Howdy, Ruers. As we near the start of our long-awaited pass that will take us out of Genf until 2010, it's instance to near the year with some news. But first, the week-in-review!
Winter defy has settled in Genf and it snowed nearly every day this week. Not all of it sticks, but we got a good dusting and man, is it cold. Brrrrrr....
While not nearly as engrossing as ornamentation out on a expeditionary base like terminal weekend, this week came and went with a proper amount of seasonal frivolity. One of Marc's work trips was cancelled at the terminal minute this week, so he got to listen two removed holiday gatherings with me, making me a happy lowercase elf.
While my big edifice projects were done most a week ago, I've been tying up loose administrative ends as I look to begin actual thesis work this Spring Semester. Research, even as baritone level as mine is, requires most a million forms and support from another million people. The highlight of my week was effort IRB approval, which are initials that meant nothing to me a some months ago but upon which the ordain of my scholarly forthcoming has hinged lately. Thankfully, all went substantially and my send was approved by the big governing board of the university, and now I'm meet inactivity on a some committee members to sign off on it. Other than filling out days worth of forms, we've had some fun during the nights. weekday was a last-chance-gathering for a diminutive party assemble that we get together with occasionally and then weekday was a friend's holiday party, which meant there were binary pans of brownies and cupcakes being baked and decorated here at the apartment.
Holiday frivolity!
Since some of you hit been asking -- and the rest of you hit already read down this farther so you might as well keep datum -- we here at the Rue hit been working on whatever bounteous decisions. Our three-year stint into the mountains of Switzerland will officially be over this June 1, and while ease about 5 months absent from today, we were asked to decide before the close of this calendar year whether we want to return to the US at that instance or extend our meet here. It's been the topic at the apartment over some late-night chronicle talks, spirits pours and, as December arrived, coin tosses. But instance marches on, commonly in the modify of tiny measure soldiers marching across your face, digging trenches nearby your eyes while you sleep that countenance same crows feet in the morning. Wait, what was I saying?
Right, the expeditionary might of Father Time has won added round, and we can retard Decision-Day no longer. As suggested by the title of this post, making chronicle decisions based off song lyrics is as good as any other method we could come up with, so we knew that if we stayed, there will be trouble. However, we know that if we go, it will be double. And not ones for making anything more than single-barrel trouble, I am here to verify you, truehearted readers, that Mr. M and I hit verbally agreed to meet in Switzerland for an additional digit years after our initial contract date.
1) Probably nothing, unless you follow the Mayan calendar of prophetic doom.
2) Many more Rue posts to read patch ending time at work and home.
3) A second chance for you to get your passport in order and come visit us -- or -- if you've already been pleasant sufficiency to stroke by, it's a chance to come again. Hooray, vacation!
No dotted lines hit been signed, and anything could change from our end or the firm's end at any time. But patch we miss our family and friends and are often discouraged by the difficulties of distance, we are opinion more and more settled into life over here and think it's a good idea on whatever levels to stay.
So, there you hit it. Relieved from the weighty burden of decision making, Mr. M and I are leaving the country we just united to meet in for a little pass travel. Unlike last year's trek into the frozen tundra of Prague, this year we're flying as close to the solarise as our Icarus wings allow. We're taking soured this week for whatever recreation in the inhabitant sun, and despite dreading the 25+-hour flight are really hunting forward to escaping the wintry intermixture reaching down here. The itinerary involves The Great Barrier Reef, New Year's Eve in Sydney and a some days in the vineyards of Hunter Valley.
We're not leaving Oz until we feel as relaxed as this kangaroo looks. Sweet.
Photo credit
Over the next some weeks I'll try to post a some down-under updates, but in housing this is the last Rue post until the New Year, thanks for datum along on added year's adventures. Happy, happy holidays!
