everybody wants to rule the world

I have v. little to report today, but today went about as well as it could have considering that I'm still recovering from having a robot dig around my insides. When I woke up, Aunt B was still here, so we hung out in the kitchen and I made some oatmeal in my instant pot. She left around 9:15 or so, but my fridge is still stocked with her memory (namely, vegetable beef soup).

I had about 45mins to myself, and I made good use of it to sign some legal documents despite the fact that several nurses told me not to sign anything or buy anything for a couple of days. I feel pretty good about the legal documents, but maybe I shouldn't given how much stuff I bought from Nordstrom Rack late last night (in my defense, I need a dress for a wedding; but honestly, even though some of it will go back because I ordered two sizes of several things, there were tings in there that definitely weren't for the wedding - so we'll see if my sober self likes any of it!).

Then Katie came over to spend the day - she was ostensibly working and I was ostensibly resting, but we mostly gossiped and caught up on our families' respective lives. I also ate some potato soup (which she insisted on stirring so she could do something to take care of me), talked to Aunt Kathy for a bit, and eventually did take an afternoon nap. I think Katie's coming again tomorrow, which is good distraction for both my mood and my pain levels, so we'll see what happens!

After Katie left, I talked to my parents, messed around on my phone, did a very small load of laundry to wash some stuff that came today, and ate leftover vegetable beef soup. Then I watched the first episode of 'Only Murders in the Building' and also the first episode of 'The Great' - both of which has extremely different vibes. 'Only Murders' stars Steve Martin, Marvin Short, and Selena Gomez, and they're amateurs who love true-crime podcasts and are trying to solve a murder in their apartment building. 'The Great' is a dramedy about Catherine the Great, who is my jam - Russia under the tsars was pretty much batshit crazy, and her rise to power was more batshit than some. I know they took a lot of poetic license with it, but so far so good.

And now, I think I shall sleep so that I can pursue a grand plan of watching TV and reading and talking to friends tomorrow - 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!

treat this night like it will happen again

Apparently if I don't blog for two nights in a row, people assume I have either killed zee blog or am dead. Neither is true! However, tings have been super busy:

- I had intended to celebrate my 40th birthday in San Francisco on Saturday, but those plans were canceled awhile ago (tanks Delta!). So I celebrated my birthday with cupcakes and leftover Mexican food in ye olde Iowa on Saturday (and also celebrated that my dad is out of the hospital), and then [censored] took me to the airport so I could fly back to Denver. [censored] was pulling a military cargo trailer full of wasps (don't ask), so he didn't linger at the airport while saying goodbyes. This left me time to drink rosé and watch part of the Iowa / Iowa State game (which the wrong team won) before boarding my flight. The flight was half-full (probably thanks to 9/11) and the flight attendant wished me happy birthday, so it was almost pleasant.

- Sunday I did a million tings around the house + got a gel manicure. This was enough to almost make me feel normal.

- Today I had to slog hard and fast most of the day because I'm v. behind at work and am about to be more behind. I also did multiple tings related to a secret project that I've been working on - the secret project is that I'm buying a house in Iowa! That is a long, ridiculous story on its own, and perhaps I will share it with you someday. But we're closing Wednesday, and so I spent some time today trying to switch the utilities over. In a small town, this means I'm waiting on a girl I went to high school with to call me back about the water, and the gas company is only open twelve hours a week (but they're mailing me a packet to start service). But the electricity and internet should be taken care of, so as long as I don't need water or heat I should be in business.

- Tonight I also had to slog, but that included making a v. deluxe potato soup that I intend to enjoy over the next couple of days. I also talked to my parents and to [censored], and I did another hour or so of day job stuff.

And now that you're all caught up, I believe it's time for bed - goodnight!

i'll take some from you tonight

Today was a good day, all in all - I got up in time to make coffee and take care of some tings around the house, and then I drove to Des Moines to take care of some more tings. This included liberating some more treasures from Uncle Brian's house - he's closing on selling the place in the next day or so, so [censored] and I claimed some more worldly possessions to store in various garages and basements around the countryside.

After that, I ran to a bank, then ran some errands for my dad, then grabbed a salad and ate it in the parking lot of a grocery store, then drove home. Of course, since we live so far from anything, this errand took five and a half hours. But when I got home, Dad was here - he got out of the hospital this morning, which is great news. I spent a bit of time this afternoon making some gluten free funfetti cupcakes, and then [censored] arrived and we promptly picked up Mexican takeout for dinner.

And now, I should sleep - I'm headed back to Denver tomorrow evening and have a million tings to do before then. Goodnight!

treasure maps, fallen trees, operator, please

Finally, some good news - my dad had another procedure today and it went really well, so hopefully that means he'll get out of the hospital tomorrow. That means I might get to see him for ~24hrs before flying back to Colorado, so that's pretty exciting!

I took today off, and I'm taking tomorrow off as well - it was perhaps not strictly necessary, but also my brain is completely fried and I can't keep alternating between catastrophes + career without even a few minutes of break. And today I wanted to be up in Des Moines in case things did not go well, even though there was no point in going up as early as my mom did just so that I could sit outside the hospital and wait. So I got up at my usual time and did a bunch of stuff around the house before heading up to the city. When I got up there, I went to Target before I went to the hospital - I had some tings to pick up and this seemed to be as good a time as any. Just as I was checking out, my mom called and said they were taking my dad into his procedure - so I drove to the hospital and sat near my favorite parking lot tree, alternating between reading twitter and napping while waiting for news.

Luckily the news was good - if it had been bad, that would have been a) tragic and b) hard to deal with while sitting alone in a parking lot, since [censored] had to work today. So, since it was good news, I chatted with my mom briefly and then drove home. That got me here in time to do a tiny bit of day job stuff and eat a bunch of leftover pizza + do some laundry before my mom got home, and then we hung out for awhile.

And now, I should sleep - I did another 30min or so of day job stuff when I came downstairs, but hopefully I can be mostly off tomorrow so that I can do some stuff to help get things settled around here. Goodnight!

what's going on

I'm v. tired and I have a headache, and I am somehow losing my voice, so I think I should go to bed. Today was fine, but it was much too busy for my current mental state - I had to do a hard and fast slog from ~8:30 to 1 to catch up on some stuff that absolutely had to get done today (with a small break to eat some of the delish chicken/mushroom/parmesan that I made the other night), and then I had meetings straight from 1-4 + another one from 5:30 to 6:30. So much for taking the day off. But the stuff that had to get done is now done, at least for a few days, so I guess I'll take it even if it fried my brain.

After I was done working, I drove into town and picked up pizza from Casey's (the beloved convenience store pizza of all true Iowans). My mom was slightly later getting back from the hospital than I had expected, but the pizza was still decently warm when she got there. So we ate pizza and talked, and then I eventually retreated to my room to finish a bit of work.

And now I should sleep - I have nothing further to share (other than that my dad is still in the hospital), so sleep is more important than trying to write something longer. Goodnight!

a blanket of stars covers me in my bed

No blog tonight - I'm super tired after a full day spent mostly sitting in [censored]'s truck in various parking lots, and also from trying to get some work done while parked in those parking lots. But my dad's procedure today went okay - he's still in the hospital and needs more done, but at least today was okay.

And now I'm desperate for sleep - goodnight!

watermelon sugar

I have nothing of interest to report today. Tings with my dad are stable - since it's a holiday weekend he couldn't get the test he needed, so he's chilling in the hospital until they can do the test tomorrow (and then potentially some tings after that). My mom went up to Des Moines to spend the day with him, but since there is no way for me or [censored] to go into the hospital and there is no reason for us to sit in the parking lot for eight hours and look at our usual tree, we opted to stay home.

This was a good thing, since our air conditioner was broken (as of last night) which means it was a balmy 84 degrees or so in here this morning. I have taken the general life approach of trying to make enough money to pay people to fix things for me, but it turns out that money is a useless joke here because there is no one to hire and we likely couldn't have gotten someone out to fix it. Luckily [censored] has spent the better part of a decade acquiring tools and watching YouTube videos and teaching himself how to do things, so [censored] was actually able to fix the air conditioner. I was completely not helpful on that one, but I did make him an omelette, so I think that counts for something.

I then spent the afternoon getting some tings organized, buying groceries, watering my mom's plants, and generally trying to take care of stuff. I also did an hour and a half of day job work (along with another two hours tonight) - I still have some stuff that I absolutely must do while sitting in the parking lot staring at a tree tomorrow, so hopefully I can accomplish it before anything substantive happens with my dad. And I paused to make an extremely delicious supper - I wanted takeout but the only place we can get takeout was closed for labor day, so I had to cook. But I made some creamy chicken mushroom parmesan and some mashed potatoes that were really excellent, so my mom and [censored] were pretty happy with my efforts.

And now I should sleep - [censored] and I are driving up to sit in the parking lot tomorrow during my dad's procedure, so we'll see how tings go. Goodnight!

that missing piece is found

I am unfortunately in ye olde Iowa - my misfortune is tied to the reason that brought me here, not to the fact that I'm in Iowa per se (since I like Iowa enough to visit regularly, clearly I don't consider flying into Des Moines to be a misfortune). My dad is in the hospital in Des Moines, and while he's stable and is apparently his usual jokester self, it's unclear what's happening or why. I wasn't here for the episode that resulted in his hospital stay (thanks to my mom and [censored] for being there!), but I caught the first flight to Iowa this morning.

So, that's all rather unfortunate. I don't know how long I'll be here, but fingers crossed they're able to do some more tests in the next couple of days and find a treatment plan so that he can come home.

In the meantime, I'm mostly schlepping things and people around. [censored] picked me up at the airport this morning, and we took lunch to Mom before driving to our hometown. Since my dad can only have one visitor a day, that mostly leaves [censored] and I either sitting in a parking lot or perhaps being at home (if we're okay being an hour and a half from the hospital). This time, we drove home, where we discovered that the air conditioner is broken (lol). So [censored] dealt with that, while I grabbed a few things that had been forgotten in the mad dash to get my dad to the hospital. Then I drove back to Des Moines, handed those things to my mom, grabbed a snack at a gas station (a surprisingly adequate microwaveable tamale that was gluten free), and then drove my mom back home. It's unclear whether tomorrow will hold similar amounts of driving - but if it does, I really need to get some sleep first. Goodnight!

this is the best part

I have nothing of note to report today - other people in the family were having good news today (such as my dad, who secured his next project), but my news was mostly inconsequential. I had meetings from 8:30 to 4, with a break for lunch (I worked for 45min of my break and ate on my patio for 15min). Then I ran an errand, came home, and talked to my paretns, who were in fine form.

Then I went to Katie's for a last-minute dinner - she invited me over for taco night, and I was happy to take her up on it. We sat outside most of the evening and it was great - my allergies and the smoke aren't so great, but the company mostly made up for it.

And now, this is boring but I don't have any better content for you, so it's time for bed. 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!

run away, run away, you have been forewarned

Today was kind of long but mostly really good (if you ignore all my work meetings and focus entirely on personal conversations). Actually, work was fine as well, but I have too many meetings and not enough time to think, so it's been a bit brutal. But I got up in time to write a bit before work, which always helps my mood. I also talked to Alyssa, which was a nice break. And I took a walk while talking to Terry - we had a lot to catch up on, so I walked for 30min or so, and then picked up takeout pizza from Blue Pan after I was done talking to her.

When I got home, I ended up talking to [censored] for an hour and a half. And then I should have worked, but I sent a bunch of personal emails instead. And now, I'm going to continue my attempt to go to bed early - goodnight!

i got a skeleton under the floorboard

I'm attempting to go to bed earlier, and on Night 2 of this endeavor it's already 10:32, so this will be brief. Today was fine, all in all - I had to record a couple of videos at work, so I had to get up and actually fully dry my hair, which was a real sacrifice. But I recovered and got through the rest of my day just fine, and then ended it by talking to Heather (aka dear respected madam). I also texted with some of my romance friends who have houses in Tahoe that are perilously close to the Caldor fire, which has jumped every attempt to contain it and is burning both sides of the highway that I always took into South Lake. So, that's potentially devastating....

And now, on that note, it's time to sleep. Goodnight!

the world's most pointless superhero

I almost forgot to blog, which means I'm already in bed and ready to put my phone away. Today was good, though - I had a super fun morning hosting a tea party for Katie's girls, which mostly meant getting them super hyped on sugar. Then I spent the rest of the day doing almost nothing - my allergies flared up after being outside, and I took that as an excuse to nap / do nothing for most of the day. The news is all bad, especially with the hurricane in Louisiana and the fire that is headed into Lake Tahoe basin - so I guess it's not surprising that I spent a lot of time doing nothing.

And now I need to sleep - 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! 

lover come over, kick up the dust

I'm too tired to say anything substantive tonight - I worked all day, as per usual, and then ended the day by making a v. delicious quesadilla with some of the leftover chicken tinga taco meat that I made earlier in the week. And then I messed around and did absolutely nothing, and now it's time for sleep. Goodnight!

don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy

Today was great, if you ignore the middle part where I had to work. I got up and had intended to write, but instead I took a twenty minute walk, and that was much better for me than anything else. Then I slogged through the day - nothing actually hard, but my meetings were frustrating and I wasn't in the mood for it.

However, I was done by around five, and so I threw on a dress and walked ~15mins to Brazen (the place I discovered with Veronica two weeks ago, which has a perfect outdoor patio removed from the noise of any nearby traffic). Katie and I met there for a v. belated catch-up + celebration of her birthday - she is one month and one day older than me, so of course I wanted to dress up and remind her that I'm still in my thirties. We spent a v. long time enjoying a variety of foodstuffs and several glasses of rosé (well, she had one glass...I had more than that). And we talked about all the small town things that we only have in common with each other, and I am once again reminded how grateful I am that there is someone in this world who both knows where we came from and also where we live now (and also likes raw oysters, which is pretty much the pinnacle of friendship).

After almost four hours, Katie dropped me off at home, and now I'm contemplating going to bed somewhat early since I have a million things to do tomorrow. Goodnight!

is it time to lead or is it time to die? time to raise hell or walk on by?

I had the kind of day that recharges my extroverted soul, although now I'm tired and eager to crawl into bed. I actually went into the office today for the first workday since March 2020 - it was a bit bizarre because it was a ghost town, but otherwise good. Going back right now is entirely optional and it's clear that not many people are taking them up on the offer, but that meant parking was easy and I didn't have to wait in line for food or the barista, so all in all it was pretty great.

Of course, that meant that I had to commute to the office, which was a good reminder that I don't like commuting. But the commute wasn't terrible enough to ruin my day, and I grabbed Starbucks on the way (something I never did in the beforetimes). Today was part of no-meeting week, but I somehow managed to only have 90mins free between 9:30 and 4:30 - still, I'll take it. I had lunch with someone who joined my team / company during the pandemic and so hasn't gotten to meet anyone in person, and we also had our 1:1, so it was fun to get some in-person interaction. And I took advantage of the free food, but I don't know if it's worth driving 45min each way for...

Eventually, I called it quits on work and met up with Caroline for dinner at River and Woods. This is where I used to go alllll the time when I lived in Boulder, but I hadn't been since pre-pandemic. It was as great as I remembered it, and seeing Caroline was great too. One of my favorite servers was still there, still remembered me, and was happy to see me - so I convinced Caroline to stick around the bar for another drink, which was advantageous for me because mine ended up getting comped (yes, I have that kind of sticking power with places, and I'm glad my 'give me free alcohol' mojo still works despite not getting any practice during the pandemic).

Then I said goodbye to Caroline, drove home, and messed around online until now. And now I should really sleep - goodnight!

you're not my homeland anymore, so what am i defending now?

Today was pretty good, all things considered - I only had a few hours of meetings, and yet somehow I managed to procrastinate enough that I still had to work for an hour tonight. But I had a nice morning and did some planning to get ahead of the rest of my week. I had leftover thai food for lunch, which was a delight. And I had a session with Alyssa this afternoon - almost all of my conversations with her these days are about how to make progress on my goals when I'm stressed and the world is a mess, and while I don't think I had any stunning realizations today, it's nice to feel supported in my journey through the end of the world.

After we were done, I messed around online and then made some delicious chicken tinga tacos. They could have been a bit spicier, but they turned out well and I made enough to freeze leftovers, so Future Sara will hopefully be grateful. And then I eventually stopped procrastinating and did some work. And now I should really go to bed - goodnight!

this is a spiritual world, i'm a material boy

I had a better than usual first day back, likely because I remembered that I do better if I relax in the morning before getting straight into it. Still, I had a lot to do today and will have a lot to do all week - it's performance review season (which it always is) and I have a million extra things to do as a result.

But I sneaked out in the afternoon and got a mani/pedi, so it could be worse. Then I did some work, ordered and ate Thai takeout, relaxed a bit, and then worked again from eight to ten. At that point my eyes were attempting a coup to get me off my laptop, so I read a decorating magazine for awhile, which was better than Twitter or work (but probably slightly less useful than going to bed). So it's time for me to sleep - goodnight!

put your loving hand out, baby

I'm sleepy and need to go to bed immediately - happily/sadly, that bed is my bed in Denver, which I returned to today. My trip to Iowa was excellent, even though I worked the whole time. And yesterday, which I didn't blog about, was fun - [censored] and I ran up to Des Moines to liberate some possessions from Brian (aka the scandalous pirate uncle). We met up with Aunt Kathy there, who was similarly liberating possessions that are destined for Drewbaby in Fargo. We walked out with more stuff than I was expecting to, and [censored] may have to make another trip next week.

It isn't an exaggeration to say that our family has a slow-moving but relentless current of stuff moving between us, something like one of the ocean currents that fuels the world's climate. In this case, we're just endlessly moving stuff between us; for example, Aunt B took all of Gram's china, moved it to Colorado, eventually put it in my basement here, and I'm likely to take it back to Iowa this fall. But since we all like stuff, and since there are many basements and sheds and garages between us (more basements and sheds and garages than there are houses and people, actually), the current shows no signs of slowing down.

sssanyway. Today was lowkey - I hung out with my parents, watered some of their garden, ate some snacks, showered, packed, etc. [Censored] and I left around 2pm, and [censored] kicked me out at the airport, where security was worse than usual (I think it took four minutes instead of two). Then I had a salad and a glass of rosé while writing for an hour. My flight was uneventful, and my drive home was uneventful, and now I should sleep since I have to work tomorrow and can pretty much guarantee I won't be in the mood. Goodnight!

punch tropical

I of course intended to go to bed an hour ago, and of course I did not. Today was fine, I suppose - I mostly spent the morning subsisting on coffee and kind bars while slogging through meetings. I had a tiny break for lunch, then had some meetings, then had a break in which I should have gotten work done and did not.

But after my last meeting ended at five, I was done. I hung out with my mom on the back patio for quite awhile, which was lovely. Then I drove into town and picked up takeout from the Mexican restaurant (sorry you missed it, [censored]!). After supper, I drove my dad into (other) town to pick up his truck, and then I came home, retreated to my room, and did some work until now.

And now I should sleep if I want to aim for being a happy human tomorrow - goodnight!

i remember happy wasted days

I have nothing interesting to report - today was a mix of meetings and downtime, but none of it was particularly noteworthy. I ended the day with a quick training session with Alyssa, followed by a long chat with [censored], followed by dinner and an evening of conversation with my parents. I finally came back to my room around ten and spent an hour or so doing some day job stuff that needed to get done - and now I'm well and truly tired, so it's time for bed. Goodnight!

cut the cord

I'm still in Iowa, but today was a work day, so since I spent the whole day at my desk I guess I could have been anywhere. And also since I spent the whole day at my desk, I have nothing of interest to report - so I think I'm going to try to get off my screens and go to bed. Goodnight!

i see you darling but you pixelate

I'm in Iowa, and I had a v. lowkey day - [censored] had told me to bring my work gloves home so that I could pick up sticks, but it turns out I didn't need them because I promoted myself to assistant supervisor. This meant that [censored] cleaned up three whole trees from the front yard (using heavy equipment, not his hands) while my dad and I sat in my dad's truck and occasionally hauled a dump trailer full of limbs back into the field to discard. It was a very nice day for sitting around and watching [censored] work, so I quite enjoyed myself!

The rest of the day was fairly quiet - I had some tuna salad on toast for lunch, took a bit of a nap, and otherwise did very little. For supper, we had brats and sweet corn and baked beans, all of which were perfect. And then my parents went to see some of my mom's cousins, and I took the opportunity to relax in my room with my journal, which was pretty much what I needed.

And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

i'm the house you hold your kickback at

I'm in ye olde Iowa after a long but uneventful day. I worked + did some last minute things around the house for several hours, but I went to the airport pretty early so that I wouldn't catch the beginning of rush hour. That meant I had a couple of hours to kill in the Amex lounge, where I had two glasses of wine and some snacks while answering more email. Then I grabbed a burrito bowl, went to my gate, and flew to Des Moines. My flight was delayed by about 25min, which was particularly unfortunate for [censored], who was killing time in the city waiting to pick me up. But we had a nice conversation on the drive home, and then we said hi to our parents and chatted for a bit before it became clear that it was bedtime.

So, I should probably go to bed too - goodnight!

awakening

I meant to go to bed an hour ago, but as long as I'm asleep before midnight, I'll take it. I had a not-totally-ideal morning, mostly because I woke up already thinking about work and definitely didn't want to be thinking about work before seven a.m. But I was able to make coffee and drink it outside while working on slides for a couple of hours, which is better than it could have been.

Later in the afternoon, I drove to Boulder for the first time in possibly ten months - I had an optometrist appointment, and since my optometrist is near the office that I no longer go to, it was a much longer drive than I'm used to making in the afternoon. My visit went fine (my right eye is getting worse, but I don't need bifocals, so I guess I'm not old yet!), and I'll have new contacts in a couple of weeks, so I'm happy about that.

Then I actually *went into the office*, which was completely bizarre. My actual building isn't open yet, so it didn't really feel real - I went to the main office in Boulder, and since I got there at four p.m., most of the amenities (such as they are in the time of covid) were shut down. But I stole some Andes mints, and I ran into a coworker whom I hadn't seen in seventeen months, and I took one meeting from a conference room, and it was all novel and interesting. Not novel and interesting enough for me to commute there if I don't have to, but novel and interesting nonetheless.

Then I met up with my friend Nicole for dinner - we went to a fantastic sushi place that she frequents, and it was great to catch up with her. She left my company a couple of months ago, so we gossiped and I got to hear about how things are in her new venture, and it was all great.

And then I drove home, messed around online, and packed since I'm leaving for Iowa tomorrow afternoon. I still have a couple of things to throw in the suitcase, but I'm packed enough that I may be able to get some work done tomorrow before I go. We shall see, we shall see. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

ain't no way around it

I had a completely ridiculous day of meetings - I started at 9am and didn't stop until six (although I found fifteen minutes in the middle to make some tuna salad and throw it on some toast, which I ate during the next meeting). And so even though I have things I desperately need to get done, I was too fried - so I did some stretching, ordered takeout Indian food and ate it while staring off into space in my backyard, did some laundry, and otherwise mostly let my brain melt into a puddle of goo and half-formed thoughts.

So, rather than try to reconstitute my thought patterns now, I'm going to journal and go to bed early and then get up early to finish what I should have done tonight. 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!

i think you better turn your ticket in and get your money back at the door

Today was a pretty standard Monday - I managed to overcome my extreme resistance toward all things work and actually got out of bed in time to do a bit of stretching before showering / starting the day, which was better than nothing. And at some point in the middle of the day I did a quick Peloton ride instead of napping, so I think I'm basically an Olympian.

The rest of my day was full of meetings, but they were all fine, so I'll take it. I spent the evening doing some house things, doing some slothful things, doing a few more work things, and doing some personal bill-paying type things. And with that extremely scintillating update, it's time for bed - goodnight!

every time you close your eyes

I had a v. lowkey day today, which is what I needed after staying up until almost two a.m. watching the end of the US women's volleyball game (they won!). I forced myself to get out of bed at nine despite not wanting to get up yet just so I didn't screw up my sleep schedule heading into the week, so I'm definitely dragging now.

But I spent most of the day taking care of tings around the house that needed taken care of, including washing my sheets, doing other laundry, and spending quite a bit of time organizing my dining room (which has been my day job office for the last year and is slowly falling apart at the seams). I also did some similar organization of my writing office - it still has some mess, but it's no longer in view of my desk, so perhaps I'll feel like getting back in her sometime soon.

At various points I also talked to Terry, and then talked to my parents; I'm going to Iowa on Friday, so I'll have plenty more time to catch up with them in person. I also made dinner - grilled ribeye + grilled veggies with halloumi (a salty cheese that you can slice and throw on the grill). It wasn't as smoky outside tonight as it was yesterday, so it was nice to spend a few minutes outdoors before retreating to the safety of my house.

And now, I should contemplate sleep - goodnight!

run past the heather and down to the old road

I had a pretty relaxing day, which is generally what I needed. I got almost nine hours of sleep, then spent the morning messing around the house, doing laundry, making meal plan lists, etc. Then I got a manicure; my new place in Denver will never replace my old place in San Francisco in my affections, but it's good enough. After that, I broke down and got groceries; I've been mostly subsisting on takeout and tuna sandwiches, but I feel like maybe I'm ready to cook again.

So I grabbed groceries, came home, messed around online, and eventually made pork chile verde in my instant pot. I haven't had it in a long time and it turned out deliciously - especially since I ate it with tortilla chips instead of rice. So I ate my pork while watching the Olympics, and it was an easy and lowkey evening.

And now I've stayed up later than I'd intended and should go to bed, but I'm watching the gold medal women's volleyball match and may finish it if the US can wrap it up before I start falling asleep. Goodnight!

everyone showed you where to turn, showed you when to run away

I'm tired and typing this on my phone in bed, but I had a decent enough day and some fun at the end of it. My work day was pretty low key since I didn't have very many meetings, but the lack of pressure also meant I wasn't as productive as I could have been (but that was probably necessary).

As soon as I wrapped up, I put on a dress and went to Fifth String to have dinner with my friend Alice. We hadn't seen each other in almost a year, and we had a ton to catch up on, so we lingered over a delightful dinner. It was great to see her and to remember that I do actually have a bunch of friends here even if it doesn't compare to the multiple San Francisco crews I used to be part of...

Then I came home, read a magazine, messed around on Twitter, and finally decided to go to bed. Goodnight!

everybody ends up here in bottles

Today was fine, all in all - my heart rate continues to come down, and I didn't have any meetings to raise it back up. I also ordered a poke bowl for lunch and ate it on my patio, which is always delightful. And when I was done with work for the day, I made myself a new cocktail I've never tried before (from the cocktail book [censored] gave me for Christmas) - a High Five is very similar to a Hemingway daiquiri, but it has gin and aperol instead of rum and luxardo cherry liqueur. It was just the right drink to enjoy while catching up with Terry - we hadn't talked in a bit, so we had a quick phone chat and it was great, as always, to catch up.

Then I ate the leftover fajitas from last night's excursion with Katie, relaxed while watching Olympics, and eventually did an hour or so of day job work since I don't have time to do work during the day. And now, I should probably sleep - goodnight!

while he wishes he could escape this but it all seems so contagious

My mood is improving slightly, which is good news for my fitbit since it has been tracking a higher-than-usual heart rate the whole last week. Rage is a powerful drug, kids. But today was better - I had a bunch of meetings, but all of them were good. I had some time in the afternoon to get some work done. I had a training session with Alyssa in the late afternoon, and doing some work with kettlebells may have helped burn out just a little bit of my grievances. And then I took a quick shower and walked down to El Camino to meet Katie for dinner. She was in fine form, and we had much to discuss, so we did so over queso (it turns out their queso is great) and margaritas. Since we had plenty of chips with the queso (as well as guac and salsa), I skipped my usual nachos there and got fajitas instead. And Katie v. kindly listened to my raging about various tings that happened last week, thus ensuring she didn't end up on my rage list, so our friendship lives another day.

After we finished at El Camino, we walked down the street to Sweet Cow and got ice cream for dessert. Then we parted ways and I perhaps should have worked, but instead I did absolutely nothing. And now I'm going to go to bed and hope that I get some decent sleep before tomorrow, since tomorrow is brutally packed with meetings. Goodnight!

i spin on a whim, i slide to the right, i felt you like electric light

I continue to be in mostly a bad mood, thanks to a wide-ranging variety of perfect storm factors. But I started my morning with coffee, a shower, and a playlist based on 'Machinehead' by Bush, thus proving that when stressed I revert to the angry music of my teens and early twenties. Hopefully my stress levels will go down in the next few days, but we shall see.

So, I spent the morning / afternoon working and attempting not to think about anything stressing me out (not entirely possible, since some of my meetings added to it). Then I spent the evening drinking a margarita, eating frozen enchiladas and an ice cream bar, and watching the Olympics. It's entertaining to watch world class athletes at the peak of their athletic performance while eating the most unhealthy meal I've had in awhile - I highly recommend it. I finally logged in and did an hour and a half of day job stuff to get a little bit more caught up from being out Friday, so I can go into tomorrow without things being quite as bad as I expected.

And now I need to go to bed and hope that my stress factors start getting better soon - goodnight!

blood is like wine, unconscious all the time

It doesn't quite feel right that I have to go back to work tomorrow, so I'm going to go to bed early and hope that I can reset in the morning in time to get into work. This morning was pretty lowkey - I got up in time to do some stretching for my always-tight calves, and I ate some toast while chatting with Barbara. Then I showered and we managed to vacate the rental on time - checkout was at ten, which felt a little early, but all in all the place was really good. We dropped off the keys, and then I dropped Barbara off at a different rental - her partner was coming up to spend the day/night up there, so I dropped Barbara and her stuff off so that she could rendezvous with him. All in all it was a successful retreat, so I'm hoping I can carry the writing momentum into the week.

Then I drove home - I took a slightly longer way so that I could see something different than I-70, but I was still home in a little over two hours. The drive was quite pleasant, and it just reminded me how muchI have yet to explore in Colorado. When I got home, I ate some leftovers, messed around online, and took a nap - all of which was clearly necessary to rest after a weekend in Breckenridge on top of last weekend in San Francisco. Then I ventured out to pick up / return something at Nordstrom + pick up a small handful of groceries.

Then I talked to my parents, who were in fine form. I also talked to [censored] while picking up a takeout pizza; we had a lot to catch up on, so that was enjoyable (although he might not have enjoyed listening to me perfecting my margarita shaking technique). Then I ate pizza, drank my margarita, and watched the Olympics. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

[insert olympic theme song here]

My mini retreat is already drawing to a close, and I should go to bed so that I can get some solid sleep before driving back to Denver in the morning. Today was nice, though - I got up and made some coffee, then wrote on the balcony for awhile. It was a cool, crisp morning, which is v. different from how hot Denver is, so I luxuriated in it. I spent the rest of the morning / early afternoon taking care of some personal tings, and then I made a breakfast sandwich, took a nap, and showered.

I spent the rest of the afternoon writing off and on - nothing particularly impressive from a pure word count standpoint, but I'm developing some much needed clarity on some of the issues these characters face, so I'll take it. Eventually, it was time for dinner - Barbara and I went to a place called Modis, which was surprisingly excellent. I had a snapper with some pineapple fried rice that was the opposite of what I usually order (I was going to go for steak), and it was top notch.

Then we came home, and I watched some Olympics (including a v. exciting men's 4x100m swim medley), packed up my stuff, and did some more journaling. And now, as I said, I should probably go to bed - goodnight!

we are made of old rocks and salt

I didn't sleep well last night, so I was dragging today, which was an unfortunate start to my three day weekend. But I had a good day despite that. I spent the morning moving around in an attempt to get my stress out - I showered, used a softball as a foam roller to work out the tightness in my calves, and eventually walked around Breckenridge for an hour. It was a gorgeous morning and I'm glad I got out, because the afternoon turned cool and stormy and tomorrow promises more of the same.

I spent the afternoon writing, napping, and perhaps doing a bit too much on Twitter. Eventually, Barbara and I went out for dinner - we went to a Mediterranean restaurant that was quite delicious, so I felt satisfied. Then we came home and I watched some Olympics before doing some personal business.

And now I need to sleep so I can get more done tomorrow - goodnight!

if I could find a way to see this straight

Hello from Breckenridge! I slogged all day without breaks, and then my friend Barbara showed up at my house so that we could drive up into the mountains. I'm here for a mini writing retreat and I have high hopes of getting some things done - so we'll see what happens.

But now sleep is more important than other updates, so it's time for bed. Goodnight!

feeling hot hot hot

No blog tonight - I did a bunch of work today, did some stuff around the house, ordered takeout from my favorite Indian place, and did more work tonight while watching the Olympics. And I have a million things to do tomorrow as well, so I think it's time for bed. Goodnight!

so open, then snap shut, yeah, but here we are

I need to get off my laptop and go to bed. Today wasn't particularly onerous, but I didn't get quite enough sleep and was dealing with some challenging coworker situations, so that didn't exactly help my mood. But I ended the day with dinner and a margarita with my friend Sara - I drove all the way up to Longmont to see her, which should be a sign that our friendship is for real. We had a delightful and hilarious time, and then I got to see her husband (whom I also work with) which was hilarious in its own right.

Then I came home, sent a few emails, and told myself I had to be done by now so that I could unwind a bit and go to bed - let's see if that works out for me. Goodnight!

somewhere between dust and the stars

I'm safely back in Denver and ready to go to bed. Today was mostly uneventful - I woke up, showered, packed, grabbed some coffee and then worked for five hours or so. I'd secured a late checkout, so I was able to get some stuff done, which was nice. Then I met a coworker for a snack at Tartine Manufactory (which was slightly annoying because they were way too aggressive about clearing away all the outdoor tables well before they closed, so it felt rushed).

Then I went to the airport and hung out in the Amex lounge, which was a delight - they had surprisingly good food and also my favorite Seghesio zinfandel, so it was a nice place to do a bit more work and talk to my parents. It also happened to be directly across from my gate, which was convenient. My flight was easy, but unfortunately the drive home took close to an hour (should've been thirty minutes) due to construction on I-70. But I'm home and ready for bed, so I'll take it. Goodnight!

we were perfect when we started, i've been wondering where we've gone

I had a fantastic day in the yay area, thanks for asking. I didn't get quite enough sleep last night and so I was dragging this morning, but I got up in time to shower, grab coffee, and get myself to Berkeley in time for a ten a.m. rendezvous with John and Jess. Normally when we get together at that hour it's for breakfast (never brunch) at Saul's, but today we drove up to Healdsburg for a winery excursion. Lauren (aka Subz) hosted a belated 40th birthday for Nathan today, and when she found out I was coming into town she added me to it, which was super fortuitous and incredibly fun. And the fact that I got to spend some quality car time with John and Jess was definitely an extra bonus.

So, we spent the afternoon at a winery called Reeve, which I really enjoyed. It was a perfect day up there - the weather was great and everyone was eager to see other humans, so it was lovely. I ended up sitting in the middle of a table with John and Jess and some others to my left, but I mostly talked to the group on my right (Anthony, Domain, Andy, Zaia, and a split between Lauren and Nathan). The conversation meandered between meaningful topics and jicama, both of which I can contribute a lot of words to. And the food was gorgeous and the wine was even better (but since I basically drank Jess's tasting in addition to mine, and also went deep on some leftover rosé at the end, I may not be an impartial judge).

Sadly, all fun must end eventually, and John and Jess were definitely late getting back to their sitter, so we eventually said our farewells and drove back to Berkeley. I said hi to Ian briefly, and then John v. kindly gave me a ride over to Claudia's so I could hang out with her. I hadn't seen her for the same seventeen months that I hadn't seen anyone else, but the last time I saw her she was eight months pregnant, so I was v. excited to meet Téo. I am sorry to tell the rest of you that he might be the cutest baby of all time and that everyone else's baby is just in the race for silver at this point. Claudia ordered Thai food, which was delish, and we hung out and caught up for a couple of hours (never enough, but I'll take it).

Then I caught an Uber back to the city of sin, took a million ibuprofen, and am going to go to bed early since I need to work all day tomorrow before going to the airport. Goodnight!

you just need a better life than this

I had a gorgeous day in the city of sin, but now I need to go to bed asap so I can recover for tomorrow. The day started off with iced coffee and egg bites from the Starbucks down the street, and then I got a massage / bodywork session that undid a bunch of tension (which I'm sure I'll redo in due course). Then I sat at a coffee shop in the Richmond and journaled for awhile, which always feels great.

I then met up with the original Jen Lui for an extended lunch experience. Her birthday was yesterday (happy birthday!) and happily she was free to come up to the city today despite the fact that I just made all these plans this week. She met me on Clement Street and we hit up two different dim sum places + a place where Jen could get some roasted duck and barbecued pork to take home with her. We got the dim sum as takeout and headed to the Presidio, where we spread out a picnic blanket and snacked on dim sum while discussing life and enjoying the sun and views of the water (and not quite enjoying the wind, but it was bearable). I hadn't had har gow or siu mai or egg custard buns or anything with taro in at least eighteen months, so this was a total win (even if we over ordered).

Jen and I hung out for almost four hours - we've had pandemic zoom calls, but we had a lot to catch up on and it was so lovely to hang out in real life. We also grabbed boba tea (sans boba since I was so full, but the tea was delish) before parting ways, and it was pretty much a perfect afternoon.

Then I came back to my hotel, took a nap, took a quick shower, and talked to my parents. Then Chandlord picked me up to take me to Adit and Priyanka's for dinner, but this got me waylaid into stopping at her friend Sarang's house to do a favor for him, which led to a hilarious conversation that also made us unfortunately late for dinner. But dinner got back on track, and we had a lovely, lowkey conversation, and longtime readers will be shocked to know that the four of us didn't even finish a bottle of wine, which is v. sedate and adult-like compared to my usual shenanigans with Adit.

Then Chandlord brought me back to my hotel, and now I need to sleep so I can pursue more fun tomorrow - goodnight!

when life leaves you high and dry

I had a perfect day in the city of sin, except for the fact that I'm old and so turned down an 11pm invitation to go to karaoke with Adit. I got up this morning, grabbed some Starbucks from down the street, and did a tiny bit of day job stuff. Then I showered, made myself up, and took a (hilarious) lyft to the other side of the city for lunch at Beach Chalet.

Ocean Beach is my usual meetup place with Veronica, Grace, and Barbara; we used to go to Cliff House, but Cliff House has been lost to time, so we went to Beach Chalet instead. We had far more to discuss than we could cover in two hours, but we're going to see each other again in the coming months (including a Tahoe retreat if people don't move to Duluth first), so this was a nice little appetizer.

Then I got a mani / pedi at my favorite nail salon in the whole world (Silk), and it was great - I hadn't seen them in forever, but they still remembered me and it was nice to hear how some of them were doing. And then I dashed to the Page to meet up with Katrina. Katrina and I have chatted occasionally during the pandemic, but it was far more fun to do it over margaritas (even if outdoor seating here reminds me that San Francisco is totally frigid and I was shivering at five p.m. - note to self that it's 95 in Denver, which is one thing Denver has going for it (until it snows in September)). So we caught up for a couple of hours, and also got some takeout guac from Little Chihuahua to add to the margaritas, so that was great.

Then I came back to my hotel, switched into jeans instead of a jumpsuit and added a sweater under my jacket, and met up with Chandlord. We walked to North Beach and purposefully chose a mediocre restaurant, which was truly mediocre - my wedge salad wasn't a wedge of iceberg lettuce and instead was a bed of romaine, and Chandlord's pizza was bad enough that she abandoned the leftovers. But the restaurant set a v low bar for the conversation, which we exceeded, so I think the night was a success.

Then we walked back to my hotel and laid on my bed and talked until I was starting to fall asleep. And now I need to sleep for real so I can get through tomorrow's round of engagements - goodnight!

but just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die

In a rather last minute turn of events, I'm sitting in bed in a hotel room in San Francisco, elated to have returned to the fog-filtered golden light of my youth. I booked this trip last weekend on a total whim, after a text thread with the usual suspects reminded me that I have friends here. I also feel fairly confident that the delta variant and other personal plans will make travel west dicey the next few weeks, so I'm making hay while the sun shines.

So I worked all morning, and then left for the airport around one. I got to the airport in time to have a glass of wine and some burrata, which made me better able to survive the slight delay to my flight.

Then I landed in SFO, and even though it's been almost eighteen months since I've been here (the longest gap in my adult life by approximately fourteen months), it immediately felt just right. I took a Lyft into the city of sin, driving down streets that used to be my commute. I checked into one of the last hotels I'd stayed in here, and they welcomed me back as though I'd never left. I had dinner at a random place across the street, and I journaled and people watched and daydreamed of other lives and other times.

And now, I should sleep - in true fashion, even though I only planned this last weekend, I have managed to book almost every hour of the next three days, so I need to get some sleep so I can make it count. Goodnight!

we both said it's a beautiful try

I need to go to bed immediately - my life right now is meetings and more meetings, and unfortunately tomorrow they start at 8:30am rather than a more civilized time like 9am. But I'm taking Friday off for some last minute shenanigans, so I just have to make it through tomorrow so that I can get to the weekend in style.

But since all I did today was work, and since that is neither interesting nor discussion-worthy, I think I should cut this off early and go to bed. Goodnight!

ceo, entrepreneur, born in 1964

I had a decent day but it was nothing to write home about. I had meetings most of the day, all of which were good but none of which were amazing. I also chatted with Alyssa and with Terry, so I feel like I got some quality girl time this afternoon. And I ran to the mall to return something and pick something up (the Nordstrom anniversary sale giveth and taketh away). On the way there and back, I talked to [censored], so now we're properly caught up with each other.

Then I picked up pizza from Blue Pan, came home, did laundry, and did a bunch of nothing. At this point, I think bed is a better choice than working or TikTok (well, maybe not better than TikTok), so I think I should go to sleep - goodnight!

when i get home boy you better not be there, you're long gone

Today was hectic, in a good way. I had meetings very intensely from nine to five, and that required a lot of mental energy (and a takeout lunch). But I managed to sign off around 5:20 and drive to Lafayette. On the way I talked to [censored] briefly, who was in surprisingly good form considering he found two (mostly) dead bats in his garage when he got home last night (one never wants to find bats of any kind anywhere near one's sleeping location). And then I met up with Sarah-Frances for happy hour - we hung out at Community and caught up on work and life, which was a delight.

Then we moseyed down the street to a Mexican restaurant, where we met up with another coworker who is brand new to our place of work and so hasn't really gotten to meet anyone in person yet. We had a v. delightful, v. long dinner, and it was a great way to spend a warm Monday night. But even though I have a million work things to do and should probably take a stab at them now, I'm going to go to bed and hope that I wake up tomorrow in time to do them. Goodnight!

don't be scared, don't be shy, come on in, the water's fine

Today started inauspiciously but managed to pull itself out of the (literal) toilet, so I'll take it. For some reason my fancy dinner last night did not sit well with me - I woke up an hour after going to bed (but felt like it was five hours later) and immediately had to vomit. I went back to bed, slept an hour, woke up, and vomited again. I then slept through the rest of the night, but it was a very weird experience - it almost felt like those times that I got really sick after eating crab, but I didn't have any crab yesterday and also wasn't nearly as sick as I was in those other moments. So, idk, but hopefully it was just a fluke.

Needless to say, the vomiting episodes made me leery to do much today. So I slept in, and then I ran and grabbed iced coffee and washed my car before coming home to hole up on my patio and write. I wrote for a couple of hours (until it was too hot to sit where I was). Then I ate a bagel in deference to my stomach. And then I took a nap in deference to my exhaustion.

After that, I finally dragged myself out of the house - I had to go to the mall to return something and pick up other things, which I accomplished pretty efficiently. Then I came home, ate some ice cream, and talked to my parents (who were in fine form). Then I went down the street to my favorite Mexican restaurant and had an early dinner while writing another couple of pages (this time in my journal, since I haven't been there enough to establish myself well enough to just pull out my laptop, but maybe that time will come). And then I came home and talked to [censored] while he drove home.

Now, unfortunately, it's time for bed - work is looking hectic this week, and I would be best served by going to bed immediately so that I can start the week with a bit more sleep than usual. Goodnight!

like a damn sociopath

I can't blog tonight because I'm too tired and falling asleep on my keyboard and have thus far misspelled most of these words at least once before going back to editing. Today was great, though - I got some tings done talked to my friend Barbara (California Barbara, not Colorado Barbara) for a couple of hours, did some more tings, took a nap, and took care of some stuff outside.

Then, the reason I'm tired is because I had an 8:15pm reservation at Tavernetta, which is approx two hours later than I usually eat. Tavernetta has been on my list of places to try and I would say it hit the mark - the service was great and the food was impeccable. And I went with Jackson and Kelly to celebrate Kelly getting a new role outside my company - I don't want her to leave, but at least our friendship is likely to survive.

And now I'm desperate to sleep - goodnight!

i tell my love to wreck it all

Today was a bonkers day at work, mostly because I had a million meetings and no breaks and half those meetings were ridiculous. But I did write just the tiniest amount this morning. And I was able to abandon the laptop a little before six and run to the greenhouse to spend some money; they do some rewards bucks through the season that are good for up to half off a purchase in early July, and today was the last day to use them. The greenhouse was hopping for a Thursday, since clearly other people had the same idea - but I picked up a couple of new houseplants and some potting soil, so it was worth the trip.

Then I came home, reheated some pasta, did some personal business stuff, and did some work business stuff. And now it's suddenly midnight and I must sleep immediately - goodnight!

pour a little salt, we were never here

I'm slipping deep into my stupid workaholic ways, which is unfortunate as I realized tonight that summer is basically half over if you consider that Colorado has snow in May and could very well have snow on Labor Day. But the lure is strong - I can easily succumb to situations that involve helping others, and since so many people are out and other people are stretched thin, I feel like I need to pull some weight.

But today was good - my VP meeting went well, and it probably wasn't because of the manicure I gave myself last night, but I'm going to assume that it helped. I had meetings all day, then took a break to make some of my favorite sausage / chard pasta, which is pretty delicious and also reheats well. I then did some mindless scrolling on twitter and tiktok, and then I worked for an hour and a half to get on top of my email.

And now that I've done that, it's time for bed - goodnight!

cut out all the ropes and let me fall

Today was a pretty good day, especially considering that I didn't quite get enough sleep to start it off. I had meetings the whole day, which should surprise no one, but I also had decent coffee + leftover steak and scalloped potatoes + a good meeting with my boss, so I'll take it. Then I had a session with Alyssa, which was also a delight.

Then I scrambled to get out of the house and over to Katie's - she had invited me for dinner, and we stayed in at her house so that we could also hang out with James while watching the kids. James made us palomas to drink, and then we had beef skewers, corn on the cob, and green beans, and it was all quite tasty. I also had an entertaining time observing their cats (who for some reason seem to love me); I would make a joke about pussy-appropriate activities here, but I am both a good friend and a lady, so I shall refrain. And we discussed a variety of topics, mostly related to jobs and also to houses in rural areas.

Eventually, it was time for the girls to go to bed and for me to take care of tings, so I came home, tidied up around the house, and gave myself a fresh gel manicure. I probably should have prepped in a slightly different way for a meeting with my VP tomorrow, but I felt like a manicure would serve me better than anything else. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

waking up to find your love's not real

I'm suddenly too tired to blog - I pushed hard today, which is not my usual 'conserve energy on Mondays' approach, so we'll see how I feel about that decision tomorrow. But I got up this morning and did some business and made coffee and wrote before work, so I felt accomplished even before opening the corporate laptop. Then I slogged from ~10 to 5 without any real breaks. At that point, I talked to my dad for awhile, and then I made dinner - I went fancier than usual for a Monday, which meant potatoes au gratin (aka Barefoot Contessa's version of scalloped potatoes) and grilled ribeye, and it was a total delight.

However, I still had a million things to do for work, and the rest of the week is looking brutal (context for why it's all brutal: I'm down two managers and so am managing a bunch of people directly + things always get brutal in the summer due to our usual planning cycles + everyone is burned out and taking breaks). So I worked from 8-11, which at least put me into slightly better shape for tomorrow, but isn't enough to get me all the way to feeling good about things.

But that's a problem for Future Sara; right now, it's time for bed. Goodnight!

that's the impression that i get

I have nothing of interest to report - today was slightly more productive than yesterday, but it wasn't much to blog about. I took care of some personal business-type tings this morning, and then I mostly continued to be hermity and avoid people. I did, however, wash my sheets and my guest room sheets and did a couple of other loads of laundry, which was better than nothing. And I miraculously accomplished the most pressing order of business - I made a grocery run, which was way overdue, and so it's possible that I'll be able to feed myself this week. 

When I got home from the grocery store, I had to clean out my fridge to make room for the new stuff and toss things that were rotting. Then I called my parents - they seemed to be doing well, as are their cats and dad's foot and all the other usual things we check in on. Also, three rose bushes have sprung back from the dead by the old house - they were climbing up the south side of the house and we didn't move them before the destruction, so we just assumed they were gone. But life finds a way, and apparently they're coming back up from the ground, so that's exciting. And grass is growing where the house used to be, so that will be a trip to see when I go home next time.

After I talked to my parents, I didn't get much else done - I had to make my bed, fold a bunch of laundry, and take care of a few more tings, but it was mostly a quiet evening. And now I need to sleep so that I can write before work tomorrow - goodnight!

oh valley of plenty

I had a v. lazy, hermity day, which is what I guess I needed. I did spend some quality time cleaning up my patio - I had enough cut-up branches and sticks to fill my compost cart (approx 30min after it got emptied this morning), so I got all of that disposed of. I still have two big yard totes full of more yard materials, but those are safely chilling near my fence until the compost cart gets emptied again. Then I used my leaf blower to clean off the patio, and all is right again.

I spent some quality time this afternoon doing nothing, although I did take a nap and a shower, which feels like an accomplishment. Then I went out and had a steak at five p.m., which was rather early, but also rather late because I didn't really eat a proper lunch. I spent an hour and a half brainstorming some stuff for the book I'm working on, and wishing I were at Des Amis instead because their steak and wine were better - but Des Amis is long gone, and I'm not in San Francisco, so I guess tonight's steak will have to suffice.

Then I came home and watched four episodes in a row of THE WITCHER - yes, it came out ages ago, and yes, I watched the first four episodes sometime around the start of the pandemic, but I had never finished it. I decided that tonight was the night, and I powered through all four hours in one go. All in all I thought it was a good series with some interesting storytelling choices, and I'm glad that the next season was able to get made during the pandemic because I'm looking forward to it.

And now, I think I should sleep - I have some tings I want to get done tomorrow, so I think it's time for bed. Goodnight!

i need the cheat codes

I have nothing of note to report tonight - I did get up in time to write before work, which was a good accomplishment. Then I slogged all day, but it was all rather mundane. And I eventually stopped, ordered some takeout for dinner (I should really get groceries, but #quarantinechef is not in the mood) and have spent the last several hours backing up my laptop - I need to get it checked because it's been repeatedly rebooting overnight, but that means backing everything up in case my hard drive has to get reset.

And on that v. boring note it's time for bed - goodnight!

don't do me like that

No blog tonight- I had to slog pretty hard all day, so there's nothing of interest to say there. But I finally closed my laptop at seven and walked to El Camino, where I had a margarita and some nachos and also journaled and people-watched. And I chatted up the bartender, who hadn't seen me in forever and comped my second margarita, so nature is healing.

And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

at some chinese restaurant in san francisco, my fortune told me i’m on the wrong road

Katie and I went out for an epic evening of margaritas, so I guess nature is healing or something. But before I got to the margaritas, I had a day of slogging. I was going to write this morning, but I got an email at 7:30am from my sprinkler guy asking if he needed to pick up an irrigation control box before getting to my place by nine. This was quite a surprise, since he had previously confirmed he would be here on July 19....and [censored] just replaced the box that the sprinkler guy was supposed to do. But I seized the moment, told him I didn't need the box but did need him to fix a broken zone valve and still fix some of the heads, so he got here around nine and did a great job fixing the rest of my system. So, that's a relief, since I can now leave my water on all the time without a leak and can also run my sprinklers from anywhere in the world thanks to my new control box.

Then I slogged for the entire day - I had a bit of a break at lunch, but not enough to feel luxurious. During my last meeting, I texted Katie and asked if today was the day that we would get margaritas together - we hadn't seen each other since late May, which feels impossibly long ago. I was in Iowa, and then she was in Iowa, and then unfortunately her grandmother passed away in souther Illinois, and so we've been as ships crossing in the night the last few weeks.

Happily, Katie succumbed to my lure of margaritas, and so we went to bartaco to catch up on the million things we've missed in each other's lives. This required many tacos, many margaritas, some tasty ice cream, some subpar churros, and a lot of conversation. We were there for almost four hours, and I think we made a valiant effort at scraping the tip of the iceberg of what has transpired in the last few weeks, but it will undoubtedly require some additional summit-level discussions to properly square all the many and varied topics away.

So in other words, it was a delight to see her and I feel v. grateful that my best friend from forever lives within ten minutes of my house. And I also feel v. grateful that my best friend from forever likes tequila and tacos, although I would still love her even if she didn't. And now, I need to consider going to bed since tomorrow looks like another epic slog - goodnight!

riding the storm out

Today was the last day of my long weekend, so the Sunday Scaries were actually the Tuesday Scaries. I got up this morning a little before six to bid farewell to [censored], and I intended to just sleep for another hour before getting on with my day - but instead I slept until nine. I guess I needed it, but it threw off my morning.

However, I then went to a new-to-me coffeeshop and wrote for almost three hours, which was a total delight. I haven't written in a coffeeshop in forever, and while this one was still maintaining social distancing and isn't fully back to normal, it was back to normal enough that I was supremely happy to be there and writing again.

Then I should have run errands, but I was feeling v. lazy, so I didn't. I did, however, have a call with Alyssa; we did some stretching and breathing exercises which helped since I seem to have tweaked my whole right side while doing stuff this weekend and my calf and neck were both stiff (thanks for reminding me that I'm getting older). And then I ordered sushi, did some stuff around the house, took a brief walk before getting rained out, and wrote for another hour.

And now I'm going to try to go to bed early so that I can write before work tomorrow (or at least have a more relaxed morning than I sometimes do) - goodnight!

he never smiles, he keeps it candid

[censored] is still here, even though he had intended to leave sometime this afternoon. This is to my benefit, as it meant that he did more projects today instead of skipping town. It wasn't all work - he did have a friend from grad school come over, and so we hung out on my patio for a couple of hours. But after that, it was back to the house slog. Today's list included finishing installation of my irrigation control box, installing three new smoke/CO detectors, hanging a mirror, doing some more surreptitious chopping at the tree of heaven debris over my fence line, removing the forming materials on the cement that is now shoring up my fence, putting on a new outlet cover in my backyard, and cutting some dead branches out of my tree that were hanging perilously over my garage.

At some point, that was enough stuff for today, and [censored] loaded his truck with the intent of leaving tonight. But he wanted to do a bit of work for his job first, so I took a shower and napped briefly and called the parents to see what they were up to. Then I picked up pizza from Blue Pan as a farewell dinner for [censored]. However, after eating he decided that he didn't want to head back to [censored] tonight after all, so he kept working and I did a bunch of organizational / financial stuff to try to figure out what absolutely needs to get done tomorrow during my final vacation day.

And now, I should sleep - [censored] is supposedly leaving early tomorrow, and I want to get up to see him off. Goodnight!

he knows all the words to mr. brightside

[censored] and I had another great vacation day, although vacation day seems like a cruel misnomer. I took it a little easy this morning and mostly rearranged things in my living room (making space for more books, moving a table with plants on it, etc), but then we got cracking on outdoor activities. [censored] spent most of the morning creating a method to shore up my fence, which is sagging badly under the onslaught of my neighbor's untrimmed overgrowth. So [censored] cut some wood to create forms for cement, and then he mixed and poured cement around the fence pillars so that it will harden up and support the fence. We'll see how it looks tomorrow, but that seems like a good short-term solution to me!

While [censored] was doing cement work, I did a bunch of cutting of tings - I broke down all the stuff [censored] cut down yesterday so that I can compost it over the next couple of weeks, which was all a good endeavor. I also helped [censored] with some stuff related to my irrigation line, which was going to get buried under [censored]'s fence solution. And I ran and got some groceries and we also order sandwiches from Snarf's, which were a total delight.

Sometime in the afternoon, Aunt Becky came over - she's in her Colorado house as of yesterday, so we invited her up for supper. She got here early enough that we were able to hang out for quite awhile, and I made caprese salad (roasted tomatoes + mozzarella) and the proscuitto-wrapped stuffed chicken breasts that [censored] like, with some mashed potatoes for good measure. We had a lot to catch up on, and it was nice to do so over tasty food (even if my dining room now feels like my office to me and may feel like that forever).

After we were done eating, Aunt B went home and [censored] and I made a Home Depot run. I had told him I wouldn't make him go to Home Depot four times on this trip, but he has gone twice (and I went to Lowes without him yesterday), so it's a good thing he's leaving tomorrow before we can hit his limit. We picked up a couple of tings + a new irrigation control box, which [censored] installed tonight.

And now, I'm falling asleep in my chair and I need to get up and at 'em tomorrow to get tings done before [censored] leaves. Goodnight! 

super villain with a manifesto, dang

This was one of the most productive vacation days I've had in recent memory (well, tearing down the old house was pretty productive, but in a destructive way, and also unlikely to impact my day to day). [censored] is an excellent house guest because he does not want to do anything fun or go anywhere or take advantage of any activities - instead, he just powers through a massive to-do list of projects that would require me to find multiple service people and spend hundreds of dollars on.

Today's projects: [censored] cut down four small trees, hung a new light fixture, and installed a keypad opener for my garage door so that I can get to my garage from the alley side. I played some role in most of this (like helping with some of the tree cutting, and also touching up the ceiling paint since the new light fixture's plate was slightly smaller than the old one) - but it definitely wouldn't have happened without him. And the new light fixture is awesome - it only took two years to get rid of the light fixture that I hated from the moment I walked in, so now I can move on to obsessing about other things.

At some point in the afternoon, I made a quick trip to Lowes and then picked up a couple of things to make dinner. We continued to make progress through the afternoon, but eventually it was time to clean up. I then made supper (spaghetti carbonara) and we sat around and talked about my sprinkler system (as house guests usually do). We have more projects lined up for tomorrow, but so far so good.

And now I need to sleep if I'm going to be useful tomorrow - goodnight!

i've made charts and graphs that should finally make it clear

I had a great day, all in all, and now vacation can begin in earnest (and by 'vacation' I mean that I'm going to be doing house projects all weekend). I had to work today, but I started it with Starbucks and had lunch with [censored] at Chipotle, so it wasn't bad (and the one meeting I had was great). Then, [censored] and I went to Home Depot, where we purchased many things to support the projects that we're doing this weekend (and by 'projects we're doing', I mean 'projects he's doing').

When we were finally done at Home Depot, we came home, unloaded, and ate takeout Thai food. Then [censored] fixed the broken light switch in my basement, which is great news since my basement has become a total mess since I haven't been able to turn on lights and organize things better. And then I watched the season finale of Top Chef - it was a great season, and it will be interesting to see how they handle the fallout of the finale due to some information that apparently came to light after the season was taped.

And then [censored] and I watched some more tv, and then I laid in bed for awhile and enjoyed some quiet time. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

lawyers guns and money

I had a long but lovely day. Today started with interrupted sleep - my carbon monoxide detector chose 4am to give up the ghost, so I had to figure out how to get it to stop chirping so that I could sleep. I also had a meeting with my boss at 8:30, so I had to get up and get with it earlier than usual.

Despite all that, my day was good (albeit still too many meetings). At some point, [censored] rolled into town - he is visiting for the weekend, theoretically to take a vacation but mostly to fulfill a bunch of house projects for me. Yes, this is a good thing, [censored] can come back anytime.

However, this visit isn't actually free, because I went to see Micky and the Motorcars with him, which is a country music band that I would never listen to if left to my own devices. The concert was at Globe Hall, which I've also never been to - turns out they serve barbecue and a full bar, and then the concert is held in a room directly adjacent to the restaurant. So we got there early enough to have barbecue and a drink, and then we went into the concert area just in time to snag one of the last barstools along the wall.

I thought both the main act and the opener were clearly v. talented, so I enjoyed myself a lot. I also thought that several of them looked like Lord of the Rings characters, which was apparently not supposed to be my takeaway.

But now I'm exhausted from lack of sleep last night, and I have to get up and get some tings done tomorrow - goodnight!

everyone's a winner, we're making our fame

I should not have stayed up to work until 11:30, but that's the way it goes right now. Today was a brutal meeting slog (starting at 8:30, ending at 5:30, with two 30min breaks), but I survived (thanks to a poke bowl delivery). Then I took a break in the evening - I ate dinner, did some laundry, finally planted my last plants that I bought a couple of weeks ago, read twitter, and gave myself a fresh gel manicure. So the work didn't pick up again until 9:30, and then I couldn't help myself in terms of what I absolutely had to get done.

But now I can go to bed, push hard through tomorrow's similarly heavy meeting schedule, have some fun, and then coast through Friday before the weekend begins in earnest.

And now, before I go to bed, I shall document that Adit, Ritu, Chandlord, Claude, and Jess had dinner in Oakland (jhokeland) at Arthur Mac's last night. They sent me a picture this morning wondering if it even happened if it wasn't documented on my blog - so voila, it's now part of posterity. And I am jealous, but my time in San Francisco is coming eventually. Goodnight!

late nights in the middle of june

No blog tonight - I have nothing to report; I didn't get enough sleep last night because I stayed up too late staring at screens; and I don't want to make the same mistake tonight (especially since I have meetings pretty much straight from 8:30-5:30 tomorrow). Goodnight!

i've been waiting for the tides to change

It's Monday, and a fairly uninspiring Monday at that. However, the day went pretty much as planned from a work standpoint, which I will take. And since I had a relatively light meeting day, I secretly absconded to a Starbucks in the late afternoon - it was my first time working in a coffee shop in almost sixteen months, which was bizarre in its own right. The clientele was also bizarre - a girl came in from the patio to complain that a man was staring at her, and a barista had to go out and talk to him (but he must be a regular, because the barista called him by name, and the barista didn't seem to make any attempt to shoo him off). I often err on the side of sympathizing in this kind of situation because I've seen my share of creeps in the world - but the girl was wearing a dress that was literally see-through and also cut so low that I was pretty sure I could see areola, and also I had previously vacated the patio without looking at her because she was loudly listening to music, so my sympathies are pretty dim. But this is a good reminder that 1) leaving the house is good for people watching, but also 2) leaving the house means running into weirdos.

sssanyway. After my excursion to Starbucks (which I made to beat traffic), I went over to Caroline's to hang out for awhile. We had a drink on her patio, then had dinner at a chicken and waffle place in Lafayette. I did not have the waffles, but I did break my gluten fast with some chicken tenders. They weren't really worth it as I thought they were a little dry, but the fries were good and Caroline's company was excellent.

Then I came home, took care of some tings around the house, and did some day job work. And now I must sleep - goodnight!

the water is warm, but it's sending me shivers

I had a lovely day - it started a bit quiet because I was so tired and so stayed in bed until after nine, but then I rallied, ate some oatmeal, took a shower, and drove to Colorado Springs to see Barbara. We hadn't seen each other in several months, since I've been in Iowa a lot and have generally not been available in person or virtually recently, so we were way overdue to catch up. I met her at her permanent house, which she has temporarily vacated for a massive renovation - the renovation is getting close to done, and the kitchen is so gorgeous that it makes me want to demo and redo my kitchen immediately.

So, Barbara gave me a tour of her house, and then we went out for brunch. The food and the juice at the place we went were really good - I haven't had breakfast out in awhile, so the skillet hash hit the spot. Also, the waiter was a little hilarious in an almost-too-much way - he complained deeply about how much some other tables were demanding of him, but also offered to add vodka to my juice if I met him in the employee parking lot. I'm taking that as a sign that nature is healing and that I will get back to my usual 'odd interactions with strangers' game as soon as things open up just a bit more.

When we weren't dealing with the waiter, Barbara and I had a delightful, meandering conversation about life and writing, which is what I always enjoy about spending time with her. We went back to her house and hung out some more, and I would have liked to stay all afternoon - but it was raining off and on and I was flagging, so I said my goodbyes sometime after three and drove back to Denver. On the way, I talked to my parents and was shocked to hear that they were about to eat some of the boneless skinless chicken breast I left in the freezer - I'm hoping this isn't a sign of some dire personality shift.

I basically collapsed into bed and took a nap as soon as I got home, which is not what I normally do at six p.m., but that's what I did today. Then I made myself some boxed gluten free mac and cheese, which is not exactly a delicacy, but it hit the spot. I also planned some stuff for this week, did some laundry, and talked to [censored] about our plans for next weekend, so at least I salvaged some productivity tonight.

And now I think I'm going to fold towels and then perhaps read and go to bed - goodnight!

blink three times when you feel it kicking in

I had a pretty lovely, lazy day. First up was a pedicure - I think I've found my new spot and my new person, which is great since this place is 8min from my house and is not, instead, 'conveniently' located five minutes from my office in Boulder. Since I haven't even driven to Boulder since sometime last year, I don't really feel like picking up the habit again just to get my nails done.

Then I drove over to Sloan's Lake and had lunch with Laura and her husband and son. She's my old boss/coworker from a million years ago who lives in San Antonio, but she's in the process of moving to Denver, and they were in town this weekend to finalize some details on their new build. So, we grabbed lunch at the Tap and Burger in Sloan's Lake - I've never been to that little strip of stuff before, and I thought it was cute. We had a lot to catch up on, which we did over burgers + some very awesome cauliflower 'wings' (basically cauliflower fried and coated in buffalo sauce, which was really tasty).

Then I came home and was lazy the rest of the day - I took a long nap, cleaned up my kitchen, tidied some things, did some laundry, etc. And I started reading a book. And that, honestly, was pretty much it, and I'm glad that's all I did because I needed a break.

And now I need to sleep and hopefully not let myself get sucked deeper into this book - goodnight!

danced to death at an east side night club

I have once again stayed up past my bedtime - I can theoretically sleep in tomorrow, but I have not been sleeping well enough to give me much confidence that sleeping in will happen. Work today was pretty good - I had a good meeting with the big boss and a bunch of other meetings in the morning, but I had three free hours this afternoon and was able to cross some tasks off my list.

I also made dinner tonight - at lunch time I marinated some chicken, and so for dinner I just had to bake it. It was, of course, a little more complicated than that - I made a spicy, sticky chicken with pineapple, and I also made rice and roasted some broccoli for the side. I've made it once before, but this was quite delicious (albeit spicy) - and it's pretty simple, other than cutting up the pineapple, which isn't exactly hard.

After I made dinner, I watched last night's episode of Top Chef so that I could stay caught up before the finale next week. Then, I had a v. extended call with my friendship renewal crew (Joann, Jane, and Jen) - they've been in touch and have actually seen each other in person recently, but with all my travel to Iowa I've missed a bunch of calls. So we had a lot to catch up on, and it was a nice way to spend Friday night.

And now I need to sleep so that I can enjoy my weekend - goodnight!

when the leaves turn brown

No blog tonight - I slogged all day, then watched three more episodes of Top Chef to get caught up with the season. Now I'm not caught up because I didn't watch the episode that aired tonight - but I wanted to catch up in time for the finale next week to avoid spoilers. This season is so good and I want to go to all their restaurants.... But right now, I need to go to bed instead. Goodnight!

might not work but i'll take a maybe

My schedule is totally screwed up, as evidenced by the fact that I did nothing most of the evening and then worked from 9ish until now. Today was fine, overall - I had a bunch of meetings, ate some fancy cheese and cured meats for lunch, had a bunch more meetings, and ended the afternoon with a call with Alyssa. Then, as I said, I did nothing - I mailed some things, reheated some leftover pasta, and watched three episodes of Top Chef so that I can try to catch up in time for the upcoming finale. But eventually the drumbeat of things that I need to get done for work caught up to me, and I worked until now.

But I feel better that I'm entering tomorrow not quite so far behind, and hopefully I can disconnect and get some sleep. Goodnight!

manifest a ceiling when you shy away

I had a mostly normal day, but there were some weird bits to punctuate it. I unfortunately had to start my meetings at 8:30, which is an hour earlier than I like to start, so the morning was rushed. And I started with three one-on-ones, then a ninety-minute strategy session....and then I went straight into a team fun event, which involved a virtual drag queen performance while playing bingo and making cocktails. Part of my team is in Europe and so it's impossible to find an event that works for everyone, and making a cocktail (which I only had a few sips of, but I wanted to show it was okay if other people wanted to) at 11:30am is a little ridiculous. But I'm sure the person who just joined my team and is on her second day at the company decided that this is the most amazing place ever!

sssanyway, after that I ate lunch while sitting in the sun, which was the best part of the day. Then I had meetings and worked the rest of the day. I ate some cheese and salami to tide me over while I talked to my parents, and then I messed around on my phone, and then I eventually made a late dinner (the tuscan kale and sausage pasta that I've made before - it wasn't quite as good as usual, but it sufficed). And then I started a book (SUNNY SONG WILL NEVER BE FAMOUS) - it's a YA novel about a teenage YouTube influencer who gets sent to a digital detox farm in Iowa for the summer. Hilariously, the author seemed to pick *my actual county* off the map to set it in (Promise City does seem like the right name for a town where a digital detox camp is located, but the actual Promise City doesn't have much going on), and nothing about it is at all accurate, but I'm enjoying the story so far.

And now, I think I should go to bed - goodnight!

if the world would only know what you've been holding back

Today was a fast and brutal slog - I have a lot going on at work, and I should have done some stuff this weekend and did not. So, I worked all day with basically no breaks. But I did sign off around 5:30 to get ready for dinner, and then I picked up my friend Kelly and we went to Rioja.

When I go out in Denver I almost never bother to go downtown, since Katie and I usually stick around our neighborhood - but Kelly and I were talking about the need to try other restaurants, so Rioja was our first attempt. It's on Larimer, and that block has been shut down to traffic and feels very festive, with lots of outdoor seating for lots of restaurants. All in all, it was a delightful evening - I wasn't quite as impressed with the food as I thought I would be (my halibut was slightly overcooked, and I didn't care for the dessert - but I'm really not a dessert person anyway). But the ambiance was fantastic, and Kelly and I had a really good time, so it was a v. fun excursion even if it was v. weird to be out on a Monday.

Then I got home, relaxed for a bit, and worked for the last hour and a half to get through some stuff for tomorrow. And now I really should decompress and go to sleep - goodnight!

touch it, bring it, babe, watch it, turn it, leave it, stop, format it

I thought I was lazy yesterday, but I was also lazy today. That means I should probably get up early to get some work done in the morning that I had intended to do today, but I'm not too worried about that. And I suppose that getting some sleep today (between sleeping in + taking an hour-long nap around lunch) was what I needed more than anything.

I did do a bit of writing this morning, and I did three loads of laundry, and I cleaned out my fridge. I also planted multiple planters of stuff - I have planted all but one planter of stuff that I bought over the last couple of weeks, so if I can get that done in the next couple of days, I'll feel pretty good about it. I also talked to my parents, picked up pizza (that should have been groceries + cooking, but I am not in the cooking mood right now), and then spent a long time talking to [censored] while he drove home.

And now I should probably sleep if I'm going to get tings done tomorrow - goodnight!

homecoming parade as we renegade

I had a somewhat lazy day, but I'm pretty sure that's what I needed. I didn't totally get out of bed until after ten, since I stayed up so late reading last night - but my sleep from eight to ten was fitful, since my body is getting old and isn't used to sleeping in anymore. I'm sure it could get back to its preferred 2am - 10am cycle if given half a chance, but I need to go to bed immediately so that I don't accidentally reset to that and then screw up my whole work week.

Anyway, I finally got out of bed, had some coffee and a bagel, and made some lists of things I needed to do + wrote a bit in my journal. Then I got a haircut - it was only my second haircut in the past ~2yrs, which is odd since I used to go to the salon in SF every 3-4wks to get my bangs trimmed professionally. My hair is still long by normal standards, but I took off 3-4", so hopefully the worst of the overgrown weediness is gone.

Then I came home and almost immediately left again - I walked down the street to El Camino, which is my favorite nearby Mexican place, and had a mid-afternoon solo happy hour with nachos, margaritas, some very good journaling about my current writing project, and time to finish the book I started last night. I've deeply missed going to bars and writing / reading / people watching, so this was a good way to ease back into that. And I've also deeply missed nachos, which were not a good takeout food, so this fulfilled several of my desires.

Then I came home, attempted to tell myself to be productive, and instead took a long nap. And then I actually managed to rally into some productivity after - nothing too exciting, just paying bills and taking care of various tings online. And now I really do need to sleep - goodnight!

come sail away

I'm deep in a book hangover, which I've made worse for myself tonight. I woke up this morning just in time to shower quickly before starting my meetings, and then I slogged pretty hard all day. When I was done around six, I was done done....so I ordered takeout and finished the book I started last night. Then I promptly bought the next book in the series and read most of it too. And who knows - maybe I'll read all weekend, but I also need to do some gardening and writing and cooking and day job work and peloton, so we'll see.

But now I really need to sleep - goodnight!

don't stop make it pop

I should have gone to bed an hour or two ago. But after work today (which was good, but long), I didn't feel like doing anything at all. I did convince myself to write for thirty minutes, but then I ate some leftovers, started a book...and, as usual, sat unmoving for the last four and a half hours reading it. This is why I do not start books on school nights (and rarely on weekends).

But that's a problem that Tomorrow Sara will have to deal with - right now, it's time for bed. Goodnight!