crop top and a bandolier, swinging from a chandelier

I had a fairly decent weekend, all in all. Yesterday I woke up in Des Moines, grabbed breakfast from the cafe downstairs, and drank coffee in the lobby while working on various tings until it was time to check out. Then I drove to the Michaels store in West Des Moines to find some decorative paper - I'm on a bit of a kick of making my own planner inserts since I can't find one that is perfect for all my needs, and I wanted some paper for the covers. After completing that errand successfully, I drove south, stopped at the Starbucks in Indianola and did some journaling, grabbed some steaks at Fareway, and drove home.

When I got here, I unloaded my car, relaxed a bit, took a quick nap, and then helped Mom water the planters in town (for what is likely the last time this year). Then I made dinner for Mom and [censored] to celebrate my birthday - I was going to make them take me out, but my place of employment sent me a gluten free pie for my birthday (that arrived mostly thawed because UPS doesn't deliver here on Thursdays) and so I decided to cook so we could eat pie after. Cooking was about as easy as it gets, since I just grilled ribeyes and boiled some of the last of this year's sweet corn - and the pie (a mixed berry with a nice crumble-type top) was v. tasty with vanilla ice cream.

After Mom left, [censored] and I watched the rest of the Cy-Hawk game. Iowa State lost almost all their players last year after our head coach left, so we knew almost no one on the field - but it appears we have a surprisingly good quarterback, so we'll see how the season goes. Unfortunately the Cyclones lost right at the end, but it was closer than might have been expected given how the roster turned over, so I'll take it.

Today I meant to be in it to win it, but I spent too much time lying in bed scrolling on my phone. Then I made coffee, talked to [censored], did various tings around my room, did some hurried harvesting of my garden, and then generally had trouble getting into anything the rest of the afternoon because it started raining and really didn't let up. However, I did write for awhile (while sitting at my desk instead of on my chaise, shocker). And then I ran to town to get groceries, came home, and grilled burgers and hot dogs + made some caprese salad for dinner. The burgers turned out perfectly, if I do say so myself, and [censored] and I ate them (+ more pie) while watching 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' and some clips from various Conan podcasts.

And now I need to unwind so that I can go to bed at a reasonable hour - goodnight!

victim of luck

Happy birthday to me! I had an excellent day, thanks for asking - I took it off from work, and I spent the morning puttering around and doing some tings that have been lingering on my to do list for a long time. Thus accomplished, I showered, ate some peanut butter, and drove to Des Moines. 

My destination was the Lexus dealership, where I test drove a couple of cars - zee Audi is still going strong, but it's eight years old, and it's hitting the age and mileage for increasingly expensive repairs (and I'm also starting to hanker for something new). So I drove a couple of options, which were both great, and also both different enough that I need to sleep on it before deciding. 

To do the sleeping, I decided to stay in Des Moines - I was in the mood for a nice evening out, so I checked into a hotel, and then had a long and delicious meal (including one of the best pork chops I've ever had, and a flourless chocolate cake because why not). The bartenders were entertaining, I did some good journaling, and the bar was empty enough that I didn't feel too rude texting various people and talking to Chandlord when she called. 

But now I need to sleep - goodnight!

out of the sea, into the fire

I have had very little to report this week - or rather, I did a lot of things yesterday, but not all of them are appropriate for the blog. I was completely useless on my day off on Monday - the weather was unexpectedly grim, and I didn't feel like doing anything noteworthy. However, I did try a new recipe for dinner; I made a picadillo recipe out of the Nopalito cookbook, and it was relatively quick and extremely delicious.

Picadillo is actually not crazy dissimilar from a bolognese sauce or some kind of Maid-Rite - it's ground beef, onion, carrot, potato, canned diced tomatoes, jalapeño, tomato paste, and some spices, cooked up until everything is perfectly done. I chose to eat mine inside some corn tortillas with refried black beans, but the picadillo would be awesome in stuffed peppers (or stuffed into just about anything else). [Censored] happened to be home and also enjoyed it, and we ate while watching some TV and catching up.

Yesterday, I was too busy with various civic engagements to get much else done - I had an economic development board meeting in the morning, and then I had to vote in a special election, and then I had a city council meeting directly after work. These kinds of days are good for catching up on gossip and bad for doing anything else, but I enjoyed myself. And the special election went the way that I wanted it to - we were voting to extend/renew the local option sales tax, and the vote went overwhelming in favor (with the exception of two of the smallest towns in the county, where the yes/no tied, which is a real bummer because putting on a future special election ballot would cost $8000, which is pretty silly in a town where only 2 people turned out to vote and they disagreed with each other).

After all that excitement yesterday, I wasn't feeling totally in it to win it today. I did get various tings done, and I participated in various meetings, but none of that should interest you. And now I need to go to bed so that I can hopefully be a bit more on my game tomorrow - goodnight!

beaches in tennessee

I had a v lovely day of family stuff, although it started a little earlier than I like Sundays to begin. Mom and I drove up to the metro area for Drewbaby's daughter's baptism; I have been in that church for three events (Uncle Mark's funeral, Drewbaby and Sammie's wedding, and now Marcella's baptism), and I'm glad the count continues to go up with good events.

Marcie was a trooper during the baptism and didn't cry at all, and the service itself was nice. After, we hung out and ate cake with the congregation, and then the family had lunch, which was v. tasty. I got to catch up with Aunt B for a few minutes, and I got to hold the baby, and all in all it was a pleasant way to spend the day.

After we were done at the church, Mom and I swung by Aunt Kathy's house to check out a family furniture piece that may make its way back to southern Iowa (it went to Oklahoma and back in a covered wagon, so hopefully [censored] and I can get it here in some sort of modern conveyance). Then we drove home, with a couple of errand stops on the way. And then I vegged for awhile before making myself an excellent girl dinner (2 of my own tomatoes, which tasted perfect with a ball of burrata mozzarella and some olive oil / balsamic glaze / basil), having a glass of wine, and doing a bunch of stuff on my laptop until now.

And for posterity, the rest of my weekend was uneventful - I spent Friday flying back to Iowa (via Kansas City) and had dinner with Mom and [censored] after I got home. Yesterday I did various tings around the house, cleaned a lot of random tasks off my desk, and made spaghetti (with sauce from the freezer) and garlic bread for me and [censored]. And now I need to go to bed so I can accomplish a bunch of stuff with my day off tomorrow - goodnight!

cut me down where the water meets the sea

I had a v nice day in the city of sin. I got up in time to journal before work, and then I showered and took a meeting from the hotel before grabbing a waymo to work (so I could take another meeting from the car without issues). When I got to work I had many meetings, and some chicken and hummus, and a v tasty iced coffee (which I enjoyed during my favorite meeting of the week).

When I was done with meetings, I skipped out early to meet Claudia for happy hour at Waterbar. This was the perfect happy hour location for us since we were able to share two dozen oysters and some fries, and we each had two glasses of wine, and the bill was surprisingly cheap for SF (but still expensive compared to ten years ago, or to Iowa). We had an excellent time catching up, and I got to see photos of her child (who continues to be one of the cutest children ever), so that was all a delight.

When we were done, I walked Claude to the ferry, caught an Uber to my hotel, and packed in advance of my departure tomorrow. I should have done more work, but I wasn't feeling it, so I vegged instead. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

feel the rain on your lips

I had a lovely day in the city of sin, but I'm deeply ready to go to bed. I took a waymo to work, had a couple of meetings, grabbed coffee with Timothy, had some more meetings, and then had a meeting/lunch with an external vendor. They took the finance team (and me) to Restoration Hardware for lunch, which was quite entertaining - I do not know why a furniture store has gotten into the restaurant business, but since they did, we might as well enjoy their overpriced (but perfectly cooked) entrees in their marble-encased Palm Court.

After lunch all I really wanted was a nap, but I had several more meetings. When I was done, I took a waymo out to Ocean Beach - this took longer than a human would have taken since it's so cautious and follows all speed limits, but I also felt fine dozing off on a way that I do not feel safe with a random human driver, so this was an intentional trade-off. I was early to dinner, so I spent an enjoyable fifteen minutes sitting outside in the sun....

... And then I met up with Anne, Grace, Barbara, and Veronica at Beach Chalet for dinner. We were way overdue to catch up, so we spent a lot of quality time talking about work and life. It was wonderful to see them, even if seeing writer friends makes me wistful about my career choices (although Restoration Hardware gives me other reasons to feel fine about those choices).

But now I desperately need to sleep - goodnight!

california succumbed to the fault lines

No time to blog tonight - I had a nice day full of many meetings, and I ended it with a quick drink with Martha before heading back to my hotel. I was wiped out when I got here, so I ordered Mexican takeout (delish) and generally chilled/worked in a desultory fashion until now. But now I must sleep if I'm going to have any hope of being productive tomorrow - goodnight!

turn the car around

I had a v productive day in the city of sin - probably because I did not indulge in any sin (beyond some basically free wine at the hotel bar). I woke up shockingly early (thanks to time zones), grabbed some coffee downstairs, and journaled v pleasantly for almost an hour. Then I got ready and took a waymo to work - I'm now in the early access for waymos that go on the freeway, which was pretty smooth and also cut some time from my commute. The future is here in SF, even if it isn't anywhere else. 

Then I slogged all day, through a variety of back to back meetings, which were both great and exhausting. So eventually I left the office, took muni back (since mass transit is still cheaper/faster than waymo even if you have to deal with infinitely more people), decompressed in my room, and then went downstairs with my laptop to work / eat protein / drink wine / talk to the bartender, whom I've known since right before the pandemic.

This was all accomplished in fine fashion, but now my body is rebelling since it's almost midnight in Iowa, so it's time for bed. Goodnight!

heavy foot

No blog tonight - I got up relatively early, finished packing, took care of various tings around the house, and left at eleven to head south. Usually I fly out of Des Moines, but United has a nonstop from Kansas City to San Francisco, and its current schedule is at hours that are amenable for driving several hours to the airport.

So I tested this new itinerary today. It required leaving an hour and a half earlier than I usually leave when flying out of Des Moines, but I was able to park in the garage adjacent to the terminal, and they had Clear+Precheck lanes, so getting through security took only a few minutes longer than Des Moines. That left me plenty of time to have a burger and a glass of wine before takeoff - I could have been half an hour later getting there, but I'm glad I didn't have the stress.

My flight was pretty bumpy in parts, but the fact that we didn't have to land and takeoff in Denver was a real plus. And I got to SF with no issues, got to my hotel, unpacked, had dinner, read/journaled a bit, and now need to sleep immediately because I'm already falling asleep with the lights on and can do better than that. Goodnight!

bitter taste of time wasted, a tickle in your throat

Wednesday I slogged with no notable updates, so I didn't blog.

Thursday I also slogged, with mixed results since I was quite productive Wednesday and hit the expected wall on Thursday. So I snuck out around five to run to the pharmacy - and while I was out and about, I decided to take an impromptu trip to Lineville to see the new mural. The old mural was destroyed in a derecho and/or tornado last year, and it took a year for us to get it replaced. But we were able to get an exact replica from the artist who designed the original, and we were able to install it on the new fire department building (after much negotiation). I'm pleased to say it looks perfect in its new location, and I got some good photos to update the website with - driving down when I did meant that I hit golden hour, which made for some good images.

After that, I came home and grilled some steaks, which turned out quite well considering they had been sitting in the back of my freezer and were fifteen months old. But I don't think you could tell that they had aged that long, and the protein did me good. I was finishing eating when [censored] showed up, and so we talked for quite awhile before I decided it was time to go to bed.

Friday was more of the same - a lot of slogging, but nothing too ridiculous. I took a 'break' in the afternoon to clean my oven (not really a break), and then I stopped work around five so that I could make dinner for Mom and [censored]. I was in the mood for something a little more elaborate and also had ingredients that needed to be used, so I made prosciutto-wrapped chicken breasts stuffed with bacon and goat/cream cheese, which is always excellent. I also made mashed potatoes, so it felt fairly decadent. And it was nice to hang out with Mom and [censored], who seemed to forgive me for dinner being ready later than planned.

Today, I had a million things to do, and so of course I spent some of the time hanging out with [censored] in various yards that I own, investigating various tings. We were able to find one lot pin at my newest acquisition, but despite having a v nice metal detector and a surveying wheel and a 200' measuring tape, we were not able to find the others. However, I have a generally good idea of where the boundaries are, so I'll take it. We (and by 'we' I mean [censored] cut through some drywall to inspect whether a potential remodel idea would work (verdict: not without work). I need to get cracking on my remodel, but it's somewhat daunting, especially considering that I'm not a DIY'er and have little desire to become one.

So after all that, [censored] and I both took long breaks to eat and watch various videos regarding various ideas. Then I spent the afternoon doing laundry, cleaning, tending to the garden, and generally getting organized. I took a break this evening to eat dinner and watch the latest episode of 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' with [censored], and then I continued doing various tasks until now.

But now I need to go to sleep - goodnight!

saltwater

I have been pushing hard on productivity before I hit an inevitable wall - but hopefully I don't hit it tomorrow, because I still have some tings I want to get done this week. Yesterday I slogged all day, said goodbye to [censored], hung out on my balcony, ate some leftover steak with a baked potato, and then did some work until about midnight.

Today was more of the same - I slept a little later in deference to last night's late night, but then I got up, wrote before work, took a shower, and slogged all day. When I was done, I cleaned up the kitchen, sat on my balcony for an hour, and then made dinner - a variation of the shrimp alfredo that I sometimes make, although I used some gf cheese tortellini that I'd picked up at whole foods instead of fettuccine, and I added spinach since [censored] isn't around to be poisoned. It turned out quite well, and I have leftovers for tomorrow, so that's exciting.

When I was done eating, I came upstairs, changed into sweats, and wrote until now. And now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

keep it one hundred on the land, the sea, the sky

I had a nice closeout to the weekend - or, at least, yesterday was nice, and today was a little too relaxed. When I woke up yesterday, I threw on some clothes and walked down to the Des Moines farmers' market. I didn't buy anything of note since I knew food would get too hot in my car during my other errands, but I picked up a notepad from a stationery store that I like, and I bought flowers and banana bread for Drewbaby and Sammie. All the vegetables looked quite nice, though, which made me wonder (again) why I spend a lot of time any money on my own subpar produce efforts - but I also don't make it up to Des Moines for the farmers' market regularly, so I guess that's why.

After that, I went back to my hotel, ate some breakfast (which was unfortunately very mid), showered, and checked out. Then I went to Drewbaby and Sammie's house to see them, but mostly to see their baby - but since Marcella doesn't talk yet, the adults had to carry the conversation without her. She turned four months old yesterday and is quite cute, and Drewbaby and Sammie seem to be doing well, so it was nice to hang out.

Then I ran some errands - I was going to go to Costco, but I was running late already, so I just went to Whole Foods and did a massive stock-up. I always forget that there's a Fareway in the Half Priced Books strip mall, but I happened to see it on my way to Whole Foods, so I picked up steaks and a variety of other meats. And then I drove home, with a stop in Indianola to pick up sweet corn.

When I got home, I unloaded my car, took care of a couple of quick things, and then drove out to Mom's with the sweet corn and some ribeyes to grill. The ribeyes turned out pretty perfectly, if I do say so myself, and so Mom and [censored] and I had a nice dinner. Then I hung out with Mom a bit longer before coming home and procrastinating and going to bed.

Today was much less interesting - I probably should have assumed I would get nothing done, but since I had had high ambitions, the fact that I did very little makes me feel much worse. But I did several loads of laundry, journaled, wrote a bit, fertilized all my tomatoes and peppers, cleaned up my raised beds a bit, and generally tidied up. And now I'm going to go to bed so that I can attempt to kickstart tomorrow a little more effectively - goodnight!

we were talking to the sunset, throwing dreams against the wall

I had a v nice day, mostly because I decided to take it off. I had intended to get up and at 'em early, but I wasn't feeling a hundred percent, so I slept in a bit and then took my time with my cold brew and some chatting with [censored]. I also did some pantry reorganizing in preparation for a massive restock, and I took care of various tings around the house. 

Eventually, though, I drove to Des Moines - I decided to go to the state fair, which I hadn't been to since before the pandemic. It was a bit of a speed run since it was crazy hot and I was just trying to hit the highlights - but I got an egg on a stick from the egg producers, saw the butter cow, hit up varied industries, checked out the dwindling 4-H exhibits, saw the Big Ram that might set a Guinness record for biggest ram ever, tasted some Iowa wines, and had some excellent gluten free fair food - namely a gf lobster corn dog and some birria pupusas, both of which were quite tasty. 

Eventually, though, I was too hot and tired to continue, so I got to my hotel, napped a bit, showered, and had a late order of fries and a glass of rosé to close the day. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

you were unsuspecting, not unwarned

I have had nothing to report the last few days - I have just been working, and occasionally writing or journaling, and occasionally checking on my gardens. It didn't help that it was cloudy and/or rainy most of the week, which always messes with my mood. 

But I celebrated a solo day in my house on Tuesday by making eight pounds of carnitas - perhaps more carnitas than is strictly necessary for one person (or for two people when one of them doesn't like pork), but I was happy to have it. And work has been fine overall, although it's always tempting to run away. And I had a fun catch-up with my friend Alex from my last stint at the goog - I apparently haven't been back to Boulder in almost three years, which I need to rectify asap.

But now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

and they try to keep us all down

I have nothing of interest to report - I spent yesterday (Sunday) slogging in a truly excessive manner on a variety of personal / writing / house tasks. That felt good in the moment, especially since I managed to be productive despite the weather and my own Sunday inclinations - but I knew that it would probably sabotage my slide into the work week, and I was mostly right about that.

However, I got up this morning and managed to do several things that I need to get done before my meetings started. At some point I took a break to go into town and get allergy shots, which was a necessary evil. And I spent the early evening wrapping up my tax prep - yes, it's four months after tax day, but I filed for an extension, and the time has finally come to settle up.

After I was done with that, I couldn't bear to look at screens, so I journaled on my balcony until the mosquitoes came out, and then I read a bit of a book. And now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

do you know the muffin man

I am running out of lyrics, which makes it hard to motivate myself to blog since coming up with a title is half the battle. I suppose I could get AI to help me with this, but that seems like a silly use of resources - but I supposed I have used resources in worse ways, so idk.

Yesterday I was v. v. productive at work, and then I made chicken orzo pasta for dinner before watching some tv with [censored] and finishing a book (MONSTER OF A LAND, which I quite enjoyed). So, after those feats of productivity, it's not really a surprise that I was somewhat useless today, although I had had higher hopes for myself. I did do some writing, and some messing around with various online tasks. I also consulted with [censored] at various points on the improvements he is making to the garage - [censored] hung cabinets today, which he had built, which is significantly more effort than I put into such things. But they look good and it will be great to have some counter space in the garage, so everything is coming up Sara.

Beyond that, I also did some checking up on my gardens (I am about to be inundated in peppers, and I hope I am similarly inundated in tomatoes). I sat outside for approximately twenty minutes but it was too hot even to sit in the shade. And I purged my bathroom storage to get rid of various expired or disliked skincare and cosmetics, which felt good.

When evening rolled around, [censored] and I went out to Mom's for dinner. She made v. tasty fried potatoes and baked beans, and I grilled hamburgers, and it was all good. And now I need to go to bed - goodnight!

the lights are turning red

I have had many interesting conversations this week since I've actually gone out into the world several times, but as is the case with small town life, it's best not to document those encounters. But I had an economic development board meeting Tuesday morning, city council Tuesday night, a quick meeting with Brenda and Bonita yesterday (over margaritas), and several excursions to water planters in town with my mom. And I have been slogging very diligently this week, which means my brain is a little fried.

So, in an effort to unfry myself, I think it's time for bed - goodnight!

let the beat drop

Today was a very Monday kind of Monday. I woke up, poured some cold brew, and attempted to write with mixed results (not zero results, which is good; but not enough results to satisfy me). I got interrupted by some sirens, which turned into me and [censored] listening to the scanner, which sounded potentially tragic for a few minutes - but even though they had lifeflight on standby for what sounded like a farm accident, the victim refused treatment, so I guess that's good?

After that excitement, I got back to day job stuff and slogged v. diligently all day. This went on until around 6pm, when Mom picked me up and we watered the planters in town. Then I came home, was desperate for a break from all screens, and so sat on my balcony (even though it was too hot) and drank rosé while reading a book, which went a long way toward restoring me.

Eventually, though, I was too hungry to continue. So, I shucked some sweet corn and boiled it, which [censored] and I ate with a container of four ham balls that I'd found in the freezer from Christmas (and were remarkably still pretty good after 7.5mo). Then I cleaned up the kitchen, came back upstairs, and read for another couple of hours. And now I need to go to sleep since I have many meetings and many tings to do tomorrow - goodnight!

scheming on a thing that's a mirage, i'm trying to tell you now it's sabotage

I apparently have not blogged since Tuesday, which is perhaps a new record. I have had basically nothing to report, and have also gotten into a bad habit of falling asleep on my chaise at nine, waking up at 10:30, and then staying up until after midnight, which is really cramping my style (and making blogging unappealing).

But I had a decent enough week despite all that, at least as far as I can remember. Wednesday I slogged, and then took a break from cooking by picking up pizza for dinner. Thursday I also slogged, and then subsisted on leftovers - and then spent the evening reading the book for my work book club. We read 'Small Things Like These', which was like seventy pages long, and so I had no excuse not to read it - and it was pretty good, albeit depressing.

Friday, I slogged (again), and it was all alternating between boring and annoying, but I got through the day. [Censored] and I ended up watching a recent podcast between Neal Brennan and Craig Ferguson that was an absolute delight - Craig's still got it, although it's hard to believe the late night scene is totally dead now.

Yesterday, I woke up and did some fertilizing of my patio tomatoes - they aren't producing much, and while some of it is due to the extreme heat we've had, and other issues are due to the inconsistent watering caused by heavy rains, I think they need some extra fertilizer help. Then I scrambled to get ready and go into town - it was Old Settlers this weekend, and I was working the library book sale yesterday morning. The book sale turnout was quite good and I had fun hanging out with Sammi while we sold books. Turnout for the rest of the festival seemed pretty light, so I'll be curious to hear the full debrief from various folks over the next few days.

Then I picked up sweet corn from a vendor on the square, skipped the parade, came home, and spent the afternoon working on my taxes (something most people do in the spring, but I had to file for an extension and then had no incentive to finish). In the evening, I took the corn + some steaks out to Mom's, where I grilled while [censored] worked on the gator. We had a v. nice supper, and then I came home and spent the evening journaling, falling asleep early, and then scrolling too late.

Today was more of the same - I drank cold brew, journaled for awhile, watered the patio plants, and then let myself get sucked into several hours of screen time while working on my taxes / finances. This made me very fatigued and completely hangry, but it was better than doomscrolling. I also took various moments to help [censored] with the garage remodel, which is proceeding apace (and with very little effort on my side, which is great / slightly guilt-inducing).

By four p.m. I really needed to do something other than look at my laptop, so I took a shower, and then Mom and I watered the planters in town together. When I got home, I tended to my raised beds, which I've somewhat neglected - I needed to do some florida weaving on my tomatoes and tomatillos to better support them, and then I fertilized the raised beds too. This all took a lot longer than it might sound, but the effort was hopefully worth it.

Then, I took another shower since gardening worked up quite a sweat. I drank a glass of rosé while reading on my balcony, and then [censored] and I ate leftovers and watched the first three episodes of 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe', which is pretty good so far. And now I need to unwind and go to bed - goodnight!

i'm the trouble ahead

I did nothing noteworthy today - I had too many meetings to enable me to get anything done, so I mostly just slogged. And then I spent the evening making dinner (which is perhaps overstating the effort, since it was quite easy) - I marinated some skirt steak, made some spanish rice, and then grilled the skirt steak in a race against both floods and wasps (floods because it rained twenty minutes after I was done grilling; wasps because the grill started to smoke out a nest of wasps hanging from my eaves, which was not a helpful development).

But the skirt steak turned out quite well, and I sliced it thinly so that [censored] and I could eat it with rice and beans and sour cream and salsa. I sat around for quite awhile after, but then I cleaned up the kitchen, came upstairs, attempted to journal, and started to fall asleep. So I think it's time for bed - goodnight!