I suppose my life is just as interesting here as it was in South Africa but, somehow, being in a foreign land made it all seem more exciting. So that's my excuse for not keeping up, such as it is!
I am so settled in and so loving my life here. I have a very, very dear friend living across the street and another with whom I go out pretty much every weekend. I eat four full-course, noon time "dinners" a week in the retirement building across the street (where my friend, JoLynda, lives) for the grand sum of $55-60/mo and have more than enough to bring home for dinner, too. It pretty much totally relieves me of cooking unless I want to, since I go out for meals most Saturdays and eat a noon meal at church following Sunday service. Another up-side is that it is my social fix most days and keeps me from total hermit-hood.
I am very centrally located and can walk pretty much everywhere I want or take a bus when I don't want to or can't walk. I'm only a block from two different bus routes that run very frequently. These often empty buses show me just how much sense the system in South Africa of waiting for a full bus before taking off makes. It is sure more economically efficient, though inconvenient. There is a shopping bus that comes every Friday morning to take us to the big supermarket...I'm loving this being in a retirement place for these conveniences. Aside from that, I pretty much ignore the whole "community" thing but can see myself aging here safely and comfortably. My apartment is all I could want or need. I love pulling out the trundle at night and making the room into a bedroom and then pushing it back in the morning and, lo and behold, no sign of bedroom...just living space. I can't see myself needing more space and wonder why I ever thought I did.
I had a phone interview last Monday for a job in Denali National Park in Alaska this summer. I'll be clerking in the gift shops at Mt. McKinley Village Lodge from mid-May to mid-Sept and I am so excited I could spit butterscotch! The Lodge has two gift shops, one for transients with mostly souvenirs and books and pamphlets, etc. and the other for guests with the high end stuff. I chose this assignment because I'll be able to switch off between the shops and meet so many more types of people. After the frequent loneliness of my time in Africa, this will be a welcome switch. They use a lot of retired people as employees, so I'm hoping to find some like-hearted fellow-travelers to trek around with on our off time. I've spent a lot of time online checking out the park and cannot believe the spectacular nature of the beauty there.
Till then, I'm thinking of maybe making a shot trip to visit some far-flung friends but need to get back on my feet from the flu/sinus infection thing I've been battling since Christmas. Felt good enough today to clean my bathroom!!! That's progress. Speaking of Christmas, spent the day, itself, alone but then, on Boxer Day went to my nephew's home and spent the day with my sisters, three nieces, a nephew, their spouses and children. There were a total of 19 of us, I think. Anyway, a whole bunch of relatives and it was great fun. However, as much fun as it was, I've resolved to spend my Christmases from now on with my grandkids in Vancouver. From the time the children were born, they lived within a mile of me until they moved to Vancouver, shortly before I moved to South Africa. It was our tradition that they would call me first thing Christmas morning and I would go over before the kids began unwrapping gifts. I LOVED it and find that I missed it very much. So, from now on, I'll fly up, if only for a short stay. It just wasn't Christmas without them.
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