recent records

Found this picture of Fiver from a few years ago. He was staying with my friends, and they caught him sunbathing. It's funny to compare the older pictures when he was slim and spry, with this one, where he's... not so slim. He's back somewhere in between now, in a happy-grumpy state of senior citizenship.

share

Found out over the weekend that Amazon is going to start letting Kindle users loan books to each other. I only have a few friends who have Kindles, but I'm still glad they're adding this. 

sweet dreams

I didn't sleep very deeply last night, but I had a lot of dreams that were funny enough to wake me up several times, from laughing out loud.

bright light

The moon is bright enough tonight that it casts visible squares of light through the skylights in my house onto the floor.

hearsay

My friend passed along a complimentary comment that her friend had said about me.  So sweet of her, and the secondhand nature somehow makes it seem more sincere.

nori and aloe

They've been stocking a lot of nori (crispy seaweed) and aloe drinks in the microkitchens at work lately, which has been convenient, as I'm on one of my periodic nori and aloe addiction cycles.

payoff

I've been going to get allergy shots for the last fifteen months, initially twice a week, then once a week, and now every other week, and there have been two benefits: (1) a decrease in my allergies to cats and dust (which was expected), and (2) a new indifference to needles (which probably should have been expected, but I didn't really think about it until I noticed that I no longer cringe and whine about getting shots, like today's flu shot).

inbox schminbox

I got my personal inbox down to 40, and my work inbox down to seven (a few of which are only there as reminders, so it could be even lower, at least until I wake up tomorrow with replies to everything I sent out and a batch of brand new problems). This is a new personal best, even better than when I posted this.

life in the spaceship

I have an aunt who sends out emails with subject lines like "Life in the spaceship." The body of the email is in Chinese, which I can't read. I love the randomness.

relief

My dog always gets really hyper and excited after I give him a bath, trim his nails, brush his teeth, and clean his ears. It's pretty funny to watch. It must be partly because he knows he gets treats after suffering through such mistreatment, but I think he probably also is just giddy with relief with having gotten through it, sort of the way I feel when I finish up at the dentist.

oldie but goodie

My favorite sandwich when I was little was peanut butter and brown sugar. No one else thinks it sounds good, but it really was the best. I haven't had one in many years, but I'm having one for dinner tonight!

archives

After looking through a lot of old pre-digital pictures, I decided to scan a couple and post them on Facebook. Based on the reaction, I'm not the only one who gets a kick out of the old pictures, so I'm going to start doing a few here, a few there. So many to pick from, I don't know where to start...

efficiency

I'm going up to the city tomorrow, and I managed to schedule the visit for maximum efficiency. One trip up to the city = lunch with a long lost high school friend, drive by meetings of two new babies, and dinner with my sister and her family.

first time

I was running late for a doctor's appointment today, and the only nearby parking spot was a parallel parking spot. I never learned how to parallel park, and although people have tried to explain the concept to me, it never registered. I always just find perpendicular parking, find parking at the front or back of a row of parallel spots, or get someone else to do the parking. Today, I had no options (and the spot was a pretty big one), and somehow, I managed to get into the spot without much back and forth, and to get the car almost parallel to the curb.

This may be the only time it ever happens, because I still don't know how I got the car into the spot, but I'm surprised and pleased, anyways.

t's and i's

I've felt a little bit guilty (for no particular reason) about not tagging the posts in this blog. I've always liked for things to be categorized and labeled (which you might not suspect, since I'm not always the most organized or neat person, but categorizing and organizing are not necessarily the same thing). Today I stopped feeling guilty and started tagging (work in progress). I've even started putting together another blog that my boyfriend thought would be a good idea. And I did this on top of all of the work (and random pre-trip madness) that I'm trying to wrap up before we go for a very quick trip to upstate New York for a wedding (I doubt we'll have time or Internet there, hence the rush to get everything done before we leave). I think I deserve a pat on the head.

distraction

I like when people I know have meetings in the conference room that's right by my office, because it has glass walls, and I can dance around and make faces to try to distract them.

lol

Oh, Internet, you always give me something to laugh about. I'm loving the Hyperbole and a Half blog these days, and wondering if the writer is my long-lost Caucasian brain twin.

81

My Kindle's "birthday" is on Wednesday, and I've been busy reading short books and polishing off half-finished books in my spare time. I just finished off one more, #81 (while cuddling with my snoring, paws-twitching-in-his-sleep dog), and I think that's going to be the final tally for Year One, as the next book I want to tackle is almost 900 pages, which is not going to happen in the next day and a half. I'm very pleased with 81, especially considering that my original goal was 40 books a year, which kept getting bumped up, first to 52, then 60, then 70 or 75.

tamed

A wicked beast of a deal (with a wicked beast of a lawyer) finally closed today.

clean

My two favorite pairs of jeans were in the laundry, and now they're clean! This is a big deal, since I wear jeans to work every day, and being forced to wear less-favored jeans was seriously irritating.

weekend update

In just one weekend, I've turned two drafts for an urgent deal, taken a nap, read a book, shopped for and attended a bling-themed party up in the city, had a long conversation with my boyfriend about my strange family dynamics, gone out for brunch, done two loads of laundry and one load of dishes, gotten a facial, gone to the library, and hit the ATM. Now I'm going to polish off books 80 and perhaps even 81. I should be a professional weekender.

first

I just heard an ice cream truck in real life for the first time.

records

I was digging back through old pictures last night, and came across a lot of funny memories. I need to get a photo scanner before the pictures disintegrate or are lost. They are already completely disorganized. There are about eight years of pictures in there, in no order whatsoever.
I found these pictures of my dog from about six or seven years ago, still looking young and spry.

work perk

There was a caramel apple station at lunch today. I find caramel apples to be messy and difficult to eat, so the woman chopped up the apple and gave me a bowl of caramel sauce for dipping.

less is more

I defriended an acquaintance on Facebook today, after many months of finding all of her Facebook activity supremely irritating (spammy messages, constant updates asking people to buy her prints or "Like" her gallery, awkward semi-nude profile pictures, and weird non sequitur updates straight out of the trash bin of a failed romance writer). I don't know why I waited until now, because it was so annoying for all of that time, and so satisfying once I finally told Facebook that yes, I really wanted to remove that friend. It's like finally killing a mosquito that has been in your room for ages -- it didn't really cause you that much harm, but you're so much happier once it's gone.

free

The cafes at work were giving these away for free today! $11 seems expensive for a 140 page book, but free is a bargain :)

greater expectations

Despite the fact that I've been super-busy at work lately, and despite the return of TV, I've managed to hit 75 books, and I still have ten days to go until the end of my one-year cutoff. I'm thinking I might hit 77 or even 78. What's especially surprising is that more than half of those have been since early July. If I keep going like this, I should set my sights higher next year and go for 100 or 150 in a year.

say cheese

Mac and cheese for dinner! My sister and I used to eat it for lunch when we were home alone, my college roommate taught me to add cream cheese to make it richer, and my dearest friend in Zurich introduced me to Annie's, so it has lots of good associations. Plus it's easy.

weekend

I had a work thing last night, and the uselessly competitive side of me derived some satisfaction when my team won the trivia game. Got home, did some work, managed to fall asleep without pills (which, at least for me, is much harder than it sounds), slept harder than I've slept in months, and had hilarious dreams the whole time. I woke up convinced it was Monday, and was pleasantly surprised that it's Saturday.

prank hard or go home

This is what we did to the work station of one of my coworkers while she was on vacation. We put most of her things in there with her desk, chair, phone, and monitor, including her scissors and most of her knick knacks. It took her a while to get access...

back to back

I managed to book back-to-back chair massages at the end of a very full (but productive) day, and the double massages then went into overtime.

end of drought

And just like that, all of my shows have returned, and TiVo has lots of new shows waiting for me, as if the summer break never happened...

change

The first thing I do when I come home, no matter what time of day it is, is to change into my pajamas.

wag

There is little that is more heartening than an ecstatic dog who is happy to see you, thrilled to get a treat, vocally appreciative of your skills as a masseuse, tolerant of the indignities you visit upon him, and content to get tucked in at night in preparation for another day of the same.

more ahh

Pancakes in bed, some errands, grape soda, fresh pedicure, another book finished and five new ones to start.

ahh

This was the most frantic week I've had in a long time, probably since last November. Yesterday, after just getting a draft out under the wire, I went straight from work to a fun dinner and drinks with friends. Stayed up late talking, despite being exhausted (sustained brain work is so physically draining, which is something that never stops surprising me), then slept in. I stayed awake for almost two hours, then succumbed to an amazing, dream-filled three hour nap. Ran a quick errand, finished the tail ends of two more books, made dinner and watched TV with my boyfriend, and then he gave me a 90 minute backrub while we chatted and caught up on all of the gossip and nonsense that is usually scattered throughout the week when we're less busy.

So productive, but in all the best ways.

working for the weekend

Thursday and Friday were pretty much the same as Wednesday: Lots of frantic phone calls and meetings, lots of drafting, lots of forgotten meals -- I think I spent 24 out of 48 hours working on one document, (and a lot of other time trying to cram other work in between the Big Thing I was working on) which is kind of sad. But the important thing is that I got the most urgent thing out the door on Friday at 6:30, so I think I've bought myself a pass for the weekend :)

going to 11

I put in a really intense thirteen hour workday yesterday, got a ton done, got home, booked plane tickets for an upcoming wedding, did all of my physical therapy exercises, and still made it in by 9:30 today to do it all over again. Hoping that today will be more like a ten hour workday, but I'm pretty pleased with how much I've been getting done this week.

i like them odds

There's a good chance I'll close a dozen deals in the next week or so, which would be a huge relief.

Also, there were poached eggs with tomatoes and crispy parmesan wafers for breakfast in the cafe today!

greener

My town recently started providing compost pickup on recycling day, and stopped requiring that recycling be pre-sorted. It's getting easier and easier to be less wasteful, which appeals to both my lazy side and my environmentally guilty side.

new beginnings

Although I love summer above all other seasons, and have really been enjoying my gluttonous reading habit for the last few months, I have to admit that the appearance on my TiVo of a new episode of one of my most guilty TV pleasures gave me a real thrill, partly because I want to see the show, and partly because it is a harbinger of all of the other season premieres that are coming oh so soon.

dream world

I love when my boyfriend tells me about odd things I say when I'm asleep or falling asleep. It's always an amusing way to start the day.

Apparently, last night as I was falling asleep, we were having a conversation, but I started dreaming at the same time. He was answering some question I had asked, and I said, "You're interrupting my dream! I was dreaming about a giant ball of duct tape." I then told him to continue with his story. After he finished, I said, "What did I tell you about my dream before? [I had apparently forgotten already.] I was having such a good dream."

I'm curious what a "good dream" about a "giant ball of duct tape" would be.

aww

My toilet must have really missed me. It has reached new levels of song, sometimes whooping continuously for the full two minutes it takes for my electric toothbrush to go through a brushing cycle.

back to work

It's great to come back from vacation and have the first day back be a Friday. I don't think I've done it this way before, but it does make the transition smoother.

Also, tomorrow is my boyfriend's birthday, and while we were away, a bunch of our coworkers decorated his office for him. Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but those aren't presents. They just wrapped whatever happened to be on his desk at the time in Disney Princess wrapping paper: empty cups and beer bottles, dirty plates, USB cables, mouse pad, etc. It was pretty awesome. Thus inspired, I wrapped him in streamers. Unfortunately, he only kept the streamers on for a few minutes, saying that they were interfering with his ability to work.

home sweet home

We landed early, our luggage came quickly, we immediately caught a cab and got our car, then picked up my dog. Made it home, with only one minor mishap, when I had to borrow a neighbor's phone to get my boyfriend to come back when I accidentally locked myself out when taking out the trash. Oops.

Seven and a half days, six and a half books, seven dives -- not a bad way to spend a week. The nasty cough and the work weren't ideal, but it was still great to get away from my routine for a while.

Also, nothing makes me happier that I don't have kids than sitting near shrieking children on a plane. Such a relief to retreat back to my life, where most of the noise is made by me.

meat loaf

Earlier today, my boyfriend exclaimed in a horrified tone that he smelled "like a soapy meatloaf." I tortured him (and myself) by playing three or four Meat Loaf songs (did you know that some of his songs last eight minutes???) on YouTube. The sacrifices I make in exchange for the joy of tormenting him...

i spy

The hotel has wireless, and I've been logging in all week to stay on top of work, and last night, I opened up iTunes because I wanted to play a particular song, and I realized that some people in the hotel were sharing their entire music libraries with anyone else who happened to be logged into the hotel network and using iTunes. We spent an embarrassing amount of time snooping through people's libraries and snickering at (and playing parts of) their collections of Ace of Base, Spice Girls, ZZ Top, Megadeth, and Fine Young Cannibals.

recharge

Nothing like a fantastic night dive with mantas swooping and flipping around my head for 40 minutes, then a shower to wash the ocean away, then a solid nine hours of sleep, and finally waking up to an inbox that doesn't have a single email that requires immediate reply (yet). I'm sure stuff will start coming in, but for now, my vacation continues...

charge

I charged my Kindle and loaded it up with books before coming on the trip, and decided not to bring the charger, reasoning that it would just take up more space, and that there was no way I could possibly read enough to use up the charge in one week. You can read a lot before you need to charge it.

But I've been reading a lot. I'm halfway through my fifth book, and we still have three days (including a plane ride) to go. Being the type of person who is inclined to start worrying before anything actually happens, I was fretting about the possibility that the charge wouldn't last, and that I might have to buy a paper book for the plane ride.

Today, however, I discovered that my phone charger can actually charge my Kindle, which was a happy moment. It's such a strangely shaped charger, and I only tried it on a desperate whim. I can now read as much as I want to without worrying that I'll run out of battery at the beginning of my plane ride back. And now I know for the future that I can leave the Kindle charger at home and not get worked up over imaginary loss of book access due to excessive reading.

coincidence

We're in Hawaii! Tonight, we were at dinner, and my boyfriend started telling some story about when he and his law school roommate were climbing some mountain in Colorado, and all I heard was "climb" and "mountain," so I immediately asked him if they were singing "Climb Every Mountain" while they hiked, and he looked at me in a strange way and asked why they would do that, and what was the song from, and I then had to remind myself that The Sound of Music was not quite the formative experience for everyone else as it was for me.

After dinner, we came up to our room, and he flipped on the TV, and The Sound of Music was playing. Not only was it playing, but he turned the TV on at the exact moment when Maria walks into the Reverend Mother's chamber, right before she starts singing "Climb Every Mountain"!! I wasn't sure what it meant, but whatever it was, I was right. Right? Vague vindication is such a good feeling.

On principle, I insisted that we watch the rest of it, even though I've seen it a million times before.

ready or not

My gadgets are charged, my bags are packed, my dog dropped off, my library books renewed so that they won't be overdue, my Kindle loaded with new books, and I've finished all the work that I promised to get done by today, which will hopefully buy me time until we get to the hotel and back online.

I think this means that it's official: I'm going to Hawaii tomorrow!

In twelve hours, we'll be on a plane. In 24 hours, we'll be drinking the hotel's signature ginger ale. In 45 hours, we'll be diving. Sweet.

novice

I've learned a ton in the past two years, but the depth and speed of the knowledge of some of my coworkers still blows me away. I still learn something new almost every time I ask someone for help.

i love you tomorrow

Last day in the office before going to Hawaii for a week!

sweetness follows

I had to make a dish with heirloom tomatoes for a potluck dinner tonight, and I was feeling brave, so I decided to take on dessert. I've never made pies other than pumpkin pies, but my tomato tarte tatin came out rather well, and was a surprisingly convincing dessert, drizzled with a balsamic glaze and topped with whipped cream.

Also, a whole dinner themed around heirloom tomatoes can work really well.

forgiveness

My boyfriend didn't get mad at me for backing my car into the garage this morning, hard enough to nick my car and dent the garage door. His dog had popped into the garage through the doggie door, and was busily trying to find a way into the car, and I was so intent on not running over the dog that I hit the garage door, instead. So, at least the dog is alive and my boyfriend isn't annoyed at me.

absence -> fonder <3

I was in Vegas over the weekend for a bachelorette party, and just 37 hours apart (plus a terribly early airport drop-off, perfectly timed airport pickup, and homemade pizza upon my return) made me appreciate my boyfriend even more than usual. Also, going out in Vegas, which is teeming with desperate singles, reminded me of how lucky I am to have caught a fish that is so much better than all the other ones who are still in the pond.

small packages

Technology is so mind-boggling sometimes. My MP3 player, which is about the same volume as my pinky and costs about $50, has the same memory as the enormous state-of-the-art desktop computer we got in 1994, which cost around $3,000. I know that expressing such wonder makes me sound old, but it's still pretty incredible, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next ten years.

early delivery

I've been loving the music I've been downloading from my birthday credits on Amazon (like the track I posted yesterday). One album I was interested in was not available for download, so I ordered it, and it took a while to ship out, and then it wasn't guesstimated for delivery until next week. After all this waiting (I ordered it on August 12), it got here one business day earlier than expected, which was kind of disproportionately exciting.

song of the day

This song, played perhaps a dozen times this day, made this day much better.

gazpacho saga

The gazpacho was on the menu this week, and I had a ton. I even brought some home to compare the batch I made using the recipe the chef had given me. I emailed the chef to tell him I had done a side-by-side tasting, and that my version was somehow lacking in comparison, and he said that it was probably partly due to specific ingredients (my olive oil probably isn't of the same quality, for example), but also because every time they make it in the cafe, they fine tune everything to match the exact flavors of the actual produce, which you can't capture in a recipe.

That made me a little bit sad. I am not a chef, and when I cook, things can turn out well, but I just don't have the level of knowledge and understanding and artistry that it takes to deviate from a recipe and perfect a dish.

The chef then suggested that I go to the cafe sometime to make the gazpacho with the staff, so I could try to get the knack. Really? Really. He even offered to give a free cooking lesson to a group if I wanted to set one up. Really? Really.

Then I had an inspiration. Some friends and I get together pretty regularly for themed potluck dinners, and the next one happens to be themed around heirloom tomatoes. I suggested that he come to that, do a demo for us, and stay for dinner. That would be such a coup, if we could get a chef to start coming to our dinner parties, although it wouldn't be much of a coup for him, since none of us can cook at the same level.

So let's review. Just by asking questions along the way, I went from wanting a gazpacho recipe, to getting the recipe, to having it served at the cafe, to getting an offer to participate in making it, to getting an offer of a free cooking lesson, to perhaps adding a chef to our dinner party.

grownup life

One of the long-anticipated advantages of being an adult (and having food in the office) is that I can have chocolate pudding for breakfast if I want to.

mix

A good friend at work randomly sent me an MP3 he thought I would like, so I figured I would respond with a mix CD.

It has been too long since I've made a mix CD for someone. I love the whole process: guessing at what the person will like, picking out too many songs, weeding them down so that the mix will fit on one disc, figuring out what order to put them in so that they flow...

wait for it

One of the best and most agonizing things in life is waiting to see if a prank worked.

8.5

Number of days until we leave for Hawaii!

60

Just hit 60 books since getting my Kindle last October (48 of which were in 2010), so I'm way ahead of schedule. Dare I dream of hitting 70 by my Kindle's one-year birthday? I'm going to dream it right here, to make it more likely that it will happen. I've got six weeks.

crickets

We're having a heatwave after several months off what has been a relatively cool summer for the area, which means that I've been leaving the windows open at night, leading to my accidental reacquaintance with the sound of slow suburban summer nights. I had forgotten what dozens of crickets sounded like -- after years of city and apartment living, even solo crickets seemed surprising and out of place.

chicken with pants

It makes me inexplicably happy that somewhere out there, someone decided that there was market demand for little figurines of chickens wearing pants, and they went to the trouble of designing, producing, and distributing such pants-wearing chickens, so that anyone with two bucks can have their own dressed up chicken for an office decoration.

midsummer afternoon dreams

Is there anything quite like succumbing to the irresistible forces of an afternoon nap? It has happened twice this weekend, and the sleep was so enjoyable that I stayed under, even after realizing that I was having a nightmare, because it was worth it.

pizza night

It's pizza night, and my boyfriend makes the best pizza from scratch. I think I've earned some pizza, after doing two loads of laundry, shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and preparing a batch of gazpacho for tomorrow. I also picked up some burrata to eat with basil and heirloom tomatoes while we make the pizzas. We've both been busy at work, so it has been a while since we've cooked, so I'm looking forward to messing up the kitchen and eating some good food.

rofl

Also, another highlight of mini golf today was that my manager (who is already quick to laugh harder than anyone else) was actually laughing so hard that he was rolling on the ground. Funny things become even funnier if someone is literally rolling in the grass next to a miniature windmill, kicking his feet in the air.

another day at work

I spent the first part of the day doing pro bono work, helping senior citizens get financial power of attorney set up, and the second part if the day playing mini golf, air hockey, and arcade games, and drinking Icees with my coworkers. I forgot how good Icees are, and I somehow managed to win at mini golf.

vicious cycle

I love when my dog suddenly starts snarling and chasing his butt in frenzied circles. He did it a few times at work today, and as always, it cracked me up.

six years

My dog has been coming to work with me for six years now, and having him at work makes both of us much happier. Drafting is better with a dog in your lap (except when he farts).

advice

Talking to people who want to apply for a job in our department always reminds me of why I wanted this job so much in the first place. It's reassuring to step back and look at the big picture and remember how it felt like to be an outsider, then a newbie, and then to finally feel like I had started figuring things out. I've come a lot further than I thought I would.

be prepared

Nine solid hours of sleep go a really long way towards preparing me for a day full of meetings. 

magazine day

My boyfriend is staying at his old house tonight, and my monthly mindless magazine came in the mail today. Perfect timing.

flow

It's always a relief when some of my deals start closing, especially after a few weeks of gridlock. Even if I'm doing the same amount of work each day, there's a psychological boost if a day's work results in signatures and closed deals.

even better

I won't have to make the gazpacho myself, because the chef just emailed me and said he's going to put it on the menu next week.

ask and you shall receive

After obsessing about the gazpacho they used to make at the tapas-themed cafe at work for over a year, especially after that cafe stopped serving dinner last year and more recently, announced that they were going to change their theme altogether, and after telling myself countless times that I would have to ask the cafe staff for the recipe, I randomly saw and recognized the chef at his new cafe today. I must have looked at him for a second too long, because he noticed and made eye contact in a way that made me feel like I ought to say something, so I said the first thing that came to mind, which was to tell him that the gazpacho at the old cafe is the best I've had, and to ask him whether I could get the recipe. He said I could just email him and he'd send it to me. And he did. And it was at a normal person scale (not cafeteria level, no need to work off a recipe that initially asks for 100 tomatoes), so I might actually make it soon.

Next time, I should spend less time idly obsessing, and more time just asking.

flower power

Wow, lavender chocolate is pretty interesting. I like it.

where is thumb man

For some unknown reason, I always liked those shirts and jackets with the little hole for your thumb, but for some other unknown reason, I never had one, until recently. Not sure why I like them so much, but they make me happy whenever I wear this sweatshirt.

serenade

My toilet has learned how to sing -- a long, aching, resonant howl -- and every time I flush it, I have to listen and giggle as it does its best impression of an amorous steamship. It's really quite impressive. Then again, my family has a history of unconventional appliances, including a shrieking freezer, a whooping toilet (probably a long-lost cousin to this one), a self-starting TV, and most recently, in my last apartment, a hyperactive washing machine.

there's the rub

I just used my company-issued free birthday massage credit (it never lasts long in my account), and it went overtime, and it was wonderful. Going out for a last dinner with my remaining visitor (one left on Tuesday, and #2 is leaving tomorrow), and I can already taste the deviled dates.

our song

Ever since last October, when we went to Hawaii and the resort played this song many times a day, my boyfriend and I have heard it everywhere: in restaurants and stores, on the radio, on TV, and we have come to the inevitable conclusion that it must be "our song." It's a good song.

We're going back to the same resort in a few weeks, and we're wondering if they will still be playing it. If not, it's OK, because I downloaded it.

discount soundtrack

I received some Amazon gift credits for my birthday this year, and I've already bought a couple of Kindle books, but I have also decided to make a concerted effort to download some songs I've been listening to a lot on YouTube, and some complete albums of new music. I then discovered that lots of albums are $5 each for the next couple of weeks, including some that I actually want, which will allow me to get that much more music (and still have credit left over for even more books). I love music, books, and presents, and I love a bargain, so this is kind of a magical moment.

satisfaction

It is admittedly somewhat satisfying to honk very loudly at someone who drove his BMW from his driveway into the street without looking, forcing you to brake hard enough that your dog flew across the back seat. It is tempting to go back tomorrow to honk at him some more. Revenge is a dish best served loud.

free upgrade

Why is it that I like my house and office, but I like them even more if my friends like them? Nothing has changed, but hearing good things about them makes them better, somehow.

wine

We went wine tasting today on our way back from our trip up to Cyrus, and both places where we stopped had some really interesting (in a good way) wine, and I bought a couple of bottles to have another time. We got back in time for me to show my friends around our revamped office and then grab dinner.

so full

Lounging at the hotel where we're staying for the night after eating so much food that I look pregnant. I've been too busy hanging out and having fun to update since Friday, which is my favorite reason for not updating.

almost there

If my brain and I get along for the next few hours, we will make it to the weekend, which will be full of good things (and hopefully not too much work):

(1) Sleeping in on Saturday

(2) Two of my favorite people arriving on a jet plane Saturday evening

(3) Hanging out with those friends (and a few others) Saturday night

(4) Going up to Sonoma on Sunday for dinner at Cyrus

(5) Three-day weekend (taking Monday off!)

(6) Wine tasting in Sonoma on Monday

aloha

Even though I came home from work a little bit cranky, my boyfriend still gave me my birthday present: an extremely silly poem (which I'm not allowed to publish online, but have posted on the refrigerator) and a surprise trip to Hawaii in four weeks. Now that's what I call a beamish boy.

icing on the cake

An afternoon meeting turned out to be birthday cupcakes :)

2^5

It's my birthday! I like some numbers more than others, and 32 seems like a good one. Here's to the power of two.

The year has started off well so far -- the dogs didn't bark to wake me up, my friends have been sending funny emails and quick message on Facebook, I had a good lunch with some coworkers, and a negotiation call ended up being with a lawyer who was a law school classmate of mine, whom I had just run into a couple of weeks ago. It was one of the smoothest calls I've ever had.

I hope these are indicative of how the rest of the year will go, at home, with friends, in the office, and at work.

early

My parents sent me flowers for my birthday, which is tomorrow.

no on 8

My exciting moment of the day was finding out that Prop 8 was overturned. It has no practical effect for me, since I'm straight and not a big believer in the institution of marriage, but it just appeals to my sense of justice and logic.

routine

It's always been convenient that my boyfriend and I work in the same department, so that we see each other every day, but it's so nice to know that now I'll get to see him every night, too.

democracy

I find it hilarious that in an online poll of my department to brainstorm ideas for ways to reward people for good work, one of the current leading ideas is: "Dress up [the general counsel] for a day in the outfit of your choice."

at the car wash

The guys were having a dude moment, washing a vintage car in the driveway. I asked them to do "sexy poses, like girls in silly movie scenes about car washes," and this is what resulted.

time capsule

One of the side effects of being a pack rat who moves a lot is that I have a lot of boxes full of random things that represent various phases: boxes from law school, boxes from when I lived in midtown, boxes from Switzerland. I generally give up on unpacking before I get to the last few boxes, but this time, I did a more thorough job, which meant that I got to rediscover some old memories with good friends as I unearthed, among other things, photo booth pictures, a magazine from Argentina, postcards from Russia, a volume of printed and spiral bound emails. I've had some pretty good times with really cool people.

this is it

By engaging in another mad session of unpacking yesterday, preceded by a morale-boosting dance party with my dog, I unpacked most of my remaining boxes. Today, my boyfriend moved some furniture into the guest room (just in time for our guests this weekend), and he'll move the rest of his stuff in gradually.
The place is looking less like a storage locker or skating rink, and more like a home.