MONDAY

A piddly, indoor, study, internet rabbit hole day, with a break for the tutor from 6-7pm then watched the end of a so-so kdrama (yes, there are so-so ones).

TUESDAY

A Bettye Outfit, like 100 times better

 

I have a door thing

 

New York New York. New York.

Oh boy. I WISH it had just been a piddly, indoor, study, etc day. But no. I drove all the way into the city for a haircut at a new place.

IT’S. NOT. GOOD.

In fact, it’s very very bad.

So bad that tomorrow I will go somewhere (anywhere!) local to fix it. Well, not that “too short” can be fixed…but they can cut/shape the back so it at least looks like it belongs with the front.

In reality, NOTHING belongs with the front. The front should just be left to die. I’ve already informed work that I will be working from home until January.

If only.

I can stay relatively positive about most things. But…my hair?? Don’t eff with my hair. It affects every part of my being.

I have to go to work with this hair. I have to go to CALIFORNIA with this hair. I HAVE TO SEE BTS WITH THIS HAIR!!!

I can’t think about it anymore.

WEDNESDAY

Wow. I was REALLY down last night. Like, I had a little “heart-pounding, can’t catch my breath, tense body” situation going on. I’ll say mostly from the haircut (I know, I know, it’s a little ridiculous). This feeling ranks up there with getting fired and being broken up with. Which, come on. really? AND YET….

But also from feelings of…the year in S Korea is seeming less and less likely. Not giving up, but…the more I hear, the more people I hear from…it just…seems unlikely. And it’s not a mind over matter thing. It’s a mind over foreign government. And immigration. And visas. It just…yeah. So…I’m trying to make the alternative (a 90-day stay) a little more attractive.

Part of the Korean dream was FINALLY finally living in a big apartment building in the city. That is something I have wanted to do for SO LONG. Those little officetel studios in the high-rise buildings (like the links I shared in Week in Review) are SO appealing to me! The height! The light! Yes! I’m rhyming! I know! The views! The efficiency!

The shorter stay airbnbs (in my price range) are an entirely different animal. You thought the studios were small? The airbnb rooms are like “pods.” A bed, MAYBE a desk, with shared bathrooms and kitchens being the norm. And they’re smaller, lower buildings with MAYBE one small high-up window…with no view to speak of. For a few days that sort of situation is fine…but the thought of spending 3 months like that? So Disappointing.

Anyway, if 90 days is the new plan, maybe I will plan on staying in 3 different locations, a month in each. Two city, one “country.” And by country I mean beachy island 🙂 There’s Jeju Island, which is featured in SO many kdramas…and looks SO lovely…not to LIVE, but what a vacation spot. So I’m thinking maybe city-beach-city. ANYWAY. Look at THIS place. $500 US for a month. Look at that VIEW! It’s a short walk down to the beach. It’s a 4-minute walk to the bus to go other places.

Don’t expect fancy. I don’t need fancy. But look.

Anyway. Feeling like 3% better about my hair this morning, after showering and doing it myself. Is it what I wanted? NO. Is it what I asked for?? Also no. Will anyone else know that? Probably not. I do still want to go somewhere today and have just the weird back flippy flap cut off – shortened, made closer to my neck, SOMETHING. I get that that’s A LOOK. But it’s not a look *I* wanted, and my hair just does not do that well. I may just need to go short short in the back. WHICH WAS SO NOT THE PLAN.

Too many plans not going as planned right now.

So, as a bit of an escape (how many times can a person look at themselves in the mirror?? A LOT), last night I watched a really good (REALLY GOOD) movie. Yes, Korean, but don’t let that stop you from a really great story. I found it in the first place cuz it has my SECOND favorite actor, Lee Je-Hoon, who is just a delight! Sadly, most of his shows/movies are not really my cup of tea (more action, adventure, bad guys, chase scenes, things being blown up, etc) so there’s only a handful of things I’ve seen him in…but I’ve loved them and him in every one.

This movie (not a series) is called I Can Speak, and it’s about a crotchety old woman who’s always complaining about EVERYTHING at the town office. Lee Je Hoon gets a job there and everyone’s like NEW GUY GETS OK-BOON!!! She discovers he can speak English and begs him to teach her…they grow close, like family…and eventually he discovers why learning English is so important for her. She has a story to tell. I don’t want to give it away just in CASE anyone watches it. But…it is…heart-warming and endearing and emotional and you’ll love all the characters. It’s based on a true story. Two Thumbs Up.

Plus, it helped me forget everything else for a little while.

This morning I worked on Korean homework. It is such slow going for me. It literally took me an hour to write, “I went to work five days. I studied Korean. I rested at the park.” Which was part of the homework, “write about what you did last week.” It didn’t take me an hour to WRITE it. It took me an hour to figure out HOW to write it, haha. The tower of blocks keeps getting higher and higher each week in class but I can only just barely balance one block on top of another.

Ok-Boon (I Can Speak reference) was better than me. She picked up HELLOHOWAREYOUIAMFINEANDYOU right away.

Today is an errandy day. I have some ebay things to take to the post office, some returns to go to UPS, have to find SOMEONE TO FIX THE BACK OF MY HAIR, and straighten up some cuz tomorrow is a Fun All Day day…and I’m picking Katie up from the airport early Friday.

Did I tell you Katie’s coming? Katie’s coming. I just have her like one day and then she’ll go to Russell’s and she goes back to Florida Monday. I asked her to help me with some things in the apartment. So I need to prepare so we can be most efficient while she’s here.

Okay, shutting up now. All those weeks with no Week in Review are seeming kinda nice right about now, eh?

THURSDAY

Strong Woman Mochi

 

She is very brave

 

I’m not as brave

 

Okay, getting out of my head…and my own way, ha ha, for the next couple days.

Today I went upstate with a friend to Storm King, which is a 500-acre outdoor sculpture/installation. It’s about 100 miles north of me and mostly a pretty drive, especially now with the fall foliage.

It was a good day, perfect weather, good views, laughs.

The high point for me was rolling down a big hill (intentionally). I haven’t laughed that hard in…I don’t know how long. There’s actually a video of it but it’s on the R side, what with shirt riding up and pants riding down on the roll. Next time: bodysuit and high-waisted leggings, ha ha.

Old person anxiety driving home from my friend’s new apartment…my night vision is so poor these days (I TRY to avoid night driving when I can. but with it getting dark so early now it’s hard to avoid). Where she lives it’s not really a straightforward route to the parkway and I missed my right…and then I got turned around when trying to get back to it then I didn’t believe the GPS when she told me to get on the parkway so I got stuck back in residential area and OH FOR PETE’S SAKE. It took me a ridiculously long time just to get ONTO the parkway to get me home. Ugh. Stupid old peepers.

But other than that, a good day in the fresh air and unfamiliar surroundings.

FRIDAY

Went to a local SuperCuts to get some sense made of my hair. She was very nice and very cautious when I explained how upset I was about Tuesday’s Guy taking WAY too much hair off on top/the sides. I actually could go EVEN shorter on the back. I just need length on top and in front. I want long, shaggy, movementy layers in the front and no hair touching my neck or back in the back. Maybe next time I’ll get it cut even closer to my neck in the back. I was so scissors shy after Tuesday’s experience that I just wanted to do as LITTLE as possible and still make the cut make sense.

Picked up Katie from the airport around 2 and we headed into the city for Arcadia Earth, an indoor, interactive light show, virtual reality thingie. It was cool. Then to dinner at a cozy pub, then home for second dinner and movies (in English!). She’s the only person I will do that for. My love for my child knows no bounds, ha ha. Interestingly, even in English, I put captions on cuz I so struggle to hear/understand what they’re saying unless the tv is BLASTING and then THAT’S uncomfortable. Easier to just be able to read it.

SATURDAY

Although we intended to get up early and start the day, bed and rest was just too appealing so we didn’t head out for bagels til 11:30. Sat at the local beach to eat them. Was such a lovely morning. Blue sky, warm sun. In the middle of November, I’m very grateful for such a morning.

Then. We tackled the apartment. Fought about a couple things…but in the end got a lot of stuff OUT – trash and donations. Organized some drawers. For all we did, it’s not that noticeable cuz there’s still So Much Stuff left! But it’s a LITTLE better.

Dinner out again, then met Russell for the child drop-off and she was gone. It was such a quick visit! But I’ll see her again at Christmas, so.

SUNDAY

Greenport door

Went for a drive out east with Birthday Friend (aka She Who Shall Remain Nameless), for…well…her birthday 🙂 We walked around Greenport, which is a charming small town on the north fork of Long Island…cute little shops and restaurants. It’s right on the water. Bought chocolates. Watched people ride the antique carousel. Had lunch with The Best Waffle Fries ever. I think I have like three places now with TBWFE. What is that? I like dipping them in blue cheese dressing. Yum.

It was a nice low-key day. Just what I needed after what seems like the past 27 hectic days.

And with that, vacation was over. Back to work tomorrow…and the start of counting down to the next vacation.