A long December

 One more drink he said,

and baby you got me tripping

though we're face to face

'bout to do it again, again, again and again

One more drink she said

I think I'm losing my head now

tonight we'll make

bad memories

(Meduza, Bad memories)

Last night there was the annual Christmas party, and no I did not attend. I have 0 intentions to attend a no-mask event with 2500+ people bumping into each other - meaning, I have 0 intentions to spoend Christmas break with covid.

Additionally, more than half of my time feels the same way about it, and this is lucky for me (as the only thing nearly as bad as getting covid would be having half of the team down with covid and needing to cover for them, which already happened in the past..)

Besides that, things are mostly okay, although we finally had to put down the black cat at my parents' place (the one who lived with us in 2020 during the lock downs). He had cancer and had gotten to a point that he was suffering so it was the right thing to do - yet a sad affair. That cat gave a lot of emotional support to husband when his dad passed during the first lock down in spring 2020. We will always remember him fondly.

Loki instead is doing well, growing up (I think he's going to be a big cat, my boy!). He's a very loyal cat, always running to me whenever I come home, wanting to be petted for a while, purring and so on. We're trying to potty-train him and, although it's a slow process, I think it's going well - we also spent two days with him at my parents' place and two at my sister in law's last week, and he behaved super well.

Blogging has been slow as I have a lot going on but it's some work related matters I can't really write about so, it is what it is. I'm confident there'll e enough family drama over Christmas to make for a good post or two :-)

Loki

I'm wide awake
Wide awake
I'm not sleeping
Oh, no, no, no

If you should ask then maybe they'd
Tell you what I would say
True colors fly in blue and black
Bruised silken sky and burning flag
Colors crash, collide in bloodshot eyes

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
If I could, you know I would, if I could, I would
Let it go

(Bad, U2)

How long have I been listening to this song? Must be 20 years at least.

I'm actually quite happy. Not about my weight, nor my looks, nor my back which aches like hell 25 days a month.

But overall, I am happy. I believe that the new family member has a good deal to do with it, despite the trouble of scooping up all his poop.

Meet Loki, the Brad Pitt of cats)

He is still very scared of being outdoor, but I keep trying and he's starting to be more comfortable as long as he can stay on my shoulder or in my arms. Hopefully we can train him to feel safe in a backpack where he can peek out.

On top, we're having a lovely autumn with long and dry days, pleasant temperature outside. My team is doing great at work and I always have a good time with them. This pretty much carries through work on a daily basis.

So the only thing is, I'm still fat.

Random things from vacation

 For the first time in the last 5 years or so, we managed to spend amazing vacation without work bothering us. And we had such a great time!

We spent three days in Bourgogne, visiting around some historical sites (Cluny and Beaune mostly) and relaxing by the pool and drinking fabulous wine. I had booked a room in this place, which turned out to be awesome

Then we went to Amorgos, my dream island. Although it's quite different in August with the summer crowd, it was still awesome and lovely. One day a local fisherman took us to a uninhabited small island and we managed to spend the day alone and naked at a beach, laying in sun, snorkeling and reading. What an amazing time!

We're back at work, but honestly we both feel so.. recharged if that makes sense!

Finally, Husband went on all summer saying that he really really wants a cat, so we're going to go and chose it on Saturday and then it will come home with us at the end of September once it's old enough. We're picking one from a litter of Siberians, they's mostly white although some have a grayish tail. I'm so excited about this!

Wishful thinking

 When I was a kid, I desperately wanted to be a boy (only one person in the world wanted that more than I did - my mother). Since that was not going to happen, I desperately wanted to be tall and boyish. At 14 I got a boy haircut (which did NOT suit me). I was severely underweight, but I wanted to be tall to be able to ride my brother's enduro motorbike.

I ended up being a tall woman (at least for Italian standards). Years went by and I also ended up being a fat woman.

And funnily, I now wish I was shorter, smaller, petite. I am so jealous of my short friends who, even when they get fat (they usually don't), have such little weight to carry around.

I still wish I was born as a boy.

Amorgos

 "Can we go to Amorgos for a week?"

I am ashamed to say that I've probably asked this question at least once a week over the past two years and a half.

"When would you want to go?" - wait - this is an opening. I think about an answer that would make sense, something that is actually doable.

"Last week of August - the crowds will have left by then, and days are not too short yet"

"Fine, let's do it"

Before her can change his mind I grab my ipad and within 5 minutes I have booked the flight to Mykonos, the fast boat that luck has placed at the perfect time from Mykonos to Amorgos, and the small place they were still building last time we've been there, a small house right on a small cliff by the sea that has private stone steps leading down to the water and a patio right above.

The place I dream to own, the island where I dream to get old and spend the rest of my life.

Amorgos, the dream of The big blue (but I'm sorry lovelies, English is not enough to render Le Grand Bleu, and even if you had seen the French cult movie, you would have seen the silly American version which was changed from the original as the French one lacked a happy ending, and was stripped of half of the poetry in the process).

Amorgos, where the blue is so deep that the sky seems dark. The island that Homer already deemed dry, I've never been so late in the summer: will there be any green left, any water trickling in the valleys? The golden steps of Panagia Hozoviotissa will be there for sure, unchanged.

Will I be able to come back?