Jon arrived home this evening after three weeks in Europe. I had to give him a USMC regulation hair cut tonight since he heads to Miramar tomorrow morning early for the weekend drill with his reserve unit and he hasn't had a hair cut in all of that time. It is too bad that he'll miss my birthday tomorrow, but at least he is back in the same state as us this weekend. He'll be home Sunday night for good. No call from the Census Bureau yet, so looks like he'll have some time to rest, get caught up on e-mails and dive back into the job search.
Tomorrow I will celebrate my birthday with my mom, aunt Judy and Joshua over brunch followed by Joshua's soccer game and then I'm not sure what else for the late afternoon and evening. Oh, Jon did manage to squeeze two cups and saucers of Romanian china in his one bag ($50 extra to check a bag) for my birthday present. They are beautiful. He done good. :)
All for now.
Sheryl
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
20th Reunion for Class of 89
Okay, anyone who knows me at all will realize that I did not graduate either from high school or college in 1989, but I did attend last night's 20th reunion for the class of 89. That was the last of my five-year high school teaching career. I taught many of these students both Algebra I and Algebra II/Trig. I also coached many of these "kids" in both volleyball and swimming. I was able to connect with six of the girls who were on my first freshman volleyball team in 1985 (see picture). I have become facebook friends with many of them, but it was great to sit and talk together. I can't believe that it has been 20 years since I last taught. In some ways it feels like a life-time ago and in other ways it just doesn't seem that long ago. How can I be old enough to have quit my first career 20 years ago? Oh, how time flies.
Sheryl
Friday, October 09, 2009
A Bit About the Weather
Not much new to report, but I did ask Jon about the weather and this is what he reported, "The weather here has been great, maybe dropping to the high 40's for a couple nights, but mostly no colder than the low 50's. Highs during the day have been in the 70's, though the norm has been in the 60's. I have not needed my coat, and though it has rained, the rain has so far occurred at night."
Looking forward to him being home next weekend, although he'll spend most of it in San Diego, since his reserve unit will have a drill weekend. :( Oh, well, the side benefit of him not having a job yet is that he can catch up on his sleep the following week and spend some time with Joshua and me.
All for now.
Sheryl
Looking forward to him being home next weekend, although he'll spend most of it in San Diego, since his reserve unit will have a drill weekend. :( Oh, well, the side benefit of him not having a job yet is that he can catch up on his sleep the following week and spend some time with Joshua and me.
All for now.
Sheryl
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Coffee and Pizza
More from Jon:
I realized there are a couple things I have not mentioned yet about this place in general that I find interesting. I know I've mentioned the coffee, but I am still amazed at the sheer number of coffee bars here. They are everywhere, on the main drag, on side streets, in overwhelming numbers. The amazing thing is they all appear to be doing a booming business, it does not appear that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing in Romanian minds when it comes to the availability of small shots of powerful caffeine.
Only second to the cafes are the pizza shops. In fact, adjacent to practically every coffee shop is a pizza joint. Some are fast food, some are closer to restaurants, it is absolutely amazing. The appetite for pizza must be never satiated. Perhaps there is some link between the jitters of a caffeine jolt and the soothing quality of a slice of deep dish slathered-in-cheese and stuff pizza.
I'm not sure what the national dishes are "officially," but in my mind, the ingestable items of choice here are coffee and pizza.
Sheryl
I realized there are a couple things I have not mentioned yet about this place in general that I find interesting. I know I've mentioned the coffee, but I am still amazed at the sheer number of coffee bars here. They are everywhere, on the main drag, on side streets, in overwhelming numbers. The amazing thing is they all appear to be doing a booming business, it does not appear that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing in Romanian minds when it comes to the availability of small shots of powerful caffeine.
Only second to the cafes are the pizza shops. In fact, adjacent to practically every coffee shop is a pizza joint. Some are fast food, some are closer to restaurants, it is absolutely amazing. The appetite for pizza must be never satiated. Perhaps there is some link between the jitters of a caffeine jolt and the soothing quality of a slice of deep dish slathered-in-cheese and stuff pizza.
I'm not sure what the national dishes are "officially," but in my mind, the ingestable items of choice here are coffee and pizza.
Sheryl
Sunday, October 04, 2009
A Little More from Jon
Another e-mail had this description of activity in the town where Jon is right now, "There is a festival going on locally (started yesterday), it has a name, but I can't remember it. Anyway, it's basically a moonshine festival, all the local distilleries (private/family or public/corporate) showcase their hard core stuff. It is theoretically mind-blowing, I'm not going to touch the stuff, but some folks tried it out. There are also local fairs (with little carnival rides exactly the same as the rides I've seen in the States), and what appear to be swap meets and local once-a-week markets and such. This is quite a diverse town, and you don't have to go too far to get beyond the "suburbs" into agricultural communities."
Joshua and I had an enjoyable Sunday. After church we stopped at Costco for a hot dog lunch (the best deal in town even if it is not the 
healthiest). We finished reading "The Silver Chair" together -- me reading while Joshua played in the fort he built in the living room Friday afternoon. Then we took a bike ride out through the "country" portion of San Juan and stopped for a frozen yogurt along the way. The weather was perfect -- California fall -- I love it.
healthiest). We finished reading "The Silver Chair" together -- me reading while Joshua played in the fort he built in the living room Friday afternoon. Then we took a bike ride out through the "country" portion of San Juan and stopped for a frozen yogurt along the way. The weather was perfect -- California fall -- I love it.Sheryl
A Beautiful Place to be Working
Jon had some time to write last night, so he sent a beautiful description of the town where he currently is.
"I'll tell you a little more about my surroundings, etc. I've been getting up to run every morning, and generally hit the trail just before the sun comes up. This morning I crossed the bridge over a fairly wide placid river with a wide concrete promenade on one bank, lined the whole way with planters. The sunrise was spectacular, lighting the eastern sky with an incredible fiery glow. The river, placid at this point, acted as a reflecting pool, and the sunrise, the glowing sky, the river line, and buildings were all reflected in the river. At that moment , a large flock of birds took flight from the far river bank and wheeled through the sky--it was intensely beautiful, mysteriously peaceful, awe inspiring, and also somewhat personal (that God had prepared this moment for His pleasure and I got to sit in...). Well, I ran east following the river, and turned around to head back to the hotel. Facing west, the slightly past full moon was just off the horizon-line of the buildings in the town center. One church steeple in particular was almost silhouetted by the moon, and at the top of the steeple was an orthodox cross. Due to the back-lighting of the moon, I expected the cross to appear black; but the sun, just coming clear of the horizon behind me, lit the face of the cross with a mother-of-pearly luminescent glow. The effect was astonishing, and as I was still running along the bank of the river, it was all reflected... Truly a very visually stimulating morning, and all before the city was awake.
Of course, I should fill you in on the early morning hours prior to my run. The roosters started crowing at about 0330, not just one, but several. I don't know what happened to their body clocks, I'm sure their not suffering from jet lag like I am... Then the dogs started barking at about 0430. According to the 101 Dalmatians, the twilight bark takes place in the evening, but I can tell you that the dogs here conduct their gossip in the predawn. The city is littered with parks, the fall colors are coming in beautifully, and the smell of freshly fallen leaves (yesterday this was particularly pronounced, as it had rained during the night) permeates the air. The city is in a river valley, with gently rising ridges and peaceful valleys that seem to follow the course of the river (vice running at right angles to the river). The town is an incredible eclectic mix of buildings that were built hundreds of years ago and modern structures of steel and glass--and everything in between. The main element of sustainment here is coffee, served very strong, thick, and in small cups, generally less than 6 ounces--though there seems to be no limit to the number of cups one might drink... Being a life-time coffee lover, though having recently given it up, I just had to have a cup. It was truly good coffee, and I regret not being able to truly drown myself in it..." In case you are wondering, his blood pressure has been too high, so his doctor has told him to give up coffee. It has been about a month-long process so far, but his has noticed a drop in his blood pressure when he is not drinking lots of coffee every day. He has a portable blood pressure machine that he uses to keep track of his pressure each night.
All for now.
Sheryl
"I'll tell you a little more about my surroundings, etc. I've been getting up to run every morning, and generally hit the trail just before the sun comes up. This morning I crossed the bridge over a fairly wide placid river with a wide concrete promenade on one bank, lined the whole way with planters. The sunrise was spectacular, lighting the eastern sky with an incredible fiery glow. The river, placid at this point, acted as a reflecting pool, and the sunrise, the glowing sky, the river line, and buildings were all reflected in the river. At that moment , a large flock of birds took flight from the far river bank and wheeled through the sky--it was intensely beautiful, mysteriously peaceful, awe inspiring, and also somewhat personal (that God had prepared this moment for His pleasure and I got to sit in...). Well, I ran east following the river, and turned around to head back to the hotel. Facing west, the slightly past full moon was just off the horizon-line of the buildings in the town center. One church steeple in particular was almost silhouetted by the moon, and at the top of the steeple was an orthodox cross. Due to the back-lighting of the moon, I expected the cross to appear black; but the sun, just coming clear of the horizon behind me, lit the face of the cross with a mother-of-pearly luminescent glow. The effect was astonishing, and as I was still running along the bank of the river, it was all reflected... Truly a very visually stimulating morning, and all before the city was awake.
Of course, I should fill you in on the early morning hours prior to my run. The roosters started crowing at about 0330, not just one, but several. I don't know what happened to their body clocks, I'm sure their not suffering from jet lag like I am... Then the dogs started barking at about 0430. According to the 101 Dalmatians, the twilight bark takes place in the evening, but I can tell you that the dogs here conduct their gossip in the predawn. The city is littered with parks, the fall colors are coming in beautifully, and the smell of freshly fallen leaves (yesterday this was particularly pronounced, as it had rained during the night) permeates the air. The city is in a river valley, with gently rising ridges and peaceful valleys that seem to follow the course of the river (vice running at right angles to the river). The town is an incredible eclectic mix of buildings that were built hundreds of years ago and modern structures of steel and glass--and everything in between. The main element of sustainment here is coffee, served very strong, thick, and in small cups, generally less than 6 ounces--though there seems to be no limit to the number of cups one might drink... Being a life-time coffee lover, though having recently given it up, I just had to have a cup. It was truly good coffee, and I regret not being able to truly drown myself in it..." In case you are wondering, his blood pressure has been too high, so his doctor has told him to give up coffee. It has been about a month-long process so far, but his has noticed a drop in his blood pressure when he is not drinking lots of coffee every day. He has a portable blood pressure machine that he uses to keep track of his pressure each night.
All for now.
Sheryl
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Family Birthday Party
Had a great time today at Emma and Eli's birthday party. Steve and Sandi hosted all of us at their home. Sandi's sister Jamie and family were in town and David & Leslie and family came, along with all of us So Cal Frances. The four boys (Evan, Joshua, Eli and Henry) had a great time playing Legos and building a huge fort in the living room. It was a beautiful afternoon in Escondido.
Sheryl
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Jon at Final Destination
Just heard from Jon that he has reached his final destination. He wrote, "I just wanted you to know that I'm at my final destination. The first impressions of the town are: the trams (very loud, they run all night at (it seems like) ten minute intervals past the hotel; and the bells, there must be hundreds of churches with bells throughout the city (OK, the city is not big enough for hundreds of bells, but you get the idea) that all chime on the hour, etc., and though each individual bell is of course indistinguishable, the cacophony is a delight..."
I was able to talk to Jon briefly while he was in Germany preparing for this exercise. He had dinner with good friends of ours, which was very cool. That's about all for now.
Sheryl
I was able to talk to Jon briefly while he was in Germany preparing for this exercise. He had dinner with good friends of ours, which was very cool. That's about all for now.
Sheryl
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