Everything Athens

We were so excited to get our bid list in this past week. It felt good to know that folks from Chennai were getting their first choices, ranging from Ankara to Vancouver, so we had high hopes. Then we heard back from the powers-that-be and they took a bit of wind from our sails, saying they'd do their best but our combined choices were a little bit of a stretch as far as jobs and places. In other words, it was almost too nice a list to be realistic. We still have our fingers crossed, but now I'm nervous. When you figure our #2 choice is still a 15% differential and 10% COLA Post it makes me wonder what would have been a good list.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying sites like these:

Best of Athens

Greece Survival Guide

Athens Quiz (and other countries if you scroll down the WorldWise quizzes)

Here We Go Again

Swim seasons has started. I'm up at 5:10 in the morning to get kids up and out the door to practice. Thank goodness this only goes til the end of September!

Day 3 of school

I stopped by the school today after work to drop off a ream's worth of forms. Health forms, physical forms, bus forms, lunch forms. It was nice to be back in the familiar halls and checking out new books from the library.



Said hello to Jonathon's teacher, Ms. Roberston, who was Nicholas's teacher last year so I know he'll have a great year. She rules a no nonsense classroom, but has a lot of fun with the kids and they really like her.
I met Nicholas's teacher when I popped my head in to say Hi. She started right off with how wonderful he is. Because he's so quiet?, I asked. No no no, he's outgoing and chatty and a leader and..., she said before I stopped her. You're talking about Nicholas? I queried with a sort of "you're kidding, right?" tone. She was serious. I told her that of my 4 kids he's the most reserved, always has been pretty mellow, just ask Ms. Robertson across the hall. She commented my house must be a little crazy if he's the quiet one. Honestly, I'm not quite sure what to make of it!
I stopped into Rebecca's class to say Hello, but didn't get a chance to meet her teacher, though Rebecca again said her teacher is the best one ever, so I'm thinking she's going to have a great year too. I tried to grab Ms. D after school but she was talking to another parent and I didn't get a chance to break into the conversation introduce myself politely. Next time.
I'm really pleased with all the teacher placements this year, even with Katherine's classes. Katherine is doing really well, I'm very pleased, even while I watch her with a more knowledgable eye. Today she was downright perky after school, when I caught up with her walking down the hall with a new girl... Katherine.
I can't help thinking it's going to be a great year for my little brood.

It's probably just me...

But this made me chuckle...

A dude on the bike, in his robe, barefoot and helmet-free.

Sparky's

"Never trust a skinny chef."


Stop by the diner for a "homecooked" lunch, and purchase your own Sparky's fan shirt.
Get a coke float too.

First Day of School: Check

They survived. The first day of 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th has come and gone, and by all accounts was a successful day. After all... no homework!

Katherine came home with an "OK" which was a far cry better than "the worst day of school" she was expecting. Rebecca was all bubbly about her teacher, the glacier-climbing one. Nicholas, well, Nicholas didn't want to leave home this morning. No tantrum or anything, my kids don't tantrum (anymore), he just would have preferred to stay home. He said his teacher was nice though. Jonathon was completely oblivious. As Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky, he'll do anything and came home with scraped knees so I guess it was a good day.

Onward. The year is going to fly by.

Sound of Silence

And... we're back. A word to the wise, if you're in Chennai and need internet access, do not use Tata Indicom. Their customer service is terrible, their connectivity is unreliable. In the 3 weeks of July we were actually here, we were out for 8 days. Whatever. Though we're up and running now, we're looking for a new service.

In the meantime we've been getting ready for school and enjoying the last few lazy days of summer. Folks are returning from their holidays, my calendar is getting pencilled in, and I start work again on Monday. Why didn't I take Monday off to enjoy it to myself?

Today we went back to Sparky's for lunch. The food is decent, it's the diner feel and the laid back comfort that really is attractive. Thom, the owner, is always up for a chat and you're bound to run into some friends no matter when you go.

Earlier in the week I had my meltdown; I'm better now. The neighbors returned with 7-week old Racquel, which has been both a wonderful thing and a bit like a spike in the heart. What can I say, I'm still hopeful for us. It's been 7 years (7! Jonathon turns 7 on the 18th, OhMyGoodness) since my last baby but I've never given up the dream. I think my brain is broken.

But that's not what you want to hear about. Bid list is getting turned in very soon. Research has continued, changes have been made. Curious? Read on.

#1 - Athens
#2 - Sydney
#3 - Bucharest
#4 - FSI
#5 - Brussels
#6 - London
#7 - Athens
#8 - EL CDO
#9 - London
#10 - Istanbul
#11 - St. Petersburg
Surprised? It's what happens as we learn about the jobs, the schools, the opportunities. Multiple city entries mean different job positions. EL CDO is a Career Development Officer for Entry Level officers. FSI is a teaching job for ConGen. FSI and CDO bring us to the DC area for 2 years-3 years. Athens, Bucharest, Istanbul and St. Petersburg would bring us back for a year of language. Brussels, London, and Sydney would mean just a Home Leave vacation before going on to the next Post.
Wish us luck.
Oh, and now for something completely different:

This was on TV here!