heaven's got a plan for you

No blog tonight, since I'm already falling asleep, but I had a v. nice, chill day. I spent the morning writing + packing so I could switch hotels - and I was supposed to stay with Chandlord tonight, but I got a decent last-minute deal at a Marriott-type property using some of my hoarded points, so I checked in here instead. I haven't been sleeping well, so a real bed and an early night seemed important.

Then, I drove to the magical north bay (aka Mill Valley) to have lunch with Tony. He owned my fave cafe in the Marina when I lived there, but he shut it down during covid and never reopened. So we ate brunch together, and it was a delight. Then I came back to the city, checked into my new hotel, picked up Tom, and had tea with him at Fort Mason / The Long Now. We talked about writing, etc., which was great.

And now, I am going to go to sleep - my evening was quiet (salad and fries at the bar, although I chatted up the bartender because I realized she used to be at Le Meridien) and now I need to sleep. Goodnight!

wild cards, men from mars, dressed in stars and stripes

I'm still recovering from yesterday's festivities, but my recovery wasn't too bad today - my post last night was abbreviated because it was 2:30am (4:30am in Iowa) and I was so tired that I was starting to type gibberish, but I actually wasn't that intoxicated from the party. So, other than the fact that I slept like garbage last night, which gave me a headache, I felt mostly fine.

Yesterday was fantastic, though. I ran some errands in the morning (to buy decor for the party) and then had lunch with Chandlord. We went to a ramen place near my hotel, where I ordered a pork dish with rice because I can't eat ramen - it was pretty tasty, and I'm glad I got that instead of the spice that made Chandlord weep silently while she was eating her food. What a fun and interesting experience!

Then, I parted ways with Chandlord and took an uber to the Marina and back to pick up a bunch of cupcakes. I did a bit of work, took a brief nap, and then took care of some party stuff. Jess showed up at my hotel so that she could get ready, since she was already in SF for something earlier in the day, and I roped her into helping me with some decor elements. We shared an uber to the party venue, and she very kindly helped me set up the space. I'm very grateful that she was able to help, since I would not have had time to do everything myself!

Eventually, the party started, and it was a total riot. People were mostly on time and also mostly took it as an opportunity to dress up after years of no parties. The food and drinks were excellent. And I saw a total cross-section of all the major phases of my California life - Stanford people (freshman year and senior year), early coworkers, writing friends, and some connections between the groups. I'm used to seeing these people in separate / smaller gatherings, but it was really fun to see everyone in more of a party mode.

Of course, some ridiculous tings happened. Julie kept insisting on doing shots, but since the bar wasn't actually doing shots, they just poured cocktails into shot glasses - which was much tastier and safer for my liver. We discovered that Jane has a bunch of old photos stored on SmugMug, which I didn't even realize was still in business. John gave me (and everyone else) a Magic card for "The Swamp," which seemed appropriate. Walter came on his own actual birthday, which was great (and I hadn't seen him in forever, so I was glad he and his wife made it). I indulged Chris, Adit, and John, in playing "All the Way Up to Heaven" on the epic playlist. And we had an abbreviated candle ceremony in which Adit read a brief but v. dirty scene from one of my books (and other people gave other, more sincere, toasts), which will live in my heart for a long time.

So we hung out for about four hours, and people slowly trickled out at the end. The final nine went to Last Rites, which was around the block...but Adit and I made the mistake of ordering three punchbowls for nine (reasonable) and then discovering that really, only four or five people were drinking (not reasonable). I didn't need a punchbowl after the cocktails at the party, but I persevered, and Adit and I finished our punch bowl even though we had to give up on the other two. And the final group (Julie, Tom, Rachel, Shari, Chandlord, Adit, and I) was a very solid final group.

I don't think I'll have a birthday party again for a long time - but I have to say that this one lived up to my expectations, and I was thoroughly delighted by it. Happily, I have some time to catch up with poeple more quietly the next few days, but as parties go, this one was pretty great.

So I got back to my hotel around two last night, went to bed, and slept v. v. fitfully. Today, I mostly took it easy - I ate breakfast at the hotel, did some work / writing, ordered a takeout sandwich from Ike's (I do love their sandwiches), took a nap, etc. Then, I walked down to Beretta (on Divis) to meet up with Katrina - she wasn't able to come to the party last night, so it was great to see her. We caught up for three hours over pizza and squid ink risotto, and it was v. tasty (and wonderful).

And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

my heart keeps beating like a hammer

Today was great until it took a sudden violent turn at the end. I spent most of the day doing stuff for the mural festival - I worked on my balcony when I got up, then took a quick shower, scarfed down a sandwich, and went into town to meet with Nancy. We got several things done before moving on to the bigger committee meeting, which went well - there are a million things to do, but I think it will all happen. And I'm quite excited about it, so the work will hopefully be worth it.

So when I got home, I did a bunch more work on it this afternoon. Sometime around five, I took a break to eat some popcorn, do some laundry, clean my kitchen, and take care of various tings. I decided that I wanted to make spaghetti all'amatriciana for dinner, which is one of my favorites. But as I was slicing a red onion to start the dish, my knife slipped on the last cut and sliced open my left index finger.

This, needless to say, hurt. I immediately put pressure on it and held it under running cold water, but it was bleeding. And then, to add insult to injury (or injury to injury?), I started to feel woozy from the blood. I felt clammy and dizzy, and I knew things were about to get worse. I managed to mostly sit down on the floor of the kitchen before I fainted...

...and I came to a short time later (judging by my music, I can't have been out more than a minute). It was like waking up in the middle of a crime scene - the water was still running, and my dress had fresh blood where I'd stopped holding pressure on my finger, and there were drops of blood on the floor. Worse, though, was that I vaguely remember hitting my head on the cabinet behind me as I passed out - and I woke up to discover that I had broken the cabinet door completely in half.

Needless to say, this was a shock. I turned off the running water, and also turned off the water I was boiling for pasta, and retreated to my room to lie down and keep putting pressure on my finger. Out of an abundance of caution, I called [censored] to tell him what had happened - although I felt better in a few minutes and was able to put away the knife and onion, but couldn't repair the shattered door.

sssanyway. The aftermath is this: my finger is mostly fine. It didn't even bleed through the first bandage I put on it, so I'd say the cut is not a big deal. I did switch the bandage because I think the first one was too tight, and while the cut looks a little gnarly, it's not bleeding, and it doesn't even really hurt.

So, needless to say, I feel ridiculous that I fainted from it -- but also, yay me for realizing that I can't handle blood long ago, or else I would have been tempted to go to medical school, and that would have been an expensive mistake.

The other aftermath is that I have a slight headache, but I really don't think I hurt my head -- it's more likely that I have a headache because I ate a measly frozen enchilada sometime after passing out, which was not enough food to compensate for the pasta I would have made. I don't seem to have any tenderness or bruising, and I think I just hit the cabinet at the right kung fu angle with my pony tail (and the door is a solid frame with a thinner panel inset, and it was the panel that broke). I must have been sitting down when I hit it, since otherwise I would have hit my head on the counter. So, I think I'll live to fight another day (and if I don't live to fight another day, I want [censored] to get everything - and I also want [censored] to have to explain to a judge why his name is [censored]).

Unfortunately, though, I'll need a new cabinet door, which is a shame since my kitchen is so lovely and it will be not-lovely for several weeks. But there are worse problems in the world.

And now, it's time for bed (and [censored] is here tonight, so I have backup if it turns out my headache gets worse). Goodnight!

the moon is on my side, i have no reason to run

And just like that, it feels like summer, and my room is now too hot instead of too cold. I really appreciate Marvin's foresight in putting the master bedroom over the garage, where it is exposed to the most temperature fluctuations. Clearly he didn't read any medieval romances which explained how to put the lord's main room in the most temperature-friendly part of the castle.

sssanyway, today was good - and I'm happy that it felt like summer, since I am in a 100x better mood when it's sunny and warm. I did some writing this morning, which was fine. I had a chat with a friend, then took care of some tings, and then had lunch (a jarred cobb salad, which is always tasty). Then, I went for a walk, partially to snoop -- [censored] ran an errand and reported back that the city council meeting had changed dates, which was tres interesante because I was planning to go to the city council meeting to bring up an ordinance issue (more on that in a sec).

So, I went for a walk and chatted with the city clerk to verify the timing of the meeting. Then I walked some more, and headed out toward the town cemetery; on the way, I ran into Ross, who was driving back from either his farm or the cemetery, and we chatted in the middle of the road until someone finally (many minutes later) needed to get through. Then I ran into the town mayor, which was illuminating. Then I came home, did some writing, and showered.

I did go to the city council meeting, and I won't go into detail here, other than to say that I expected to live here for more than nine months before going to a council meeting to ask them to enforce their ordinances against livestock in town. It seemed to go fine, although we'll see what actually happens - I'm guessing it's not the end of this story, but who knows!

Then, [censored] and I grabbed Mexican for dinner (we went into the restaurant, and the server brought us cheese dip before she even took our order, so I'd say they know us). And then I came home and did some internet procrastination. And now I need to sleep, since I have early mornings the next few days - goodnight!

i'll dream each night of some version of you that i might not have, but i did not lose

I'm questioning some of my life decisions because my day started off with a mammogram, moved into dinner with my parents, and ended with watching an episode of 'Wishbone' with [censored], which is really not a combination of things that a 41-year-old should probably do on a Friday. I like to think that I'm hip and cool, but this does not bode well for my aging process.

sssanyway, it was a good day overall. The mammogram was routine, and I was in and out pretty fast thanks to the fact that I didn't have to wait any length of time for any part of the check-in / exam process. Then I drove around the county a bit on a whim before coming home, eating some leftover pad thai, and spending the afternoon being productive. I wrote for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and then I cleaned my office - I still need to dust and vacuum, but it's pretty well organized at this point, and I'm at the point where I can start putting up art and tying together some other loose ends.

Then, I met my parents for dinner - they took me out to the place where we usually get prime rib (although my dad got fried shrimp), and it was pretty tasty. We also discussed the state of AI (artificial intelligence, not artificial insemination, which is the big AI business here since livestock semen is always in demand), among other topics. And then we parted ways, I came home, [censored] arrived shortly thereafter, and somehow went down a 'Wishbone' rabbit hole that I do not understand but also didn't mind following for one episode.

And now, I need to log off immediately if I'm going to be in bed by midnight (and I really should have been in bed at eleven) - goodnight!

i don't wanna rain on your crazy parade, buddy

Today is essentially my last day in the city of sin, and while my body will be happy to get back to avoiding gluten and getting eight hours of sleep, my heart is happy that I made the trip here.

I woke up this morning in Tracy, and Jen, Joann, Jane, and I finished our sleepover with breakfast, which was basically last night's leftover dinner. We had enough tater tot casserole left for all of us, and we put a fried egg on top of each serving, which made it a total winner. I'm tempted to experiment with making a breakfast tater tot casserole (with sausage and maybe some peppers instead of the carrots/onions), but we'll see what I discover. We also had leftover apricot salad, which is also a nice breakfast treat. So, all in all, my attempt to bring Midwestern culinary delights to California was a success.

Eventually, I left Tracy (while the rest of them stayed and continued hanging out) to drive to Alameda to see Claudia. Claude's mom was visiting, so we had a nice chat - I hadn't seen her since Claudia's wedding, but it was great to see that she's doing well. She brought tamales with her, which were delish. And I took some leftover jello to Claudia and her son Téo - Téo wasn't really interested in lunch since he'd already eaten, but he had a small scoop of jello and then demanded three more scoops of jello with a crazy gleam in his eyes.

So, we had to take him to the park to burn off a bunch of sugar. Claudia and I talked while watching him play in a sand pit, and it was actually pretty delightful - the weather was nice, Claudia and I were overdue for a chat, and Téo (who turns three soon) is perhaps the cutest child in the history of children (no offense to my other friends' children). It was a really nice afternoon, so hopefully we'll get a chance to do it again sometime soon.

Then, I parted ways with them and drove to Berkeley to see John and Jess. I did not see their kid, so I have no report about Ian since they dropped him at his grandparents' place. But I'm happy to report that John and Jess are doing well. We went to Saul's Deli, which is where we always go for breakfast, and I was surprised to see that it's open for dinner and also serves surprisingly fancy (and inappropriately named) cocktails. So we had latkes, and I had a sandwich with roast beef / harissa / horseradish / swiss that was excellent, and John and I each had a cocktail and split another while Jess enjoyed her fancy healthier beverage choice.

And then, I parted ways with them, drove back to the city of sin, and met up with Chandlord. We were supposed to grab a drink, but instead we stayed in - and I somehow, some way, tricked her into watching SAHARA (and paying to rent it). This is basically the opposite of doing something nice for someone who hosted you. I, of course, still love it, but Chandlord seemed rather displeased with a variety of plot holes that I thought she made much too big a deal of. C'est la vie, I guess.

And now, I need to sleep so that I can pack up tomorrow - I'm moving to an airport hotel tomorrow night and doing some exploration of the south bay before that, so I want to get out of the city in good time. Goodnight!

marry me juliet you'll never have to be alone

I had an excellent day in the city of sin. I woke up earlier than I wanted to so that I could walk to the Financial District - my old hair stylist from a lifetime ago fit me in on her day off, and I'm delighted that I got to see her and also got a much-needed hair cut. We caught up on many topics (life, covid, dating guys who were on the Bachelorette), and it was an excellent way to start my day.

Then, on a whim, I caught an uber to Hayes Valley, where I had brunch, did some window shopping, and then stopped in for a glass of rosé and some writing time at Arbor. This turned into extra rosé because the server mysteriously and miraculously said 'the manager said to top you off' and poured me almost a full glass when my glass was empty. I don't know what it is about my face, but I'm glad that my magical free alcohol power still seems to be in full force. Then I ordered another glass just because, as well as some curly fries (also just because) and they gave me a friends and family discount, so I'm v. disposed to think kindly of them going forward.

More importantly, I got several good pages of writing done, and I'm excited about that. Then I came back to Chandlord's and helped her get ready for tonight (while also napping). She had a bunch of people over for dinner - the main event, in my opinion, was Claudia, but Chandlord's friends are pretty entertaining. There was a girl who also writes romance (although hers sounds smuttier than mine), and a bunch of hilarious guys, and some Germans, and various groups of the Indian subcontinent, and a v. strange guy from Texas (definitely the strangest guy in attendance). Our conversation alternated strangely between Malala, ChatGPT, camels, and Tennessee motels, and we ended fairly convinced that AI is going to destroy us sooner rather than later. But this was all excellent grist for the book mill, so hopefully I can write this book before the end.

And now, I really need to sleep so I can pursue additional plans tomorrow - goodnight!

this light is contagious, go, go tell your neighbors

I've had a v. small town couple of days. Yesterday, I had a meeting about the mural project, which I'm pretty excited about - I think I have signed up for more than I would ideally like to do, but I also think it's pretty amazing that the county is getting 18 new/refurbished murals, so I'm #inittowinit. I also had dinner last night with Allie (my niece) and Chris (my soon-to-be nephew whose name I know with about 50% accuracy, but I like him more than that fact would indicate). We went to the Mexican restaurant in town, which I ate for four meals in the last seven days because I tend to have leftovers, and I'm sure the wait staff was surprised to see me with someone who wasn't [censored].

So, that was fun, and it was a good reminder that I am about to eat at a bunch of places where my alcohol bill alone will be more than my full meal bill here. #funfact I spent ~$50 in restaurants in February, so I would expect that most of my meals in SF/Seattle will exceed my monthly total in Iowa.

sssanyway. Yesterday I also spent some time saying farewell to my parents, although I saw them both today, so I guess yesterday doesn't count. Today, I met with someone about the mural stuff, then ran some errands, came home, ate leftover Mexican, and spent the afternoon packing. [censored] showed up early after taking the afternoon off, and my mom stopped by to get a tour of the plants that I need her to water while I'm gone. So, I packed with some low-grade interruptions, but I think I have most of what I need and can easily rectify anything I'm missing.

The reason [censored] came home early was to see the town play - tonight was the dress rehearsal, but it was open to the public, and since I couldn't go this weekend, we decided to go tonight. Dad went with us, while Mom went to a meeting that I skipped (and I saw someone else in the audience who skipped the meeting, but we agreed not to tell anyone we saw each other). Mom and Dad were in this play when it was first performed 41 years ago, and the town has done it several times since then - this was the fifth iteration. In a nice gesture, they read off the names of other people who have played each role in the previous iterations, which was a bittersweet trip down memory lane since there were a lot of names of people who have passed away (including my granddad).

So, the play was pretty entertaining - the play is an old Western, and they edited some of the gunslinging and replaced the guns with slingshots, but left in the questionable traitorous Native role (played by one of my high school classmates, who was definitely #inittowinit and told me after that I need to be in the play next year), so I'll give them an overall E for effort on the modernization. I'm glad I went, and I hope they keep the tradition alive, so we'll see.

Then, [censored] and I came home, sent Dad on his merry way, and watched a rather hilarious comedy podcast. And now I need to go to sleep - I am supposed to leave tomorrow, but I need to go to the airport early due to forecasted snow, and I still have some tings I need to do before I leave. Goodnight!

please book me first-class to my fancy house in london town

The house remodel is tantalizing close to being finished - the flooring guy came today, and he finished the bathroom / linen closet / kitchen despite being by himself and despite gossiping with me for a good hour of his work day. All that's left for him is the pantry, dining room, and clean-up, so it's quite likely he'll get done tomorrow. That still leaves a bunch of trim/finish work for Randy, and some further plumbing adventures for [censored] (who likes to do that kind of stuff), but the end is near.

Beyond that, I have v. little to report. I did some minor tasks throughout the day based on my ability to focus, but I continue to find it hard to write when there's someone in my house and I can't put on my noise canceling headphones to ignore them. I also ate a v. late lunch of avocado toast - the flooring guy doesn't take a consistent noon break the way Randy does, and I was starving but didn't want to cook anything real while the flooring guy was working. So I made avocado toast, and I'm sure I was judged for it, but it was v. tasty.

After the flooring guy left, I did a bunch of tidying up, did some laundry, and ate some leftover coconut chicken curry. I also talked to Katie for an hour and a half, which was v. needed - we are the only ones who understand each others' experience with 1980s Iowa + living in big cities, so I miss being able to discuss that over margs at Bar Taco instead of over the phone.

Eventually, [censored] showed up, and even later, I decided I should sleep. I still haven't gotten around to crawling into bed, but perhaps it will happen soon. Goodnight!

even old new york was once new amsterdam

I feel like I did a lot of tings today, but perhaps I did nothing. I'll let you be the judge with my list of accomplishments:

• I walked to the hardware store through the snow, where I was briefly propositioned by someone (hard pass, although it became a hilarious topic of conversation later because my contractor heard about it when he took his coffee break there).
• I talked to Katie for quite awhile, which is always a delight.
• I reheated shrimp fra diavolo for lunch, which I shared with [censored] (perhaps to [censored]'s dismay).
• My dad showed up to inspect the kitchen and drink some iced tea, which was nice.
• I watched a video and read a couple of lectures for a writing / performance / strengths class that I'm taking, which reminded me that I really am wired to need to research copious amounts while in the story formation phase.
• Along those lines, I read most of a book about ancient Cahokia, which was the largest city in North America at one point pre-Columbus (as large as London was at the same time ~1050AD), and is located east of St Louis.
• I baked potatoes to go with some leftover/frozen pulled pork and leftover/indestructible nacho cheese for dinner.
• I gave an extremely minimal amount of assistance to [censored] on a plumbing project in the basement, which thankfully didn't reveal any (more) centipedes.

And now, I really need to sleep, since I'm going to bed much later than intended - goodnight!

who needs a house out in hackensack

I'm not living my #smalltownlife at the moment - instead, I'm in the large(ish) city of Cedar Rapids. When I woke up this morning, I hurried around to get ready, and then I drove for three hours to get up here in time to have lunch with [censored] at one of [censored]'s favorite eating establishments near the office. I had a BLT pizza on a gluten free crust that was really tasty - I have never had mayo on a pizza before, but it was delish. And it was fun to see the place that [censored] often eats at during the week, even if we didn't have a lot of time to dilly-dally.

After lunch, [censored] hooked me up with a conference room, so I took a call with Alyssa. Then [censored] gave me a tour of the building and introduced me to some people before I returned to my conference room hideout for my writing class. By the end of that, it was basically the end of the work day...which is when the real work began.

[Censored] is in the process of moving some tings, and since [censored] was an extremely generous buddy and came to Denver to help me move, it seemed like I should probably make some mediocre effort to return the favor. Unfortunately, [censored] doesn't have access to skid loaders or telehandlers or other accoutrements of civilized life here, so moving tings like a king-sized bed required basic manpower instead of high-powered equipment. Even more unfortunately, I have child-sized hands and t-rex arms, which makes moving tings difficult - Alyssa, who is my trainer and knows my body better than anyone, actually expressed some humor at the idea of me moving a king sized bed given my size.

However, [censored] and I successfully moved a king sized bed, the two twin box springs that go under it, a large TV, a recliner, and a few other tings down 1.5-2 flights of stairs without dying and without killing each other, so I feel v. accomplished. There is still some stuff to do tomorrow, so I shall amuse myself by writing at a coffee shop (yayyyy) until [censored]'s afternoon off begins, but I'd say tings are in good shape.

After we finished moving, [censored] took me out for dinner at a v. tasty Italian place, where I had a nice glass of wine and some risotto for my efforts. Then, we checked into a hotel, since [censored]'s bed is now in a trailer and there is nowhere else to sleep. And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

i'm on a hovercraft to paris with my former best friend

The family reunion is over, and if I ignore the fact that we now have to spend two days driving back to Iowa, it was all pretty great. We started this morning off v. similarly to yesterday morning - I got ready and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, which was totally adequate for a free hotel breakfast. Then, [censored] and Drewbaby and I drove out to the ranch together, with a v. necessary stop at Starbucks to fortify ourselves for the long drive through miles of scrub and rocks.

When we got out to the ranch, we were there fairly early, so I snuck away to a lounger by a small pool and hid from everyone so I could write for a little bit. My mom joined me there, so we had a nice catch-up before the sun got too hot. Then, everyone had lunch, followed by an afternoon of lazing about, playing more dominoes (I won this time, after spending more time strategizing and less time drinking than I did yesterday), etc. We took a break to go tour David and Melissa's house, which used to be Wendell's house - it's 'near' the reunion site, but back along the crazy long ranch road, so getting there took a bit of time. But it was nice to see how they've updated it - they have an amazing infinity pool and outdoor kitchen overlooking the ranch, and it was almost enough to convince me that I should make a lot of money and move to Texas (but that is almost certainly not the plan).

Dinner was excellent - my dad and Aunt B catered it from a barbecue place in town, and it was one of the best barbecues I've had. The brisket was great, although I was almost more into the sausage (that's what she said), and the potato salad and cole slaw were surprisingly excellent. And then we made our long, slow round of goodbyes, which also included hellos to people I didn't get a chance to talk to, as well as a rather entertaining intro to David's neighbor, who was v. excited about me and where I work even though I am not a celebrity for that (or, arguably, if I am a celebrity, it's for my writing career and not my tech career, but this guy is more into SEO than sexytimes, so I guess to each his own).

sssanyway, eventually we'd said all our hellos/goodbyes, and [censored]/Drewbaby/I drove back to town. This time others had cleared the path for us, so we only saw a few javelinas and a ton of deer. I left the reunion feeling like I would want to come again (since I always love it), although I probably would rather fly and not drive all the way to/from Iowa ever again. Hopefully, Future Sara remembers this and plans accordingly. And now, I should sleep so that we can begin our epic drive north tomorrow - goodnight!

i said, ooh, i'm blinded by the lights

Hello from San Francisco. I read some hot take on Twitter today about how people with ADHD forget all about people who aren't right in front of them (which is relevant for all the people whose emails I have not responded to), and it's exhibit #973 of how social media is convincing me that I have ADHD...but my midwestern / puritanical work ethic would tell me that I'm just lazy, so who knows what is right?

sssanyway. Today was pretty good, although I'm severely overcaffeinated - if I can get a large Philz at 7:30am, and then some coffee, and then an iced latte, and then a chai (the non-Philz cups provided by the free barista at work), it turns out that my body is jittery and my heart is fluttering by 4pm. But other than that, today was great. I am not looking forward to a commute, but my secret extrovert heart is delighted by seeing people in person.

So, I spent the whole day at the office, then walked to my hotel, took a nap, and then worked at Le Meridien's bar while having some wine and dinner (and observing yet another bad first day from the guy who I saw here last time I was in SF + the last time I went on a bad first date in SF - apparently he does not give up, which is why he + other bacteria will eventually win the evolutionary wars after humans destroy themselves). And now I really need to sleep - goodnight!

i'm gonna pop some tags

Today was full of bad global news that I almost entirely ignored - instead, I went super deep on house projects, which means I'm exhausted but also didn't have a lot of time to indulge in the long weekend make-up Sunday Scaries. I got up, made coffee and eggs, and ran to the next town over again to reconsider some cabinet choices + look at appliances. The appliance conversation was informative  - but perhaps more informative for the initial person I talked to at the appliance place, who had never heard of induction cooktops before. However, the owner came in, whom I had talked to before when I bought my dishwasher, and he was all over the induction question. I would normally prefer gas, but gas would require moving a gas line + having a gas stove without a hood since there is no hood in the current setup, and I just don't know that those things are worth doing (although, I guess, I may move a gas line anyway for a grill someday, but that's a different issue).

So, I got some numbers and some printouts of some options, and we parted ways with me promising to get back to him on what I decide. I asked if he needed a deposit or something to order things and he said that normally he would, but I'm on 'another level' and so he'd order it for me before I get back to make a deposit. There are disadvantages to living in small towns and not being able to get lots of tings / order takeout / etc., but there are also advantages in terms of just doing things on some sort of honor system.

While I was there, I looked briefly at washers and dryers, but I didn't pull the trigger because I won't be here to get a delivery and also thought it was a little indulgent to buy them right now even though the current washer is ancient and the dryer isn't perfect. Hilariously, while I was driving home, [censored] called to tell me that the dryer sounded like an airplane engine, which explains why my last load of laundry took absolutely forever to dry. So, that was a bummer. Luckily, [censored] is the kind of [censored] who has spare dryers lying around, so [censored] hauled a dryer into my basement, hooked it up, and was surprised / delighted to find that it works. A new washer/dryer is still on my list (especially since the washer seems to have something disintegrating within it), but at least we have a dryer.

I then spent the rest of the afternoon painting the ceiling in [censored]'s bedroom. It turned out well, all in all - the blue wall color that we painted yesterday is not very forgiving of mistakes (any remaining white between the paint and trim is very noticeable), so there are some places where we need to touch up, but it looks great otherwise. And I supposed I should say that [censored] was actually the one who sprayed the ceiling, but I was the one who taped most of the room and set up / cleaned up the sprayer, so I did my part.

Then I spent a lot of time cleaning up and moving tings around. I also talked to Alyssa at some point and she had me do some squats and presses, which felt good but probably wasn't necessary on top of all my other manual labor. I'm getting new carpet put in the rest of this week, so I had to get a lot done tonight - but I think we're ready.

And now I desperately need to go to bed since I need to get up early tomorrow for the carpet - goodnight!

back to the lab again, yo, this whole rhapsody

I had two big presentations today, which is unusual because I haven't had big presentations in awhile due to various work changes and challenges. I must have been out of practice, and I must have been amping myself up for my new VP (whom I know, so it's not that bad), and maybe my post-covid heart is still just a little more likely to beat faster, because my Fitbit thought I got 96 minutes of exercise today 😂. I did not, as it turns out, get 96 minutes of exercise. But my presentations went well, and I'm happy that they're over.

In between presentations, I had lunch with [censored] since he worked from here today before heading back to his real home for the week. And at the end of the day, I changed into non-work-clothes and met with Alyssa. It was weird to wear 'real' work clothes, since I wore jeans and a nice shirt and a sweater/blazer that I used to wear regularly at work and haven't worn in two years - overall it felt good, but it also felt good to switch into leggings and a hoodie.

After I talked to Alyssa, I wrapped some things up, took my trash out, and ate dinner. I'd had the foresight to bake a potato while talking to Alyssa, so my supper was a baked potato with pulled pork and nacho cheese - not my usual dinner, but it was completely delicious. I may need to buy and roast another pork butt just to freeze single portions for future use - I froze a bit tonight, but it's tasty enough that I could see it going with a variety of meals.

Then, I spent the evening mostly vegging out and watching the Olympics, since I don't have the brain power for anything else. And I think I shall go to bed soon - goodnight!

it was rare, i was there, i remember it all too well

Happy new year from ye olde Iowa! Today was mostly spent preparing for the winter storm that is rolling in to start the new year - we're supposed to get 9" of snow tomorrow, with wind chills below zero, and I believe it because the wind is already turning brutal outside. So, I tried my best to accomplish things today - I did a bunch of stuff around the house, did a couple of loads of laundry, and made delectable scrambled eggs. I'm v. happy to report that my living room looks awesome - the paint color is perfect, and the finish looks really great. However, my wrists are on strike and do not want to paint anymore, so [censored] and I abandoned the thought of painting [censored]'s bedroom this weekend, which is a good thing.

I also went to the grocery store, donated a ton of soda cans (you can get redemption money for them in Iowa, but I didn't want to go to the redemption center), hauled a bunch of trash to my dad's dumpster, and wandered around my yard pulling flags from where my dad had called in locates for my utilities in November. Now we know where the utility lines are buried, which is helpful - and pertinently, they are not buried in the path that would be required to run power out to my gazebo, so that may be a project for this spring.

However, by the time I did that, it was really starting to cool down, which made it an unpleasant task. I also went to the lumber yard to pick up a paint sample to test on my office, and while I was waiting, someone (locals would know him for his auction action) came in wearing a mask (unusually; I've never seen anyone wear a mask in the lumber yard) and then casually drop that he has covid after we'd been talking for five minutes. So I guess 2022 is going to continue along the lines of 2021 for the near future.

sssanyway, after I was done with all my tasks, I went out to my parents' house and made dinner - a v. tasty chicken mushroom parmesan with mashed potatoes. [censored] and I are holing up at my house for the snowstorm tomorrow so that we can work on tings and be closer to various equipment and services if needed, but we had a v. nice dinner before the storm arrives. Then we came back to my place and watched some TV to ring in the new year - Michael Che's comedy special, followed by a random mockumentary called "Death to 2021" that was a recap of everything that happened this year, which was pretty hilarious.

And now I need to sleep so that I can get things off on the right foot for 2022 - goodnight!

no colors anymore, i want them to turn black

Today did not go as expected, and I am choosing to find it hilarious rather than admitting that it's actually not, in fact, hilarious. [censored] and I had grand plans to paint today, and [censored] had already taken down blinds and removed outlet covers, etc. when I got up. I made some coffee and started taping trim, and all was going swimmingly...

...until [censored] went to the basement for something and discovered that my hot water heater had died and sent a river of water across the basement. Of course, the river did not go to the floor drain because that would be too easy; it mostly headed for the corner where [censored] had stored some stuff. Luckily it only got a few boxes wet; unluckily, some of those boxes were books. But also luckily, [censored] discovered the problem before anything got worse, and was able to shut off water to the house and prevent a catastrophe.

So this, of course, changed today's plan. [censored] and I pushed the water to the drain (using a long-handled squeegee broom helpfully left by the previous owner, as though he's had water down there before....). Then we went to our parents' house to shower and eat, which restored a bit of my mood. Then we went to the lumber yard, where I picked up more paint chips while [censored] loaded up a water heater in his truck. I also established an account at the lumber yard so that I can just charge stuff and they'll bill me later - this is a nice thing about #smalltownlife, since 1) I established the account just by giving them an address (but that was probably easier bc they know me and my family), 2) now [censored] or I can charge house stuff there and I get an itemized bill at the end of the month without having to track what I'm spending on each project every time I go in. Store accounts used to be all the rage - the convenience store I worked at in high school allowed store charge accounts, so people could just sign a ticket and pay the bill later. But I don't think they're a thing in the coastal elite places I have spent most of my adulthood....

sssanyway. [censored] is a complete boss when it comes to home improvement projects (and also, strangely, has a master plumber license despite never having been a plumber), so he drained my old water heater, hauled the new one down to the basement, and is in the process of hooking it up + fixing some other plumbing weirdness while he's at it. While he did that, I kept prepping for painting, which will happen someday. We took a break to go to Mom and Dad's for supper - leftover Thanksgiving was just as tasty as original Thanksgiving. Then we came back into town, and [censored] did more plumbing stuff while I started prepping the living room for paint + measured all the windows for new window coverings (which will have to happen someday, unless future guests want to sleep in a guest room with the previous owner's red chiffon saloon/bordello sheer curtains).

And now, I should really sleep - I'm useless with the plumbing projects, but I'm hoping to paint tomorrow even if [censored] isn't available to contribute to that cause because he's doing other even mightier causes. Goodnight!

captivated

I have nothing of interest to report today - I was not particularly enthused to get out of bed this morning, but I was quite productive despite that. I worked all day, with a quick walk down the street around lunch to buy some cards (which also turned into buying a gorgeous journal that will *definitely* make it possible for me to write a book). Lunch was leftover soft tofu soup, and it continued to be excellent - I'm astonished. At lunch I also marinated some steak for fajitas, so I felt quite accomplished from a cooking standpoint.

After work, I took a break, and then I cooked those fajitas - they turned out v. well, especially with a whole avocado's worth of guacamole and some refried beans. Then, I wrote for a bit in my new journal, mostly to prove to myself that the journal is going to solve my entire writing career (I swear it will). Then I did some day job stuff. And then I ended the day by looking at fixtures for the Iowa house - the choosing is sort of fun, but I'm sure I'll rue the day when I suddenly have torn out both bathrooms and am shitting in a bucket (but I'm sure I will have bought a v. nice bucket!).

sssanyway, now it's time for bed - 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!

leading you down into my core, where i've become so numb

So in addition to buying a house, I had an entirely unrelated adventure today - I don't know if they make "Baby's First Surgery" Christmas ornaments and/or if that's appropriate for a newly-minted 40-year-old, but I had my first-ever surgery today. This was scheduled before everything happened with my dad (but several months after I started pursuing it, tanks to how backed up non-essential surgeries are due to covid). So the timing could not have been much worse, especially since I'm closing on a house and can't go there or do anything with it (particularly since I can't lift more than ten pounds for the next two weeks). Luckily my dad seems to be doing better, but still, it's all a lot right now.

sssanyway. The surgery was lowkey as surgeries go - it involved a robot conducting a laparoscopic surgery to remove a fibroid (which turned into 3 fibroids, apparently, but they're almost definitely benign, so no worries there). There was an actual surgeon directing the robot, but I asked to meet the robot and also asked if today was the day that it was going to go rogue, which they assured me it would not. So clearly I had a slight amount of fun in the operating theatre before they told me I was going under - I said 'bye bye', they all laughed, and then I never saw them again. So hopefully the robot let them live another day after I went into the recovery room, because I was not there to witness any later carnage.

Luckily, Aunt Becky is full time in Colorado now, so she was able to take me (and is staying here tonight). Surgery has multiple indignities, such as having to spend a minute or so swabbing the inside of my nose with betadine; I also almost passed out when the nurse tried to put an IV in my wrist, so that was worse than the surgery itself because I was completely out for the surgery. Now I have four little incisions in my abdomen, including a bandaid over my belly button, so this would be a v. bad time for a goa'uld to come out of there (gratuitous Stargate reference is for [censored] and [censored] only).

So the surgery went fine, recovery was fine, I got some orange sherbet (the delicacy of all hospitals everywhere) and later threw it up outside my house after somehow controlling my nausea all the way home. But I rested / slept for a couple of hours, and then felt good enough to eat some excellent vegetable beef soup that Aunt B made. We watched some tv together, and I talked to my parents, and generally everything feels okay-ish. The incisions really only hurt if I move, especially since stomach muscles are required for getting up / down, so I think my pole vaulting career is temporarily over. But hopefully the recovery is quick.

And now, I should sleep - I'm taking the rest of the week off to recover, with the intent of watching every show on Netflix/Hulu that I haven't watched in the last decade, so wish me luck with that. Goodnight!