Looking back in the drafts that I meant to post, I figured I would add this post and then try to catch everyone up in one day..:)

“The question is often asked – How do you come up with the ideas of things that you do ? It is amazing?! I have to say for once, I am blessed with genes that were handed down to go back and reflect deeply on my experiences growing up. I think we ALL have this possibility to do some amazing things, but how many people pay attention to those possibilities?

When I heard this phrase below from Glen Hansard – (CHECK HIM OUT!) it struck a chord….Time around 4:50 is so – it is casually said but full of conviction!

One of his quotes –  “I mean, everything that I’m doing today I imagined when I was standing at bus stops with my guitar on my back. And when I sat in the back of the bus and on my way to the city to go play music on the street; everything that I imagined at the back of that bus is what I’m doing now.

So, the imagination is a very, very powerful thing and it literally invents the path before you. And if your head is stuck in Facebook or texting or something – which is all fine – you might imagine yourself into a kind of a cul-de-sac, and I worry about that for people.”

This is a much better way to make create a life that is more enriching – pay to more attention to our life experiences and have them come out in a different, rewarding way – :)”

Father’s day and as of late I keep thinking back to my father –

“Dad’s are funny – what is the power a Dad has on his children?  I am not sure – yet I know I will never be the same since MY dad, who wasn’t the typical Dad – had done so many things in his own way for me to see. 8 tracks, Johnny Cash, auto motives, sneaking out in the night to help people, were just a portion of who my Dad was, and I still do not know the depth of who he was – yet – on Father’s Day today I am the better man because of who he was!”

Okay, rewinding, last week was the last official week I had to come in to ASF as part of the school year.  However, I felt my body tired, but gearing up for some things -moving into a new apartment, getting ready for returning to the states, having said goodbye silently in some cases to some very dear people I have met as teachers at ASF, as well as saying goodbye in other forms, add these all together and some days it’s difficult to get your body and mind ready for all these changes – but let me try.

Thursday – the 21st – was a bid nervous and anxiety-ridden for me, as for some reason (not really sure why to be honest) – I arranged for movers to come and get my furniture, and move to a new apartment that was a little bigger, to allow to keep the place cleaner with CATS!  🙂  🙂  I always said I wanted a place that would allow cats, but you would not have to smell to see them to know I have them! (meaning no loaded down chairs with hair, smells of litter box, etc)

I get home – and look to see an approaching storm – to save time, I took the couches and chairs out of the apartment, took the plants (I didn’t think I could carry them) down to the ground landing, under cover from rain, and began to move the rest of the furniture into the living room – and I was excited to see physically, I saved I think what would have been  at least 40 minutes of moving, and perfect ! – movers showed up at exactly 4:30, a driver and three others – and they used ropes to carry down furniture from the top landing – very efficient, – and wow – we were on our way and to the new apartment before 5:20 – and then arrival at 5:30 – I was laughing, I was looking at the wrong corner of the intersection  – wondering where the apartment was, and turned to the other corner, ta da!  LOL – we unloaded all items to the 4th floor – (UGH – NO ELEVATOR) – I was amazingly testing the limits of myself physically, HYSTERICAL with the one neighbor on apartment 6 (VERY ATTRACTIVE!) – asked if I was okay and I needed to take a breath, LOL…

Finally all in, I gave the movers chocolates that were in the fridge – and everything I could find to drink, myself grabbing every available drink of water, soda, juice boxes, lol and then amazed that all was IN! Including cats, lol.  I went back once to the old apartment and walked back with plants, items, etc and died in my sleep!  🙂

Friday, last day at work officially for 2012 !  🙂  I did as much paperwork and wrap up items as possible, and headed back to prepare for a send off party for Helen Kang and Alejandro Martinez – I arranged items in the apartment – brought back a few more items from the old to new apartment.  Late night, scrubbing, cleaning apartment, 🙂  There was something about the new apartment, a positive, good vibe, I felt good things would be able to be done from here…:)

Saturday – I spent the morning preparing for the gathering at ASF for Helen and Alejandro, Mr Gipson came and picked up two mattresses and he dropped me off at a nearby metro, as I made my way to ASF.  Arriving, I began to move items into the library to prepare for the send off, food ready – decorating in little ways, etc.  Students arrived, (not as many as I hope but yes, a bad time for arrivals with vacations, end of school, etc) yet the company was great – we laughed, reminisced, and enjoyed Helen and Alejandro – then – sum sum dum….the cat….:)

We saw the cleaning crew bring a carrier with a cat inside, well, heard it, meow meow meow – and Helen and group went to see it, and came back with a carrier   😦 – Deja vous with Dewey – and lone behold – we let the cat – VERY black, out, (deja vows!) and it (she or he?) stopped meowing and chilled.  This cat obviously had been domesticated, at least acted like it, it was so well-behaved.  After finding, it hiding behind books, and it running around and us chasing it, lol, we decided, it was no good to leave the poor kitten in a carrier all weekend – :9  – you know where this is going…lol…I brought the cat back – let him/her out in the apartment, and then proceeded to make trips to the old apartment to obtain as much and get it out in preparation of Sara arriving into my old apartment Sunday.  Despite the rain, I was determined to make some progress, and yes, walking to my old apartment three times from my new apartment, and then carry boxes to the next block Citio to take a taxi to my new apartment (three times, 3o pesos each time, (3.00 USD) and I managed to get all boxes and items into the new apartment! 🙂

This is the thing, new apartment – 4th floor – no elevator, I had started to feel sore the night of moving into the apartment Thursday, and since then – I just had kept moving, moving, and my muscles never truly had a break. However, I felt good that I was determined to work through the pain and I was able to keep going!  Yes I am writing this on Monday and am very slow to move, yet, I can see I improved physically by moving through the challenge and hope to be able to keep on adding to the activity and pick up my running schedule again  🙂

After getting all those items in, I went on to scrub the oven, sink, walls, etc to the foundation from a layer of grease that was, well, just to put it lightly pretty gross, but it felt so good to get all items cleaned and scrubbed to the surface!

Needless to say, I felt like I died when I hit the bed Saturday night – after mopping, scrubbing, sanitizing, organizing, I felt some major progress hd been made!   🙂

Sunday rolled around, I got up early, headed to the apartment after some follow up mopping and cleaning again at the new apartment, and retrieved the last items in the apartment, as well as on my way back I stopped and grabbed some Churros, flowers for the vase in the apartment – and a balloons to mark the apartment – made it to the apartment.

I headed to the nearest grocery store, and although narrower, loved it more – the bakery inside and just the feel of the store, I liked it much  more!  Carrying supplies for the party today for Helen and Alejandro, I finished last minute of de-hairing of furniture, cleaning floors, bathrooms, etc.  🙂

The crowd that arrived was a little disappointing, but I think the weather and time of year had alot to do with that.  However, the food from  Paulina, Deb was delicious.  Dean came later, and so did Moct, and overall, we just enjoyed each other’s company.  I was lucky to have met in my experience such individuals as these and was blessed to have a mentor like Helen and Alejandro while at ASF.

Looking back, it was amazing the amount of time it took to move into a new apartment, here are some views of it – I love the vibe of the place.  I love the air flowing in, and it just feels like you have the potential of walking into a new world with the view, the upbeat air of it, and I feel good things will happen while I am here – that is a good feeling to have with a place you live!

Cats – I love animals in general, and yes, it is easy to criticize that I am accumulating cats, this is the thing, with so many people in the world, is it too much to ask that if people can;t who generosity to other people, that they take care of animals?  This means not dropping them off and abandoning them, etc.  Call me crazy fine, but I see in cats, as well as other animals, the basic need for a home someplace that is reliable food, shelter, and just to enjoy life, period.  Is it that difficult a request to ask for that?  When I give this to animals, you can just feel the content factor roll off of them – and heck, that is what people should do for each other as well, let alone animals.  I could always see that trait in my Dad, he would patiently take in animals and just care for them knowing there was an unspoken promise to care for each other in general, and hopefully others would take that example.  It works out, and no, I do not plan on taking every stray that comes along, but I hope I can count on others to help stop people from just dropping cats off and instead, asking people if they know of someone that can give them a good home.  🙂

Which bring me to this question, a cat named Dewey, a cat named Decimal, lol, it feels wrong to name the new addition System, so what should be the name of this cat?  🙂

Help!

More updates on restaurants thoughts on returning to the states in a few days!  🙂