ottoman empire

Made a slipcover for our ratty ottoman, and it's like new! No need to waste the old one or buy a new one. Next up, designing and making slipcovers for our dining chairs, which will be much harder and more tedious...

tasty wines

Went to a wine tasting fundraiser at a friend's house over the weekend. Tasted lots of great wines, and accidentally won a lot of silent auctions to support girls and dogs. Worth it.

pop

One week into rebooting yoga, and I just had the most satisfying lower back crack where it has been jammed up for a while.

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.

back at it

My back has been much neglected, so I'm starting up with yoga again, and for a birthday treat on Monday, I'll be going in for a massage, sauna, steam room, and facial.

sunday

Fed the sourdough starter, did yoga for the first time in a few months, did Henry's teeth and nails, practiced guitar, dyed two shirts and (more daringly) a wool cardigan, made dinner, and watched two wonderfully awful Christmas movies (because Hallmark now shows them for two weeks in July!). A nice, puttering day at home to end the long weekend.

sixth visit

Sixth time in prison, and this time, I brought my manager and a teammate. It's been almost a year since the last time, and it's been too long! Saw some of my old guys, met some new ones, got lots of stickers and high fives, a rose, a handmade bracelet, and all the feelz.

believe in dog

Friend's dog got hit by a car a week ago. A few of us pulled together a bunch of online auctions and other fundraising efforts with internet strangers, and raised almost $5000 to help with the bills.

irl

Met a friend in real life for the first time. Drank a bottle of wine, ate some cheese, traded some clothes, and dropped off a bunch of clothes for donation. Not bad for a Sunday.

Yesterday, had maybe 16-18 people over to eat snacks, drink leftover booze from camp, and look at pictures (which we turned into a drinking game).

A good social weekend at home after a tough week at 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...

must love dogs

When your CEO casually donates to your birthday fundraiser for your dog's shelter, and you have to raise the fundraising goal because he already doubled it.

try try again

After 15 months of inactivity except when absolutely required, I just did yoga again.

the good fight

Current politics are so discouraging, but reading #HomeToVote tweets from Irish diaspora going back to Ireland to repeal the abortion ban reminded me that progress is worth the pain.

defy the odds

Went back to prison on Thursday to see some of my guys graduate. It blows my mind how easy it is to relate to each other, and touches my heart that they remembered me after seven months. It was like seeing old friends, one of whom even gave me a bottle of the sauce he made, that we'd talked about last time. I brought a law school friend, and he was really amazed by the experience. I thought it was a happy, lighthearted visit, comparatively speaking, but my dreams that night made me continue some of the mental and emotional exercises, and it ended up being both heavy and illuminating after the fact.

pack it up

Volunteer day at work, and we sorted, labeled, and packed almost 5,000 pounds of canned goods. Plus, we got new hoodies and went out for ice cream.

fourth time

I learn something new every time I go to prison. These guys get me right in the feels, telling me that they've talked about me and thought about me since the last time I was here, that they think I'm strong and that my strength inspires them, that they want me to meet their families...

second to last

Almost the last day of the year, and I managed to return library books, sort through a bunch of clothes and books and donate them, redo my purple hair dye, and firm up plans for tomorrow to pick up my mentee, go to brunch and a sing along Sound of Music with my sister and a former work friend, and go to a New Year's Eve party. I think my reading total for the year will be 65; nowhere near where it's been for the past seven years, but still quite respectable, given the hours I've been working.

do gooders

Team volunteer event today, and fourteen of us sorted and packed over 5,000 pounds of food!