moving along

Moving offices again, within the same building, and the new desk is pretty sweet. Window seat, more light overall, good lounge spaces, and a massage room right down the hall (which I might take advantage of if any of my favorite therapists get scheduled there). Building cafe should open up soon, too. And Fiver got his security badge today. Another week at Google.

ten down

Today, I have officially lost ten pounds, and am back to what I would consider my "normal" range! I'll keep going for a while longer for good measure, but I'm pleased that the last couple of months of doing something (diet and exercise) were so much more effective than the last year or so of just thinking about it. It seems obvious that that would be the case, but I was a little worried that maybe diet and exercise wouldn't work, and I'd be stuck suffering at the gym and not eating as much junk food for nothing.

bun in the oven

The bun was incredible.

Boyfriend had the patience to put it in the oven to heat up before we ate it, and it's a good thing he did, because there were hidden pockets of chocolate inside that turned extra gooey and delicious. I was worried that no cinnamon bun could live up to my day-long expectations, but a warm cinnamon bun with secret chocolate exceeded my expectations.

wait for it

One of the reasons I've resisted the Halloween candy today is because I've been looking forward to eating this cinnamon roll that we got at dinner last night all day. It smells even better than it looks.

trick or treat

I bought a ton of candy for Halloween, and have managed not to eat any of it yet, even though I worked from home today.

date night

Aw, Boyfriend just asked me to go to the movies with him tomorrow night to see a movie I've been wanting to see for a while (Looper).

four more years

Happy anniversary to us!

security

Just found out yesterday that if I submit a photo and a request, the security team will make my dog a just-for-fun employee badge. Why not? After all, he does come to work every day. I'll get him one and see if he'll wear it.

happy donutversary

My four year anniversary with Boyfriend is coming up, and the big news is that we figured out where we want to go for dinner: Baker & Banker. Burrata, crispy beef cheeks, poached eggs, slow roasted pork shoulder, maple glazed bacon donuts with bourbon cheesecake filling, and pumpkin gingersnap tarts are making our anniversary look even more worth celebrating!

day one

First day back in my normal/skinny jeans!

that's hot

Simple pleasure: sitting in front of a space heater when it starts to get chilly.

downsizing

It might be time to go back to wearing my normal jeans again.

at long last

One of my favorite books of all time is Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. I read it in 1993. I had the good fortune of meeting the author when he came to Google in 2008, and mentioned wistfully that I loved Haroun, and he said that he had been meaning to write another like it. It turns out that he did, in 2010, but I only found out about it now. I got it from the library, and can't wait to read it.

cancellation

Sometimes it feels good to cancel an obligation and reclaim the time for my own purposes.

zzz

Sudden, irresistible nap on the bean bag. Fiver joined me for part of it.

red

I went and got a haircut today, and had my red streak redone, and it definitely came out pretty red this time. And my salon had sent me a birthday card with 25% off. Fun hair and a bargain!

lucky

I got rear ended today, but no one got hurt, and there's just a little scratch on my car. Could have been worse.

tgis

I thought it was Sunday, but it's Saturday!

what's your emergency

We were at a restaurant for dinner, and a man at a nearby table collapsed rather suddenly. I called 911 for the first time ever, which was kind of exciting in a somewhat inappropriate way. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as it is on TV. I was surprised, however, by how many people did absolutely nothing after he collapsed. It felt good to be doing something. He seemed ok by the time the paramedics finished with him. So that was an exciting evening in the suburbs.

bam

The second half of this week suddenly turned into a few simultaneous emergencies, so I organized them as much as possible, and was able to resolve two of them yesterday. Just six more to go. It feels good to get things done, even the panic is rather enlivening.

good old days

Good friend from my Zurich days is in town for a quick visit, and it's the most 1:1 time we've had since I left. It had been really good to see him, catch up, reminisce about our trips to Kenya and Bonaire, talk about when we were office mates... As we were reflecting on those days, we really concluded that those were golden days of friends, travel, silliness, and exploration. Golden days.

master of the universe

I took some of my new headache medication yesterday, then we watched some TV. It had been over 25 years since the last time I watched He-Man, and it was hilarious and confusing in so many ways.

how things change

Actually kind of looking forward to a six hour class on tort law tomorrow, partly because it might be if practical use, and partly because I'll get to see some of my coworkers from Legal, whom I rarely see these days.

best medicine

My coworker's wife gave me a few samples from her clinic to try out for my headaches, which have been attacking with sporadic ferocity in the past few months, sometimes for a week at a time. I am no longer afraid of when the next one will hit.

mission accomplished

Just used up the last of my prepaid balance on Google Wallet, just days before they switch everything over to credit cards. Whew!

small packages

Tiny little Reese's cups to toss into the brownies I'm making tonight!

morning routine

The best mornings are weekend mornings. Wake up a little too early, eat a yogurt or some fruit, read a bit, fall back asleep. Repeat at least once more before actually getting up.

home cooking

We went to see my parents for dinner, and my mom had cooked ten dishes!!

little things

Eight perfectly cooked pan fried dumplings. They usually come out well, but it is rare that they come out perfectly. Note to self: cook with shallow water and lid on with burner set to 4 until the water is almost gone, then lower heat to 2 until done.

import

Gummy candy from Switzerland, courtesy of a five-minute acquaintance (and now new hero) I met a few months ago!

staying on target

I'm a few days ahead of schedule to read 150 books this year (and having a little buffer is always good), AND I'm over 80% of the way to my goal of losing ten pounds.

freebies

I always take such care picking the free samples that come with each order from Sephora, and then promptly forget about them once they arrive. I dug a bunch out and have been trying them, and it's fun, even if I'm probably not going to buy any of them.

girls girls girls

Friday plus girls' night means lots of wine, gossip, and raucous laughter.

shockingly delicious

resolutions

I've been making really good progress on one of my resolutions for the year (losing ten pounds), and doing a respectable job on two others (being more social and positive), so I have turned my focus to my fourth resolution (giving more).

Today, I spent an hour making a bunch of donations to some of my favorite organizations and filing for gift matching from my company (which helps me keep my resolution, but also just feels good). Last week, I spent a couple hours working on some legal stuff for my college choir. Yes, it's already Q4, but better to jam a lot into Q4 than to slack off and not keep it at all. I'm feeling good about my resolutions this year.

crying

I love it when Boyfriend makes me laugh until I cry, especially when he's making me laugh at myself. Even more especially when he's making fun of me making fun of him.

heaven

I went in for a massage today, and it went a little long. About fifteen minutes long. Bliss.

taco day

I was really hoping that today would be Hawaiian taco day in the cafe in the Legal building, and it is!!! Definitely glad I decided to sit here today.

book of mormon

My awesome sister was able to get us tickets to see The Book of Mormon at the end of November! I love having something to look forward to.

rolling

Fiver and I recorded a brief session today that may end up in a video about what our group does. They even got a few closeups of him.

let's do lunch

Lots of random lunches and meet-ups with old friends, former clients, visitors, and minor Google celebrities these next few weeks.

pants

Pretty sure that the last time I fit into these pants was two years ago.

twisted

I am really lazy about my hair. I wash it, I brush it, and sometimes I put it in a ponytail. This is what I've done with it for the last 20 years. I often wish there were a way for me to have more of a hair style without requiring any effort or maintenance on my part, and usually, when I ask the hair stylist about this, the "low maintenance" suggestion starts with a hair dryer or a curling iron, and I zone out. The last time I went in, however, she suggested a bun with a bit of a twist that is easier to do when my hair is wet (big bonus, since I never dry it), and really only takes two minutes to do (despite my lack of skills or patience), and it has become my go-to ponytail alternative. Even better, people comment on it all the time, so apparently it looks better than a two-minute, wet haired, lazy hairstyle. All-around win.