Kvetching, blogging

Kvetching



I've noticed that whenever a group of expatriates get together here, inevitably our conversation turns toward kvetching about life here in some form or another. This often happened living in Japan as well, I recall. So, then I started thinking, I wonder what expatriates living in the US kvetch about? I'm so curious! Any of you who live/have lived in the US, feel free to comment!

I'm trying to think about things I don't like about the US. I suppose it really depends upon where I was living. In the DC suburbs, it was traffic so bad that I actually would abandon going to the gym on my way home from work because it was clear the aerobics class I hoped to attend would be over before I even got there. Or, spending $70 at Whole Foods on about 8 items. And, the fact that with a graduate degree I still wasn't making enough to 1) Buy and insure my own car, or 2) Rent an apartment that actually had all the essentials, like a kitchen!

In Ohio, I tended to complain about the lack of culture. Not enough happening. And the winters. Brrr....Actually, I ended up complaining about the DC winters, too, because when I finally could afford to buy my own brand new car, a few weeks later a blizzard hit and I dented the bumper on a snow bank as I did a 100-point turn to get out of the driveway which was entombed in snow.



Blogging

The blogging thing is very new to me. I decided to do it because my present email account won't allow me to send group emails. So, basically, this blog is aimed at my friends and family. I figured if a few other people read it, that would be fine, too.

Well, today I decided to make my blog "not public," which means it will still be available on the Web, but won't be listed on the Blogger website. I did this because someone felt the need to leave a ranting comment about one of my posts and clearly the person did not bother to notice from what country I am blogging. Intelligent, informed comments are most appreciated, but this one did not fall into that category. I am not sure yet if I am going to delete it or not, but at least I have now also taken the action of enabling the "moderate comments" function:-) It's all a learning experience for me!

Creature from the blue tile pool
Yesterday I decided to take advantage of lovely weather and quiet construction conditions to dip in the pool. It was lovely. I had "Buena Vista Social Club" playing from the patio speakers. I imagined myself in Cuba (in the days when that was still allowed). It was glorious and relaxing. I was floating in heavenly pool bliss.

But then, as I drifted toward one edge of the pool on my "floatie" (what do Americans call those? I've forgotten despite the fact that we always had them as children. It's like an air mattress for the pool), I noticed an ominous black figure resting above one of the filters. Some would call it a "water bug." Others might call it a "beatle." But, you would just be fooling yourself with such terminology. The proper term is "cockroach big enough to swallow a car."

Part II
I've decided that when Sweetie retires and it is my turn to "bring home the bacon," I will be completely fine with that as long as my career does not involve bug control. I just had to dispose of something (a beatle, I am sure) writhing on the basement floor. And now I am going to try some natural remedies on the ant colony that thinks our kitchen is its summer home.