still dazed

Big Jim officially leaves for Amsterdam Sunday evening and starts work Monday. We had hoped we could prolong his departure for another week, but the company ends their fiscal year August 31 and therefore there are advantages to having Big Jim on the books before then. So much to do in the next couple of days. And it's really, really hot in the village at the moment: it was 115ish yesterday afternoon and still close to 90 when Big Jim walked M.A. home at nearly 3am. The slight breeze on the roof terrace last night felt as though someone had just opened an oven door. Today seems to be more of the same: it's already 90 in the office and it's only 9am. We invited M.A. over for dinner last night and to celebrate. She was one of a handful of people who knew about Big Jim's interview last week and only because she happened to stop by just as B.J. was on his way out the door to the airport. Big Jim made a beautiful meal (Balinese chicken), and we did have the bottle of Moet that we've been saving for a long, long, long time. Emotionally, it's a bit of a rollercoaster at the moment. We both alternate between laughing and joyous crying and then sad crying because we'll miss one another and trying desperately to focus on what needs to get done between now and Sunday. My brain has short-circuited as it often does when I try to process too many bits at once and thus I've been fighting off a migraine since yesterday afternoon. The dogs don't know what to make of us. After we received the news yesterday, we spent a lot of time on the telephone and e-mailing friends and family. In the village, we've only told M.A., J. and M., and R. our neighbor thus far. I'm sure the word will spread fast enough. :-) J. and M., being the lovely people they are, have offered their house outside of Amsterdam, which is currently empty and for sale, to Big Jim. The company is paying for a hotel for him initially, but J. and M.'s generosity is much appreciated and will give Big Jim more time to find an apartment of our own. So we most likely will take them up on the offer. Big Jim has ceremoniously emptied his "job basket" and has recommended our good friend D., who still lives in Munich and has been out of work as long as Big Jim, for the other positions he was currently put forward for. Well, must get to work. I have a deadline that I can't miss and Big Jim is focusing on admin and the computers today. hasta pronto, mylifeinspain