living with you's just putting me through it all of the time

I had a nice morning (slept in a bit, worked in my pajamas, made excellent coffee and an equally excellent omelette), but it went downhill over the course of the day due to various workplace annoyances. However, I rallied at the end of it so that I could get a mani/pedi in preparation for this weekend's wedding. I also ate the last of my leftover salmon, which was v. tasty, and then I packed for my flight tomorrow - this was a pretty fast endeavor, since I'm only gone for 72hrs and so was able to refrain from overpacking quite as badly as I often do.

After that, I spent the evening unwinding, taking care of house stuff, watering plants, etc. And now I should really go to sleep so that I can wrap things up tomorrow before leaving - goodnight!

i can bring the vibe down from ten to zero

I drove, I worked, I drove, I watched Bridgerton. That pretty much sums up the day. I guess I started it with some tea and journaling, which was nice. Then I went to Boulder, where I slogged all day. The office is still bizarrely empty, which means I have every nice lounge space and every amenity to myself; I had a quick chat with [censored] while sitting in a closed lounge meant for fifteen people (it has two comfy chairs, a long table, and several nooks filled with pillows built into the wall, with ladders to reach them - it's near an area called the Beehive, and the nooks do feel very hive-like).

So, I had breakfast and lunch, both of which were tasty. I had a bunch of meetings, including one with someone who is likely my new manager (yes, #8 in 4.5 years) - luckily I knew him many years ago, so at least that was fun and easy. And then I skipped out to run some errands and then go to Caroline's house. She invited me, other Sara, and Alice over to have cheese and watch the first couple of episodes of Bridgerton Season 2, which I had refrained from watching until now. So far so good, although it's a slow burn and my brain is struggling to recollect what happened in the book vs. what is happening in the show.

And now, I'm safely home and in need of sleep - goodnight!

dance like da da da

I was pretty busy today, workwise, which is not what I wanted because it was warm out and I didn't want to be stuck inside. But stuck inside I was, so I slogged all day (with a break for leftover harissa white beans + pulled pork, which were delish). I also talked to Alyssa, who was great as per usual. Then I made myself a sweet potato to eat with my leftover salmon, and that was also excellent. And then I took a walk, washed my face, and set a timer for ninety minutes to get through as much work as possible tonight before calling it quits.

And now I've called it quits for the evening (not for good), so I am going to shut my laptop and go to bed - goodnight!

you call me fred astaire

No blog tonight - I had a lovely day, mostly because I managed to stay off twitter until 11pm (and then logged on, saw some of what happened at the Oscars, and went deep in the discourse). I spent the day journaling, doing laundry, and doing a lot of cooking - I roasted some salmon, and then I made a slow-cooked harissa and white bean stew + some slow roasted pulled pork, so I'm set for meals this week. The salmon was perfect (I had some for lunch), and the white bean stew + pulled pork was excellent too. It was an attempt to create a different version of this recipe from Alison Roman that I had tried twice - it failed both times (meat totally dried out, beans singed), but the flavor profile was clearly going to be good. All in all, the meal worked, and I'm excited to eat more of it this week (+ eat what I froze on some future date).

I was supposed to see Katie, but she canceled, which was just as well since I needed to spend the whole afternoon taking care of personal business. I did, however, have a video chat with the friendship renewal crew before spending the rest of the evening continuing my business. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

cheap thrills

I'm too tired to blog - I was falling asleep hours ago, but I gave myself a brief second wind by mixing some spices and putting a rub on a pork shoulder that I'm going to roast tomorrow. I had a good day overall - I think I figured out a sectional for my Iowa house, and I bought groceries, and I got a massage that was certainly more therapeutic than relaxing (the massage therapist worked out a lot of kinks, but that involved a level of pain - but I left feeling melted, which was perfect).

The rest of my day was uneventful, but now I need to sleep, get a million hours of sleep, and then do a million things tomorrow (or at least meal prep for the week + finish organizing my taxes, which I suddenly remembered I need to do this weekend or else). Goodnight!

baby i don't need no dollar bills to have fun tonight

I got over eight hours of sleep last night, which was a miracle - and of course, when my alarm went off, my body still wanted even more sleep. But I somehow managed to rally, and that enabled me to work all day - I was pretty productive, even with a break for some leftover chili.

I had put a nice bottle of chardonnay in the fridge with the intention of roasting some salmon and sipping wine while watching the ISU game tonight. However, as I was finishing up work, Aunt B texted me to say that she and Uncle B were downtown at a Cyclones watch party. So, on a whim, I decided to join them. This was definitely not how I had intended to spend my night, but I'm glad I went - I hadn't seen Aunt B in ages, so we caught up in breaks between the games. Both the ISU men's and women's teams were playing tonight, and unfortunately both of them lost - but I scored some chicken tendies and a lot of wine, so it was a worthwhile excursion.

After the game, Aunt B and Uncle B dropped me off at my house. And now I should go to bed - I have several errands to run tomorrow, which means I can't stay up late and get up late. Goodnight!

still up with the sunrise, white lines in the hillside

I went into the office again today - now that I've been in three times, it's starting to feel a little normal. Of course, my office will never actually be normal - I found a secret room today (only because I was told there was one), where pushing the right set of boxes revealed a room with arcade games inside. I also discovered a meditation room, where I tapped on a Tibetan singing bowl for awhile and felt marginally more relaxed. And I had breakfast with Tomas and lunch with Caroline, so that was a delight.

In the afternoon, I hosted another 'treats and greets' event for a bunch of people in Boulder - I'm not entirely enthused about going back to the office permanently because I want to spend more time in Iowa than I'm going to be encouraged to in the future, but it is good for my mood to get all the sunlight in the office + all the people interactions. Then, after work, I remembered that there's a mall right next to the office - I had completely blocked it out of my mind that I used to do a lot of my errands in Boulder, because it was easier to go to Target or Sephora or Home Depot or Nordstrom Rack right next to the office while waiting out rush hour. It's amazing how many tings used to be common parts of my life two years ago and now are just...forgotten habits that may or may not return post-pandemic.

So, I went to Anthropologie to look for a dress for next weekend's wedding (I think I succeeded, although it may be slightly ridiculous due to the cut/pattern), and then drove home, messed around, ate some leftover chili, etc. And now I'm determined to go to bed legitimately early so that I can get enough sleep tonight after a week of fitful slumber - goodnight!

don't let me down

No blog tonight - I worked all day and it was extremely unexciting. I tried to run an errand after work and failed because the alterations shop I tried didn't want my business. And I made chili for dinner, which was delicious but is also something I make often, so it wasn't as exciting as it could have been.

Perhaps tomorrow will be more exciting, but right now I need to sleep - goodnight!

hypnotized by the lights

No energy to blog tonight - I didn't sleep well last night, and I really need to go to bed immediately. Today was nice, though - I actually went into the office of my own accord, mostly so that I could get a massage. They've restarted some of the old amenities, and massages used to be impossible to get a slot for, but since a lot of people aren't coming in yet, I was able to sneak in a forty-minute massage that involved me wearing clothes on top of the table [it was supposed to be twenty minutes in a chair, but there was no one after me, so we doubled it]. My body is such a wreck from sitting in my house all the time, so the massage was v. much needed, but it was just an appetizer for all the work I need to do to actually get my body back into some semblance of order.

sssanyway. I also organized my desk, ate lunch, and had several meetings. Then I came home, and I talked to my parents on the way (happy 42nd anniversary!). I did a bit more work, talked to Katie, and made a sandwich for dinner (my favorite tuna salad, don't feel sorry for me). And then I did at bit more work, but hopefully I can get caught up later this week.

And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

echoes in the dark

I have nothing to report today - I had some meetings, but a bunch of stuff in the middle got canceled, and so I played hooky and took myself out for lunch rather than ordering in or eating a sad sandwich. I went to Sassafras, which is two blocks from my house and yet someplace I've never been - it's usually super busy on weekends, and weekdays during the pandemic haven't been conducive to eating out in a public setting. It was pretty slow to get seated, but the food was great - my poached eggs were perfect, and they served them with some v. nice sausage and also a potato casserole that was delish. This meal went a long way toward restoring me, even though work is ridiculous right now.

So I spent the afternoon working (with a break to chat with Alyssa), and then I ended a little after six. Then I talked to [censored] so that we could catch up on our respective weekends. I also got a call from my friend Sara to follow up on a discussion we had at dinner Saturday night, so I would say I'm all talked out. And that means it's probably time for bed - goodnight!

like a videotape, it's just a memory slipping away

I'm not ready for the weekend to be over, but I suppose that's a common human sentiment. Today was lovely, all in all - I didn't get enough sleep last night because I stayed up until one finishing my book, but I spent the morning puttering around the house, cleaning, drinking coffee, etc. At some point, I did some research into couches / sectionals, since [censored] will no longer be my buddy if I don't replace the horrible sectional that Marvin left behind and that is currently our frenemy in my Iowa house (frenemy because it's better than having no couch at all, but also maybe I would prefer to sit on a beanbag because it would be equally impossible to get out of and also I would not find leftover candy wrappers of Marvin's whenever I move).

Eventually, I spent some quality time catching up with my parents, who were doing well (although there is much cleanup to do after the tornado). Then, I picked up Chandlord near Union Station - she was in town for the weekend with some coworkers, but they departed this afternoon so that I could have her all to myself. We went to Bookbar and had coffee on the back patio, and then we walked up and down Tennyson (not as exciting as San Francisco, but also not as much visible drug use), and then had dinner at Mazevo. I've ordered takeout from there during the pandemic, but it was my first time eating at the restaurant, and it was a delight.

Then, Chandlord and I adjourned to my house and watched some tv (a surprisingly uninspiring episode of Queer Eye, followed by a couple of episodes of 30 Rock). And now I need to sleep if I'm going to get up in time to bid Chandlord farewell before work - goodnight!

i step off the train, i'm walking down your street again...and past your door, but you don't live there anymore

This is only my fourth-ish healthy weekend, by my count, that I've been in Denver (and not recovering from covid or surgery) since late August. It's no wonder my house is kind of a mess and I'm feeling in deep need of some nesting. I could, perhaps, have done something fun today, especially since Chandlord is in town - but what I really needed today, and what felt better than going out, was taking care of some tasks, throwing some things away, washing my sheets and the guest room sheets, taking two naps, and reading a book. Also, my neighbor hired someone to pressure wash the house - I have not yet fully inspected the results, but they also pressure washed my patio, which is great because the fact that I was barely here last summer meant it was pretty neglected.

sssanyway, eventually I did rally and drive up to Longmont, where I met Sara and Caroline for dinner. Sara made a reservation at this new tiki restaurant that has taken over a former Outback Steakhouse, which made for a strange but entertaining vibe - when I walked in there was an overwhelming crowd, as would usually happen at an Outback Steakhouse in the 'burbs on a Friday night, but luckily Sara had secured our table and we had a delightful evening. My drink was served in an over-the-top tall mug in the shape of a tropical bird, and I had the Hawaiian fried rice (with ham and pineapple in it), and their fried calamari appetizer was gluten free, so that as great.

The three of us had much to discuss, so we took our time having those discussions over our meal. Eventually, it was time to part ways, so I drove home, got ready for bed, and spent the last three hours finishing reading DIRT, which is the memoir I started awhile ago about a guy who moved to France to learn from Lyonnais chefs. This, of course, is doing nothing to prevent my wanderlust; I want to disappear deeply into some sort of weird hobby and emerge several years later with a book and a lot of weird stories. And perhaps it's getting close to time to make that happen. But right now, I need to sleep so that I can seize the day tomorrow - goodnight!

pick up daddies at the playground, how i spend my daytime

Today's day job engagements were ridiculous, so I shall draw a veil over that and move on. I did have an afternoon catchup with Eugene, who was a friend from ye olde books days - we have a semi-regular gossip session on calendar, and we kept it for today, which was a delight. And eventually, when I was done with all work, I took an uber to the Four Seasons. For some reason it does not occur to me that Denver has a Four Seasons - in my head, I am v. judgey and bougie and this is still a cow town, but that is clearly somewhat unfair.

My friend / former coworker Kelly was there getting a massage, so we met for a drink and a shrimp cocktail. This turned into three drinks, a shrimp cocktail, and some fries. Then, we met up with her husband and had dinner at The Bindery - it's Denver restaurant week, and they were clearly overwhelmed, but the server was v. sweet. Dinner was not all that I wanted it to be, but we had an excellent bottle of pinot noir and a v. hilarious conversation, so in that respect it was perfect

Eventually, Kelly and Jackson dropped me at home, and we'll see each other again at a wedding in a couple of weeks. And now I am quite desperate for sleep - goodnight!

all of the friends you had before are raindrops just falling at your door

I had one of those days at work that will be hilarious in a few weeks/months, but for now it's just confusing and annoying. It didn't help that I had actually been looking forward to going into the office today, but my plans were canceled due to inclement weather. However, all the snow we got fell on warm pavement, so even though there was several inches of snow on my balcony, I didn't have to shovel any of it off my patio. And I had leftover pizza for lunch, which was a delight.

When I was done with work, I didn't do much - I took a quick nap, messed around, ate some leftover Indian takeout, and did a bit of reading / journaling / personal stuff. And now, I think I should go to bed - my meetings are frontloaded tomorrow, so getting to bed so that I can wake up for them is probably a good idea. Goodnight!

i want to hold you so hear me out, i want to show you what love's all about

It was seventy degrees yesterday, and now it's raining, but I'm also in a winter storm warning and had to cancel a planned event at the office tomorrow due to snow. Tanks for nothing, Denver in March!

Beyond that, today was good - I had to work, but I enjoyed a poke bowl in the middle of it. And to celebrate getting through the workday, I walked down to Blue Pan - they redid their dining room (by expanding into the building next door) during the pandemic, and this was the first time I went in to eat. It was pretty great - I had a salad and some rioja, and then I ordered a 'little rose' (pepperoni pizza, but with some salami and a lot of garlic and some honey, which was ridiculously good). The salad meant that I was able to save enough pizza for lunch tomorrow, which Future Sara will be quite happy about.

But now, I'm home and listening to rain, and even though it's only 9:30pm, I think I need to wind down and go to bed. Goodnight!

i got five on it

I'm already in bed, so I'll keep this brief. I had to work today, which was not lovely, but then I got a manicure, which definitely was. And then I met up with Katie at bartaco - it was a relaxed vibe, especially early on, which was great because we had much to discuss. We held our summit over chips and margaritas and tacos (Baja fish, pork belly, and falafel for me, all of which were excellent). Much was discussed and reminisced about, and while no firm decisions were made (other than a commitment to hold further talks in Italy at some point), it was an excellent meeting of the minds.

Sometime before nine, I dropped her off, then came home and talked to Barbara to get some advice on something and generally catch up (since we hadn't seen each other in SF). At some point I should probably answer all the email and texts from people who aren't in SF or Denver and so aren't getting love because I've been too stressed to do anything but talk to the people right in front of me, but that won't happen tonight.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

it goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun

I have nothing to report today - mentally I'm not ready to go to bed, but physically I should have gone to bed as soon as the sun went down. Today was pretty good, all in all - I had some meetings but they weren't too onerous. I spent some quality time talking to my parents and to [censored], since my trip to California interrupted my usual Sunday calls. And I had takeout from Himchuli for dinner, which was as delightful as always.

But now, I should really consider sleeping so that I can further my post-California recovery - goodnight!

oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart

I'm back in Denver and brutally tired, but I had an excellent long weekend in the city of sin. Friday was particularly delightful - I spent an hour drinking coffee and journaling at Philz, and then I packed up all my stuff, checked out of my first hotel, and left my tings there while I took an uber out to Beach Chalet for lunch with Anne and Veronica. Barbara is out of town and Grace couldn't make it, so we were a smaller group than usual, but I was v. happy to see Anne and Veronica. I am reminded, as always, how much I miss my writer group in SF, even if we usually met at an uninspiring Starbucks in the peninsula instead of having a fancy lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

After we parted ways, I went back to my hotel, grabbed my stuff, and took an uber to the Fairmont, where I checked in for wedding shenanigans. I had just enough time to get ready and put on my outfit before it was time to head out - I shared an uber with Lauren (aka Subz) and Nathan to the Friday evening party, where I met Adit (some people call him the cat), who was my date for the night. I wore the v. fancy lehenga that I bought in Denver last month, and I loved it - it was v. princessy, which is not usually a look I go for when I'm a wedding guest, but it was great.

The first night was dry, which was less than ideal, especially since I had to give a toast. However, Terry's dad snuck in approx 100 airplane-sized bottles of vodka, so I was able to have a vodka and diet coke to get me ready to go. Also, the food was really excellent and the venue was nice, so all in all it was good. My toast was also great, if I do say so myself, so it felt like a rousing evening.

After the Friday event was over, Adit and I went back to the Fairmont and rendezvoused with Chandlord. We were going to go to the Tonga Room, but it was stupidly closed early, so I changed clothes and we ventured into the Tenderloin. Our first drink was not great due to a potential bartending mishap, but then we went to Zombie Village and had a couple of punchbowls while holed up in a booth and talking about Ritu's nephew (our favorite topic of conversation). And when we were done, I took an uber approx five blocks because I didn't feel like walking up Nob Hill at 2am.

The next day, I had room service breakfast (my favorite) and then went downtown to quickly buy a new pair of shoes, since my Friday shoes had created blisters and I didn't have any other options. That errand was easily accomplished, but getting back was a pain - the St Patricks Day parade was happening all along Market, which completely screwed up traffic, and so I ended up walking up Nob Hill with my shoes. This was not what my blistered feet wanted, but I made it back, took a shower, and took a nap. Then, Subz came to my room so we could get ready together - she had arranged some people to do our hair + her makeup, which was super fun. Unfortunately, the wedding was so windy that my updo didn't look as awesome as it did in the first thirty minutes of its life, but it was still great to get some girl time with Lauren.

Then we went to the wedding, which was at Cavallo Point in Sausalito. The vow renewal was outdoors, and since it's San Francisco, that meant it was totally freezing - I was glad I had decided to prioritize comfort over fashion and brough my down puffer, because I needed it. However, the Golden Gate Bridge made for a gorgeous backdrop, and Terry and Haseeb's vows (a vow renewal, since they got married at City Hall as NYC was shutting down two years ago) were beautiful.

The rest of the night was super fun - lovely cocktail hour followed by dinner, then lots more toasts, and then dancing. Eventually we all headed back to SF, and I ended up going out with most of Terry's siblings + Lisa (an old Stanford friend) until whatever bar we went to shut down. And then the time changed as I got back to my hotel, so suddenly it was three a.m. and I was ready to collapse.

Today was smooth, even though I didn't get nearly enough sleep - I got up, ate breakfast, packed, showered, etc. and made it to the airport with just the right amount of time. Getting to Denver was easy (albeit turbulent), and my house is still here, and I had takeout sushi to celebrate being home. And now, I desperately need to sleep - goodnight!

I can't feel a thing from my head down to my toes

No blog tonight - I had a surprising amount of alcohol considering that tonight's wedding festivities were dry, but that's what happens when you leave the wedding at ten and then go out with Adit and Chandlord until two. I have much to report, but sleep is more crucial than memory. Goodnight!

the city by the bay, the city that rocks, the city that never sleeps

I had such a wonderful day - it's amazing how a random Thursday can be great when I am in San Francisco and don't have to work. I spent the morning getting ready, drinking cold brew, and journaling...and then I had a call with Alyssa, which was excellent. This week has been quite stressful, but time off is already helping me to decompress.

After I talked to Alyssa, I walked over to the Ferry Building, where I browsed and then got lunch (a gluten free BLTA) and snacks (a gluten free bear claw) at Mariposa Bakery. They are entirely gluten free, and it was nice to take my sandwich out back and people watch near the ferries. Later, I went to Yerba Buena Gardens, where I meet up with Jess for an extended chat in the afternoon sun. My beloved Samovar had been replaced (at least for now) by a pizza place, so we shunned it and just hung out on the lawn. It was a delight to see her, and I am v happy to hear that leaving her last company has gone so well for her. And we took a selfie with the Shaking Man statue, which always amuses me.

After we parted ways, I ran a quick errand at Nordstrom, came back to my hotel (which took too long because of a random fire at Fifth and Mission, which is par for the course there), changed, and then met up with Adit (some people call him the cat) at the

Embarcadero bart station. We took the train to the dirty east bay, where John picked us up at the station so that we could have an old school night out.

We started at North Light (after attempting to start at Snail Bar and discovering it was too popular), and it was perfect. My first cocktail was a Spice Runner, which was a refined, low-key tiki-type drink, and I adored it. My second drink was the Jaguar Shark, which was good, but Adit lured me into lapping up the topping (egg white, which is standard in a cocktail, and squid ink, which is definitely not) like I was a cat with a saucer of cream, and I've got to say that cocktails with squid ink as a topper aren't meant to be lapped. But maybe squid ink and caviar would be a nice way to step up future Olympics parties (certainly classier than just dumping black food coloring in a cocktail to represent the black Olympic ring), so perhaps I should experiment.

sssanyway. We talked about work and life and whether we would fight or evacuate if we were in Ukraine, and we ate some tots, and it was great. Claudia eventually was able to join us - I continue to be amazed and grateful (#gratitude) that Claude was my random freshman roommate and Adit/John lived next door to us and we're still friends over twenty years later.

We switched to a table then and ordered another drink so that we could talk about algebra and SATs and conspiracy theories, but our new table was cold, so we adjourned to Cholita Linda next door and had tacos (and margs for me and Adit, who weren't driving and won't be in peak physical condition tomorrow). Adit gave me a surprisingly earnest pep talk (surprising only bc he had said an hour earlier that gen z-ers give each other too much praise and then realize it's awkward to do it in person instead of on tiktok), and our overall convo was exactly what I needed.

Eventually, it was time to part ways, so we said our farewells (not for long, since I'll be back in April) and then Adit and I shared an Uber to the city of sin. And now I must sleep - goodnight!

i look around and sin city's cold and empty

I had a v. stressful work day, but it's over and I have a four day weekend, so I'm deeply relieved about that fact. I went to the office and slogged all day (mostly meetings), but I snuck out for an early drink with my friend Lorena. We haven't seen each other in years, obvi, since the pandemic ruined business travel, but it was a delight to see her (and a delight to have a nice tea-infused cocktail at Absinthe).

Then I went to Octavia for an early dinner with Terry to celebrate a) her wedding and b) the fact that we were seeing each other in person for the first time since her bachelorette in February 2020. I'm glad we got a bit of solo time before the wedding stuff fully kicks off - it was v. nice to catch up on life, and that conversation probably requires more than the span of a single meal. But tonight was a good start - we split some delicious sweet potato tempura and also a mozzarella with beets that was excellent. I had their pork with some beans and a bunch of dill, and it reminded me of Ukraine - we ate a lot of pork there, and things were covered in dill, so while this was objectively 10x better than anything I ate in Ukraine, the flavor profile triggered some memories.

Then I dropped Terry at her hotel, came back to mine, and worked for the last three hours to wrap stuff up before going on vacation. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

i said, ooh, i'm blinded by the lights

Hello from San Francisco. I read some hot take on Twitter today about how people with ADHD forget all about people who aren't right in front of them (which is relevant for all the people whose emails I have not responded to), and it's exhibit #973 of how social media is convincing me that I have ADHD...but my midwestern / puritanical work ethic would tell me that I'm just lazy, so who knows what is right?

sssanyway. Today was pretty good, although I'm severely overcaffeinated - if I can get a large Philz at 7:30am, and then some coffee, and then an iced latte, and then a chai (the non-Philz cups provided by the free barista at work), it turns out that my body is jittery and my heart is fluttering by 4pm. But other than that, today was great. I am not looking forward to a commute, but my secret extrovert heart is delighted by seeing people in person.

So, I spent the whole day at the office, then walked to my hotel, took a nap, and then worked at Le Meridien's bar while having some wine and dinner (and observing yet another bad first day from the guy who I saw here last time I was in SF + the last time I went on a bad first date in SF - apparently he does not give up, which is why he + other bacteria will eventually win the evolutionary wars after humans destroy themselves). And now I really need to sleep - goodnight!

all about that bass

I'm v v tired - tings have been stressful with work + Ukraine + natural disasters + looking at my hands and realizing they're aging [note: not all disasters are actually of equal importance].

But, other than the end of the world, things are going well. I went into the SF office and got a lot of work done, which was necessary. I left the office around five and talked to [censored], then stopped at Sephora for a couple of tings I needed, and then talked to Terry briefly about wedding plans. Then I took a ten minute nap. And then I met Katrina for a long dinner at Otra - we usually go to Nopalito, but we switched it up with a different Mexican restaurant. The bean dip was the star of the show, but my margaritas were excellent and the other dishes were tasty as well. We hadn't caught up in a long time, so it was nice to have a v. long and detailed discussion. And, ridiculously, in the middle of it Adit interrupted us - he showed up for a dinner with some coworkers, so he said hi when he saw us. This felt so much like old times that it was total cognitive dissonance, since I don't live here and also don't go out to eat due to the pandemic, and so a casual run-in at a restaurant felt bizarre.

But now, I need to sleep since I have an early meeting I have to be on for - goodnight!

торнадо!

I'm in San Francisco, safely ensconced and yet also waiting for the next apocalypse (I would actually prefer not to be here for the next mega earthquake, tanks). I actually arrived yesterday, after I v. casual day of packing, prepping, and then having my beloved airport margaritas at Cantina Grill before my flight. However, when I landed, I was texting [censored] in a v. desultory manner when he suddenly reported that the train he had heard was actually a tornado and he was heading to my basement. Then, a minute later, he texted to say that Dad had texted him to say they'd had a direct hit (my parents' house is a mile east of mine and tornadoes move quick).

sssanyway, this was all v. startling and surprising and upsetting, and it didn't help that I was slightly drunk and stuck in an uber and unable to do anything to help. As it turns out, my parents were fine, and our house is mostly fine too - they were extremely lucky, since the tornado basically went over the top of their house. It took off the ridge cap on the roof, but that was the only damage that needs to be fixed immediately (before too much snow goes through the 4" of open roof along the top of the roof line). It also blew an old fuel tank into the side of the house, but other than cracked siding it didn't really screw anything up. The tornado took out a big old maple in the front yard, and it knocked a shed over onto its door, and it somehow picked up my dad's smoker off the patio and tossed it a few hundred feet (but the grill and patio furniture are all still there). It also picked up a pickup cab in the north yard, bounced it on top of another car, and then threw it 700 or so feet so that it's now half-submerged in our pond.

So, needless to say, it's a big relief that my parents were fine and somehow the storm didn't knock out any windows or do anything more dramatic. It's also a relief that we tore down the old house last year - it would have been scattered over several thousand square feet of field, and that would not have been a good outcome. Some other people had damage too - a neighbor's shed was completely destroyed, and the ballfield where I played tee ball as a kid was completely leveled (no fence, no scoreboard, no concession stand, and no sign of any of those remnants). Tornadoes are eerie in terms of what they touch and what they take and what they leave behind, and this one was no different.

sssanyway, Last night I couldn't do anything, so I kept my dinner date with Veronica - we went next door and had food + two bottles of wine + a lot of conversation, and it was fantastic. This morning was not so fantastic - between worries about tornadoes + my hangover, I was not in it to win it. But I ate brunch nearby, and I spent the afternoon doing day job stuff that I had to do to prep for the week ahead. I also talked to my parents and to [censored], and everyone seems to be handling tings okay for now.

Luckily, I didn't have to work the whole night - I met Jane and Jen at Akna for a lowkey friendship renewal dinner. Akna is a popup in Hayes Valley serving Mayan/Yucatan food, and it was extremely tasty - our tamales were excellent, and the ceviche as great, and the cheese dip with beans and chorizo was lowkey the best thing I've tasted in weeks or months. I was v. impressed, and it was a great place to catch up for a couple of hours and discuss life.

And now, it's still early in California, but I think I would be best served by disconnecting for a bit and going to bed. Goodnight!

it's my life my worries

Apparently yesterday's blog post was designed to haunt [censored] by reminding him of that Russian song... So he retaliated today by reminding me of "It's My Life" by Dr. Alban, which was mysteriously popular in Ukraine in the summer of 1993. I suppose I deserved that, but I wasn't ready to remember it.

Today was a long slog, and I'm going to have to do a bunch of work this weekend. But overall it was good, and I skipped out at five to get my nails done for my upcoming trip. Then I came home and should have packed, but instead talked to [censored]. I did eventually get mostly packed, but I still have to do a bunch of stuff before going to the airport tomorrow. So, I should prob sleep so I can deal with everything tomorrow - goodnight!

Знаю я, ты помнишь обо мне

I have successfully tracked down a song I heard in Ukraine in 1993, and this is such a feat that I am in awe of my own prowess. Since I don't speak Russian or Ukrainian and yet have a memory for syllables, this song and whatever I remembered of it has haunted me since those early days in Ukraine when we sat in the basement at Viktor's restaurant, eating beefsteak (which was pork) or chickens that had starved to death, finishing up with ice cream out of the finger bowls that we had just used to wash dill off our hands, and listening to a v. earnest band that was trying to entertain us. But the song is "Странник мой", and the lines I remember apparently translate into "My wanderer, my baby / You are not sleeping at this hour. / I know you remember me." This feels like what Taylor Swift would sing if she were Russian, so this checks out.

sssanyway. Ukraine is heavy in my thoughts, and it has moved a bit into my actual day job, which makes it both inescapable and also feels good-ish that I'm not just ignoring it during the day. Today was a long day, since I had a lot of work to do. But I skipped out at 4:30 to get my hair cut, and it was long overdue - I think I got my hair cut sometime during the Delta wave, if that tells you anything, and I've been trimming my own bangs since then. Unfortunately, I think that my bout with covid in January has caused some hair impacts - I feel like I'm losing more strands than usual, and my hair is tangling more frequently. This is a defcon 1 situation (yes, more important than Ukraine) because I'm incredibly vain about my hair and feel that its sleek texture and perfect chocolatey brown color with infinitely interesting red/blonde/white strands means that I am blessed by God (you may think I'm joking, but seriously, my hair is a blessing, and my storytelling ability / people skills / empathy / strategic thinking are all secondary).

So, I got a haircut and added a moisture treatment, and it feels great. I also let the woman upsell me on waxing my eyebrows, which I am not vain about because they look like my granddad's (see: why I have bangs). But I was her last client and she didn't want to go home, so now I look slightly more presentable.

Then, I met up with Sarah-Frances at FNG, which is a block and a half from me ([censored] and I had tater tots there) - it recently reopened with an up-leveled menu, and it was a delight. My hair or my personality scored us a free old fashioned, as per my old skill level at bars, and then we had a super tasty dinner. All in all, it was great to see SF and great to know that the bar closest to my house is a contender for top hangout in the aftertimes.

And now I need to sleep - goodnight! 

sexy villain

I had a long day of working from home, but it was pretty productive, so I'll take it. More excitingly, I got out of the house again for dinner - I met Andy and Nina at Bar Dough for a decadent greenhouse experience. We had charcuterie and olives, and then I had gluten free pasta while they shared a pizza that was so spicy I could smell how spicy it was, and we ended with shots of fernet like the San Francisco refugees that we all are. It was a really fun time, and I'm reminded that Denver can be great when it's not in the pandemic (and when you ignore world war iii).

But now, I need to unwind since I have a long day tomorrow - goodnight!

if the end comes soon i'll be here, i'll be here with you

It has been almost two full years since I last went into my office building, but I went back today and it was surprisingly glorious. My building had been undergoing renovations before the 'rona (which had been a thorn in my side, because I am involved in site stuff and had to deal with a lot of complaints because apparently people don't like it when ceiling tile dust falls into their food during lunch). But two full years with no one in the building meant that the facilities team could spend as much time and energy as they wanted in making the building better. And, since I'm still technically responsible for site stuff, my team ended up in a v. nice spot - facing the mountains, with outdoor balcony spaces on either side.

It was bizarre to go back, though - I weirdly almost teared up when I got there and saw some fresh macarons that the kitchen staff had made for an event I was hosting, since it's been so long since I've had any office amenities. I was hosting a welcome back event (optional) and it was great to see some people I hadn't seen in a long time - there are a lot of people I like whom I don't get to actually see in the meetings I'm usually in, so it was pretty energizing to see them.

Of course, I can revert to being spoiled and jaded easily; my lunch had too many vegetables and lentils, so that will take some adjustment. And don't assume I'm suddenly going in every day - I probably won't go in for another couple of weeks, since I'll be in San Francisco next week. But it was really nice to go in, so we'll see what happens.

I eventually drove home (rush hour reminded me that I don't like it, but it's not awful) and met up with a coworker for dinner. We were supposed to go to El Camino, but the line was 20+ minutes. So we went across the street to Mead Street Provisions, which I've never been to - but they had really nice gluten free bread, and I got a great gf sandwich and an excellent bourbon cocktail. My coworker and I have been trying to meet up for months, but between her relatively new child and my various issues, it has taken months to make this happen. So it was nice to socializing in person, even if I have definitely hit my people wall today.

And now I need to sleep so I can do a million things tomorrow - goodnight!