Many Developments

We bought me a car! Hooooray! It's a blue '05 Peugot with really low mileage and we got a really good deal on it. Big hang up: It's. Manual. I'm. A Little. Nervous. BUT I keep telling myself that, statistically, at least half of the people that know how to do it have to be dumber than me. Right? Right? The Civic we looked at was really...shady. And overpriced, it was a 1998 with 137K miles and they were asking 5K whereas Kelly Blue Book put it at 3K. Did I mention the big dent/scratch on the back right door that prevented the window from working? So, Peugot it is! JM feels a little cramped in it but I figure that just means I can get the seat close enough to work the pedals. It'll probably be our travel car too so we can keep the miles down on Veronica and because JM is a little leery of taking Veronica into the eastern bloc but if the Peugot (thinking of naming it Stanley) gets scratched we won't get upset. Stanley also means I'll be crossing off #9 (learn to drive manual) on my list. I have to say, it's the one that is the most daunting to me on that list, INCLUDING jumping out of a perfectly good airplane over the Swiss Alps.

Another development isn't nearly as cool, JM and I will be apart for the month of June. At first I was a little unsure about being alone here but this is my home and I need to make it my home. I have already started a list of things I want to do when he is gone - now that I have a car I am going to get involved in volunteering (since I can't find a job), and the quilt group, and buying things for our apartment and decorating the baby's room to name a few. Also, something I'd like to do is read some fiction books -- I haven't read any in forever (I've been reading lots of econ related books which are awesome, but I need a change) so give me some suggestions! I am thinking of "Water for Elephants" but I need 2 or 3 more suggestions.

I am thinking it's the pregnancy and the whole 'nesting' thing going on but my to-do list for June is pretty damn long already and I am excited to have a car and do it myself. Of course before JM leaves we'll put the crib and changing table together (well, first, we have to buy one, that is a whole 'nother story) but all the little things I can do when he is gone. Crib story: the Baby Walz in Nurenburg we went to didn't have any cribs in store, you had to buy them online (so glad we drove all the way there to find that out) so when I get home and get online I discover they only accept German billing addresses! Lame! So I am just going to buy a crib from the store on base even though I don't like any of them but it'll do. Whatever. I am giving up! The kid won't remember it anyway and we'll buy a different one when we're back in the states because the kid'll still need a crib. On the upside the carseat/stroller showed up last week and that is put together. I ordered it online from a US store and it was on the "slow boat" here, literally. It took six weeks to arrive.

Well, that is it for updates, blog again soon...