About Me

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Unexpected US vacation and some work

I am going to the US late August! Why? Well, there are a couple of meetings related with work but I thought it would not be worth the loooong trip. Then, one of my besties asked me to go visit her since they were not doing any traveling this summer due to some major surgeries her hubby had.

So, I decided to put fun and work together and voila!

Meanwhile our currency has lost 15% of it's value against the USD lately and many people would consider it a stupid move to take that vacation. Well, we only live once right? Not only that, almost half of my Netw Worth is in USD.

I will make sure to make it a frugal-ish vacation. Besides, there will be no accomodation costs or car rental costs because, I shall be staying with friends. I am not planning to do much shopping either since I was in the US last year and am planning my bucket list vacation next year in Fall.

I started my new meds today and I guess it will take a few days to understand whether they will work or not. Being away from work for three weeks may help too. I will be taking the next two weeks as a planned vacation and this week was the unexpected addition to it.

I am just taking it easy and getting plenty of rest.


Monday, May 28, 2018

Health Issues

My blood pressure has been very high lately and I am totally scared. So, mom and I came to Ankara today to get it checked out by my cardiologist. This morning was the first time it has been normal. I hope it is just a matter of changing meds.

Wish me luck.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Upcoming Vacation Plans

I will be taking a vacation during the first two weeks of June with mom. Last year I had a vacation all by myself in the US and this year, we are vacationing together. She no longer wants to go abroad. Too tiring for her.

We will drive all the way to İzmir on a Saturday and spend two nights at my sister's who will not be home that weekend. On Monday, we will head further south to Bodrum where we will stay at a resort. Our room opens directly to the pool and the Aegean Sea is within two minutes of walking distance. I prefer the sea over the pool but, sunbathing by the pool with mom will be nice. She no longer likes to go in the water. She says the movement of the water makes her dizzy.

We will stay there for 5 days and head back to my sister's who will be home then :) We will spend some time around that area and head back home by the following weekend.

We are planning to go to a classic car museum, visit some archaelogical sites (mom is an archeologist) that we have not been to and mostly relax.

This vacation has been booked in January at a fraction of what it would cost now and has been paid for. I am not expecting to spend much money while we are on the road or in Izmir. The resort is quiet pricey but, I have taken advantage of the early bird special booking they have offered way back in January and purchased insurance just in case we would not be able to go. I like to buy that insurance because you never know, especially when traveling with an elderly person.

I am hoping to make a long road trip in the US next year. Something on top of my bucket list for a long time.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Friday and stuff

I cannot believe the week is almost over. Life seems to be on the very fast track lately.

As I look closely, I see that my apartment needs some serious work. The flooring must be completely changed. I would love to have hardwood floors but those are prohibitively expensive and difficult to maintain.

I need something to last 15-20 years and easy to maintain. Due to my allergies, I am not supposed to use carpets at home so, the floors are aesthetically important.

I also need to change the shower base and the stall. When I renovated the bathroom, those two turned out to be the two things, I did not like.

There is some water damage on a couple of walls and those have to be taken care of too.

Tomorrow mom and I will go to a Farmer's Market to buy fresh produce. I just hope it won't rain.

I wish everyone a great weekend!

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

One of the very best weekends!

My sister and BIL came to visit last Friday night. They had asked me not to tell mom because they wanted to surprise mom who is staying with me these days.

They drove all the way from Izmir after work on Friday so, knowing that they would arrive after midnight, I tried to convince mom to watch a movie after midnight but she was sleepy so, she went to bed.

I made sure, my sis and BIL would not ring the door bell and right after they arrived, we all went to bed. Then it struck me: What if mom wakes up and decides to check up on me? Would she be afraid, if she ran into one of "the kids" in the middle of the night when going to the bathroom? Thankfully, none of that happened.

Anyway, I got up and started breakfast and woke my sister and BIL up. They woke mom very gently and boy! was she happy! She loved her suprise.

Since, everybody was tired, we decided to stay at home and just spend time together on Saturday till dinner.

We went to a fancy fish restaurant that both of the kids love and had a very good time. After I paid the bill, I went to get the car from the valet service and started waiting for my family to get in the car. Minutes passed and there was noone coming. It kinda felt like the Twilight Zone. They were right behind me! Where are they now? I called my sister and my brother and they did not answer! What?! I was about to leave the car to look for them when they finally arrived.

Apparently as they were walking out, they have seen a famous newspaper article writer whom we all like but whom my mom absolutely loves! He is a very smart man, with an incredible archive. He writes politics and he is an opponent to the current Government just like we are. So, they stopped to say hello and he came around, gave mom a hug and posed for several pictures. Bummer! I missed that.

Mom was ecstatic! She kept saying "what a wonderful day this was".  The next day, we had breakfast at home again. My BIL loves pancakes so, I made some and he had his first taste of Maple Syrup. Magically, he liked it! Members of my family have very conservative taste buds unlike mine. I tried to give him one of the unopened bottles I brought back from the US but, he did not want to take it.

It was a great weekend overall.

Friday, May 4, 2018

Weekend Plans

My sister called today to tell me that she and her husband are coming to visit us (mom is also here) tonight, for the weekend as a surprise for mom. Mother's Day is next weekend but they can make it this week.

YAY! I am very happy! I miss my sister very much and I am looking forward to seeing her. She is 7 years my junior. She is witty, versatile and very funny. She is also Ms. Common Sense. 

Oh! Yeah, I also love my BIL too. He is a kind and gentle guy who adores my sister. 

We will have a nice breakfast at home tomorrow morning. Then, we will play tourist in Istanbul all day long. I would like to take them on a boat tour either to Prince Islands or along the Bosphorus if the weather permits that. I have booked a very nice fish restaurant that they love for dinner.

On Sunday, we will have breakfast together and they will drive back to Izmir in the afternoon. It is just a short little visit but we shall hopefully get to see them again next month at the end of our mini vacation with mom.

I think it is a blessing to get along well with one's immediate family. I know many people who cannot stand their siblings and I think, that is so sad.