get drunk on the good life, i'll take you to paradise

I had a pretty good day in Boulder - it's warming up a bit and the sidewalks/streets are mostly clear, which was a bonus. I got up early and left my room a little before nine to move my car - since I've been able to park within half a block of the hotel both nights, and street parking is free after seven p.m., I refuse to pay for the hotel valet, but this does mean moving my car in the morning. But that also meant I could go to Starbucks and write for a bit, which I did.

Then, I got a manicure at the salon I used to go to here - I hadn't been there since February 2020, since my office in Boulder was shut down for two years and then I resigned and moved to Iowa. But the woman I always saw was still there and she was delighted to see me, so that was fun. And my nails look stylish again, but we'll see how long they last when I get home.

Then I ran a couple of errands at the mall before picking up Tomas for an off campus lunch. We've been friends forever, so we talked more about non-work stuff then work-stuff, which was v. welcome. He also made me glad I'm not raising teenagers right now, although some of it does sound quite entertaining.

After I dropped him off, I came back to my hotel briefly, and then met Lexie (from my old team) for a drink at Rosetta. I had barely gotten to say goodbye to her when I left last year, and it was really great to catch up. And then, I came back to my hotel, changed shoes, and walked down Pearl to grab dinner at Pizzeria Alberico. It was delish, as usual, and I did some good journaling while eating a mushroom pizza and drinking a nice montepulciano. They were surprisingly empty tonight, likely because of Halloween, but that was good for me since it meant I could linger.

And now, I must sleep - goodnight!

your side of town

I have officially stayed up too late and I almost feel like I'm getting a cold, so I need to go to bed ASAP. But today was good - I had breakfast in my hotel, did some v important writing/work stuff, and then showered and packed. I ordered a poke bowl from my favorite Denver poke place for lunch, and it was as tasty as always.

Then I checked out and drove to Lafayette to see Caroline + special guest Aaron. I hadn't seen Aaron since I left my job last year, and it was really nice to see him in a more introverted setting (he and Caroline are the introverts, not me). We hung out for a couple of hours, and then I drove to Boulder and checked into my hotel. It's nice to be back and see the mountains, which are dramatically snowy. But I holed up and ate a much needed steak in the hotel while doing some work, and then I read for a few hours. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

wait for them to ask you who you know

I had an extremely lazy, unexpected snow day. Denver got eight or so inches of snow overnight, mostly after I arrived, and it was still coming down this morning when I opened my drapes to look out upon the world. Katie and I were supposed to grab brunch, but she wasn't feeling well; I had tentative plans to see Aunt B, but she got even more snow than Denver did. So, I holed up in my hotel and had a mini writing retreat, which suited me perfectly.

After showering and spending some quality time getting ready, I went downstairs and had breakfast. I wrote in my journal and observed the world while eating some tasty food and drinking excellent coffee, and I was quite satisfied. Then, I took my laptop to the lobby and wrote for awhile. I eventually relocated to the bar, where I had a glass of rosé and some fries while finishing the book I started reading last night. And then I wrote some more until my eyes got tired and I decided I needed a nap.

Eventually, I did vacate the hotel - the sun came out in the late afternoon, and the buildings around here did a great job clearing their sidewalks, so I walked over to Larimer Square and grabbed some tasty enchiladas. It was still too cold for my tastes (it never got above freezing today), but the walk did me good. Then I returned to my room, wrote for another couple of hours, and then did some desultory internet scrolling for the rest of the night.

All in all, it was a good day - and hopefully tomorrow is equally nice (with slightly less snow and more socializing). Goodnight!

you're not like the others, futuristic lover

I have never made such good time on a drive to Denver before - but I was highly motivated by the winter storm warning here, in a way that was only matched by the drive in 2020 that involved trying to beat wildfire smoke + curfews in Denver related to civil rights protests. I actually left my house in Iowa at 8:03am, which is a new record - I showered, loaded my car, made some coffee and ate some ham out of a Ziploc bag like a savage, and said goodbye to [censored], all before I usually get up in the morning. I deserve a medal, but I don't know what governing body would give it to me, so I'll just have to award it to myself.

The drive was thoroughly uneventful - all across Iowa and Nebraska, it was tempting to take my time and eat a real lunch or stop places, but I did my very best to forge ahead (although I had breakfast McDonald's and lunch McDonald's). But I started seeing alarming amounts of snow and ice on eastbound cars around North Platte, so I forged ahead. I drove through snow through most of Colorado, which picked up after Stirling... But at that point I felt committed, since it was still only 4pm. So I booked a room in Denver (which I hadn't done since I wasn't sure I'd make it here), and I made it into town around six. The last hour felt treacherous, and my door didn't want to open when I arrived because of how much ice/snow had accumulated around the bottom of the frame, but made it without issues.

Once I checked into my hotel, I decided I didn't want to go out for the night - and the last-minute deal I booked included a food credit, so I spent it on an excellent salmon dish and some wine at the hotel restaurant. I was going to do some work, but instead I read a book, and it was delightful. And now I'm going to finish unwinding and go to sleep - goodnight!

if you live like that, you live with ghosts

I was pretty busy today - I decided to take a rather impromptu trip to Denver this week, which it turns out is perhaps a bad idea because the weather does not look ideal for a drive across Nebraska. However, I want to be in Denver next weekend to see a friend visiting from London, and so going this weekend enables me to see some more people before that.

So, I spent some quality time this morning writing, and then I showered, ate lunch, did some housework, and went into town to get allergy shots. Before I got my shots, I went to the courthouse and voted in case I don't make it back before election day - it was only city and school board, so it only took a few minutes, but I'm glad I got it done. My allergy shots were annoying and itchy, as per usual, but I took my laptop and worked for thirty minutes while I sat there.

Then I came home, spent a couple of hours packing + doing house stuff, and had a quick call with someone. Then, [censored] and I met the parents in town for dinner - we never go to the steakhouse in town, but they had a gift certificate, so we went there to help use it up. We all agreed the appetizers were great (albeit gluten-y) - their cheese balls and breaded mushrooms were excellent, and Dad got chicken gizzards, which, while not my favorite, were quite good for gizzards. My main course (an Iowa chop) was almost too salty, since I'm guessing it was brined too long, but otherwise everything was good.

Then [censored] and I came home, and I finished packing by ten p.m., which is a record for me. I also emptied the dishwasher, folded laundry, etc., so that [censored] is not left with a total mess in my absence. And now, I need to sleep so that I can get on the road as early as possible (for me, not for normal humans) - goodnight!

it was all by design

I have nothing to report - I did a lot of desk work today, so I'm a little burned out on screens. But I took a break tonight and made burrito bowls, which was quite tasty. And that's pretty much all you're getting tonight - perhaps I shall be more ebullient tomorrow night. Goodnight!

i laid the groundwork and then just like clockwork the dominoes cascaded in a line

I apparently forgot to blog last night, but you didn't miss much - I mostly did stuff around the house yesterday (along with a v. productive writing session in the morning). I also picked up my car after getting it detailed, thanks to a ride from my mom - the detailing was a rather last-minute choice, but my car looks great, so I'm glad that I happened to see the last-minute opening for a detailing slot. And eventually, I went to the next town over to have dinner with Hannah - we went to the Pit Pony, which is relatively new and is so named in reference to the area's history with coal mining. It was a delight to see Hannah and my burger was tasty, so all in all it was a win.

Today was more of the same - my eyes are going blearly from looking at my computer all day (a mix of coming up with ideas and researching things, plus doing a bit of travel planning). But I did eventually leave the house for a meeting of my secret society - I suppose we discussed secrets, but we mostly met and then ate snacks, and I took the end of the meeting to talk to the president (who is the only person in the group younger than me) about Britney Spears' new autobiography. I'm counting that as a win.

Then I came home, talked to [censored] for a bit, and spent the last couple of hours back on my computer. And now I really need to sleep - goodnight!

i cooked the books and threw my combinations

Today was pretty good, all in all - I sent a bunch of emails that I've been ignoring / avoiding responding to. which felt great as soon as I was done with them. I also got allergy shots, which I didn't react to quite as badly as I often do. And I had a ham sandwich for lunch, which is lowkey one of my favorite things to eat, so that was pretty delightful.

In the afternoon, I had a call with my friend Heather (aka dear respected madam) and took care of various tings. Eventually, I said farewell to [censored], sat on my balcony for a little bit to take advantage of the last eighty degree day, and then made dinner. I tried a new-to-me sheet pan recipe with butternut squash, brussels sprouts, red onion, chicken breast, and a maple syrup / dijon marinade, and it was *excellent* - not necessarily something that would be [censored]'s favorite, but it will have to go into the rotation for when I'm here by myself. It would be even easier with precut butternut squash, since cutting the squash took more time than all the rest of the prep combined, but c'est la vie.

After I ate, I cleaned up a bit and then did more email / writing tasks. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

hardtop impala, blank checks and cannonballers

I was quite productive today - perhaps more productive than I wanted to be, or at least in different ways than planned. I did sleep in a bit, but after I had some coffee we got to it - [censored] had access to some of my dad's equipment and there was a list of tings we wanted to do outside. This mostly involved using a lift to clean out my gutters - I felt rather guilty because [censored] did all the cleaning, but this meant that we weren't both on the lift and in danger of getting stuck if something happened. I was also able to fetch various supplies, hoses, etc. without [censored] having to climb on and off the lift, so I'm consoling myself with the idea that I was useful. While [censored] was up there, we also installed a solar panel to provide permanent power to one of my security cameras, so we'll see how that works.

At some point my dad stopped by to inspect (or impede) progress, but we wrapped up all the gutter stuff and took a break for some leftover ham and scalloped potatoes. Then, despite wanting to take a nap after the potatoes, I rallied and went outside to put some tings in my shed, finish cleaning up some flower pots for the winter, etc.

And then [censored] brought over a different piece of equipment + a log chain and used it to pull several tings out of my yard. The previous owner left behind an old clothesline that was embedded in an overabundance of concrete to anchor it, and [censored] managed to excavate it. Also, we had several trees coming up around my flagpole - the flagpole was in the wrong location for my tastes, but a tree there would be perfect, and one of the volunteer trees was a catalpa that looks like it could be nice if it survives. So [censored] pulled the other trees (a mulberry, an elm, and a tiny shoot of maple) and also pulled the flagpole. It's unclear whether the catalpa was damaged in this process beyond a cut root, but [censored] watered it and filled dirt in around where the flagpole/concrete had been, so hopefully it makes it through the winter and thrives next year.

After all that, I folded some laundry, took a quick shower, and ran into town to pick up dinner. The Mexican restaurant has been closed for remodeling for months, but they opened their food truck this weekend, so I picked up food for [censored] and the parents. It was all v. tasty, and it was definitely nice to hang out and not do yardwork in the evening.

And now, I need to sleep so I can get cracking with other tings tomorrow - goodnight!

there's more than one way to get your freedom

Today was more of the usual - I wrote in the morning, took a shower, and ran into town to get allergy shots. When I got back, [censored] and I drove around for a bit, and then I spent the afternoon doing a few tings, taking a nap, taking a walk, etc. As evening approached, [censored] and I went to Garden Grove, which was unusually disappointing - my food was great, but they were so busy that we had to sit at a high top table (which I never like since my legs are so short) and they were out of [censored]'s preferred meal, so that was a bummer.

But, it was a beautiful day and hopefully the weather continues to hold - we shall see. Goodnight!

wanted to fight this war without weapons

I felt fairly accomplished today, all in all. I wrote most of the morning, before taking a quick shower and making a frozen pizza for lunch. Then, I caught up with Veronica for an hour, which was v. necessary. I did a bit more writing, did some procrastinating, and took a nap. And then, I made scalloped potatoes (Barefoot Contessa's potatoes au gratin recipe, modified to remove the leeks and onions that [censored] and other midwesterners don't want in scalloped potatoes) and a ham. It was a bit decadent for a Thursday night, but it was v. tasty.

While that was cooking, I cleaned up the kitchen and then sat on my balcony and wrote for a little bit. Eventually, [censored] and I ate while watching tv. And then I left [censored] to his own devices, came upstairs, vowed not to doomscroll social media, and instead inhaled an entire book - THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR. It's been sitting on my shelf for awhile, and I read it fast because it's relatively short - but it's a bizarre, fun book and I'm glad I read it.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

let's rewrite an ending that fits instead of a hollywood horror

I had a strangely busy day today, although I felt like I didn't get enough done. I spent the morning journaling / writing, and then I had a catch-up with my friend Tanya. I accused her of being the Ghost of Christmas Future because she is dealing with some career-related stuff that I am not currently dealing with but may someday be back into, and it was, all in all, a hilarious conversation.

Then I had lunch, did some house stuff, and had a call with a writer who is an expert in building newsletter content / followings - it was certainly worth the time, and I need to spend some time considering what we talked about over the next couple of weeks. I ran into town to pick up a couple of tings, and then I came home and had a long chat with Katie, which was v. overdue. And then I went out to my parents' house and mooched dinner off of them, which was tasty (and certainly easier than the experimental recipe I was going to try tonight).

Shortly after I got home, [censored] arrived, so we caught up for a bit. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

the world was wide, too late to try, the tour was over, we'd survived

Nothing to report today - I had to get up early to go get allergy shots, which were accomplished without drama (but with a lot of swelling). Then I came home and did some writing-related tasks this morning. I also fielded a call from the town that is hosting next year's mural festival - I've been avoiding them since I didn't want to deal with mural-related activities this last month, but I decided to take the call, and we ended up talking for an hour.

After that, I ate lunch and then went for a drive - I checked out the Amish discount store, which had the usual ridiculous array of goods. Then I came home and, inspired, did a bit of writing. I also did a bit of laundry and a bit of sitting on my balcony, since it was nice enough to be outside. After that, I ate dinner (well, cheese and salami and a variety of jams), and I wrote a tiny bit more before inevitably procrastinating.

And now, I need to start winding down for the night - goodnight!

rain keeps beating on the rooftop, muddying the glass

The changing weather is kicking my hoarding instincts into gear, so I ran to Des Moines today to buy groceries. It was actually nice today and appears destined to be nice all week, but my freezer is mostly empty, so I stocked up on meat (I can't help it, I like organic chicken now and the massive chicken breasts at Fareway astonish me). I also bought some cheeses and a few other tings that I can't get locally. And, I bought a toilet (not at Whole Foods) - my bathroom is in desperate need of a new one, but that required me picking one out, which I had not wanted to spend any energy doing this summer.

Since I wanted [censored]'s help unloading it and [censored] was leaving tonight, I made my trip as fast as possible - I left here around eleven and was back by 4:15. Then I said goodbye to [censored], made myself a boulevardier, and had a long chat with my friend Sara, who wanted some advice about some work stuff (hence the boulevardier). After we were done, I reheated some leftover burrito bowl and read a book. And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

when the rain soaks through the heels and slips to the sole

It was a v. dreary day today, which reminds me that Iowa in winter is about a million times worse than Iowa in summer. It wasn't all bad - I got up relatively early for a Saturday and went into town to have coffee with Amber. She was in [censored]'s class, so I didn't know her well in school since I thought [censored]'s classmates were children, but she is not a child now. We had a good time chatting about a variety of local subjects, so I'm glad we made it happen.

Then, I grabbed groceries, came home, ate some leftovers, and did a whole lot of nothing. I guess I accomplished a nap, a load of laundry, and a journal entry, so it wasn't all a wash - but I wasn't in the mood to do anything else while it was so grey outside. I did, however, rally to make dinner - I cooked a tater tot casserole and invited the parents to come and share it with us. It turned out quite well, even if the grocery store only had mini tater tots, and the bagged caesar salad I bought was a good addition.

After the parents left, I finished cleaning up and then procrastinated some more before folding my laundry and doing a couple of minor tasks. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

where'd you wanna go, how much you wanna risk

My day was pretty good, all in all - I got up and did a bit of work before going into town and getting allergy shots. My reaction to the shots was pretty standard, so I came home feeling good. I ate some leftover Mexican food from last night's excursion, and then I finished prepping for and having a videoconference. After that, I messed around online, sent some emails, etc. until it was time to stop looking at screens for the day.

Eventually, I made supper for me and [censored] - it was time for the usual instant pot burrito bowls, so I whipped some up, and we ate them while sitting on the couch. Then I came upstairs and was going to read or journal or something, but instead online shopped. And now, I'm going to bed - goodnight!

all the blue light reflection that color my mind as i sleep

I'm falling asleep so this will be quick - but I enjoyed the second day of the conference and then made it home, with a quick stop in Des Moines along the way. The morning sessions were all fine (some more informative than others), and the ladies preparing the food continued to make sure I, the only person with a food sensitivity, was able to eat.

I stopped in at a store on the main street in Manning to check out what they have going on downtown, and then I drove to Des Moines. I had to return something at the mall, so I took care of that, and used it as an opportunity to check out a couple of stores. I was going to buy groceries, but I was too tired, so I drove home while listening to a couple of podcasts (Conan interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger was participating good).

When I got here, I didn't feel like cooking, so [censored] and I ended up going to the other Mexican restaurant location (30min away, worth it). They were packed for a Thursday, but the food was good, and [censored] and I were able to catch up.

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

it's the summer of love

I'm v. tired, but I'm having a lovely time in the small town of Manning, where I have come for a tourism conference. No, I am not a tourism coordinator, but I'm now on the board for the county economic development group, and someone from the board needed to go to this conference. It's three hours from home, so I had to wake up early this morning (in a thunderstorm! how unusual, since we've been in a drought!) to drive over here. I made it two minutes before the opening speaker, which was just right, and all in all it's been a good event. I've learned more about road signage and liquor laws than I thought I needed to know, but I also got to go see the Templeton Rye distillery, which is a few miles away. They have spent tens of millions of dollars on that facility, which I find fascinating, and they glossed over the whole controversy of when Templeton was actually being produced in Indiana. But it was still a fun tour and I enjoyed my tasting, and I was lured into buying a sweatshirt, so it was all good.

Then I v. quickly checked into my hotel and had dinner at the conference center - I am the only gluten free person in attendance, which means the catering ladies were looking out for me specifically, and tonight they made me a massive amount of gluten free pasta to go with the sauce and the salmon, which I appreciated. This area is very heavily German Catholic, and so after dinner, we were 'encouraged' to play a couple of German games (nailing a nail into a stump, and holding a beer stein as long as possible). I mostly hung out and talked to some people who knew my mom from my mom's involvement in tourism years ago, as well as some other people who were pretty entertaining.

And now, after having my last drink in the lobby (probably in direct violation of the liquor laws we learned about today), I need to sleep - goodnight!

don't wear sandals, try to avoid the scandals

I have nothing to report - I wrote today and it did not go well. But I had lunch with [censored] (fresh spaghetti to go with last night's sauce), took a walk at some point, cleaned out the freezer and took out my trash, etc. And I spent some quality time on my balcony at sunset with a truly excellent glass of petite sirah...I had to have a blanket as well, but it was worth it.

Then I ate some sweet potato hash that I found in the freezer with a couple of freshly fried eggs, and I finished my reread of Haruki Murakami's HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD. It's still one of my favorites and still somewhat incomprehensible, but I loved it. And now I must sleep - goodnight!

hardtop impala, blank checks and cannonballers

I have nothing noteworthy to share tonight. I did not get into the book like I intended to this morning - I did a bit of desk work, but otherwise was somewhat lazy. I ate lunch with [censored], tried to write a little more, and eventually spent a few hours in the basement. I set up another rack of rolling shelves and put a bunch of stuff on it, and I'm pleased with my progress - there is still lots to do, as we like to say around here, but I'm feeling a little less panicked about cleaning the basement before the HVAC project.

Eventually, I stopped and took a bunch of trash to [censored]'s dumpster and cardboard to the recycling trailer. Then I came home and made dinner - Grandma Barb's spaghetti sauce (note: I do not have a Grandma Barb, but someone on the internet does, and the sauce is a banger). After [censored] and I ate, we procrastinated a bit (including [censored] finally getting me to watch a YouTube video about a guy named [censored]'s death), and then I cleaned up the kitchen, folded the three loads of laundry I did today, and called it quits for the night. I was, again, going to try to write for a bit, but instead I read a magazine. And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

the higher ups will tell you what you can't eat, where you can't go, how to dress, how to act decent

I had a relatively good day - I didn't get as much done as I intended, but it was far better than nothing. I did some writing this morning, which is feeling like molasses, but it was a worthy attempt. I also did a handful of other chores before showering, eating some soup, and going into town. There was an open house at the battery factory today, and I wanted to see it since I'd never been inside (and my dad's company did some of the construction work on the expansion a few years ago). I happened to run into some people I knew when I got there ([censored]'s friend's family), so I mostly walked around with them, and it was pretty interesting to see the manufacturing process.

Then I went to the museum, where they were opening a new '100 Years of Batteries' exhibit to celebrate the long history of battery manufacturing here. I got there just in time to see the ribbon cutting. Separately, I also talked to a guy who collects Native artifacts and has started making his own replica pottery based on fragments found in the state, so that was pretty interesting.

Having experienced enough culture for one day, I came home, ate a snack, relaxed for too long, and then forced myself to clean. My bedroom and office have been mild disasters for the past couple of months (starting when I no longer had impending house guests and got swept into the mural festival), so I did a deep clean of my bedroom - fresh sheets, laundered duvet cover, thorough dusting, vacuuming, etc. It has suddenly turned to fall here, and according to the temperature sensor in my bedroom, last night was the coldest night in my room since May. So, I put some flannel sheets on the bed and I'm ready to get cozy (even though my spirit is not ready for winter).

Eventually, [censored] and I went out to the parents' house, where we had brats and potato salad and baked beans in defiance of the onset of autumn. Unfortunately the brats were accidentally beer brats, thanks to a likely mistake at the grocery store meat counter, but they were well cooked and the potato salad/beans were perfect, as always. So we all caught up for a bit, and then [censored] and I came back to town, where I cleaned my office for the last couple of hours. I still need to dust and vacuum, but I got all the mural stuff put away, organized my papers, cleaned off my desk, etc. It's starting to feel like I can get down to actual work here, but we shall see...

And now, it's time for bed - goodnight!

you steady chasin' that paper

I had a lovely day, all in all. I skipped an optional meeting this morning because it was at 7:30am and I need to reclaim my mornings after the official end of the mural festival. But I still got up in time to make some tea and make a nine a.m. appointment for allergy shots, which are continuing relatively well - my allergies have been totally manageable this fall, which is a big improvement over six months ago, so the shots have been worth it.

Then I grabbed some groceries, came home, and spent the morning taking care of a variety of writing / personal tasks. Then I had a late lunch with [censored], avoided my to-do list for a bit, and then buckled down in the basement to organize more of my tings. It's not looking as bad as I thought it might be, mostly because I kept a lot of empty boxes post-move, and many other things can be easily consolidated now that I've been here a year and have a better idea of what I'm using.

Eventually, I stopped working (and stopped taking a break on my grandparents' old armchair, which is in the basement) and made a double batch of chicken tortilla soup. It was just on the verge of too spicy, but it was a v. welcome treat - it's suddenly cold here today (I had to wear a jacket and uggs to the hospital!), which is hilarious since I'm getting heat advisory warnings on my phone for San Francisco. So [censored] and I ate dinner, discussed chain saws (as one does), etc., before I decided to hang out upstairs.

And now, I must sleep - goodnight!

find my sun in the dark side of my shadow

I was pretty productive today - I did writing stuff most of the morning and most of the afternoon. I took a break around lunch to make some huevos rancheros - I doctored a can of black beans to make them better, and I made a quesadilla and two perfectly fried eggs. [censored] even partook despite not liking corn tortillas, although I scrambed [censored]'s eggs - it's amazing that we get along since he has the worst taste in eggs, but I digress.

After writing for much of the afternoon, I spent an hour working in the basement. I need to start clearing some stuff in preparation for a massive HVAC project, and [censored] is far ahead of me after doing a lot down there while I was in San Francisco. Then, I made dinner (the usual burrito bowls), took a quick shower while it was cooking, and ate with [censored].

And now, I need to sleep so I can accomplish a million different things tomorrow - goodnight!

can I ask you a question

I had a pretty nice day, all in all. I spent quite a bit of time this morning writing, which felt good. Then I took a quick shower, ate some leftovers, and went to town for a board meeting (I'm now on the economic development board), which went fine.

Then I came home, wrote some more, did some laundry, messed around the house, etc. Eventually, I made myself look more presentable and went to Bonita's house for dinner. It was a celebratory thing for everyone involved in the mural festival committee (+ some spouses), so there were about eighteen people there. I sat with Donna, Dorene, the museum director, and some others, and it was all v nice. And then we all had a long reminisce about the festival, and I'm a little sad it's over (and also sad I have to write a website).

Then I came home, talked to [censored], and decided it was time for bed. Goodnight!

but there's nothing to grab so I let go

I'm still in re-entry mode, but today went pretty well. I woke up, started some laundry, made tea, and wrote for a bit. Then I showered, ate, went to my local precinct polling place to vote in a special election, and then went into town for a meeting about some mural festival wrap up.

After, I went to the hospital to get allergy shots, where I read a book while I waited to see if I reacted. Then I grabbed groceries, came home, did some more unpacking and laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and made dinner. I invited the parents over for shrimp alfredo, which is very tasty if I do say so myself. So we caught up on my trip and the various tings I missed here, and it was all good.

After they left, I cleaned up and read for awhile. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

we stand up in the palace like it's the last of the great pioneer town bars

I had a lovely beginning of the day - I met Lauren (aka Subz) for breakfast at Sweet Maple, and we had a lovely catch-up. Then I walked back downtown, packed up, took at ten minute nap, and went to the airport.

Traveling today ruined some of my zen - SFO was the easiest part, but getting across the Denver airport was stressful and my flight didn't land in Des Moines until 11:30. So I decided to get a hotel here tonight and head home in the morning - and now I need to sleep. Goodnight!