hypnotized by you if i should linger

I had a v. nice last day in Denver, although I should perhaps have rearranged my schedule to go home a day earlier given that I didn't have much to do today. My brunch plans unfortunately fell through, so I spent the morning writing in the lobby (and wrote a v. weird scene that I wasn't expecting, which was kind of fun). Then I took myself out for lunch - I went to Hapa Sushi, which I enjoyed, but it really doesn't compare to getting any sort of Japanese food in SF, so it wasn't as good as I sometimes remember it being. Then, I walked around Cherry Creek for a bit and stopped into some home stores to browse products that I might want to order for my house in Iowa.

But at some point I had no interest in browsing, and no interest in buying anything, so I came back to my hotel, relaxed for awhile, and then did a couple of hours of work at the hotel bar. Then, I got an uber to tonight's plan, which made it utterly worth staying in Denver today - Katie and I had a v. lovely dinner at Bar Dough. We were supposed to have dinner at Fifth String, but they had a plumbing problem and canceled our reservation. So, Katie and I split a bottle of rosé and two gluten free pizzas (one of which was notably better than the other) and caught up for as long as we could sit there. I miss seeing her as much as I did when I lived here, but luckily I can always lure her into a chat about gossip from our hometown, so I'm sure we'll talk as much as we usually do.

Then I came back to my hotel and did a whole lot of nothing, which means I should go to bed so I can get up and pack in time to head to the airport. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

i had visions, i was in them, i was looking into the mirror

I had an excellent day in the mile high city, although I still have no regrets that I've decamped for lower altitudes. When I woke up this morning, I decided to give into to caution and get a covid test, since I was notified via my phone that I'd been exposed (on my birthday, of course, which is par for the course for 9/11 - never forget). So I used Uber Eats to order covid tests from a Walgreens, which arrived in record time. I was negative, as I expected/hoped, but at least I didn't feel like I was knowingly putting people I was seeing at risk.

sssanyway, after testing, I got some coffee and did a bit of work in the lobby. Then, I met up with Aunt B and Uncle B at Cherry Cricket, which is a bit of an institution in Cherry Creek - I'd never made it here because I rarely went out to eat in Cherry Creek before the pandemic, and I never went out here after. But we were able to grab a table on their nicely renovated patio, and we caught up over burgers and fries. We also walked around some home goods stores in the area, and it was a really nice couple of hours to catch up (and to give Aunt B an update on the family china that she foisted upon me, which is safely ensconced in my basement but may not be on display anytime soon - or at least until I buy some sort of china cabinet to store it in).

After we parted ways, I took a long nap, and then spent the afternoon working in the bar. I got some good ideas for my book, which were reinforced by Aunt B showing me some videos of her bees (editor's note: Aunt B stands for Aunt Becky, not Aunt Beekeeper, but both are valid), so I spent some time playing around with that and also ordering some books on folklore. And there's nothing I like better than writing in a hotel bar, so this was v. good for me.

Eventually, I put the laptop away and walked around the block (literally) to meet Kelly at Quality Italian. I kind of half ghosted Kelly when I left Denver, since we're no longer coworkers and so she didn't get an official notice of my departure. But the half ghosting was unintentional, and we made up for it with a long and leisurely dinner. Quality Italian's name sounds like it is an old school pasta joint in a strip mall, but it's actually quality - we had an excellent meal, including shrimp cocktail, and I had a steak and brussels sprouts to avoid overly gluten-ing myself (although I couldn't resist the bread, which was #worthit). Kelly had a lobster rigatoni where the lobster was seared at the table, which was a delight. And the waiter offered us tastes of the wine we were choosing, which basically netted us an extra half glass each, which felt like I was back in the game in terms of scoring free alcohol.

So, needless to say, this was all delightful. We caught up on all sorts of life and work topics, and continued the convo over a final drink at my hotel bar, and are now seriously considering a work trip to Europe together next year. And that, of course, would be right up my alley, so we shall see.

But now, I need to unwind and go to bed - goodnight!

i hear a thousand songs but you're the only melody

Okay, so I have a second major life update (separate from quitting my job): I'm also selling my house in Denver. This has, of course, also been in the works for a few weeks - I decided to list it around the same time that I ended my leave of absence, and it has been a whirlwind since then. Of course, the market decided to soften approximately when I decided to list, which was unfortunate timing. However, my house is in a pretty perfect location and very little comes up for sale right here, so, luckily someone decided to buy it.

That means the last few weeks have been a bit of chaos - the house had to be staged, and shown, and then inspected and appraised, all of which caused intermittent interruptions in my usual life. But we're through all of the main steps and everything is looking good, so fingers crossed the deal closes as expected.

This has, of course, been a rather tumultuous decision (and it feels appropriate that I'm writing this in a sudden, dramatic thunderstorm. Or, perhaps the better word to use is bittersweet. I've realized over the course of the past few months that my house no longer brings me joy - I spent so much time isolated in my house over the past couple of years that I don't really want to be here, even if it is functionally just right for my needs. And, unfortunately, I didn't really build a community in Denver, beyond Katie and several (lovely) coworkers. So it's bittersweet in the sense that I'm ready for a change, but I will never know what could have been if I'd moved here and then been able to settle without a pandemic throwing everything into disarray.

But these are feelings to process another time. Right now I'm consumed with moving - I wasn't able to do much packing while it was staged + while I was wrapping up at work, but now I have a week (well, six days) to pack before my movers show up. I'm taking everything to Iowa, which will be an adventure in an entirely different vein. I'm trying my best to purge stuff here before I move, but I don't purge well...so we'll see.

Today, though, was pretty good - the appraisal was this morning, so I took advantage of the fact that I had to vacate anyway to get a mani/pedi. Then I came home and alternated between procrastinating and packing - I did pack 12 boxes of books + several other boxes in my office, so I think I can wrap up office packing in the morning. I also sold my living room rug to someone who came to pick it up, and I think I'm selling my couch to a girl I know who works with me and also lives a few blocks away (she came to inspect it, but since she'd been in my house before she knew she could trust buying a used couch from me). Selling stuff to (former) coworkers is ideal because I can pretty much trust that they'll pay and also not murder me, and I think I've lined up people for just about everything I listed.

And now, I should sleep - my blog is going to be real boring with packing the next few days, but I'm excited to get it done. Goodnight!

like i can tell that my luck's gonna change

I had a pretty good day, but I flew back to Denver and the scramble to get ready took it out of me. It started by not getting enough sleep the last couple of nights (hence the lack of blogging), and so I was super tired when I woke up. It didn't help that I woke up early to say goodbye to [censored] before he left on an errand, and then instead of going back to sleep, I randomly drove to the next town over to take another v. brief look at cabinet options.

One of the things that happened yesterday was that a guy came over to give me a quote on remodeling my kitchen in Iowa. I've been talking to someone about cabinets, but it was in a somewhat non-decision-making way - but Randy finished most of the inside of my parents' house when they built it, and he's generally acknowledged to be the best around. He took a look at the project and decided he can fit me in in November(ish), which would be great, but requires ordering the cabinets in the next few weeks. Of course, I'm still dithering between going bold with paint, going with the boring light color I originally scoped, or taking a left turn and going for a walnut/white mix that might be the winner.

In classic #smalltownlife vibes, though, Randy quoted me an initial price per hour (which is relatively low, especially compared to what I would pay anywhere else), and then without even being prompted offered to cut another $5/hr off that because of my family. Small town vibes are taking me far - [censored] also got my mail started because he ran into our mailman at a store and told him we'd put up a mailbox (which he'd seen and admired) and were ready to start getting mail there. And [censored] called his friend the county assessor and got a long-gone hot tub taken off my tax assessment with approximately 30sec of conversation. There are disadvantages to #smalltownlife (namely, I continue to be depressed at the lack of food delivery), but many tings are easy to get done.

sssanyway, after my errand this morning, I hurriedly shoved some clothes in a bag, tidied up a bit, and then caught a ride with my parents to Des Moines. They dropped me off at the airport, which felt like old pre-pandemic times before I started driving most trips. I was through security in five minutes and had a salad while doing some writing. My flight to Denver was uneventful, but it took me approx 30min to get out of the airport - getting out of the airport and into town takes almost as long as the flight itself.

When I got home, I crashed - I took a nap, messed around, ordered sushi for dinner, and nursed a massive headache that was likely caused by weird sleeping, weird eating, and altitude. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

seems you cannot be replaced and i'm the one who will stay

I continue to be v. tired after my trip, but the jetlag is starting to settle down. Today was pretty good when I wasn't doomscrolling - I made some eggs when I got up, and then I walked a few blocks to try a new-to-me coffee shop. I obviously haven't been writing in coffee shops since the pandemic, but I want to get back into the habit - or at least get out of the house rather than staying inside like a hermit. The coffee shop was a success - my cold brew was excellent, and while there aren't a lot of comfortable seats, I managed to grab a chair and write/journal for a couple of hours. +100, would do again.

Then I came home, messed around, ate some lunch, etc. before going to Alamo Drafthouse to see 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once'. I'm glad I bought the ticket a couple of days ago, since otherwise I might not have forced myself to go see it - but a month-old movie at 3:20pm on a Wednesday meant there were only six or so other people in the theatre, which felt pretty safe. I enjoyed my excellent popcorn and a glass of sauvignon blanc, and I also enjoyed the movie - it was extremely weird and trippy, and also v. well acted, and I found it delightful.

Then I came home and wasted the evening, although I enjoyed some leftover pulled pork + harissa white bean stew. And now I'm going to sleep and hope that I write / journal / enjoy similar activities tomorrow while also prepping to drive to Iowa. Goodnight!

baby i don't need no dollar bills to have fun tonight

I got over eight hours of sleep last night, which was a miracle - and of course, when my alarm went off, my body still wanted even more sleep. But I somehow managed to rally, and that enabled me to work all day - I was pretty productive, even with a break for some leftover chili.

I had put a nice bottle of chardonnay in the fridge with the intention of roasting some salmon and sipping wine while watching the ISU game tonight. However, as I was finishing up work, Aunt B texted me to say that she and Uncle B were downtown at a Cyclones watch party. So, on a whim, I decided to join them. This was definitely not how I had intended to spend my night, but I'm glad I went - I hadn't seen Aunt B in ages, so we caught up in breaks between the games. Both the ISU men's and women's teams were playing tonight, and unfortunately both of them lost - but I scored some chicken tendies and a lot of wine, so it was a worthwhile excursion.

After the game, Aunt B and Uncle B dropped me off at my house. And now I should go to bed - I have several errands to run tomorrow, which means I can't stay up late and get up late. Goodnight!

like a videotape, it's just a memory slipping away

I'm not ready for the weekend to be over, but I suppose that's a common human sentiment. Today was lovely, all in all - I didn't get enough sleep last night because I stayed up until one finishing my book, but I spent the morning puttering around the house, cleaning, drinking coffee, etc. At some point, I did some research into couches / sectionals, since [censored] will no longer be my buddy if I don't replace the horrible sectional that Marvin left behind and that is currently our frenemy in my Iowa house (frenemy because it's better than having no couch at all, but also maybe I would prefer to sit on a beanbag because it would be equally impossible to get out of and also I would not find leftover candy wrappers of Marvin's whenever I move).

Eventually, I spent some quality time catching up with my parents, who were doing well (although there is much cleanup to do after the tornado). Then, I picked up Chandlord near Union Station - she was in town for the weekend with some coworkers, but they departed this afternoon so that I could have her all to myself. We went to Bookbar and had coffee on the back patio, and then we walked up and down Tennyson (not as exciting as San Francisco, but also not as much visible drug use), and then had dinner at Mazevo. I've ordered takeout from there during the pandemic, but it was my first time eating at the restaurant, and it was a delight.

Then, Chandlord and I adjourned to my house and watched some tv (a surprisingly uninspiring episode of Queer Eye, followed by a couple of episodes of 30 Rock). And now I need to sleep if I'm going to get up in time to bid Chandlord farewell before work - goodnight!

i step off the train, i'm walking down your street again...and past your door, but you don't live there anymore

This is only my fourth-ish healthy weekend, by my count, that I've been in Denver (and not recovering from covid or surgery) since late August. It's no wonder my house is kind of a mess and I'm feeling in deep need of some nesting. I could, perhaps, have done something fun today, especially since Chandlord is in town - but what I really needed today, and what felt better than going out, was taking care of some tasks, throwing some things away, washing my sheets and the guest room sheets, taking two naps, and reading a book. Also, my neighbor hired someone to pressure wash the house - I have not yet fully inspected the results, but they also pressure washed my patio, which is great because the fact that I was barely here last summer meant it was pretty neglected.

sssanyway, eventually I did rally and drive up to Longmont, where I met Sara and Caroline for dinner. Sara made a reservation at this new tiki restaurant that has taken over a former Outback Steakhouse, which made for a strange but entertaining vibe - when I walked in there was an overwhelming crowd, as would usually happen at an Outback Steakhouse in the 'burbs on a Friday night, but luckily Sara had secured our table and we had a delightful evening. My drink was served in an over-the-top tall mug in the shape of a tropical bird, and I had the Hawaiian fried rice (with ham and pineapple in it), and their fried calamari appetizer was gluten free, so that as great.

The three of us had much to discuss, so we took our time having those discussions over our meal. Eventually, it was time to part ways, so I drove home, got ready for bed, and spent the last three hours finishing reading DIRT, which is the memoir I started awhile ago about a guy who moved to France to learn from Lyonnais chefs. This, of course, is doing nothing to prevent my wanderlust; I want to disappear deeply into some sort of weird hobby and emerge several years later with a book and a lot of weird stories. And perhaps it's getting close to time to make that happen. But right now, I need to sleep so that I can seize the day tomorrow - goodnight!

pick up daddies at the playground, how i spend my daytime

Today's day job engagements were ridiculous, so I shall draw a veil over that and move on. I did have an afternoon catchup with Eugene, who was a friend from ye olde books days - we have a semi-regular gossip session on calendar, and we kept it for today, which was a delight. And eventually, when I was done with all work, I took an uber to the Four Seasons. For some reason it does not occur to me that Denver has a Four Seasons - in my head, I am v. judgey and bougie and this is still a cow town, but that is clearly somewhat unfair.

My friend / former coworker Kelly was there getting a massage, so we met for a drink and a shrimp cocktail. This turned into three drinks, a shrimp cocktail, and some fries. Then, we met up with her husband and had dinner at The Bindery - it's Denver restaurant week, and they were clearly overwhelmed, but the server was v. sweet. Dinner was not all that I wanted it to be, but we had an excellent bottle of pinot noir and a v. hilarious conversation, so in that respect it was perfect

Eventually, Kelly and Jackson dropped me at home, and we'll see each other again at a wedding in a couple of weeks. And now I am quite desperate for sleep - goodnight!

if the end comes soon i'll be here, i'll be here with you

It has been almost two full years since I last went into my office building, but I went back today and it was surprisingly glorious. My building had been undergoing renovations before the 'rona (which had been a thorn in my side, because I am involved in site stuff and had to deal with a lot of complaints because apparently people don't like it when ceiling tile dust falls into their food during lunch). But two full years with no one in the building meant that the facilities team could spend as much time and energy as they wanted in making the building better. And, since I'm still technically responsible for site stuff, my team ended up in a v. nice spot - facing the mountains, with outdoor balcony spaces on either side.

It was bizarre to go back, though - I weirdly almost teared up when I got there and saw some fresh macarons that the kitchen staff had made for an event I was hosting, since it's been so long since I've had any office amenities. I was hosting a welcome back event (optional) and it was great to see some people I hadn't seen in a long time - there are a lot of people I like whom I don't get to actually see in the meetings I'm usually in, so it was pretty energizing to see them.

Of course, I can revert to being spoiled and jaded easily; my lunch had too many vegetables and lentils, so that will take some adjustment. And don't assume I'm suddenly going in every day - I probably won't go in for another couple of weeks, since I'll be in San Francisco next week. But it was really nice to go in, so we'll see what happens.

I eventually drove home (rush hour reminded me that I don't like it, but it's not awful) and met up with a coworker for dinner. We were supposed to go to El Camino, but the line was 20+ minutes. So we went across the street to Mead Street Provisions, which I've never been to - but they had really nice gluten free bread, and I got a great gf sandwich and an excellent bourbon cocktail. My coworker and I have been trying to meet up for months, but between her relatively new child and my various issues, it has taken months to make this happen. So it was nice to socializing in person, even if I have definitely hit my people wall today.

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

drink til i'm sideways

I had a nice early morning (blew out my hair with some new product that was quite lovely, picked up coffee from starbucks, journaled, etc). Then, I had a bunch of meetings that gave me a headache, but I paused for a poke bowl to celebrate being back in a city. Happily, Alyssa helped me to make my headache disappear before I picked up Katie for dinner - we were supposed to go to Ash'kara, but Ash'kara had a plumbing issue and canceled our reservation, so we went to The Kitchen instead.

It wasn't as good as our last experience because we had a different server who somehow wasn't as charmed by us and so didn't comp us an after-dinner drink, but it was still a delight - we caught up on a lot of stuff over food + some madeira to cap off the night, and it was lovely. Katie made a v. strong sales pitch for me to stay in Denver forever, and the madeira helped it along - and it is true that Denver has not gotten a fair tryout since almost all of my time in Denver has been spent in a pandemic, interacting with coworkers on video calls via small laptop screens. So, we'll have to see how things are when I'm no longer stuck in my house...

...but that's a story for a different night. Right now, it's only 10:30 but I really want to go to bed and get as much sleep as possible - goodnight!

i was taken by the sound of a spirit in need

Today felt very much back to normal - I'm still not physically 100% there, but mentally / emotionally I'm ready to be better. I spent the morning hanging out with my coffee and messing around online, mostly trying to figure out some decor-type stuff for my Iowa house. I also made bacon and eggs, and I did a load of laundry, and I took a nap...so so far, that's mostly a standard quarantine Saturday.

However, I broke out of quarantine in mid-afternoon to meet up with Katie and El Camino for a very extended happy hour. It was a really nice day in Denver, so we were able to hang out on the back patio (with heaters) and have margaritas and two orders of nachos and plenty of time to catch up and discuss life. We were there for almost 3.5hrs, and we still had plenty to discuss, but eventually we decided it would be wise to part ways. It was an excellent first outing for my post-covid life, since I love Katie and I love nachos, so hopefully we'll be able to repeat it again soon.

Then I came home (well, Katie dropped me off), messed around, changed into pajamas, and had a friendship renewal call with Joann, Jen, and Jane. And as soon as that was over, I messed around on my laptop a bit more and dozed off like the recovering invalid that I am. So I think I should probably go to bed - goodnight!

i remember her, i don't remember me

I had a nice, quiet day, but it sure would be nice if the pandemic ended. It's too easy for me to fall into mindlessly scrolling twitter because nothing else is going on. But I managed to avoid that temptation for most of the day - I slept in a bit, made coffee, read one of the new cookbooks my parents gave me for Christmas, and then made scrambled eggs since I didn't have the ingredients for anything I might have made from that book. I then spent some quality time this afternoon trying to get my house back in order here - this mostly meant doing a bunch of laundry, organizing things in my bedroom, etc.

At some point, I had a long phone chat with California Barbara - we hadn't talked in a couple of months, and she texted me about something, so we ended up talking for an hour. That was a delightful break, and also made me deeply miss my California writing crew. Then, I made a new-to-me recipe for chicken enchiladas - they weren't from the cookbook I read, but rather from a reliable recipe website. I wasn't at all sure how they were going to turn out because the enchilada sauce tasted a little too oily and my corn tortillas were a week past the expiration date (despite having been purchased four days ago) - but they were really delicious and I would totally make them again. I also spread them across three different smaller baking dishes rather than making a 9x13 pan, so I can put two in the freezer and have a couple of meals each when I thaw and bake them at some future date. All in all, Future Sara is v. lucky that I had this foresight.

While I was cooking, and for a couple of hours after, I watched most of a Masterclass by N.K. Jemisin (author of some totally amazing fantasy novels). I signed up for Masterclass last week on a bit of a whim, thinking that watching some writing-related classes might replace the inspiration that I used to get by attending conferences - and while Masterclass can't replicate the real magic of conferences (aka sitting in the bar and getting industry gossip), the lecture itself was pretty thought provoking. There are a ton of interesting writing classes available, so we'll see what I get through in the next few weeks / months.

And now, I should go to bed - but first, allow me to document that yesterday I had a v. long, luxurious dinner with Katie at Bar Dough. We hadn't seen each other in almost two months, so we were very overdue - and I was able to snag a reservation for a private greenhouse, which is a totally enclosed space with heaters and a bluetooth speaker to play your own music. The reservation was supposed to be for ninety minutes, but they let us stay almost three hours - so we had burrata, and then a completely delicious pasta (I ate every bite despite the server selling it as 'big enough for leftovers'), and then a glass of fernet for dessert in homage to my San Francisco life. Then we left and sat in my car outside Katie's house talking for almost another hour. It of course wasn't enough to get fully caught up, but it went a long way.

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

when the night is overcome you may rise to find the sun

I am back in Denver (yay!) after a slightly longer than planned day of travel. Today was pretty long overall - I woke up early after sleeping somewhat fitfully, and then I walked to the office (with a stop at my beloved Philz) in time for an 8:30am meeting. I did three meetings from there, walked back to my hotel, did one more meeting, finished packing, and checked out around 11:30. Then I drove to the airport, dropped off the rental car, checked my bag, sailed through security, and spent several hours eating + slowly sipping rose + doing a lot of work. This turned into more work + slightly more rose than planned because my flight was delayed by an hour, but I eventually made it onto the plane, where I dozed and drank coke zero and messed around on my phone.

Despite the delay (or perhaps because of it), leaving the airport was v. smooth - my bag came quickly and I got to the curb just as my uber pulled up, and there was no traffic getting home. So, I think I can unwind and get some sleep and hopefully wake up in time to grab coffee somewhere before my first meeting - I usually keep emergency cream in the fridge for when I return from a trip, but this time I don't have any and I'm somehow going to have to survive the morning without it. Goodnight!

i'll take one lift, your ride, best trip

I'm super tired tonight - I didn't sleep all that well last night, and I had a ton of slogging to do today. The whole company has tomorrow off, but that didn't make today low-key, and I'll probably have to do a bit of work this weekend that I didn't get done and really have to get done.

However, it wasn't all work and no play - I cut out a little early to get a mani/pedi, and then I picked up Katie and we went down to the Union Station area to have dinner at The Kitchen. I hadn't been there in a couple of years, but I am reminded that I should go there more often - it was a total delight. I ignored my gluten issue (which was a mistake, since it's an actual issue) and we split a tomato flatbread to take advantage of the last tomatoes before winter, a few grilled oysters that were delish, a miso black cod, and some gnocchetti bolognese that was absolutely the best thing I've eaten in awhile. It was unfortunate that the black cod came after the gnocchetti, because it was impossible for anything to follow that. That said, dessert was pretty great too - we split a sticky toffee pudding that was more cake-like (British) than pudding-like (American), and it was perfect. And, my skills at getting free alcohol randomly comped remain undiminished because the waiter was so charmed by us that he brought us each a glass of madeira to pair with the pudding, and it was such a perfect way to end that I was utterly delighted.

Of course, I was also utterly delighted by Katie - we had much to catch up on, so it was a great evening. Then I came home and rather frantically tried to accomplish tings until now. And now I must go to sleep - goodnight!

faster than a hairpin trigger

I had a lovely, lowkey sort of day - partially driven by the fact that I didn't go to bed until after one and also didn't set an alarm, so woke up sometime around ten. This is what my body naturally wants to do, but it's rough to revert to form on weekends and then have to get up like a corporate drone again on Monday morning. So even though it's currently 12:18 and I feel like I could stay up another hour or two, I'm going to attempt to go to bed after this.

sssanyway, I woke up, made coffee, and had a very leisurely morning / afternoon. This mostly involved sitting on my back patio, which is perfect this time of year. At some point, I retreated to my bedroom and took a nap. And that was pretty much the extent of my day, which made it quite delightful.

My evening was even more delightful, though - Katie made a reservation for us at Fifth String, which may be my favorite restaurant in Denver. We got there at 5:15, which is early for dinner (but preferable to not having dinner), and we spent a couple of hours in perfect bliss on their patio. It felt like a good way to bookend the summer - we had gone there for our first fancy meal out this spring, and this felt like the last meal of the summer since I'll be in Iowa for a couple of weeks and then winter will probably be here. We had a sumptuous meal - oysters to start, and then I had some crispy potatoes with melted cheese and shishito peppers, and then a dish with a variety of scallops, fish, and mussels in this amazing broth. Dessert was bleu cheese with cherries, and it was perfect. And of course Katie and I went deep on a variety of topics, which is always my favorite thing to do.

And now, I should go to sleep - goodnight!

sometimes i wish i was on an island, but then i'd miss the sound of sirens

I am slowly but surely getting better. It still feels somewhat uncomfortable to sit in a regular chair, and so I'm intensely glad that I'm not driving back to Iowa this weekend as I had briefly considered a few weeks ago (back when I thought this surgery was No Big Deal). But I am sleeping better, and I'm not quite as tired in the afternoon, so I'll take it.

I had a pretty lowkey work day - I had some meetings off and on from 9:30 to 1, but I successfully avoided meetings the rest of the day. So I got a couple of things done, but I also let myself slack off a bit in the interest of recovering. At the end of the day, I drove my car for the first time since surgery - I wasn't prohibited from driving (except for when I was on narcotic painkillers), but it didn't feel comfortable until today. It still wasn't entirely comfortable, but I was able to do it long enough to mail some things, drive through the car wash, and drive through the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, so I will take all of that as a sign of progress.

I then spent the rest of the evening messing around, eating leftovers, and checking out my neighbors' place. The people I share a wall with are selling abruptly, and if they sell for what they're asking for I will be elated at what that means for my property values because it's really stupidly high. My neighbor called tonight to ask if I could run over and shut off the lights that the realtor had left on for showings, so I got to walk through it without having to wait to snoop at the open house. It's a bizarro version of my place since everything is a mirror image - I like how they upgraded their kitchen, and they have hardwood floors in their master bedroom, but otherwise it's pretty identical (and I have a nicer patio). So we'll see how that goes - and if you want to spend a stupid amount of money to be my neighbor, now is your chance!

And now, I should sleep - I'm sure my recovery has been helped by the fact that I've been getting a good amount of sleep, but I have to be on starting at nine tomorrow, which is earlier than I've been on in weeks, and so going to bed now is a v. good idea. Goodnight!

i play my music in the sun

I spent most of the day working, as per usual (although I did start it by watering plants and drinking coffee and journaling on my back patio, so at least that was relaxing). But I slacked off around 5:45 - Andy and Nina came over, and it was a total delight to hang out with them. We had a drink at my place - I made a High Five, which is gin, aperol, grapefruit, lime, and simple syrup, and it's a perfect home cocktail because it's simple but also delicious. Then we walked to Brazen and had dinner outside - yes, I've been there three times in the last four weeks, and no, I have no regrets.

We hung out on the patio for a couple of hours and had a tasty assortment of small plates, and we discussed many and varied topics (including Ukraine, which they weren't aware of (they weren't aware of my time there; they were aware of the existence of Ukraine)). It started to rain while we were there, which was fine because we were under an umbrella - but it was raining hard enough that we took an uber the eight blocks back to my place to avoid getting soaked. They hung out another hour and a half or so, and we talked about books and movies and NCIS:LA and the difference between fantasy and scifi, and it was all great.

But now, I should sleep - I have meetings starting at 8:30 tomorrow, so I should probably get some rest. Goodnight!

listen to the mariachi play at midnight

I had a lovely day, thanks for asking. I did not get enough sleep because I went to bed stupidly late last night, but I rolled out of bed sometime around 8 or 8:30 and showered, drank coffee, etc. Then I strolled down the street to a street fair that was going on today - a big reason why I bought in my neighborhood is because it's walking distance to things, and having street fairs within walking distance is great. I beat the heat and most of the crowds by getting there around 10:30, and I spent an hour browsing and buying things. They had closed six blocks of 32nd and had vendors set up on both sides of the street, so there was plenty to see. I got a couple of pairs of earrings, a couple of airplants in cool laser-cut wooden hanging pots, and a print of a painting of four birds in a police lineup (they were wanted for dining and dashing, which entertained me since I've witnessed a lot of bird thefts back in the day when I used to leave the house). All in all it was a fun way to spend the morning....

Then I came home and took care of some tings that had been on my to-do list. I also took a nap, which felt pretty necessary. Then I had a video chat with Joann, Jane, and Jen (the friendship renewal crew) - we hadn't caught up in awhile, and there was so much to discuss that we talked for almost three hours. By the end of it, I was starving, so they watched most of my dinner prep - I made another chicken tinga quesadilla like I did last night, but I also made fresh guac and a margarita to go with it.

I then spent the rest of the evening procrastinating + baking cupcakes. And now I need to sleep and try to catch up on the sleep I missed last night - goodnight! 

can't keep up with my rhythm though they keep trying

I'm exhausted and need to go to bed asap, but I had a delightful day and wish that more days were like this. Actually, in fairness, I had a mediocre day - I had way too many meetings, I didn't leave myself time for breakfast and then ate lunch too late, and generally things were a bit annoying.

But I had a wonderful afternoon / evening - I did a quick training session with Alyssa at four, and then Veronica and her family descended for an evening of delight. V's daughter is in college in Boulder, and they were all out for a visit before V's son starts college in a week, so they came into Denver to hang out with me. We had a lovely hour hanging out on my patio with snacks and sparkling rosé, and then we had dinner at Brazen. I've never been, but I'm really glad we went - it's very close to me, has a magical back patio with a view of a small park, and the food was perfect. We lingered over it and generally caught up, and while V's Gen Z kids had v. judgey and hurtful things to say about millennials, I had a great time overall. And, of course, it made me wish that Veronica and I lived in the same city (or even state), which is something I shall dwell on in my dreams tonight....

So, after four or so hours together, it was unfortunately time to part ways, but I have high hopes that we'll see each other more this fall. And now I should sleep since I have a million and one meetings tomorrow - goodnight!