i hope you find your dream

I am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel in terms of how busy I am - which is probably wishful thinking / laughably naive, but allow me to indulge myself.

I had an okay weekend despite everything. Yesterday I tackled the fact that my bedroom and office were getting out of control - I hadn't fully unpacked from my SF trip, and so I needed to do several loads of laundry and put away many tings (I always come back with more stuff than I leave with, especially when these events usually give out new backpacks, sweatshirts, water bottles, etc., etc.). My desk was also a disaster, and I had many packages that needed to be repacked for returns (the Nordstrom Anniversary sale giveth and taketh away). But now everything is tidied up, which makes it easier to focus, so hopefully that bodes well for the week ahead.

Last night, I made supper for Mom and [censored] - I made prosciutto-wrapped chicken breasts stuffed with an herbed cream cheese and bacon, which are v. v. tasty. I hadn't made them in ages, and I'm glad I remembered that they exist. We all hung out for awhile while they finished cooking, and the wait was worth it, if I do say so myself.

Today was unusually productive for a Sunday - I did some writing this morning, did more laundry, took care of the remaining paperwork on my desk, and then worked on my taxes. Yes, taxes are due in April, but I filed for an extension because of everything going on, and my CPA would like the info now before it all gets too late. I got pretty close to done before deciding I needed to take a break, and so I'll have to look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow.

Then I messed around for a bit, played with my garden, sat on my balcony and journaled, and made supper. The chicken last night was so good that I made it again tonight (Mom got last night's leftovers, but [censored] and I wanted more). We ate it with the last couple of ears of corn that I picked up last weekend, and it was pretty delish. Then I cleaned up the kitchen, procrastinated for awhile, folded clothes, and did a wee bit of day job work.

And now I need to go to bed - but not before wishing a happy birthday to Katie, my sister from another mister! Goodnight!

and darling, never settle, settle, settle

I have continued to be v. busy at work, which has been helpful for taking my mind off life. Wednesday was a blur - I worked until seven on Wednesday before picking up pizza for me and [censored]. Thursday was slightly better, since I had time to throw a bunch of beef in the slow cooker to make barbacoa, which [censored] and I ate with hash browns instead of tortillas in homage to our Iowa roots.

So by today, I was ready for a bit of a break. I worked for three hours this morning even though I told everyone I was off, which was nice bc I was able to focus on a couple of things and have a nice chat with Baz. And then I made huevos rancheros for lunch and relaxed for a bit before going with Mom and [censored] to look at headstones for Dad.

This was not exactly a fun errand, of course. But it's been three months tomorrow (or thirteen weeks today, depending on how you track these things) since he passed, so it was time to organize this. And I think the stone we went with will look quite nice, so I'm glad we got that accomplished.

After we selected a stone, we went to a lawnmower dealer so that [censored] could explore all the possibilities in stock. Mom and I had little interest in the proceedings, so we stood outside and talked in the heat and humidity (I think the heat index got up to 105 or something absurd, but we were in the shade with a breeze, so we survived). Then we came home and parted ways. Originally, [censored] and I were planning to hit up the Mexican food truck in town - the restaurant has been closed for a few months, but their food truck was open tonight, and we were going to patronize it. However, I then realized I'd rather have real food than food truck food / takeout for the third night this week (v. uncharacteristic for us to order anything, let alone two food trucks and pizza). So we rather ridiculously ended up driving to Leon to eat in their sister restaurant. This was the right call since the food was great, but it certainly added more driving than I was expecting today.

When we got home, I attempted to do some work but mostly chilled (heated?) on my balcony and then wrote for a bit inside. And now I need to sleep so I can do a million things this weekend - goodnight!

shut your mouth and see straight through me

I have dipped immediately back into a million tasks to do at work, thanks to being off for most of the last two weeks (well - I was working all last week, but as I was doing event-related stuff, it was not the kind of work that actually crosses tings off my to-do list).

Yesterday I slogged the entire day, after kicking things off with early morning allergy shots that I only mildly reacted to. I took a break to make cheeseburgers to go with some sweet corn, and then I was so tired that I was in bed by ten. I intended to get up and slog this morning, but instead I slept in until the grand hour of seven (so luxurious) and got cracking. I had a whole slew of meetings today, but they mostly went well, and my boss actually acknowledged that I might have too much stuff on my plate, so at least there's that.

When I was done with meetings, I sped into town to pick up some groceries and also get takeout from a random food truck that popped up in town. Random food trucks show up occasionally, and I usually find out about them through facebook. This one is Vietnamese and seemed promising, so I got some egg rolls, crab rangoon, and sweet and sour chicken for [censored] + pad thai for me. Vietnamese/Thai is much easier for gluten free than Chinese is, and their menu looked reasonably safe - not safe for celiac, but I think the pho would have been fully gluten free, the pad thai likely was, and the egg rolls were the thai style with rice paper instead of wonton wrappers, so they were safe too. I ate the crab rangoon to my extreme peril since I'm allergic to both crab and gluten, but I suspected that the crab was imitation, and I was correct. The meal immediately put me to sleep for thirty minutes, but it was pretty good and we would do it again if they come through on the right night.

After we ate, I took the aforementioned forced nap, then messed around, talked to [censored], and eventually did another hour of work. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

reveille

Okay, updates since my last real post:

Friday was pretty decent, although I was beyond tired because I got less than five hours of sleep before getting up to pack. Packing took longer than intended, and so I was later leaving than I wanted to - but I grabbed a coffee for the road, and then enjoyed the v. scenic drive from Carmel Valley to Menlo Park. In Menlo Park, I met Shedletsky for lunch - Tina was supposed to join us, but she had to stay back for a dishwasher delivery. So we chatted over paella in a tucked-away little cafe that I'd never heard of before, and it was quite nice to see him.

Then I sped to my hotel to check in, where I dropped my bags just so they wouldn't get stolen out of my car in SF. Then I went to the office, which I did not want to do after four days of offsite work - but Adit and I wanted to inspect the final progress on the remodel before we would both be out of town, so we met the contractor and did a walkthrough. I am ready for this project to be done, tbh, and hopefully it's done pretty soon.

Then I went to Room and Board to check out tables/chairs again, since I do not have access to one anywhere near me here. And then I picked up Adit and we went back to his house to talk shop for awhile before meeting Chandlord. We had a glass of wine at Gemini, and then we did a supper club dinner - it was some Thai pop-up with a communal table for twenty-ish people, which was pretty fun. The food was excellent and mostly gluten free, and we had a fun conversation, and I survived it despite wanting to be asleep at seven p.m.

When that was done, I went back to my hotel and slept for approx four hours before heading to the airport. All my travels yesterday were smooth, although my second flight was slightly delayed, but that just meant more time for me to hang out in the Amex lounge in Denver. When I got home, I drove straight south (with a quick stop to pick up sweet corn) and had dinner with Mom and [censored] before tumbling into bed.

Today was pretty chill and reasonably productive, all things considered - I slept until nine, then made coffee, did some personal work, showered, got groceries, and spent some quality time inspecting and messing with my gardens. Still unclear if I'll get any substantive produce, but it's been fun so far. At some point I took [censored] out to Mom's to get his tractor, and then I came back home, did a bit of cleaning, and made dinner (roasted chicken breasts + sweet corn).

And now, I need to sleep since I have a million tings to do this week to catch up on life. Goodnight!

far across the sea

No blog tonight - I had an excellent day but I'm exhausted and need to wake up in less than five hours to go to the airport. Goodnight!

sky full of stars

 I am v v tired but the event has been a success. I have spent almost the entirety of it working, along with spending some time attempting not to throw up (the waves in Monterey Bay yesterday weren't tsunami level, but they were choppy enough to make me want to vomit during our pre-dinner cruise). Last night's dinner was fun, mostly bc I was seated between Adit and a guy from Minneapolis who was quite interesting. And then I went to bed so I could do it all over again today...

...which I did, although I took a brief illicit break to have lunch with Veronica (who is here with Adam). I then slogged the rest of the day with a v v brief nap, then went to the final dinner, where I talked up the head of the catering group here, also befriended the beekeeper (who is from Pella and is a scion of the Jaarsma Bakery family and used to make the puff pillows at Christmas), and had many varied and hilarious conversations.

But now I'm desperate to sleep bc I need to get up in less than six hours - goodnight!

little wanderer

I am v tired and have to wake up and be on again tomorrow, but the first day of the event was good. I did a bunch of work this morning, had breakfast, continued to work, and then was on throughout the afternoon (with a too-brief break for a too-brief massage). Then we had dinner (I sat at a table of mostly other coworkers and it was great), followed by drinks, and I decided I had no desire to drink and would rather be in a sweatshirt and sweats. But as I was cozying up in my room, Adit texted, and we ended up having smores at a firepit with the hotel's smores kits (and hanging out with a couple of founders, so at least I was still somewhat doing my job).

And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

skill issue

I have arrived at my work event, which is bittersweet since I would rather continue being on vacation but am also quite happy to see my coworkers in a v nice setting. I woke up too early this morning and did a few things before showering and then saying goodbye to Subz and the kids (because they were leaving; I had no intention of cutting my stay short). Then I did some more work, packed up, and said a final farewell to Nathan before heading out.

Then I drove to SFO, where I picked up Emily so that we could sojourn south. We stopped for lunch in Burlingame, and it's telling that all these food concepts are now the same because I realized as we were ordering at the counter that we weren't in the restaurant I intended to go to, but it didn't matter because it was mostly the same bowls of ridiculousness anyway.

Emily and I both took calls (sadly) from our table, and then we got on the road and continued until finally reaching out destination (without any substantive traffic, but it's a long way from SF regardless). When we got here, I immediately went into work mode, but I did get a break around 5:30 to partially unpack and change before dinner. 

Dinner was a delight, and dessert and drinks were excellent, and a good time was generally had by all. But now I need to sleep so I can conserve energy for what needs to get done tomorrow. Goodnight!

octosaw

I have been in California for approximately thirty-six hours and I have already done many and varied tings. My trip yesterday was slightly frustrating bc we landed in SFO 15min early, and then sat so long waiting for a gate that we were almost 45min late (which means we sat near the gate for an hour). After that, everything was as smooth as possible - my bag was one of the first off the plane, and I was able to skip the massive line at the rental car counter and go straight to my car thanks to the magic of the rental car app + status through one of my various credit cards or airline statuses (I don’t even know what gives status anymore, but in the current economy, any status helps).

I was still 40min late to brunch with Jen, Jane, and Joann (the friendship renewal crew), which means my original plan would have gotten me there right on time. But no harm done - we had dim sum at Palette and caught up while eating many shrimp families in various preparations. It was great, as usual, to see them, even if we discussed dentistry to a greater degree than I expected, and I’m glad that our friendship is properly renewed until I get back to SF again in the future.

Then I sped to the city of sin (emphasis on sped), where I checked into my hotel and took an absolutely necessary nap. Eventually I rallied and met Adit, Chandlord, Claude, and Sam for an early dinner at Pasta Supply Company. Before dinner, I took a v brief detour to see the office with Adit since I wanted to see what was up with construction. Then we won a race to get a table at the restaurant, where we enjoyed various pastas and other tings. After, we had wine at some natural wine place tha was fine, although I am displeased that the going rate for a glass of okay wine in SF is now $18 when it used to be $8.

Sssanyway, after we were all done, Chandlord and I went back to my hotel for a nightcap and further catchup. Then I slept the sleep of the dead before getting up and writing in my room this morning. I was going to go to the Ferry Building this morning, but when I booked a hotel within walking distance of the Ferry Building, I forgot that today was the SF Marathon and that it started/ended at the Ferry Building. Oops. So I instead had a v lazy morning at my hotel, including writing, two coffees, breakfast, etc. This was pretty perfect, so #noregrets.

Eventually I checked out and headed south - I came down to Pescadero to have a proper catchup and sleepover with Lauren (aka Subz) and Nathan. It’s as gorgeous as always by the coast, and I’m grateful that they’re able to host me. Lauren and I went to a nearby farm-type place that has goats but also serves excellent wines, and we had some rosé and sat in the sun and caught up on life (and I caught a goat trying to eat my jacket just in time).

Then we met Nathan and the kids at Duarte’s for dinner, which was delish. The kids are at a pretty fun age (like 7 and 9) and we had an entertaining dinner, during which Remi wondered if I was drunk and I assured her that this is just my personality (which is true). After dinner we came back and had a long and rambling conversation, mostly about AI and potential laser- or saw-wielding murderbots. I think you had to be here, but trust me, we were v insightful.

And now I must go to sleep - goodnight!

a goose in an otherwise flawless plan

The title is a typo, but I like it. 

I have been awake almost 24hrs, with a couple of naps interspersed. My plan to fly out early today to avoid storms hit an immediate setback because it was thundering when I woke up at 2:30am, but the drive to the airport wasn't the worst I've done, so I'll take it.

I want to finish this post with full details of everything I did, but I'm already v tired, so I think the run down will have to also wait. Goodnight!

the panamanian child

Claude left today, and I am going to have to scramble tomorrow to follow her toward the west coast. We had an excellent time together, though. Yesterday we got up early enough to (sort of) beat the heat and take a walk at Bob White, where they've done a v. nice job maintaining the various prairie trails on the south side. We also drove to see the two murals in the southernmost portion of the county before coming home to shower off the remnants of our sweaty walk. Then we went to the next town over to have lunch at Lucile's, since we knew that we would not feel like leaving the house again later in the day as the heat index went over 100.

So we spent the rest of the afternoon doing a variety of indoor tings, eating cheese and other snacks, and drinking aperol spritzes. And we hung out with [censored] when he got back, which was v. nice. And then Claudia packed up, and I accidentally stayed up way too late...

...but I was still able to wake up in time to take Claudia to the airport for her flight. After we said our farewells, I ran some errands, got my nails done, and got my hair cut in preparation for my trip. Then I drove home (with a quick stop to buy the first sweet corn of the season), chatted with [censored], made some pasta with mushrooms/chicken/jarred alfredo sauce, and generally messed around.

And now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

there's a time for meditation in cathedrals of our own

Claudia and I have had an excellent couple of days in ye olde Iowa. On Sunday, we took a walk around town to see various things + my dad's shop, and the most impressive thing was probably seeing some kids play in a ditch that had become a pond. That afternoon, Claudia made an excellent mango cheesecake (with gf crust!) and I made tater tot casserole, which we shared with Mom and [censored] because we're not monsters. 

Yesterday, we chilled and I did some work in the morning, and then we saw a couple of murals and went to the museum (which I always love). I made eggplant tricolore and roasted chicken breasts for dinner, which was tasty, and we spent the rest of the evening hanging out on the balcony and watching the fireflies.

Today, I worked for an hour before Claude woke up, and then Claudia and I met my mom for a tour of the world famous Round Barn. It is still round, in case you're wondering. Then we drove to Pella, where we had an excellent late lunch and then walked around until the heat got us, which did not take long. 

And now I need to sleep because I've been falling asleep for an hour trying to write this - goodnight!

what does the fox say

I'm v sleepy but I had an excellent day - I woke up, did some final cleaning tasks around the house, thought about watering my garden, and was glad I didn't because it suddenly dumped over an inch of rain in the last hour that I was home. So instead I took a shower of my own, then drove to Des Moines, where I stocked up on wine and groceries via a quick whole foods run.

Then I drove back to the airport, where I arrived just in time to pick up Claudia (aka Santy Claude), who came to town! She is visiting for the next few days, and I am showing her all the many and varied tings that I've told her about over the last few decades. We grabbed a quick lunch near the airport (v tasty Mediterranean), and then we drove south.

When we got to my house, we hung out with [censored] for a bit, and then we went outside for a v brief tour of our various holdings before deciding it was too hot and muggy to be outside. Eventually we picked up Mom and took her out for prime rib at our usual prime rib place, where we saw the usual suspects.

Then, [censored] abandoned us but Mom, Claudia and I grabbed ice cream at the soda fountain (where Claudia met Gloria and also another Claude whom we happen to know). And then we all unwound, which would have been relaxing except for all the thunder (which encouraged me and [censored] to get our vehicles under cover at 10:30pm) and the severe thunderstorm warning that just went off on my weather radio and woke me up. I needed to wake back up anyway since I had dozed off while trying to write this, but it was a v unwelcome alarm.

So now I'm going to sleep and hope I don't get woken up again - goodnight!

do I make you cringe

I have had to slog excessively the last couple of days, which does not make me happy (although perhaps it's better than having too much free the with which to dwell on things). Today was more of the same, and then when I was done I went on a mad dash to clean the house in anticipation of a special guest this weekend. And now I need to sleep so that I can continue this all in the morning - goodnight!

breaking your neck for no reason

I had a reasonably good day - I watered my gardens (which was perhaps unnecessary since it may rain tomorrow), killed some bugs, did some work, and then went into town for an economic development board meeting. They're in the process of reforming with a new mission, and I probably could have used this as an opportunity to get off it - but instead I ended up staying on as treasurer, lolol. But I think the new group has some good energy, so we'll see whether I regret this decision.

Then I came home and promptly had meetings the rest of the day. I should have done more work tonight, but I got unexpected calls from both Kelly and Terry (who calls people unexpectedly anymore these days? no one in my generation), which was nice. And I had some quality me-time on the balcony, ate some leftover chili, and did a tiny bit of work before deciding it's probably time to throw in the towel.

So now it's time for bed - goodnight!

sonny move out to the country

I had a long but fairly productive day - I woke up a little later than intended, checked on my plants, and then slogged all day. I should have slogged all night too, but instead I checked my plants again (so far so good on what I attached to [censored]'s trellis) and then wrote my own stuff for a couple of hours. Then I ate a late bowl of chili, talked to [censored] for awhile, and decided I should go to bed so that I can get up and work early tomorrow. Goodnight!

the tiniest moves you make

I had a v low-key day - I should have done more than I did, but that's the way it goes. I did some laundry, cleaned out my pantry, and spent a couple of hours journaling, so at least there's that. And [censored] and I finished the trellising activity in my squash bed - the trellis won't save the zucchini from the dreaded squash vine borer, but it should make my cucumbers much happier. 

And now, I need to sleep so I can slog tomorrow - goodnight!

try to see it once my way

I did a lot of things today and very little of it was what I intended, but that's okay. When I woke up I decided I wanted to go to the greenhouse to see what they had at the end of the season, and I took Mom with me. They still had some tomatoes that looked more promising than the ones I planted six weeks ago, and some pepper varieties that I decided to try. I also bought some seeds for fall lettuces - I think most of my zucchini is about to give up the ghost, so I'm already mentally prepared to replace them. 

When I got home I started to do other things, but then [censored] came home and we decided to finally do the trellis on the squash bed. While the zucchini are dying, the cucumbers and the butternut squash are going gangbusters, and they need support. This turned into a three hour project involving three trips to the lumber yard and more PVC glue than I expected, but so far so good (thanks entirely to [censored]'s knowledge and to a lesser extent my charge account at the lumber yard).

After that, I relaxed a bit, ran to the grocery store, and did various small tasks. Then I went out to Mom's for dinner - she made fried potatoes and baked beans, and I grilled brats, and it was all v tasty. She still has five kittens as of tonight and they're quite cute - the full litter doesn't usually last this long, so I expect tragedy at any moment, but so far so good. 

And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

I just had a falling asleep spasm and entered gibberish into a tab on a spreadsheet, so I think it's nearing time for bed. But I had a mostly good week despite the fact that I have been working too much and doing v. little for my own purposes or goals. Wednesday I slogged, but I took a break to talk to Tanya, and I had a library board meeting, and I also talked to my mom, so it's not like I was totally isolated. I also tried making a new-to-me recipe that was an unusual fail - I seared/baked some chicken thighs and also roasted some potatoes, and those things turned out great, but the sauce I made for the chicken (cream, sundried tomatoes, etc.) broke and became inedible. At least I like plain chicken thighs and potatoes, so my night was salvaged.

Thursday was more boring than Wednesday, and I ended it by making past for me and [censored] (using jarred pasta sauce + sausage + mushrooms + some gf fusilli noodles that were perfect. Today was also boring, but there were thunderstorms in the middle to add some interest, andI made chili to get me and [censored] through the weekend.

But now, I need to go to bed - I have a million things to do this weekend and much fewer than a million hours to get it all done, so sleep is imperative. Goodnight!

time keeps on slipping slipping slipping

I have nothing new to report - I've been slogging more than I like to slog, and while there is an end in sight, it doesn't really feel like it. Today was exceedingly boring from that perspective - but I have figured out how to recreate my beloved Philz iced mint mojito coffee at home (no rum, just lots of brown sugar and cream and fresh mint from my garden). So at least I had a nice treat while I slogged.

And now I'm going to go to bed early in hopes that my brain will be refreshed tomorrow morning - goodnight!

can you light the fuse? think i might fall apart

I'm v tired, but I'm making some headway on my project, so I'll take it. Yesterday was more chill than I intended for it to be, which meant today was a pretty brutal slog - I got up at 5:30am and it's now 11:20pm and I'm finally shutting my laptop for the night. I didn't work that whole time - I got allergy shots this morning (such a luxury), and I took a long break in the late afternoon to say goodbye to [censored] and sit on my balcony and take a nap.

But since all I did today was work, I have nothing to report - and it's definitely time for bed. Goodnight!

i came in from the outside, burned out from a joy ride

I've had a v. strange couple of days. Yesterday I woke up ready to seize the day (even though I had the day off), and I was going to help [censored] with a weeding and mulching project. However, just as I was getting ready, and while doing all my normal morning tings, my heart rate spiked to 200 bpm. This is great for electronic dance music, but less great when I hadn't done anything more strenuous than bending over to pick up a pair of shoes.

So I went into the living room and laid down on the floor for awhile, but my heart rate never dropped below 160. It eventually dropped a bit more, but when I decided to take a shower, it spiked to 200 again. This seemed worrisome since I have fitbit-recorded data showing my heart rate rarely goes above 135 even when I'm walking/gardening, and, usually hangs out below 90. So I had [censored] take me to the ER.

They ran some tests and everything seemed fine, so they gave me a liter of fluid and also gave me a heart monitor to wear for a week. My heart rate came down with the fluid, so it's possible I was dehydrated - that seems sus since I've been more dehydrated than that in my life, but I'll allow it. So then we came home, and I spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing.

Today was much better - I woke up ready to seize the day again, and my same procedures (get ready, drink iced coffee, check the garden, eat a granola bar) didn't result in any heart rate spikes. Then I went out to Mom's house - Drewbaby, Sammie, and Aunt Kathy came down for the day, which was v. nice. Kathy brought ribeyes, and so I fired up Dad's grill - and the steaks turned out quite well if I do say so myself. Mom made layered lettuce and potato salad, and Sammie brought pineapple and grapes, and it was all v. tasty. We also enjoyed watching the various escapades of the five kittens that have shown up on Mom's patio, including the escapades in which they fall off the patio and into the realm of the garden wall below.

At some point, the millennial generation absconded for a bit to go to the annual slip and slide party at Cheri and Jake's. This is rather bittersweet since they bought Gram and Granddad's house, and so the slip and slide hill is the same hill I used to sled down as a kid. The house is also no longer there, although they still have part of the barn. We took lawn chairs, and had a v. nice time hanging out, talking to people, and watching kids go down an increasingly muddy slip and slide to face plant into the giant ditch of water at the bottom. Also, my former high school guidance counselor now has a drinks trailer as a side gig, and while all the drinks were non-alcoholic, I bought a surprisingly tasty spicy lemonade and spiked it with vodka I'd brought in a thermos. My heart did not go above ninety despite the vodka and the excitement of watching kids get absolutely slathered in mud, so I'd say it all worked out.

Eventually we went back to Mom's, where we hung out for another couple of hours. Then, the Des Moines crew started to head north, and I went home with [censored] despite Drewbaby offering to pick up pizza. But then I realized the soda fountain was open tonight, so I called Drewbaby and Sammie while they were still getting pizza and offered to meet them for ice cream. This was a tasty way to end the evening, and it worked out for me because the volunteers were so slammed at the soda fountain that they didn't have time to try to pressure me into volunteering sometime, so I emerged unscathed.

And now, I need to go to bed so I can do all the tings tomorrow that I did not do this weekend - goodnight!

waiting on the call

I'm v v v tired - I slogged excessively today, and I hit a very hard wall sometime around 6:30. So I poured a glass of wine and read a magazine on my balcony, then reheated beef and noodles for me and [censored]. And now I need to finish unwinding so I can hopefully sleep better than I did last night. Goodnight!

lethal industry

I am slogging relentlessly right now to finish a project, and while I'll be v happy when I'm done and my job can go back to its usual manageable level of craziness, right now things are too much.

However, I did take a break tonight to make beef and noodles for Mom and [censored], which was tasty. I have also inspected my gardens regularly and continue to be proud of my tomatillo and disappointed in my zucchini (but that's fine because I would way rather have more tomatillos anyway). And I have been able to work from my balcony for chunks of time yesterday and today, so things could be worse.

But now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

that's all i'm gonna say now before they come knocking on my door now

I am v. tired - I am paying a bit for not working more this weekend, although somehow it always seems to work out. But I got up this morning (after working late last night) in time for an 8:30 meeting that I then got ghosted on (same meeting as I was ghosted on a couple of weeks ago, although a different participant ghosted). Luckily for them I wasn't filled with rage and was instead appreciative that I then had time to put on makeup and dry my hair before continuing with my day.

That turned into working a bit, going to town to get allergy shots, then coming home and slogging relentlessly from 10:30ish to 7ish. After that, I took a break to make dinner - which required zero effort because I had spaghetti sauce in the freezer and so just boiled spaghetti for me and [censored]. It did require some effort because I had to clean the kitchen first, but that was a small issue. Then we ate while watching some Friends, and then I came upstairs and worked for the last 2.5hrs. But I'm pleased with what I got done, so at least I can go to bed feeling a teensy bit okay about tomorrow.

But now I need to sleep - goodnight!

beat bobby flay

I have not been blogging because 1) I have been very busy with work and life is v boring as a result, 2) I am listening to the same songs on repeat and so am out of song lyrics, 3) I have gotten into a bad habit of blogging on my phone and am also trying to break my bad habit of being on my phone in bed, which means it's v difficult to blog.

However, tings are all fine (or as fine as they can be when it's a million degrees and my dad is gone, I guess). I am working on a big project at work and I probably should have worked all weekend, but I mostly avoided it in favor of doing my own stuff. This included monitoring my garden (I have some baby peppers and tomatillos, which is v exciting), watering the town flower planters with my mom, making taco salad for Mom and [censored] for dinner Friday night, and doing a lot of journaling, reading, laundry, dishes, and other tasks.

Today was more of the same, with the added excitement of a heavy downpour and a bunch of lightning. But I was still able to sit on my balcony in the late afternoon, so it wasn't all bad. I unfortunately worked for the last three hours, but it felt pretty necessary - and my job is usually relatively chill, so I'll allow it this time.

But now I need to go to bed so that I can slog all day tomorrow - goodnight!

showbiz rule

I'm in a middle of a massive slog at work - this is what happens when artificial quarterly deadlines run into differing personal priorities. I have worked basically all day with v. few breaks - but the breaks I did have weren't entirely satisfying (allergy shots; laundry; eating leftovers out of the freezer that were actually pretty good). I did have one satisfying break while sitting on my balcony - it was rainy all day, but my couch was dry enough to sit on, so I caught a break in the rain to hang out and journal for just a bit.

But now I need to sleep because tomorrow promises to be another slog - goodnight!

switch it up like nintendo

I guess I forgot to blog last night because I did very little yesterday - I was somewhat productive in the morning (gardening, doing various house tings, etc.) but then went off a cliff in the afternoon because it was too hot. Mom and I did water the planters in town because it's our week to water, and I ate some leftover pizza while watching the NBA finals with [censored] (which were v. sad because I was watching entirely for Tyrese Haliburton and his achilles rupture was heartbreaking/painful to watch).

Today, I woke up semi-early so I could get cranking on work. It was still hot, so I was forced to mostly work inside - but I did take a break to water everything and pull some more cabbage worms off my broccoli plants, which was a nice little interlude. At some point I said goodbye to [censored], and then I slogged some more before watering plants again with Mom. It's raining now, which means perhaps we didn't have to water - but it means we almost certainly won't need to water tomorrow, so that's exciting.

After that, I came home, ate my leftover prime rib from Friday's feast with Drewbaby, sat on the balcony and procrastinated a bit as the storm rolled in, and then did a couple of hours of work. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

their laughter is contagious

I do not want to risk getting a second wind, so I'll keep this brief. Yesterday was as smooth as my travels could be -  I made it to the rental drop off more than 90min before my flight, which was clutch because I was able to check my bags at the rental car counter. This saved me when airtrain was being weird and I got off to walk across the international terminal instead of risking missing my flight. Then I almost missed it anyway because I had a three hour layover which I spent cranking through work in the Amex Lounge, and I got sidetracked from looking at the time until it was almost too late.

Anyway, i survived, got to Des Moines, and met Drewbaby and Sammie for dinner at Skip's. It was fun to see them, and we continued with frozen custard at a place on SE 14th, which was delish. Then I picked up stuff for [censored] at Home Depot, picked up wrapping paper, drove home, and slept v well in my own bed.

Today I could have happily putzed around all day, but I had to go to a baby shower for Allie and Chris. I spent the morning running errands nd checking on my little plant friends (the garden is looking great!! Especially after a smashed a lot of cabbage worms with my fingers after finding them eating my broccoli). Then Mom and I drove to Moravia to go to the shower. It was a v nice event (thrown my one of my sister's other sisters, if that makes sense to you) and it was nice to see the whole crew (and to meet Zane's new son Callum, who was born three weeks ago).

When we got home, I chilled and rearranged the junk drawer (not at all the highest priority, but it's 100 degrees and I don't feel like doing anything). Then I grabbed takeout pizza, which [censored] and I ate with Mom. And now I desperately need to sleep - goodnight!

find a boat

I need to get up in like five hours, so this will be brief. But I had a nice last day in the city of sin. I woke up at a work-appropriate time to take one 8:30am meeting and send some emails, and then I had the rest of the day off for Juneteenth. Because of that, I drove deep into the heart of Noe to meet Adit and Chandlord for brunch at Taffi's. We had a delightful time discussing the usual topics (life, Mission Impossible, AI, etc). Then we walked to Adit's to look at his outdoor furniture before Chandlord and I left him and went to Room and Board.

Room and Board is not our usual hangout, but I wanted to get some inspiration and the closest one to my house in Iowa is probably Chicago or Minnesota. So Chandlord accompanied me through three floors of furnishings and we sat in many dining chairs while talking about life. Then we came back to Kabuki and hung out in the lobby for a few hours - ostensibly to work, but mostly to discuss how life may be mid and there's really no escape from suffering despite what the art at Borobudur (or the google office in Boulder) might proclaim (you probably had to be there to get this).

Then we walked to Fillmore and parted ways, and I did some shopping and bought nothing but a sports bra and some children's gifts, which was not the mix I intended to pick up but was good nonetheless. Then I ordered takeout sushi for one last fishy meal, drank a glass of rosé in the lobby, and packed everything up. I also moved my car to a spot as close to the hotel as possible, thus saving me from having to wander around and look for it at four in the morning.

And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

threw a bottle across the water to someone who's thinking of me

I had a busy but mostly lovely day in the city of sin. I woke up and did a tiny bit of work before retrieving my car and speeding to the office. I then had meetings for approximately eight hours straight after my calendar collapsed and tings kept getting added, but I survived (and some of the discussions were even fun).

I finally escaped a little after five and went to Burlingame, where I parked and talked briefly to my mom before meeting Lauren (aka Subz) at pizzeria delfina (yes, the sister restaurant of where I had family dinner last weekend, but the repeat was worth it). We had a long and deep conversation about all the usual things I've been talking about this week - community, death, AI, grief, needing reading glasses, the future, etc. It was great to see her, and I'm already looking forward to our next meetup. 

Then I came back to the city, parked on the street like I still live here even though it's been almost nine years since I've had a SF address (crazy), and basically fell asleep (or wanted to) as soon as I got to my room. So now I'm going to go to bed for real - goodnight!

joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

I had an absolutely chaotic day, thanks for asking. I woke up early, got partially ready, took a 7:30am meeting from my hotel, finished getting ready (haphazardly), sped to the office through the chaos that is driving through SF (one ways, crazy hills, crazier bikers, far too many four-way stops), and got to the office just in time to start a full on slog of meetings.

And it really was a slog - I had meetings straight until 4:30, with far too many tasks to try to squeeze into the breaks while people were talking. Then I sped back to the hotel, ran upstairs for two minutes to swap bags and shoes, and then met John and Jess for dinner at An Japanese.

I was delighted to introduce them to my favorite secret sushi place in SF (which I believe I was introduced to by the original Jen Lui). It's tucked away into the Japantown Mall and has seating for <20 people, and the sushi is absolutely incredible. We did the eight-course omakase (chefs choice), and every bite was perfect. I don't even know what the best thing was - my least favorite thing was probably the tempura made from tiny whole fish whose dead eyes stared me down as I picked them up, and even that was delicious, so I'd say it was all winning.

We also had a delightful, far ranging conversation about life and storytelling and AI and humanity, which was a treat. And the walk back to my hotel took perhaps sixty seconds since they're adjacent, so it was about as perfect as it could be. After we all parted ways, I came back to my room, laid semi comatose on the bed for an hour, and then did an hour ish of work so that tomorrow will be oh-so-slightly less painful.

And now I need to go to sleep - goodnight!

I've hung my hat with diplomats

I had a v long, somewhat frustrating day, but it ended well enough to make up for it. I woke up early (after a late dinner, which meant not sleeping super well) for a 6:30 am meeting that the organizer no showed for, which sent me into a murderous rage. Then I did various things, got ready, and made it to the office by 9:30, only to discover that no one else chose to come in today. This is not that surprising since we're pretty remote friendly, but it did feel like a waste of my time to be there instead of ensconced in my comfy hotel room (it, even better, in bed).

But I slogged through a bunch of work and meetings, and I did get to do some stuff related to the office remodel, so it wasn't all a waste. Then I came back to my hotel, took a brief nap to make things right with the world, did some work, and then went to Piccino Presidio to rendezvous with my writing friends.

Happily, Anne, Barbara, Grace, and Veronica were all able to hang out, so we had a long, lovely dinner and discussed many writing and life topics (and especially AI, which is the topic of every conversation in SF). It was a delight to see them, and I wasn't ready to part ways ...

... But sadly all meals must end, so I came back to my hotel and immediately got ready for bed. And now I must sleep - I have early meetings tomorrow (although I declined the no show's attempt to reschedule for 6:30 am tomorrow because that's just absurd). Goodnight!

let your body move to the music

I had a very lovely day - it was almost as chill as yesterday, but the chillness was by design and not incited by a hangover, so it felt much better. I got plenty of sleep, woke up, grabbed some coffee, and took care of some tings. Then I grabbed breakfast, showered, and went on a little excursion to my favorite Japantown shops - which means I acquired some stationery and ink at my favorite stationery store, as well as some plant accoutrements and some earrings at various other stores. 

Then I came back to the hotel and wrote, with a quick break for some poke delivery. 

Eventually I retreated to senspa (my favorite place in SF), where I got a facial and a massage and spent the intervening relaxation time journaling. The treatments felt great, and I could have easily done them and then gone to bed...

But instead, I came back to the hotel, showered, got ready, and had a v late (8:30pm!) dinner with Adit. We went to Side A, which is apparently v difficult to get into - and the food was excellent, so it makes sense why they're doing so well. We shared a kale salad and an artichoke dip that were outstanding, and I had the halibut that was also tasty. And we had a soft serve swirl for dessert, which I didn't know I had been missing until it came out. 

Anyway, dinner was great and now I need to sleep because I have a 6:30am meeting that I'm destined to be surly for. Goodnight!

total eclipse of the heart

I did not mean to skip blogging last night. In fact, I woke up at six a.m. propped up on my pillows (not how I usually sleep) with the bedside lamp on and my phone on the duvet as though it had just slipped out of my hand. At that point I thought there was no point in waking myself up further to blog, so I took some ibuprofen, turned out the light, and went to sleep.

Yesterday was pretty good, though. I was exhausted from my failed travel day, so getting up sucked, but I did manage to rally in time to take a couple of meetings from the hotel. Then I ubered deep into Noe Valley to meet Heather (aka dear respected madam) for lunch at Regent Thai. Heather was the main reason I flew in Thursday - she lives in Oregon now and I rarely see her, but I found out she'd be in SF and leaving Friday afternoon, so I changed my flight to get in Thursday night so we could see each other. She was in fine form and I was really glad to see her. And I caught a ride with her to the airport so that I could pick up a rental car for the rest of this week's shenanigans.

When I got back into SF, I did another couple of hours of work, and then I snuck out to get a mani/pedi at Silk (where they still remember me and are always happy to see me). Then I walked back to the hotel, changed, and ubered to the Mission to meet up with Adit, Claude, and Chandlord for drinks and dinner.

We started at Big Finish, which replaced Monk's Kettle. They have a bunch of wines on tap, and we ordered some pimento cheese (with ritz crackers for Adit) and fries to tide us over until our 8pm dinner reservation. We heard all about Adit's woes with the new electric suv that Priyanka bought, and we discussed a variety of other topics.

Then we adjourned to Delfina, where we had a v. delightful dinner and the server gave us all gold stars (metaphorically, but definitely at my request) for being such good guests. They handled the two vegetarians and the two gluten free people quite well, and the food was v. tasty. I also had a version of an aperol spritz and my share of a nice bottle of white wine. And we ended with pavlova for dessert, which was perfect and now something that I want to learn to make.

As we were wrapping up dinner, John showed up, which meant we had to keep the party going (no regrets there). So we moved to another bar whose name I do not remember (although I believe it was Wildhawk), where we all had cocktails. We stayed there until midnight, and Claude and Chandlord both left, but John, Adit and I continued on to Beehive, where we had another cocktail. John and I also had tequila shots given to us by a woman who claimed she was trustworthy because she was a lawyer, and then we all reminisced about times when we've suspected we were roofied. And then I got back to my hotel around 1:30, managed to wash my face, and promptly passed out.

This morning was rough, no doubt in large part because one is not supposed to drink a variety of white and red wines + aperitifs + bourbon (with a teabag in it) + tequila over the course of an evening. It also didn't help that I woke up to some suspicious messages regarding my credit report being checked for a credit card application, which I did not do. So I spent some headachy time freezing my credit and making phone calls to ensure the credit card wouldn't get opened. I don't think anything truly bad happened, but still, it was an annoyance I didn't want to deal with.

At some point I grabbed breakfast at the buffet downstairs, and I continued to laze in bed and do various mundane tasks until it was time to get ready to see Katrina. I went to her house first to see all the new and interesting things she's gotten up to in the last few months. Then we walked to Nopalito, where we caught up over some totopos and panuchos, which were v. tasty. It was great to see her, as usual, and it was nice to reflect on life together.

Then I came back to my hotel and took a v. long nap. When I forced myself to wake up I still wasn't rallied enough, so I canceled on plans to grab a late (after 9:30pm) drink with Adit and Vidya since my body would rather sleep and be sober tonight. Then I grabbed a solo dinner at the bar at Tailor's Son, which I've always wanted to try. They're usually slammed, but tonight the bar was weirdly quiet, so I ate a perfect seafood risotto and also half of the budino (chocolate mousse), and it was divine. I also journaled and soaked in the feel of being somewhere new (to me) and buzzy, which I do not get in ye olde Iowa.

And now, I'm going to go to bed and hope that I can do all the things that I want to go tomorrow if I get some quality sleep tonight. Goodnight!

rise with fire

I am safely ensconced in the city of sin, after an absolutely brutal day of travel. Most of my trips have been relatively smooth the last few years, but today I got a notification that my flight to Denver was delayed two hours just as I was parking at the Des Moines airport. This resulted in them rebooking me on a later Denver to SFO flight (and, insultingly, booting me out of business and into economy). I did get to have a burger in Des Moines, so at least I wasn't starving. But they boarded us earlier than necessary so we could sit on the plane for like an hour before taking off...

And then when we got to Denver, my later flight also ended up being delayed over an hour, and much of that delay was spent needlessly sitting on the plane. And when we finally got to SFO, there was a baggage handling delay...and so all told, my trip door to door from my house to my SF hotel took thirteen hours, which was far longer than I anticipated.

But, I made it and so did my bag, and now I'm going to bed - goodnight!

song to say goodbye

Today was kind of rough - I was not at all in it to win it, but I had to get up and take meetings starting at 8am, which is obscene from my viewpoint. And then I slogged all day despite not wanting to. I took a break to talk to Veronica, and then I did a bunch of random house stuff, made fresh pasta to go with last night's sauce, and then ate with [censored].

After that, I took out my trash, paid some bills, discussed various tings, and then worked for the past two hours in a very surly fashion. And now I need to go to bed - I only did one of the tasks I meant to do tonight, which means tomorrow morning will be painful, but I'll survive. Goodnight!

blessed with lucky sevens

I was as productive today as I was unproductive yesterday, so on the whole the weekend was pretty good. Yesterday I basically did nothing (which I'm sure isn't actually true, but my memory is blanking) - although I did go out to Mom's and grill bratwurst to go with the potato salad and baked beans that she made, and that all turned out quite well.

Today I woke up determined to be in it to win it. I did some outdoor stuff before it started raining, and planted the tomatillo my mom found for me on Friday (I had bought one tomatillo and planted it already, but discovered belatedly that you need two to cross-pollinate each other). I also added some twine to my raised bed to support my peppers, which have been slow to grow since it's been a little cold but are starting to hit the point where I can incorporate them into this Florida weave method that I'm trying. I was going to do more, but it started to sprinkle...which turned into a rainy day, which was too bad.

But I did manage to do a bunch of stuff indoors, and I cleaned my balcony so that I can enjoy it more as it starts to heat up. At some point [censored] helped me to plant my lilac bush, which was v. exciting. And I made chicken alfredo with bacon and mushrooms for dinner, which I think repaid [censored] for the planting assistance (if such repayment is possible).

And now, I need to go to bed since I have unusually early meetings tomorrow and need to be focused for them. Goodnight!

that's my will and testament

I had an okay day - it was four weeks today since Dad died and I was most certainly not feeling in it to win it at work. Nor was I ready to wake up - but I had to get up and go to town for allergy shots at nine, with at least got me out of bed and dressed even if they also made me itchy.

When I got home I did a few hours of meetings and tings, but I sloughed off a bit early so I could think and chill. Then I met Hannah for dinner - we went to The Brick, which was actually pretty good, but it's also true that the the entrance is pretty unappealing (which I'd heard from someone else - you walk through the exhaust from the kitchen fans, which is certainly not ideal). We had a tasty dinner, and their service was so fast that we weren't nearly done talking, so we can be back to my house and sat on the balcony until ten pm, which was lovely.

And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

did you notice our friends are running late

I've been fairly productive at work the last couple of days, although I hit a wall this afternoon. It makes sense, since I stayed up too late working last night and knew that I threw my sleep off - especially because I woke up too early yesterday and so was off in both directions. 

But all my meetings and things were generally good today, and I ended it with some writing time on the balcony, a frozen pizza, some laundry chores, and a bizarre episode of Stargate with [censored]. And now I should sleep - goodnight!

you and me at the war of the end times

I had a v productive day, which was surprising since it rained all day and usually that puts me in a foul mood. But maybe I was happy about the rain because it meant that I don't have to water trees and tomatoes and all the other ill advised tings that [censored] and I have sunk into the ground in the past few days. 

Anyway, today was one of the days when I have the most meetings of the month, and I have to lead half of them, so it's a lot. And I had some tasks I needed to get done, so I kept slogging until seven. Then I ate a cottage pie that I'd thrown in the oven while listening to a podcast. And then I relaxed, did a bit more work, etc. And now I need to sleep and see what tomorrow brings - goodnight!

we refuse to run, we've only just begun

I got up early (for me) that so that I could go into town for allergy shots, and I was back and ready to work before I am accustomed to working these days, which was good for my productivity. I then slogged all day, with a break for a ten minute nap in deference to the fact that I didn't sleep well last night. But I did the last couple of hours of work from my balcony in anticipation of being stuck inside tomorrow, and the sun helped me as much as it always does.

Then I checked on my gardens and ended up adding a couple of lines to my Florida weave to help hold my tomatoes up before it rains. And then I sat on my balcony and worked on personal stuff until it was basically dark. Then I had a v late sandwich, intended to get back to work, and instead mostly procrastinated. But I'm going to try the strange strategy of going to bed before midnight, so let's see how that treats me. Goodnight!

beat it

I'm v tired but I had a pretty productive day today. I did not write as much this morning as I intended to, but that's okay; I spent the afternoon cleaning and made some real improvements to my living room, kitchen, guest room, bedroom, and bathroom. I didn't quite get through the whole list of cleaning chores, but things feel fresher than they did, so I'll take it.

Of course, I feel like a total sloth in comparison to [censored], who planted [censored] all afternoon - but for a Sunday, I got a lot done. I also listened to a couple of episodes of Trevor Noah's podcast, which I quite enjoyed. And I threw together some chicken and rice to bake for dinner, which turned out v. well.

And now, I need to sleep (in fresh sheets, which is always a delight). Goodnight!

replicator

I had a reasonably good day - the sun was out, which always helps. I got up, made coffee, and started working immediately, which was probably a good thing since it kept me from wallowing. And I ate fancy cheese for lunch because I actually remembered that it was in the garage fridge... It was delish even though I had no crackers and so basically ate it + some salami + jam with a knife like a (bougie) peasant. 

Around three I decided to be done, so I took my mom to the greenhouse at Lucas to see what they still had for sale. They had some decent plants left, so we each bought a few, and also got a couple of new pots. Then we came home, talked to [censored], etc. I also talked to John and Jess, who were a delight. And then I made a chicken quesadilla for dinner and got sucked into watching Stargate with [censored], which wasn't what I intended to do tonight but wasn't bad.

And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

from olalla to the city lights

I have not blogged because I had nothing interesting to report - I spent the last couple of days working in an attempt to start really getting caught up on everything I've missed. I got some good stuff done today, and then promptly felt overwhelmed because I realized that it was still just the tip of the iceberg of what I need to get done. But at least I *did* get something done, so I'll take it.

Anyway, as I said, there is little to report from the last couple of days. [Censored] and I have been subsisting on various Mexican-adjacent foods - I made taco salads on Sunday night, which turned into making extra taco meat on Tuesday night to use up the other fillings, and then I thawed out some chicken taco meat that I'd prepped last month so that we could continue eating without me needing to cook. Last night was also watched the latest Mike Birbiglia comedy special, which was pretty great until we realized it was mostly about his dad having a stroke, which was really not the direction that either of us wanted our entertainment to go in. So we palate cleansed with some Stargate, and I went to bed a little sad.

Today, as I said, was somewhat productive, although it tapered off at the end. But I spent some quality time this evening journaling + brainstorming some writing stuff, so I'll take it. And now I need to sleep so that I can be in it to win it in the morning - goodnight!

rest your eyes and stay in the shade

I'm v tired and I suppose I should go to bed if I have any hope of getting work done tomorrow. I was pretty productive today, though. I woke up and spent some quality time writing this morning, which felt good. Then I showered, ate a sandwich, went to the grocery store, and embarked on my afternoon activities. This involved planting tings for several hours - [censored] had set up my raised garden beds yesterday, and I got the north one fully planted (three tomatoes, a tomatillo, five kinds of pepper, way more eggplant than I should have planted, and some basil and cilantro). We are also testing the 'Florida weave' method of supporting the tomatoes and peppers, which involves putting fence posts on either end of the garden and then holding the plants up with a figure-eights of twine weaving around them. We'll see how this goes, but I'm excited so far.

We'll also see how well AI does in planning a garden - I trained a Gemini agent by telling it I wanted it to act like a 'retired Extension director with extensive personal gardening experience', and also told it my zone, soil type, etc. It suggested what plants to put in each bed, and also told me I have too much zucchini, which I realized myself a little too late. It's been helpful so far in figuring out how to lay things out, so we'll see how it goes this summer.

In more earthy, less AI news, I also killed my first tomato worm of the season - it was just casually hanging out on one of my tomato plants before I even planted it. I assume it hitched a ride from the greenhouse, but its migration was for naught because I crushed it. This is perhaps the first of many, but I hope not.

After I planted the veggies, I took a break from the raised beds because I need more soil for the second one. Instead, I planted a couple of pots of petunias for the front, a dahlia for my balcony, and also the big railing planter that I keep on my balcony every summer. I still have more to plant this week, but I felt good about what I got done today. And I did it all while listening to a couple of audiobooks - first I started a book on consciousness, but I was having trouble focusing on it. So I switched to "Braiding Sweetgrass", which I've been meaning to read for ages, and so far it's excellent - it's by a botanist who is a member of the Potawatomi, and it's part memoir, part history, part plant/environment discussion.

When I was done planting, I cleaned up, took a shower, and then made dinner (somewhat reluctantly; if I were in Denver, I would have ordered thai takeout instead). Luckily it turned out v. well - I made pasta with sausage and swiss chard (and parmesan and lemon zest, no tomatoes), which is one of my faves. The chard came from the farmers' market yesterday, and it was pretty tasty, and [censored] and I both enjoyed it.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

dream on

I had a decent last couple of days. Yesterday I got up early and packed up before heading to the garmers market in downtown Des Moines. I was really surprised by how many vendors they had -- over 200, which meant there were a lot of people crammed into the city. But I got some plans for my garden and really enjoyed wandering around, so it was a good way to spend the morning.

Then I went to whole foods to stock up on stuff. I also went to Home Depot to get various things for my garden, and I stopped at Ellis Greenhouse for the same reason. I probably have more garden stuff than I need or want, but that's a problem for Future Sara.

After I got home yesterday, I spent the afternoon roasting tomatoes and then grilling steak for dinner with Mom and [censored]. I went to bed last night and intended to get up early today so that I could be productive, and I was partially successful. Surprisingly, I did get up pretty early for a weekend, but the productivity was marginal at best.

That said, I had an okay day. Since it was drizzling a bit this morning, I ended up going to Centerville so that I could pick up a few last things that I didn't have for my garden as well as get a few groceries. When I got back, [censored] and I ended up putting together two raised garden beds that he had picked up for me in Des Moines. And by "we" I mean [censored] did all of the work and I mostly stood around and supervised.

I ended the day by taking a shower, and then [censored] and I took a quick trip to the cemetery to see the way it looked with all the flags out for Memorial Day. When we got back I threw together the accoutrements for taco salad - I browned some hamburger and then chopped up romaine that I bought at the farmers market yesterday to go with some onion, tomato, a salsa/sour cream dressing, and various other tings. This went a long way toward restoring my energy. 

And now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

i can't wait 'til tomorrow while these thoughts they all leech from my head

I am ensconced in a bougie hotel room in Des Moines, because I desperately needed both alone time and fanciness and a change of scene. I had been planning to come to Des Moines for the afternoon for awhile, since I booked a haircut for today directly after my last haircut several months ago. But last night I decided to make it an overnight - coming up in the afternoon always rushes me to run errands and buy groceries, and I never have time to chill and explore. 

So I got up pretty early, did an interview for a candidate at work at the ungodly hour of 8am (I am v spoiled and believe starting meetings before ten -- or better, eleven -- is a violation of my human rights), and then sped to Des Moines. I then took another meeting from Starbucks before taking the rest of the day off (partially on my own volition, partially at the direction of my friend/HR boss lady, who actually texted me today on my personal phone to make sure I was following through on taking today off).

After that, I got a long overdue pedicure, then grabbed a salad and went to the salon to get my haircut (which turned out great). Then I washed my car, ran to Rrader Joe's, and drove downtown to check into my hotel. I also checked out a salvage store that I've wanted to explore, and it was awesome - four stories of incredible junk that was both v appealing and gave me PTSD flashbacks to all the other junk my family already has. It's a good thing I don't have room for a gigantic spinning wheel (unless I turn the place next door into a textile studio, which is not the dumbest idea I've had). But the store was well worth a visit. 

Then I went to the hotel, unpacked, and walked down the street to Centro, where I had a bougie early dinner with an Aperol spritz, scallops, and a glass of wine. Then I came back to the hotel and dozed, which might have been the end of me - but Katie called, so we talked for an hour, which was a delight.

After Katie woke me up, I rallied and went downstairs for another glass of wine, some fries, and some v quality time with my journal. I came up with some story topics, which made the price of the hotel room worth it, and it was v nice to have a solo hotel bar experience like I used to have when I traveled more. 

But now, I need to sleep so I can run all the errands tomorrow - goodnight!

i'm lookin' to help you find bliss, one day, one way, can't miss

I was not nearly as productive today as I had intended to be, and at this point I think this week is a wash. I woke up at a reasonable hour and did some journaling, which was good; I also made coffee, which was even better. And I did partake in several hours of meetings, in which I made several suggestions or decisions, so I wasn't entirely useless. But several of my afternoon meetings got canceled, and I was not feeling like picking up any of the myriad projects that I was working on in April and which I have semi-forgotten.

So, ultimately, I ended up calling it a day and doing some other personal tings. [Censored] got home at some point, and I made myself some huevos rancheros for a late dinner, since I had forgotten to eat. I also realized that I had forgotten to throw away the sour cream, which apparently expired on May 5 (don't tell [censored], who had some of it earlier this week). I realized this only after I had slathered it on my quesadilla, and since it was just slightly more sour than it usually is, I decided to roll with it. Given my preferences for food safety, you can use this to read between the lines on my mood!

Sssanyway, I ate my huevos rancheros, then talked to [censored] for awhile. And now I need to sleep so that I can get with my many and varied plans tomorrow - goodnight!

don't let the devil make you toss this letter

Today might have felt back to normal except noting really feels back to normal. I got up earlier than I wanted to do I could go get allergy shots - I reacted a bit, but not as bad as three weeks ago, so I'll take it. Then I came home and slogged excessively - I didn't actually get much done, but I participated in many meetings and started to get back up to speed.

My last meeting was cancelled, though, so I ran out to Mom's to pay a quick visit to her and Aunt Kathy, who came down for the day. Then I went into town for a library board meeting - we interviewed librarian candidates yesterday and today, which went well (and was reasonably fun).

Then I came home, tidied up, opened the many boxes of things I've ordered and but bothered to open the last couple of weeks, and generally chilled. I also ate some chickpea masala with rice that I'd frozen for a lazy day, and I'm happy to report it was pretty good reheated (if you have my palate instead of the palates of most people in my county).

And now, I'm going to bed - goodnight!

rollercoaster

I have v little to report. I went back to work today, and it rained like three inches and also hailed, which was a fitting complement to my mood. It was good to see (most of) my coworkers, but I was not feeling in it to win it. However, I did get my desk cleared off and had a few decent-enough meetings, so hopefully I can get back into the swing of things without too much drama.

I was going to scrounge for dinner and make [censored] scrounge too, but the weather got me in the mood for chili, and I managed to find one non-rotten onion in my pantry (the last few weeks were not big for onion usage, apparently, and so my stockpile went to waste). So after I was done working, I made chili, and then [censored] and I watched the last SNL of the season.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

all this feels strange and untrue, and i won't waste a minute without you

I suppose I should start blogging again. The last couple of weeks have been surreal, but I'm going back to work tomorrow and there is, perhaps, some expectation that one is supposed to create normalcy?

Today did feel like a mostly normal Sunday - I journaled, did some despairing, did some cleaning, wrote for awhile on my balcony, and then ate dinner with [censored] while watching a recording of SNL. But it is still not normal. The rest of the weekend was equally surreal - birthday dinner for [censored] on Friday (in Garden Grove, which my mom enjoyed; we hadn't taken her there because Dad couldn't have climbed the steps, but [censored] and I like it and we decided to use the gift certificate we got this week), and another birthday dinner on Saturday (I made chicken and mushroom alfredo that was tasty, and a pineapple upside down cake that would have been better if it had gluten in it).

Of course, I missed telling you about visitation and the funeral and a million other details - but if I'm going to get back into blogging, I'm just going to have to jump in without the recap. Perhaps I will recap someday, but it is not this day. Goodnight!

taken at the flood

I have not been blogging because I haven't felt like it, but the update is: my dad passed away on Friday. It was as peaceful as it could have been - he was at home, and mom, [censored], Aunt B and I were all there. And while it's very sad, it was better than the alternative, which was that he continued to linger in pain and with less and less lucidity.

So the last week has been a blur, and it has been even more of a blur since Friday. I may recount it someday, but right now I need to sleep. To add insult to injury, though, my power went out tonight- and the generator that I bought and got delivered while dad was in the hospital is around but has not been prepped to hook up yet. Hopefully the power comes back on before morning (and before my vast stores of frozen food are ruined), but we shall see. Goodnight!

just the facts

I have not blogged for a week, which is probably the longest I've gone without blogging since sometime around 2005. I have not been entirely sure what to say, although I suppose the pressure is off since so few people read zee blog regularly anymore. But I should record what's going on for posterity - of the remaining readers, we do often use it to settle disputes about what happened when, and if I'm the paper of record for such happenings, I should really stay on top of it.

So, just the facts:

- on Monday, I woke up early to prep for a meeting. As I was prepping, [censored] and I got a call that Dad was at the ER. He was supposed to have an appointment farther away to check his legs, which aren't looking good, but decided that he should go to the ER instead.

- there, we learned that his sodium is lower than the doctor has ever seen (although we learned that Tuesday night; in the ER they were not alarmist, although they were concerned).

- it became clear that if we wanted to pursue aggressive treatment, he would need to be transferred to a bigger hospital. But, there were no beds anywhere in Des Moines, and so the closest options were Cedar Rapids or Kansas City (note: neither of them are close).

- given all of his many and varied and complicated issues, we decided that it might be time for hospice. Mom, [censored] and I had a really nice conversation with the ER ARNP about this, and also talked to Dad. We didn't exactly make any firm decisions, but we decided to stay local and admit him to the hospital here.

- Tuesday, we talked to the hospice people, who are really quite nice and very supportive. Dad also got a brief visit from Darrell. And then Aunt Kathy came down, followed a bit later by Drewbaby and Sammie. We all spent the afternoon together (except for the brief period when I got allergy shots, which I of course reacted to). They stuck around for an extremely cheap dinner in the cafeteria, and then they all went back to Des Moines since [censored] and I were not up for guests.

- After they left, Mom and [censored] and I had a long conversation with the doctor on call at the hospital, whom I really liked. We agreed that it was definitely time for hospice based on the aforementioned sodium and all the other issues.

- Wednesday, Dad went home. Hospice set us up with a bunch of stuff to keep him comfortable, and luckily so far he's able to drive his scooter around the house, although he's getting weaker again...

- The hospice nurse and social worker came to meet us at home, and it's really quite impressive all the stuff that they can provide. So hopefully he can stay home for the duration, but we'll see. I also grilled some ribeyes because I absolutely had to (I'd thawed it intending to make dinner Tuesday), even though no one had much appetite.

- Thursday, they brought a different mattress to support him better, and some other random equipment. We also met the aide who will come to help with stuff, who happens to be my new neighbor. Darrell came by again, and I made a valiant effort to take some meetings - but I quickly realized I had zero interest in doing any of it.

- Friday, I took one meeting and then decided to call it a day. I hung out with the parents for awhile, and then I decided to go to Centerville to get some groceries. I also picked up Chinese food, since Dad had been craving it. This has mostly been eaten by [censored], but I expected that to happen. While I was gone, my sister came by to see Dad, but I missed her visit. Later, Lee Ann and Clell dropped off cinnamon rolls and soup, and stayed to chat for a bit.

- Saturday, Allie and Chris came down to see Dad. I figured out how to make popcorn in his popcorn popper, which is something no one else knows how to do because only Dad uses the popcorn popper. I made a new-to-me recipe for beef and noodles - I put a chuck roast in the instant pot and pressure cooked it until it fell apart, and then I brought it up to a boil and cooked a bunch of gluten free fettuccine in it. I also made mashed potatoes. We all really liked it, and it's definitely something I would make again. And Joan dropped off some soup, which means Mom and Dad's fridge has stuff in it. We ended the night by watching some Joy of Painting, which really is a joy.

- Today, I got up way too early, but had to do some stuff for the library board, so I spent a couple of quiet hours working on that while [censored] dealt with the early morning stuff at Mom and Dad's. Then I went out to their house since Zane and Allison and also Sammi came down to see Dad. We all talked for awhile, which wore Dad out, so I left shortly after they did, came home and ate a late lunch, and did some more library stuff. Then I went to the grocery store, took groceries to Mom, hung out with Dad for a bit, and then came home to make fresh mashed potatoes for [censored] and I to eat with the leftover noodles.

So that's the update. None of it is pleasant, but Dad is still lucid and able to talk (when he's not sleeping), so I guess there's that. Luckily work has been super understanding and [censored] has also mostly been off, so we can do what we need to do.

But right now what I need to do is go to bed.

rest your eyes and stay in the shade

I slept pretty well last night, except for the hour after the smoke detectors went off at 1am. I was pretty sure there was no actual smoke since only the Google smoke detectors alerted (and they stopped after a minute), and the hard-wired ones did nothing. But still, [censored] and I both got up and checked things out, and I ran next door to make sure the other house wasn't on fire (it wasn't, although if it was, that would have saved me from having to make decisions about what to do with it).

So I eventually went back to sleep and slept until almost nine. Then I was slow to get around, but I spent a few hours engaged in some writing-adjacent activities while drinking my coffee. After I got dressed and ate lunch, I ran into town to buy some broccoli, and then I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing my basement project. I got all of my stuff organized, for the most part; there are some empty boxes to throw away and some empty plastic totes to do something with, but I'm quite pleased with how organized everything looks.

Unfortunately, just as I was wrapping up in the basement and getting ready to make supper, I dropped a bottle of wine and shattered it. Luckily it was one of the cheapest bottles on the rack, and also luckily it was rosé and so didn't stain; unluckily, the glass went everywhere, and it was a bitch to clean up. That took my last bit of energy and willpower, and then I still had to make dinner if [censored] and I wanted something to eat. Luckily again, I had planned to make salmon teriyaki, which is one of the easiest things to throw together, so we ate only ten minutes later than I had intended.

But now I need to go to bed so that I can recoup some energy for a long work slog tomorrow - goodnight!

somebody told me to believe in better times

I was going to write a proper blog post, but my laptop battery is dead and I would rather be in bed than tethered to a power cord. I've been keeping busy the past few days; I started managing a new team at work, and so I'm trying to ramp up on everything they do in addition to continuing with everything I usually do. My workload isn't as insane as it sounds (although it's possible I have Stockholm syndrome from working in tech), but there's always lots to do, so work is a good distraction right now.

On Thursday, the highlight of the day was finding nine morel mushrooms in my front yard, there for the taking. I wasn't planning to cook that night, but I decided to fry them up for me and [censored]. I haven't had fresh fried morels in possibly decades, and even with dredging in gluten free flour, they turned out super tasty. It's too bad they were the perfect appetizer, since then there was no appropriate dinner to accompany it, but c'est la vie.

Yesterday, I slogged until after lunch, and then I ran to Des Moines to take care of some tings. I didn't really have time for the trip, but I was nice to get out of the house for a few hours. And then I came home and talked to [censored], who tolerated my jhokes because I brought him a piece of cheesecake - I know how to bribe him.

Today, I was more productive around the house than I often am on Saturdays - I made some headway on organizing the basement. I spent several hours down there, which went by quickly since I was listening to music and in the zone. When I was ready for a break, I ate girl lunch (some cheese and salami, with some expired but still okay gf crackers and some tasty marmalade). Then I went out to my parents' house; Dad was napping, so I talked to Mom for a bit and we agreed that I would come back and feed them supper.

So I ran to the store to grab a couple of things, came home, lost some steam, and took a nap. I also defrosted a couple of jars of spaghetti sauce - I offered to feed the family, but I didn't commit to putting any effort into the endeavor. Just as I was getting ready to go to their house, I emerged from another basement excursion to find multiple missed calls from [censored]. He was doing a project on a lift, and the lift had died, and so he was stuck fifteen feet in the air.

I decided that I should probably rescue him, so I went to his building and helped him out. The solution ended up being dragging his biggest ladder over, which was very nearly not tall enough, and he was able to climb down. It could have been worse, and I'm glad I wasn't in Des Moines today instead of yesterday.

Then I went out to Mom and Dad's, heated up the sauce and boiled the spaghetti, and threw together a bagged Caesar salad. [Censored] made it out just in time to eat, so we enjoyed dinner and hung out for a bit. Then I came home, showered, hung out a bit, and now need to sleep. I haven't been sleeping enough (or well enough) the last few nights, so it's time to get myself back in the sleep program. Goodnight!

setting the lea of nebraska alight

Let's see, what's going on. Yesterday was all slogging all the time - I didn't have a tremendous amount of meetings, but I had a lot of work that I needed to get done. Luckily I was able to do some of it on my balcony, and I also had some journaling time out there, so it could have been worse. I stayed up too late finishing some stuff, but that's the way it goes when you're in the corporate trenches.

This morning, I woke up and took my time getting ready instead of jumping straight into work. This was probably good for me stress levels, although I felt a little behind all day. Around 5:45 I threw in the towel, ate a quick and early dinner of leftover chicken chile verde, and sped 'downtown' to take a group photo with some of the secret society members. Our usual meeting was tonight anyway, but we met early to take a photo to send to the state office. Then I sped back home and changed my clothes before going to the meeting, since I had to wear something specific tonight and did not want to wear it for the photo.

So I went to the meeting, and a good time was (mostly) had by all, and I got to eat Reese's Pieces that Julie brought as part of her snack offering, which I enjoyed. Then I came home, did a tiny bit of work, and talked to [censored] for awhile. Then I came upstairs and did a tiny bit more work, but now I think it's time to throw in the towel. Goodnight!

baby when I'm yelling at you it's not your fault

Nothing to report today - I was pretty productive all day, which felt good. And I took my last two meetings from my balcony, where it was warm enough to sit outside - and so I continued to sit outside and work/journal until almost dark. Then I ate a v late supper, watched some of the new John Mulaney show on Netflix (did not love as much as I expected), and decided I should go to bed early rather than getting my second wind. Goodnight!

quiet now, will we gather to conjure the rain down

I spent entirely too much time this weekend staring at laptops, but since it rained all day today, that was probably the best thing I could do. I spent the morning doing some desultory writing + messing around with some research into marketing techniques. I also read a bunch of online content in an effort to get inspired, with mostly positive results.

Then I took a break to have a turkey sandwich (thanks to my mom's efforts yesterday), did a couple of loads of laundry, and threw together some chicken chile verde in the instant pot. This was not what was for dinner, since I was pretty sure [censored] wouldn't like it - I had some chicken thighs languishing in the freezer that I never cook since [censored] doesn't like dark meat, and I also had some tomatillos and peppers that I bought on my grocery run last weekend that were about to go bad. So I threw them all in the pressure cooker purely so that I will have food to eat this week without needing to cook on my work nights. It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself, so I can cook some rice tomorrow night and feast as soon as [censored] departs.

After I cooked that and cleaned everything up, I made actual dinner - elmer's chili sounded good on a rainy day like today, so I threw together a batch. [Censored] and I ate it while watching some Big Bang reruns, and then I finished cleaning up the kitchen, came upstairs, procrastinated for a bit, debated going to bed, and instead forced myself to get a second wind so I could work for a couple of hours and take care of a task that I desperately needed to do before tomorrow. There's another task I also need to desperately do tomorrow, but at least I got this one done and it's (almost) feasible to do the other task in the morning.

But if I'm going to do that, I need to sleep - goodnight!

did you notice, did you notice i'm feeling uninspired? i think i'm crossing wires

I had a reasonably good day - I woke up feeling inspired to be productive, and I was moderately successful at that. I mostly messed around on my laptop, but I felt like it was mostly for good endeavors. And I took a couple of breaks, did several loads of laundry, took a shower, and generally enjoyed the afternoon.

Eventually, I went out to Mom and Dad's for dinner - it is Easter but it felt like Thanksgiving because my mom thawed out a turkey that needed used. So we had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, layered lettuce, and five cup salad, and it was all quite tasty. I had to carve the turkey because my dad wasn't up to doing it, and I did not cut it as nicely as he is capable of doing - but the turkey itself was excellent, so we were all happy about that.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

so clear but so unheard

I had an okay day, but my energy was off - I stayed up way too late last night, and I had to get up at seven if I had any hope of making it to the hospital by eight (which I did, but just barely). I got my annual mammogram, and then I went to the clinic next door and got allergy shots, which unfortunately swelled up. But I was home by 9:30ish, and ready to get on with my day.

So I worked all day, with a couple of meetings in the afternoon - my focus was a little off since I was tired and not feeling #inittowinit, but it was better than nothing. And I stopped around five to drive over to Centerville for dinner with Hannah. We went to our usual spot to celebrate her recent birthday, and we had a delightful time - many jokes and philosophical topics were exchanged, and I'm glad we were able to get together.

Then I came home, said hi to [censored], dozed while scrolling reddit (and while [censored] watched a youtube video about tractors, which seemed to have a meandering plot and limited character development), and then came upstairs. I think I'll try to go to bed early (for me) in hopes that I can seize tomorrow. Goodnight!

lay me down in a field of flame and heather

I have screwed up because it's after midnight and I have to be at a doctor's appointment a little before 8am. Today was a bit of a slog - I had a bunch of work to get done (with mixed results), and a bunch of afternoon meetings, and I got pulled into another meeting from 7-7:45pm. So that was all a lot.

But I took a break before the 7pm meeting to make dinner, with mixed results - I wanted to attempt pancakes, and they were pretty good, but they weren't exactly what I had in mind. And in the process, I did not do as good a job with my hashbrowns as I usually do. But [censored] and I enjoyed it all anyway, especially with the bacon that turned out perfectly. And I got some good work done tonight after dinner, so I'll take it.

And now I must sleep - goodnight!

wednesday my empty arms were open

I have nothing to report this week - I'm just working, sleeping, having headaches, and monitoring the economy/political situation with increasing alarm. But I did some work/writing after work from my balcony, which was v. nice. And [censored] is around this week, so we ate frozen fish (regular for him, gf for me) + curly fries for dinner, which was pretty tasty.

And now, even though it's still early, I think I'm going to go to bed - goodnight!

we can't be defeated

I have nothing to report today - I woke up, spent some quality time planning out my week, and then worked all day with a brief break for some leftover pasta at lunch. I did have a fun and long-overdue chat with Heather (aka dear respected madam), and it was v. nice to catch up - and v. hard to believe that we were in India together twenty years ago this month. It was a lifetime ago, but I don't like putting hard numbers like "twenty years ago" on it, because that makes me feel ancient.

My last meeting ended at six, and then I started the rice cooker while I made paneer makhani. [Censored] was here for dinner tonight and usually I would spare him a creation like this, but I had paneer in the fridge that was going to go bad, and there were enough other leftovers to keep him from starving, so I indulged. The recipe was super easy since I used a spice packet (although the spice packet was meant for murgh makhani aka butter chicken instead of paneer/cheese). So all I had to do was cook some canned tomatoes and a bunch of butter, then add the spices with heavy cream, and then add the paneer right at the end. It wasn't as good as what I used to eat in Hyderabad, but it was good enough, and I have plenty of leftovers since [censored] turned his nose up at it.

When it was done, I ate while watching the latest SNL with [censored], and then I came upstairs and did various tasks. And now I must sleep - goodnight!

for every tyrant, a tear for the vulnerable

I'm all wiped out on words - I did some decent writing today, spread out over several sessions, which felt great. Much of it was done while sitting on my balcony this afternoon, which was good for my mood - I'm definitely ready for summer and outdoor time, although I doubt I'll get more of it this week.

Over the course of the day, I also took care of various house chores and chatted with [censored], who also availed himself of my balcony temporarily. Then I hit pause on the writing and did a speed clean upstairs - I was v. v. overdue to dust and vacuum my office, and I vacuumed my bedroom as well. Then I made burrito bowls for dinner, which [censored] and I enjoyed while catching up on a couple of episodes of SNL.

And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

light me up

I had a nice couple of days - yesterday wasn't worth blogging about because I worked all day and then slacked off to go buy groceries in the next town over before coming home and making pasta for dinner.

Today was moderately productive - I did some great writing, so I'm happy with that. I also helped [censored] pick up sticks at Mom and Dad's, of which there are plenty to go around. And I cleaned their grill and grilled some bacon wrapped sirloin that I picked up yesterday, which made for an excellent meal.

And now I need to sleep since I was already asleep while typing this - goodnight!

camera snapping, my eyes hurt

I had a fairly chill and productive day, all things considered. I got up and wrote before work, which felt great, and then I slogged pretty steadily all day. When I was done, I put some chicken and rice in the oven, and then I did a bit more work/writing while it was cooking (slowly). And then [censored] and I ate it while watching some tv. I still need to tweak the recipe - I used some bone-in skin-on breasts and I swear the temperature or the cook time isn't right because it takes way longer than I think it should, but at least the rice is tasty.

And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

don't you dare get comfortable

I had a long but good day - I didn't wake up very early and didn't push too hard because I was up so late last night. But I did get going, shower, do laundry, work, etc. Then I talked to my friend Tanya - we were overdue for a catch-up and it was great to chat. 

Then I did some more work and housework, had a few meetings, ate some frozen chicken tikka masala that I had in the freezer, and generally slogged. I stopped early for a library board meeting, which was fun and productive. Then I did home, sat on my balcony for a six pm call with Adit and Baz, ate an extremely fast dinner of sweet potato hash (from the freezer) and a fried egg, and sped back into town for PEO.

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

you're agitated, you're prayed and meditated, you're concentrated on getting elevated

I am v. tired but I had a reasonably good day (two days, since I didn't blog yesterday). I've fully re-entered the slog, mostly because it's the beginning of the quarter and I have a million things to do. So I worked all day yesterday, and then today I got up and worked some more. All my meetings went well, and I took care of some personal errands / tasks in a few spare moments.

Tonight, I went out to my parents' house and made them dinner. I hadn't seen them since the day before I went to Boston/NYC, so I decided not to wait for the weekend to see them. After my last meeting ended, I packed up a bag of supplies and went to their house, where I made shrimp alfredo. My dad seems to always like it, which is unusual given his taste bud issues, and it has the bonus of being v. easy to make.

So I cooked while I talked to my mom, and then the three of us hung out around the dinner table. All in all it was a nice night, and I only feel a tiny twinge of selfish regret for leaving the leftovers with them. Then I came home, tidied up the kitchen, and promptly took a v. ill-advised nap. I don't usually nap at 9pm, but I had a task that I promised my boss I would do tonight, and I was too tired to contemplate it immediately.

So I dozed / scrolled reddit / texted my college friends (today is the 20th anniversary of the release of SAHARA, which should be celebrated much more than it has been - and by that I mean no one has celebrated it). And then I eventually did the task for my boss, so at least I can cross that off my list.

And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

and don't be selfish and keep this all to yourself, and don't eat shellfish

I have returned to the place of my birth after a somewhat-delayed but otherwise smooth travel day. Sadly my flight was delayed by over two hours, but not in a way that enabled me to do much of anything fun. However, that meant I could take my time getting ready, and I was feeling zero stress getting to the airport. Also, I discovered that I could get into the Delta first class lounge with one of the perks of my Amex card, so the long wait was quite pleasant - I had a comfy chair, free lunch, free coke zero / rosé / coffee to give myself all the uppers/downers I desired, and space to write for awhile. So I did write, while also people watching, and it was a nice way to get some downtime before the flight.

Once we did board, the trip was uneventful, and I alternated between napping / journaling / reading to Des Moines. I must say that LaGuardia is quite nice and having a direct from Des Moines to NYC is a major bonus - so if I get a say in whether I visit the SF or NYC offices more frequently in the future, NYC does have some points in its favor.

So, after I landed, I retrieved my bags and my car, grabbed the last Starbucks of the foreseeable future, and drove home (with a stop for a v. necessary car wash). When I got here, it was a little after seven, and [censored] and I went into town to grab some groceries and Mexican takeout since I had no food or desire to cook. After we'd eaten and caught up, I partially unpacked, made a list of the million things I have to do tomorrow, and generally unwound.

And now I need to sleep if I'm going to do those million things - goodnight!

play that music too loud

I had a v nice final day in NYC. I got up and walked to Starbucks, where I wrote for an hour while drinking some cold brew. Then I came back to my hotel and got ready for the day. The first stop was meeting Terry at the Met - I had not seen Terry in the flesh since her wedding in 2022, so we were overdue. 

We wandered around a bit of the museum before realizing we just wanted to talk, so we grabbed coffee in the cafe and sat for an hour or so. Then we checked out some of the painting exhibits, which were varying degrees of lovely. It was nice to hang out in a museum for awhile, and even nicer to go with Terry. 

Then we walked across Central Park to the upper west side, where we spent twenty minutes browsing at the Strand bookstore while waiting for a wine bar to open. The wine bar was quite good - I had an excellent red (and another half glass of the same), and we had fries to revive ourselves, and then they have us a free glass of champagne as we settled the bill. This is, as you can imagine, my kind of scene. 

Then we adjourned briefly to Terry's apartment, where I met her daughters, who are super cute. We also said hi to Haseeb before leaving them to go out for an early dinner at a nearby Greek place, which was delish.

So, all in all it was a v nice day, and it was great to spend so much quality time with Terry. Then we parted ways and her doorman procured me a cab so I could return to my hotel. When I got here I accidentally took a nap, and then I packed so I'll be ready to go tomorrow. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!