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Well, I haven't had much time to post what with work and getting used to my new country but I got a few minutes of down time tonight.
First, work is more amazing than I ever could have imagined. The people I work with are the kind that I am glad to be able to call friends. Every time I start to worry that I'm not doing enough, I get feedback that lets me know where I stand. When I freak out that I made a mistake and that means I'm canned, they laugh a bit and say "No worries, you'll get it next time" and the list of good things goes on.
As for Latvia, I'm falling more and more in love with it. It'll never have the comforting feel of the home where I grew up but it is warm and welcoming all the same. The cold and distant Latvian is something I have yet to meet. Sure, most people might find them gruff and grumpy but I grew up around cowboys...not a problem at all. For example, I went out with a group and had to wait with an older driver for a bit and we had a pretty good time. Sure, he only spoke a few words of English and German but I only speak a handful of words in Latvian. We traded vocab words and food (he introduced me to a type of peanut butter candy called crabbies) and had a grand old time. When the others came back, they all said how grumpy he was and how he didn't speak a word of English (he sure as hell knew the word for milk when we ordered coffee). I guess it's all in how you look at it whether Latvians are easy or hard to deal with.
Now comes the sad bit. We came home today on the only day where I can be home before 7pm to find one of my cats unable to move or eat. She was also having trouble breathing. We called the vet and took her in but it doesn't look good. Her blood glucose came back insanely high when less than 2 months ago it was fine. When the vet was feeling around he also noticed some possible signs of cancer in her which could explain the sudden spike. So, best case scenario she is diabetic and worst case, she's dying from cancer. Either way will not be easier for my girl.
So, on balance it's been a great time but a few prayers for my kitty wouldn't go amiss.
First, work is more amazing than I ever could have imagined. The people I work with are the kind that I am glad to be able to call friends. Every time I start to worry that I'm not doing enough, I get feedback that lets me know where I stand. When I freak out that I made a mistake and that means I'm canned, they laugh a bit and say "No worries, you'll get it next time" and the list of good things goes on.
As for Latvia, I'm falling more and more in love with it. It'll never have the comforting feel of the home where I grew up but it is warm and welcoming all the same. The cold and distant Latvian is something I have yet to meet. Sure, most people might find them gruff and grumpy but I grew up around cowboys...not a problem at all. For example, I went out with a group and had to wait with an older driver for a bit and we had a pretty good time. Sure, he only spoke a few words of English and German but I only speak a handful of words in Latvian. We traded vocab words and food (he introduced me to a type of peanut butter candy called crabbies) and had a grand old time. When the others came back, they all said how grumpy he was and how he didn't speak a word of English (he sure as hell knew the word for milk when we ordered coffee). I guess it's all in how you look at it whether Latvians are easy or hard to deal with.
Now comes the sad bit. We came home today on the only day where I can be home before 7pm to find one of my cats unable to move or eat. She was also having trouble breathing. We called the vet and took her in but it doesn't look good. Her blood glucose came back insanely high when less than 2 months ago it was fine. When the vet was feeling around he also noticed some possible signs of cancer in her which could explain the sudden spike. So, best case scenario she is diabetic and worst case, she's dying from cancer. Either way will not be easier for my girl.
So, on balance it's been a great time but a few prayers for my kitty wouldn't go amiss.
