pause

A quick business trip (there and back in one day) on Thursday with the big boss, then a little heart to heart yesterday, followed by team outing to see Star Wars, and hot pot out with friends, and that brings 2019 at work to a close. 

The next two weeks should be quiet: some errands (five accomplished in two hours today!), lots of reading, pajama time, sewing, and some time with friends.

weekend recovery

Really rough week at work, followed by the exact weekend I needed: dinner and concert with friends, sleeping in and napping on and off until 4, TV and reading, and now a sewing night with some girl friends.

lady of leisure

It's busy, not working!! I've mended sweaters, bought materials to try making a shirt, prepared to mend jeans, made bread, done yoga, practiced guitar, read books, gotten my car serviced, taken Henry on another swim date, and gone up to the city to visit with friends in town from Switzerland (I haven't seen them outside of a group in years, and it reminded me why I like them so much). Boyfriend is visiting family for a few days, but he left coffee and food for me, the house is a wreck, and I've got so much more to do, it's a good thing I have two more weeks to keep doing so much nothing.

just getting started

Hot day yesterday, so we had a swimming party with the dogs (which Henry was skeptical about, but we'll try again). Got an overdue pedicure and did yoga today, then escaped to the city to beat the heat -- picked up a scarf and boots my friend was holding for me, mended a sweater, then another friend joined us and we grabbed boba, then picked up a few things in Japantown before meeting yet another friend for ramen and a nice walk before heading back down. My big plans for the week revolve around sleeping, reading, playing board games, catching up with friends, going back to the dog-friendly restaurant, working my way down a list of errands and chores and other things that I've been avoiding or putting off.

saturday

After making my first loaf of sourdough yesterday, I successfully made a pillow in sewing class, and the teacher figured out why my sewing machine was doing weird things before. Started book #3 for the weekend today, caught up with long distance bestie on the phone, and stuffed myself silly with sourdough and some excellent cheese and cured meats. Dinner and lazy board games with Boyfriend tonight, and there's still another day of weekending tomorrow!

no plans

Long weekend, and no big travel plans, just lots of little local plans. Played almost five hours of board games today, with more planned for tomorrow. Had a Plated box delivered to make a few meals at home. Have big sleeping, reading, and guitar practice goals. Prepping my sourdough starter to bake my first loaf from scratch (a three day process). Taking a sewing class to finally figure out how to use the sewing machine. Considering options to dye a sweater and another shirt.

read more

Perfect reading situation: finish a fun, lighthearted book, then start a beautifully written one about Achilles and Patroclus. Two ends of the literary spectrum (the... reading rainbow).

ahh

Sunny Saturday on the couch, reading a fun book while the laundry does its thing.

santa barbara saturday

Slept in late, had a leisurely lunch with a college friend, baked in the sauna, soaked in the hot tub, then lolled around in a bubble bath in my room. Next up, dinner with the lawyer who brought me down here, then reading until bedtime.

needed that

A few days in the city I love best with some of my favorite people, away from the smoke and the bubble world of the Valley. I decorated a Christmas tree for the first time in decades, drank lots of wine, and got a bit of a reset. Read a book on the plane ride back, met Boyfriend at the airport. Back in time to still have a full weekend before going back to work.

saturday is best

A pretty chill Friday at work, capped off with a stunning sunset on the drive home. But today is Saturday, and Saturday is the best day. Had a 90 minute massage that turned into a 130 minute massage, then returned a bunch of stuff at three stores (I think my returns are almost done, just maybe three more items and I'm done for a long time, as I'm starting a shopping fast for the next 6-12 months). The rest of the weekend will be spent reading, preparing for camp, watching TV, and doing some yoga.

a good weekend

Stayed home with the dogs yesterday to give Boyfriend some time with his friends, and got lots done for camp and to decide what to return from my last gasp of orders before going on a no-new-clothes fast for a year, in between reading and dancing around the house to 80's playlists. Today, went for soup dumplings, then went and returned a bunch of stuff at a few stores, only picking up a spare pair of my new favorite pajama pants (seriously the best for so many reasons), and some more face wipes while I do this no-washing-the-face thing until my brows are totally settled. Also, after all that anxiety and second guessing... the brows and eyeliner are amazing and I wish I had done it sooner! And I'm back on the yoga wagon, sort of. Two weekends in a row of two sessions in a weekend.

unexpected happies

Friday night with coworkers unexpectedly turned a bit crazy, in a throwback to my 20s, including the part where I woke up magically without a hangover. Saturday, got a morning smog check (hello, adulting), a birthday hair cut and color, a quick video call with my Zurich crew, yoga, and then dinner in Alameda with a former coworker and my best friend from kindergarten (whose husband is awesome, as it turns out). And now, a day to just read and stay in...

big day

40!! Perfect day to finish off a great weekend. Friday, got to try a 50-year old whiskey at work, then went for lobster rolls with Boyfriend and college friends who were in town. Yesterday, went for soup dumplings with Boyfriend, a work buddy, and my friend that he's dating, then went out for cocktails and way too much dinner with one of my girl friends. Today, I lazed around a bit before doing a bit of yoga, taking care of Henry's weekly hygiene routine, and running a few errands (including lots of returns), timing them perfectly (this is so satisfying) to arrive at the spa with enough time to settle in and relax before my massage. Drank a glass of birthday champagne and read for a while before then indulging in 45 minutes of sauna, steam room, and cold showers, then scrubbed up and came home to eat a home cooked meal with Boyfriend.

This is just the beginning, and 40 is already looking pretty great.

day of rest

And after a day of being out and about, doing things, seeing people, it's lovely to have a day of staying in bed in pajamas, reading and dozing.

ten

It was a three book weekend, which means that May is the first ten book month since December (which in turn was the first ten book month since November 2016).

long weekend

Low key long weekends are the best: hanging out with friends at home and experimenting with baking sourdough bread, playing Super Nintendo, sleeping, reading...

reading again

After an embarrassingly slow start to the year, May is turning into a good reading month. It may even end up being a ten booker.

breaking it down

So in retrospect, it was a nearly perfect weekend, and it's because it had a bunch of different things: gorgeous weather, chill time with the dog and Boyfriend, books and TV, girl friends and gossip, double date cards and absurd musical instruments, returning things for refunds, overdue pedicure, incredible massage with unexpected foot crack, and steam room. Need to remember this secret formula for the future...

fun fun fun

Sunny day, games and wine with girl friends, cards and dinner at home, binge watching a new show, returning things for a refund, pedicure and a book, and a massage -- it's looking like an awesome weekend.