The routine goes like this—
(6:30AM) Cell phone alarm goes off. I roll out of the bed I’ve made on the floor of my flat. Two twin mattresses pushed together and made up nicely. I walk three steps across a landing and unlock my bathroom door, turn on the immersion switches and take a nice hot shower. Warmest I am all day. The steam kinda hangs in the air, cold and damp as the world is here.
Make instant coffee,
Eat strange-tasting Cheerios,
Get dressed and ready for whatever weather is waiting on me,
(7:30ish) Head out to work.
On the days it hasn’t been pouring rain, I walk. 25 minutes at a brisk pace, and I’m at the Bóthar office. Couple of days I’ve gotten lost on the way. Frustrating. Then it’s work, work, work through the day, usually without stopping, so I can leave at 3PM to run errands. And by “running errands,” I mean literally walking to shops and stores, carrying bags all along the way. Thank God for smart Arkansan friends and their genius gift of a backpack.
“I think I lost it, lemme know if you come across it…” --Lucinda Williams
So far, the only meltdowns I’ve experienced have both happened in the grocery store. The first happened only a few days into my relocation; the second happened a week later. Each time, it felt like a monumental task to select food, because hardly any of the brands are the same and even some of the food names are completely different. And when I decided to make my mom’s lasagna recipe, and converted all the measurements into grams and the baking temperature into Celsius, I found myself confused and in front of the canned tomatoes, tears running down my face. But the end result was a somewhat odd-shaped dish of the tastiest lasagna this side of the Mississippi. Take that, Metric System, with your grams and your logical approach to measurement.
It’s Friday—bank holiday on Monday, with St. Patrick’s Day celebrated throughout the weekend.
Happy Paddy’s Day, y’all.
j:.
4 comments:
just wanted you to know that your mom is pretty tech-y-I now can comment on your blog!Nothing to people like you but,oh, such a huge thing for old women like me! Loving reading your posts-really only 3 steps from your bed to the bathroom????
hi. i love this blog, yo. xoxo
OOOh laaaaard, woman. I' there with you all the way. I want to some see it and giggle in the market, drink and have you sing me songs, maybe even wrestle you a wee bit. Little tank is reasy to roll and see her most bitchinest lady love.
hellooooo over there. I love the blog. not as good as sitting with you and laughing at your escapades while sipping a good wine and popping whatever cheese and bread we have in front of us, but it'll do until you get back to warmer climates (and by warmer climates I mean LITTLE ROCK!)
more, can we please have some more?
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