Elusive Ink

Currently Listening
Just The Way You Are
Billy Joel



What a week...things continually turn upside down. I'm not sure what I've said here about our recent location situation. (Woo. Rhyme already. This is gonna be a good post. :P) We were informed that we had seven weeks to find a new house, and move out...or renew our lease for an entire year, a few weeks ago. We'd been intending to rent at this house month-to-month until we found the "perfect" house, but our Landlord would have none of that. So, we immediately started looking for a new house...three days later, we found it. The perfect house, in the perfect area. Less than a mile in one direction, is a regional forest with campgrounds, hiking trails, and battlefields. Another direction, historic Leesburg which is FULL of quirky little bohemian galleries, bookstores, and photography studios. *long happy sigh* About a mile in another direction is Khols, Super Target, Starbucks, Restaurants, and a HUGE outlet mall. (With Gap, Converse...Hershey's ice cream.) And, also within walking/biking distance is a really great Rec center, with everything from tennis, to swimming, to racquetball, to cooking classes and summer camps. Pretty much the ideal location. The house itself is tri-level, each of the kids (with the exception of Zoe/Sophie) will have their own bedroom, there's hardwood floors, and a Hot Tub!!! My new room isn't particularly large...but I can't see myself living with my parents for much longer than 2 years at this point...maybe not even that long. We'll see how finances go.

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One of my favorite shows (as of recently) is As Time Goes By. It's an amazingly well-written BBC show, centered around five main characters. Judi Dench, and Geoffery Palmer star as Jean and Lionel, who had been passionately in love during the war, and then meet up forty years later...after having lost touch because of one lost letter. It follows their renewed love, in middle age, and the mishaps and drama of life living with Judi (Jean's Daughter), Sandy (Jean's Assistant), and the ever-faithful Alastair Deacon (Lionel's publisher, Judi's beau, and an all around "glam" rich playboy.) The only show that could possibly contend with As Time Goes By is the other most amazing TV show on the planet...Frasier. They have very little in common, aside from the fact that they're both clever, well-written, and there is not a bad episode of either.

My parents have recently gotten the entire series on DVD and we've been watching through them (we're almost to the end...*sadface*) and have just related so much to the basic human truths revealed in the show. It's so funny and quirky, and yet...also so true, and the relationship between Jean and Lionel is so genuine in it's simplicity.

Definitely a show worth checking out.


We were watching earlier tonight; and there was an episode where Lionel walks in (accidentally) on Sandy bathing. While, at first Jean and Sandy sort of chuckle about it...as Jean starts to think about it, she begins to get jealous and insecure. Mom made a comment about how, it made sense that she'd be jealous and insecure...Sandy is at least 20 years younger, probably closer to thirty, and very pretty. Dad responds with "That doesn't make sense, it's ridiculous for Jean to be feeling that way."

Which brings me to my point of this very long introduction...

Women compare. Men compete.

It's something I've been realizing more and more lately. It's not necessarily always older women, comparing themselves to younger. Heavier girls compare themselves to thin girls, thin girls are jealous of curvy girls...sometimes our insecurities are due to distance, sometimes education, sometimes emotional proximity...but there's always insecurities.

More on this later...since I've not really found a solution yet...just part of the problem. :P
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My wonderful Grandmother called last night and told me to turn on HGTV...and upon doing so...there on our beautiful huge high definition screen, was the city of my dreams: Buenos Aires. Not only the city of my dreams, but the barrio (neighborhood) that I shall someday live in: Recoleta.

I've been staring at pictures of Argentina for years...and Recoleta specifically. With european-influenced architecture, and a quiet atmosphere...Recoleta still manages to maintain the character and culture of Argentina. The show followed a man, moving from a huge mansion in Michigan, to Argentina. He ended up trying to decide between three apartments. Two in Recoleta, and one just outside Recoleta. I was absolutely abhorrent that he chose the apartment OUTSIDE Recoleta. The apartment he chose was in shambles, a "fixer-upper" and he settled on it because...despite the fact that the other two apartments were...beautiful. (One needed a few repairs, the other was...perfect.) they didn't have a "view."

I cannot imagine making a decision as to where to live on solely the view. His repairs to the apartment he chose were amazing, however, I still would've chosen the ones in Recoleta.

I cannot wait to have the finances to be able to travel...study art, culture, and tango in Argentina. Cost-of-living there is amazingly reasonable, too...for very nice condos, furnished with wifi; HDTVs, etc. etc. etc.



Beautiful, isn't it? Well...for now I suppose I continue to lustfully stare at pictures and share my crazy dreams of travel until I'm finally provided with the opportunity to pick up and go.
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My last point of excitment before I head off to bed...

CHICAGO! We leave Wednesday night to meet Grandma in Chicago for a few days, do a little sightseeing/shopping while Mom's at a conference, and enjoy some quality time in the evenings. I'm so very excited for this trip, and will be updating (with lots of photography) the entire time we're there.

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I had more that I wanted to write about...but I really should be getting to bed. More tomorrow!

Buenos Noches