Still there?

Hi there!

I know I'm obnoxiously late with this, and the only real reason for it, is that time got away from me.
No major breakdowns, no fires to put out or out of the ordinary health things going on, just not being able to keep track of time.  You know the nagging things that won't go away, that shouldn't take a whole lot of time to take care of, but inadvertently always do...... That's been my life for the last 5 months or so.

Lots of little things that have been needing my attention adding up to one big time consumer.... resulting in the sneaking up of the Holidays. For being my favorite time of the year, I've managed to have to scramble to get any kind of decoration or even getting in the mood for Christmas for the last 3 years. Even while "doing the chemo-thing" we had more of a Christmas vibe. Go figure!

I DO have a major thing to report, that got finalized the day before Christmas.... I'm going back to school! It's a 6 month occupational course for webdesign. It comes with a 25 to 30 hours of homework-tag and once every 2 weeks an 8 hour class, in Eindhoven. The cool part was, when I told my sister, the first thing she said was: "Cool, you come up the night before, and I'll get you to class in time and rested"  So I'll have a mini sisterday as a bonus. LOL.
This starts in February, and lasts through August. The biggest thing is going to be that on my study days, I will not answer the phone, email or the doorbell...... and if I can convince everybody I know, that just because I'm home it does not automatically mean that I'm available, that would help in the concentration as well. I figured I can study when Mike is at work, and if everything pans out, I will have our little junkroom actually done up as a little office space and I can shut the door if I need to. They're talking about cutting everybody's hours down to 20 a week, so he'll either be working 2 full days and one half, or 5 halves, or they're going to mess his time up so bad, that I'll have to study when he's home... But we'll see when that happens, and deal with it accordingly.

Depending on how everything works out, I may have to put the CT "duties" on hold, or do less, but I hope I can find time for it. It has kept me more or less sane over the last couple of years, and I have the sneaky suspicion that I will need all the help I can get in that department.

The Upswing of the class is, that I will have a way better feel for setting up my business, I just have to figure out how that works, if/how I could work internationally etc. It will be so nice to help pay the bills again. It may take a load off Mike. His stresslevel is way up there, between the currency exchange/bills and the job situation..... If they decide that cutting hours is not enough, and they're having more lay-offs, I don't know what we would/could do if I don't have a steady income.  I hope they take in account that he's breadwinner, but also that he will have to leave, if they cut his job, but I try not to worry about that. If it happens, we will have to deal with it. If it doesn't happen, we will be ok. I'm starting to learn to cross bridges when we have to. Not because I'm getting wiser in my old age LOL, but because I'm too darn tired of everything that's been thrown our way over the last years and just don't have the energy to spare.... Not sure if that is good, or if it will come back to bite me in the butt, but I need to concentrate on getting my diploma, so I can start helping out again.   The major thing is, if I make enough money to support him according to the laws at that moment, he can stay even if anything happens to his job, and although I cannot see him being happy sitting home all day..... atleast we wouldn't be forced to leave the country within 3 months.  Part of the "getting the office set up", is thinning out our belongings, for an efficient move..... NOT a good feeling.

SO, I think you're all caught up, although my brain is so scrambled, I'm wondering whether this update makes a whole lot of sense. LOL.  I wish you a very happy New Year, and hope you had a perfect Christmas, and promise I will try to visit with you more often next year. This year just has been one thing after the other, with really nothing to show for the lack of time when you look it in the rearview mirror...... Hoping for a better devision of time next year :-)

Don't forget to hug a loved one? (twice when they're of the fuzzy variety! LOL) I will catch you next year.

Love and hugs,
Pauli

PS: If you know of a way to watch The Rose Bowl from here, PLEASE shoot me an email? GO HAWKS!!!