Blog Hiatus during vacation

I will not be posting during my vacation. This time, I am only taking my phone, no laptop, no tablet and posting with the phone is a hassle. Besides, I want to keep away from the media and social media as much as I can.

When I come back, I will write all about it, I promise.

I am leaving very early tomorrow morning. I have done the last few things I had to do. It was a very hot day to run errands and I just got home. I will rest for about an hour and then close my suitcase and be ready.

Goodbye for now!

How was my last day at work and other stuff

If some of you may remember, last year we had lost a colleague. His wife's nephew was an intern at the time at our company who turned out to be a really sharp and nice young man. So, we hired him this year as a regular employee since he has finished College.

I had become friendly with his aunt, my colleague's wife, while he was still in the hospital and kept in touch with her after the funeral. 

Both the aunt and the nephew gifted me a really beautiful neck scarf which I loved very much. So, nice of them!

The team also got cheesecakes to say a final goodbye and we had some emotional time while I addressed them shortly. No, I didn't cry but my Technical Team Leader did. He also walked me to my car. Such a nice guy.

I sent the entire company a brief and humorous goodbye mail sharing my personal contact information.

Then I drove off towards the sunset. Lol! Well, not exactly. I came home and got rid of some clutter.

Today, the cleaning lady came and put things in order and I did many loads of laundry. Tomorrow, I will be ready to pack my suitcase.

I have some meat to use up before I leave along with some yogurt, cheese, red beet pickles, tomatoes and cucumbers. I am hoping to clean and wipe the fridge tomorrow too. 

There are a few things I must buy and I do not want to leave those to the last day. Tomorrow will be a busy Sunday.

The Last Day!

I cannot believe, this is my last day at work. Wow!

It feels.... interesting :)

Chores before vacation

I finally booked a closed parking lot space for my car close to the airport. Due to a long religious holiday, the parking lots will be full and I do not want to find "Full" signs at the parking gates while I am already rushing. The airport parking lot is very expensive but the Radisson Blu offers a discounted closed parking rate that includes a free shuttle to the airport. So, that's done.

I have also printed the necessary information I may need.

Thinking that Northern Michigan might get real cold in the winter, I had bought a bathrobe for my friend's daughter but I cannot be sure of the size so, I will take it back to the store to probably exchange it.

Need to buy Pistachio Nuts, Turkish delights and some small gifts for my friend and her family. Those will be taken care of on Saturday.

I also need to stock up on my regular medicines.

On Sunday, I will pack my suitcase. I will pack a backpack for the first few days for the drive to Michigan so that, I will not have to deal with that when I get there. We will probably hit the road early in the morning after my arrival. I will pack very lightly. Last year, I did not wear some of what I brought so, this time I will keep the stuff to a minimum. Besides, I can wash my things if I need to.

I am not going to be bringing a second suitcase with me this time since I will not be shopping much. One suitcase and one carry-on is all I need. I will save a good deal of money on the second checked bag this time. It is usually USD 80-100 and I cannot justify it given the current state of USD. It is not as bad as on Monday but still too high.

I also need to do two loads of laundry before I leave. I must wash and put my work clothes away.

I will clean my refrigerator. I usually wipe the interior with a light solution of white vinegar and water.

As you can see, I am not quiet ready yet and have some chores to be taken care of.

Final Week!

This is my final week at work. Pheww! Time goes by fast, doesn't it?

Good news is I got paid last Friday since both of the authorized signatures would be on vacation this week.

Bad news is, the economy is tanking and TL is depreciating very fast against hard currencies. It is a crisis state right now for the entire country. We just have to sit tight and ride the waves and see what happens.

It is outright stupid to be going on a vacation in the US but, my ticket has already been paid for months ago and I have dollars available so, I am not purchasing it for horrid prices and I will not be doing much shopping.

I will spend time with my friends, enjoy my time, purchase only what is an absolute neccesity, like a pair of pants and a couple of tops that I can use when I am consulting. My size is very difficult in Turkey and the US is the only place that I can find my size. 22 Long/Tall.

The Barbecue

Last night we had a barbecue in the garden at work and they gifted me a very pretty amethyst and gold necklace as a going away gift. Our old offce assistant came too and we stayed until late at night. It was really nice.

The weather was nice with a cool breeze so, it was very comfortable outside. All day it was really hot and humid.

I have 6 more work days to go if you do not count this one. I never thought, time would fly by so fast.

My packing list for the US vacation is almost done. I need to go shopping for gifts on the 18th. I have to exchange one gift I got for my friend's daughter.

I do not have much else to do. This weekend will be somewhat busy, taking my mom home and doing the rest of her shopping. Last weekend we shopped for durable items and this week she will need groceries. On Monday, I will come back to an empty home. She had been with me for the last three months or so. It will be strange.

This and that... Hair, vacation, gift and etc.

I had my hair dyed today and mom got a cut. Mom insisted that I should get more highlights so I did. I do not know who the blondie in the mirror is. Lol! I do not think I will go on with this thing. Probably by the next 4th or 5th root dye, I will go back to my own chocolate brown. Too much money, too much time.

I have started to make a list of what to bring to the US vacation. I would like to pack a very light suitcase. I need a What to Buy List too. I am not in need of much stuff except for a good pair of jeans, another pair of New Balance Shoes, some shoe inserts that I cannot find here at home, some tops and that's pretty much it. Besides the dollar has further appreciated against TL and if I had to actually buy dollars with my TL, this vacation would be utterly stupid. Thankfully, I have dollars purchased at much much lower rates.

Today we are having a barbecue at work for my retirement. Next Friday is my last day. I am still driving the company car and will do so till my last day.

I bought a small going away gift for the company. It is a decorative object, an "evil eye" thing like the one in the picture. You are supposed to display it at the entrance so, the people who envy you will not be able to harm you. It is an old superstitious thing. This is for their new office.

I wear a small one all the time. My father believed in this so, he always made me wear one. An old habit.

It has been awfully hot and humid lately and I just cannot stand it. As I am typing this, I am at work in one of the meeting rooms where there is a/c. The one in our area is broken and nobody wants to fix it or buy a new one since, this office will be vacated soon. I truly do not need to come in to work anymore but, an agreement is an agreement.

Last 10 work days...

After attending the funeral on Friday, a friend of ours invited some of us over to her office at a university where she serves as the dean of Architecture Department. 3 of us went with her and talked a little, cried a little. It was a sad day but seeing so many people attending the funeral made us proud of our friend once again. Hope, he rests in peace.

Life goes on. This Wednesday they are throwing a barbecue party at work for my retirement. 

I have ten work days left to go. This weekend I am taking mom home. My uncle will come and stay with her and possibly take her to Antalya with him till I go get her in October. We shall also celebrate my mom's and uncle's birthdays during the weekend. 

Next Monday, I shall introduce my replacement to our Ankara Office staff.

There are few things left to be handed over and then, they will be on their own. The GM says he will be probably calling me everyday and I told him, his will be probably the first number I shall block. Hahaha! I like bantering with people.

I am ready to leave and start a new chapter in life. My friend's passing reminded many of us the important things in life. 

Loss of a High School Friend

This is a very sad day. A friend from my High School passed away due to multiple organ failure. He had heart problems and apparently one thing led to another and he passed at the age of 52. He was a very special person. Such an early and huge loss.

I am going to Ankara for the funeral tomorrow.

Tweaking the Budget

I have started to look at my budget items to see if there are anything that I can lower. My phone contract still has 4 months to go before I can make a change. I looked it up and saw that I can save about 30%. I have made a note of it on my calendar.

As for Cable TV, I will cancel the sports package when mom leaves. She is the only one watching them. She is a volleyball enthusiast. When she comes back, I can always add the sports package. The rest is very basic except for my documentary package which I am not willing to give up. That is about 15% savings when mom is not around. I plan to freeze my account till November since, I will not be around much.

I have checked my insurance items and do not see any room for improvement there just yet.

Other items are pretty standart and beyond my control. For instance, the heating system is central. I am very careful about electricity. My normal usage is perhaps at a minimum.

So, I will track my spending for a month when I come back from vacation to see exactly where my money is going. I think I can lower my general expenses by about 25%. That includes groceries, eating out, clothing, cleaning supplies and etc.

I will keep on having the cleaning lady every two weeks because, it is not just an expense. She has moved to her parents' home with two young daughters and she needs a little bit of pocket money. That expense has a social aspect. Her folks want her to go back to her husband who has cheated on her several times and have been physically abusive. He also cannot hold a job. I do not understand her parents. They do not let her to take him to court for divorce either. Anyway, one day the guy will probably want to re-marry and he will then, divorce her.

I will also keep the donations to charity in my budget. I would be willing to lower other spending but, not that.

I am ready to retire, relax and take some time off. Then I will go back to part-time, project based work.