Within Earshot

Everything I say and do is within earshot these days. My cube is located in the middle of the place (kitty corner to the Presidents office) and my apartment is snuggled in the middle of our condo complex. It's fine, these close quarters, but it sure makes it hard to enjoy free conversations (or I should say, interviews), loud television (my hearing sucks) and the like.

I didn't realize how much I adapted to this style of living until a visit back to the "Paririe" land. At the lake my parents are close to all of their neighbors. Little is left for privacy. When you sit on the porch everyone and their mother sees you and hears your conversations. I, being use to it, found it fine. But others were throughly annoyed seeing it was a fullhouse at the campsite one night.

It's just one of the things I have adapted to/ and changed. A few other things that I'm no longer use to include:

1) Figuring out personal transportation (I soley rely on cabs and metro these days)
2) Free parking
3) Not having a dry cleaner/shoe repair place on the corner
4) Nice flow of traffic
5) Clean and tidy grocery stores
6) English speaking people wherever I go
7) Friendly waves when traveling down a gravel road
8) People who don't know what is happening with global markets (it's my life...sorry!)
9) Worrying about the lawn
10)A great mix of radio stations


These things no longer are a part of my life. I miss some of them (e.g. nice grocery stores and service) but have found that there are other things that I would miss if I left. Not ready for that.

It was a good time home. I saw a billion relatives, the MSF, Picasso, Hjemkost, a wedding of two friends and played with my nieces at the lake....not too shabby, not too shabby at all.