Happy Thanksgiving 2007

For lunch today Chechu and I went to Foster's Hollywood, an American chain restaurant here in Spain, to have our own little Thanksgiving celebration. Both of us ordered barbecue ribs (no TG menu, unfortunately) and had brownies and cheesecake for dessert. Not exactly the turkey drumstick, stuffing, macaroni & cheese, yams, greens, potato salad and pumpkin pie that I was hoping for, but American cuisine nonetheless. In exchange for the mammoth-size plates we usually serve ourselves on Thanksgiving, the restaurant's portions were quite reasonable so we didn't overeat by any means, thus going against the deep-rooted American TG tradition of stuffing oneself unconscious.

I'll have to admit that I am a little envious of this point of Riss and Mom, who are comfortably enjoying the day and the forthcoming feast, even though Mom will be celebrating with Gram, Aunt Mim and Aunt Bertie while Riss is on the other side of the country with Josh's family and a whole sloo of MIIS alumni. Regardless of the fact that I'm now living in another country, it still sucks to have to get up on TG morning and carry on as if it were just another weekday. I think next year I'll make a note to plan a Thanksgiving meal with the family here, even if it has to be celebrated on Saturday. I realize that I live in Spain now, but that's one piece of American culture that I'm definitely going to keep for as long as we live here.

In other news, Chechu finally got his contract this week!! He went to the Department of Education this morning to sign his contract. At this point it has to be sent back to Madrid and from there they will submit to him all of the additional information that he'll need as far as when he officially starts, etc. I would imagine that by the start of December he'll be teaching. He also has a part-time job interview this afternoon to work three days a week as a graphic designer for a company in Almería. So, if that comes through, he'll have his hands quite full with work, which is exactly what he was praying for.

Both of us truly have a lot to be thankful for this year. With all of the expenses we've had, and everything else that is still to come, God has truly been faithful to provide for us.

Lord, help me change my attitude

Yesterday was yet another emotional roller coaster filled with ups and downs, and unfortunately it's spilled over into this morning. I really want to be upbeat and motivated about everything that I have going on- I don't want to feel stressed out or overwhelmed, or worst of all take our my anxieties on my husband who has only supported and backed me up since day one.

Surprise surprise, we blew off the diet last night too- big time. During my last hour of work I got carried away with looking up Thanksgiving meal and dessert recipies, making my hunger pangs go from mild to intolerable. It didn't take much for me to convince Chechu to go out for burgers, fries and ice cream either, which is exactly what we did. There's a mom-and-pop burger place in El Ejido where they make GIGANTIC hamburgers and serve huge portions of fries and other side choices, and both of us knew that was exactly what we wanted. In all honesty our escapade could have been worse-- we shared a hamburger and a plate of fries and stopped there even though Chechu was somewhat considering ordering another small hamburger.

After dinner we went to an ice cream shop next door to get an ice cream cone, and we were waited on by Kissy, a sweet girl from Mozambique. We ended up having a nice conversation with her and exchanged phone numbers. I called her this morning from the office and we agreed that next week when she has off we'll try to arrange to get together and have lunch at our house. It's rare to come across people that you feel you have an instant connection with, and I definitely think that the two of us could become fast friends. More importantly, I'm anxious to have the opportunity to find out if she's a Christian and speak to her about our church.

It's just about 5:30pm on what seems to be another endless afternoon shift. It actually looks like it's about to snow since the sky has turned a deep grey color, but realistically it's threatening rain more than anything. I actually miss the chill in the air and the snow flurries typical of November weather in Pittsburgh. After spending two balmy winters in California you would think that the temperate coastal climate would start to grow on me, but the holiday season really doesn't feel the same without the cold... I actually said that??

For the past couple weeks I've been on a down note with work and have been less than motivated to do anything. Avelino's disappearing acts haven't helped my lackluster work ethic either, considering that he's at least supposed to be giving me some guidance on what to continue looking for. It turns out that the real estate market in Miami isn't what Espacio had anticipated at the outset (shocker...) and they've had to change their plans. The budget that was initially set to be approved for around this time has been delayed until the first of the year. Consequently no purchases will be made until that time, and Avelino's elusive trip to Miami has been postponed until Lord-knows-when. I seriously get frustrated with this job at times, and then I get frustrated with myself for having those feelings, considering the huge blessing that it's been to me over these past several months.

...Apparently today or tomorrow Avelino is supposed to speak with Alberto about the changes that will be made and will have a better idea of when to plan to travel to Miami. We'll be meeting tomorrow to discuss everything, including the trip in December for the wedding. Hopefully since Chechu doesn't have to be in Almeria tomorrow afternoon he'll be able to be here in the office with me when Avelino gets in and that way he can speak to both of us about it, since Chechu, aside from being my husband, is practically a part of the office too.

I've been on top of the transcriptions lately, trying to work at least 3-4 hours a day. This month there is an incentive where if you work 45+ hours they'll add $2 more to your wages. So in my case instead of making $14 an hour I'd make $16. If I can continue to work 3-4 hours a day during the week, I'll pull in at least $1K for this month. That money will obviously go toward wedding expenses and savings, since I want to build up my US bank accounts as much as I can to pay off bills and have a good amount of savings built up before my school loan repayment starts next year.
In keeping with our budget, Chechu and I have done very well with watching our expenses and not going overboard in making unnecessary purchases, dining out more than necessary, etc. I think that out of the two of us he's the most money conscious, which is a virtue that both of us need at this particular moment.

The diet sucks. I know that I've put on a few pounds since the wedding. Nothing outrageous, but definitely five good ones. I get frustrated because I am completely unmotivated, regardless of the fact that the December wedding is coming up in a little over a month. The only exercise I get in during the day is walking back and forth to the house from work (if Chechu doesn't take me) and sex, hehehehe.. Strangely enough, between the pills and the cucuruchu diet I think I've been able to maintain my previous weight loss pretty well, for the most part.

Overdue entry from a married lady...

Sometimes I still can't believe that I'm married, and it's been nearly a month. On days like today I wish that Chechu and I would have had more time to ourselves to be in our own little world after the wedding and honeymoon, but alas, grown-up responsibilities call. Overall the transition from singlehood to married life hasn't hit me as hard as it apparently strikes some people, but it has definitely been a transition nonetheless. The idea of Chechu and me sharing a life and a bed together is completely new and exciting for both of us, and I pray that we always maintain that spark of intrigue and excitement in our marriage.

This morning Chechu had to be in Granada early for a rehearsal and he'll be there until service this evening. Charo and I will be going to Granada together after she gets back from work. Since we don't have the internet at the apartment, I decided to come to Charo's this morning to work a couple hours and prepare lunch before we leave. I've definitely missed her and I think of her often, wondering how she's handling the empty nest. I'm sure this is as much of a transition for her as it is for us, even though she won't let on about it.

Chechu's contract has finally come in, praise the Lord! He should receive it this week to sign and then send back. Most likely before the end of the month or the start of next he'll be teaching. While I have certainly appreciated having him around during the day to be able to run errands or keep me company at the office, I am anxious for him to get out there and start working. He has handled this whole ordeal with such grace and patience- he truly is an example for me to look up to in so many ways.

The diet has been marching on slowly. Chechu and I have fallen off the turbo jam wagon that we were tightly strappd to before the wedding. Now that December is fast approaching we really have to get back on track. My dress is actually with Mom, so I've started to fall into that "out of sight, out of mind" way of thinking and I must snap out of it. I'm not sure of how or where to gather the motivation from, but I know that if I start Chechu will follow. We really have to get this together. Not just for the wedding, but for life. I want to be attractive to Chchu always, and in order for that to happen, "Manolita" has got to go.