Let me start by saying that I am getting so much LESS sleep
in America than I ever did
in Singapore .
It’s crazy. I have been telling people that I will be here likely through the
end of June (which was confirmed yesterday – at least for now; you all know how
things in PNG go), so I have been taking my visiting life pretty easy.
After four days in
We had a great time with each other, eating lots of food,
hanging out at a baseball game – I say hanging out because I was the only one
who actually watched and knew what was going on. Alexis may have been seated
for two innings and Katie was good for about half of it. By the end, they both
realized why people like going to baseball games and said they would do it
again.
For anyone unfamiliar with one of my favorite in-person sports, baseball commences in the spring and plays through the championships in the fall. For $75 a ticket, we had access to the club level, which had its own bars and food vendors in an air-conditioned room. We had great seats that were covered in case of inclement weather but we were still outdoors.
The weather was perfect. It was sunny, breezy and the air smelled of ballpark favorites like hot dogs, popcorn and, Nic’s favorite, candy floss. I won’t lie, I love baseball games because I can sit with friends, talk openly, drink beer in big, plastic cups and eat popcorn and hot dogs until I can’t fit into my pants anymore – baseball is one of my favorite things. That is, when the home team actually shows up.
For anyone unfamiliar with one of my favorite in-person sports, baseball commences in the spring and plays through the championships in the fall. For $75 a ticket, we had access to the club level, which had its own bars and food vendors in an air-conditioned room. We had great seats that were covered in case of inclement weather but we were still outdoors.
The weather was perfect. It was sunny, breezy and the air smelled of ballpark favorites like hot dogs, popcorn and, Nic’s favorite, candy floss. I won’t lie, I love baseball games because I can sit with friends, talk openly, drink beer in big, plastic cups and eat popcorn and hot dogs until I can’t fit into my pants anymore – baseball is one of my favorite things. That is, when the home team actually shows up.
Poor Nats. The Washington Nationals had been hailed as one
of the year’s best teams and were expected to do very well. They didn’t. It was
pretty much a beating by the Atlanta Braves.
When the game ended, we parted ways. I headed back to NEOH (Northeastern Ohio ) and just continued to do what had to
be done.
Since I arrived, I have been running – signing up for a gym
membership, taking Gran where she needed to go, chauffeuring my mom to doctor’s
appointments, running my own errands to get things I needed for my new tiny
house and, every other free hour is spent at the restaurant.
Paul’s parents own a small place that serves lunch and
dinner six days a week. Annabell’s Restaurant, to me, is like Cheers, so I love
it. There are tables for two and groups as many as 15 come in on a regular
occasion. We have people who eat here two meals a day most of the six days we
are open.
Then there’s the Counter Crew. We have a few men who range
in age from 30s to 80s. They have their assigned counter chairs like people
have their assigned pews in church. The staff members know them by name and
usually know their orders before the men get situated in their chairs.
It’s a very blue collar group but the food ranges from diner
style to gourmet, all with a homestyle flair. Tim hides in the kitchen, where
he manages his staff and Suzi typically spends half her time with the customers
and the other half making sure that the books are done and their people get
paid.
The prices are incredibly inexpensive, especially for my
Singaporean brain.
In order for Suzi to get a break (because I can’t really do
Tim’s job), I have been helping with the customer end of things, restaurant
management and some of the back office work. My worker brain still is not
grasping that showing up to work at 11 or later is OK but, when we don’t leave
until 9:30 or later in the evening, I realize just how long that day actually
is.
Last Friday, I decided to take a break from the gym (I had
gone the four previous days and had a gym date planned for Saturday morning). I
decided not to set my alarm. When Suzi asked how late I intended to sleep, I
said probably 7:30 because I had been waking up between 6 and 7:30 every day
since I landed. 10:45. It was 10:45 before I awoke.
Because I never gave myself a chance to experience jet lag,
I refrained from napping and I drank a cup of coffee if I needed it during
daylight hours, I sort of forced myself to adjust. And then, at my first
opportunity, I crashed. I slept 11 hours and it was great. But since Friday, I
have been dragging. I need naps but I can’t because I am either working or
watching my cousin’s kids, which I love. I won’t lie, though, there was a point
yesterday that I wondered if I could get away with just a 15-minute nap while
one child slept and the other was watching television. Just 15 minutes…..
No, I decided we both needed to go run around outside in the
crisp air in order to wake ourselves. So we did.
Being back in Ohio and
learning about the great things Salem
has to offer (the Community Center, the Natural Solutions Salon, Friends
Roastery, which is pretty much the best coffee place ever, now importing teas
as well), I am starting to like it.
I am actually having a hard time figuring out where home is.
Salem feels
pretty good. But so did Singapore .
Don’t worry, though, I am sure the PNG people will be
telling me where I need to live in three months.
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