Greetings to everyone. It’s Kim here; Neil is taking some well earned blog time off!
It is Christmas Eve and I’m being reflective. If anyone would have told me a year ago how the events of the last six months would have unfolded, I would have had a good chuckle. It has been quite the ride!
We – Neil, Michael Anne, and I - are spending the holidays in Chicago this year. With the weather the last few days, we are appreciating the, albeit, humid Bermuda weather all the more. Neil arrived on Wednesday vs. the scheduled Tuesday due to Chicago snowy weather. I arrived Friday morning vs. Thursday evening due to the Chicago snowy weather. Michael Anne made it in on Friday afternoon, with Neil driving up to Madison in the snow (and in a rental car, of course, since the M3 has an incurable snow allergy). The weekend then turned bitter cold, with Sunday maybe making it up to 0 degrees farenheit. It’s been snowing off and on since the weekend.
Bermuda right now is 66! Do you see my point!
Tonight we will have an intimate dinner with Neil’s brother and his wife at a nearby restaurant followed by church. Tomorrow I’ll cook my traditional Christmas breakfast with caramelized bacon (let me know if you’d like the recipe) and then we’ll head to my brother’s home in Evanston for the day. A low key couple of days vs. our larger gatherings of years past. With the changes in the last few months, I think we are all welcoming the subdued celebrations.
We’ll head down to Bermuda on Jan 2, with Michael Anne joining us for 3 weeks. It will be her first trip to the island and I’m eager to see what her reaction is. Her main goal is to start a tan! She’ll then head off to Italy for her second semester studies. I’m sure it will be an amazing opportunity for her, both academically and personally. Hopefully we’ll be able to visit her while she is there.
With the year that we’ve had I find myself reflecting more on the last 12 months than those of years past. We’ve had much change and parts of our lives are not as neatly compartmentalized as we would like them to be. We set out on our Bermuda journey ready for an adventure; Neil and I have more than once said maybe what we really wanted was a “controlled” adventure (what else would you expect from two “controllers”). I’ve concluded that rather than be in control, we just need to shift our attitude on a few things and focus on the positive and the fact that we are even able to experience such an adventure. While we are still not settled into our home (and with an increasingly impossible landlord, we maybe never will be) we are able to look out and see a fantastic sea view. At the office, I have created a very long to-do list that I need to prioritize and accept the many things that will not be as I want them. On the positive, I can apply the best of my past experience and have a huge impact for Bacardi. We are slowly adapting to the Bermuda culture, accepting the subtle reminders of who is in charge (they are). But, we’ve met many interesting people that assure us they’ve gone through the same evolution and that we will love it. Plus, these people really know how to have fun! Enjoying life is a top priority in Bermuda.
In the big picture, we are healthy and have each other. We are writing a life chapter that, although not starting out as smoothly as we hoped, we don’t for a minute regret setting out to write it. Our lives, by many measures, are near perfect. I count my blessings of the many opportunities I’ve had and that I’ve had my soul mate at my side through most of them.
In closing, I hope 2008 has provided blessings and memories for all of you. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and hope you are able to enjoy the season with family and friends. May 2009 bring you happiness and joy throughout the year.
My very best to you,
Kim
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Senior Moments
So, I’m in Chicago. Kim is in Europe, Michael Anne in Madison. I look in the refrigerator and it’s pretty barren, so I make a grocery list. I put on my coat, head out the door, take the elevator down, and walk the four blocks to Treasure Island. On my way, I think, “Darn, I forgot my phone. Oh well, no one will call, anyway.”
I grab a cart at the store, take out my list, and start shopping. Half way through, it dawns on me that I don’t have my wallet and don’t have any money. “Shucks,” I say (well, OK, that’s not exactly what I said), “I’ll have to go back.” So, I retrace my steps with the cart to return the items to the shelves, then walk back to the condo.
In the condo I decide to take along my “green” shopping bag so that I won’t need to take a bag from the store. Then I look for my phone. I looked in all the usual places, but just couldn’t find it. “Hmmm. I could just pick up the land line phone and call my cell. Great idea.” So that’s what I did. The phone rang and I could hear it clearly. But in what direction was the ring coming from? I am not kidding when I say I walked into every room in the condo trying to pinpoint where the ring was coming from. The ringing stopped and I still hadn’t found it. “Shucks,” I said again. I looked under things and in things. I dialed the number again. It rang again. I searched again.
Talk about frustration. Honestly, it continued ringing the second time until it went to voice mail again and I still hadn’t found the phone. And then, for reason I can only attribute to habit, I reached back to my left rear pocket --- guess what --- that’s where it was.
And that’s when the full understanding of a senior moment came to me.
Footnote: I listened to my two recorded voice mails, and I could almost hear and feel the frustration of me walking around the condo looking for the damn phone. That’s when I broke out in hilarious laughter. And I knew I had to share the story with someone.
I grab a cart at the store, take out my list, and start shopping. Half way through, it dawns on me that I don’t have my wallet and don’t have any money. “Shucks,” I say (well, OK, that’s not exactly what I said), “I’ll have to go back.” So, I retrace my steps with the cart to return the items to the shelves, then walk back to the condo.
In the condo I decide to take along my “green” shopping bag so that I won’t need to take a bag from the store. Then I look for my phone. I looked in all the usual places, but just couldn’t find it. “Hmmm. I could just pick up the land line phone and call my cell. Great idea.” So that’s what I did. The phone rang and I could hear it clearly. But in what direction was the ring coming from? I am not kidding when I say I walked into every room in the condo trying to pinpoint where the ring was coming from. The ringing stopped and I still hadn’t found it. “Shucks,” I said again. I looked under things and in things. I dialed the number again. It rang again. I searched again.
Talk about frustration. Honestly, it continued ringing the second time until it went to voice mail again and I still hadn’t found the phone. And then, for reason I can only attribute to habit, I reached back to my left rear pocket --- guess what --- that’s where it was.
And that’s when the full understanding of a senior moment came to me.
Footnote: I listened to my two recorded voice mails, and I could almost hear and feel the frustration of me walking around the condo looking for the damn phone. That’s when I broke out in hilarious laughter. And I knew I had to share the story with someone.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Holiday Weekend
Thanksgiving came and went and the entire weekend flew by. It’s Monday already. Kim left yesterday for Europe, and Michael Anne returned to Madison.
We spent a very enjoyable Thanksgiving with the Handzliks. Hattie as usual outdid herself and made everything perfect. We still love her in spite of that. It was good to see so much of the Handzlik family together, and it was fun catching up. Susan and family were missing, but we talked with her on the phone.
Friday – up early (well, relatively) because Kim and Michael had to get to the Italian consulate in Chicago to make sure Michael’s visa is in order for next semester. We were joined early afternoon by the Andreuccis (Jim, Marie, Kate and Michael) then went to see some Chicago sights: Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s) Christmas window displays: Millennium Park, and in particular, Cloud Gate (www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html); and the shops and the Christmas decorations along Michigan Avenue. In the evening we all went to one of my favorite places for dinner: Big Bowl. It’s just around the corner from our condo and is known for its create-you-own stir-fry. Always fresh and tasty.
Saturday, breakfast with the Andreuccis at The Original Pancake House, noted for its apple pancakes, which, for some reason none of us ordered. That’s not to say we didn’t all have plenty to eat. Michael Anne slept in so that she wouldn’t be tempted.
Saturday evening, the three of use celebrated Michael Anne’s twenty-first birthday. A bit early, but she has final exams on the actual date. We went (by horse and carriage) to the Rosebud, arguably one of Chicago’s finest steak houses for Michael’s favorite meal: steak. Decadent birthday cake from Sarah’s at home after dinner.
Up early again Sunday to see and have breakfast with Dennis and Marsha Kuhnke and Jeff McDonald who had stayed overnight in Chicago after attending a wedding. Sunday afternoon – recuperate, pack, and catch a bus (Michael) or plane (Kim).
I think it was only as we were saying goodbye that Kim and realized just how quickly the week went by. We didn’t get everything done we had planned, and we didn’t really get a lot of rest either. That obviously won’t be a problem for me, but it might be for Kim.
We spent a very enjoyable Thanksgiving with the Handzliks. Hattie as usual outdid herself and made everything perfect. We still love her in spite of that. It was good to see so much of the Handzlik family together, and it was fun catching up. Susan and family were missing, but we talked with her on the phone.
Friday – up early (well, relatively) because Kim and Michael had to get to the Italian consulate in Chicago to make sure Michael’s visa is in order for next semester. We were joined early afternoon by the Andreuccis (Jim, Marie, Kate and Michael) then went to see some Chicago sights: Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s) Christmas window displays: Millennium Park, and in particular, Cloud Gate (www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html); and the shops and the Christmas decorations along Michigan Avenue. In the evening we all went to one of my favorite places for dinner: Big Bowl. It’s just around the corner from our condo and is known for its create-you-own stir-fry. Always fresh and tasty.
Saturday, breakfast with the Andreuccis at The Original Pancake House, noted for its apple pancakes, which, for some reason none of us ordered. That’s not to say we didn’t all have plenty to eat. Michael Anne slept in so that she wouldn’t be tempted.
Saturday evening, the three of use celebrated Michael Anne’s twenty-first birthday. A bit early, but she has final exams on the actual date. We went (by horse and carriage) to the Rosebud, arguably one of Chicago’s finest steak houses for Michael’s favorite meal: steak. Decadent birthday cake from Sarah’s at home after dinner.
Up early again Sunday to see and have breakfast with Dennis and Marsha Kuhnke and Jeff McDonald who had stayed overnight in Chicago after attending a wedding. Sunday afternoon – recuperate, pack, and catch a bus (Michael) or plane (Kim).
I think it was only as we were saying goodbye that Kim and realized just how quickly the week went by. We didn’t get everything done we had planned, and we didn’t really get a lot of rest either. That obviously won’t be a problem for me, but it might be for Kim.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
