(the misadventures of an expatriate corporate dropout)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

finding the groove again.

Things have been slowly working their way back to their usual rhythm. Following a terrific first week-end home (welcome-wise), I spent several days suffering from intense jet-lag and freezing cold.

Now that I have heat and a few decent night's sleep under my belt, I don't feel like I am walking in sticky mud through the fog. Although even yesterday, when I returned to French class, my mind felt groggy and syrupy. But today is good!

We've recommenced work on the house. Today JY and I moved the sink from the old kitchen to the new kitchen. My house had a lovely old porcelain sink, quite large, that while worn is still too cool to discard. It has two sinks and dish-draining grooves on both sides. It is now placed below the new window and as JY pointed out to me ... there I will have a view of the changing seasons via my garden.

JY is building the cabinetry (trés simple) that will house the sink and counter. I finally decided upon zinc for the counter ... and of course, he is making that too! The sink was not only moved today, but plumbing installed and now functional!!! I am so excited at the prospect of this room being completed. It might be only two more weeks!!!

I started a little project of my own. I had an old bookshelf shipped over and I am refinishing it for placement in the kitchen/great room. It was painted green, I am adding coats of mustard and pale grey and then will sand and wax it for an aged patina.

Soon we will also go on a 'walkabout' in search of an old bureau to fashion an island out of for the kitchen. I want to put it on wheels so I can push it aside for parties. I haven't decided if the top will be zinc too, or I may get lucky and find an old piece of marble to put on top. We'll see.

Today I also spent a couple of hours cleaning up the atelier (adjoining building to my house). There's a project round the corner for that space ... and I'm getting ready!

The weather has been alternately freezing cold or rainy. Winter bulbs are already starting to bloom or poke their faces up in the flower shops. Everyone I know is already moaning that spring is taking too long! Ha - concurrently they tell me that it won't be here until March at the earliest and January/February are the coldest months! Tomorrow I have my fuel tank refilled. So winter ... bring it on!

I'm sat typing away here and just realized I missed my yoga class! drat! I guess I'm not quite back in the rhythm yet! I also am a bit thrown off kilter as I watched the inauguration live and got distracted. I imagine that deserves a post in itself ... but I'm lazy.

So I'll just say I teared up a bit. I was surprisingly proud to be an American while listening to Obama's speech. I coveted Aretha's chapeau. I hoped the world forgave us a little today. Also, could those 2 little girls be any more adorable?! Anyone else try imagining what was going through Bush's lame brain as he gazed out upon the millions of people applauding as Obama deplored many of Bush's wrong-headed actions that diminished the dignity of the United States? How great was it to see people of every shade smiling and celebrating in unison? Isn't it wonderful to have an intelligent, articulate, smooth, inspiring and hopeful person in charge of the nation?

Talk about finding the groove again ...

4 comments:

La Framéricaine said...

Your physical recuperation sounds like it is coming along fine. Best wishes for more nights of deep, restful sleep. Now that President Obama has been sworn in and is on the job, perhaps I, too, can get some sleep. I was as excited as a kid at Christmas to get that inauguration present unwrapped and the batteries installed!

Your kitchen project sounds like a lot of fun and I am sure that it will be beautiful when it is completed. Congrats on getting back to your French lessons.

I watched the Inauguration of President Obama from beginning to end and I was proud of the way things went. Oddly enough, I didn't experience any of this remarks to be directed at Bush himself. One odd thing that I did feel though was that prior to Bush's decamping, I would never have thought of myself as an "ex-patriot" in France. However, now that Barack Obama has ascended to power, I will definitely feel like an ex-patriot in France, and that discovery has taken me by surprise.

Welcome home to France, Kim.

Amitiés,

Non Je Ne Regrette Rien said...

hi ! my take was he decried many of the actions taken under Bush's lead ( his discussion of our nation's participation in the Geneva Convention and other world pacts) ... actions to move us away from what the US supposedly stands for. No, he of course couldn't stand up there and call out Bush. But his remarks regarding those decisions and clearly stating his intention to reverse that course were clear to me.

thanks for all of your faithful commenting and support, I always look forward to hearing your input! Interesting shift on your view of your pending status!

Randal Graves said...

Man, you all are a hopeful lot, with your gleeful Roman spectacle and such. The symptoms will be more palatable, the causes will remain. We're America. I return you all to your hopeful hope of hopiness. ;-)

Riana Lagarde said...

your house sounds amazing and you have a lot of great projects. rhythm is so important in our lives just as the season roll on to their own beat. brrrrr

and yeh! obama, what a welcomed relief to have him in office and sweeping us the mess.