Wednesday, January 23, 2008

A wee bit tired

You know, sometimes being a grown up isn't for pansies.

I am waiting to find out when this is all going to slow down a bit, and it just doesn't look like it's happening.

My schedule for work, now that the second woman is off for Mat leave is fairly dreadful, I have a million report cards to write, several school type events that are obligatory, the eyeball purchase, an influx of work from Canada, I am supposed to be trying to continue to study Catalan, and start Spanish, plus book tickets for March, get the girls Spanish passports - a process so bound with bureaucracy it makes my head spin - plus get both the man's and my Spanish drivers licence, another process fraught with international complication, then the twin nation tax issue is arising, and I have to get the pan-European health cards organised. Plus a raft of other nitty gritty activities, like buying new shoes for growing children, cork boards, tweezers blah blah blah...


Today alone we had plumbers in - three of them - to deal with a problem, plus the gas company to do a mandatory inspection, I taught for six hours, cut Youngest's hair for the fourth time in two days, and then made an emergency appointment at a hairdresser for her, the last style just wasn't working out, and we aren't cruisers in the Bahamas anymore...I have been to the market, the baker's (twice), a gestor - someone who specialises in dealing with bureaucracy, talk about a job residing on the edges of hell - researched the tax situation here, helped both girls with homework for both school and English, done dishes, cooked meals...though not dinner, that is the man's venue these days bless him....and done a load of laundry, which, now that I am writing, I remember is still in the machine getting stinky. Too darned bad.

I am plowing through it all, but sometimes....

Anyway, enough whinging...for the moment.

Can I just say that bureaucracy makes me crazy and every single simple little task requires hours of my time, and days to weeks of waiting?

Ok, 'nuff said.

No it's not, I need to say it again,

I hate bureaucracy.

On another note, while I was teaching the other day there was a reference in one of the books to Chile Rellanos, now if you have never had these, they are close on the heels to heaven.

OMGoodnessGraciousMe...

I got a craving on me that is fierce...deeply concerned, I did a google search and I think I came up with a recipe, and guess what, I don't need the oven!!! My only challenge will be to find the right type of cheese, Monterey Jack isn't a big seller around here, nor is a good cheddar, let alone a mediocre one.

Oh oh oh oh oh...

Now I just need to find a Mexican/South American grocery in BCN. There must be tons..

Then there is that Mexican frying cheese...have you ever tried that? Oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my ,

8 comments:

Beth said...

So now you have added finding a Mexican/South American grocery to your MASSIVE "to do" list!
I get tired just reading about all you have to do.
And, yes, dealing with bureaucracy tends to cause insanity. I hung up on one such call today. Brief satisfaction. I'll have to call back...

Anonymous said...

That sounds like a crazy day.

Hope you get to taste Chile Rellanos before the end of this day.

Anonymous said...

I am exhausted reading all that stuff you have to do. For me, fighting bureaucracy has got to be the most exhausting, and anything with paper makes me crazy. I hope you plough through it soon. I hope you find the ingredients you need for your Mexican food.

Lynda said...

STOP STOP STOP.... you are making me tired!!! How about I send you my maid for a week? I would if I had one. We visited someone from school this week and they have a massive apartment - with a maid 6 days a week. Miss 6 declared that SHE wanted a maid too... so she could have someone to boss about. Hmmm 3 weeks here and she is an ex-pat brat nightmare!

Go and do NOTHING... at least for 10 minutes.

elPadawan said...

Get some well-deserved rest. You need it :)

oreneta said...

Beth, I thought of you as I was whining about bureaucracy....

Sirdar, I didn't get to taste them, but I found and bought the peppers and some cheddar...maybe tomorrow???

Dawn, I must say, mushing paper makes me crazy, if I am really bad in this life I'll probably have to come back in the next one as a gestor....

Lynda, I love it that your six year old wants a maid...that is too funny. My kids think they have one, but I resist mightily...they would resent that remark, but it isn't very far off the truth.

Elpadawan, I'm sure you've had moments when you can relate, I cannot imagine the bureaucracy is any better there...go to this office and get form 784948773b, take it to.......

Mother Theresa said...

Bureaucracy...:( I hope you'll have an easier time than I am.

Joanne Vive la Fr said...

Bureaucracy - almost as hard to spell as it is to live with. You know what worked for me finally - (ALMOST) is that i just ACCEPTED it - I stopped ranting in my head about how evil it is and what a waste of time - and started to treat it like you would one of those incredibly long italian business lunches that take 3 or 4 hours so that you finally get to spend the last 5 minutes getting to the point - like a cultural experience that is building my patience and character ;-)