And.... Cut.

Finally, some time to breathe.  I have been working straight since my last post, and I finished my online course and all the extras.  I am done with remodel at Target and I am working on adjusting to getting up at 3 am so I can be at work by 4:30.  I am only scheduled three and a half hours each day, but so far I have worked at least six hours each day.  Today I actually worked nine and a half hours.

I also just completed my Summerfest days.  It was a good time. Mornings at north gate with Pat and Chris. Nights working Ops with Richard and sometimes Anthony (Pimpy McDigits).  That provided hours of entertainment and they were also quality backup, even if they did act like the older brothers I never wanted.  I will talk more about Summerfest in a later post but I don't really feel like talking about it right now.

In truth, I don't really know what I want to talk about.  I feel like typing and talking but I have no clue what I really want to talk about.  I bought a Kindle yesterday and I spent the day downloding the free books from amazon.  I also bought a bunch of new clothes and things from Modcloth.  But again, I want to talk about each of these things on their own later. I think I am just feeling a bit of a transition pain from being around thousands of people everyday at Summerfest to being around no one all day but myself and my pets.  I think I am lonely and that being by myself and working on getting things ready for South Korea is making me nervous and sad.  I am starting to get the flighty panic feeling that you get before jumping out of a plane the first time.  I know that I will be okay and that the parachute will go off, but I am still terrified that I will be in the small percentage who have there parachutes fail and that I will take a headlong fall to earth.  It is as if I am experiencing a low key anxiety attack, or just the beginning of one, all the time.

I am going to spend this weekend getting things organized and trying to feel a bit better about where I am at with Korea and other bits in my life.  Saturday I am going to try to make it to the beach for awhile  and then I am heading to Dead Man's Carnival, even if I have to go all by myself, I am going.  I need to start learning to do things without my friends around, and here is a great time for me to begin.

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa... What?!

I woke today at the early hour of 1:30 p.m. (which is early when you work third shift) to a phone call from James, my caseworker from Gone2Korea.  Half asleep still I listened as he told me that he had a school that was interested in interviewing me tomorrow at 10 pm.  He informed me that he had sent an email with details and I needed to get back to him by 10 tonight to verify my interest.

All of this seemed a little surreal until I turned on my laptop and opened the email and there in big bold letters (or what I mentally perceived as big, bold, letters) where the dates I would be leaving the US... JULY 26TH!!!!!  That is only a few more days than a month before I would ship out, heading for a foreign country to live alone.  I freaked.

The school is in a beautiful location, about ten minutes by bus from the ocean and thirty minutes from downtown Seoul.  There is a temple, and islands and all sorts of amazing things, and all I can think about is all the piles of stuff I need to do to get ready.

The closer I get to actually leaving the more excited I get and the more common it is for me to feel bile rising in my throat and my legs shaking and my face rapidly loosing blood.  If you were to ask how I feel about leaving for Korea and whether I am excited of nervous, I couldn't answer you.  The emotion are a lot like waves, the really big ones come from nowhere and knock you flat, and even though it was scary being forced under the water, and uncomfortable getting water up your nose, it was thrilling and exhilarating at the same time.

I am going to spend the rest of the day writing out all my questions, and lists and figuring ou the order of importance for things and getting ready for the interview tomorrow.  Part of me is hoping that they don't want me so that I can have a little bit longer to live a life I am used to and part of me wants to know the day I am leaving and get all my crazy out-there questions answered.  Tomorrow, I am heading to mil-town to get my uniform for summerfest, maybe I will talk my mom into coming and we can stop at the Asian market and get lunch on the lake.  This weekend is the last training session for summerfest and then the fest begins on tuesday next week.   At least that will help keep my mind from freaking as much.  Oh, and it will keep me from getting anything done!

On a slightly different note, I have been wondering why fate brings people into our lives that seem so sublimely connect to us on a level that others do not reach, only to remove them again in a sudden, and seemingly permanent way?  I have made some really good friends working at target, and A lot of them I would enjoy continuing to be friends with even if I was not working there and yet I am leaving for Korea and I will in all likelihood, not speak to many of them again.  The few that I am closest with are the ones that it is hardest to say goodbye to.  Why did I meet people and become friends and establish relationships, just in time to say goodbye?  Now I have more to miss and more reason to be lonely when I arrive at the greatest adventure of my life.

Cooking Extravaganza And Good Times To Come

I woke up this morning with an urge to cook something.  I didn't really want to eat anything, I just felt like cooking.  I had the ingredients for a couple different recipes sitting around, so I cooked them all.  As I type this, the smell of the Leek Soup and the Broccoli - Mushroom Lasagna compete with each other to be the stand out aroma.  The Spinach and Roquefort Tart is happy to play the middle man, wafting stronger when the breeze from the window plays over it.  The cherry pie hides in the background, only coming to the surface if you search for it, then overwhelming you with the sharp cinnamon scent of it's crust.  


I wish I could bottle the complex smells going on I my kitchen right now.  Or the ones going on in my garden.  I spent yesterday thinning and weeding out all of my gardens and went to bed still smelling of sun and growth and rain.  


I love all the seasons for different reason but I think spring is my favorite smelling.  Not because of the flowers and things like that though.  I love that day towards the end of winter when you walk outside and can smell the undeniable aroma of spring tickling your nose.  It is an indescribable smell, meaning something different to each person, and yet heralding spring and the hope of longer days and warm sun.  Another of my favorite spring smells is the electric, damp scent that appears just before that first big rainstorm.  It is as if the plants all know what's coming and they are drawing it in by releasing an intoxicating, wet smell and the storm responds by smelling of the lighting it is going to produce.


I am also in love with the smell of fire.  Any fire.  So this sunday is going to be amazing.  Heading to the Infiammati Fire circus and Freak show.  It promises to be an wonderful night.

Whew. Time For A Break

Well, it has been pretty crazy the past few weeks and I have been doing a lot of catch up and relaxing with not much time for blogging.  I am typing now with a stitched and bandaged finger after chopping it open while making breakfast put a hold on my plans for the day.  So I decided to take the time to do a little catching up.

My garden is coming along great, considering the crazy weather we have been having.  I get ou to it when it isn't raining and will hopefully be done with everything this week, but every time I get close another storm comes through and makes it unworkable for a few days.  I am going to take some pictures and post them up here once I get my new camera this week.

The Korea plans are moving along.  I have all the paperwork I need and am just waiting on getting my apostille sealed files back so I can move on to the next step.  I am definitely freaking out a little more each day about all the stuff I need to get together and get filed away. This week I am going to talk to AT&T about there international plan and whether I can switch over to that with the phone I have now.   I am also going to dig out my suitcase and see if it will function for this trip or if I am going to need to buy some new luggage.

On the health front, I have all my vaccinations done and my meds ready.  My weight loss stopped for the last two weeks but I have finally pushed past it and started loosing again.  I have added 25 pushups twice a day to my workout and I am continuing to try to eat healthy and in moderation.  I am feeling great which is all that really matters to me.

I went to see Rocky Horror Last night and enjoyed it immensely as I always do.  It was pirate vs. ninja night which made it even better than normal.  Last weekend I had a big old bonfire again and burned a chair from my garage and then spent saturday with Dana on the beach resting and tanning.

My thumb is beginning to throb so I am going to have to leave off for the day.  I will do my best to be back more often than I have been lately.

What A Week

This week was pretty much crazy.  I had work and dog walking each morning after work then passing out for a few hours if I could and then stuff around the house until work again.  On the plus side I did get two large paychecks today and feel like I am finally back ahead of the game when I comes to money.

Work this week was a mix of highs and lows.  It started out shitty with a friend getting fired and then continued slow and low with crazy assignments and people getting in the way.  On the positive side, I did get a chance to learn a bit more about more of my coworkers and to decide who to be friendly with and who to really enjoy the day with.

This weekend I am looking forward to a little bit nicer weather and a chance to get the garden fully planted and ready to go.  Other than that, I have an assignment due, and I some housework to get done.  I am going out for sushi tomorrow night and I am spending sunday at Maxwell Street Day in Cedarburg. Over 800 stands of people selling everything from plants to books to railway equipment to furniture.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will receive that letter in the mail this coming week and then I will head for Madison to get all the signitures I need and get my packet set to send to the Korean consulate.  I also have a doctors apointment this coming week to get a physical and to get the shots I need to keep myself from getting yellow fever or something while I'm there.  Afew of the vaccinations I need include Rabies, Malaria, and Typhoid. Sounds thrilling doesn't it?  It should hopefully be a big week for my plans and soon within a month I should start hearing from possible jobs.  Freaking out in a major way.