currently

let's take a time out and chat about what's been going on lately around here, behind the blog. currently, I am...

sipping: NOT a pumpkin spice latte. fall has definitely not arrived in Taiwan yet. it's feels like 95F out most days. and, well... Taiwan doesn't believe in the power of the PSL so I won't be having one anyway [or a peppermint mocha this winter. humph.] regular coffee it is.

watching: True Detective. holy cow this show was good, in a really dark and twisty down-in-the-bayou way.

exploring: local cafes and coffee shops. a friend and I visited the Casa de Socrates [seriously, I love the names of things here] cafe on the nearby college campus. the shelves were stacked with books, and they had four cats... two of which were kittens. I don't think I need to say I'll be going back.

geeking: over my football cake pops being featured on the New England Patriots website. if you're a little confused [or a new reader] I used to have a baking blog and make adorable things like cake pops all the time, before I became gluten intolerant and moved to a kitchen that only has a toaster oven. when I created these cake pops in 2010 I had no idea they would turn out to be such a hit [even almost 5 years later.]

editing: my book manuscript. I don't mean with a real, professional editor. just the edits I marked up myself. but once that's done I'll be [hopefully] ready to put it in the hands of a select few trusted individuals for some feedback before I send it to a real editor.

listening to: Jungle. some friends of ours showed us their amazing videos this weekend and I can't. stop. seriously, these guys have got some moves. on roller skates, no less.

anticipating: my friend and cousin-in-law's visit in a few weeks. I love playing tour guide around Taiwan, and I'm excited to and share our home with them. and eat xiao long bao, obviously.

teaching: my Build Your Own Blog class at Husband's school. I have 8 students, all with very different ideas, and I'm excited to help them put their own blogs together. getting into the teacher mindset is a little weird for me, but I'm hoping it gets easier as the semester goes on.

bugging out: over bugs. we found another cockroach in the apartment. lucky number ten was actually a live one. Husband had to squish it for me. and then the next day I discovered a spider, who escaped my efforts to end him. oh, the joys of living in a tropical climate... time to get sprayed again.

planning: our trip to New Zealand next year. I am so excited. like, fireworks-cartwheel-homerun excited. we are still in the early stages of figuring out where all to go, what to see when we get there, and how to travel between. I think we are going to be using a blend of car rentals, camping gear, trains, and camper vans. if you've been to NZ and have any suggestions, hook me up with some links below!