Episode 22: December Already

SPEAKER_01 0:00

All right. Hello and welcome to another episode of As the Dinus. It's turned hard to keep a straight face, 'cause we've recorded this is like the third time in the last two weeks we've recorded and we've had technical problems that completely lost our last recording, and now this time we've had some issues with the microphones too.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

So Well, we'll see how it goes. We're glad to be here. I have to say that the holiday season is really exciting in Polk Trip, Portugal, and I am loving every minute of it. It's also one of the first years that I've had the energy to enjoy the holiday season. Usually I'm like, oh, do we have we have to put up the tree or ugh? Which is funny because Christmas is my favorite time of year. It just is. So I'm starting to feel much more like myself. And the tree is up, it is decorated, it's behind Jason. You can't tiny, but um, we have Christmas lights up inside, we have Christmas lights outside, and we've already been to a holiday market.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

We have. So there's a lot of similarities actually, but also some differences too, I guess, between U.S. and Portugal. But they definitely do celebrate Christmas time. People go shopping and and um I don't know, there's open air markets and indoor markets, and one of my favorite things is the Christmas markets.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

And I know that there are a few small towns in Iowa, like I know Pella has a Christmas market. Um so there are a few of those, but the Christmas arcus here are pretty uh pretty much a big deal. Every city's got one. Um, there's a lot of different um different crafts. There are toys and things for the kids, there's all kinds of activities. Merrow-go-rounds are popular, carousels, um, tons and tons of lights. Like the lights are over the top. So um be prepared for us to be posting some videos of lights, different places and in different cities. But I think my favorite part of the Christmas market is drinking ginja out of chocolate cups.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

That is good.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

So um ginja is a a liqueur, they um equate it to it's cherry-like, but it's actually specific to Portugal. And when you are cold and you're tired too, a little bit of a chocolate kick, um, and then the kick of the alcohol warms you from the inside, and then you're ready to keep going through the market. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Yeah, that was really good.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

The kids have enjoyed the donuts and the different cookies, so that's been on their list. And then we've been looking at all of the different artisan things that you can find ornaments and pottery and nativity scenes, like there's just tons of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Yep, and we went to Braga for the Christmas tree lighting and ended up not we didn't stay actually for the lighting ceremony, but when you watch the replay of the the cameras, the square area, it's not exactly a town square, it's more of a plaza, a big open plaza was like packed full of people.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

It was definitely packed. We were right there in the thick of it, and then we were like, oh, we still have like 30 minutes to go or 20, like 40 minutes, so let's go and look at a couple of things. Took everybody to the pottery studio, which is right over there, and the boys spent some of their money that um Aunt Trisha and Aunt Corey had given them, and because we just hadn't found anything that they were willing to spend the money on that was really art or something that we would have forever. So they finally found some things though. So they've purchased some really cool ceramics and some things that um mean a lot to the people that are teaching me how to do pottery as well, and so that was a lot of fun, but we still have lots to do. Like, I can't believe that the kids have this week and next week of school and then they're on break.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

How are we already at this time of year?

SPEAKER_01 3:47

We made it to December. It's been almost nine months.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

I can't even believe that. That's just crazy. That's just crazy. Um, we are gonna do some holiday baking, right? Um, it's not easy to find some things, so there'll be some interesting substitutions going. Um, but we're gonna do peanut butter blossoms. They're just gonna have chocolate milk balls in the middle of them because there are no Hershey kisses or anything like that to be found, right? So we're gonna do those and sugar cookies. Um, and then we'll do gingerbread. Lots of gingerbread, right? So we have big baking plans, and then there are a few places we want to go and see some Christmas markets.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

And we're gonna go to Porto.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Well, there are a few things we like to do in Porto. Like, what's on your list?

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Uh, Porto has one of the only alcohol stores. Well, there's plenty of alcohol stores, but a store that actually sells quite a bit of whiskey, so I'm excited to go there and pick up a bottle or two.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

He's rebuilding his whiskey library, so that's a process.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

It'll never be the same as it was in the US, though, when there were 37 bottles in it. Probably shouldn't be that large anyway, but if I get a few bottles.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

You've at least been able to find a few of your favorites, and so that's been a good thing. And then there are um some pottery supply stores and some yarn stores and things like that. But Jack wants to go to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch or dinner. He um bought us presents from there in Lisbon when he was on his school trip. He got us things from there. I have no idea why he decided that's what we needed, but that's what he did. And so um, that's one of the things he'd like to do. And we really just want to see all of the Porto Christmas lights. And then we have a trip to Spain coming up, too, don't we?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

We do.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

We're gonna go to Vigo. So Vigo is about an hour and a half north of us. So, and just so you know, Porto's about an hour, so we're right in between the two. Um, and it is known as um the Christmas place in all of Spain. So I can hardly wait. I mean, we're talking like huge Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, giant Christmas market. All of the pictures and all of the lights are just so pretty. Um, so we're looking forward to seeing how that goes.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

Yeah, it'll be good. And we said Christmas break in about in about two weeks, and and the so the Christmas break here is pretty similar to what it would be in the US, and then they go for about six weeks, and then there's a uh feud carnival, they get a few days off in February, and then suddenly it's Easter and it'll be springtime, and and then suddenly a school year'll be over and it'll have been a year for us.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

I just can't I can't believe it. So I'm having flashes to our Christmas last year and putting up a tree and just trying to get things cleaned and sold and getting rid of things, um, mainly because we were trying to make room just for general things. Um, but baking and relaxing and having having a little bit of a break was nice, but it just is like it I feel like we're in a completely different spot mentally than we were then too.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Yeah. Well, yeah, we're we're still in our 300 square foot stone structure compared to 3,000 square feet a year ago.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Yeah, and for those of you who are watching the video and it's one of your first times of seeing the video, the there's a stone wall behind us, and that is the wall of the house. Um, it's in our living room. Like you see that that's the corner, that's how it's it's small. We're sitting in the middle of the room, literally. And then you can see the wooden beams above us, and that's the sleeping loft upstairs. But we should be moving into the apartment um by the end of the month. And I know that the hope is that we'll be there by Christmas, but if not, we'll be there by New Year's. And so that'll be a completely different space. I am looking forward to having a door. I'm just saying, like a door in the bedroom will be nice, an extra bathroom will be like, wow, you know, it'll it'll be completely, you know, just spoiling ourselves. So um, we'll see how it goes. We have no furniture, we have mattresses already, and we've we've ordered those and they're kind of propped up different places. Um, and we have a TV because God forbid you not be able to game.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Right. Important things.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Um, so we'll see. We'll see if we get to do any Christmas things in the house or not. Um, I think that I'm just looking forward to us spending a lot of time together. And I know that there are a few things that the boys are looking forward to. The Christmas baking is definitely one of them. Um, Tyler has put together an amazing list. We have a um Christmas Advent calendar of specials and movies and TV shows. He put it together. It's color-coded according to which uh which streaming service we need to use. So we've been watching one Christmas thing every day. Plus, they have the chocolate advent calendars and those things. So I don't know. Between that and the fires, it's just been nice and kind of homey.

SPEAKER_01 9:16

Yeah, we've had a nice fire going in our wood-burning stove.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

It was really cold this morning, though. Okay. And so for those of you who are listening from Iowa, my really, really cold was a 37 degrees. It was cold. Um I'm sorry if you still you are, I know you've been getting snow, but I don't miss that. Um, I had to defrost a car. Ooh, in the sense that it was wet and I couldn't see out the windshield. But um high of 50 today. So, and then tomorrow it's gonna be a chilly morning, but then we're gonna get up to 59. So I think that it really is just um we're getting down into the you know lower 40s and then getting into the 50s. So I think it's a good spread. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:02

Well, and that's pretty common for winter time in this area in this area.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

So our dog Stan has joined us. He's decided he's gonna tell us stories. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

If you're listening to the audio, you might even be able to hear him kind of whining in the background. I don't know. Sometimes he tries to talk, so he is talkative.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Um Stan, however, is enjoying the fireplace, I believe, because and he's been cold, so he's got his little sweater on, and he likes to curl up inside of like whatever blanket he can find. Um just like I showed the cat likes to curl up inside the coat tree um or lay on our bed. That's where he sleeps. So I think that when we move though, I think all of the animals are really gonna miss the yard.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

That's true. We'll be on a second floor apartment with balconies on both sides, so they will be able to be outside, but not quite like it is here.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Yeah, we'll see how the animal patrol uh of the neighborhood goes. Um I'm sure that that will be an entertaining adjustment.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

Leo won't be able to go outside and jump the wall and roam the neighborhood, I suppose, as easily.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Well, that's a good thing because he gets himself into trouble. Like so. Um he's notorious. So there've been some good things and additional things that have happened since we talked to you last. We did get a second car. Um, we ended up getting a second car so that while I'm running around or Jason's running around for business, um, then we can make sure we have something to go and get the kids because having one car was becoming an issue when it comes to appointments and other things. So I think that that's something that we are excited for. Um, but that also means that when people come and visit us, you will have um when we move, we'll have a place that you can come and kind of sleep and relax. But also we've got a car that you can use so you don't have to be tied to us all the time. So that's another thing that we're excited for, right? Is that people come and see us. We keep saying this. Nobody's like we've only had one set of visitors come and say hi. So I'd say plan your trips for 2024 because we're gonna have some space and we're gonna have um lots of places that you can go and check out.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

So as far as additional plans over break, what's something that you'd like to do over this Christmas break? Because he has a break from work too.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Yeah, I guess I don't know. We'll have to think about that.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

I'm thinking road trip. Might need to road trip. I could go to Seville. Uh I could go to Barcelona. I could go to Madrid. There are a few places on my list. Should we make that list? I think that's what I'm looking forward to in 2024 is being able to go different places. Um that was really like waiting on Jack's uh residency card was the thing that kind of held us back from doing a lot of those things this year. And so being able to do some of that will be great. Um, we'll even be able to take advantage of like the EasyJet and Ryanair flights out of Porto and go all different kinds of places for a weekend if we want to.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

So it should be fun.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

All right. Well, catch us again next time on another episode of As the Dinoson's Turn.