a gravy train with biscuit wheels

I had a pretty good day, all in all, but any day is a good day when you don't get hit by a tornado. I had a doctor's appointment this morning, which meant foregoing my immediate coffee, but I somehow survived. Then, I stopped by Nancy's office to talk about mural stuff - we opened artist registration today and had to nail down a couple of final details. So far so good, although now we have to figure out the million other things that need figured out this spring / summer - but there's time.

Then, I came home, did some final touches on the artist registration page, and ate a leftover burrito bowl when I realized that I was starving. Then, [censored] and I battened down the hatches - the weather was v ominous and there were a lot of threats of tornadoes and hail, so we put [censored]'s [censored] in the [censored] and then squeezed my car into the garage (the issue is not that we have too much stuff in the garage, but rather that Marvin put stupidly small doors on the garage (*shakes fist*)).

And then, I spent the afternoon messing around with mural stuff while watching nonstop coverage of the storms progressing across Iowa, and also taking a wee nap. We escaped unscathed, although other parts of our county / area got some significant hail and other parts of the state had some tornadoes. I would still rather deal with tornadoes than earthquakes, but that doesn't mean they're fun.

Eventually, when it was clear we were safe and also clear that I would be hungry soon, I made spaghetti sauce and boiled some spaghetti to go with it. [censored] and I ate it while watching exactly one too many episodes of Family Guy, which we watched only to kill time before the Iowa vs South Carolina game. The women's Final Four tickets are going for higher prices on the secondary markets than the men's Final Four, and it's easy to see why - this game was incredible and really fun to watch, and while I am never ever a Hawkeye fan (Cyclones ftw despite being named after tornadoes), I am delighted that they won this time.

And now, I need to go to bed so I can do a million tings tomorrow - goodnight!

i been losing sleep

I meant to go to bed two hours ago, but jet lag + my usual night owlishness conspired against me, and I also had a bunch of stuff I wanted to crank out for my volunteer project.

Beyond that, today was uneventful - we're metaphorically battening down the hatches for some stormy weather ([censored] battened more than I did, since [censored] got the garage ready for me to be able to pull my car in in case of hail, which is more effort than I expended to save the Audi myself). But today was fine, albeit quite windy, which made the leaf-burning extravaganza my neighbor had seem particularly foolhardy. I did some various tings, ate some leftover shrimp stir fry for lunch, did some more various tings, and rewarded [censored]'s industriousness with chicken burrito bowls, thus ending the three week drought [censored] suffered while I was gone. We ate them while watching SNL, which continues to be a train wreck, so I wish them luck for getting better next season.

And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

and i'll spend all my tomorrows coming down

I made it back to ye olde Iowa without incident yesterday, although it felt like I was just barely escaping in time - I felt a baby earthquake while I was showering, and another big storm was headed in, so the fact that my flight was on time felt like a minor miracle. I was later getting to SFO than I like to be, so I was a bit rushed, but I had time for eggs and potatoes before boarding, which made being squished into coach (after failure to get an upgrade) a little more palatable. I also had a v. tasty salad in Denver, and then getting into Des Moines was a breeze.

I had intended to come straight home, but I had to go to West Des Moines to pick up a prescription, and Drewbaby texted me while I was in Denver to see if I wanted to get together. He moved to the Des Moines area recently, which is the first time since 1999 that all three of us ([censored], Drewbaby, and I] have lived in the same state. Since Drewbaby was six that year, we really don't have much experience being in the same place as adults. So, we met up for dinner, which was delightful, even if the service was absurdly slow (but the portions were huge, which meant I was able to have leftovers for lunch today rather than scrounging in my barren fridge).

When I got home last night, I stumbled around to unpack and unwind, and then slept for almost eleven hours. My mom stopped by briefly after I woke up, and then I scurried to get ready and get into town for a meeting regarding the mural event I'm getting involved in. Then I grabbed some groceries, came home, took care of a bunch of online tings, did some work for the mural project, etc. And I also made dinner - a new-to-me shrimp and broccoli stir fry that was adequately tasty and also adequately easy, and also gluten free and hopefully easy for my still-recovering-from-trip stomach.

Eventually, [censored] came home, so we talked for awhile and also watched some tv. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

all night long, writing poems to california

I am firmly in my melancholy liminal space between California and Iowa, not quite ready to leave and oh so ready to go. Today was designated as a transition day - I purposely kept it mostly free of commitments so I could begin the transition between worlds.

I did get up in time to say goodbye to Chandlord before she went to work (and verify that she still somehow doesn't like Sahara even after sleeping on it). Then I packed up and ran to Silk to get a last minute manicure - they were able to fit me in, and now my nails are vanity-approved for another couple of weeks.

After that, I went to Burlingame and had a v excellent poke bowl at a new-to-me place, did some window shopping, bought a notebook, and grabbed a last cup of coffee from Philz. Then I checked into my hotel and spent the afternoon catching up on various work and other things.

In the evening, I indulged one social plan - I met up with Kristen, who is a strange combo of my friend, my former employee, and my friend Barbara's daughter. At this point she is mostly just my friend, and I was happy to see her - we had a lot to catch up on, so I'm glad to have ended the trip with her. Then I came back to my hotel and journaled at the bar, and now I'm ready to get on with tomorrow's travel. It's been a fantastic trip, but I'm ready for some hermiting in my own bed. Goodnight!

i don't wanna rain on your crazy parade, buddy

Today is essentially my last day in the city of sin, and while my body will be happy to get back to avoiding gluten and getting eight hours of sleep, my heart is happy that I made the trip here.

I woke up this morning in Tracy, and Jen, Joann, Jane, and I finished our sleepover with breakfast, which was basically last night's leftover dinner. We had enough tater tot casserole left for all of us, and we put a fried egg on top of each serving, which made it a total winner. I'm tempted to experiment with making a breakfast tater tot casserole (with sausage and maybe some peppers instead of the carrots/onions), but we'll see what I discover. We also had leftover apricot salad, which is also a nice breakfast treat. So, all in all, my attempt to bring Midwestern culinary delights to California was a success.

Eventually, I left Tracy (while the rest of them stayed and continued hanging out) to drive to Alameda to see Claudia. Claude's mom was visiting, so we had a nice chat - I hadn't seen her since Claudia's wedding, but it was great to see that she's doing well. She brought tamales with her, which were delish. And I took some leftover jello to Claudia and her son Téo - Téo wasn't really interested in lunch since he'd already eaten, but he had a small scoop of jello and then demanded three more scoops of jello with a crazy gleam in his eyes.

So, we had to take him to the park to burn off a bunch of sugar. Claudia and I talked while watching him play in a sand pit, and it was actually pretty delightful - the weather was nice, Claudia and I were overdue for a chat, and Téo (who turns three soon) is perhaps the cutest child in the history of children (no offense to my other friends' children). It was a really nice afternoon, so hopefully we'll get a chance to do it again sometime soon.

Then, I parted ways with them and drove to Berkeley to see John and Jess. I did not see their kid, so I have no report about Ian since they dropped him at his grandparents' place. But I'm happy to report that John and Jess are doing well. We went to Saul's Deli, which is where we always go for breakfast, and I was surprised to see that it's open for dinner and also serves surprisingly fancy (and inappropriately named) cocktails. So we had latkes, and I had a sandwich with roast beef / harissa / horseradish / swiss that was excellent, and John and I each had a cocktail and split another while Jess enjoyed her fancy healthier beverage choice.

And then, I parted ways with them, drove back to the city of sin, and met up with Chandlord. We were supposed to grab a drink, but instead we stayed in - and I somehow, some way, tricked her into watching SAHARA (and paying to rent it). This is basically the opposite of doing something nice for someone who hosted you. I, of course, still love it, but Chandlord seemed rather displeased with a variety of plot holes that I thought she made much too big a deal of. C'est la vie, I guess.

And now, I need to sleep so that I can pack up tomorrow - I'm moving to an airport hotel tomorrow night and doing some exploration of the south bay before that, so I want to get out of the city in good time. Goodnight!

life is sweet as honey

I escaped the city of sin today (after an early morning chat with Chandlord, and an Uber to retrieve my rental car, and a stop at Philz Coffee) to rusticate in the countryside... And by that I mean hang out in the reasonably large city of Tracy, California. My friend Joann (of Bora Bora / spinster honeymoon fame) has a house here, so Joann, Jen, Jane, and I had a friendship renewal sleepover.

We mostly spent it snacking (excessively), drinking (moderately), and cooking. Jen requested that I make some of the stuff she's seen in my Instagram, and so I made tater tot casserole and apricot jello salad. These proved to be a hit, so now they may be somewhat more convinced to visit me in Iowa, which would be highly entertaining.

We also took a long walk, watched some music videos, and caught up on life, so all in all it was great. But I'm exhausted from yesterday's double dinner situation, and I have to go hard socially for one more day, so I need to sleep - goodnight!

i can still say i don't remember

I'm too tapped out to blog - I had an excellent day in the city of sin, but I'm rather desperate for sleep. I had brunch with the Shedletskys before parting ways (an excellent Benedict with gluten free English muffins), and then I returned to the city of my youth. I did a bit of writing at Interval at Long Now, which is one of my fave bizarre places in Fort Mason. And then I drove to Kokkari, where I had an excellent dinner with Lauren (aka Subz). I ended the night with second dinner with Adit, + second wine with him and Priyanka, and it was all great (even if I'm now very full).

And now I must sleep - goodnight!

die old in the middle of the night

I had a v nice day, mostly outside the city of sin. My peregrinations have begun, and I'm stringing together visits to people outside SF, so I spent the morning getting ready, packing, and then picking up a rental car at SFO. Thanks to the points/status games, my normal rental got upgraded to a hot Audi two-door sedan, which is a v welcome development - it's not even the Audi that is exciting, but the fact that I got a rental with California plates and an enclosed trunk, which makes it slightly less likely that the car will be broken into when I'm in SF.

So, I drove my hot Audi to lunch at Barbara's house - I needed to see my writer friends, and I had a v lovely afternoon with them. Then, I continued on to the Shedletskys' house, where Bride of Shedletsky (aka Tina) made tasty enchiladas and we drank most of three bottles of wine. Their kids are entertaining, and we had a fun evening talking about all the usual topics (travel, kids, AI, etc).

And now, I need to sleep so I can be in it to win it tomorrow - goodnight!

i can still make the whole place shimmer

I had a v. lowkey day in the city of sin - in fact, there was barely any sinning, which seems like a waste. I got up, did some various tings, did some stretching, and treated myself to lunch at MyMy. I went there last week too, but I liked what I ordered today much better - their chorizo scrambled eggs with corn tortillas were exactly what I wanted, even if my body is starting to beg me for some water or lettuce or something.

Then, in an effort to stay out of the house (due to construction noise), I wandered amongst coffee shops. The first one was v. tasty but not conducive to working. The second one was Saint Frank, on Polk Street, which is one of my old haunts from when I used to live here. Kathia and I used to meet in their upstairs area at 6:30 or 7am before I would get on a shuttle to Mountain View - but now their upstairs area is closed, and Kathia is gone, and I no longer work for the man, so all of that has changed completely. However, I did get some good work done, and their iced latte was as good as I remembered, so that was a bittersweet delight.

Then, I wandered down Polk Street and stopped in at Amelie for a quiet glass of rosé and some more writing. I had a major breakthrough (I think) in the story while I was sitting there, so I'll take it. After I wrapped that up, I grabbed dinner at a Thai place, which was v. tasty. And then I came back to Chandlord's, curled up in my nest, and took a nap. Eventually, Chandlord showed up - we had discussed going out for a drink, but instead we hung out in her house and talked for a couple of hours.

And now, I need to sleep - I have some relocation plans for tomorrow, which means I need to get up and get organized. Goodnight!

the end is nigh

As an experiment, I asked Bard (Google's new AI chatbot, which released to early access today) to write my blog post for the day. Three seconds after I prompted it, it gave me this:

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain hitting the windows of my room at the San Francisco Fairmont. The weather was terrible, but I was determined to make the most of my day. I started by writing several pages of my novel. I was really getting into the story, and I was excited to see where it would take me.

After a few hours of writing, I took a break and went to the Fairmont bar. I ordered a glass of rosé and sat by the window, watching the rain fall. It was a beautiful sight, and it made me feel relaxed and peaceful.

After a while, I decided to go out for dinner. I met Vidya, Julie, and Deano at a restaurant in the Marina District. We had a great time catching up and talking about our lives. The food was delicious, and the company was even better.

Even though the weather was bad, I had a great day. I got a lot of work done on my novel, I relaxed and enjoyed a glass of rosé, and I spent time with some great friends. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

The weather in San Francisco today was very bad. It was raining heavily, and the wind was blowing very strong. The temperature was also very cold. I was glad that I was able to stay inside and stay warm.

All in all....valiant effort, Bard, especially since I just told it to "Write a blog post of approximately 200 words that captures what I did today. It should include that I stayed at the San Francisco Fairmont, wrote several pages of my novel, had some rosé at the Fairmont bar, and had dinner with Vidya, Julie, and Deano. It should also mention how bad the weather was in San Francisco today."

Needless to say, I'm increasingly convinced that AI is about to drive us over a job cliff in the next 6-24 months, and it's going to be like the farm crisis (in that whole industries are going to be decimated), but everywhere all at once. So I really need to write this book asap before the end arrives.

sssanyway, Bard told you most of what you need to know. I did wake up and write, although I also procrastinated and drank room service coffee (Bard thinks I'm more productive than I am). I had lunch and did some more writing, then messed around, took a nap, and availed myself of my room until my late checkout at 4pm. Then I sat in the bar and had a glass of rosé and wrote some more. All in all it was a v. good quick solo writing retreat, and I enjoyed it.

I did not, however, enjoy the weather, which is a total jhoke - downed trees everywhere (taking MUNI and power lines with them), ferry service canceled due to high winds/tides, big rig overturned on the Bay Bridge, etc., etc. We're in yet another atmospheric river system, and I had to walk to and from dinner in the rain. But it could be worse, so I guess I'll stop complaining.

After I finished at the Fairmont, I met up with Chandlord, and we walked to Julie and Deano's for dinner (they hosted; we did not go out, and they live in Russian Hill, not the Marina, but same same). We had a v. lovely evening of catching up and reminiscing, and Julie v. kindly made me gluten free pasta, so it was all great.

And now, I need to go to bed so that I can contemplate the end of humanity again tomorrow - goodnight!

surrender all your dreams to me tonight, they'll come true in the end

I decided to let myself have a mostly-hermit day, which in SF means I only saw people for approximately four hours. I also looked at my fitbit, saw that my heartrate has increased by 10-12 bpm since leaving Iowa (likely thanks to wine and overstimulation), and decided to indulge my inner bougie self and check into a hotel for the night. So, I'm writing this from the top of the Fairmont, overlooking the city of sin, and likely able to write this off on my taxes because the Fairmont is weirdly part of my next book (#winning).

Anyway, I woke up this morning, gathered my tings, relocated, and had a late breakfast while doing a bit of stuff on my laptop. Then, I rendezvoused with Adit (some people call him the cat) for coffee in Potrero Hill. We discussed a lot about life and AI while I drank a flat white, and it simultaneously gave me great ideas for my book + a lot of unease about the future of humanity (+ a lot of caffeine). Then, we relocated to Tartine Manufactory, where we had a late lunch (a delish salad with endives, radicchio, blue cheese, candied walnuts, citrus, and tuna salad for me). We eventually met Claudia there, where Adit told her that my book is basically "a girl moves to Iowa and becomes a magician," which is both accurate and horribly stated in a way that makes me never want to write it.

sssanyway, it was a lovely afternoon with two of the people whom I've known for my entire adult life (I met them a week after I turned eighteen!). Then I came to the Fairmont, flush with ideas, and promptly took a nap. Then, I spent the evening writing in the hotel restaurant - I ate an overpriced steak, drank some tasty zinfandel, and wrote a lot of pages about where this book is headed. And then I read an entire novella (ALL SYSTEMS RED), written from the perspective of a 'murderbot' android in a future space world, which was v. helpful for what I'm trying to do.

And now, I'm going to continue indulging my inner hermit by sleeping as much as possible and then writing all day tomorrow before my social plans commence again. Goodnight!

it's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do

I had a v nice day in the city of sin, and I spent it mostly catching up with people I haven't seen in a million years. I felt surprisingly good when I woke up this morning (probably because I felt not-good at six and took a bunch of ibuprofen), and so I had no trouble make it down to the deep heart of Noe Valley to have breakfast with my friend Chris at Front Porch. I truly haven't seen Chris in forever - he was an old high school friend from a summer camp I went to for extreme nerds, and we stayed in touch our senior years (and several of the campers went to Mardi Gras with him, since he lived in New Orleans and apparently all of our parents had similarly strange judgment and sent us to Mardi Gras while we were underage). We caught up a couple of times as adults but never got into a regular hangout cadence. But I follow his wife on insta and she alluded to some health issues he's having, so I reached out, and we got together.

This was a delightful thing, even though it was a relatively quick breakfast - it was really nice to see him, and the restaurant happened to be New Orleans-themed, so it seemed appropriate. After we parted ways, I took an uber back to Chandlord's, where I rearranged my stuff, changed into sweats, and talked to my mom. Then, Chandlord came home from her own brunch and we had a v lazy Sunday watching a movie - I conned her into watching THE LOST CITY, which I still enjoy even though she pointed out that it's basically SAHARA, which cost me a lot of friends over the years due to my staunch defense of its artistic merits.

After that, we parted ways - I spent tonight hanging out with Jenni and Jesse, whom I also haven't seen in ages (although much more recently than Chris). They invited me to spend the night at their house, which is a total delight - and Jesse made possibly the best cheeseburger I've ever had, which is a real shocker since it tasted restaurant-style but I watched him make it and there was no witchcraft involved. While he was cooking, and then while he was watching basketball, Jenni and I caught up on tons of life stuff and had most of two bottles of wine (we did share with Jesse because we're not totally selfish). It's been great to hang out with her and v. overdue, so I'm glad my trip this time is relaxed enough to let me move around and spend some quality time with people.

I also appreciate that they served dinner at six and we were all ready to go to bed before ten, which is what I v. desperately need. So, I'm going to unwind and go to bed and sleep as late as humanly possible - goodnight!

marry me juliet you'll never have to be alone

I had an excellent day in the city of sin. I woke up earlier than I wanted to so that I could walk to the Financial District - my old hair stylist from a lifetime ago fit me in on her day off, and I'm delighted that I got to see her and also got a much-needed hair cut. We caught up on many topics (life, covid, dating guys who were on the Bachelorette), and it was an excellent way to start my day.

Then, on a whim, I caught an uber to Hayes Valley, where I had brunch, did some window shopping, and then stopped in for a glass of rosé and some writing time at Arbor. This turned into extra rosé because the server mysteriously and miraculously said 'the manager said to top you off' and poured me almost a full glass when my glass was empty. I don't know what it is about my face, but I'm glad that my magical free alcohol power still seems to be in full force. Then I ordered another glass just because, as well as some curly fries (also just because) and they gave me a friends and family discount, so I'm v. disposed to think kindly of them going forward.

More importantly, I got several good pages of writing done, and I'm excited about that. Then I came back to Chandlord's and helped her get ready for tonight (while also napping). She had a bunch of people over for dinner - the main event, in my opinion, was Claudia, but Chandlord's friends are pretty entertaining. There was a girl who also writes romance (although hers sounds smuttier than mine), and a bunch of hilarious guys, and some Germans, and various groups of the Indian subcontinent, and a v. strange guy from Texas (definitely the strangest guy in attendance). Our conversation alternated strangely between Malala, ChatGPT, camels, and Tennessee motels, and we ended fairly convinced that AI is going to destroy us sooner rather than later. But this was all excellent grist for the book mill, so hopefully I can write this book before the end.

And now, I really need to sleep so I can pursue additional plans tomorrow - goodnight!

corn jungle feast

I had a delicious day in the city of sin, which is exactly the kind of day I love to have here. I started with a surprise (because it was scheduled last night) breakfast with Sarah-Frances, who was on my team back when I worked for the man. She lives in Boulder, but she was in town for work, and she saw a post on my Instagram that showed me writing in a bar, guessed I must not be in Iowa, and asked where I was. This was fortuitous, since she was leaving for the airport this morning - but we met at Sweet Maple for breakfast. This is two blocks from Japantown, which seems to be where all my plans end up. It was great to see her, and I remain fully delighted in my decision to leave my job when I did, so it's all good.

Then, she went to the airport, I did a tiny bit of work at the Kabuki lobby, and then I took an Uber to the Ferry Building. I wandered a bit (book research), and then had lunch with Julie, whom I hadn't seen in a million years. So many years, in fact, that she sprang a secret pandemic baby on me, which was a delightful surprise. We had a lot to catch up on, and I somehow got tricked into walking back from the Ferry Building to Chandlord's, which is not terribly far but does involve going from sea level to scaling to the top of Nob Hill, which is an elevation gain of 375 feet and a lot more effort than I want to put into digesting my lunch. But it was a good walk and we hung out in a park briefly before parting ways.

Then I came back to Chandlord's, changed out of my sweaty clothes, and took a nap. And then I took an Uber to the Lower Haight to have dinner with Katrina at Bar Crudo. We started there for happy hour and then stayed and ended there as well. Their happy hour was packed (luckily I got there five minutes before opening and got in line, bc we got two of the last bar seats), but we ordered enough to keep our spots, and then everyone disappeared by seven and we had a v leisurely remainder of our catch up. We had a bunch of oysters, some excellent tacos and tostadas, and some v tasty white wine, and it was all exactly what I wanted out of a fancy Friday.

We also parted ways around nine and I actually came home instead of going out... age must finally be catching up to me. Chandlord got here shortly after me, so we talked for a bit. And now I desperately need to sleep - goodnight!

don't ever compare me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced

I had a lovely day, and it was definitely better than I deserved after last night's shenanigans. I woke up this morning not feeling #inittowinit for obvious reasons (see: several glasses of sauvignon blanc), but I rallied and went to Another Cafe to write for awhile. This was one of my favorite haunts back in the day, and it's comfortingly similar to how it used to be - the upper mezzanine is perfectly quiet in the morning, and it was a good place to force myself back into the story after an extended hiatus.

After that, I came back to Chandlord's, got ready, and walked over to my old nail salon, with a stop for a quick Korean spicy pork and rice bowl (perfection). The ladies at the salon waxed my brows and gave me a mani/pedi, thus turning me into a better groomed version of myself. It was good to see them all, and even better to get my nails looking spiffy, so I'm glad I was able to get in today before my social plans begin in earnest.

Then I came back to Chandlord's again, did some laundry, took a nap, etc. Eventually, I left to rendezvous with her (eventually), but I was feeling like I needed to write some more, so I ducked into a strange little bar on top of the Stockton tunnel to write in the relative quiet of their establishment. I nursed a boulevardier for as long as I could, but right after I ordered my second (having already been there over an hour), the bartender gave me a free shot because the people hanging out at the other end of the bar were all getting a free shot and he decided to include me despite the fact that I was entirely antisocial. So, my second drink turned into a second drink + a shot of fernet, which is really not what I wanted, but I went along with it because that's what happens with me and bartenders and free alcohol.

However, it was all worth it because I got some really excellent writing done at the bar, and I hope to continue that tomorrow. I left the last half of my second boulevardier at the bar and met up with Chandlord, where I was dismayed to discover that she had ordered me an old fashioned (luckily, it was also free), and I said farewell to one of her coworkers (since it was a farewell party, although I had never met the guy).

Eventually, we escaped, and we tried to meet up with Adit, but it turned into a bit of a jhoke and we ended up at a v. weird restaurant that has a name like a taqueria and a menu on the door that promises pupusas, but instead they serve steak and pasta. And the steak is suspiciously cheap for SF - I had a thin-cut ribeye for $18, and it was good enough that it should have been more than that here. So maybe it's a front for something else, idk.

Adit did show up just in time to get some yogurt for dessert, and we talked until they closed, and then Adit drove me and Chandlord home. And now I need to sleep since I suddenly have three meal plans + a lot of writing to get done tomorrow - goodnight!

I believe in the sand beneath my toes

I had an excellent first day in the city of sin. I slept in as a valiant attempt to catch up after my Pacific Northwest run, and then I had brunch at MyMy, which was always one of my fave neighborhood spots and is still as good as always. Then I came back to Chandlord's, took a nap, and did some work and some rereading of my manuscript to get back in the mood.

Eventually, I walked to japantown, where I grabbed a milk tea and met Veronica at my fave paper store. I was v restrained at the store, but I made up for it at dinner - we went to An Japanese, which is tucked into a corner of the mall and only seats twelve people, and is somehow the best sushi I've ever had. I went there once with the original Jen Lui, and once by myself, and the third time was just as good as ever. The fish was stellar, and they had a special wagyu beef nigiri that may have been one of the best bites I've ever had.

So, needless to say, it was a lovely dinner. It was also great to see Veronica, and we continued the night with a drink at the Kabuki before parting ways. Then I took an Uber to Vidya's, put on pajamas, slept for three minutes....

... And then answered my phone, put on jeans, and took an Uber back to Festa, which is also in the japantown mall, and so exactly where I came from. Vidya went there with the other Vidya after they had a decadent dinner for two, and I was conned into joining them. Clearly it was pretty consensual, because I had three (four?) glasses of sauvignon blanc and also sang my karaoke trifecta (Nicki Minaj's Super Bass, Third Eye Blind's Semi Charmed Life, and Nickelback's Photograph). So, that was super fun and my body can figure out how to pay for it tomorrow.

And now it's 1:45am and I need to sleep - goodnight!

she's got a heart of gold, she'd never let me down

I have successfully arrived in San Francisco, which I am mildly surprised by - the weather here has been atrocious, and earlier in the day there were dozens of canceled flights and lots of long delays. So, I proceeded with my day operating under the lurking suspicion that I would be spending the night in Seattle. I still got up (slightly painfully), showered, packed, and checked out, and I still went to the airport at the right time (which was a good thing), but it doesn't feel quite real that I made it.

Today was really nice, though - I had a leisurely morning, and then I met up with Ritu to look at tile (for her house, not mine, although it gave me some remodel PTSD) and then I v. delicious lunch at an excellent Italian place across the street from my hotel. I have a strong urge to recreate the salad that they made, and the gluten free pasta was perfect, so it was a good way to recover from yesterday's shenanigans. It was also a good way to hang out with Ritu - it's never long enough, but it was a lovely visit.

Then, she went to pick up her daughter and I had an iced coffee at my hotel before going to the airport. The travel was as uneventful as it could be, which was v. welcome, and I slept most of the flight. Then, I came to Chandlord's, since she is graciously hosting me while I'm here. She let me in and we caught up briefly, but it's a work night for her and I want to get up tomorrow and get back into the writing zone, so we said goodnight early. And now I'll do the same to you - goodnight!

it's two a.m. and i've gone and lost my friends

I made it to Seattle and am safely ensconced in bed after a v. long day of travel and a moderately long night of socializing. In retrospect, I should have rented a car and driven myself from the Oregon coast to Seattle, since it would have been faster than leaving absurdly early (6:15am) to drive to Portland and wait three hours for my flight (to accommodate the people I was with). But still, I was v. grateful to not have to drive in today's intense rain, and I was also grateful to just sip my venti cold brew and offer navigational assistance, so it was probably #worthit.

However, after the many bottles of Veuve Clicquot rosé and various Oregon pinot noirs that were consumed yesterday, and after going to bed at 1am for a 5:45am wakeup, I was not #inittowinit. I had breakfast at the airport post security, and I slept for the ~24mins that we were in the air between Portland and Seattle, but it wasn't enough. So, when I landed, I got my baggage (which took too long), then uber'd to my hotel, where I checked in, briefly unpacked, grabbed some sushi across the street, and took an hour-long nap.

The nap was v. necessary to sustain myself for my evening plans - the only reason I'm here is to see Ritu Rani, and she is notorious for feeding me first dinner, second dinner, several appetizers/desserts, multiple bottles of wine, and an inordinate number of cocktails. I think she thinks I'm a foie gras goose, but I'm going to roll with it. I took an uber to her house a little before five and was greeted with mango mimosas and three kinds of cheese, as well as two kinds of small children (a five year old and a two year old have even less in common than a truffle brie and a mild manchego). We hung out and chatted and played a board game (and by that I mean something to do with dragons and gemstones that was appropriate for a child), and then ate dinner (lamb rogan josh), which was delish.

Eventually, after I read to the girls, Ritu lied and said that she and Bill had to take me to the airport, so we left and went to a bar (don't worry, Ritu's mom was there so the kids weren't fending for themselves). We had a drink there, then adjourned to another bar down the street from that, where I had a truly excellent rum cocktail that I will probably dream about.

And now, I need to go to bed so I can maximize my time with Ritu tomorrow before flying to SF (aka the city of sin) - goodnight!

touch me baby tainted love

No time to blog tonight - I have to get up in 4.5hrs to drive to the airport, which my liver full of sparkling rosé and pinot noir is not happy about. But I had a great day of complete sloth and relaxation on the Oregon coast, enforced by a torrential downpour that turned the ocean into a moody backdrop for a lot a lovely conversation and laughs and snacking (and rosé). And now, I need to go to bed so I can continue my adventures tomorrow - goodnight!

always on trial for the thoughts in my head

I'm exhausted and so full that my body wants to run away and never eat again, but I had a good day during this weird 'celebrate Heather's birthday without Heather' weekend. Luckily, Heather did join us after lunch today, but Salim stayed home to recover. Unluckily, she missed the only good weather day of the trip, since it will likely rain all day tomorrow. But I'm really glad she made it here and that we'll get to celebrate her birthday tomorrow (actually, today, given how late it is).

I relaxed this morning, drank some coffee, and made some quick and uninteresting scrambled eggs for me and Michelle to keep us from dying while waiting for lunch. Then, the seven of us who were here last night went to the Tillamook Creamery visitors' center - we got to see the production line for cheddar, where they make massive quantities of cheddar 24/7. The self-guided tour was really cool, even if it did feel like we were in a zoo where the animals were humans + 40lb blocks of cheese.

However, we mostly went to eat - we had lunch at their cafe, and I had a cheeseburger with a side of fried cheese curds. I should not have had this because a) gluten and b) difficulty stopping eating until they're all gone, and in this case the basket was particularly large. But lunch was delicious, even if I was so full that I willingly skipped the ice cream that everyone else got.

Then we came home, said hi to Heather (aka dear respected madam), and I took a nap. I did go for a quick beach walk sometime this afternoon - it's all unbelievably picturesque. Eventually we all went to Tillamook for a birthday dinner reservation at a Mexican place - it was tasty, and I enjoyed the convo at my side of the table.

Then, after driving home and losing some Cards Against Humanity, I nursed some wine while talking to people for awhile....but now I'm feeling a v. strong urge to sleep. Goodnight!

got an alliance with the industry man

I've made it to my destination on the Oregon coast, where I shall spend three nights ensconced in a gloomy and storm-tossed beachfront property that might be the set of a murder mystery. It's actually a beautiful house, and I lucked out with the room choice, but when we arrived just before sunset, we were greeted by the barest trace of sun as clouds rolled back in over the horizon. My entire trip will likely be affected by atmospheric rivers and other meteorological wonders, but I think I'll survive.

Unfortunately, while seven of us have made it to the house, Heather and Salim are not among them. It's Heather's (aka dear respected madam's) birthday weekend, which is the whole reason why I came - but Salim had to go to the ER last night, and so they didn't make it here today. He's out and doing better, and hopefully they'll still come tomorrow. But it made for a bit of an interesting dynamic tonight - I know two of the six other people (Durand, fairly well; and Michelle, not so well, but we were coworkers a lifetime ago). And I've met two or three of the others at least once, so it's not a total blind bag. But basically, we all came to celebrate Heather, and then had to make small talk (and dinner) for several hours without her glue to bind us.

Luckily, that all went as smoothly as it could. Durand made an excellent pasta sauce (dolling up some jars with a lot of veggies) and Simone made an equally excellent salad, and between several of us we drank four bottles of Oregon pinot noir. We told a lot of stories about prisons and murder and cruise ships and Long Islands, and it was all a delight. Hopefully we'll see the guest of honor tomorrow, but at least we made tonight a good time.

And now, I really need to sleep (and sleep off some of the pinot) - goodnight!

stuck in a vial

I wasn't sure I would make it to my destination today because it was unexpectedly quite snowy this morning when I was getting ready to leave the house. I knew there would be bad weather around Des Moines, but I had thought my part of the state would avoid almost all of it - however, huge flakes of snow were falling as I was trying to get myself out the door.

Luckily this morning wasn't really a scramble - I got up, made some coffee, showered, repacked a few tings after reconsidering my wardrobe choices, and talked to [censored] while touching up my nails. Then, I drove to the airport and didn't run into any issues. I made the genius (self-described genius; your mileage may vary) move of parking in short term parking just to check in my suitcase, which, since Des Moines' short term parking is very close to the terminal under a covered walkway, meant I could get my bag in without having to drag it through a lot of slush. Then I drove to an economy lot, dropped my car, caught a shuttle (as the only passenger on the shuttle) and was back at the terminal in less than ten minutes. Iowa has some downsides, but the convenience of the airport isn't one of them.

However, I am rusty at the travel game - I somehow forgot to dump my water bottle, and I had to leave security and go through it a second time. But despite that, I had time to grab a salad at the bar before boarding my flight. My flight to Denver was smooth (except for some final turbulence), and I had just enough time to grab an iced coffee on my walk through between gates before boarding my flight to Portland.

And now I'm safely ensconced in my hotel for the night. I have zero plans in Portland because I wasn't sure that I would get here tonight or that I would have time for anything tomorrow, since I'm leaving almost immediately for the coast - but I will get to sleep in tomorrow, so there's that. And I'll probably dream of my fantasy novel tonight; I spent both flights + a couple of hours after getting to the hotel reading THE GOLDEN ENCLAVES, which was the third and final book in a fantasy series that I should have finished when it came out a few months ago. I'd been saving it for a rainy day, and this was definitely a rainy day (literally, not metaphorically), so I picked it up and then read it pretty much straight through. My book isn't anything like that book at all, but all books are interesting to throw into the well of my psyche, and this one was a little more interesting than most.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

this light is contagious, go, go tell your neighbors

I've had a v. small town couple of days. Yesterday, I had a meeting about the mural project, which I'm pretty excited about - I think I have signed up for more than I would ideally like to do, but I also think it's pretty amazing that the county is getting 18 new/refurbished murals, so I'm #inittowinit. I also had dinner last night with Allie (my niece) and Chris (my soon-to-be nephew whose name I know with about 50% accuracy, but I like him more than that fact would indicate). We went to the Mexican restaurant in town, which I ate for four meals in the last seven days because I tend to have leftovers, and I'm sure the wait staff was surprised to see me with someone who wasn't [censored].

So, that was fun, and it was a good reminder that I am about to eat at a bunch of places where my alcohol bill alone will be more than my full meal bill here. #funfact I spent ~$50 in restaurants in February, so I would expect that most of my meals in SF/Seattle will exceed my monthly total in Iowa.

sssanyway. Yesterday I also spent some time saying farewell to my parents, although I saw them both today, so I guess yesterday doesn't count. Today, I met with someone about the mural stuff, then ran some errands, came home, ate leftover Mexican, and spent the afternoon packing. [censored] showed up early after taking the afternoon off, and my mom stopped by to get a tour of the plants that I need her to water while I'm gone. So, I packed with some low-grade interruptions, but I think I have most of what I need and can easily rectify anything I'm missing.

The reason [censored] came home early was to see the town play - tonight was the dress rehearsal, but it was open to the public, and since I couldn't go this weekend, we decided to go tonight. Dad went with us, while Mom went to a meeting that I skipped (and I saw someone else in the audience who skipped the meeting, but we agreed not to tell anyone we saw each other). Mom and Dad were in this play when it was first performed 41 years ago, and the town has done it several times since then - this was the fifth iteration. In a nice gesture, they read off the names of other people who have played each role in the previous iterations, which was a bittersweet trip down memory lane since there were a lot of names of people who have passed away (including my granddad).

So, the play was pretty entertaining - the play is an old Western, and they edited some of the gunslinging and replaced the guns with slingshots, but left in the questionable traitorous Native role (played by one of my high school classmates, who was definitely #inittowinit and told me after that I need to be in the play next year), so I'll give them an overall E for effort on the modernization. I'm glad I went, and I hope they keep the tradition alive, so we'll see.

Then, [censored] and I came home, sent Dad on his merry way, and watched a rather hilarious comedy podcast. And now I need to go to sleep - I am supposed to leave tomorrow, but I need to go to the airport early due to forecasted snow, and I still have some tings I need to do before I leave. Goodnight!

i can beat the night, i'm not afraid of thunder

I don't have much to report - I feel like I wasn't that productive, but that's just my inner Puritan talking, because I actually got a decent amount done. I journaled and took care of various tasks and errands this morning, and then I ate lunch with [censored] (who is going to enter a burrito bowl drought while I'm out of town). I did some other tasks that have been lingering on my to-do list this afternoon before bidding farewell to [censored], who left for [censored] after work.

And then, I took care of my trash, did some housekeeping tasks, ate dinner, procrastinated, and eventually spent a few hours working on the website for the volunteer project I've taken on. And now that that's done, I can feel a bit better about the status of that - which means I can start packing and prepping in earnest for my trip.

However, I still have a million things to do before I go, so I should probably unwind and go to bed - goodnight!

the only thing that waits is overconfidence

I overslept today, but I'm okay with that - according to my fitbit, I've been getting the most sleep that I've gotten in years, which I assume is good for me? And since I'm about to head off for a couple of weeks of fun in the fog (thanks for being a cold vacation destination, Pacific Northwest/Bay Area), sleep is probably a good thing to bank right now.

Anyway, I overslept, but then I rallied, made some coffee, and made brunch for me and [censored]. We ate it while watching SNL as per usual, and as per usual it was pretty iffy - the guest host was one of the Kansas City Chiefs players, and he is most certainly not an actor, but a couple of the skits were funny enough.

Then I spent the afternoon procrastinating a bit, but I did manage to write about seven pages of my weird novel, so I'm happy with that. Then, I ate some leftover chocolate cake before making dinner - I don't do well with dessert at night, but I feel just fine eating cake before dinner, I guess. I made the usual chicken burrito bowl, but I added andouille sausage just to spice it up, and it was pretty tasty.

Then, I messed around on my phone, cleaned the kitchen, came upstairs, painted my toenails (which were looking pretty dire thanks to the lack of vanity-catering services around here), messed around with my manuscript for a bit, sent some emails, and started my packing list for my trip. And now, I need to sleep so that I can get a bunch of stuff done tomorrow - goodnight!

when your feet make tiny imprints in the snow i lose control

I was a little too lazy today, but I think I'll survive. I spent the morning procrastinating and then watched the Iowa State / Baylor game with [censored] - I was not expecting good things, but ISU actually won pretty handily, so that was exciting.

Then I took care of some stuff upstairs and checked a few things off my to do list, showered, and spent some quality time making a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. This was a new-to-me recipe from a gluten free baker whom I've been wanting to experiment with, and it turned out really well. It would have been even prettier if I knew where my round cake pans were, but I did not, so I made a 9x13 rectangle instead. The frosting was a real winner, and the overall cake gave me the hit of chocolate I've been craving (which is unusual, since I could usually ignore desserts entirely).

So, I baked the cake, frosted it, and then [censored] and I picked up Mexican takeout and took it + the cake to the parents' house. Apparently my dad had almost texted me today asking if I could make cookied, so the cake was a v. welcome surprise. We had dinner, ate some cake, and then I came home and contemplated the book in my subconscious while procrastinating consciously. And now, I'm going to scribble down some notes and go to bed - goodnight!

another night in the hills on a buffet of pills

I didn't do everything I set out to accomplish today, but I hit some highlights. Mostly, the woman who laid out my kitchen cabinet design came over to take photos - the kitchen has turned out super well, so I was happy to show it to her. She also reordered a couple of drawers that she agreed weren't dovetailed correctly, so that was a worthwhile endeavor. And it meant that I cleaned up the kitchen for her, so I got some pictures of my own to be able to show people who ask in the future.

After that, I took care of some stuff, ate lunch with [censored] (leftover salmon), and spent the afternoon alternating between working and procrastinating. Then, I took some food out to my parents' house to make dinner - I made roasted Italian sausages with peppers/onions/tomatoes, as well as some mashed potatoes, and it was v. tasty. The peppers in particular are pretty great that way, so I was pleased with how it turned out.

Then [censored] and I hung out with the parents after dinner before coming back into town, and I have been lazy until now, but I should really consider going to bed. Goodnight!

bounce back when i lost, scraped off all the rust

I was pretty productive today, despite sleeping in (but maybe I should stop saying that I'm sleeping in and start acknowledging my natural state). I got up at a reasonable-for-me hour, made some coffee, and drank it while reading some newsletters. I also talked to my mom, who caught me in the sweet spot between when I was awake enough to be coherent and when I lost coherency due to writing too much.

After I talked to her, I wrote for a couple of hours, and it felt great. Then I ate a late lunch, had a quick video chat, sent some emails and other tings, and took a walk to the post office and other areas since the weather was really nice today. This place would be a million times better if I didn't have a mud season and get grey for several months in the winter, but I think I'll survive.

Then I came home, cleaned my kitchen, did some laundry, ate leftover salmon, and finally took down my Christmas tree. Yes, it's March, but at least it's not April. I'd left it up for family Christmas in February, and then was too busy getting into the writing groove to take it down, but it felt like it might be time. So, that chore is duly accomplished, and now I can think about other ways to decorate the house now that the kitchen is done.

Eventually, [censored] showed up, so we talked for awhile, and then I came upstairs, folded laundry, and procrastinated instead of journaling like I had planned. So now I'm going to close my laptop and either journal or go to bed - goodnight!