Blue Monday

According to the news, it's Blue Monday today. You see, after years of pretending that this doesn't concern me in some way, I have started watching the news on a regular basis. Every morning I sit behind my laptop with my yogurt, Cruesli and coffee and watch the latest bulletin online. And apparently, the third Monday of January is the most depressing day of the year. Reasons: bad weather, being broke due to consumerism December and unsuccessful New Year's resolutions. I can add to that:

* Bad weather. The beautiful white landscape of snow, ice and sunny blue skies is gone and has been replaced with a landcape all too familiar to us Dutch people: grey skies, rain, wind, and the kind of temperature that is freezing when you sit still for five seconds together, but incredibly humid once you move. For example when biking to work where you end up arriving covered in sweat and, consequently, freezing the rest of the afternoon.
* School. You think you've got it all under control when you finish a 20+-page teaching project in less than a week. You think you've got more than enough time to finish you 3,000-word research essay on ethnicity in one week, which will result in a two-week break instead of a one-week break (both weeks will be spend on researching your linguistic master thesis, but okay). Then an out-of-control portfolio forces you to come up with a reading list (even though you teach language, not literature) with 36 books that must fit into some crazy guy's matrix of literary competence levels and you end up wasting an entire week on finishing it.
* Work. Your (male) superiors decide to replace a perfectly fine computer system with a new, flashy one. Except they don't do it over the Christmas break, but during work hours, and while it's not even working properly yet. Result: you spent hours trying to figure out a system that is just crap. The students' e-files can't be updated, appointments are suddenly lost, and here comes the best part: unregistered appointments means no salary.
* Health. My shoulder has been killing me and I feel flu-like. I feel nauseous and feverish and I can't get the scary image of a man staring at a woman through her window out of my head. I was just flipping through the channels when I saw this terrifying scene, which is basically my worst nightmare, on tv and this is why I don't watch scary movies! I have to be more careful of that damn tv.

But there are some great things going on here as well:

* Jochem and I are saving up a lot of money! It means being thrifty every second of every day to the point of annoyance and bailing out on exotic summer holidays, but a great world trip is definitely in the making (I REALLY want to go to Tasmania, the Galápagos Islands and Easter Island!).
* Yesterday Jochem and I went to the Vakantiebeurs with my parents and had such a wonderful time. We found great information for our world trip and my dad gave us both these great Indiana Jones hats. I also got a woolen hat from some unpronouncable country between Mongolia and China and I look damn good in it! We had Corona, Cava, Caipirinha, and amazing Thai food. We finished the day at our favorite sushi restaurant. What a great day! :)
* My fundraising is going really well. I planned to raise 37.50 euros for the WSPA, but I already have 75.77 euros. Thanks everyone!
* In one week and one day Jochem is picking up the newest member of our little family: Manchego.
* I got an 8 for my participation, an 8.3 for my presentation, and a 9 (!!!) for my essay for my American Studies class. I am in absolute awe. At least I kick ass at the things that drive me crazy.
* I discovered this weekend that the two other holes that I have in each ear are in fact not closed up, which means that I now have three earrings in each ear again. It came with some pain and a lot of skin irritation, but beauty is pain.
* My little brother and his girlfriend bought a house. An actual house. I am thrilled for them but suddenly feel very immature.

So, it's a tossup really. Only 13 hours, 38 minutes, and 20 twenty seconds till Tuesday.