Happy Weekend!

Hellooo there, good morning, happy weekend!

Well, it would be happier on this end if it wasn't so gray...but the sun keeps attempting to poke its way out of the clouds, so all I can hope for is its success. And it doesn't quite feel like a weekend here yet--sometimes Jack's program requires him to brew beer (oh, boo-hoo, right?) on a Saturday. This would actually be somewhat similar to what Jack might be doing at home in Chicago on a Saturday, but at least I'd be able to sit in the living room, watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother, willfully choosing to ignore him while he sanitizes his equipment for 9 hours. There IS a difference between choosing to do your own thing, and having that choice made for you...

...and that, my friends, is what we have in Berlin. At least, for now. The last couple days have been sort of difficult for me, as I've struggled with the "being stuck at home" feeling. Nasty weather always compounds this feeling, as it's easier to stay in during rain and slush and gray if you don't have anything you HAVE to do. Despite this, though, I've gotten bursts of creativity that produce hopeful feelings, like Berlin is going to be very fruitful for me. But this week, those feelings have faded before I've taken myself up on them. I think if my mother were here, she'd insist that I buy one of those light machines that you stare into for a half hour every day to elevate your mood. And she'd probably be right. God, I can only imagine what one of those things cost. Did I mention that I bought my usual contact solution yesterday at an Apotheke (pharmacy/drug store)...for 14€? GAHHHHHHHH! Highway robbery!

Well, more on the ridiculous cost of living in Europe later. As for my own weekend here in Berlin, I'm going to make it more cheerful than what I've felt "being stuck at home." I'm sure Jack and I will go exploring later this afternoon after he's done brewing, maybe I'll do a bit more writing, take some pictures, go out and see the Saturday-night-city tonight. And then tomorrow--BEARS GAME! Thank god it's on at a reasonable time that we can watch it here. We've found an English/American bar that plays NFL games, and they said they'd for sure be playing the Bears tomorrow, 7pm. Woot!!!

And that's your morning update. Happy Weekend, everyone!