HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! To you and yours...

Hope 2021 turns out to be a pleasant year as opposed to 2020. 

Closed the books on 2020

I have an Xcel file with several sheets that I use for tracking various things including my budget.

My savings/investments consist of Turkish Liras, US. Dollars, Gold, ETFs and very little amount of Euros. I had always tracked my money converting to TL at the end of each month and that has worked fine till this year. With severe fluctuations in currency exchange rates last year, my numbers became quiet meaningless. 

I basically keep the USDs, Euros, ETFs and Gold as my long term nest egg. I have no intention to touch those for a good while. I have to support my current income tapping into my TL savings because I still have 49 mortgage payments for the Antalya home. When that payment is gone, I shall be just fine with my passive income or so I think. 

So, now I have decided to track the TLs and set my goals in the national currency only. 

Today I closed the 2020 version and started 2021. The inheritance I have received and the proceeds from the sale of my apartment made me more liquid and as always I have distributed the money among the above stated investment tools.

I am not planning any vacations in 2021 except for visiting my uncle and my sister who both live in coastal cities with nice beaches. I am sure these trips will not break the bank. I will probably go to Ankara a few times too. So, we are talking about gas money, not much else.

I am spending way more money on food than I used to. Possibly because now that we cannot dine out, I like to make fancier meal at home. The inflation on food is also a major contributor.

On the other hand, I am not spending much on gas and nothing at all on clothing. 

Can't believe 2020 is almost over and can't wait for it to be gone.

Merry Christmas!

 

The Anual Spice Check in progress

Every year around this time, I take down all my spices from the cabinet and check their freshness. In my country they print a "consume by" date on food. I usually do not mind going past this date by a few months but, I religiously toss old spices and replenish my stock. I buy the smallest packs of everything except for dried mint. That is used a lot at my kitchen.

I have heard enough aflatoxin horror stories from my dad who was an agricultural engineer with a PhD that, I never risk it. I am happy to say that I only need to buy rosemary. I do not use it often enough. May be I should try to use more of it this year.

Here are what I use:

Dried mint leaves

Cumin

Red pepper flakes

Crushed red pepper

Cinnamon

Muscat

Cajun 

Taco Mix

Thyme

Ginger

Black pepper

Oregano

Basil

Cloves

Dried and crushed garlic

Rosemary

This year I would like to try my hand in some Indian food so, I have been thinking of buying Garam Masala. I recently checked the ingredients and saw that I already have all of it except for coriander and cardamom. I will check the prices to decide whether to buy it as a mix or make my own mixture.

It is difficult and very expensive to buy Indian pastes and jarred sauces so, I must make things from scratch. Any ideas and easy but yummy recipes?

Lazy Sunday and a busy week ahead

I cannot believe there are only 11 days to go before the New Year. This has been the worst year of my life and I cannot wait for it to be gone. However, I am cautious about 2021. The pandemic is far from over and vaccinating billions of people will take a lot of time.

Today is my lazy day. So far, I did nothing and am planning to do not much except for a couple of loads of laundry. 

The week ahead is busy though. I have upcoming meetings next week because we are trying to fill two positions for a client as soon as possible. 

I also need to do grocery shopping and have my ID renewed. The ID appointment is tomorrow. We are obliged to have both an ID card and a driver's license. I like it the way it is in the US where your DL is your ID.

My apartment needs another deep cleaning some time soon. I will try to mentally get there first before I can take action.

There is a yummy salad calling my name in the kitchen. Gotta go!

DON'T FIX IT, IF IT AIN'T BROKEN!

What a nightmare I had with the telecom operators while trying to switch services. It is a loong story but, they messed up big time and I had to cancel my order which I am sure will end up giving me some more headache.

I cannot imagine how stupid they can be to mess up like that. Imagine ordering a service for your NYC home and end up getting it in your summer home in Florida. That's exactly what they did. Ugh!

I think steam was coming out my ears for the last two days. 

Hope you are having a better time than I do. 

Here is something cheerful to enjoy:

Melatonin

First of all;

HAPPY HANNUKAH! 

May this season bring Peace and Joy!

Finally, I went out and bought melatonin yesterday. Took one at 9:30 p.m. and got in bed at 11 p.m. I did feel sleepy and went to sleep but, I woke up at least three times at night. I woke up at 7 a.m. and felt like I was not sleepy anymore so, I decided to start my day. I will try to keep busy during the day and not fall asleep on my armchair or sofa. 

I have been told that taking melatonin might reduce my body's melatonin production and that I could get dependent on melatonin pills so, I am going to be very careful taking it. All I need is my sleep cycle back. I cannot be living where I am and be sleeping and waking according to Eastern US time, can I?

So, as soon as I got up, I decided to wash my bed linens and change them. Then I had breakfast at 9 a.m. and as soon as I am finished with this post, I have things to do for work. 

I will also walk on my treadmill and run the small vacuum in the rooms to avoid dust buildup. There is always something to do in the kitchen too.

Yesterday I finally got back the money the gas company owed my mom and donated it to a charity for a children's hospital specializing on leukemia. It was not a small chunk of change so, I am glad I remembered to do it. 

29% Savings on Internet in 2021

I was determined to get rid of my cable + internet carrier ever since they gave me so much headache after mom's passing. My contract is up by the 21st this month. Their rival company called me today to offer me a better service at a better price. I asked several questions because, I had been studying the options available for a while now. Their answers satisfied me and I am ready to switch. This will save me 29% throughout next year. Score!

Wish I could lower my grocery bill like this. Due to COVID-19 and poor management of the economy, the prices are sky-rocketed. I am not going out as much as I used to so, I guess that saves me some money. 

Tomorrow I want to try making cinnamon-raisin bagels for the first time in my life. Wish me luck.

I made Tom-Kha soup for tomorrow. I am also going to make a few small dip/spread time food to serve on crackers. I crave variety these days instead of classical food. Keeps me occupied too so, I can't complain.

Today I came across a funny video. The young lady decided to spend a week as a 50's housewife. Cute and funny. Enjoy! 

Eating out of the Freezer

As the New Year approaches, I am trying to empty my freezer in case I decide to cook a whole Turkey for New Year's Eve. Besides all my containers are in the freezer. They need to be emptied out as well.

So far, I have eaten stuffed peppers and tomatoes, meatballs and pancakes. I am pleased because, I did not have to cook at all this weekend. There is a steak, some green beans and possibly a little cole slaw for tomorrow's dinner.

I am out of many necessities such as eggs, bread, yogurt and veggies. I also need glass cleaner and spray kitchen cleaner. I am making a list to go grocery shopping tomorrow, so that I can be in and out real fast.

Our walk last week was perfect. The weather was very nice and the park was huge. It was mostly downhill at the start but coming back, you need to walk uphill which was difficult for me. I managed it though. It was a 6 mile walk. I intend to join my friends whenever the weather permits.

I have been extremely lazy over the weekend. I am aiming to be more active this week.

Tomorrow if the weather permits

A HS friend of mine called the other day to invite me to a socially distanced walk in the woods with her brother, her cousin and two other HS friends of ours tomorrow.

Haven't met the cousin and the brother before but, my High School friends are truly amazing, strong women. The one who called had been the CFO of a very large company for years before she retired. We never knew until someone else mentioned it. When asked, she used to say she worked for the Finance Department. 

One of them was a CFO of a major bank and the third one is a doctor. She is a Professor at a University Hospital and her specialty is Gastric Pathology. Unfortunately our doctor friend has found out that she had cancer in June and had been very depressed for a few months. Now, she is doing better and wants to get together again with friends which she had refused to do before. 

I am going to wake up early tomorrow and bake some savory snacks filled with feta cheese and parsley to bring.

I hope, the weather permits our walk. I am truly looking forward to this. Since all of us have been remaining home and avoiding people, a walk in the open air with masks on should be fine. 

The bank that my sister works for has sent home all the people with chronic diseases with pay. However, this does not include management so, my sister has to go to work. What are they thinking?  If the people at management positions ask for the same treatment, they had been told, they would have to be demoted. What idiots! Is this even legal? Noone knows for sure these days in this country. 

She assured me that she stays in her office and does not allow anyone in. She says she wears two masks and speaks to people from a distance. 

Stay safe everybody...

This and That

This year has been the worst year of my life. I am glad it will soon be over but, that does not mean much other than getting old by yet another year. Unfortunately, the upcoming year does not look promising either. I am worried about my family's health.

Mom's loss had the deepest impact and to be honest, I am still as upset as the day she passed. Not a day goes by without me crying several times. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing the fact that I had always told her I loved her every single day. Still, not having been able to say goodbye and holding her hand in 77 days of her ICU ordeal are killing me. I will never get over this.

There are new measures against COVID-19. The Government finally gave up lying about the numbers and pretending that they were managing this really well. I still do not believe the new numbers. They must be much higher.

Every Friday, starting at 9 p.m. till Monday morning 5.a.m, we shall be under lockdown. During the week, people above 20 and below 65 are allowed to be outside between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. There are some exceptions to this. 65+ years old citizens and kids under 20 are allowed outside during the week only 3 hours each day. Dining in and take-out are banned. Restaurants are allowed delivery only. Funerals are limited to a maximum of 30 people. There are many new rules about public transportation and travel. I am hoping that people will start being more careful about this.

Yesterday, I walked to the small grocery store right by me. It is located in a mini-mall. As I was coming back home, I saw a lady without a mask, getting a manicure. The people working at that salon were all wearing masks but, the customer also has to wear a mask. I did not confront them directly. Instead, I came home and called the mall management and told them what I had seen and if they do not take action to make sure the rules are obeyed, I would file an official complaint. That means a ton of money for them. 

That place is actually a very convenient spot for me so, it is important that it stays to be a safe place. It takes me 5 minutes to walk over. There is a small grocery store, a pharmacy, a tailor, a dry cleaners, an office store, a health unit where you can get prescriptions, a bunch of hair salons, a cobbler and a few other small businesses. My hair salon is there but I am afraid to go to a hair salon so, till I see my sister again, I am letting it grow. I wanted to go grey but, it looks awful so, I am back to coloring my own hair. However, this time I went for a dark brown which is more like my own hair instead of the lighter tones with reddish hues that I have used for so many years now.

Tonight, there will be fajitas for dinner since, I have an avocado and some sour cream to use up. Sour cream is hard to get here so, when I see it, I buy it. 

Yesterday night I managed to go to sleep around 2 a.m. in the morning by the help of some Native American music from Youtube. I got up at 9:30. I forgot to buy the melatonin yesterday. Next time I go out, I will do that. 

Today is a windy and colder day. The Linden trees in front of my building are losing their leaves fast. 

I think I will question the reason of my being the rest of the day. Hope, your day is joyful and full of purpose.

These young women made history!

As a nation we are used to becoming European Champions in Women's Volleyball but, Gymnastics? This is absolutely a first. 

I watched them with tears of joy. These young women made us so proud!

Soooo tired.... But proud!

Recently, I was being too lazy but finally, the mess and the dust bunnies got to me. Today, I decided to clean the rest of the apartment. I did well but still, there are things to do. 

I tried my new cordless vacuum and totally fell in love with it. It has handy accessories with which you can easily dust and get to small areas. 

I love my Dyson but it is bulky so, taking it out of the closet and out of it's box frequently is a chore. This new one is great for frequent use. 

After I dusted with the new vacuum, I went back to my Dyson; vacuumed and mopped the family room, vacuumed the entrance and the kitchen too but was too tired to mop them. That is for tomorrow. Oh and I managed to clean up the most messy bathroom cabinet too. There is still work to do in the bathroom but, I am gradually getting there. 

I put away some groceries which were being quarantined too. The coffee table  and the dinner table are neat and tidy, unnecessary stuff is put away.

Yesterday I was mad at myself because, I had spent the day mostly sitting. Today, I am proud of myself.

I also cooked dinner and there will be leftovers for tomorrow. 

Now I am ready to brew some tea, sit back, relax and watch my Star Trek: Discovery on Netflix. 

I would love to share a beautiful concert by the Oratorio Society of Queens. I am friends with 3 of the singers in that chorus. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite US Holiday. Last Year I was in South Carolina celebrating with friends. I hope, I will be able to do that again in the future...

Wishing everyone Health and Happiness in this Holiday Season! 

Nice day, more fish!

Today, I decided to drag my big arse to the Swedish Market at IKEA and then to the seaside to walk. I am glad I did because, it was a very nice day. Isn't it hard to believe the below pictures are from a megacity with a 15+ million population. It is a very long promenade with a bike lane, many small cafes (all closed now due to Covid-19) basketball courts, playgrounds and simple outdoor exercise equipment. You can rent a bike at various stations.

I selected a part where there were just a few people and walked for about half an hour. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I will repeat it.

As you can see from the above picture, there were lots of seagulls and shags around the same spot. So, I guess there were a lot of fish there.

The islands are called the Prince Islands. They are very nice unless you go on weekends and on holidays. There are no cars except for Emergency and Service vehicles. There used to be horse driven carriages until this year but, now there are electric vehicles provided by the local government for a small fee. 

The ferry rides to the islands are pretty cool. You get to see the islands and the city from different perspectives. 

Then I went to the fish market right on the promenade and got two kinds of fish. I had bluefish (again) for dinner and I may try to make fish patties tomorrow, with the bonito I bought.

Having fish and a salad for dinner was both tasty and easy. 

After dinner my BFF who lives in the US and I watched another episode of Bosch on Amazon Prime Video. 

I should be going to bed but, I am not sleepy enough yet. Another night to struggle with sleep...

 

Grocery Shopping

Today, I went to an open market for veggies and fruit. I bought string beans, celery roots, a small cabbage, an avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, tangerines, and two quinces.

Then I went to the grocery store and stocked up on meat. Ouch! That hurt. Meat is so expensive nowadays. Anyway, for at least two weeks if not more, I think I am all set.

Today's menu is Baked Bluefish and Carrot Salad. I shred the carrots and use lemon juice and olive oil for dressing. I also bought some real nice fresh bread too. Easy peasy and yummy!

I am getting sick of cleaning the kitchen, filling and emptying the dishwasher. When I was working there were only dinners I had at home and they were mostly takeout. I would cook over the weekend and the cleaning would be done in one day. I remember using the dishwasher once or twice a week. Nowadays, it is almost everyday.

However, I haven't forgotten the time when we had to actually wash the dishes so, I am never going to be ungrateful. When I was growing up, we did not have a dishwasher. They were too expensive and were not considered a necessity. After dinner, mom would soap the dishes and I would rinse them. It was a mother daughter bonding time. When I started working in the US, my apartment came with a dishwasher. This was in January 1990, when I was not even 23 yet. I fell in love with my diswasher and immediately decided to get one for mom. So, I sent money home to buy a dishwasher as a Mother's Day gift to my mom in May. Although she preferred personal gifts rather than household items, she loved it and appreciated it very much. 

Cranky

Today I feel cranky. No, I am cranky. Why is that?

Too bad, there isn't anyone to bug or deliver sarcastic remarks to. I would make a perfect Dowager Countess today. 

Oh well...

Distancing

Due to COVID-19, it has become essential to socially distance ourselves from others, pay attention to hygiene and wear masks when out and about. Clear rules. 

Although, it is difficult to stay away from friends and family, when push comes to shove, it must be done. It is not so hard to distance yourself from people especially if you live alone like I do. However, I find it hard to distance myself from my own brain. Negative thoughts surface so quickly and I feel depressed when I overthink and overanalyze things of the past that I can no longer change.

Recently to avoid myself, I started to watch the cheesy Hallmark Movies. Most of them are about Christmas. I love the decorations so, they are pleasant to look at but, they are all pretty girls, handsome guys, one minor misunderstanding, a big happy ending and oh! everything is so romantic! Yeah right... There is a saturation point with these movies too. So, only one per day, no more!

I am thinking exercise might also help so, I will come up with a routine which has some sort of variety because treadmill gets old fast. Walk Away The Pounds videos and some Yoga or Pilates may be? I dislike the floor exercises so, I found a few online Standing Pilates videos I would like to try.

Today I got up late as usual and before I ate and showered, I vacuumed the floors. I decided to treat myself to a brunch of crackers, avocado and smoked salmon with coffee. It was yummy.

Gotta go and put the dishes away before preparing dinner. I am thinking of deep cleaning and re-organizing my kitchen cabinets and drawers too. One of these days...

Friday the 13th

I remember being dragged to the first Friday the 13th movie by mom, way back when I was possibly at 8th or 9th grade. Yikes! I still do not like Horror Movies. She loved them. Thankfully, there are only three and a half hours for today to be over and no problems so far. Lol! 

Today I took a break from purging and took it easy. I even treated myself to sushi because, I had such a craving. I baked some veggies for later use, made a banana bread and cooked some other veggies. 

I have no idea why Banana Bread is called bread. To me, it is cake (like angel food cake, or pound cake) and I am gonna have a slice with tea in a few minutes.

I had been given a small butternut squash by an old friend. I finally baked that too. I think some of it will be going into some pancakes. Pancakes can be heated up in the toaster so, I am sure some will be frozen. Do not know what to make with the rest. Will see. May be I can make a double batch of pancakes? Any other ideas?

Hope everybody has a great weekend!

Pants and Jackets: Final Edition.... Tops? Coming Soon

Pheww! I'm done! I selected 6 pairs of pants, 1 Gray, 1 Black, 4 Navy. And no, none of the tailor-made ones made the list. I found that my shape and the fashion has changed considerably. If times were normal, if I was working full-time and intended to work for at least another 5 years, I would have taken about 5 of them for alterations. The fabrics were the best. But, hey, a challenge is a challenge right?

Here are the winners:

It was easy to select 4 jackets because there were only 7 to begin with. I have set aside a black jacket to go with the gray pants, a mustard colored jacket and a blue-gray jacket to go with the navy ones. One of the jackets is thick and can be worn in cooler days. I kept my beloved "pied de poule" jacket to go with the black pants.

The picture is not so great but, here it is:

Tops will be rather easy because I do not have a whole lot of them anymore. It will be a matter of selecting the ones to go with the selected pants and jackets. Now it is time to go wipe down the section of the closet to place my new work wardrobe. I wonder how much use they will get.

I was planning to go to the grocery store to get the bags and other things today but, I just did not feel like it. 

I will give away the hangers too. I usually put such things in a box in front of my apartment and put a sign that says they are free to take and they usually go real fast. In the past, I have given away some books and some knick-knacks that way. Wish we had garage sales here although, I understand they are a lot of work.

I have a pair of brand new skis and two tennis rackets I would like to sell. I never sold anything online before. I also have a very old pair of ski boots. I do not know if they can still be used. I will give them away for free along with the skis. 

I am just hoping that my motivation keeps going. There are a bunch of things that need to be taken care of. All the closets need to be re-organized. I hope, I will be able to do all this before the end of the year. 

My sleep problems have re-surfaced. I cannot go to sleep before 3-4 a.m. and I get up around noon time. Why my day is so upside down I do not know. Today, I tried to get up at 8, 8:30 and at 10:00 but, each time I turned off the alarm because I needed the sleep. I need to get more tired during the day so, I think I will try to exercise and keep physically more active during the day.

Who knew? Pants Edition: Part-II

Who knew that trying on 32 pairs (I found another one in hiding) would be a long and streneous exercise?

I admit I did not have to try all of them but, I had to try some of them twice to make up my mind. 

I cannot quiet remember who told me this but, good design is supposedly based on these three pillars: Form/Fit /Function. I would add Cost, Quality and Reliability to these but, I digress. I kept these in mind while making my selection and I kicked myself in the butt because of the ones I had to give away with tags still attached. 

When Evans and C&A decided to withdraw from Turkey, I remember running to the stores and buying many discounted pants and tops. I have worn all the tops and the money I have spent on them is OK. As for pants? Not so much.

I am a size. 18-20 US, 22-24 UK, 54 Turkish. I am tall (5'9"or 1.75cm or what is left of it after menopause), have a big butt and weirdly long legs. I always need to buy the Long versions of all pants or else, they look funny. 

As I was halfway through my exercise, one of my very very old friends called. Apparently, two of her neighbors had contact with COVID-19 positive people and now are waiting for their test results anxiously. When I told her what I was doing, she congratulated me and then told me today is a big sales event all over the country and that she had oredered some summer tops heavily discounted and urged me to look too. Gosh! I am trying to get rid of stuff! I laughed it off but of course, went online to look. Having worked for some textile companies as a consultant, I know their costs so, what seems to be a big discount is no discount at all. I shook my head and made myself a cup of coffee. Then I went back to work on my closet.

I must say I decided to call it a day, when my BFF called from the US to watch Bosch, Season 1 Last Episode.

So, I will be done with pants tomorrow. I need to walk to the small grocery store right by me to get some garbage bags to pack them. There is a collection box for clothing items and you cannot dump giant bags since, it's opening is rather small. So, I will put 4-5 pairs in smaller bags, mark them and put them in the boxes. I need to get eggs, carrots, cheese and walnuts so, the short walk to the grocery store is needed. 

Today, I had a gluten-free day and haven't felt sluggish at all. I wish it weren't so hard to give up bread and pasta. I don't think I will give them up totally but cutting down on them makes sense. 

The Challenge: Pants Edition

Today I took 31 pairs of pants and a pencil skirt out of my two closets and put them on my guest bed.

Here is the picture:

Tomorrow I will select only 6 of them to keep and the rest will be donated. I think, my closet will thank me.

The only resaon why I held on to so many pants was partly because of my weight. My size is not easy in Turkey and I have always been afraid of not being able to find my size when I needed a new pair of pants.

Some of the pants you see have their tags on. So does the skirt. I haven't worn a skirt in at least 15 years if not more. It has a Dress Barn tag on it. 

Some of the pants have been tailor made with real good quality fabric and workmanship. 1-2 may be among the ones kept. Most of them are too small and even if I can be that size again one day, I do not need them since I no longer plan to work full-time. Besides, if I go down two sizes, then it is not so hard anymore and I can find things that will fit me.

Then I sat down and thought more about this. Some of the tailor-made ones were made by my father's tailor. When I was 11-12, dad and I went shopping together and bought a corduroy fabric to have matching pants made. It was so much fun! I always liked to go shopping with dad because, he was just like me, taking his time, looking at different things, understanding the trends and etc. Mom on the other hand, was practical and would buy the first thing she thought was OK at the first store she would walk in.

Then dad continued to order pants for himself for another few years from that place. So, when I went back many years after his passing, the tailors, two brothers recognized me because I look so much like my father I guess. They asked for dad's name and pulled his last measurements from their files. It was a very emotional moment. 

I think part of the reason why I kept the tailor-made ones is just that. Just a tie I still have with dad. I know it is mushy and probably stupid. I will donate the pants. I loved both my parents to the moon and back and I already have their genes in me so, I do not need material things. 

He was only 54 when he passed 26 years ago. If  nothing goes wrong, I will be his age next year. Wow... just wow... The things we bury in our minds and hearts...

Plans for the week

Today, I did a big grocery run at two different stores. I had checked the fliers last night so, I knew where to get which product.

Tonight I am having sea bass on a bed of potatoes and sweet potatoes in the oven. Today, I found locally grown sweet potatoes ever! They were pricier than regular potatoes but still, less than half of the imported varieties. I always cringed when I paid for those imports. 

I have decided to make lasagna without noodles. I will use eggplants which I have already cooked in the oven. When I turn on the oven, I like to make at least two things. I have cut the eggplants lengthwise and soaked them in salty water before oiling them and cooking them on a sheet. They are ready for tomorrow.

I will also be cooking Thom Ka Soup tomorrow. I think, I will have enough leftovers for another day of both dishes. There will be chicken salad in this week's menu. I will also be trying the frozen hamburger patties of one of the stores I went to. My sister said it was really good so, I will wrap the hamburger patty in iceberg lettuce and forgo the bun.

There are tons of greens and radishes to make salads with. I will possibly make a chili at the end of the week.

Although I made lists, I forgot to buy carrots, pickled cucumbers and eggs. No big deal. There is a smaller grocery store within 5 minutes of my apartment.

Tomorrow I will dust and vacuum the entire apartment. Thinking about it makes me wanna run. I need to mpo the floors too but, let's not go that far yet. If I can, I will.

On Wednesday, I will dump all the pants I had been hanging on to and take a picture for Treaders. Lol!  The pants are the biggest mountain I need to climb. I will feel very light once they are gone. There are a few outerwear items mom used to wear. I will donate them too. Sigh...

I wish everyone a good and fulfilling week as we approach the end of the year real fast.

Treaders! I challenge Thee!.... and me...

In my last post, I had mentioned that I did not feel ready to let go of my work clothes which I no longer need. Yes, I do work part time, but that requires only a few decent looking pieces. In her comment, Treaders from Random Thoughts talked about the same thing.

Sooooo, I decided to challenge both of us to purge our work clothes by the end of this month! Of course, there must be rules so, here are the ones I could think of:

1. We will count the tops, jackets and bottoms by November 15th and share on our blogs.

2. At the end of the challenge, we are allowed to keep a maximum of 6 tops, 4 jackets and 6 bottoms. These should cover all seasons so, we need to select wisely.

3. Everything set aside shall have to be donated latest by November 30th. So no keeping them around our homes beyond that point.

3. Just couldn't think of a reasonable penalty?

Any ideas? Anybody else who want to join?

Drum roll please!

When it comes to doing things around the house, I am the queen of procrastination. Normally, my suitcase would sit on the floor for days and things would be scattered around. 

As soon as I got up today, I found the motivation to put my beach things away, exchange the contents of my IKEA SKUBB boxes, and neatly put away everything. So, now I have my warm clothes in my closet. YAY! All set to face the cold seasons.

Next job is to clean the refrigerator so that I can grocery shop. In the afternoon I must collect my deliveries from the Management Office, pick-up my meds from the Pharmacy. 

I still have too many clothes in my closet which I will never wear again. I just can't make up my mind. Most are work clothes which I have needed only three times this year. I can definitely get rid of a bunch. I guess, I am not mentally there yet.

Before I went to Ankara, my SIS was there and she took everything she thought she could wear from mom's closets. She also made a pile to give away. Now there are only night gowns, shawls and some shirts that I can wear. The rest are household things left from mom like bedding, towels, etc. which we can all use. 

I feel so accomplished and proud of myself because for once in my lifetime, I emptied my suitcase poperly right after getting back home and put it away. Small joys of life are the things that keep us going right?

Today is a very dark and rainy day. It is 13℃ which is 55℉. Only 10 days ago, I was at the beach using an umbreall to keep in shade. Lol! Well, it is getting colder in Antalya too. 

I hear my washing machine announcing that it is finished. I better go and hang up the laundry. 

Home Sweet Home!

I am finally home. It feels sooo good. Before I left I had put everything in place so, coming home to a neat apartment is fantastic! It will need to be dusted and mopped in a few days but still...

The best part is; I have food in the freezer! Tonight's dinner is shrimp scampi and smoked salmon on two slices of toasted bread. Yum!

My fridge is lmost empty so, I will clean it thoroughly before I buy groceries. 

I have washed everything in Ankara so, when I open my suitcase, I will just put everything in their places and voila! I will be done.

Can you tel I am excited to be home?

Prepping for the winter

With COVID-19 on the rise again, it looks like I shall be homebound this winter. I spend too much time on the Internet and I am determined to exercise, eat healthy and spend time doing different things each day.

Reading is my number one hobby so, there's that.

I found a lot of yarn and knitting needles among mom's belongings. I have crochet hooks and other knitting needles along with a lot of yarn at home too. Mom bought them but never had time to knit any of it. So, I have plenty of knitting and crochet material to play with.

I have always wanted to make granny squares and I will be trying my hand at that. I bought some very colorful yarn for granny squares.

I also have a coloring book for adults. It is buried somewhere in my bookcase. Time to dig that up and the coloring pencils too.

Add the sewing projects I already have on top of these, there is plenty to keep me occupied and happy. Well, I hope so anyway...

I think there will also be many Zoom Meetings with friends to fight the solitude. 

Today, I just felt this urge to go shopping. As I can not go to a Mall and wonder around carelessly, I walked into this store I really like. They offer very reasonably priced textile products. I bought myself two sweaters that I can wear at home during the winter. They are 50% real wool and 50% acrylic. Pure wool is hard to find and extremely expensive these days. Honestly, this mini shopping excursion felt good. Then I thought about this and believe it or not, my last shopping trip was in the US in January to buy something for myself. No wonder I felt like it.

Tomorrow, I am heading home (hopefully).

Nope, I am not home yet

Yesterday afternoon, a terrible headache started to bother me. I drank plenty of water to no avail. So, I decided to check my BP and of course it was pretty high. I fought with it till early hours in the morning and decided to postpone my trip to tomorrow. If I still do not feel any better, I might postpone yet another day.

BP or not, I took the old lady to the cemetery. It was very emotional for her and she thanked me many times. Every time I come to Ankara, I try going to the cemetery so, from now on, I will ask her if she wants to go with. It is so sad to see her trying to take care of her bed-ridden husband all by herself. If I were living here, I would do more for them. I call them every week to say hi. I told them I had many friends and in case they needed anything, I can easily ask my friends so, they should not feel troubled by anything. I can even hop in the cr an be here in 5 hours if need be. 

In the Spring, when I come back here, I will find a sitter for the husband for a few hours so that, I can take her out to lunch or something. She only goes out to grocery shopping in her neighborhood. While we were driving to the cemetery she was shocked to see how much everything has changed. Poor dear.

I still have a lingering headache. Had dinner an hour ago, so I better wait another hour to check my BP again.

Meanwhile, I have two assignments: 1. My BFF in the US wants to paint her foyer with a dark tan-ish color. She loved the foyer's color of the Irish mansion in Marcella, the TV show. She showed me her three colors she selected and told me to find out which one is more like it. So, I gotta go back to a few episodes. Lol! What a task right? Yesterday we spent a half hour trying to see which sample she had, worked better under different lights in her foyer on Whatsapp Video. Love the technology. Makes it possible to be best friends with someone who lives 5 thousand miles away.

2. My SIS and BIL will be purchasing a Hybrid Toyota Corolla and since I am considered  a bit of a car enthusiast (yeah right, rolling eyes), they told me to compare and contrast the options within their budget. 

So, I better go tackle my assignments in order not to get in trouble. 

85 to 40 in a week and a busy day

I was at the beach last Monday enjoying a beautiful 85 degree weather. Today, I went to my eye doctor early in the morning. And.... my car's thermometer said it was 40 degrees! Then I rushed back home to pack whatever my SIS and BIL left to be donated. I wrapped each pair of shoes individually and I placed the huge bags in my trunk.

I bought a nice potted cyclamen to bring to an old colleague and a good friend of my father's. We lived in the same neighborhood and my mom was also very good friends with his wife. Whenever I am here in Ankara, I always call them up to see if they need anything. The gentleman is bed ridden and his wife is 80 years old. She took me up on my offer this time and I took her to two grocery stores and she stocked up on quiet a few items. After bringing her purchase home, we visited for about half an hour and I kept my mask on. As I was saying goodbye, she gave me a huge bowl of Turkish style meat filled ravioli. I hadn't planned dinner so, I appreciated that very much.

I had to ditch a friend for lunch because I needed to visit two other older friends who know each other. If I had visited one and not the other, potentially, one might have felt hurt. Yeah! I know, I have sensitive friends. Oh and BTW, I had seen the friend I had to ditch just three weeks ago. Anyway, one of them got a potted cyclamen too and the other got a bouquet of gerberas. I will buy some potted chrysanthemums for myself when I go back home. Flowers always cheer one up. We all need some color and pretty things around us in these depressing times.

We sat with a good distance from each other at both houses and I kept my mask on when I was not eating or drinking. We may not be able to see each other in person for a long time in winter. We shall have to rely on apps to talk to each other. One of them gave me a butternut squash she grew. 

I stopped by the appropriate charity boxes for the donations and when I came home, I jumped in the shower, heated my dinner and gobbled it up. Then my BFF who lives in Upstate NY and I watched another episode of Bosch. I still have a few things to pack and need to put the kitchen in order. 

Tomorrow morning, I will load my car and pick up the lady I visited today. She told me she wanted to visit the cemetery and she had no means to go all by herself. So, we shall be visiting my parents and her son whom she lost in January. Mom knew her son well and she was devastated to learn that he had passed. After I drop the lady off at her home, I will take off to finally go back home.

I am sure, I will be very exhausted tomorrow night when I reach home. 

What a Day!

I got up at 9 a.m., showered and headed out to have my tires changed. It took  about an hour including the wait for the car in the line before me. Then I went to the bank to take care of a small problem I had with online banking. I got blocked since I could not remember my password and had lost my debit car. They gave me a debit card right on the spot. Impressive! I will soon be transferring some money over to that bank so, I needed to go there.

After the bank, I went to my sister's jeweler to pick up the gold coins I had ordered. The jeweler is a nice man and we had tea and chatted a little bit. I even got to meet his wife.

Then I went to see my cousins who own a gift shop. We were chatting away when I realized that I was going to be late for my Zoom meeting so, I rushed out. 

All of a sudden several friends started calling me and as I answered the first one, I found out that a big earthquake hit Izmir and some buildings collapsed and people got buried under rubble. All my friends were inquiring after my SIS and BIL who were luckily here in Ankara. After I answered all calls, I started making my own calls and found out that everybody I know are OK. It is relieving but, there are people badly injured and some who lost their lives. We do not know the aftermath yet. Many people will be spending the night in their cars afraid to go inside.

And, on my way home, I found out that my meeting is actually next Friday. Rolling my eyes at myself...

So, I stopped at a hobby store to pick up some yarn to try my hand in making granny squares this winter.

SIS and BIL came home very exhausted so, we ordered food.

It was such a whirlwind of a day. 

The Deed is transferred! Done!

Thankfully, everything went smoothly this morning and I banked my money and transferred the deed of the 2 bedroom apartment to it's new owner. I was worried a little because, today was  half day due to a National Holiday tomorrow but, since the couple who bought the place did not take out a mortgage and paid in cash, everything fell into place rather nicely.

The lady is 56 years old and I am guessing her husband is a bit older, not much. They are downsizing from a big 4 bedroom apartment to this 2 bedroom because, it is easier to maintain and heat the apartment. Besides, they take care of grandchildren during the day so, an apartment complex with a large garden and security was what they wanted. I hope they enjoy their new home.

As for the money I have pocketed, I distributed it between Turkish Liras, USD and Gold Coins. I normally did not invest in Euros but, I also bought some this time. This country is headed towards very tough times due to a terrible Government. I am not looking to make money but rather, make sure I don't lose any.

I then came home prepped for dinner and left to meet my childhood friends for lunch. Ankara is definitely getting colder and after 4.p.m it was hard to sit outside. 

Then I came home, cooked dinner and ate with my SIS and BIL. As I type this, they are tidying up the kitchen and taking care of the dishes.

In about an hour we will have tea. They always have tea after dinner so, I will tag along. Not a fan of tea although tea culture is a big deal in my country. You may want to check this out: Yes, I would love to have another glass of tea! I think it is very cute and spot on.

Guess what?

You might remember that I put the two bedroom apartment I had in Ankara up for sale a few weeks ago. Well, it is sold (almost)! 

I decided to give myself one last day of the beach on Monday and then head back. On Tuesday, I will be on the road. Wednesday is a half day and Thursday is a National Holiday so, hopefully I will transfer the deed and get my money on Friday. If not, there is always the other week. 

I am so glad to be rid of this property. It wasn't bringing a decent rent and honestly, the apartment was getting old so, repairs would start to pop here and there. It was not a great part of Ankara either. I wouldn't want to live in that neigborhood if I had returned to Ankara for good. It is not about crime or anything like that. Just not some area I like plus too many young loud kids playing in the park of the apartment complex. It is on the ground floor so, it gets real noisy.

I had bought it just because, I had some money that I wanted to use for an investment at the time. I lived in it for 17 months or so and then, it was always rented.

On another note, I will be very very isolated when I go back to Istanbul because, they say 40% of all Covid-19 cases in Turkey are in Istanbul. That is scary. So, I will be very careful and try to entertain myself at home. After all, they advise against dining indoors and all summer long we enjoyed that outside anyway. It is not something I should miss till Spring.

If I get too bored, I can always hop in my car and ride around and take a short walk by the sea. 

Alternative Plans for Colder Days (Picture Heavy)

Tuesday turned out to be better than we thought so, I went to the beach. Wednesday was the perfect day to go see the Temple of Apollo. Thursday was much nicer but still on the chillier side. We decided to go to the Antalya Archaelogical Museum. Afterwards we sat at a cafe and had coffee by the beach. Pictures of that will be on a later post.

Here are some pictures from Side, the Temple of Apollo and it's surroundings:

Above is the temple. 

Below are some amphoras used to keep and ship liquids such as olive oil, wine etc.

Below is the Amphitheatre. This is a small one when compared to Aspendos some miles away from Side.

Below are some coins and an earthenware piggy bank! How cool is that? May be I should make this my profile picture. 

Here are short videos of tour boats although I don't think I would've liked to be on a boat that day:

It was a nice day and both uncle and I enjoyed it very much.

Cold and rainy day

Up until today, I had avoided the Fall by way of travel to the South. Lol! Alas! Today is a cloudy, rainy and cool day. Originally, I would be returning today but, I know that, this is temporary and this week is going to give me another 2-3 beach days so, I am staying till next week.

I had a meeting today and after that, I completed the tasks that I took on. 

I then jumped in the car and went sightseeing. I am not much familiar with this city. I found my way to the Old Harbour and walked around a little bit. 

I wore socks and a cotton sweater. I had packed them just in case for my Ankara leg of the trip, never thinking that they would be necessary over here in Antalya. 

I think when I finally go back home by the end of the month, I will have to put away summer clothes, take out warmer ones and put a comforter on my bed. This is actually my favorite season. So, I cannot really complain. 

I think I will come back here in May for a couple of weeks before it gets too hot and then late September next year. 

Weekend

I was at the beach all day yesterday. My sister and BIL came for dinner on their way back home to Izmir and stayed overnight. They had a good time at the beach resort they went to and my BIL was upset about having to go to work. Too bad he still needs to work for another 9 years or so. He feels like he is doing time in prison. That is the extent of his dislike but hey, we all did what we had to do right?

This morning the kids (yes, I know they are 46 and 48 but, that's what we call them anyway) left around 10 a.m. I decided not to go to the beach because, probably it is too crowded on a Sunday. They do place the lounge chairs 6 feet apart but still, I did not feel comfortable.

It is going to rain possibly on Monday and Tuesday so, no beach days. Uncle and I decided to go to the Apollo Temple in Side on Tuesday. A change of pace for both of us. 

I don't know how many more days I will be here but, I guess I may be back in Istanbul early November. This is the beauty of being retired and single. I do not need to plan anything. There are cons too of course but, I have always been and still am content with what life gave me. 

I got a message and a refund for one of the swimsuits I bought online. They did not tell me which one got canceled. Bummer! I hope they canceled the black one. I so want that blue swimsuit.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Dear Weather please keep being just like you were today...

It was a perfect day today. I went to the beach by 11 a.m. and left it at 5 p.m. Had three looong dips in the water. I never spend less than half an hour in the water. Today I broke a record and swam for an hour and twenty five minutes! I must have been a sea creature in a former life. I hope, I will be a sea creature if there is another. 

The only thing I dislike is having to change my swimsuit each time I come out of the water. In the middle of the summer I wouldn't bother but, now, it is in the upper 70s and lower 80s (Fahrenheit).

It looks like as long as the weather permits or till I get bored, I will stay here.

Here is a video from the beach and some more pictures:

This new blogger interphase is stupid. I cannot write uner the pictures somehow.

The first picture is the entrance of the park. The second is a shot of the beach. The video says it all I think.

As I was changing my swimsuits today, I found out that my favorites are getting faded and old. I got online for the web page of my favorite swimsuit brand and noticed that everything was on sale with a deep discount. Yay! So, I ordered two swimsuits. One black and the other with a blue pattern. Here is a picture of the blue:

I am fat, so it will definitely not look this pretty on me but, hey who cares?

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Sening some nice weather your way wherever you are!

Antalya

I came to Antalya last week and spent some time with uncle, SIS and BIL. On the third day of my visit, I caught a cold and had a fever which scared all of us thinking it might be COVID-19 but, thankfully, I got better. I did not go to the beach today just in case. SIS and BIL are now at a resort not too far from here. I guess they were in need of spending their money. Lol!

Today, uncle and I went shopping for a couple of things he needed and then went up to a hilltop to visit one of my uncle's High School friends. His home is stunning and has a mesmerizing view. We had tea with him and his wife.

As I type this, I am sipping beer in the balcony and uncle is drinking raki.

Tomorrow I will be going to a beach by myself with a good book. Uncle is not much of a beach person. 

I dislike stony or sandy beaches. I like to get in the water where it is deep and nice. This city has the best of those. Here is one picture that I took at one of the beaches I went to with BIL and SIS last week:

I think, I will head back to Ankara next Monday or Tuesday depending on how much I enjoy the water. It is very nice outside and the water is very pleasant. 

For Anne...

 If you are interested go visit Anne from Cooking and All That Jazz. In response to todays' post:

This is me when I was 5.

My Happy Place

 My happy place is always in the water... This is right on the Mediterrenean in Antalya. Loved it.

Getting Ready

Today is an extremely busy day. I checked my fridge and found about 2 pounds of carrots, a celery stalk and about 6-7 pounds of onions. Yikes! I normally put food in my cooler and take it wherever I am going but, this time I decided to process this stuff and freeze for winter. When I was coming back from Cesme, I had bought wonderful big white onions and forgot to delete the onions in my online grocery order. That is why I ended up with so much.

I love Italian Soffrito or Holy Trinity in my pasta sauces. So, I took the processor out, chopped a giant onion with the celery and carrots and then sauteed them in EVOO. That was pretty easy and painless as compared to the rest of the onions. Oh my! I cried my eyes out while processing the onions and even my giant wok could not handle all of it at once. I sauteed them in two batches and now they are cooling down. They will be put in ziplock bags before going to the freezer.

I am having a coffee break as I am typing this. I will pack my suitcase after this break. Once that is ready, I will change the sheets on my bed and dye my hair.

So, gotta go now. 

Terrible Night and a Weird Dream

I tossed and turned all night yesterday. I tried listening to soft sleep music or an audiobook and nothing worked. Then I must have fallen asleep around 4 or 5 in the morning and had the weirdest dream. 

In the dream, I am talking to mom and I am so glad she is not dead. We are sitting at a table in a place I do not recognize. Looks like a cafeteria or something. She looks a bit confused. I am asking what she experienced when she died and she says she remembers talking to my sister through somebody. I guess like a psychic and I am telling her no, that was me and I try to remind her the conversation and then it dawns on me we could have done that because she was not really dead. I semi-woke up feeling happy and then realized nope, we put her in the ground and remembered the funeral all over again. This is the first time I actually saw her in a dream. Or at least the first dream that I remember.

When my dad passed, I was 27 and my sister was 20. She was still at school. Mom had told me one of his last words was: "It's OK, I will not be worried, there are the girls".  So, he entrusted us with her. He knew we would be her support. I am hoping, we have done a good job and that he is proud of us. Now, they have to take care of each other yet again, if there is such a thing.

To dye or not to dye...

My hair looks awful. All my hair that is around my face is silver gray, then, there are about 3 inches of my own color with very few silver gray strands in it and the rest is a light golden brown I had been using for a long time.

I was determined to go gray but my sister told me the gray doesn't quiet go with my "baby face" as she calls it. A lot of people tell me I look younger than I am but I guess it is all the weight that hides the wrinkles. SIS told me to dye my hair before the upcoming interview. She is seven years younger than I am and she is going gray. She has more gray hair than I do and she had it dyed gray on purpose so, her hair doesn't look like my awful mess. I am too chicken to go the hair salon.

I guess I will use the hair dye that I have on hand which is the light golden brown and next time, I will use a color that matches my own hair better  so that, I will not have a parade of colors on my head before I attempt to go gray yet again. I could use a hair dye closer to my real color now but, then that would be a waste of the dye I already have on hand. I don't like waste.

Busy week ahead

 I have a job interview at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. It popped out of the blue and I not sure if the owner of the business really wants to hire someone for that position and if I want to go back to regular work even part-time. However, my headhunter friend who knows both of us thinks, this is a brilliant idea. We'll see about that.

After this appointment, I will hit the road to go to Ankara. On Wednesday, I will check out my apartment which is vacated as of today and return the deposit. The realtor will put it up for sale for the time being. If I do not get a good offer, I may have to rent it again. 

On Wednesday, I will also see my childhood friends. I am bringing a spare table I had to one of them. I am glad, I will finally be able to get rid of the extra table and that it will be of useful for a friend.

On Thursday or Friday, I will possibly hit the road again to go to Antalya to see uncle. My sister and BIL are also taking two weeks off and at one point we may get to see each other for a few days somewhere.

Meanwhile, I am dealing with mom's cable provider. Although I have done everything properly i.e. return the equipment with a written request for stopping the service due to death, enclosing a copy of the death certificate; they sent me a bill due on October 15th. WTF? I called them up and they told me to re-send the paperwork to a FAX MACHINE! Who uses fax machines nowadays?  Well I found a fax app which bills directly to my mobile phone. I sent the paperwork yet again. I will do it on Monday too because I have a feeling they will pretend they never received it. I will make sure to mark it "REMINDER!".

I use the same cable company and my contract will be up December 21st. I can't wait to cut it off. Amazon Prime and Netflix are enough. I do not watch anything else on TV anyway. The only problem is that I will need to find a new internet service provider because my internet comes with the cable. I am sure I will be able to find good deals by the end of the year.

When I had signed up for the service they had a good documentary package I specifically picked. Over the years they dropped some of the channels and this month they dropped Investigation Discovery and Animal Planet. That is the last straw. They also stopped showing the new seasons of the crime shows I loved to watch. I'm done with them.

I better get started on my list of the things I need to take on my vacation. I should not forget my meds and keys to all the apartments I will be staying at. 

Hope, everyone has a wonderful weekend!

A Day at the Court

This is a story from 1991. I was living and working in the US back then. 

One day as I was driving home from work, as I slowed down to take the exit, the traffic stopped suddenly and I managed to stop behind a van. It was a close call. However, the young woman driver behind me could not stop and I got hit from behind which made me hit the van this time. I ended up being the middle car in a 5 car accident.

That was my first and thankfully the only accident so, I was shaken a bit. After the initial shock, I got out and saw that the front end of my car was in real bad shape because the van was a higher vehicle. The back side of my Toyota Corolla was not so bad, despite being hit from behind. The car that hit me was a smaller and lower car too. 

So, as we were all waiting for the police to come to the scene, my colleagues who were also returning home, saw the accident and they stopped to support me. Imagine identical Toyota Corollas with consecutive license plates keep coming and a bunch of foreigners appearing at the scene. Alien Invasion, no less!

The police came and gave each and every one of us that were involved in the accident a ticket because of following too closely. Say what? And, the fine was not even specified on the ticket. That is unheard of in my country. So, the next day when I talked to my American colleagues, they told me to fill the back side of the ticket pleading "Not Guilty" and take the issue to the court. My 23 year old pride was already hurt because of the accident and I would never pay a single dollar for a ticket I did not deserve. No way! So, I filled out the form pleading not guilty and sent it at via the Post Office because it had to be registered mail. They sent me similar forms at least three times just to make sure if I really pleaded not guilty and, each time I had to go to the Post Office to send those forms. Finally, they gave a court date but of course, they changed it at least twice and each time I had to confirm my answer through the Post Office. I guess people just give up and pay at one point. Have they met me? I can be very stubborn. 

By the time "the" court date arrived, my car had already been fixed and returned to me for several months.

On the day of the trial, I had to be there at 9 a.m. but the traffic related issues were not attended to till after 3 p.m. or so. However, you had to be there all day otherwise, your license would be suspended. Seriously they took attendance a few times during the day. So, I waited patiently and have seen rather comical trials. One of them was about this middle-aged couple who were brought in because of neighbor complaints. The lady was in hair rollers and her husband was in his pajama pants and white tank top. They were constantly yelling at each other and at one point, the lady hit her husband with her purse. The judge told the officers to get a hold of them and make them sit in separate rows and keep their mouths shut.

I have seen lawyers who were dressed like the ones in old TV shows wearing bow ties with Prince de Galles suits. I have also seen people suing each other for all sorts of ridiculuos reasons and then I understood why there were so many 1-800-LAWYERS commercials on TV.

Anyway, finally a police officer came to take the place of the prosecutor and gave us each 5 minutes to tell him about our cases. I told him that "I WAS DEFINITELY NOT FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY" because my pride was still hurt and it was a matter of principle. He agreed and told me that unless the officer was there personally to observe that I was following the vehicle in front of me closely, he is not supposed to issue such a ticket but, it is done all the time. You know, income for the police force... Tsk, tsk...

When the judge told me "Miss T'Pol, Officer so and so has asked to drop the charges against you. Do you have anything else to say?" I stood up straight and proudly said "No, your honor. Thank you!" Hah! Goodby Elmsford Village Court!

I think it was one of the most proud moments of my life. I persevered and won. 

Stupid Weather App

I have seen dark clouds outside and checked the default app. No warnings, no clouds, no rain, clear blue skies and nice warm temps. Yeah right!!!?? I heard this weird noise from the outside and before I could realize,  huge hailstones came down from the sky and all I could think was "Oh F...! My car!" I had to wait of course because, I figured my head is a bit more precious than my car.

I ran out when I could and checked my car. There are 4-5 dents which I hope can be fixed easily. Also, I will probably end up using this car till it falls apart. So, it is OK. With the current taxes, it is no longer possible to buy a new car anymore, anyway.

A car with a 2.0 engine which has a base price of TL 170,000 is sold at TL 650,000 How do you like that? Would you pay USD 83,300 (total cost of ownership) for a car which is only USD 21,800 (without any taxes)? 

Oh and BTW, that sort of car is considered a luxury car here which is probably a mid-level car in the US. I understand there should be taxes but, 382%? 

As a country we are getting poorer and poorer. Here are the excange rates over time

                   July 2008...............     September 2017    September 2018    September 2019

USD 1           1.16 TL                         3.55 TL                 5.99 TL                    7.82 TL

Euro 1           1.81 TL                         4.19 TL                  6.95 TL                   9.15 TL

Great job in 12 years! I do not think this country ever saw a worse government than this one.

I was writing about the inaccurate weather app and the hail storm right? Ugh... How did I get here?

Mamma!

 

Love this song.

Knew it was coming

My tenant called me last night to tell me that he and his wife are getting a divorce so, they will be moving out. They have only been married for a year. 

I kind of knew/suspected this was coming. Last April, they were supposed to increase the rent  according to our contract but, the young woman called me to say that her husband had lost his job due to COVID-19 and I let them keep the rent the same. I asked for her husband's CV to send to my friends in Ankara. When I looked at the CV, I found that he started at a bank, a pretty good job but then he left and kept changing his jobs frequently. It looked like he did not have any skills developed over quiet a few years and I thought he would never be able to find a job during the pandemic. She is still working for the same bank where they apparently met. I cannot know the real reason for their separation of course but, that is what I suspect.

I called my real estate broker and told him the news. If I can sell at a good price, I would like to sell. If not, it will be rented again. We'll see what happens. All I know is; I need to go see the apartment before I return the deposit. 

I must be in Istanbul till October 4th. Then, I was planning to go see my uncle. However, I may go to Ankara first, see the apartment, hand it over to the real estate guy and head South to Antalya. It is a shorter drive anyway. My uncle may want some Fall clothing items if he is not planning to go to Ankara anytime soon. On the way back, I should go through Ankara again since I must get my tyres changed with winter tyres. I have them changed and stored in Ankara. 

Seems like there are busy days and a lot of traveling ahead. Well, I guess that is a good thing before winter. I have a feeling, we will be stuck at home more.

Ouch!

 I took my car to the service today. It was a routine 45K km maintenance. Apparently, it is one of the expensive maintenance steps or so they say. Anyway, the damage is done. I had budgeted half the amount based on previous maintenance jobs. My car has a diesel engine. That's another factor for the expensive maintenance.

Then I went to get my meds from my pharmacy. Some of my regular meds are provided by Social Security at no cost to me. However, I bought additional meds and vitamins to last at least for two months. That was pretty expensive too. Next time I go see my doctor, I will try to get a medical report for some of the others so that, I will not have to pay as much.

I was planning to go and buy some fresh fish but, I stumbled upon a very good price for a roaster chicken and some turkey wings. So, I grabbed them. A roaster gives me lots of meals. 

I spoke to my sister today. She told me they found a new caregiver for my BIL's mom and will be going to Ankara this weekend again. The old one will be leaving by the end of October. The new one is a bit younger and had been an excellent caregiver for one of my sister's friend's grandma who passed a couple of months ago. Both ladies are from Georgia (the country). During October both will be together so that the old caregiver can train the new one. BIL's mom is bedridden and she cannot talk. It is so sad. I do not think she has much time left because last time I saw her, she was super skinny and although she ate well, she cannot gain weight. I had even bought some liquid food supplements but, they did not help at all.

The old one has decided to go to Germany for work and we are surprised. Due to COVID-19, this cannot be easy. We suspect somebody is scamming her. However, she has been very persistent. She has told my SIS and BIL that she will be going to Germany with a Greek passport! What!? How? This cannot be legal. She said she had already spent 4500 Euros. Well, that is a lot of money for someone who has to go abroad to work. If the German police finds out what she is up to, she will be in a lot of trouble. My sister warned her about this but, hey, she is an adult, right? You cannot help someone who does not want to be helped. 

All these years, she was legally here. My BIL did everything by the book and spent tons of money on insurance and work permits. Most people take shortcuts but, as a family, we will never resort to illegal business.

Staying Home

I consider the people who have houses with a yard are lucky during this pandemic. Apartment dwellers like I am are not so much. Although, I can spend time all by myself perfectly, I sometimes long for going out just to window shop or walk at the waterfront. I can do these things but then I must wear a mask, keep my sanitizer on hand, constantly be alarmed to keep social distance from other people. It is exhausting. 

If I had a little yard, I could grow veggies and flowers and sit outside in the sun. Or so I think. Lol! Given human nature who knows what I would want then?

Long time readers know that I am a landlady of a two bedroom apartment in Ankara. Few days ago, management sent a notice that there were 3 COVID-19 cases and everybody should wear masks in teh buildings and in the garden. There are 7 buildings and a large garden in that apartment complex with basketball courts and play areas for kids. Today, the management sent another notice with big bold uppercase letters that, the security guards will report everybody without masks to the police. All over my country, masks are mandatory for everyone. There is a hefty monetary penalty too but, not a lot of people care and not all can be penalized. I am sure some people will take this as a threat to their rights and start talking about the legality of this but, the fact of the matter is, COVID-19 is now their neighbor. Hope, my tenants are taking precautions and keeping safe and healthy.

On another note, I found out that I ordered spare heads for my electric toothbrush twice. Not a bad mistake. I will use them but certainly, I am not as organized as I like to be.

My grocery order will be delivered in a couple of hours and I will walk to the Pharmacy afterwards to pick up my meds. My pill boxes need filling. 

I really would like to go out to the seashore to the fish market and buy some fresh fish but I am too lazy to do it today. Tomorrow, I will be taking my car to the service so, on the way back, I can go get my fish. Bonitos are in season and I love to cook slices of bonito over a bed of sauteed onions and tomatoes on stove top or in the oven. 

Laundry, Cooking and Amazon Prime

Today, I washed the last load of laundry and hung them up. I put away my beach stuff and re-arranged my towel drawers. 

I cooked some navy beans that I had soaked last night. Here is the simple recipe:

2 cups of navy beans soaked in hot water the night before

1 medium onion

2 small carrots

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce OR 1 tablespoon tomato paste OR 1 medium tomato diced

3-4 tablespoons of EVOO

2-3 small garlic cloves

Salt

Dice the onions and slice the carrots. Add salt, garlic cloves and sautee them in the EVOO till the onions are translucent. Add the tomato product you are using. Sautee for another 2 minutes. Add the beans and some water. Cook on stove top with the lid on, till they are done. You need to check the water as you cook. Ideally, the beans must be cooked and there must be not much liquid left. This dish is served cold but, if you like, you can eat it warm too.

I cleaned my kitchen, arranged my pantry and made a list of groceries I need to get.

I sat down to order spare heads for my Oral-B toothbrush and decided to join the 30 day trial Amazon Prime Turkey.  I think, I will keep it after the free offer expires since, I have decided to ditch my cable subscription in December. It comes with internet but, I am sure, I can find a similar internet service for a better price.

Gotta go and fold laundry to put away. Tomorrow, I intend to dust and vacuum. 

At the Beach

 I am so glad I took my friend up on her offer. They are in such a secluded place that I felt totally comfortable spending time there.

Here are a couple of pictures from Cesme.

I am back home now dealing with the laundry. 

Istanbul is much colder than where I was. I took out a cotton blanket because, I was cold last night. I also took out my fluffy and thick bathrobe instead of the thin pestemals I was using as bath towels.

I brought back egg sized fresh walnuts, melons, a watermelon, some very sweet white omions along with some other veggies from the nearby farmer's stand in Cesme. I also bought gigantic kalamata olives. 

I spent a ton of time in water. Must have been a sea creature in a past life.

It is amazing how the weather has turned in just a week. In a few weeks I will be heading to Antalya which is always warmer. I think, I have another few swimming days ahead of me.

Cats!

 I am not talking about the musical but, I have seen it on Broadway twice actually.

For 50 years I had ailurophobia to the point that eating a meal out with me in the summer would be a nightmare for mom and sis. As most other nations do not have so many stray cats and dogs roaming the streets, it might be difficult for most of my readers to understand. People like cats and they feed them on the streets. Real pet lovers do of course have animals at home but, they also feed the strays. My sister carries cat and dog food in her trunk. 

The municipalities try to collect the stray animals and have them neutered but, it is a job fit for Sisyphus.

Anyhow, at my last workplace few weeks before I left it, I actually petted a kitten and held her and got over my phobia. With that said, I still do not try to pet a stray cat. I am not jumpy anymore when they brush past me.

I live in an apartment complex and my apartment is located at the entrance level. My windowsill is about 6 feet high. Up until last week, I have never seen a cat jumping up there and look inside. Well, last week a youngish cat jumped as I was watching TV and meowed her/his heart out. I had a can of tuna so, I put it on the windowsill and she/he gobbled it up. The next time it showed up, I gave it some lunch meat. I then bought a bag of dry cat food and poured some on the corner of the windowsill. It showed up again but, decided that cat food is no good and kept meowing. I caved in and gave it some more lunch meat.

A few days later, another one jumped up. This one is a black and white cat. He eats the cat food and always comes back to check to see if there is any more. I think, they are friends although they never show up together.

Today the first cat showed up, ate some of the cat food and came back looking at me so, I gave it a big piece of turkey ham. Then the other one showed up and ate the leftover cat food. This time I felt guilty and fed it some turkey ham too. I do not dare to open the window all the way and pet them but, I think I will keep feeding them as long as they come to visit. There are two cat houses at different locations so, I am sure they can get to food and water all the time. 

A lot of people tell me to get a cat but, I do not think I will ever be a true cat person. Although I am not deadly afraid, I am not ready to be chums with one. 

Going Away Plans back on the Agenda

 This coming Friday, I am going to Izmir to be with my SIS and BIL over the weekend. On Monday I will move to Cesme to visit a friend who had been self-isolating with her best friend and husband. I do not know how long I will be there. May be till the weekend.

I intend to go to Antalya afterwards but, my uncle will be spending time with his friends between 15th and 20th so, I am a bit worried about that. I may end up coming back home and go to Antalya after he spends two weeks on his own. That sounds like a better plan but, it will be twice the driving. We'll see.

I took out the sewing machine to keep busy. I have some projects along with some more mask making in my mind. 

Yesterday night I was talking to one of my childhood friends and she mentioned that she wanted to buy a certain table for her balcony from IKEA. I told her I have the same exact table that I am not using. It is disassembled since 2012 and packed in my underbed storage. I had two and I am using one of them in my balcony too. She is happy and I am happy that I will be able to get rid of something that I do not need. 

There are a few other things I would like to get rid of. Let's see if I can find new homes for those.

Day at the Lake and Cooking

 On Friday, I went to visit my friend at her dad's home by Iznik Lake. Iznik is a small town with a lot of history so, here is a link for anyone who who would like to know more.

My friend preapared a picnic basket as I chatted away with her two daughters and her dad. It was a very windy and cloudy day so, swimming in the lake was not possible. We tried and got ourselves wet anyway.

It was a fun visit and I came home by 10 p.m. 

Today, I went to the grocery store and came back with four 2 liter bottles of EVOO. I am all set for a whole year I think. The young lady at the cash register told me I could buy six 2 liter bottles of EVOO because it was a real good price. I bought only four because I already had a 2 liter tin can at home. I cook exclusively with EVOO. I use butter only in rice and some sauces. Never use margarin or any other oils.  May be I will take one of the bottles to Ankara on my next trip. I had used the last of it while I was there.

I found perfect marbled steaks and bought some to freeze. I also bought about 3 pounds of chopped meat.

When I came home, I first stuffed most of the peppers with a rice mixture (rice, EVOO, chopped onions, pine nuts, currants, dried mint leaves, cinnamon). While that was cooking, I stuffed the leftover peppers, tomatoes and zucchini with a meat mixture (chopped meat, rice, chopped onions, parsley) and cooked them in a tomato sauce.

I sauteed odd peppers and insides of the tomatoes and zucchini for tomorrow. I will have that with garlic yogurt. It is more of a meze than  dinner dish. Besides, it helped me waste nothing.

Some of the chopped meat became meat patties cooked in tomato sauce. I had a few of those over a bed of eggplant mash. There is another portion for tomorrow. I cheated and used canned grilled eggplants for the mash but hey, who cares?

I sauteed the rest of the chopped meat with onions for later use. Soft tacos

I will be freezing most of what I cooked so, whenever I feel lazy, I will know I have food in the freezer.

This was a productive day so, I am happy. 

To feel like living

I had a Zoom meeting with my colleagues about the company web site this morning. It took about an hour and a half and I totally enjoyed it. I miss being busy in a meaningful manner. I wish there were more business since it certainly helps me. It felt like I was living yet again. Mostly, I feel I am at a standstill these days so, that little meeting was good.

Today I am feeling blue. Need to keep busy. There is plenty of stupid house chores. Planning to make penne a la vodka and a side serving of sauteed veggies for dinner. 

On Friday, I am going to meet with a friend who is visiting her dad at a small town by a lake. She told me to bring my bathing suit along. It is going to be a day trip.

I am hoping to buy some vegetables on my way back. There are plenty of farmers along the road.

Here is a video that always makes me smile. Love the lyrics, love the singer more. Please pay attention to his face. So much fun!