Tryin again.

New Post on it's way!

Apartment Pictures!

Around the 3rd week of June, we received our apartment assignment. First from the current family living in the apartment and then the official notice from the school. We are so excited to finally know where and what our "nest" looks like.

We will be living on the 15th floor of what is termed a "western style" apartment. The apartment is a spacious 3 bedroom 2 bath furnished spot. We are fortunate to have a washer and a dryer, air conditioning and our own hot water heater. From what we've learned all of these things are quite rare and we are lucky to have been assigned these accommodations. Oh and yes, the building has a working elevator.

The picture is the view from the apartment!

Finishing up School!

Finishing up school is always difficult, when combined with packing up classrooms, living in a hotel and planning for "the big move" the task became exhausting. However, everything came together and a few days into June school year 2008-2009 was a memory.

Packing up my classroom was particularly interesting for me. I was torn between keeping those treasured teaching materials that I've used for 14 years and realizing that I would no longer be teaching teenagers, but needed to keep things that a 7 year old would use...mmm, yeah so I pitched everything (well, donated and gave to other teachers) and left my classroom with 1, yes 1 arm full of stuff.

Next step is vacation for the family. Our plan is to travel around this summer and get as much "Americana" as we can before we leave for Ukraine.

"THE BIG SALE"

When me moved out of the apartment we rented 2 of the largest sized storage buildings. Carl and I spent hours pulling out things to sell and things to keep. We loaded a 26' UHaul with our "garage sale" things and loaded the "keepers" back into 1 building. After sweeping out the empty unity we drove to the borrowed driveway of a friend. Exhausted, we went home and slept a few hours, then at 3:30 in the morning we returned to unload and sell-out.

Our first customers arrived at 7:00, eager to scurry off with our "stuff." For a minute I felt guilty encouraging their purchases; however, I remained focused on our goals and for the better part of the day was an excellent sales person. Shoppers came and went all day. They were full of questions like why we were selling, where we were going, why were we leaving the states, would we sell this for a dollar or that for a quarter and is the house for sale also? Finally, we decided to close up shop and cart the remains off to charity. When the truck was again loaded up with a fraction of what we'd arrived with, we were done.

Periodically through out the day, I'd pause and reflect on the years it had taken to collect all the things scattered across the drive. Our tent, bought on clearance from Sears years ago, stood proudly beside piles of stuffed animals and old shoes. That tent had crossed the United States in our van. In 2000 we drove Dylan and Emma from Texas to California stopping at all sorts of places to camp. That tent protected us from a rain storm at the Grand Canyon! I knew taking a tent to Ukraine was ridiculous, yet it made me sad to watch it loaded in to a truck and drive away. I could only hope it would continue to be used and enjoyed as we had.

I know it's only "stuff" and the memories are what I'll hold onto, yet I struggled with viewing our belongings spread out for others to pick out. A couple of items were rescued from the sale and we laughed and told stories all day long. For the record, I did not intentionally put Carl's vintage CP30 in the sale on purpose! Financially we did "OK" but in terms of laughter and love we are millionaires. The things can go, the memories are mine for ever, they can't be bought for any price. They travel with me everywhere and I can give them to anyone. Our memories make us truly wealthy; the rest is just junk.

One step closer to Ukraine!

I Hate RATS!

There was an unidentified rustling in the garage, followed by torn trash bags and some gnawing on the garage door. We were alarmed and quickly tried to identify what exactly was responsible for the mess. I think it was the trash that really clued us in to who our "uninvited guest" was; not many other creatures tear up trash in just that manner. Being the excellent apartment dwellers we are, we followed standard protocol and made a maintenance request. Our request was met with laughter, and not near enough concern for the health and yes (they carry the plague, you know) of our children. We waited, submitted a second request...and reminded them that they had yet to complete the requests we made when we moved to the apartment in July, and then waited some more.

At this point you are wondering why I am including these maintenance concerns in our blog...well when Emma stormed upstairs and said "Whatever is in the garage is scratching at the door and it's freaking me out--I'm sleeping with you!" We decided we'd be good tenants long enough and following several discussions, the Alman's packed up and moved out!

Where did we go? Well I have discovered that when you share your story, people often "step-up" to help. I found a quite lovely extended stay hotel (Shout out to Hilton Homewood Suites; which provides breakfast 7 days a week and dinner Monday through Thursday including drinks for the adults) that provides 2 bedrooms, living room and a small yet functional kitchen. We may never stay anywhere else! When I explained our "rodent situation" the Sales Manager not only offered an exceptional room rate, she provided the number for the City of Euless to report my apartment's failure to respond to the situation. Interestingly enough, two weeks following our move I got an email from the complex letting us know that "all requests were completed." Well, too little too late! Good thing she also told me that rats and lack of "timely response" is cause to break your lease.

So here we are at the Hilton, planning for summer and waiting for dinner which someone else will prepare and clean up after. We've actually realized that is an excellent transition for the whole family--we didn't need all the stuff we were holding on to. It's amazing when you move to a smaller place, how families become closer and what matters is who you are with not what you have with you.

Next step--Garage Sale.....2 storage buildings and lots and lots of "stuff!" It's all going up for sale, because none of it is going to Ukraine! 6 days left of school and 75 days till we board a plane for our new home (and this time, no rats!).

Now Where Does Tyler Sleep?

Sold Tyler's bedroom set to a friend at school. Replaced it with Grandma Clements furniture we plan to store.

Now Where Do We Eat?

Sold the table and chairs!

Passports

ARE HERE! Now we have the paperwork to get us where we want to go. Next on the list is to get Visas from the Ukranian Embassy. Meanwhile, we are selling EVERYTHING. Wanna buy some knickknacks or a trike?

Downsizing dry run

We are staying in our timeshare this week, vacationing at Canyon Lake near San Antonio, TX. We have a furnished apartment, 2 bedrooms. All we brought were suitcases of clothes and an ice chest. We grocery shopped here. We are doing okay! I think we could handle it. One more bedroom would be plush.

Dylan was asking a few questions about Kiev today, about shoes and mountains and stuff. I think he might be realizing the reality of it all. I told him we will take some things with us and order some things form the states, but they wear boots there and we plan to live like the locals sooner than later. I think he will come around--as long as he doesn't have to give up his XBOX!

E-mail us!

KIS tech department let us know we are on the faculty roster now! You can email us at carlalman or kimalman@ukr.qsi.org. We aren't there yet, but we'll get your e-mail. Cool--one more step on the journey there!

Praying for Rain or Not?

If you schedule a garage sale, you hope for good weather. Of course.

A friend suggested we "Pray for good weather."

Can you do that? I mean, you can say the words, but can you really ask God to clear the skies? Will he? If you're really good? What if more farmers pray for rain? Good farmers. I guess they win.

I'm not that good. I better just hope for clear skies. And buy some tarps.

Everlasting Tuck?

Kim has taught the book Tuck Everlasting nearly every year for the last 13. I finally took a moment to read it this weekend. I can't believe I've never read it! How could I have missed such a wonderful (and deep) story. Loved it!

Here's my favorite part:

"Life's got to be lived, no matter how long or short," she [Mae] said calmly. You got to take what comes. We just go along like everybody else, one day at a time. Funny, we don't feel no different. Leastways, I don't. Sometimes I forget about what's happened to us, forget it altogether. And then sometimes it comes over me and I wonder why it has happened to us. We don't deserve no blessings--if it is a blessing. And, likewise, I don't see how we deserve to be cursed, if it's a curse. Still--there's no use trying to figure why things fall the way they do. Things just are, and fussing don't bring changes..."

Sometimes we remember how we got where we are and how it all happened. Sometimes, we just get up and go to work to get the job done. But one thing is for sure--fussing about the past sure won't change it. And you won't know if it was a blessing or curse until it's too late to do anything about it anyway. Might as well live while you can!

garage sale-ing your life

Ever get things ready for a garage sale? It's a lot of work! Going through things, picking out forgotten items, deciding what to price them (not to much and not to little).

Now try it with everything you own.

We collect so many things as we walk through life. Where does it all come from? How could we possibly need it all? half of it? any of it? True, there are those special items--that tall glass from New Year's Eve at a Chinese restaurant in Georgetown, TX from 20 years ago, the pampered chef collection that you use some piece of everyday, the book you haven't read yet, but definitely will someday. The list goes on and on. Where does it end? I guess it ends when you have so many "special" things you have to step over them and can't even remember why they were all so special in the first place.

I don't want to be a collector anymore. But it is no easy habit to break. I guess selling them one "special" item at a time is the best way to start. Someone will pay 25 cents for those old fish tanks rocks I've been hanging on to just in case, I know it!

Our plan is to leave with only what we can carry in our suitcases and store only the irreplaceable. But that's not as easy as it sounds. Those may be some BIG suitcases.

Mardi Gras 2009

Here's a picture of us at Higland Ball for Mardi Gras. The theme was British Invasion. Our costumes and masks are made of duct tape. We had a great time (the last Shreveport Mardi Gras for a while). Didn't get in trouble this year-darn it!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step

Contracts are mailed-waiting on confirmation of receipt. We've been contacted about making travel arrangements to Kiev. Passports are in the works. Ebay auctions are going well. We've taken the first few steps of this journey. We are settled in for the long haul till the end of the school year and the roller coaster finish in August. Hopefully that will just be a layover on the BIG trip.

Signed, sealed, delivered

We got our contracts via email Thursday! No more lingering doubts. I guess this is real! We are already selling things on ebay and to friends trying to shed belongings. Need any furniture? Shop with us first! Have any big suitcases? We can make a trade! 6 months till lift off!

R U CONNECTED?

Are we more connected with blogs and websites and twitter and cell phones and facebook and texting? Or less? If you read a blog, then you know more than if you didn't, but less than face to face time. But you can't see everyone you know everyday. I don't see my cousin, won't for years, but I read her blog daily so I know her, about her life, her kids.

Maybe sometimes we know more about people from online connections than we need to.

But I'm still not getting a Facebook. And I still screen my calls.

In August, you won't see us every day unless you are in UKRAINE!

And the waiting...

So now we have to wait. For contracts in the mail, for a call from the director of the school, for passports, for appts for shots, for summer, to sell all our stuff, to buy some new stuff we might need, to pack what is left, for summer, for August, for that first step onto the plane. Can't wait! But I guess we have to. Waiting...

Better News!

Never assume! New email this afternoon! Our recruiter spoke with the director and convinced him to change our assignment to KYIV!! We're going to Ukraine!

Initial shock, then an instant of disappointment (we'd already started to "buy in" to Kazakhstan), then joy. Our initial goal was to see Europe (and Christine). Kyiv is the best way to accomplish that. We can always visit KZ. Everyone is excited! Ukraine, here we come!

Good News / Bad News

First the bad news. After an exceptionally positive family interview with an international school consortium, we made our ranked list of choices for our recruiter Mr. Philpot to submit to his director. In order, they were Kyiv, Ukraine, Shengou (sp?), China, and Almaty Kazakhstan. We have invested many hours of research and focused attention on Kiev. Our friend is there, she's convinced us it is a wonderful place, enjoys the teach abroad experience, etc. That' what we were determined to get. But when Mr. Philpot returned with an offer from the director, it was for ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN. Where the HELL is Kazakhstan? Oh crap! What happened to our #1 and #2 choices? Christine??

Then the good news. As we considered our options, we realized that saying no to the offer was saying no to teaching abroad, which is the heart of what we want to do. As difficult as it is to shift focus from Kyiv and (already I miss...) Christine, we remembered that we embarked on this endeavor to show our kids the world and look for some new experiences ourselves (not to mention the ridiculous money). We were resigned to choose China if that's what came through, but Kazakhstan?

Hell Yeah! We are going to Almaty, Kazakhstan! Turns out KZ is a beautiful country (check photos on travel sites). Almaty is right next to the Tien Shen Mountains. The school (building, website, staff, program) looks awesome. There is access to all of Central Asia and North and East Africa. The list goes on-like the house and car the school provides, the travel, bonuses, 100% insurance, housing expenses paid, and more.

So we are going to Kazakhstan! The letters of intent have been sent. We're in!