ArchiveDecember 2020

My time is Strasbourg has been very relaxing and low key, so not much to report. My friend O and her boyfriend S have been providing lots of high quality food, wine and company. This afternoon we had a hearty lunch of pan cooked duck breast, mashed potatoes, and green bean & bacon “bundles.” Tonight we played cards, shared laughs, and nibbled on delectable apéro — a magnum of...

This morning my friend O and I have a leisurely, light breakfast of yogurt, bread etc. A farmer’s market runs on Tuesdays (and Saturdays) on the boulevard where my friend lives; the merchants set up their stalls and trucks in the tree-lined pedestrian lane between the split lanes of the street. We head back to the bakery / boulangerie down the street, which has a long line out front. We want to...

I arrived to Strasbourg without incident! The Lufthansa flight from Dublin was probably half full, it was a smaller plane than I was expecting, but business class still was with it for extra perks and service. I decided to try to take both my bags as carry-ons, which I managed to get away with thanks to a cooperative security person and an eager to please flight attendant, who also insisted on...

Today I’ve been getting ready for my trip to Strasbourg, France over this next week to visit my friend O. Packing is one of my least favourite activities. My brain goes into overdrive contingency planning mode, not wanting to forget anything. It’s not so much clothes as it is toiletries, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and other miscellaneous stuff. I use checklists so that it’s not all whirling...

I sleep in late this morning after staying up late watching TV last night. I have a leisurely breakfast, do some more laundry, and watch the U.S. news from the previous evening. The explosion in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning is the top story. Will anyone claim responsibility? And for what aim? My drive-thru COVID-19 test is scheduled for 2:00pm, and the pickup time for the car share is...

It’s a quiet Christmas Day here in Dublin. With nothing else going on today, I’m planning on doing a test drive this afternoon using the GoCar car sharing service I had signed up for recently. I take my time getting up in the morning, making breakfast, and taking a shower, so I push the pickup time back a couple of times. The car I’ve reserved is just on the other side of the Liffey, so about a 5...

It’s Christmas Eve! The parcel I was expecting yesterday arrives this morning at 10:00am. The forwarding service actually threw in some unexpected, complimentary gift wrapping. Since they were all items I had purchased for myself, this made it feel like Santa had brought them. The shipment also included 3 teddy bear style Christmas stockings that I bought on a whim; they were customisable...

Today the weather has turned rainy and gloomy. I don’t have any errands to run, other than a haircut in the afternoon. I’m expecting a package to arrive from the U.S. with some shoes and other purchases I made from online retailers and forwarded via my shipping service. I also sent an early Christmas present to my friend in O. in Strasbourg, France that I’m hoping will arrive today. I give her a...

Lately I’ve been sleeping in later, but today I get up and going earlier than I have in awhile. I’m expecting a package to be delivered before 12 noon, and instead of dilly-dallying I take a shower right away and get dressed, so that I’m ready to head downstairs whenever it arrives. Then it’s back to my usual routine of coffee and breakfast, and as I’m washing the...

It’s drizzly out, and without any compelling reason to leave the apartment, I decide to stay in and catch up on emails, do more job searching, etc. I’m surprised and excited when another email notification regarding my Personal Public Service (PPS) number application shows up in my inbox this morning. I did not expect to hear anything this week, assuming that the officer...