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Oh, Right, I Forgot About This Part
I just had a rather cranky few days. No, not because of that! Although, there is a cyclical thing going on. We are a few weeks from moving to Warsaw. So, it’s time to make lists. Time to start using up...
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Moving Brain
I just realized that I haven’t blogged in over a month. It’s a symptom! Every time we move, I suffer from a recurring syndrome called Moving Brain. I’ve written about it before, but it’s on my mind at...
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About That Flag
I’m not the diplomat in the family. Not by a long shot! But, I am aware that I still unofficially represent the U.S. just by my physical presence in foreign countries. Sometimes, this can be difficult....
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Are We Having Fun Yet?
Movers are coming tomorrow, so we’ve spent all day sorting and organizing for our 12th packout. That’s seven posts plus two mid-tour moves. I think I’m going to call a halt at a baker’s dozen after we...
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Anger Management and the Trailing Spouse
Moving is stressful. I think we can all agree on that. If there is a trailing spouse out there who thinks it isn’t, well, I want to know what she’s smoking, and where can I get some. I’ve written...
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We Are In Warsaw And The Sofa is Not Poopy
We made it! After the usual series of last-minute hassles, including a drive to USDA-APHIS in Richmond the day before our flight to get one silly piece of paper for the kitties which NO ONE looked at,...
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Government Housing Hack: Kitchen Decals
“Drexel hacks” are a thing now. You can see some good ones here. I actually tried one yesterday, without success: it turns out that Drexel sofas have measurements that somehow do not match the...
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Government Housing Hack: Patio to Catio
When I heard that we would be moving into an apartment in Warsaw, I immediately added “catproofing” to the list. Not because I am a crazy cat lady (though I am). Because cats can’t fly, and ask us how...
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A Bit Less Shiny Brass and Harvest Gold Please
By the time we leave Warsaw, I will have spent 19 years of my life in Embassy housing, 17 of them surrounded by Drexel furniture. In other words, each post may be just temporary, but sadly, this is my...
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Drexel Chairs: Boring to Boho!
The 8 chairs that come with our huge Drexel dining table are upholstered in more gold polyester. Blech. I am certainly not the first person to cover the seats, but I am so pleased with the result that...
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Embassy Housing Hack: Velcro Bathroom Coverup
So, this bathroom was kind of bugging me. It’s our guest powder room, and has a functional, but really cheap-looking Formica vanity. I also like to keep extra toilet paper and cleaning supplies in each...
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Socialist Realism at Plac Konstytucji
OK, both HHE shipments are unpacked, we’re back from our strangely-timed trip to Denmark, and most of the rental fixtures and Drexel uglies have been camouflaged. Now I’m ready to blog about Warsaw! I...
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One Word That I Don’t Mind, And One That I Do
The term trailing spouse is used to describe a person who follows his or her life partner to another city because of a work assignment. The term is often associated with people involved in an...
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Embassy Housing Hack: Weird Bench Coverup
After I dealt with that unattractive bathroom vanity, I got to thinking about this weird, built-in bench. It is Formica with plain metal legs. Like a cheap kitchen island got lost and ended up in our...
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Five Things That May Surprise You About Being An FS Spouse
This is sort of a postscript to my earlier post on being a “trailing spouse.” Once I wrote it, and started discussing it with others, a few annoying little things came to mind that I probably should...
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Halfway Home
Last week we hopped a cheap flight to London to visit our son for his birthday. The trip was well-timed! I’m not a Third Culture Person, a global nomad, or whatever you want to call it. Though my...
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When Your Country Needs a Slap Upside the Head
I just heard a story on NPR’s Morning Edition. The lead-in was “Some Tennesseans want to take refugees from Syria and turn them into refugees from Tennessee.” Awesome. Politicians in my home state,...
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Winter is Coming: Let There Be Light!
Technically, winter is still three weeks away. But it is already cold and gray as all get-out here in Warsaw. The first few flakes of snow have fallen. Sure looks like winter to me. By the time winter...
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World, Meet Our Crazy Uncle
Dear World, We were kind of hoping you wouldn’t have to meet him. But, it looks like he’s gone and introduced himself already. He’s that guy. That uncle that is a part of nearly every American family....
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2015: Year in Review
This is the post in which I sum up all the wonderful and exciting things I did over the last year, painting a glamorous picture of Foreign Service life that will make you jealous as hell. Or not. Expat...
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