HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I cannot write much these days but, I am here and well. Will probably post more after the New Year's.

Wishing you a wonderful, happy, healthy and prosperous 2024 with all your loved ones...

Here is a fun Christmas Song Video by another Korean Group: Stray Kids 

They write and produce all their songs and this one below pretty much sums up what they had to sacrifice to make a future for themselves. The youngest is 22 and the oldest is 26. They debuted in 2018. This much cuteness and talent should be illegal. Lol!

They collaborated with a well known singer and song writer LiSA of Japan.

Just when thinking there is nothing happening...

On Sunday, I felt that my left arm was aching and there was also a tingling sensation. On top of that I was feeling as if something was squeezing my heart. For a while, I decided to ignore it but, then all sorts of weird thoughts started filling my mind.

SIS is retiring come next year. This means we will be able to see each other more, travel and have tons of fun. If I die due to a heart attack, that would be such a bummer. I will not know what the heck happened to me but, SIS will be heartbroken and sad. Also, there are so much I want to do. New songs to listen to, new destinations to travel to and all sorts of fun things to do.

Besides, I have been improving my health lately and I couldn't understand why I was feeling what I felt? 

Then I think, I started feeling a slight panic attack as well. 

I took a shower, packed a small backpack with a couple of underwear, nightgowns and my daily meds and drove to the ER. I was relieved when I checked in. After all, it is much safer to have a heart attack at a hospital right?

I reached out to a High School friend who lives 15 minutes from where I live. Gave her my sister's phone numbers just in case and promised to update her. She wanted to come to the hospital right away but, I stopped her before I learned what was going on. 

Anyhow, they gave me an EKG, took my BP and drew some blood. The doctor told me not to worry because the EKG was fine and my BP was lower than usual. Then, the blood tests came and the doctor assured me there was no indication that I could be having a heart problem. My CRP was elevated and he thinks may be I was having a slight infection but there was no need to do anything just yet. He also encouraged me to keep exercising.

I was relieved and came back home. 

I am still thinking of seeing a cardiologist soon. 

And I was thinking there was nothing new or interesting going on in my life. They say to be careful what we wish for. I think, we need to be careful about all our thoughts too.

Lost Mojo

Lately, I have lost my mojo to blog. Don't know why but, perhaps due to lack of interesting things to write about.

The headhunting project started and then, the customer decided to put it on hold for the time being. Honestly, I am not surprised because, the position is somewhat vague. It feels like the position was created for someone whom the company did not want to lose at one point. Now that he has left, they probably thought he needed to be replaced and then started having second thoughts. The company also seems to be going through some form of re-organization. I think it is better for them to think thoroughly about this.

My days are pretty much the same. I am exercising regularly lately and listening to tons of new music I was not familiar with. K-Pop is my new interest and I started following and loving many young Korean artists. 

I have also watched a few Korean rom-coms and they are hilarious. They are as good as cheesy Hallmark movies.

Here is a sample of what I have been listening. These young men are so talented. I am thinking they are making their parents proud. This tiny concert was during COVID. They are already famous internationally but, I recently became aware of them. 3 of the members are now in the military for the 18 month compulsory military service in South Korea. The rest will soon be enlisting too. So, we will not be seeing their new work until the end of 2025. I hope, they continue to make music together after serving. They have solo careers too.

Projects projects

Once upon a time, I had bought a cute Christmas themed fabric panel while in the US. It had been sitting among my hobby pile forever. I have decided to finally finish it so that, I can hang it up. I sew the backing and filled it with some polyester filling. I put small knots in certain places to keep the filling in place. It is not finished yet. I need to go out and find a stick so that I can hang it up. I will share the finished product hopefully soon.

I also have another fabric panel that is Fall themed. I was going to work on it too but, my remaining backing fabric was not long enough. Bummer. I need to purchase some fabric to get that done.

Long time readers know that I sometimes take on headhunting projects for technical positions. I was not planning to take another project but, my friend who owns the company called me for a very specific C- level position which will be reporting to a CEO whom I have known from a previous job as a colleague. I thought about it for a whole day before I accepted it. During the past 10 months, I had two pleasant, one highly irritating project. Luckily, that project has ended well after a lot of back and forth as well. So, please wish me luck with this new one.

I need to keep busy during the cold months so that, I can stay away from food. Boredom is the worst enemy of a healthy life.

This weekend, I want to tackle two kitchen cupboards and my kitchen towels. Need to get rid of some stuff and re-organize.

It is time for a steaming cup of Linden Tea. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

The Chickpea Recipe

I had promised to share the recipe of the chickpeas if it turned out to be tasty. I loved it. It is a Vegan recipe so, a broad number of people may enjoy it.

It is normally a very hot dish but, I cannot tolerate too much heat and I modified the recipe. So, here are the ingredients:

4 cups of boiled chickpeas (you can use canned but I soaked them and boiled them)

2 cups of chopped peppers (any kind you like, you can also mix hot peppers)

1 cup of thinly sliced onions

3-4 big cloves of garlic

1 large diced tomato

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt/Pepper/Red pepper flakes

You mix these all up in a baking pan. Use a large pan and spread the mixture evenly.

Heat your oven to 390 F and put the pan in for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes mix the ingredients well.

This is a main dish and I served it with salad. In Southeastern Turkiye, people wrap this in pita or tortilla type bread and have it for breakfast. I think that is too many carbs so, I had it for dinner with salad.

I used sweet red and green peppers but, added red pepper flakes to make it a bit hot. It is a perfect Fall dish. 

I finally put all the bags of the extra clothing I decided to purge, in my trunk so, next time I take my car out, those will go into a donation box. 

There is a pile of laundry that needs to be folded and put away. and a small pile of papers I need to sort through and I also need to straighten out my bathroom and the kitchen a little bit. So, these are today's chores. 

Hoping that it will be a productive date for everyone.

Settling In

Today, I took care of some bills and banking business. Then I put away my beach things, and started swapping out warmer clothes and summer clothes. Was able to purge a few things here and there which felt good.

I also filled my pill boxes, and started a shopping list. Tonight I am going to try a chick pea dish I have heard so much about. If it turns out yummy, I promise to share the recipe.

I have been having too much red meat recently, so I want to stay away from it for a while. I want to get some fish but, knowing that on Saturday, it will be very crowded everywhere, I am not sure whether I want to go to my favorite fish monger tomorrow. I also want to buy a whole chicken next week to roast. That yields a good amount of meals for me. The weather is getting chilly and may be it is time for a nice chicken soup. I have some veggie scraps in the freezer and using them up sounds like a good idea. After all, this is the season for chillies, chowders and hearty soups, right?

I sorted through lots of paperwork and tossed most of the pile I had as well. The central heating hasn't kicked in yet so, drying laundry is crazy during these days. It will take a while to get rid of the laundry I have. I has washed everything in my suitcase in Ankara so, that made a big dent in the laundry pile but, still there is a lot to wash.

This has been a productive day.

Guess What?

All went well as I have planned today. So, I decided to head home at 3 p.m. It took me four and a half hours and luckily the traffic approaching Istanbul was not as bad as I expected.

So, I am now home as I type this post. 

As soon as I walked in, I opened the windows to let the fresh air in. It is a bit chilly in the apartment. That what's throw blankets are for, right?

It is now past midnight here so, I better go to sleep. My sleep cycle is better than it used to be nowadays so, I do not want to go back to my old ways.

Hope, everyone has had or is having a productive day. Take care!

Before Going Home

On Monday, the dishwasher was taken by the service guys. They were right on time so, that was a nice surprise. I then went to meet my babyhood friends and had Chinese Food. Came home and watched the last episode of our TV show with my American friend M.

Yesterday, I took my car to have my winter tires put on. This year I had to buy a full set of regular tires and winter tires. However, I knew these expenses were going to be incurred this year. Therefore, they were budgeted. 

I then went to get a cup of tea and a napoleon to treat myself. I was so close to Anıtkabir so, I have decided to visit the mausoleum of the founder of Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This coming Sunday, November 29th is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the country as a democratic republic. I paid my respects and went to the museum in the complex. I feel so good about having visited Anıtkabir.

Today, I visited a friend who had a hernia surgery a couple of weeks ago. We chatted happily for a couple hours and when I noticed that she was getting tired, I took my leave.

I had a late lunch and came home, packed my suitcase and put it in my trunk. If I can finish my business with the real estate dealer early enough, I can just leave to go home to Istanbul. It is a highway and it only takes about 4 hours to drive. Why wait till Friday?

The dishwasher will be delivered early in the morning. After that, I will go to the bank and then to the real estate dealer. Wish me luck for smooth sailing tomorrow.

In about an hour M and I will be watching the first episode of the final season of The Sinner on Netflix.

Hope, everybody is having a nice hump day.

Back in Ankara

It has almost been a whole month since I had posted. I was having a good time and was dead tired at the end of each day. Besides, every day was almost the same as the day before. Go to the beach, swim, have coffee, read book, swim, read book, swim, go home, have dinner, hit the pillow latest by 10:30. Rinse and repeat. It was so relaxing. It was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit the whole time. Perfect! The water was also awesome. It started to get a little cooler on the last few days and that is expected.

A couple of times, uncle and I went on his little boat and that was fantastic too.

The last day of my vacation was Friday and that was not so great though. As I was on my way to the beach one last time, I saw an engine warning light on my dashboard. Luckily, I was not too far from a Ford Service. I brought the car to them and they diagnosed the problem quickly. I was going to have my car serviced for 90K kilometers so, they did that too. I borrowed my uncle's car to go to the beach. 

As I was getting ready to go back to collect my car, a bee decided to sting me. Ouch! The area is still read, warm, swollen and itchy. 

Anyway, I made it to Ankara yesterday and here I am typing a new post.

I have a few errands to run this week in Ankara and I am hoping to go back home on Friday. I miss my home and it has been too long to be away from home.

Tomorrow the dish washer is going to be serviced. Since it is still in warranty, there will be no out of pocket costs. The only problem is, they will need to take it away for a couple of days because the salt dispenser needs to be replaced.

I had recently decided to buy two small lots of land within 30 minutes of the Ankara home as an investment. The area is still under development and it will be a few years before anyone can build on it but, it sounded like a good investment and the price was right. One of my childhood friends also bought two lots. We are next to each other and her brother bought the two lots right behind me.

I do not think, I will build anything there. I will most likely sell the land when the price is right but, who knows? 

I had made a down payment for the lots and on Thursday, I will pay the rest of the money. 

I also have some banking and investment decisions to make this week. Majority of my money is where my sister works but, she is planning to retire in 2024 so, I will re-distribute my money into different accounts and banks. 

Today, I need to rest because the 7 hour drive yesterday was quite tiring. Hope, everyone is having a restful weekend.

In Ankara

My friend and I went for our vacation and came back to Ankara. We had a real good time. The island was beautiful with cool water, nice breeze and fresh air. I slept like a baby every single day.

The hotel at Gokceada Petrino, was wonderful. They have only 8 rooms in an old stone building. It was tastefully furnished and impeccably clean. The owners were attentive to every detail and were so welcoming. Definitely would go back.

Every morning we had fresh and breads and pastries, olives, cheese, a selection of homemade jams, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggs made to order. 

You will see a video of a crazy good surfer we saw at our favorite beach below.

After Gokceada, we went to Assos. More on that later.

Gokceada (Imbros) after sunset

Gift store Mostly Handmade Items

Petrino Hotel LOVELY!

Our Daily Breakfast 

Hope to post more pictures soon. I had a HBP attack for a few days after we came to Ankara. Still recovering. 

Nowadays, I am trying to get together with a bunch of friends and having a good time.

I will resume posting more frequently after I return home in Istanbul.

Getting Ready

I love to travel but, I do not like packing and unpacking at all. I am trying to pack the least amount of things possible.

I was going to start packing tomorrow but, I need to attend a funeral at noon so, I started today. A High School buddy of mine lost her mom and the service is not too far from where I live. It is not an unexpected loss but, still losing a parent is extremely hard.

As I age, the hardest part of packing has become my pills. I take 6 pills every day for, HBP, Vertigo and allergies. I also need to bring additional meds just in case. Gokceada is not a heavily populated and touristic place. It is one of the very few natural beauties we have left. There is just a small town center. No loud beach clubs or anything like that.  I also take my pulse-oximeter, my blood pressure monitor, a bunch of masks, a small first aid kit. Yes, a small bag just for health supplies.

It is getting chilly so, I think, I need to pack a sweater and a light jacket. Once, I go down to Antalya, it will probably be much warmer than Gokceada.

On Sunday, before I go to pick up my friend from the train station, I will change my sheets and put my comforter in a duvet cover. By the time I come back home, I am thinking, it will be pretty cool in Istanbul.

There is so much to do. 

Wishing everyone a relaxing and nice weekend.

Finally!

I finally got my behind off the armchair and purged my wardrobe today. I still had a bunch of jackets and few pants that I do not think I will be needing anymore. I kept 3 jackets and 3 pairs of tailored pants and purged the rest. A few blouses also made it to the donate group. I tried every single thing, I am parting with. 

I then, got on my treadmill and walked for 35 minutes listening to the Rocky IV soundtrack. After the walk and shower, I felt like I wiped off Ivan Drago like Rocky. 

One more purging session is due when I come back from vacation end of October. There are 4 boxes of winter clothing and some summer clothes I am wearing now, that will be purged.

And, here are some more Edinburgh pictures:

Dolly the First Cloned Sheep

Monument of Sir Walter Scott

Holyrood Palace

Missing in Action

I have been MIA lately. I got busy and really did not have to write much about. Hope, everybody is doing fine. I need to catch up on reading my favorite blogs.

I do not know what happened to August but, September is here, the weather is somewhat milder and this is the beginning of my favorite season.

Next Sunday, I am going on vacation with a very old friend, the one with whom I had a month long vacation 2 years ago. This time it will be a lot shorter. After that, I will go see my uncle and hit the beach down in Antalya for a few weeks.

We are going to an island Gokceada (Imbros) for 5 days. It is located in Northern Aegean Sea. 

On Sunday September 10th, we shall drive to Gelibolu (Gallipoli) and stay there for one night. Early in the morning on Monday, we will get on the ferry to Gokceada. 

That whole area has great historical significance for us, the Turks. Some events led to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and birth of the Republic of Turkiye. 

On the way back from the island, we may decide to stay in the area for a couple of days but, we have not planned that yet.

Here is a map of our drive to Gelibolu, I have highlighted the border with Greece in red.

Scotland Pictures 1

I will post more pictures later. These are for today. 

Edinburgh Castle

Dean Village Walk 1

Dean Village Walk 2

Dean Village Walk 3

University of Glasgow

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow

Glasgow

Back Home

It was a wonderful but, a very tiring trip because of all the walking I had done. I am getting older and I think, I should enjoy travel more since it looks like it is going to be harder as I age. Honestly, given my current condition, I do not see myself traveling much after 70. So, in these 14 years ahead of me, I should travel more to the places I really want to see.

Here are some do's and don'ts in Edinburgh

1. Take the City Sightseeing tour on the first day of your visit and purchase only the Green Line. You really do not need the Red Line and the Purple Line. I did them all in 48 hours and saw that, it wasn't necessary.

2. Use the Lothian buses. I loaded the app on my cell phone and it was great. They have what they call Tap Tap Cap which is an inexpensive option to travel around the city. 

3. If you want to go see the Royal Yacht Britannia, you can take the tram or a Lothian Bus. No need for the Purple tour. If you haven't watched The Crown, I would recommend you to watch the few episodes Britannia was shown and talked about especially the Queen's bidding farewell to her beloved yacht before visiting.

4. I think, Maid of Forth is an overrated tour. I did it but, if I hadn't, it would not be a loss. Couldn't see any puffins. Bummer. It was interesting to see three bridges built in 3 different centuries though. 

5. I chose not to drive but, now I think, I could have driven to places like The Kelpies, The Stirling Castle and Inverness etc. I will do it next time. I stayed in the City but, I could have stayed a little out of the City, took the buses in and drive out to the places above. Next time. 

6. Even in July, it was cold and it rained almost every day but, the showers were short so, they weren't joy killers at all. I had a cotton sweater and a lightweight winter jacket with me and I am glad I had them. And yes you need an umbrella and a raincoat. 

7. The Holyrood Palace is a great place to see. The gardens are awesome.

8. Didn't go up the Edinburgh Castle or Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill. If you are young and have good knees, by all means do it.

9. Most museums were free so, enjoy as many as you like.

10. Try haggis. It is quite tasty in fact.

11. Can't drink hard liquor so, I had no whisky and gin tastings but, I heard, they are really good.

12. Bring really comfy shoes. I love my New Balance 990s and I could not have survived this trip without them. I walked between 10K and 15K steps every day. I am also glad I brought some Voltaren with me to rub my tendons after a nice shower each day. If you forget it, it is available OTC by the name of Voltrol or something?

13. I used Expedia to book my flight and hotel as a package and it worked well. The direct flight from Istanbul to Edinburgh on Turkish Airlines takes about 4 hours. 

14.A lot of friends asked me why I did not join a tour. Here is the reason: I am notoriously independent. I just can't deal with other people on vacation except for my SIS and BIL and a couple of friends. They know me well and even when on vacation together they know when I need my space and do my thing. If tours are your thing, I am sure there is a lot of value in joining one.

15. Took a day trip to Glasgow. The University of Glasgow was breathtaking. It is a must see in my opinion.

16. I stayed at YOTEL Edinburgh in a Premium Queen Suit. It was tiny but enough for one. For two, it may be overcrowded. They also have a design problem with shower stall. Each time you shower, water finds it's way out of the stall. It is annoying. I had seen this in the comments but, I thought that it would have been fixed. Not. 

I will be posting pictures soon.

Good to be back home and take a long nice shower in my own bathroom.

Edinburgh Part 1

 I arrived in Edinburgh yesterday. My flight was delayed for an hour but, it was not so bad. Took the tram to Princes Street stop and walked to my hotel in 10 minutes. Honestly, I walked longer at the Istanbul Airport which is monstrously big. I was exhausted by the time I reached my gate.

After checking in, I took a short shower and walked to a nearby pub for dinner. 

I got in bed around 8:30 and watched some TV. I do not know when I fell asleep but, I haven't slept so well, may be in the last 5 years.

I bought a 48 hour Hop-on Hop-off tour ticket and rode on all three buses. I visited the Royal Yacht Britannia. If you have watched The Crown, you may remember how upset the late Queen was when Britannia had to be decommisioned. I must say, I would be upset too. It is an elegant boat with humble furnishings. Has a cottage like feel. There were luxury things too of course but, I guess nothing beats taking your Rolls Royce and Land Rover with you on the boat. 

Tomorrow I will visit some museums and Royal Botanical Gardens on my sightseeing tour routes. Luckily it did not rain today but, I can't be sure about tomorrow. Let's hope, it will be a good day. After the heat wave in Istanbul, the cool weather felt good. I wore a sweater and a light winter jacket. Early in the morning, I wished I had packed a scarf and even a pair of gloves. Lol!

Here are some pictures from today: 

Top picture is the Castle of Edinburgh. The Rolls is one that has been on the Britannia. Bottom picture is the late Queen's bedroom on Britannia.

Don't want to cook!

It is so hot today. Did not go out.

I also don't want to cook. I have been eating salads and wraps lately but, I'm running out of ingredients so, I will have to go shopping tomorrow. I like to buy fresh produce from the farmer's market since everything lasts a lot longer compared to the grocery store. After that, I still need to hit a grocery store for yogurt and some spices.

I haven't been buying any meat products and trying to use up whatever I have in the freezer. My goal was to finish all the chicken and fish before next Sunday but, I do not think I will be able to. That's OK.

Just soaked some chick peas for tomorrow's salad. I like beans in my salads. They add texture and make salads more filling. One of my favorite combinations is iceberg lettuce, arugula, goat cheese, chick peas and apples but, I always use whatever I have on hand.

I arranged the linen and towel drawers in the guest room because they were practically overflowing. I am not getting rid of the excess because, it would be a waste. I will just keep them elsewhere. There are some ideas of the minimalists and guru de-clutterers I do not agree with; one of them is getting rid of perfectly usable items. 

Wishing everyone a nice and comfortably cool weekend.

Guests came and went

I had a good time with my buddies during the last two days. It was a nice visit.

Today, I started laundry after they left. Other than putting the guest bed back together (it's a trundle bed) and doing laundry, I did not do much else. The cool days are over and the weather is hot now. I have been ignoring my walks lately due to the heat but, mornings are quiet manageable still. So, I am hoping to go walking tomorrow morning.

I have leftovers for tomorrow so, no cooking for me. However, I may want to tackle some clothing items and part with them. 

Nowadays, whenever I come across something that I do not need or use, I get rid of it immediately. It can be a small item, or a large one. Tackling bigger de-cluttering projects is all good but, if I find something that is not needed, why not get rid of it at once? The other day, I was initially happy to find two hair clips but, as soon as I tried putting them on, I realized that they are very uncomfortable and actually hurt my scalp. Tossed them right away. 

My friend has many hobbies and one of them is jewelry making. I gave her some items I no longer wear. She can use the beads and the hardware and etc. She will also fix a broken silver necklace I like a lot. I got rid of things that I do not use but, I know that they went to someone who will use them. 

Hope, everyone is having a good week. Take care!

Home is Guest Ready

It has already been an exhausting weekend. Tidied up my home, vacuumed the floors, made the guest bed, cleaned my kitchen, bought groceries and stockpiled a bit. 

The Government of course upped the Value Added Tax on everything to try to get out of the stupid economic crisis they drove us into. Paper products and personal hygiene products will get more expensive. So, I added more TP, paper towels, tissues, toothbrushes, shampoo and body wash, toothpaste and dental floss to my stash. It is hard to find storage spaces for stockpiling in an apartment. Therefore, I de-cluttered a bit and found a sensible home for everything. This effort made me clean and organize my vanity drawers in the bathroom. I will attack the upper cabinets and mirror cabinet next week. 

Today, I emptied the dishwasher, mopped the floors, cleaned the bathrooms and took a shower. Then I found an easy crackle cookie recipe and made the dough which is resting in the fridge as of now. I think, I will save some of the dough in the freezer for later use. 

I am expecting my friends to show up for dinner but, if they come early, the cookies will be ready for tea time.

I have recently been hooked to Frugal Fit Mom and A to Zen Life Channels on YouTube. Christine and Marissa are totally different characters but, I like them both.  If you are looking for shopping tricks, easy and inexpensive meals, budget slashing ideas, Frugal Fit Mom is a good source. If you are curious about de-cluttering, attempting minimalism (your way) and watching something that gives you peace, Marissa is one of the best.

Do you have any favorite YouTube Channels to recommend?

Fridge Cleaning Day

I decided to clean my fridge today. I always wait for a time when the fridge is near empty which is usually before or after a vacation but, right before a vacation, cleaning the fridge is the last thing on my mind. When I come back to an empty fridge, I want to go and buy food so, apparently the best time is now. 

I am satisfied with the work I have done. Although, I have been very good about buying and consuming what is necessary lately, I ended up tossing two lemons and one tomato which had successfully hidden from me. I also realized that, I forgot that I had an extra container of yogurt and bought another one so, I am going to use them before they go bad.

On Sunday a good friend of mine and her husband are coming to stay for a couple of nights so, I must dust, run the vacuum cleaner, make their bed and clean up the bathroom before they arrive. They are both former co-workers of mine. 

I will make dinner as well. May be Chicken Francese with pasta and salad? Easy and tasty. I have tons of lemons to use up. I may have enough chicken but, I will have to check out my freezer. I always marinade my chicken in portion sizes. Lately, I have used a soy based marinade and that doesn't go well for Chicken Francese. 

I am thinking of making a marble cake to go with coffee or tea as well. I am not much of a baker but, the recipe I have is pretty easy. Or, I may end up ditching that idea and buy some ice cream instead. Using the oven these days doesn't sound so appealing.

I have been having some trouble with my new computer or rather the MS Office. I have an Excel Sheet for my budget, important info, trip planning and Net Worth calculations that I have been using forever. For some stupid reason the new Excel keeps saying there are circular references and messing my calculations. I think, I have finally corrected everything but, I don't get why this happened. I do not feel good when I cannot find the reason for something. Is my fix a band aid for an important problem or was it just a glitch? I need to know.

Decided to get ready for my trip in Scotland. I am making notes for transportation to and from the airport, public transportation, food to eat, places to see and etc. I think, the first two days, I will do the Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Tour to get an understanding of the city and see the major attractions. I am prepared to walk a lot but, I do not like uphill walking. I need to find out where and when to walk or to use public transportation. 

I am going to park my car at the airport when I leave. There is a 7-day membership which is a good deal in closed parking. It will be like 7 days+1 day. I wish I were able too book a flight from the smaller and closer airport in Istanbul but, that wasn't meant to be.

I cannot believe we are almost half way through the summer. It has been rainy and cool such a long time that, I really did not feel like it was already summer. Crazy.

Storks... For Bobbie

Bobbie commented about not having seen storks flying. I guess if you're living in the American Continent, it is very difficult to see storks. A quick Internet search told me that there is only one kind of stork in America and it is called the wood stork and that bird hangs out in Georgia, South and North Carolina.

In our case, here is the migratory route of our storks. The blue oval is Turkiye (or Turkey) and the navy triangle is where I usually hang out. So, you see I am right on their way. It is hard to miss them during Spring and Fall.

And here is a fun fact about one particular stork who has befriended a fisherman and who has her/his? own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaren_(stork)

Yaren means buddy/comrade/friend in Turkish. This is the 11th year Yaren came to visit Fisherman Adem. He named his little boat after Yaren. Here is a picture: 

Storks, Travel and a Personal Dilemma

I do not know if this is a thing in any other culture but here in my country, they say, if you see a flying stork or a flock of them flying, then, you will travel a lot during that year. I know, believing such a thing is kind of stupid but, I swear it works for me. May be just because I already like to travel. Lol!

Anyhow, I saw flocks and flocks of storks this year and now a couple of people are trying to talk me into long vacations in the UK and in the US respectively. A month or more in each case. I do not think either of them is sensible when our currency is now so much weaker than anytime before. 

I have missed my beach vacation early this year so, I want to go stay with my uncle which is a very economical vacation.

2 weeks in London may be something I wanna do but, I am very hesitant about a whole month in the US early 2024. I see no value in it. She wants to go to Florida in February and I can go to my friend M's later on but, how much fun can it be in March in NY State? 

So, I must gently let down this person and also, hide the London trip from her. I am still contemplating about what to do. 

Any ideas about how I can handle this situation?

Mini Vacation and Home, Sweet Home

My dad's cousin F invited me over to her older sister's little farm. I was reluctant to go at first because the farm is in this little town where our summer house used to be. Mom loved it and she always regretted selling the summer home. Besides, during our last trip with her, we had stopped by the town and she had told me I had made her very happy because she missed the place so much. So, yeah. I wasn't sure whether I should go but I caved and went. I spent 6 days there.

I had a good time. The place is like a botanical garden. All sorts of flowers and trees. And bugs. I had a lovely time enjoying the beautiful flowers and the bugs had wonderful meals off of me. 

I picked cucumbers, peppers, raspberries for our meals. F's sister S gave me zucchinis, eggs and a ton of fresh grape leaves. I do not know how to brine the grape leaves but, she told me to just blanch about a dozen at a time and roll them up and then freeze. I processed them yesterday and I think, I have enough grape leaves to last me all winter. I stuffed some of the larger ones with a rice mixture and they were divine.

We had a family dinner with their brother E and his wife. Those three siblings can't get along with each other. It was tense but, I guess they behaved themselves in my presence. They are in their 60's and 70's! I am so glad I have a good relationship with my SIS. 

I am also glad to be back home. Having used to living alone, I need my space, lots of space. I have been doing laundry since yesterday. I am on my 5th load and there are 2 more to go. 

Tonight's dinner is chicken and salad. I am trying to use up all the meat products in my freezer before I purchase any more. 

I need to buy coffee, dried mint leaves and Vitamin D and some fresh veggies on Monday. I should check my spices. I may be running out of cumin too.

Pantry and Freezer Challenge

I have decided to do a pantry and freezer challenge this month. I have 37 days to go before my mini vacation in Edinburgh. I do not know if I can stretch the stuff in my freezer till then but, my pantry is well stocked.

I will only buy fresh produce and eggs till everything from my freezer is eaten up.

I enjoyed my vegetarian day so much yesterday and ended up with quiet a bit of leftovers that, I decided to postpone the salmon and have another vegetarian day today. I have some peppers, zucchini and tomatoes that I need to use up. I will sautee them as soon as I post this.

The weather is still cool therefore, I am thinking of making a chili later this week. I do not add sour cream (very hard to find in this country) or cheese (to make it less caloric) to my chili but, I think, it is tasty enough all by itself. 

I am not a big fruit eater but, I did buy one of those small watermelons and 2 pounds of sweet cherries last week. The watermelon looks great and tastes more like cucumber. Bummer!

The tart cherries are not out yet but, as soon as they come out, I want to freeze a significant amount because they help lowering my uric acid level. Another good reason to empty the freezer. I can buy them frozen but the price on frozen tart cherries is ridiculuous. I'd rather freeze enough for a few months at least. If I had space for an extra freezer, I would certanly freeze a year's worth.

It's pouring outside so, I'm going to need to walk on the treadmill.

Chill Weekend

Yesterday, I did absolutely nothing. I was tired of all the walking I did on Friday with a friend around the Old Town in Istanbul. She is visiting her son and we always meet up when she is around.

I did only two loads of laundry and started the dishwasher. Other than that, I binge watched episodes of The Rookie. 

Today, I decided to drag my lazy self outside for a long walk after a very late breakfast. I talked to my American friend M while I was resting. She is going through some rough time due to health issues in her immediate family. 

I walked some more and had a cup of coffee before I came home. I know, it's not frugal. I should have made the cofee at home but, what's done is done.

As soon as I got home, I jumped in the shower and it felt so good. After I post this, I will go dress myself and prepare dinner. I decided today should be a vegetarian day so, I am going to make myself a bowl with wild rice, lentils, carrots and greens. Tomorrow, there will be salmon and sweet potatoes for dinner. 

Last night, I woke up to the noise of the thunder. It rained a lot during the night.  This year, the weather has been quiet weird. They say it is because of El Nino or La Nina, can't remember which.

Hope, you had a relaxing weekend. 

I Had to Post This

 Now, I do not know this is real or not but, I found this on Facebook. Enjoy!

"THESE ARE ACTUAL COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY "THOMAS COOK VACATIONS" FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS:

1. "They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax."

2. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food."

3. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish."

4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price."

5. "The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room."

6. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as white but it was more yellow."

7. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallartato close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time -- this should be banned."

8. "No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared."

9. "Although the brochure said that there was a fully equipped kitchen, there was no egg-slicer in the drawers."

10. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local convenience store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."

11. "The roads were uneven and bumpy, so we could not read the local guide book during the bus ride to the resort. Because of this, we were unaware of many things that would have made our holiday more fun."

12. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It took the Americans only three hours to get home. This seems unfair."

13. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom suite to our friends' three-bedroom and ours was significantly smaller."

14. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the resort.' We're trainee hairdressers and we think they knew and made us wait longer for service."

15. "When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners."

16. "We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning."

17. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."

18. "I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes."

19. "My fiancée and I requested twin-beds when we booked, but instead we were placed in a room with a king bed. We now hold you responsible and want to be re-reimbursed for the fact that I became pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."

Tüm ifadeler:

26 B26 B

Back Home

I am back from Izmir. Had a good trip and a very nice birthday dinner with my SIS and BIL.

Izmir was way too hot so, I did not feel like doing much at all. 

I went shopping yesterday and purchased some things in bulk. It was an expensive trip but, I will not need laundry detergent, dish soap, liquid hand soap, hand soap, diswashing tablets, toilet paper and napkins for at least till the end of the year if not more. I have enough fish and chicken in the freezer at least for a month. I would like to stretch them till July 23rd if I can.

I am planning to take a carry-on backpack to my trip in Scotland. I will stay in the same hotel room for 7 days, so I will pack very lightly. I am not planning to purchase any souvenirs or gifts. 

Today, the cleaning lady came and my home smells fresh. I will keep it tidy, I promise.

Birthday Week

On Monday, I finally got my new tires installed. I am going to have to buy new winter tires come Fall. Oh joy! This year has been an expensive one so far but, all were necessary expenses. Also, next year, I will have none of these expenses. New tires last at least 4 years, car inspection comes around every two years, a laptop lasts me usually about 7-8 years if not more. 

I also needed to go to the safety deposit box that I share with my SIS. The bank is right in the middle of the city center in Ankara. I have fond memories of the neighborhood so, I strolled around a bit and found that it no longer is the place I remember. There used to be nice shops, restaurants, amazing bookstores that I loved as a kid. Every Saturday, mom and I had a routine of doing our shopping, having lunch and then buying books for me. It was lively but, not as crowded as it is now. Besides people were much nicer. Nowadays people walk right at you or jump in front of you entering a place. Young people and men are no longer as gentle as my generation used to be.

 After that, I went to visit my BIL's dad. Each time I see him, I observe that he is getting older and more frail. 

I hit the road around 10 a.m. and it took me 7 hours to drive to Izmir. I stopped only twice to get a cup of coffee and use the bathroom. I made sandwiches and 8-10 fresh apricots so, I did not have to eat at the overpriced and mediocre places on the road. As I was driving, I cried a little thinking about our travels with mom. Having her death anniversary on my birthday is hard but not as hard as it used to be so, I guess I have healed a lot since her passing three years ago.

As soon as I got to my sister's home, I took a nice shower and felt fresh. They took me to a nice restaurant by the seashore for my 56th birthday and the weather was great. 

As I type this, my phone is charging and they are at work. I need to get a new cable for the charger so, I will just go to the nice mall nearby and may be sit at a cafe for a while. I slept in today and then watched some Turkish reality show. 

I do not know why I am hooked to these stupid shows. There was this disgusting woman who wants her son back from the claws of this "tramp" who lives in Izmir. She says they were probably doing drugs and even selling them. She also said that her son was not a mentally stable person and even blamed the young girl's dad, saying things like her son was being held captive due to brainwashing and drugs. She seems to be very religious and she does not like the fact that, her son no longer fasts during Ramadan or go to the mosque. WTF!? He is an adult. He can decide for himself. 

The guy turned out to be a very level headed 24 year old, who graduated Computer Engineering in 2020. He has a solid job as a software engineer and is sharing an apartment with two other guys. He is dating this nice girl who is described as a witch and a tramp by his mom. She is also a university graduate with a steady job. They have become friends 7 years ago and then they decided they wanted to date. They are not even talking marriage yet or living together. They could have and that would be quite normal. 

He submitted official medical reports to prove that he is not on any drugs. He said that he had a lot of anxiety issues because his mom does not want him to live his own life. She was saying things like, he was hers because she gave birth to him and that they should live together. What kind of a sick mind is that? She does not believe the official medical documents and is going to go to the court to seek legal guardianship of her son because she thinks he is mentally challenged. What a wicked witch! 

Most of us are not grateful enough to recognize how important it is to be born into a regular, normal family. 

Thank you Mom and Dad for being great parents, insisting on a good education, letting us shape our own careers and loving us unconditionally. SIS and I are so grateful.

Relief in a Weird Way

I have been struggling to fill a position for one of our current customers for a while now. The requirements are hard to meet and not a lot of people want to change their jobs when the economy is so unstable. Can't say, I blame them. 

Yesterday, I sent the Customer a report for a new potential candidate and lined up 3 more to intervew this week. However, yesterday night, I had this weird feeling that this position may be done away with because as I thought about the current organization structure of the company, I somehow thought adding another person to the head count seemed a little too much. They just opened a new office in Dubai and I am thinking, that must have cost a pretty penny. 

Lo and behold, today I received an e-mail telling me that the position is postponed for at least 6 months. I am sort of relieved but also, frustrated that we worked really hard to find the right candidates for the job. 

Oh well... Not a big deal for me but, the owner of our company who is a long time friend may be upset over this because, she had been complaining that the business was too slow lately. 

On another note, I went to see a dermatologist yesterday because of a red rash on my skin on the left side of my waist. I ovserved it for a while and then used a cortisone cream but that caused the rash to get bumpier and bigger. The doctor told me it must be a fungal infection and prescribed a cream for it. If it does not start to get any better in a week, I should go see her again so that they can biopsy it. Yikes! I am hoping that, it is indeed a fungal infection. Getting old is such a joy, isn't it? Always a new trouble.

Tomorrow, I am going to Ankara for a week or so. My 56th birthday is coming up on June 6 which also marks the 3rd anniversary of mom's passing. I can't believe it has already been three years. I still miss her so much that it hurts. She was my rock and best travel buddy. 

I remember one day as we were watching a trashy reality show on TV, she was sort of pestering me to get up and re-organize my closet which really needed it. I told her stop presurring me or else, I would run away from home like the stupid teen on the show we were watching. She said: "That would be quiet idiotic, wouldn't it? This is your home. Where are you running to?" We had a good laugh and joked about how she would go on the show to find her 50+ daughter who ran away from her own home just because her mom wanted her to tidy up her closet.

Nowadays, my closet is almost always in order because I purged so much. My sister has a theory that, when people pass, parts of their souls go into their loved ones and that is how they live forever. Ever since mom passed, I started doing certain things her way and keeping a tidier home. So does my uncle. My SIS may have a point after all.

Gotta go and straighten out some things.

Ouch!

I went to see my dentist friend today and had two fillings. Two of my molars are too close to each other but somehow, food gets in between and as I try to get rid of it, I was hurting my gum and make it bleed. I also thought, I could not keep the area clean enough. Well, I was right and right in between there were cavities on both teeth that went down under the gum line

My friend tried very hard to fix it and he put in two fillings. However, he thinks that may or may not work in the long run. Right now I need a pain killer because the anesthesia wore out. Ouchies!

Tomorrow I am going to have my car inspected and then go see a friend who knows someone who can assess the value of two antique (or so we think) rugs that belong to uncle. I never had anything like that done before so, it will be interesting. 

Lazy Day

I had to go to the bank today. Other than that, I went for a walk in the park nearby. It looks bigger than it is. In order to get in my 8000 steps there, I must tour it like 12-13 times which would look pretty crazy for the people who sit at the cafe there so, I varied my path around it as well. I walked 6000 steps and walked on the treadmill to make it to my goal.

I did not want to cook today so, I just had leftovers for lunch and fixed a sandwich for dinner. My snack was yogurt with pineapple. Did not drink enough water. Shame on me.

My American friend M called and we had a long chat and then watched another episode of Designated Survivor. She and I are avid watchers of police procedurals and shows involving spooks. We both have worked for the Defense Industry may years ago and know a thing or two about how security agencies work so, we pick out the ridiculuous things and make fun of them as we watch these shows. I told her that when she retires this year, may be we should become YouTubers who take a show and critique it and point out all the b...s..t. May be we can even be hired later on by big production companies to consult the writers. Why not, right? Lol.

Tomorrow I have to go see my dentist who is also a High School buddy. As much as I like him, I am not looking forward to sitting in that chair.

I also have an interview before the dentist appointment. I hope, this will be a good candidate.

 

Brrrrr.... Why is it still so cold?

I went out for a walk today and it was pleasant between 2 and 4 p.m. However, as I type this, I am home, the central heating is off and my apartment is only 19℃ or 66℉. Socks, sweatpants and a sweatshirt don't help at all. I now have a blanket, but my nose and feet are still so cold. May be it is time to fish out my space heater to heat my living room. A cup of hot tea sounds good too.

Today, the cleaning lady was here so, my home is all clean and fresh. I have quiet a bit of laundry to do. May be I will wash two loads tomorrow. Istanbul is really humid and when it is cold on top of that, line drying the clothes takes too long. I will use mom's trick and open my bedroom and guest bedroom windows which are on the opposite ends of that area. This creates a draft and when the clothes are hung in between, they dry faster.

I am going to take out the sewing machine and try my hand on some simple projects this week. I applied for apprenticeship at Kim's over at Out My Window. She accepted me (I think) so, next time I am in the US, I will have a Master to teach me to sew and make alterations. 

I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday and I am going to take my car to inspection on Thursday. More money leaving my pockets. On top of this, I need to buy a new set of tires for my car. Oh joy!

Hope everyone has a productive week.