Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Wishing everyone a wonderful time with family and friends. Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe!

Will be back after the New Year's. 

Problem with Blogger HELP NEEDED!

I do not know why but,I am having trouble with Blogger. I had to clear some gadgets including my blogroll. I will put it back in a few days. 

My blog was redirecting to weird sites and I spent hours to fix it. It corrected itself I think. EDIT: Not really. When I use a VPN, it works fine but, never workd properlywith 3 different browsers.

I also have difficulty reaching some other blogs on blogger.

Is there anybody else having the same problem?

Brrrr! It's Cold!

I picked up uncle from the airport on Wednesday and ever since he got here, it is freezing cold and rainy over here. Poor guy! He was planning to see friends and walk around his favorite spots. So far, he has been able to get together with friends only once.

Meanwhile, I have been keeping busy. 

The other night, I had a small health scare. In the middle of the night my heart started beating rather erratically and I freaked out. Came to the living room to calm myself down. Within 15 minutes or so, I started dozing off in the recliner. I got up and went to the bed. For a moment I even thought about waking uncle up for him to take me to the ER. When I told him about how I felt, he asked me a few questions and told me he did not think  it is important. He is a Pharmacisit and he also had a medical company for quite a while dealing with cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. I still made an appointment to see a cardiologist just for peace of mind.

I went in yesterday and the Doc doesn't think it is serious either but, on Monday they will hook me up with a holter monitor for 24 hours. Due to my age, the menapause, BP, Type 2 Diabetes and my mom's history with heart vessel stents, he also told me it would be wise to have a tomography sometime but, there is no rush for it.

Today, I am taking it easy. I have two dolls my dad's uncle brought from France in early 70's. My grandma sew and knitted outfits for them. They sit on a shelf in my library. I realized that, they have gotten rather dusty and dirty. So, I gave both my girls a bath and washed their outfits. I also started knitting myself a sleeveless sweater with the yarn mom bought but never got to knit. Never tried that before. When I get to the harder parts of it, I will put them away to take them to a friend of mine who can help me with the arms and the neck.

I have dinner already planned. Except for the panko dipped chicken pieces which will go in the oven along with sweet potatoes and spaghetti squash, everything is ready. I am planning to make a veggie soup with the squash. I have other veggie bits to add to the soup.

Hope everybody is having a relaxing weekend.

@Home! Finally!

Yesterday's tasks turned out to be a wild goose chase so, the day was totally wasted. I should have come home on Saturday or Sunday.

Today, I went to visit the elderly couple who used to be my parents' good friends from our old neighborhood in the morning. The lady likes to vent a little bit from time to time and she does not have the opportunity to do so because, nowadays noone wants to visit elderly people due to COVID. I never took of my mask and kept my distance during the half hour I spent there. I took her to a quick grocery run and hit the road. As usual, I made good time up until the last 30 Km. Then, it was bumper to bumper slow traffic. 

As I was watching TV and relaxing, I dosed off. I must have been exhausted.

I have two loads of laundry I must put away before uncle gets here tomorrow. I also need to make the guest bed tonight.

Tomorrow, I will quickly dust and vacuum the floors before I go to the airport to pick him up.

I bought two tickets to the NASA Space Adventure Exhibition on Friday. I do not know if he will enjoy it but, nerdy side of me surely will. Haha!

I have not been able to read many of my favorite blogs lately so, I must catch up on them soon. 

Oh! BTW, I am officially on the payroll of the association as a part-time consultant as of today.

Feelings Associated with Certain Times of the Year

When I was a kid, we celebrated the New Year by decorating our home (no tree though, Dad didn't approve because we were not Christian) and exchanging gifts. Mom would cook special dishes and we always had chocolate cake right at midnight.  Early December, I remember being excited with anticipation of the coming New Year, gifts and family time. January 1st, has always been a bittersweet day for me because, well what is left to look forward to now? 

And then, one day, sometimes even as early as March, I would go outside and smell a difference in the air, feel some warmth and I would be filled with joy for the arrival of Spring. I would start looking forward to ditching the bulky clothes and spending more time outside. Once Spring rolled around and my allergies started bothering me, all I could look for was Summer Break which meant going somewhere by the sea or to my Grands on my Mom's side or both. That was the best! Spending time at Grandparents and going to the seaside was just awesome.

Once, August appeared on the horizon, I would be ready to go back to school and see my friends again.  The first days of school were always exciting and interesting with meeting new teachers. We would try to find out about them from other students who knew them and would talk about what would be the hardest subject that year. Two weeks into the school year, things used to become routine.

Then one day possibly in early October, I would just go outside and again smell the change in the air and be excited that Fall was on it's way. Fall has always been my favorite season. I remember walking in Kizilay, one of the longest avenues of Ankara during a Fall afternoon smelling wet fallen leaves after a short rain shower. I can still feel that experience

We celebrated birthdays but, never made a big deal out of them. Usually practical gifts and cake. Sometimes, a small number of close friends too.

There were and still are two religious holidays celebrated nationwide but, honestly I really did not care for them. Their dates change every year due to the lunar calendar. Mom would always buy us new shoes and outfits before those holidays and some kids would be so looking forward to that but, I have never cared for clothing items much. During those 3-4 day religious holidays, we would get together with the family, eat way too much and visit other family members but, when you are a child and when they make you run around fetching things and setting the table, serving the visitors and helping the adults, it is not much fun. Is it? Now that I do not believe in or practice any religion, those days are just vacation days. Besides, my family is very small these days.

We also have secular National holidays (April 23rd, May 19th, August 30th and October 29th) to celebrate and I love them but, they are usually just a day ,unless they come right before or after a weekend. 

One day, in 1989, I found myself all grown up and changing my first job. I would be starting my new job on January 2nd and they would be sending me to New York for 6 months (turned out to be three years and a half) in March. That year I did not have the January 1st blues, trust me.

I started my new job on January 2nd and as soon as I walked in, they turned me around and put me in a company car with a driver to go apply for my US visa. When I asked what was the rush, they told me I would be flying to NYC that coming Sunday, January 7th. What? It was supposed to be March. I called my Dad and he was tongue tied. I then called my Mom. She was as cool as a cucumber as they say and she told me she would take a day off to do some shopping for me and start packing my suitcase. What happened that week is a post in itself but, let's skip that for now.

When I spent over three years in the US, I fell in love with all the events and holidays such as St. Patrick's, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas (not a fan of Valentine's Day. Lol!) Even though, I am living in my own country for almost 30 years now, I still get filled with joy during the Holidays and there are so many milestones in a given year making me feel this way.

Some can argue that the holidays in the US are a symbol of consumerism but, I do not care.  I love how people are so happy and willing to decorate for every occassion and celebrate. Starting with Halloween, it is such a festive and happy time. As I type these, Christmas Music is playing in the background and I am kicking myself for forgetting to buy some hot chocolate mix. 

I am so in the mood for the Holidays. Uncle and I will be joining my SIS and BIL for the New Year and will spend some time together. 

To me, it is all about having a good time either with family or friends because, I do not remember most of the gifts I have been given but, I always do fondly remember how I felt on a certain occasion. 

Happy and Nice Day

I remember mentioning here that, there was a possibility for me  to work as a consultant for the management of a medical association. It is no longer a possibility but rather a reality because, we mutually agreed on working together. I am actually excited about this.

On my other part-time job, there is good news too. The Client loved today's candidate. It was a great interview and the young woman totally impressed the HR Manager and the Head of the Group but, we are still at the beginning of this process. There are two upper level managers and an assesment to go through. Also, they need to agree on the salary and benefits. So far, I think we are 25% done but, still it is a happy day.

I wish everyone a happy time too.

Pleasure and Business

I met an old friend over lunch today. We had a lot to catch up on. Her daughters are studying in Munich, Germany. Older daughter is working on her Master's Degree and the young one is attending College. Both are Computer Engineers (or rather the younger will be one too). I consider them my nieces and am so proud of them. My friend and her husband are both Electronic Engineers and they have been amazing parents all through their kids' lives.

We reminisced about old days and laughed a lot. I am glad we both had the time. 

Later in the afternoon, I attended an interview of one of my short list candidates with the Client. He was very talkative and had told me all about his projects in detail, during our one-on-one but, today, he was a different man. I do not know. I would assume, one would sit down and prepare for an interview, list down the points to talk about, some successful projects and her/his contribution. Apparently, not. So, this one was a bust. 

I will call the next candidate and tell her how to prepare for this interview. Sigh...

I will be meeting babyhood friends tomorrow. Hope, everyone has a nice week!

Relaxing Sunday

I slept really well last night. I woke up to the doorbell rang by the cleaning lady. She is quiet amazing. I asked her to clean up the kitchen first so that, I could start putting the stuff where they belong. Once I was done with my chore, I just took care of my own business.

She left around 5 p.m. and now, as I am typing this, I am very relaxed and the fresh smelling apartment makes it all the more enjoyable.

SIS just called me to say that they are preparing a list of meals they want me to make for them. Lol! I should lise a bunch of weight before I go and visit them. So, far, the list includes Zucchini Quiche, Lasagna, Cinnamon Rolls, Cig Borek and Homemade Pizza. 

4 Cinnabon Stores opened in Istanbul so, I may actually buy Cinnabon and take it to Izmir rather than making them. LOL!

Now, I will watch an episode of Death in Paradise on BBC and make a pot of vegetable soup for tomorrow.

Hope, everybody had a nice weekend.

New Heater

Today, the contractor's workers arrived right on time at 9:30 a.m. and set to work. They had to overcome some difficulties due to the limited space behind the kitchen cabinets but, they did a stellar job and did a nice cleaning so that, tomorrow,  the cleaning lady will have to deal with just a bit of dust. 

They were very nice men too. So, I bought them lunch and also tipped them. They so deserved it. After they left around 2:30 p.m., I called their boss and thanked him too and praised his workers. He too was pleased. He told me, they will schedule the gas company visit for project approval on Friday and the authorized support crew to do one last control and start the warranty on Saturday for me.

While the work was in progress, the window guys came to install a vent on one of the windows as a requirement of the gas company. The windows are double-glass so, it was a bit tricky but, they also did a good job and cleaned up after themselves.

I had shut off the old heater last night and during the installation we kept opening and closing the windows and balcony doors so, the apartment got real chilly. I turned on the heater and napped for an hour or two under a blanket. Now, it is warm and real nice.

My BFF who lives in upstate New York and I just watched another episode of Spooks and I am almost ready to go to bed. The 8 hour time difference is a bit hard to manage but, so far, we have been doing well.

I have scheduled a few get togethers with old friends next week and I have a bit of a work to do too. 

Today, I washed uncle's bed cover and shams in his room. The cleaning lady will change his sheets which I will wash and put away before I leave. I asked him if he wanted a warmer comforter on his bed and he said no. I guess, he will not be coming to Ankara during the cold weather. 

Uncle will be coming to Istanbul to stay for a while before the New Year's and, we shall go to Izmir to spend the New Year with my SIS and BIL. After that, he will possibly fly back to Antalya and I will drive back to Istanbul.

This is going to be a busy month. 

Hope, everyone is enjoying the first weekend of the last month in 2021. Time flies by, doesn't it?

December Goals

A few days ago, I weighed myself and realized that I had gained 2 pounds! What! I shouldn't have been surprised though. I was not exercising as much as I used to and I was eating more carbs than I should.

I must lose those pounds and if possible some more before our New Year's family dinner. I also need to exercise at least 5 days a week. I am positive I will be able to lose those 2 pounds quickly.

I also keep telling myself I should track my grocery expenses for a whole month to see where my money is going but, I have never been able to do it properly. Now that all prices are sharply rising due to poor economic management of the country.

So, my health and my grocery spending are my top priorities this month. 

Even though, it is just 3 days into the month, I am happy to report that I have exercised every day this month. I also went back to journaling my meals on an app. This helps me a lot to stay focused. 

I grocery shopped today and kept the receipt. I will add a sheet to my budget Excel file and start making a price list as I note the cost lof each item there.

I remember having read that it takes anywhere between 2-8 months to form a new habit. I must track my exercise and journaling till they become real habits. 

Now, gotta go and deal with the kitchen. Some spaces need to be cleared, so that the contractor can do his thing without obstacles. 

My SIS and BIL owe me big time. Lol! I told them they will have to buy me an expensive dinner and my BIL said, they would need to gift me the whole restaurant. Lol! It is a hassle but, who else could deal with this? They work crazy hours and barely have time to take a couple of weeks off each year for vacation. The MIL and FIL are very sickly. Every month, they come to visit them. Besides, I love my SIS to the moon and back. There is nothing  I can't do for her. 

The Deed is Done... The Heater on Saturday

Yesterday, I drove to Konya with my friend who has been given the power of attorney for the sale of the share. We set out at 7 a.m. and by 11:30, it was all done! I got my deed. We then went to see the property and see if the grates were properly installed. As I was taking pictures of the grates, a young man stepped out of the new building next door and inquired whether we will be making renovations or sell it. I told him that we have no idea of how much it is worth and that since I live out of town, I haven't inquired about it yet. We exchanged numbers and he told me he will inquire about the value and let me know. Apparently, he may be interested in buying the property. Once I hear from him, I will inquire about the property value through different sources too.

My friend and I had lunch and I asked her if she wanted to see some of the historic places She wanted to go see Mevlana Museum. Mevlana was a 13th Century Sufi mystic and poet originally from Persia. He is mostly known as Rumi . His followers founded the Order of the Whirling Dervishes which is an interesting ceremony for many. It just triggers my vertigo. 

The Museum is next to the cemetery where my grandpa was buried. I told her, I would rather go visit grandpa. So, we split and did our own thing. We made it back home before 6 p.m.

The heater will be installed on Saturday. I asked my SIS to call the cleaning lady for Sunday or Monday. The Gas Company will come to approve the project next Friday and hopefully, I will be able to go home to Istanbul over next weekend.

Meanwhile, I realized that I have gained 2 pounds. It is because I am not exercising enough these days and have been eating more carbs than usual. So, I am going back to my exercise routine right after I finish typing and posting this. I ate a two egg omelette with cheese, shredded zucchini and dill weed for lunch. Dinner is going to be smoked salmon and avocado/arugula salad with a little flat bread. 

I gotta go exercise and then, work a little bit now.

The Heater Saga Continues

Today, a very nice gentleman came to give me an estimate on the heater. Apparently, since 2008, regulations have been changed so, there is a little bit extra work that needs to be done. They will install new piping for the water that will be generated by the combi boiler (I keep referring to it as the heater but, that is what it is). A new type of gas valve needs to be installed both for the gas cooktop and for the new combi boiler. 

He gave me three options for my SIS and BIL to choose from. I also inquired about the price of the online controlling system. It would be nice to be able to heat the apartment before any of us come back here in the winter, through our cell phones. Armed with all the necessary info, I sent a detailed message to both of them. Once they decide what they would like to purchase, I will order it. 

I have been told, it will take about 3 hours on Friday or on Saturday. Then, the Natural Gas provider company will come and approve the installation next Friday. 

This is a company I have dealt with before. I think, 3-4 years ago, we bought mom's combi boiler from them. They have been in this business for quite some time so, I am hoping, they will do a decent job.

I am so thankful for the Central Heating at my apartment complex. 

Tomorrow, my friend and I are going to complete the deed transfer transaction if all goes well. 

Now that, I am stuck here till the end of next week, I went grocery shopping. I will fix breakfast sandwiches for the road tomorrow and take a thermos full of hot water and some tea bags plus, instant coffee. I know, I know instant coffee is not the real thing. Just for the road trip since, it is going to be cold. There is a Fast Train between the two cities and many people prefer that nowadays so, there are no decent coffee stops on the way. All rural, with small villages, quiet a boring road.

I was planning to go to the cemetery today but, it is a rainy day, so I will do that next week.

On Sunday night, I sent the short list of candidates to the Client. I expected a "thank you, we will look at them and let you know" kind of a short message. At least to acknowledge receipt of the mail right? No, nada! It is so sad to see even the smallest bits of decency are vanishing. Is it that hard?

Why? Why? Why?

I came to Ankara yesterday to deal with the piece of property which I have mentioned in a previous post.

Due to COVID, now all applications are online which is a great opportunity..... Well.... Only, if the system works. The application was delayed until 5:30 p.m. which means, we cannot go to Konya and handle the in person part of the process which is signing paperwork, tomorrow.

One day delay no problem, right? I am not upset about that. Not muchanyway but,..........

Bigger problem is that, when I arrived yesterday, I turned on the heater and it started leaking. SIS and BIL called a service provider to fix it but, apparently they have called an unauthorized company, or rather a scammer. So, a fast "service" and a bunch of money later, the thing is still leaking. I only realized that the guys were scammers after they left.  Sİnce the heater kept leaking, I got suspicious and remembered that I did not see the logo of the product on their work gear and decided to check the authorized service providers and voila! I should have been smarter about this but, 5 hours of driving on 4 hours of sleep does that to you.

So, I called an authorized service provider today. They came, looked at the heater and told me it would be expensive to fix it. I relayed the information to SIS and BIL. They decided to purchase a new heater. Fine... But, that also means, I cannot leave Ankara when I am done with my own thing. The present heater is leaking and until a new heater is installed, there is no way for me to go. Thinking that I would be here only biriefly, I haven't brought much stuff. Looks like I have several light loads of laundry ahead of me.

Now, my SIS and BIL were here three weeks in September. and then they were here couple of weeks ago. Uncle was here for about 10 days or so recently. So, why does the darn heater decide to kick the bucket when I am here? Couldn't he (it must be a man) break down while others were here? Arrrgh!

I am glad, I brought the food items that could spoil. At least, when I go back home, I will not have to deal with rotten vegetables and moded cheese.

Hope, you are having a better day...

Thoughts on Retirement, Part Time Work and Change

I am afraid this will be a long post. So, if you do not have the time, you're welcome to skip it. However, I will appreciate all the input or advice you may have to offer on my thought process below.

Most of you may know, I am retired and I do like to be retired but, it is also kind of boring.  Even so, until recently, I wasn't really willing to take on work even part-time. However, the recent developments in the country made me think harder about this.

I have saved a nice nest egg to complement my retirement income but, with what's hapening in the country lately, I am concerned that we are headed to a hyper inflation period. Nobody understands why the current government is taking the country to an economical doom. It is a complicated story so, I am not going to dive into the details of it but, the economy is a mess. Here is a simple piece of info to show you how bad things have become:

USD 1= 1.91 TL end of 2011

USD 1 = 3.52 TL end of 2016

USD 1 = 12.08 TL last Friday and this happened within a few months. It used to be around 7 or 8 TL earlier in the year.

My nest egg consists of  USD (60%), TL(22%), Gold and a small amount of Euros. So, I can say that, my nest egg increased in value with the increase of USD but, that does not mean much. I never want to dip into the non-TL part of my nest egg until after the age of 70 or better yet 75. I have been supplementing my pension with mostly the interest I was earning on the TL portion of it. This year, I had to dip into the principal but, not significantly.

The president of the country (the p is not capital intentionally just to show how much I "like" him) is the kind of person capable of doing anything just to stay in power. He is creating a big divide between the  people which may lead to civil unrest so that he can declare a State of Emergency to avoid general elections in 2023. If that does not happen, he is prepared to take the country to war with one of the neighboring countries. That could also be a reason for a State of Emergency. This is how bad the situation is.

Part of the reason why I am so concerned about the future is that, our family is small but, other than my SIS and BIL, the rest are not well of and their lives may become harder down the line. They may need some financial assistance (although it is extremely hard to convince them to accept such help). Besides, there are already some health issues in the family. I sincerely hope and wish, we shall never need to spend loads of money for health reasons. I would rather have us use it for good days. So, I am seeing my money sort of like an insurance for the whole family in the long run too. This does not mean that I will not spend my hard earned money on myself. I still would like to travel, enjoy vacations and family get togethers. 

I guess, I was able to give you dear readers (who has loads of patience to read this)  a summary of my situation. So, you see the thought of additional income has all of a sudden become "interesting" while I still do not want to go back to working full time.

Some of you may know that, I was complaining that I was sucked into a part-time IT Recruitment job, I had a bad experience  with last time and decided not to continue doing it early this year. The owner of the company is a friend and she practically begged me to consider it once again a month ago. I accepted one project that requires finding two senior level positions and laid down my rules and my friend  agreed to them. 

So far, the job did not make me stressed yet. We are at the verge of submitting our Short List to the Client. It can go downhill from here like last time or it can go smoothly. I have diligently selected the candidates to be submitted so, I am hoping for a smooth sail. We'll see. If this project is successful, I will receive a nice chunk of money that will enable me not to touch my nest egg or rather the interest generated by the TL portion of it next year. My initial motivation was to just do this one project and call it quits. I just realized, it doesn't have to be that way. My friend assured me, I can take on as little work as I like and doing one project at a time is not all that time consuming. So, may be it is now a good idea to keep on doing it for a while at my own pace.

Recently, I have also been approached by a medical association, a non profit organization whose President is the husband of a High School mate. They needed someone business minded to oversee their operation on a part-time basis. We had a meeting a week or so ago and he and a couple of other doctors told me about their organization in detail. I like how involved they are in their field and how much more can be done. Their only problem is that they cannot pay me much. Instead of saying "no", I thought about what I would be willing to do for them at that payment level. The pay is almost symbolic but, with the economy tanking badly, a regular additional income might not be so bad after all. Right? Besides, I think this is the kind of thing that will make me feel good about myself.

I have always wanted to volunteer for a nice cause but, I am not as selfless as the people who throw themselves fully into the cause they believe in without expecting anything in return. I am sure, I have mentioned about being a bit selfish before. So, I figured I could do this on a half-paid, half volunteer basis. 

This morning, the President of the organization called me and I told him  how we can make this work. I cannot be available as much as they want due to the small pay but, I can act as a consultant and we can  tackle a a couple of projects at a time on my terms. I can participate in their management meetings and offer them guidance, ways to improve certain processes and generally my experience as a consultant who has a business background. I will also help them deal with international relations. They need someone with language skills to build bridges between sister organizations in other parts of the world. I can do that.

The President wants to work with me so, he will take this to the Board and let me know what the they say. So, this still may or may not happen. Either way, I am cool with it.

I know I was very reluctant to work initially, but, adapting to change is a must in life. I also consider it a true skill to cope with change. I will still be the boss of most of my time. Besides, I am not using all this spare time in a productive manner anyway. Perhaps if I lived in a peaceful part of the world, it would have been different. They say geography is your fate. I guess it is true. 

So, what do you think Dear Readers? 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! to all who celebrate....

 

Age and Aging

When mom passed, I fished out old dia positive photos, bought a scanner and scanned them. I put them up in the Cloud and gave the link to my family.

Few days ago, when my sister was looking  at some pictures from our parents' engagement party she called me and said "Do you realize, in those pictures our grandma on our dad's side was two years year younger than you are now and our other grandma was two years younger than I am now?" Wow! They looked so elegant, so matronly and for the life of me, I could not imagine myself and my sister posing like that. A fun fact is that uncle was a 7 year old boy in those engagement party pictures. Lol!

I have never been married and although my sister is married, she does not have kids. I guess that is part of the reason why we do not realize our ages. We do not have kids and grandkids in our lives as most of our friends do. Our lives are not much different than what they used to be when we were in our twenties or thirties. May be, it is also the way people dress nowadays. Jeans, T-Shirts and sneakers are our go to attire. Back in the 60's and 70's, people dressed differently.

Meanwhile here is the truth: We are aging! Wow! We have health problems. We no longer enjoy certain things we used to enjoy when we were younger like loud music, cramped restaurants and bars (pre-COVID of course). I am going to turn 55 next year and my sister will turn 48. We have both quit coloring our hair. My sister's hair is all gray. My temples are all gray and the rest of my hair is still a dark brown with a few gray strands. SIS now needs reading glasses. I always had glasses because I have myopia since I was 8.

When did all this happen? 

A Quick Trip Next Week

Finally, the 5 year wait is up for me to take over 1/3 of the house in Konya. To make a long story short, the house was left to my mom and two uncles by their parents. When my younger uncle was having trouble with his business, I wanted to take over his share but, someone told me that if he sells to a family member, it could be questioned during the liquidation of his business. So, a friend of mine took his share over. No money exchanged hands, the property sales tax was paid by yours truly. If my friend had sold me that share within the 5 years following the sale, she would have had to pay a ridiculuous income tax so, we decided to wait. As of last month, she is exempt from that tax. Therefore, I can now "buy" this share. Again, there will not be any money exchange, just the property sales tax.

So, this coming Sunday, I will be going to Ankara. My friend gave power of attorney for the sale of "her" share to another friend of mine who will come with me to Konya. It will be a day trip from Ankara, just three hours each way. 

When the transaction is completed, I will own 5/6 of the house and my SIS owns the remaining 1/6th. We both inherited mom's share and with this transaction, I will have purchased everybody else's shares. My late uncle's family (older uncle) wanted to sell their share a few years ago and I had bought it.

The house is in shambles and there is no way we would like to spend money to make it liveable again. So, it will be sold one day. We haven't put it up for sale yet. Uncle looked for a few real estate agents while he was there but, I would not put it up for sale during the winter anyway. 

Some people keep breaking into the house so, there were a couple of broken windows and the doors and windows need reinforcements. Uncle hired a guy to put up basic grates and replace the broken windows. There was still some stuff in the house such as office desks, chairs and what not. Uncle also hired a junk dealer to come and clean those up. Once the grates are installed, at least it will not be broken into. Who knows if they are dealing or doing drugs in there. I am not sure if these will be all done when I go next week.

I have been gradually cleaning up kitchen cupboards/cabinets and drawers so, I just did not feel like cooking today. I had leftover chili and a pancake for lunch. Dinner was a piece of grilled salmon and some chips with a bottle of beer. I do not consume much alcohol anymore but, today I wanted to have a small bottle of beer. When I was younger, I could handle alcohol better. Especially after menopause, not so much. 

I am not moving as much as I want to because, my sleep is quite out of whack and I feel miserable during the day. I must go to bed around 11 o'clock whether I fall asleep or not. Starting tonight, I will do that.

As for work, I have my short list ready to be submitted to the client. I must write 5 short reports. No big deal. I have been very diligent in selecting the candidates. Only 6-7 people out of about 90. I am just hoping that they will hire at least one. They are looking for 2.

Hope, everyone has a nice week!

Holiday Season for Me and My Family

This is my favorite time of the year in the US. Last time I was there, I made sure I spent the entire Holiday Season. I came back home after the New Year. 

Here in Turkey, Halloween is an imported occasion and only a handful people celebrate it and I am sure most of the population don't even know about it. Thanksgiving is obviously not a thing over here as well.

Most of the population is Muslim so, no Christmas celebration either but, we do love the decorations so, you can see Christmas decorations for celebration of the New Year starting in December. Many people frown upon this, saying that this is a Christian celebration but, people who enjoy the celebration of the New Year and the decorations, do not care about their opinion. Lol!

I like to decorate my home a little. So did Mom and so does SIS. I have a lot of small decorative items I bought from the US and here in Turkey. I do not decorate a tree because, honestly, I am lazy and my apartment is not even big enough for all the stuff I already own. This year I will be visiting my sister for the New Year so, I doubt I will decorate at all. May be only a few pieces on the entertainment center and on my family room windows.

I love the Thanksgiving food, a nicely roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and a pumpkin pie. Even when I am by myself, I roast a whole turkey but, my family prefers roasted chicken. So, this year I will be making that for them. 

My sister told me she wants only the roasted chicken, the gravy and the stuffing from my Thanksgiving menu. The rest of the dishes will be food everybody likes. Circassian chicken (shredded chicken, finely chopped walnuts, bread crumbs, fat free chicken stock), Russian salad (mayo, diced cucumber pickles, diced carrots, potatoes, peas), rice stuffed grape leaves (she will buy those). I do not know if she will make or buy the dessert. They are not fans of pies so, I am thinking she will make a chocolate cake mom used to love. Or she may want me to make cinnamon rolls. (I told her Cinnabon opened three stores in Istanbul and TGIF is also back. She now wants to come visit me).

I may make my menu after the New Year when I get back home. Lol! We'll see.

I miss the season in the US but, darn COVID and darn Government (USD has doubled up against TL since my last trip), a trip to the US is not possible this year. May be next year. Who knows?

Thankfully, my BFF who lives upstate NY and I talk thru WhatsApp almost every day and we watch crime dramas together online. So, although I miss being there, I do not miss her because we are in touch all the time. She started this tradition right after my mom's passing and we kept it up. Now, she has some family concerns and I am trying to be there for her. Being 5000 miles apart is not an obstacle to be besties. We have known each other since 1990 and back then, she was like a big sister to me when I was having trouble with my ex-boyfriend whom she still "lovingly" calls Shithead.

When we met, we immediately clicked. I am also good friends with her husband who is a lot older than I am. They are truly wonderful people. We have traveled together, they came to visit me, went skiing in NY and in Canada, or just stayed home and watched movies during all these years. I love to cook for them. True friends can be anywhere. Right? I just sent them a small Thaksgiving gift for the whole family to enjoy. She always has her whole family for Thanksgiving and her niece handles Christmas. I know the rest of her family well and we are also friendly too. After I got bitten by her nephew's dog, they told me I officially became part of the family, because the little devil bit everybody. Lol!

I better post this and go to bed before midnight for once. Hope, everyone is having a nice and relaxing weekend.

Gray Sky, Windy, Dark Day

Today is one of those boring dark Fall days. When sun is out, it is always cheerful and nice.

My freezer and fridge are well stocked. I do not think, I will need to buy anything till the end of the month except for yogurt and may be some fresh veggies.

I had bought couple of bunches of spinach a few days ago and I am washing it. Have I ever told you I hate washing fresh spinach (and purslane too). Waste of so much water. It is sold in pre-washed packages too but, I like the root part as well so, I always buy fresh bunches. I will sautee it with a little onion, add a handful of rice and minced/chopped meat (pre-sauteed) and cook it with a little tomato sauce. I usually serve this with plain yogurt (garlic or not). Yum!

My grocery store started offering a store brand frozen pizza. I wanted to give it a shot. So, when saw that they were BOGOF, I decided to give it a shot. At such a low price it was worth it. I put one in the freezer and heated the other. It turned out to be very decent pizza but, next time I make it, I will add some sauce and cheese to the edges. Even then, at this price, I think it is worth it. 

My sister and her husband are in Antalya at a big resort hotel. The bank gathers all branch managers and senior managers every year for a conference. Last year, they did not do it due to COVID. I called them to ask how they were doing and as I understand that the management does not stuff them in boring meetings all day. They have free time till Friday morning and then, the General Manager is going to deliver a speech and they will check out in the afternoon. Apparently, the bank wants them to have free time, mingle and get to know others that they do not come to contact with. Yesterday, they even swam! SIS said it was a so so day but, that never stops our family to jump in the sea. We all like cold water. 

Once, mom and I went to this beautiful island in the Northern Aegean Sea. It was mid-March and the outside temp was 18 degrees C, and 64 degrees F. I was the only one swimming as people bundled up in jackets and coats came to watch me swim. Lol! Mom even decided to try the next day but, when the water was knee deep, she turned back and told me I must have been real crazy. Guess, I was a sea creature in a past life. 

Uncle went back to Antalya so, the kids (we refer to SIS and BIL as kids although they are 47 and 49) will be staying with him Friday and Saturday nights. Hope, the weather will be nice over there so that they can enjoy another couple of beach days.

Busy Day

I had 4 interviews scheduled for today. I am glad they are over. It is a windy and chilly day with gray skies today. The kind of day you need to be under wraps with some hot chocolate and a good book and a nap later on. I did nap before my 4th interview because I had very little sleep last night. No hot chocolate though...

Yesterday I tried a Southern dish: Chicken and dumplings. I found the recipe online but, I did not like the dumplings when I made it. Need a better recipe. Any recommendations?

My sister and BIL are doing fine thankfully. However, tomorrow they are heading to a resort hotel for a two-day conference. Their bank does this annually but, they did not have the conference last year due to COVID. I just do not understand what changed. I think it is reckless to gather hundreds of managers from different cities just for a stupid conference.

SIS and BIL will be wearing N95 masks under regular surgical masks. Still, I am worried.

My BFF's sister is hospitalized due to Influenza H, a form of bacterial menengitis. I am very friendly with her too. Hope, she recovers and gets back home soon. My BFF and I have been wondering how she could have contracted it with all COVID precautions such as masks, sanitizers etc. She went in for her annual health check and got a flu shot before this. 

Gotta go and prepare dinner now. Have a good one!

Glorious Fall Day

Today I woke up late to no water and electricity as expected. I quickly cleaned myself without a shower. Lol! Went across the bridge to the European side and met my friends at this beautiful, huge park. We walked a total of 13K steps but, it was nice and leisurely. There is a nice cafe so,we grabbed some lunch and sat in the sun outside. Normally our group consists of 5 people but, this time it was just three of us.

I am glad we got together. I left them a little before 5 p.m. and got stuck in traffic. Sigh... It took me an hour and a half to get back home. Decided to quickly run into the grocery store and get veggies and sandwich fixings. 

I was famished when I got home so, I made myself a nice sandwich and my belly is happy now.

It looks like the electricity was not out for long. I checked the cup in the freezer and the coin is still on top of the frozen water. 

Hope, everyone has a nice weekend!

Electricity and water out on the same day?

I saw the sign for upcoming repairs on water pipes at our apartment complex for tomorrow about a week ago and made a mental note to fill a few buckets for flushing the toilet and a couple of big bottles to wash my hands. 

The day before yesterday, the electricity company sent an SMS for some planned maintenance for tomorrow for about 5 hours! What!!!??? 

I am sure the maintenance crew needs electricity for the pipe repairs so, I do not know what kind of a day tomorrow will be. Most probably the pipes will have to wait another day or two. I have already filled  buckets and bottles but, my plan is to escape from home. I will be meeting up with friends to go on a long walk and spend the day outdoors. It is chilly but, I am sure, by layering up, I can be comfortable.

I am hoping that the freezer will be OK and the electricity will be available earlier than scheduled.

Today, I had one load of laundry to be taken care of so, while I had water, I started that and just heard the washer chime telling me it's done. Time to go and hang them up on the drying rack. 

Tonight's dinner will be leftover homemade hummus from the day before. It will be dinner with some crackers and tea. Lunch was a salad with smoked salmon and capers. 

My BFF in the US is a teacher. This year she is totally fed up with misbehaving kids and ignorant parents and is seriously considering to retire making this school year her last. She already has her plate full at home so, I cannot blame her. After I hang up the laundry, I will call her so that, we can watch another episode of Spooks. 

Hope, everyone is having a good day!

Do I need.....? Forget it!

The other day, I have fished out my hats, gloves and scarves and decided to keep them by my entrance either on the small table or in the closet right there. Then I started to look for a cute box or basket online. As always, it hit me within a few minutes into my search. I have more stuff lying around in this apartment than I need. There is a basket full of unnecessary stuff in the bathroom. Everything in it was collecting dust and I had covered it instead of sorting through the contents and getting rid of them. Just dumb...

I finally emptied the basket and lined it with a piece of quilt someone gave me. No backing, just the quilt. I think it was a piece she made attending a local quilting class. It wasn't serving any purpose, now, it is. My hats, scarves and gloves have a new place in the entrance closet. Perfect! 

On one hand, I try purging stuff, on the other, I am looking for new things to buy. Why? I keep thinking about my grandparents who did with a lot less than I do. Everywhere I look, I see excess. Why do I have so many tablecloths? Why do I have so many mugs and glasses and kitchenware I barely use? Yes, some of them were gifts but, why keep them if I am not using them?  In addition to my dilemma, the items I use most frequently are in poor shape. Scratches, small cracks and yet I cannot part with them. I have a Pyrex baking dish with a lid that I bought back in 1990 from a Shop Rite in Yonkers, NY. Can you imagine? One of these days, I will solve this problem.... I hope...

I made some sort of a tabouli for lunch and had it wrapped in lettuce. I use lots of finely chopped fresh parsley and peppers (Italian or Cubanas will do).

Having a bean salad for dinner. I have some arugula to use up. I will chop it and add it to the bean salad. This is my first vegetarian day this week. I have decided to eat vegetarian meals at least two days a week. 

I am thinking of making an egg salad for lunch tomorrow. Got yogurt soup for dinner. May be soup and cheese topped sliced bread in the toaster oven for dinner? Sounds good for now. 

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After I typed the above, I took a break and  just spoke to my sister and freaked out completely. A guy with whom she went on customer visits last week, was tested COVID positive today! He was vaccinated so, he did not feel sick at all. He lost his sense of smell yesterday and then he went to get tested. Now, my sister is sharing a bed with her husband, they went to visit her in-laws over the weekend and they flew both ways! They went to a cardiologists office with her FIL! My uncle and they stayed in the same apartment! For the next 10 days or so, I will be a nervous wreck. She never takes her mask off when she is with other people but still, I am extremely worried. She had three Sinovac vaccines. I am hoping that she will be protected. So will others too of course.

I begged her to use one N95, one regular mask on top of that from now on.

Saturday

Spoke to my SIS today. My uncle told them that he did not think her FIL was doing well. It has been a while since he saw the FIL and he can notice the difference better. He told my SIS and BIL to take him to a cardiologist. They did today. Apparently his heart is beating too slowly. The doctor is taking him off one of his medications gradually. They also told her about the Alzheimer's and the drug they are now giving him. I guess that was interfering with one of his heart medications. I am glad his heart was checked out because, I am sure he did not go to his cardiologist since March 2019. Mom and I used to drag him along with us so, he had to go every six months. That was the last time we all went together. After mom's passing, I did not go to any doctor due to COVID till I had a check-up in Istanbul this year and now, I have a doctor here.

I told my SIS to get one of those small pulse-ox devices so that, the caregiver can check his pulse every day.

I did a load of laundry today. It never ends, does it? I find myself loading and unloading the diswasher and doing laundry constantly. When I was working, the diswasher would only be used may be once a week. All those dinners out and take-outs did not do a favor to my body but, it sure was easier.

Tonight I am going to fix myself a smoked salmon and avocado toast or roll because I have a giant avocado that I must consume. Half of it will be saved for tomorrow. May be a burrito or on top of a rice and bean bowl? 

I had a vegetable soup with a small slice of whole wheat bread for lunch. 

The weather was very nice today but, it has turned now. The wind brought many clouds and we now have a gray sky.  

When my uncle was here, he ordered a new backpack online. It was big and sturdy and the price was excellent so, I decided to order one for myself in a different color. I found the same exact bag with a 10% higher price at the same online platform. Then I looked up a few other places and guess what? I found it 15% cheaper than even what my uncle paid for it. What the....? I checked the seller and it turned out to be the same exact seller. So, I ordered it and it arrived today. It is the same bag. So, this seller is pricing his products differently at different platforms? I guess it is because of the commission he has to pay is different. But, increasing the price by 10% in a week? That doesn't sound right.

I am happy with my purchase. My old PUMA backpack is about to kick the bucket. It is also not as big as this one I just got. I love my old backpack and will keep on using that for lighter duties. 

Gotta go and fold some laundry and put away. Hope, everyone is having a great weekend.

On Sphagetti Squash

I baked the sphagetti squash yesterday. I cut it up lengthwise and brushed olive oil before sticking it into the oven. When it was done, I used two forks to scoop up the "sphagetti". I left it in the skin and added pasta sauce from the freezer and some shredded cheese on top. Back to the oven till the cheese browned. I enjoyed it and it turned out really yummy. I think, while they still have them, I will grab a couple more. I am planning to make a veggie soup so, the remaining half will go into that. 

Yesterday I picked up extra boxes of Barilla pasta on sale, although I do not eat much pasta these days, I am sure on some cold days I will want some. 

I also found really soft persimmons and bought some. They are too sweet and possibly high in calories but, they are my splurge for the week. At their peak, they are extremely soft and do not transport well. Luckily, they are grown in areas around in Istanbul as well as other parts in the country.

I have been feeling and acting very lazy lately. Gotta get back to an active lifestyle. 

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Can't really find a title really...

I took my uncle to the airport today. It was such a beautiful day. Nice and warm. Feels more like the Spring than the Fall.

I then did a quick grocery run and came back home. This time, I went to a different store just to see their prices. Opened the app on my phone for my favorite store and compared prices. All brand name items were almost the same. The store brands are inexpensive when compared to my favorite but, honestly, I like my store. When the price is right, when there is a BOGO type of sale on items I frequently buy, I take advantage of that. 

Gotta get my act together and take care of some organizing around my home so that, I can ask the new cleaning lady to come and work her magic.

I found a bunch of things that cannot be given to charity and I will be cutting them up for rags. Price of paper products are off the roof these days so, using rags may save a few cents. 

There are a few projects in my mind. On top of my list is taking down the contents of the kitchen cabinets and sorting through them. This has been in my mind for so long that I need to take action soon. It will not take a whole a lot of time but, you know, I am lazy when it comes to house chores. My oven needs a good cleaning too. 

I typed the above and left my post as a draft for a few hours. Then, my sister just called to tell me that her MIL's caregiver had to be taken to the hospital due to high BP. Her FIL has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's so, sometimes he gets confused. When my SIS found out that he is taking the caregiver to the hospital, she asked my uncle to go see what's going on. Poor uncle could not even prepare his dinner. He went to the hospital and took my sister's FIL back home and will stay with the caregiver till she can be taken home in a few hours. Good thing that he flew there today. 

I wish it were a normal thing for elders to go to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in this country like it is in many others. Unfortunately, it is something frowned upon by most of the population and I know my BIL will never even consider it. That is why they have the caregiver. Now she is sick too. I hope, she will get better soon and treated for BP and she will not want to leave to go back to her country. 

BIL's father refused to move to Izmir with them when the bank placed my SIS and BIL in Izmir 7-8 years ago. They are both branch managers at the bank and they cannot take a few days off here and there so, they keep going to Ankara every three weeks on the weekends to check on them. It is a hard life for them and I am concerned about my sister too since she already has an autoimmune disease. Tomorrow they will be flying to Ankara for the weekend late at night.

I worry about them but, that doesn't solve anything. Sigh... 

Monday Monday...

Today I had a meeting with the new customer so, I worked a few hours to prepare for it. 

Uncle is flying to Ankara on Thursday. He is a bit bored here because, normally in Antalya he rides his bike, fixes and cleans his boat and spends a lot of time outdoors. However, he did get to see his friends more than once and enjoyed their company. Tomorrow we will go on a boat ride on the Bosphorus if the weather permits. 

My cleaning lady called me to say she is pregnant and that she will not be able to work for a while. However, she also said, her cousin can replace her temporarily. After uncle leaves, I will give the cousin a try.

Not much to write about today. Wishing everyone a nice week.

Summer stuff out, Winter stuff in

I just took down my trustworthy IKEA organizers to swap my summer clothing with the winter ones. Clothing items that are hung in my closet never get touched. They will keep on staying where they are hung. While I was at it, I found two brand new sweaters I bought last year and could not wear due to my size, along with two t-shirts. One, a turtleneck, the other a basic T. I asked my uncle to try them on and they fit him perfectly. These things still had tags on. Now, they have found a new owner who can actually wear them. Perfect! Due to my size, I shop men's clothing and pick up unisex items. 

I took out my winter clothes. As I get older, I need a lot less than I used to. However, I am hoping to lose more weight and need more new clothes. Lol! 

With that said, I am happy to report that I have lost another 3 pounds since last time I reported my weight. I think Intermittent Fasting and metformin are helping me lose weight. When you eat only two meals a day, controlling the calories is easier. Besides, I am mindful of what I am eating. I like sweet treats like most people but, I stay away from processed and packaged ones. I also have decided to be choosy. For instance, you can get baklava even in grocery stores but, they are mediocre to me. In my opinion, there are only a couple of places that make it really well. So, unless the treat I am having is really something worthwhile and special to eat, I will not touch it. When I do, I eat half or even less of it than I would normally eat. I am not feeling deprived of anything really and I think, I will stick to this for life.

Friday was a National Holiday, the 98th Anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of  Turkey so, uncle and I went out to see the celebrations. It was a nice and sunny day so, we even sat by the sea and had sandwiches for lunch. We walked around quiet a bit, 16K steps with small breaks and watched the parade. It took us a while, to get back home but, it was totally worth it.

One his HS buddies invited uncle over for an early dinner so, I am going to drive him there in a couple of hours. 

Hope, everyone had a good weekend.

Spaghetti Squash

Years and years and years we had one kind of pumpkin in this country and a few varieties of zucchini. Some people cooked some gourds locally grown and most of us even did not know about those.

During the recent 10-20 years, there have been more varieties available in grocery stores. However, I had never been able to find a sphagetti squash. Not one! 

The day before yesterday, I went to the grocery store and came accross a bunch of  different gourds. Lo and behold I found my sphagetti squash! My uncle doesn't think he will like it so, I will cook it when he goes to Ankara. Lol! 

Uncle has been having a good time in Istanbul seeing his friends and walking around. Tomorrow we will go to a Big Cat Park. It has been his dream to hold and pet a big cat cub and he may get a chance to do it tomorrow but, we do not know yet. 

I had to work for a few hours today and have a meeting tomorrow morning. We shall go out for lunch before we visit the cats.

Question for One Family One Income

This post is meant for the writer of the One Family One Income so, the rest of you may skip reading this one. If you have any insight to offer on dual citizenship and taxes, please do comment.

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Hi!

I remember you writing about filing tax forms for your sister living in Canada. I am assuming she has dual citizenship.

A friend of mine and her son have dual citizenships too. They have both Turkish and American passports. They both live in Turkey and have always lived here. I understand until recently, they were not responsible for any tax forms or anything like that. Now, they have to file tax forms. So far, they have tried looking for someone to do this in Turkey on their behalf but, they have been unable to do so.

On top of that, the son recently had a job offer. He has to establish his own company and he will probably be billed from the US. He will keep on living in Turkey and pay taxes here. He just doesn't understand why the person offering him the job is not just putting him on his payroll but ,rather asking him to establish his own company. I am assuming it is some kind of tax evasion in Turkey. Doesn't sound illegal.

So, based on your knowledge, do you have any advice to offer? What are the tax ramifications for dual citizens? 

They are completely lost and so far haven't been able to find enough information to deal with this new situation. I told them to reach out to the US Consulate. However due to COVID-19, they are kind of slow to respond.

I appreciate if you can make time to provide some insight or point them towards some online resources. Thanks!

Saturday Locksmith's Table

Today both uncle and I woke up pretty late around 11 a.m. in the morning. He is meeting with his best buddies from HS for an early and prolonged dinner, a Locksmith's Table.

The preferred alcoholic beverage in this country is "Rakı" which is similar to the Lebanese Arak or the Greek Uzo. Usually, it is had over a long dinner with small dishes to sample, followed by fish and dessert. The small dishes served are generally called "meze". Hummus, Baba Ganoush, cold eggplant dishes, bean varieties in olive oil, cold served seafood, fried seafood, cold dips/spreads, olives and anything served to sample in small quantities can be called meze. 

Meze is accompanied by toasted bread, a nice piece of white cheese (similar to Feta but not as sharp) and melon. This meal is supposed to go on for several hours. The point is not to stuff yourself or drink a lot but, rather enjoy a long chat with the people you really care for as you nibble food and drink sips of rakı. This ritual is traditionally called "Çilingir Sofrası" / Locksmith's Table because, as you gradually drink and relax and as you are surrounded by the people you care for, you start pouring your heart out and the others offer their advice, support and cheer you up. The Locksmith apparently opens your heart. If you get too drunk or too upset, friends will pick you up and drop off at home. What is talked about at the Locksmith's Table stays at the table. More often though, these dinners are cheerful occasions where you get together with your friends, eat, drink and be merry. 

Here is a sample Locksmith's Table:

I am not a big drinker of Rakı because alcohol actually doesn't agree with me much, especially in the summer. I prefer an occasional glass of wine or a bottle of beer.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a rainy day and, I am going to make Penne a la Vodka (I am going to use Barilla Gnochetti actually) for dinner and open a bottle of red wine for us.

One of my uncle's friends just picked him up even though I had offered to drive him. They will have their dinner at a nice restaurant by the Bosphorus, watching boats in and out of the harbor and seagulls accompanying the ferries. It is a bit chilly but, they will sit outside. Restaurants provide space heaters so, people can stay out.

I am going out for a walk and will pick up a couple of items from the grocery store on my way back. 

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

This and That

This morning I had the first meeting regarding the part-time gig. It was rushed and one of the important participants did not participate. Oh well...

Then I went to meet a friend over a cup of coffee while my uncle went to enjoy Istanbul by himself. I came back home and he called to see if I would like fish for tonight. Why not? 

I just went over my finances and updated my Xcel sheets and transferred some money from Savings to Checking for some upcoming bills.

After I finish writing, I will work a little bit. I have decided to jot down the hours I work. So, at the end of the project, I will compare my earnings against the total hours spent to see if what I am doing is justifiable or not.

I have postponed the cleaning lady again this week because, Sunday will be a rainy day and uncle and I will probably be home. The apartment needs a good cleaning but, it will have to wait another week.

When you read this, you may easily understand I am feeling "meh!" today. May be I should jump on the treadmill for endorphins. I haven't had a good night's sleep. May be I should nap as well.

Hope everybody gets to have a nice and relaxing weekend.

Part -time Gig and Socks and Some Fun Pictures

I sat down with my friend and made it very clear that I have 0 motivation for this. I also told her that I would be willing to help her till  April and I would only take two positions at a time, not more and that she needs to find someone who is retired like me but, who still needs to earn money. I could not say a firm no but, at least I laid down my terms. I also told her that if I get stressed and mess up my blood pressure, I will drop this for good. She agreed and here we go again.

For some stupid reason, yesterday I decided I needed new socks for the winter and got online to order some. Luckily, I could not find anything I liked. Then, it hit me. I went to check out my sock drawer and realized that it was overflowing. So, I took the drawer out, sorted through the socks and decided to purge half of it. I do not need any socks at all. There are brand new pairs that I cannot possibly wear out this winter. 

In the sock drawer, I found two pairs of leggings that can be worn under jeans in cold days. I was plannng to buy some sweatpants and I decided not to. The jeans and leggings will be just fine. Besides, I am losing weight. I do not need anything in my current size.

Now I am thinking that I need underpants. Tomorrow's chore is to check out the underwear drawer. I am sure, there are many worn pairs that I need to toss and may be I need a few new pairs but, I doubt that.

I should constantly remind myself that I do not need any clothing items including footwear.

Here are  some more images from my vacation. At our last hotel, they had a day of Oktoberfest. There are some pictures from that too.

Someone decided to turn the poor VW Beetle into a piece of art at a Cafe in Bodrum

A shopping area in Fethiye

Harvest time

Not a fan of macaroons but they were colorful

Uncle is going to visit me

My uncle is going to come for a visit on Wednesday. I am glad, he finally made up his mind to move a little bit. A week after mom's passing, he went to Antalya and never went back to Ankara or visited us. He does not have many friends over there, only a handful. 

Here in Istanbul, he has some beloved friends whom he does not get to see often and we can do fun things together as well. I think he will take the train to go to Ankara when he is done visiting me. He needs a change of pace for sure. 

In my spare room, I keep the bed with just a cover and a bunch of pillows on top so that, sometimes I can use it like a day bed or sort of like a sofa. Now I need to make the bed and fish out his pajamas he had left last time. 

Today, I finally managed to clear the stuff I dumped on my dinner table when I came back from vacation. I put on a new tablecloth with Fall colors and placed my fake sunflowers on it. I love homes that are decorated for every season but, I am too lazy to do it for my home. Just small stuff. I would like to get a big pot of mums. They remind me of my grandma on my mom's side. She had beautiful mums in her garden and she loved them.

Last time I went to the endochrinologist, he put me on metformin for Type 2 diabetes. First few weeks, I felt a bit nauseous. Nowadays, I do not have much of an appetite. I am going to see him on Wednesday morning and will tell about this.

Tomorrow, I will be meeting with the friend who insists I work with her. Wish me luck! 

I am prepared to tell her that I truly do not have any motivation for this and that she should find someone else who does, within a few months. For now, I will help her by taking only two positions to fill at a time and see how this goes. If it goes well, may be I will take on two more. If not, I will bow out for good. Meanwhile, she absolutely has to look for a long-term person. I do not intend to continue beyond early Spring, if that.

When I sat down to think of this work subject, I have realized that it also brings memories of the extremely hard times during mom's hospitalization and passing. So, my reluctance is possibly because of that too. I was feeling way too depressed up until last May when I went for a long visit to my uncle in Antalya. Ever since, I have been OK but, nowadays, the rainy colder days and lack of sunlight are affecting my mood again. May be at the back of my mind, I am associating this work with mom's sickness and feeling responsible for not being with her at the time. If I were in Ankara, may be I would recognize that her health was not good, may be I could have taken her to a different doctor. All these make me choke up even as type them. I do not know... 

I hope, uncle's visit will lift my mood back up.

Some news and St. Nicholas

My grandma on mom's side used to say "they named exhaustion, vacation!". I think she had a point. After I came back home, I was ready to tackle my car service, my endochrinologist visit and the cleaning lady. I ended up postponing all three. I never realized how tired I was. I did spend some time in Ankara but, I barely put my bottom on the couch. Did tons of laundry, ran errands for my BIL's dad, and an old couple who used to be my parents' friends. 

So, this weekend I am taking it easy. Basically knitting and drinking tea and coffee. I have a few good books lined up too.

If you recall I was doing a part-time headhunting gig and got extremely stressed and left. Well, my friend who owns the business called me a couple of weeks ago. She was very apologetic and she told me the idea I gave her turned out to be extremely helpful and she made a lot of money. She said she wanted to share some of it with me. I was so surprised and I wanted to say no but, she pressed on and she said she was soryy for the stress the job caused me and that it was partly her fault assigning me an impossible Customer. It turns aout they never hired anyone for the two positions I was trying to fill. 

To make a long story short, she paid me a nice sum of money and asked me if I would be willing to give it another go. I refused because, I have no need for this. However she pressed on and promised me I would select my own cases and that I would not do any of the stuff I was unwilling to do. So, this Monday, we will sit down and discuss this. The things she said about me made me feel good about myself but, I know she is in need of help like right away and that is why she has been so persistent. We'll see what I will finally decide on Monday. Honestly, I do not know if I want this.

Have you watched The Christmas Chronicles: Part II? In that movie Mrs. Claus tells the hids about the origins of Santa being in Turkey. So, here are some images from St. Nicholas Museum in Demre, Antalya. I must have thought I was taking a picture. That is why one of the videos is so short. I thought I had taken better pictures but, it was the end of a tiring day so, not such a great job. If interested please check out the link above.

More pictures and Videos

I was thinking of posting things in chronological order but, decided that against it. Just too much to share. 

My goal was to not gain any weight during vacation and I have accomplished that. Yay me! My friend has a unhealthy relationship with food and she has been a yoyo dieter all her life. She loves food. However, her enthusiasm and love for food had the opposite effect on me. I did my best to keep myself in check, stayed away from desserts and ate food that was tasty. And.... Drum roll please! On top of not gaining any weight, I lost over 2 pounds. I am so glad. Now that I am home, I will keep on doing my IF thing because, it does work for me. I will also get back to walking which I had replaced with swimming during vacation.

Anyway, here are some videos and an image taken at Kekova. We rented a huge boat just the two of us for about USD 45 for 3 hours and our captain took us to see all the nice swimming spots and over the sunken city of Dolchiste, a Lycian settlement ruined due to a severe earth quake. An island then formed and the city was rebuilt. It was a major trade spot in ancient times.

The last picture is yours truly enjoying the water. It was absolutely fantastic.

Picture Heavy Vacation Post

I am so glad to be back home. Almost a month of vacation at 7 different places to stay was a little too much. Opening and closing suitcases and bags get tiring after a while. We have had very good swim days and I ended up with a tan I never had before.

Despite knowing each other for over 50 years, it was clear that my friend and I have different interests. Would I go with her again? Yes, but not for so long. A week should be sufficient. With that said, we still had a very nice time and made it back home safe and sound.

Our first stop was a place owned and run by Central Bank of Turkey which my friend retired from. The place is only available to the people who are or have worked for the Central Bank. My father's organization had two places that we used to go to like this when I was young. Many Government organizations used to have such places the workforce to have a decent and low cost vacation when the Government was more of a social government. Most organizations were forced to shutting those places down by the more Capitalist Governments over time. Only a handful of organizations have been able to resist.

Think of a simple resort with a limited selection of food, no alcohol (rolling my eyes at that), beautiful and well kept grounds and a sufficient beach. We stayed in a two bedroom unit and it was clean and comfortable. The first few pictures are from this place.

Rooms and Suites

The Beach

Our Dinner View 

Head of Medusa anyone? @Apollon Temple in Didyma on our way to Bodrum

Our second stop was Bodrum, a favorite spot for vacationers local and foreign. We stayed at a hotel that was on top of a hill overlooking the Bodrum Bay. Below 2 pictures show our view from our hotel room.

Bodrum has a very nice Castle and right in it, there is a beautiful underwater museum of archaelogy full of artifacts collected from under the sea. Here is a link for details about the following pictures. The ship below dates back to around 1024 BC. It is assumed to have set sail from Syria towards a glass factory somewhere unknown in the Byzantian Empire. Lots of amphoras, glass artifacts, broken glass and coins were found. 

Here is a video of Bodrum where we had beer and snacks on our first night. Look at the water and how clear it was.

There are many more pictures and videos that I plan to post. Gotta go and sleep. Need to get up early to take my car for it's 60.000 Km. Service in the morning.

I'm back home! YAY!

First of all, here is a note for Heloise who will be traveling to Turkey soon: If you email me at tpolthetrekkie@yahoo.com, I will share my real name and phone number with you. In case you are in Istanbul, I would love to meet in person. If not, you may keep my phone number handy just in case. Safe travels!

Another note for Treaders: I cannot see you blog anymore. It says, invitation only. If you have decided to take a break or stop blogging, I respect your decision but, I will miss your posts.... A lot! Take care and be well!

I am so glad to be home. Promise to write, share more photos and catch up with your blogs asap!

Ugh!

I couldn't figure out how to post on my cell phone. This is possibly the only post I can publish. I am using an old unused draft. Can't find the new post step on the cell phone version of blogger. I can say that, we had a good vacation overall. The weather was nice, the beaches beautiful. On Sunday, we are leaving the last place on our vacation.

Here are a few teaser photos for you. I am hoping to resume posting regularly by 12th or so. BTW, I couldn't figure out how to find and answer the comments if anybody left any either  Sorry about this!

Vacation Map