything and that was one of my main interests, besides design, but now I find that not only is it not as important anymore, I just don't have the time. If I spend a lot of time on one thing, I usually think of all the other things I should be doing like studying Spanish... or Chinese. Yeah, so my husband decided that he wanted to learn Chinese and since they offer at my place of work I just go with him now on Friday evenings since we don't see each other much during the week because of our schedules. It's pretty enjoyable so far and I actually remember the names of objects usually, but forget numbers and colors. So back to the music... I get so easily sidetracked. Here are some of the things that I've been introduced to by friends or stumbled upon by accident that I really like. I'm a firm believer that you have to listen to something several times before it really gets in you, but I can tell that these things will become favorites of mine:

Someone posted Gotye's "Somebody that I used to Know" on facebook and I fell in love with it. The video not only reminds me of a crazy evening of college that involved body painting, but the song is perfect.

Scott Matthews: A friend of mine made a comparison to Jeff Buckley and I had to see for myself. He was right...since he died I haven't found anyone else whose voice could even remotely compete- but I think this guy comes pretty darn close. I always loved Jeff Buckley's music so much and I find these songs from Passing Stranger sneaking in slowly. Yeah.. maybe this isn't new, but it is for me and I've never felt the need to pretend to know it all like some of those obnoxious music aficionados. Yuck.

There are lots more... like TV on the Radio, Smith Westerns, etc. but I'll have to add more about that later.

I'm also getting really excited about going home for a little while, even if it's only for 10 days. I wonder how I will fit everything in that I'd like to do in that time period and I'm not sure when we will be able to go back since we have a wedding to go to this summer. I have to admit, I am happy here but I do miss home and the things that I could do there that I can't do here. For example, I don't really like shopping here and everything is over priced that I can get back home for much less. They don't have any bookstores where you can actually look at the books before you buy them (although, maybe they won't have those much longer in the US either- let's hope that's not the case). I can't go to see shows as most of the bands I like never come ( I would say 98% of them don't come here and stick to countries like France, Belgium, etc...although Wilco did make an appearance this year in Barcelona but the tickets were sold out in a hot second). Which leads me to believe that there are people here that like the same things, but they seem to be on the other side of the country? Who knows. They have scary parking lots here. I know... this is a stupid thing but in the States we give people ample room for their ginormous cars whereas here they squeeze you in like sardines. Literally. I have yet to venture to the ONLY department store they have because of the alpine incline of the ramps and the tiny ass spots. I mean, should you have to fold your mirrors in just to park somewhere? Yikes. And I miss my friends. I feel like their lives move on without me.. and hell, it's not as if I would expect them to stop but I miss exciting things like new babies and sometimes that makes me sad. It's not as if my life doesn't move along as well, it's just not with kids. I guess none of these things are really important except for a couple of them and it's not that I NEED them in my life but they are, or were parts of myself.

Which brings me back to that topic again. I am still on the fence about kids and I go back and forth about adoption vs. my own (if that's an option). I wonder if I'll ever come to a conclusion or if the decision will be made arbitrarily for me. It's not that I don't like the idea. It's not that I don't like children or that I think I am too ego-centric to have them... it's just that I don't know if I trust myself to be responsible for the happiness of a little creature. I mean, no matter what ideas you subscribe to, you are the main resource for all input that a child has.. and well... my kids might be really weird if I'm all they've got!

Well, no time for more. Off to the races!