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!