December 30, 2012
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I’m home!
Wow…these past two weeks in Switzerland were EXACTLY what I needed!!! The mountains were so gorgeous, and the weather was fantastic (for the most part…we did have a day or two of rainy snow, but otherwise, perfection). I managed to get in lots of rest, tons of relaxation, and just the right amount of outdoor sports to make me happy. I wasn’t able to go skiing (damn knee), but I was able to go sledding a few times, snow shoeing once, and lots of walking about the small town. Jamie skied quite a bit and was really happy with it, so I was glad he was able to do that. While he was off skiing, I was working on a crochet project (Tupp’s baby blanket) that I’ve been trying to finish up for what feels like forever! I’m nearly there…I’ve crocheted all the granny squares, and now I am just connecting all the squares to make a blanket. I used to think that weaving in the ends was the worst part of crochet. Nope…not so much…it’s the damn connecting of everything that’s going to be the end of me! We’re heading over to Tupp’s on the 1st, so it needs to be finished by then, regardless. I plan on spending some time on it today (after we hit up the grocery, because we have absolutely no food), and then finishing it up tomorrow if I can’t manage to finish it today. After that, I have one more baby blanket to make for a friend, then my mom’s afghan that was supposed to be for a Christmas present, until I got her something else, and then…finished with planned projects!!! Maybe at that point, I can make something for myself. We’ll see…I just love being able to make things for friends…it makes me happy!
Jamie and I have been on the great hunt for all things fun and exciting for our non-existent house. Things like…washers and dryers…squee! Actually, a few places are having really good sales right now, so I think we’ll end up purchasing a washer and dryer, then storing it until we move home. Can’t pass up 25% off! The rest of the stuff will probably wait until we’re actually stateside again, but if we come across a sale, I think we’ll jump on it.
Which then brings me to my newest bitch about life…cell phone plans! Holy crap, those suckers are expensive!! It’s been so long since I’ve had a US plan, I had forgotten how much they were, but now that we’re putting together budgets and such, its all come back to me! Cell phone plans here are so cheap…phones are unlocked, so you just go to a store to get al el-cheapo Nokia or whatever, then go get a SIM only plan at a carrier service. Smart phones are a little more in-depth, but you can still buy an unlocked smart phone, then just go get a data plan from a carrier. Best thing…they have unlimited data, and you’re only charged minutes for the calls you make, not incoming calls. Also, you’re only charged for texts you send, not incoming texts. Man…I’m going to miss that. And though I love my iPhone, I think I’m just going to get a regular, non-smart phone for when we get home. I’m pretty sure I’m going to break down and get an iPad with wireless and 3G to take the place of a smart phone, then just carry that around everywhere. I’m thinking the iPad mini, rather than the full sized one…do any of you have any experience with the mini?? Do you like it??
Tomorrow is NYE and we’re having a little soiree here at the apartment (and by ”little,” I mean, 5-8 people). I’ve put together an appetizer menu, complete with LOTS of champagne and wine!!! It’s the first NYE we’ve spent in our apartment (and the last), but the Netherlands has a tradition of shooting off fireworks at midnight, and with our 7th floor apartment, the view should be amazing!!! Our apartment overlooks downtown on one side, and residential areas on the other, with full wall windows, so we should have a good show! And, if not, well…I have plenty of champagne.
Hope you all have a wonderful AND SAFE holiday!!
xoxoxo,
K.
Comments (7)
My cable bill bums me out more than my cell phone bill. 160 vs 85. I have a 15% discount on my phone from an old job so that brought it down from about 100. Absolutely necessary for me though. If your job will provide you with a phone, no sense in buying a smartphone. But I use mine for all my Internet activity at home, I don’t even keep my laptop at home anymore!
Yay for a great trip! I have a google nexus tablet and and I think it’s the same size as the mini and its great bc it’s lightweight and easy to carry around
@PennyLumpkins - Yeah, I think my work will provide me with a phone, but it won’t be a smart phone. I think Jamie might be eligible for our work’s iPhone plan…but not sure (depends on salary grade and role…I’m a no-body…lol). The only thing we’re getting in our house is internet…no cable or phone. We use the internet for so much, there’s no way we could live without!
@Mad_Wife - Do you take it with you everywhere?? I’m thinking if I get the mini, I should be able to slip it into my purse? Do you love your tablet?
@One_Sly_Bookworm - Yes, we take it everywhere! It’s perfect for putting in your purse and super lightweight
what exactly is snow shoeing? and when do we get to see pics from the trip? have a happ y new year sounds like its going to be cool
@heckels - Before I had ever been snowshoeing, I had a very “Bugs Bunny” idea of what it was. There is an episode of Bugs Bunny where he’s snowshoeing and he ties tennis rackets to his feet. That’s basically the idea. It’s a big “show” that straps on to your hiking boots and allows you to walk on deep drifts of snow without sinking in too far (because your weight is spread out over the size of the snow shoe, which is much bigger than your actual shoe). It also has teeth on the bottom, so you don’t slip on ice and stuff. Here’s a link to a photo of a pair of snow shoes, so you can get an idea. It’s a LOT of fun (if you like hiking)!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Atlas_snowshoes.jpg/175px-Atlas_snowshoes.jpg