Things That are Different

1. Driving to work vs. taking the collectivo. It felt odd to get behind the steering wheel again.
2. My computer keyboard....it's something that you don't think about every day because you use it so frequently, but when you have to use a variety of keyboards with different keys and codes for the @ symbol, deleting text, or using the quotes, you really appreciate how much faster you can type with your own keyboard.
3. Toilet seats....They definitely have a different feel to them (and I even have toilet paper!).
4. The weather....It's cold and rainy. Sure hope it changes soon.
5. Postres....Back to watching what I eat again and not eating so many postres. I gained 4 lbs. while I was in Mexico.
6. Today I had a Diet Pepsi instead of a Pepsi Light.
7. I have my own dog instead of many substitute dogs and she got her hair cut.
8. Instead of a few e-mails from friends and family, I had 1, 398 e-mails at work today.
9. I started working in Benefits IT Retirement instead of Customer Experience.
10. I actually got to work out today.
11. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted now that I'm off my high (Dennis, don't even think of playing the violin!).
12. I'm in touch with the outside world and news updates. Now Luis doesn't have to fill me in on world events as he did because I didn't get to watch much T.V.
13. Even though my Spanish isn't that great, I'm still having a difficult time remembering to say "Thank You" instead of "Gracias" or "You're Welcome" instead of De Nada. And, ordering my Starbucks is a whole new experience. I literally have to think about it before I respond. I can't imagine speaking 5 languages like Annemarie!
14. Meijer's store....What on earth were they thinking?...I finally went to get some groceries and was shocked when I walked in and saw that the whole store is under construction and is being re-arranged in the opposite order. (It's only a couple years old.) I loved going there because I knew exactly where everything was.
    
    Sometimes I feel like I'm on Candid Camera. As I was about to leave Meijer's, a man approached me and asked me if I could help him by telling him where he could find books and colored pencils because it was his nephew's birthday. That wasn't it, he introduced himself (his name was "Jim"....I think his last name was Beam) and he asked me my name.
    Couldn't he see how disappointed I was that they moved everything? Why would I know where to find books and colored pencils there now? I couldn't even find the Lean Cuisine frozen entrees as they were all sold out. We might have to open a Woolworth's here soon!
15. Gas is now $3.21/gallon. I can't believe that I couldn't remember which side my gas tank was on. I'd like to forget at those prices.