I've been awfully quiet on this blog - the last post was end of January, nearly two months ago. That's terrible to let the blog go stale like that - I'll try to do better. But I have been extremely busy: Switching to a new Redmond-based team (and finishing up with my team here in Denmark) and getting the house project up and off the ground, through city approvals, negotiating costs with the builders and arranging financing with the bank.
So it was a two-week whirlwind tour when I returned to Seattle the first half of March. The primary purpose of the visit was to ramp up with my new team and meet my teammates etc. but we had also set the goal of closing on a contract for building the house and getting the financing in place; since I wasn't sure when/if I'd return before construction is slated to begin (June 1st) it was critical to get things done while out there in March.
So the first thing I noticed on return was -- surprise, surprise -- it was considerably warmer in Seattle, and spring was already underway; the cherries were exploding with blossoms
Even though it's been a mild winter here in Denmark, it was still encouraging to feel the stronger sun and see the plants blooming.
Meeting the new team went great - I'm very excited to start working with these guys. Suffice for now to say that it is a new and rather ambitious (but not, as far as I know) announced product and I'll have some very meaty problems to work on, which I'm really looking forward to. I got a very good impression from my teammates and new manager, and after all, that's more than 50% of your happiness in any job, right? So we're off to a good start there.
Of course I made some time to visit friends - here's some crap pictures (sorry) just for posterity's sake :)
that's Andy & Tracy with Levi & Henry in their great, refurbished basement/kid's area; and
Susan & Alex with Charlie and Clara.
It is a cliche but I'm continually amazed by how much these kids have grown in the months since I have seen them last. For the older siblings (Charlie and Levi) they're no longer toddlers but young boys and the little onces aren't babies anymore!
I also managed to see my friends Mike & Jackie and their daughter Anna who has also blossomed - she's only 3 and was writing her name on paper at the restaurant (Red Robin - kid friendly :)) where we met
and the Robin herself (himself?) came out for a photo-op with Anna, much to her delight
I also saw my friends Jeffrey, Francois, Christopher, K.C. from MS and a even few friends (Alessandro, Anoo, Scott Sherman, Peter Kron -- thanks Sharron for wonderful dinner!) from 'back in the day' 4-6 years ago! More on Anoo in another post.
There were several long meetings with the builders on plans, costs, timing etc. -- rather stressful and the numbers are shocking, but I'll cover those details over in the house blog -- which required meetings over on the Seattle side, and my friends John & Jacki graciously put me up for a few nights.
While staying with them we popped into Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub in Lake Union for a brunch, which coincidentally is the same building where we'll be living for a few months when we return to Seattle in August, until our house construction is finished (which should be around Thanksgiving)
And I squeezed in a quick visit with Elizabeth and Alan at the end.
In spite of all these hook-ups, I still managed to miss a few people. It really makes me realize how much we miss our friends, that's a large part of the reason for going back: Like anyone, we miss our friends and family. But as it turns out I'll be going back for two more two-week visits between now and August 1st (late April and end of May) so I should be able to catch everybody then.
Well I guess I have indirectly announced the details of our return: We move back to the States from Denmark on August 1st, nearly 3 years after arriving here in Denmark. It has been a fun ride, but it time for us to return, we miss the lovely climate and dramatic scenery of Seattle as well as our friends very much. And as anyone who has lived as a non-native speaker in a foreign country will know (I will include Brits in America in this definition) in your adopted country you sorely miss the ability to exercise the verbal shorthand, double entendre, irony -- even tell a joke -- that are second nature in your mother tongue. Let's just call it "banter". I'm really looking forward to banter again!
But before we return, there is much to do here and some adventures (read: travelling) to be had. South of France is next over Easter break, then Italy in May, and there will be others (Barcelona? Berlin?) before we return, plus of course long bike rides here in Denmark. So please read on, and I'll do a better job of keeping you informed these next few months.
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