Wake up and smell the coffee

When I first woke up this morning, lying in bed before the alarm sounded, I could swear I smelled coffee.  A wonderfully inviting and motivating smell.   Thing is, though, I knew it was impossible.  A figment of my imagination.  An olfactory hallucination.  Unless the cats had learned to scoop coffee grounds and boil hot water, it was pure fancy.  But wouldn't that be a cute children's story - kitties wanting to help out, doing things around the house when everyone is gone or asleep.  Good intentions with hilarious mishaps.   


Then I remembered that I had done a little prep myself last night.  I filled the kettle with water and put the coffee grounds into the French Press coffee pot before I went to bed to save myself time in the morning.  Is it possible that the smell of the grounds was strong enough to fill the house with the scent of a freshly made pot and reach my little nose all the way in the bedroom?  An unexpected but oh so pleasant byproduct of thinking ahead.

I'll never be able to anticipate everything in planning our move to Vienna, but I am thinking today about how important it is to do the best I can to look ahead, prepare in advance, pay attention and do the little and big things that might help pave the way.  Who knows what good happenings, what surprises and little bits of pleasure doing so might create.  To enjoy the smell of the coffee before it is even made is a lovely thing.

Here's to Mistakes

I'm foregoing the Friday Five for a bit.  Turns out that I don't actually DO five things each week toward the big move....yet.  Or, I should say that I don't do five NEW things each week toward the move and I can only say "one more German lesson down" or "cleaned another closet" so many times.  Boring!

I was all gung-ho about it for awhile and thought it would be a great feature for An American Girl, but it was becoming more a source of anxiety than a motivator for me.  Rather than enjoying the idea of blogging and actually feeling inspired to write, I was filled throughout the week with thoughts of "what am I doing, what can I tell everyone I'm doing?  But wait, I'm not really doing anything, but I have to think of something."  Oh boy. 

So, until such time as I am actually in the throes of doing new and enlightening things all the time because the move is getting close at hand and I have to be, I'm going back to the original plan.  Blog a few times a week, sharing thoughts, ideas, pondering issues or tidbits I have heard and working on my writing. 

I have to say that this whole exercise - blogging - has been pretty interesting and challenging.  It feels odd to try things like the Friday Five, like searching for a good look & feel, like posting writing that I consider to be unpolished, all in a public forum where others can see the missteps, the messiness.  And I'm actually inviting others to see the process!

I'm one of those people that doesn't do new things in front of people.  Ever.  Not in front of strangers.  Not in front of people I know.  I've never learned to play pool because I'm terrified of making an ass out of myself.  I don't play board games or card games because these aren't things you can  learn on your own and perfect before taking the show on the road.  

I have not perfected the art of writing, the art of blogging.  Nor will I ever, I fear, but I am strangely accepting of this.  Maybe it's easier because I never see any of you, dear readers, while sitting at my kitchen table with my laptop as an intermediary.  It's a lot safer than being in a crowded bar with people staring over my shoulder as I make attempt after attempt to actually get a ball in the pocket at the pool table.  But there is still a sheepishness when I make a mistake or decide that something isn't working and I have to change things.

Ah well, here's to mistakes.  And learning to love them, laugh at them and move on.

The Friday Five (Freitag funf)

This week's Five.... 

1) Vienna Visit in May ~ plane tickets purchased and apartment rental secured.  We used the service VRBO to find the rental and so far it has been an easy and pleasant experience (thanks, MJ, for the recommendation).  The apartment is on on Max Winter Platz in District 2.

2) Sorted through books ~ Prior to our move  six months ago, I weeded my book collection (librarian-speak for getting rid of unwanted books) so it was rather difficult to take another pass.  I keep books.  I re-read books.  I have some books that have sentimental value. Some that I just plain love and with which I can and will never part.  All this said, I was able to reduce my collection a bit.  I am also consoled by the thought that a friend of ours is willing and able to store boxes of books for us for an indefinite period, so I don't have to weed aggressively.  I have also been advised to keep a good collection; that I may long for the comfort of favorite books in English once I'm living in another country, surrounded by another language.

3) The Closet.  I also took a first pass at my weeding my wardrobe.  This is a very challenging task for me, although I will brag that I have been very good at keeping my clothing collection current for the past few years.  Current does not equal small, unfortunately.  Thing is...I have a lot of clothes, but I really do wear them. I swear. This is a big one for me.  There will be oh so much more on this topic to come, I can assure you.

4) After a 2-3 week hiatus, I just completed another German lesson on the Rosetta Stone.  I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment, mostly with possessive pronouns and still a little lost on learning/knowing the gender of nouns (it's important to know that to get the correct form of the pronoun).  Learning the language will require much more time and attention that I've been giving it as of late.  Must work on this.

5) I'm trying to do what I can to get An American Girl out there and to establish a broad, interesting and interested audience, share with others and have a forum for writing and learning.  This week, I spent time in the blogosphere, looking for other blogs, commenting, linking, making connections.  I've also been thinking about my content and approach and how to not only write the blips and blurts of what I'm doing, but widening my scope, making it more relevant for others.  Give people a reason to want to read beyond just wanting to check up on my progress.  As I figure it out, I thank everyone who is already here for reading and hope that if you like An American Girl, that you'll share it with others and spread the word.

Friday, yes. Five, no.

I only worked 2 1/2 days this week and spent the rest of the time at home on the couch.  I didn't get a whole lot done from my living room perch, but I wasn't feeling so hot so my lack of productivity hasn't bothered me.  It does mean, however, that I don't have much to report today and definitely not a whole Five Things. I did try a bit of German one day, but Rosetta Stone didn't take to my funny, froggy cold-voice, so I deserted that exercise.  On the plus side, I've had a lot of time to read and have gotten lost in a book in a way I haven't in quite some time (The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova) and that is a pure joy.  Also....

**We continue our honeymoon planning.  Lo and behold, Kiefer has friends who live in Sussex, England.  In a 600 year-old castle.  And we're invited! So, the trip is shaping up to be a week in England and a week in Vienna.  No complaints here!

 ** In the midst of all the didn't do's this week, there was one big DID.  I submit my first article contribution to DivineCaroline!  If you're interested, here's a direct link to the story....have a read. 

I am feeling better today, but I think I'll head back to the couch for a bit.  Just one more evening.  I've got the movie Before Sunrise to watch.  I'm hoping I can get over my cellular-level dislike of Ethan Hawke enough to enjoy the movie.  It's set in Vienna and that's what I want to see!

The Friday Five (Freitag funf)

Yes, you are in the right place!  Yes, I changed it again.  Yes,  I do realize that I cannot, should not be changing the format so often.  I don't want to run you off with impatient thoughts of me as a wacky, flaky girl.  But I just wasn't happy with the look and feel of An American Girl; it didn't feel like me and this is, well, supposed to be all about me and what I'm going through this year.  It's important to me that my blog reflect who I am.  So I changed it again.  One last time.  This is it...promise.

And, since it's Friday again (already?), it's time for....

The Friday Five/Freitag funf

1.) Added a feed for the Austrian Times to my iGoogle page to read the news every day .  One of the front page articles this week makes me nervous, BZO Calls for Tougher Immigration Laws.  More on that later.

2.) Spent Sunday afternoon walking around San Francisco with Kiefer.  Bright and sunny, but windy...typical San Francisco.  We ventured through a new (to us) neighborhood...Polk Street.  We walked nearly the entire length, from City Hall up to Russian Hill, not quite all the way down to the Wharf.  Lots of different people enjoying their coffee, their pedicures, their beer and the USA v. Canada Olympic Hockey Game at the local bars.  Saw my friend's friend's flower shop, Cherries, but it was closed, so I enjoyed via a peek through the window.

3.) Started a Story Ideas notebook for possible writing topics - keep it with me at all times to log random thoughts, ideas, connections that pop into my head.  I've always thought my biggest block to writing was ideas.  Now I've got ideas on the page but I have to actually begin the writing.

4.) Left a message for my old landlord in Oakland to see if he has any vacant studio apartments he'd be willing to let us occupy for a few months.  No word yet.  I'm hoping that's not a bad sign.

5.) Started taking photos of furniture to sell on Craigslist.  I wasn't kidding last week.....if anyone in the Bay Area wants to buy a crescent-moon shaped, light-blue leather couch....look no further!

The Friday Five

I got this idea from Abby Try Again, a wonderful blog of "experiments in film photography and general happiness."   Every week, she posts five senses friday, a way to look back and take stock of the previous week through things seen, heard, tasted, touched, and smelled.  I was hoping to incorporate Five Senses Friday into An American Girl, but I'm not sure I see how to sustain it for weeks on end (will I taste or hear something each week that relates somehow to Vienna or the move?) so I've decided to change it a bit to make it my own (with thanks and apologies to Abby Try Again).

Each Friday, I will post The Friday Five.  Five things I have done, thought, or experienced during the previous week that relate to Vienna, the move, the planning, my blog, or ways in which I/we are celebrating our final year in the Bay Area.  A way to reflect on, appreciate, and share all that happens each week.  And, so, without further ado......

The Friday Five (Freitag funf)

1. Immersed myself in the German language for 2 hours with the German film, Bella Martha. 
2. Through a friend, found a way to get my writing out to the public (I'd like to make writing my livelihood, or at least a part of it, moving forward).  divine caroline - life in your words.  This means, of course, that it is time to seriously begin writing. Gulp.
3. Changed the look of my blog because I found the previous format - layout, font, colors - difficult to read.  I hope you like the new format.
4. Kiefer and I are discussing ways to save money for our move and to begin the downsizing process.  We're thinking about selling a lot of our big furniture and other various belongings, keeping the essentials, and moving to a studio (or smaller, cheaper apartment) for the next six to nine months.  Craigslist, here we come!  Anybody in the Bay Area want to buy a crescent moon-shaped, light blue leather couch?
5. Started The Friday Five!  Okay, that may be cheating a bit, but I just had the idea last night and I'm struggling a bit to come up with Five Things all of a sudden this morning.