Drugs and Puzzles

Well, for about the last 14 days or so Charlie or I (or Luna) have been sick. It's been a long trek that we wish not to repeat any time in the near future.

I came home from Spain with a bad, dry cough which later morphed into a cold. Then Charlie came down with the same thing as soon as I was starting to feel a bit better. The doctors weren't quite sure exactly what was making us sick, but it was some form of bronchitis, ear infection, strep, and a bacterial infection that required antibiotics and steroids. Oh joy. Our kitchen counter makes it look like an ad for a pharmaceutical company.

So what does one do couped up in an apartment for so long when sick???  Start a 1,000 piece puzzle of course that renders your kitchen table useless!  Vicki had bought us a personalized puzzle for our anniversary (of the wedding party).  We've begun to work on it, and slowly but surely we are making progress.... hopefully the grand reveal to come.  Yes, we know we're so interesting.  :)

Home Sweet Home

It's been a while since I've updated--but with a legitimate excuse... I've been in Spain for a month and a half. I was getting the first part of my Master's degree in Spanish Education through a Cursos Internacionales program in Salamanca. I hardly had any time to sleep (let alone blog), so "Snearlytales" took a back-seat. But fear not... I'm baaaaack!

Palacio Real, Madrid

The experience. was. out. of. this. world. I think any time you visit a foreign country it changes you. I've lived in Spain before several years ago, so when I flew in in late June, a part of me felt like I was going home.  I missed the language, the food, the people, the atmosphere, and I couldn't wait to find myself in true language immersion.  It was beautiful.

This time around wasn't exactly a vacation, though.  Our 6 weeks was jam-packed.  Class all day, studying, adjusting to dorm life, excursions, city visits, seminars... you name it.  And trying to fit in a little bit of fun here and there. ;)

View of Salamanca, Spain

My University was built in the 13th century.... so walking to class every morning was such a joy (we definitely walked a LOT!).  The city streets are so rustic and unique...I just love them.  Beauty is everywhere... over half a century of students have passed under the same doorways I did to get an eduction. I'm honored :)  Here's a little video I made of the last 5 minutes of my walk to school... I hope you enjoy and are able to experience a piece of the beauty of Salamanca.

Spain wins the World Cup!  Gooooooool!

Salamanca by night

Catedral de Segovia

My journey was the experience of a lifetime, but by the end, I was so ready to come back home to my husband, my pooch and my life in Charlotte. I remembered all the things that I love about home and why I'm so proud to be an American. A piece of my heart will always be in Spain, but my one true love will always be home and my family :)

See you next summer, Salamanca!

Shopping for School Supplies!

Freshly sharpened pencils, notebooks, erasers, paperclips...the essentials for starting the school year.  Definitely not the key words of June...and for sure the most empty aisle in the entire store!

Yet, as one of my school years comes to a close, another is just beginning.  Today I went out to buy a few things for Spain... I could probably buy it there (at a marked up price of course), but I want to come fully assembled, ready with everything.  Just in case.  That's just my style.

My goal was to get some skirts, sandals, all my school supplies, an umbrella, and some pjs for under $30 out of pocket.  And I did--very, very craftily.  So craftily in fact that I will tell you.

What I got:

• 2 pairs of Steve Madden Sandals
• 2 pairs of PJ pants (one short, one long) and a tank
• 2 skirts and 2 matching tops
• 2 notebooks, 1 hard-cover folder, 1 notepad, 40 mechanical pencils, eraser, metal clips, led refills, and post-it notes

What I got for my husband as part of his b-day present:

• 1 Collared Shirt
• 1 Graphic Tee
• Addis athletic shoes

How I did it:

• COINSTAR:  These machines ROCK.  You take all of your loose change sitting around the house dump it into one at your local grocery store and cash out.  The key is, most people want cash, and the machine takes 10% of your total.  No thank you!  To avoid this surcharge, take a giftcard.  It's 100% money in your pocket!  A mason jar on our table totaled over $70.  (We've been saving up for about a year or so).  Cha-ching!
• BECOME A TEACHER:  Basically, you can assume that all your students will fill your pockets with Target gift cards.  And this is a fact.  I had a few leftover from students just waiting for the taking.
• ROLLBACKS AND COUPONS:  Target does have lots of clearances... you just have to know where to look.  Don't buy your items as eye level (because they are the most expensive).  Lots of them have sticky coupons right on the items.  For example, some of the sticky, clear post-it notes had a coupon on it for $1 off, but it's on ANY of their products.  They put it on the most expensive one.  Take it off, and buy the cheapest one.  Easy! 
• REGISTER REWARDS:  Off Broadway shoes gives you 10% back of your previous total on your next purchase.  I had about $8 in rewards leftover.
• AAA: New York and Company gives you an automatic 30% off if you are a AAA member.  I used my expired card to get it because the lady was nice.  Yusss!  PJs were 50% off, plus my 30% off, making them 80% off!
• SHOP THE CLEARANCE RACK:  Ummm...duh? ;)

Here's the booty:

Gettin' ready for school!!  Can you tell I love color?

love&family :)

This weekend was a great one.  We flew into Baltimore, MD for Charlie's cousin's wedding.  It was a CRAZY afternoon, trying to get to the airport by 4:40pm, but we somehow managed.  I was worried about recreating a scene from Home Alone, but luckly, we avoided the frantic, airport mad-dash.

Baltimore is a beautiful place--- it's historic, trendy, and scenic.  I think I loved it so much because it reminded me of Europe? ;)   

We spent Friday evening at a bar downtown enjoying bluegrass music, crab cakes and family.  By all accounts a winning combination.  It was so good to see everyone and kick-back.  Sometimes being so far away from family I think it's easy to fall into a groove, work ourselves into the ground, and when we come up for air, we forget how good it feels.

The next day we spend touring Baltimore with the family! Our shirts were sticking to our backs and the overcast sky was somehow relentlessly sunny...but it was a great time.

The wedding the next day was beautiful...and I can honestly say that I danced to every song...which was the plan.  It was a blast.  It was held at a beautiful, historic home (where Will Smith got married) and the ceremony was in the outdoor garden.  The vows were lovely, the night was a blast, and it was well-worth our trip to see everyone and share in true love.  Who DOESN'T want to be a part of that?

Here's the happy couple!

The flight back home wasn't so perfect...we battled a 3 hour delay due to the weather, but no matter.  We had a deck of cards, good books, and a Droid Incredible.  There's nothing a little Double Bexley and Bejewled can't cure. ;)

25th birthday surprise.

I turned 25 on May 25th. My golden birthday! I knew the next weekend that Charlie had a surprise planned for me. He just told me: "I have all the plans taken care of. Trust me."

That's when my wheels started turning... in my normal "wifely" way.

A surprise? Are we going on vacation? How long will we be gone? Should we let the apartment know? Do I need to pack a bag? What do I wear? Do I need to grocery shop this week? Do I need to buy anything special? What will happen with Luna???

"Trust me, Kathryn."

"I know...but..."

I was excited but anxious about it because nothing seemed to be planned.  I hadn't seen Charlie working on anything!  Come Saturday afternoon, the day the "festivities" were about to begin, I was confused. Charlie told me noon, and then 5:00, and then 6:00, and then it was close to 7:00... I was getting mad. Where is the plan? Are we leaving? Did you actually plan ANYTHING!?!?!?

Then a got a text with this picture inside:

A late birthday text?  Still confused.

Then I realized (with Charlie's prompting), that was OUR APARTMENT DOOR! My best friend in the world, Susanna (and her new baby and her sister!) had driven all the way from Michigan to surprise us for the weekend!! I couldn't believe it. I cried when I opened the door-- The best birthday present EVER!

I hadn't met her son, Sam before...but I loved him instantly.  Just as an "Aunt Kathryn" should.  I don't think you realize, until someone really close to you has a baby, how incredible they are and how special the gift of being a mother is.  It was so moving to see Susanna and how she has grown as a mother... and share that with her.  Sam's little smile melted me away!

The first day we went to the pool and soaked up the sun. :)  Sam got to go in the water for the first time!  Dinner was a night uptown.

The next day we went to Discovery Place and messed around like kids.

 I feel so thankful and blessed to have shared these precious moments with my best friend as she raises her son and spend such concentrated time together when there are normally so many miles between us :)

Sigh.  Did it really have to end?

3 semanas... 3 weeks...

I seriously cannot believe how fast time is passing. Has it really been this long since I've done an entry?  Am I really 25 already? It seems like it was just the beginning of spring, and now it's almost June. We've had lots of rain so the leaves on the trees are green and lush, the grass is actually GREEN, and flowers are everywhere. The heat radiates of the pavement, and you sweat walking from your car to the store. Yes, I think summer is almost upon us.

I can't believe I leave for Spain in 3 weeks time. (And I still need my hotel and transportation!) This is my task for tomorrow afternoon.... Madrid here I come.

My emotions are distinct this go-around. I always feel a very specific way right before I leave for Spain. I feel happy to leave, stressed to have to do it, and eager to return to my second home :) I'm calmer than I was a few weeks ago. The workload for my master's program is a stressful reminder that I'm not going to have much of a break this summer, and that sucks, but I look forward to the fact that I'm going to be learning in a new way that I never have before... in the place I love most in all the world. I look forward to the challenge and dread it at the same time. For some reason, the word "Masters" STILL seems so distant to me. Is that really me? Kathryn? Getting her MASTERS? That was always something that you do when you're "like thirty"... I'm with people twice my age who know more about the world than I do, and I hoping my little Albion college degree measures up!

And yet, I'm sure I'll be with others who are thinking, "Geeze, everyone is half my age, fresh out of college, and I haven't taken a test in 15 years."

We'll see. :) I look forward to learning from everyone.  The cool thing is we all bring something different to the table.  Somehow, I think I'll be listening and learning a lot this trip :).

I'll be staying HERE if you are interested to see it.  It's in Spanish, but you can see pictures of the residencia.  I'll be sans the IKEA decor...obvio.  But you get the idea.

Tonight Charlie and I ate at a Spanish Grille in the Ballantyne area...the Sangria was good as was the paella.  Far better seafood than I was expecting.  I wanted to order more tapas, but I'll get to do that soon enough... and the ones in Spain vienen con un plato de acetunas.* :)

*come with a plate of olives

There's an app for that!

I must preface this by saying I have never had an "spakin' new technology" anything.  Every phone I've every owned made a call, sent a text, and took a few crappy, blurry pictures.

That is until yesterday when I became the proud owner of the HTC Android Incredible.  They just hit shelves Thursday... needless to say, last night I was completely consumed for 5 hours straight learning it's ins and outs.  I was creating my own google calendar, connecting my phonebook to facebook pages (yes, I can spy on you!), and downloading every free "app" under the sun.  It was great.  I talked with Charlie via an internet Skype service, viewed constellations from where I was standing on my phone, hit up the cheapest gas station, added widgets on my different phone interfaces, read a Spanish comic book, made photo frames of Luna, checked my e-mail, created a grocery list....

...and then I got a phone call from my mom.

...and the phone didn't work.

And so, I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with "Steve" from Verizon Wireless trying to figure out the reason behind my problem.

What are the odds that the "Incredible" do-it-all-phone that has an application for everything under the sun can't make a phone call?  Apparently pretty high in my case.  I guess in the first wave of phones they are trying to "get the kinks ironed out"...and if it happens again I need to restart the phone.  If the problem persists they will order me a new one.  Oh joy.

In the meantime, though...I will be enjoying the many features the phone has to offer...and keeping up with the news at work. 

I suppose that's what you get when it's "very expensive."


P.S.  If you did not get the last joke then you did not spend the better part of your childhood in the 90s ;)