Some good, some bad

What's been happening 'round these parts?

Well, for starters, my laptop is pretty much done, done, done...it doesn't even start up, really, anymore, although I occasionally can get it to do something and I might salvage a few more things off of it. The lack of laptop is behind my inability to post, respond to emails, etc. over the last couple months. I'm borrowing a new-to-me computer now, and it's nice to make contact with the world again.

August was great because we returned to our previous work schedules -- you know, the normal ones, where you go to work five days a week? After spending June and July working six days per week, I was definitely happy to get back to normal. Unfortunately, my schedule wasn't *that* normal, because I am still working at my 'new' center, after all, where the manager and his two managers-in-training are sort of obsessed with not giving the staff fixed schedules. So, every week it changes - 5:00, 5:30, or 6:00 for the evening shifts and anywhere between 12:00-1:30 starts on the weekend. It bounces all over the place. I've taken to writing it on my arm so I know when to go to work.

Since we had our weekends back, Brian and I went to Macau again during August -- we still love it! This time around we saw a few more historical sites, went to the museum, walked all around, and ate even more (and more delicious!) Portugese egg tarts.

In September, our two friends from New York came to Hong Kong for their vacation (yay! visitors!) so we headed down there on our weekend to spend time with them.

For Mid-Autumn Festival, we had a 3-day weekend, and we visited Yangshuo, which is in the next province over from us (Guangxi -- or Guang-west, which borders our own Guangdong, or Guang-east). Yangshuo is where you find a gazillion stunning karst formations rising out of the earth, and where you cycle and float around and where you don't feel like you're in China and it's awesome.

September's almost over, and we have rescued a kitten! He was abandoned and tiny and screeching outside our apartment building and we had to help the poor little fella out. We've since taken him to the vet, deeply enjoyed spending time with him, and worked on finding him a home.

Now that I have access to a functioning laptop again, I'll try for some more frequent updates as we head into fall and the home stretch!

p.s. Go Braves!