absence of pain

There's nothing like a three day skull crusher of a headache to make you appreciate the simple joy of not having a headache.

back on track

Long weekend came just in time for me to get my reading back on track for 100 for the year.

taste the rainbow

There are so many different kinds of cheese, and so many of them are delicious.

that feeling when

Client signed off, saying she's unplugging for the long weekend, and I've got six books from the library with nothing to distract me other than a couple errands (returning things, which is basically one of my favorite hobbies), a barbeque, and board games. And TiVo.

get moving

The weekend in New Orleans and a team thing at work have finally (after about nine months off) motivated me to start caring about walking more again.

long weekend plans

We didn't really plan anything, but somehow the long weekend is getting filled with plans: dinner with a friend, afternoon barbeque with other friends, board games with another set.

tgif

Fun new hat, cafe au lait, food tour, comfortable new sandals, only a little bit of rain, dinner at our favorite place from last time, great live music, no line for late night Cafe st Monde beignets on the way back to the hotel, no rain in tomorrow's forecast.

the big easy

Long weekend in New Orleans started off with a bang. I haven't seen this much lightning and heard this much thunder in maybe ten years. We got upgraded to a hotel suite that might be bigger than our house, so we have plenty of windows to watch.

note to self

Take note, lazy self: this solo yoga at home thing takes the minimum amount of time and effort, and it always makes your back feel better and your breath come easier.

bananas

We had some over ripe bananas, and Boyfriend turned them into banana muffins with stuff we already had in our house. I've never had a pantry with enough stuff in it to make unexpected baked goods without a trip to the grocery store. They're delicious, especially with the brown sugar crumble on top.

learn something new

My sister adds flour to the water in the pan when making potstickers, resulting in more of the crispy, crunchy part of the dumplings. Didn't think my dumpling cooking technique was going to change after all these years, but it has.

perchance to dream

Boyfriend is sick, so he slept in the guest room, and I had the best night of sleep I've had in a while, which only ended with the delivery of a fresh cup of coffee to my nightstand.

timing is everything

When the audiobook you're waitlisted for becomes available on the day that you're finishing the last one.

dry

Having a working dryer continues to be amazing. After over two years of worrying every time we needed to dry any sheets or towels (much less extra loads of sheets and towels after having guests), it's kind of mind boggling to just be able to wash and dry several loads of laundry in a row without incident or delay.

best guests

My sister's family is the kind that shows up, cooks lots of delicious food, and when you turn around, the dishes are all clean, and there are cuts of sashimi grade salmon in your freezer and aged steaks in your fridge.

compare and contrast

House full of five adults, three kids, and a dog suddenly dropped down to just me and the dog. Fun times with family, lots of food and no time to think about work, and now some time to read and be quiet. I had set aside some clothes for my niece to check out, and she is a total clothes hound, so some of my favorite shirts, sweaters, and dresses will get a second life. My sister and brother-in-law brought me a thoughtful gift for no reason. My dog got lots of attention without any effort from me.

we are family

Sister's family is camping in our house for the weekend for food, folks, and fun, which is just what I need to disconnect my brain from its usual annoying rut.

oh deer

Rescued this guy from my dog and the fence yesterday. Cuteness overload.

moving on

Sometimes it's just time to move on. Seems like that time comes a little bit sooner with each iteration.

treasure at home

I have been coveting the California poppies that grow wild every spring, and lo and behold, there is a clump growing wild on the edge of our front yard. Breed and spread, poppies, and come back every year.

bright college years

College friend in town = excuse to round up another college friend and go get pedicures. We can't possibly have known each other for almost 20 years, can we?