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?

solo practitioner

So I've decided to try doing this yoga thing by myself, because then I don't have to have an audience of coworkers or plan around class schedules. Downloaded an app, and have done four sessions in my basement, without having to leave the house.

social

Work friend over for dinner tonight, Zurich friend coming in town and staying with us for the weekend, college friend up from L.A. the following weekend, cooking with sister's family and some friends the weekend after that... It's almost like we have a social life.

rain delay

Working from home Friday means that changing into real clothes and showering can be delayed to the afternoon, and evening errands can be postponed until the next day, right?

after the rain

A good rainy season kicked off the trees going into bloom in late January, then California poppies (my favorite) in March, and now there are wildflowers everywhere, and jasmine season has started.

first day back

Dug my inbox from 150 down to 45, made it through five meetings, got a massage, got gas, picked up new glasses and two library books, bought dog food, and walked the dog.

back at it

Home for just over three hours, and I've walked the dog, washed all my vacation laundry and a load of dog laundry, skimmed my inbox, eaten dinner, put out my dive gear for a bit more drying time, and sorted the mail. Sad to be back to real life, but glad to be free of mosquitoes, rain, and humidity.

in transit

On our long way back home, almost five hours into a 25 hour trip, door to door. Squeezed in one last yoga lesson this morning, followed by one last massage (which lasted an extra 20+ minutes because she was being awesome). Back to reality pretty soon, but at least that reality includes my dog and less rain, with a visit from a friend only a few days after we get back.

drying out

Did our last two dives yesterday, and our gear is drying out. We had strong wind last night, which dried out my sandals, which had been sopping wet all week. Dry shoes are amazing. Two more massages, and two more yoga lessons, then it's time to head back to the real world, where there will hopefully be less weather, but unfortunately more stress.

hoppipolla

Good puddle jumping today. My pants were soaked up to mid-thigh.

the heavens wept

Pouring rain when we woke up, and even though we came here to dive, we were relieved that the storm is strong enough to cancel the dive this morning. Room service, reading, and napping sound much better than trying to put on a damp wetsuit and getting on a rocking boat on rough seas right now. Secretly hoping the second dive is cancelled as well, and then all I've got the rest of the day is lunch, massage, yoga, and dinner.

private lesson

My afternoon yoga class ended up being a private lesson that definitely pushed the boundaries of what my body can tolerate, particularly after a day of diving. All these poses look nothing like their names (crow, camel, pigeon, plow = me scratching my head and just copying whatever the instructor is doing while trying not to face plant). All this weird stretching seems to be doing something though, as I touched my toes for the first time in years.

pork belly

Village kids gave an enthusiastic performance before dinner, where I had perhaps the best pork belly ever (crispy like Peking duck in the outside, unctuous on the inside, flavored like Chinese five spice beef), with a bottle of wine comped by the manager to make up for some confusion over whether we had prepaid or not.

good deed

All the honeymooners here who don't dive are just bored and miserable in the rain. I took pity on a couple who are leaving tomorrow and gave them my time slot at the spa so that they can have one nice thing on their last day, and I feel so virtuous now, wallowing in the room until it's time to go to afternoon yoga. I'll go to the spa tomorrow, instead.

omg

Best vacation massage ever. May have to go back for another round or two. We have an ambitious slate tomorrow: morning yoga, breakfast, village tour, lunch, afternoon dive, afternoon yoga, and dinner. I could do this vacation thing for a very long time.

weather or not

It was raining this morning, but we went for a dive anyways, and I tested out my camera to make sure it's still OK after so much time. Then we opted out of the rest of today's diving, because it's our vacation, and we can do what we want. I sat in our hot tub for a few minutes before showing off, and the rest of the day will be divided between eating, napping, reading, getting a massage, and checking out a kava ceremony. Rainy days really aren't so bad, they're good excuses to be lazy.

vacation perks

No makeup ever, and the comfiest sandals with the best arch support.

afternoon agenda

It's only 2:30, and we've accomplished a lot: breakfast, two dives, and lunch. Now I need to spend a couple hours in the hammock, reading and napping until afternoon yoga, then a couple more hours of flopping around the room, then dinner. No yoga tomorrow, so I'm getting a massage after diving, instead. Life is so good.

nothing like it

There is really nothing like a hot shower and a dry towel after two morning dives.

dive dive dive

And tomorrow, we hit the water for the first time since December 2013, the longest I've ever gone between dives. There is nothing quite like flying like Superman while breathing like Darth Vader.

californication

We took a free yoga class on the beach here in Fiji. I have decided that despite my prejudices against it, I like yoga, when it's on a beach in Fiji, and there are only four students who are equally inept.

better than planned

Made it to the wedding, and slept for seven hours on the eleven hour flight to Fiji (personal record for plane sleeping), watched The Martian (which I missed in the theater), and managed to get onto the earlier direct flight (instead of the later flight with a connection), and didn't pay any excess luggage fees. We're all settled into our house for the week (it's huge), and only five out of twelve are occupied. I think that under our actual tickets, we should still be hanging out in airport #4, waiting to catch a puddle jumper to airport #5.

pasty goodness

Boyfriend went to a conference in Arizona and brought back pasties from the place we like, just in time for dinner!

in other news

We're dropping by a wedding in LA on the way to Fiji, and a dear friend is coming to stay with us the weekend after we get back. Slotting in lots of fun after the rough month that was March.

t minus four

Fiji is coming up so soon! I've been checking off errands and to do lists, testing out luggage weight (keeping checked luggage under 33 pounds is a challenge on a dive trip), trying to get things at work to a decent pause point, and realizing that it's been a longer gap than usual between trips for us. Can't wait. Diving! Sun! No meetings! And I'm even going to try the free yoga classes, but may just end up reading novels the whole time.

already done

Love is coming home and finding out that your boyfriend already wrangled the recycling and compost bins down your treacherously steep driveway.

less is more

One more box of donations (handbags and clothes), one more box of e-waste, and a big dog watering dish -- gone. Also salvaged a bunch of duffels and handbags from the box where the critters had been getting at them, cleaned them up and put them away, and started another box of donations (already half full).  

patchwork

Henry has a keen nose for forgotten treats left in jacket and sweatshirt pockets, and has chewed his way through several pockets in order to rescue the treats, including the pocket of my very favorite hoodie. Finally got around to patching the hole shut, and I must say I did a pretty good job, and it's good to be able to put my hand into a hole-free pocket and not have that twinge of annoyance.

makeover over

After three curated stylist boxes and lots of online shopping, I think I'm pretty much done with the acquisition phase of the wardrobe update. Just need to get the last few boxes, go through and decide what to keep and return, make the returns, do one more round of culling for donations, and then enjoy never having "nothing to wear."

going going gone

I think that the Mysterious Hives are mostly conquered? Nothing quite like four days of being eaten by your own skin to make you appreciate skin that doesn't try to eat you. Here's hoping that they stay away, even after the meds taper off this weekend.

heathen holiday

Not being religious means that on religious holidays, I have to remember that nothing is open, but on the upside, I've got an excuse to stay in and read.

root beer float

And Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica. Summer Saturdays are the best.

imported

Two separate deliveries from Switzerland in the last week, hand-carried by patient mules: four bars of chocolate and five bags if gummy candy.

down time

Inexplicable illness has erased all of my productive plans for today, and possibly for the weekend. Fortunately, I'd been getting a lot done in the last couple weeks, we had no social plans for this weekend, and I can catch up a bit on my reading in bed with minimal guilt.

seasonal

Fresh Thin Mints are so much better than the year-old ones I'd been eating from the freezer.

fresh local

Our friends grew these in their garden!

up a notch

Did an eight factor assessment of my life, and compared to last May, total score (out of 80) went up eight points, so that's pretty good.

busy but good

This weekend: dinner with a former legal assistant on Friday, coworker's housewarming party (preceded by the procurement of a suitable gift) and dinner and board games at our place on Saturday, Goodwill drop-off, glasses selection, Asian market, dive gear pickup, dog hygiene, and cooking lessons and dinner with mom on Sunday. So many boxes checked!

first time

For the first time since I got my first glasses 30 years ago, my prescription went down.

lighter

Daylight Saving Time is here!! Winter is shorter and less dreadful here than anywhere else I've lived, but it's still wonderful to see it leaving. Weather forecast says it will be sunny all week, after several long days of rain.

getting ahead

Finally, a day when I feel like I'm getting ahead instead of behind. Finished my self-assessment for performance reviews at work (four days early), filed my taxes (five weeks early), and finally took first steps to put my extra cash in something a little better than a savings account.

no more quarantine

Henry is going to be so glad that his quarantine period is over.

complimentary

Wore some of my new clothes to work today, and immediately got compliments. Either this stylist is great, or I was an even bigger slob than I thought.

nola

A good friend's 40th birthday gives us an excellent reason to go back to New Orleans in May.

all aboard

First board meeting for the shelter went well, and I'm excited to help drive one of our big goals: exploring ways to leverage technology to increase visibility, traffic, and adoptions, and developing projects to shop around for skilled volunteers to complete.

catching up

After a tough day of back to back meetings, grabbed dinner with a former client and talked until the restaurant closed. Good to get things off my chest. Also, wore my new jeans and loved them.

gravy

I even finished a book, cleared out space on TiVo, took care of Henry's teeth and nails, tidied up in advance of the cleaning lady coming tomorrow, and took care of a bunch of those little things that always pile up into a daunting big pile of things to do later/never. Having a few daylight hours with the house to myself while Boyfriend is out can either be major sloth time or major productive time.

purge

After so much frustration during the week (and partly out of guilt for buying more clothing), I went on a two day rampage: unpacking some boxes that are still sitting around from our move, sorting out six boxes of clothes, shoes, and books to donate, and starting to better use and organize our limited closet and drawer space. I feel so productive.

what a week

Thing after thing after thing some big and some little. Stressful work problems, then Henry got kennel cough, then a wrecked pedicure, then a weird miscommunication with the personal stylist... The best part of the week was that it ended, and I've been cocooned in the house avoiding all the much needed rain that we're getting.

sleep it off

No matter what is pressing on my mind, if I can manage to sleep for the night, the next day, it's hard to feel quite as upset about it. Mostly because I can't remember every awful detail that long.

days like this

And sometimes, you have a day that is comprised of multiple meetings in which you find out that things have gone sideways on every single thing you're working on, with breaks only to almost die in a near miss on the freeway and to cringe in humiliation when your dog is unquestionably the worst behaved dog in the park, only to find out that his misbehavior was loud enough to attract the attention of people inside the building. And you miss breakfast and lunch. And you try playing a stupid game that you're addicted to on your phone. And you lose.

And on such a day, you are relieved to take your frustrations out by cooking enough food for ten people, even though you're only cooking for yourself. And you wait for The Bachelor to come on, because no matter how badly the day went, at least you're not crying on national TV. And really, at least you didn't get smeared into a bloody paste in that near miss on the freeway. And you resolve to work from home tomorrow, because if you're going to face another day like this tomorrow, you're going to do it alive and in sweatpants.

curator

Trying a couple online personal stylist and clothing delivery services, because the online menu planner and food delivery services ended up being surprisingly good, and it's probably about time for me to clear out my old stuff and update my wardrobe a bit. It's kind of fun trying to figure out what I'm looking for and then seeing what they send in response.

girl friday

Had a few girls over after work Friday. Wine, snacks, and lots of gossip.

perfectly planned

After a lazy Saturday, I got so much done today. Lunch phone appointment, and then a 4.5 hour perfectly planned, maximally efficient circuit: gas, pedicure, grocery store, facial, Asian market, dog walk, dog teeth and nails.

end of the tunnel

Evenings are already staying light later, and Daylight Saving Time starts back up in two weeks!!

caffeine on demand

There is now a barista in my building at work. On my floor. Less than a one minute walk from my desk. This is going to be dangerous.

backyard salad

Found out that two of the weeds that grow in our backyard are actually tasty wild greens, so we've got fresh salad to go with our pizza tonight.

coda

And then I totally fell asleep during a show, lying on the living room floor while Boyfriend rubbed my neck.

wild and crazy

Thai chicken burgers with Chinese daikon pickles, salted caramel chocolate cookies, 25 year old vintage port, and vampire shows on TiVo. Happy Saturday!

hard won

I am often reluctant to call for customer service. Then when I get bad service, I am disproportionately outraged. It's like the perfect storm. Except that this time, I started calm, dug in my heels, argued my way up to the top, and negotiated until I got what I wanted. Same coverage, a 20% discount, and the ability to just deal directly with my actual service provider on his personal phone, and never having to call the national or regional lines again.

hot dog

Henry, for one, loves the new office. Lots of sunbathing, a view of the dog park, and furious sprints around said dog park seem to add up to his ideal work environment.

security

Security is having thirty rolls of toilet paper.

ski week

I love ski week, when it's a four day week, and there's no traffic because everyone who has kids is in the mountains. It's nice to pretend that traffic doesn't happen.

fully stocked

Dinner at mom and dad's before they go on vacation means a full belly of home cooking tonight, and a full fridge of leftovers for the next few days. I forgot to bring laundry to do there, or it would have been the full college experience. Also, as my dad has gotten older, he has also become so easy to please. Bring a couple of dogs over, and he's just as happy as he used to be when I got straight A's for an entire semester.

neighborly

Had four neighbors over for dinner with lots of wine and gossip. We need to do that more often.

return on investment

Five extra minutes getting ready this morning, and five compliments from different coworkers. That's a solid ROI.

board-dom

I joined the board at Henry's shelter. Excited to see if I can help them get more visibility and more adoptions.

seventies

Winter is losing the battle. This is the first week of the season where every day is forecast to break 70°F!

female mentors

I've been very lucky to have had some amazing managers and mentors, and two of them were women. I try to do that for younger people who might want some guidance, but I realized it's been a while since I have had one of my own. I am hoping that this is about to change.

winner winner chicken dinner

Went to a coworker's house for dinner and board games last night. Ate lots of cheese and still managed to eat a full dinner after that. Tied with Boyfriend to win the board game. Didn't suffer a massive allergic reaction to the cat. So I'd say the evening was a success.

speedy

Due to many boring reasons, we currently don't have a functional washer/dryer set in our house right now. I've been working here for almost eight years, but had never used the laundry rooms at work, so I tried it for the first time today, and I totally forgot how fast American-style washers and dryers are. 35 minute wash, 40 minute dry, and you're done!

front burner

Long weeknight conversation with one of my dearest friends who has seen me through some of my most difficult times reminded me that even people who seem to be so on top of everything still wonder what's missing, and that old friends are still friends for a good reason.

oldie but goodie

Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch is the best cereal of all time.

february

February in California catches me off guard every year. After a lifetime on the East Coast and a stint in Europe, I tend to think of February as a month solidly ensconced in winter, with many cold and dreary weeks blocking the path to summer. But in California, February is spring time. The days start getting longer, the plants have put out new shoots, and the trees (ohmygod the trees) bloom as if they have no idea that it's winter anywhere else. This year, they got started last week, probably because of extra rain we've been getting, and seeing all the green and white and pink everywhere is a welcome reminder that summer is just around the corner.

even better

When that student who rocked the interview manages to find you online (you stopped giving out business cards because no one writes thank you notes anymore, so why even bother giving them out), and writes you a perfect thank you note. Faith restored, there is at least one good kid out there.

lost and found

Unexpectedly found the missing mate in my favorite pair of socks. In my sock drawer.

interview season

Doing lots of interviews at work, and also interviewing high school students for Harvard admissions. That thing when you finally talk to someone who just makes you so excited to write their feedback because that person is everything you didn't realize you were looking for and would just be amazing.

unusual week

Last week was awesomely unusual, and unusually awesome. Started with a three day weekend, then spent the week in Hawaii for work. I met up with my Japanese host sister for breakfast on the last day, and on impulse, bought myself a purse because it was bonus day and someone else mentioned getting herself a treat on bonus day. This is my eighth bonus day, and it had never before occurred to me to do anything but leave it all in the bank. Reunited with Henry and Boyfriend, then went up to the city to see my niece star in The Wizard of Oz, hit up an awesome restaurant with coworkers for dinner, gave the kids their belated Christmas presents, spent the night, and hung out for part of the day.

dessert first

Caramel pecan sticky buns with orange cream cheese glaze, an all day production that was so highly anticipated that I ate one as soon as they were ready, before we have our poached eggs and smoked chateaubriand.

best gift

Giving Boyfriend a science-based cookbook for Christmas means that he wants to make lots of new food.

breakthrough

It's just a little over two weeks into bell training, and Henry rang the bell without being asked and without me standing nearby with a treat, and as soon as the door opened, he ran to his spot and peed.

crying

When you both blurt out the same joke at the same time, and that makes it even funnier.

next in queue

Hawaii for work, L.A. for a wedding, Fiji for diving, Italy for food, and that takes us through travel plans so far through July.

chili

Turns out that if you are making vegan chili, two things really help amp it up: tons of chili powder. And ground turkey.

take a chance

Sometimes, the act of putting yourself out there is almost as exciting as actually getting picked. The state of uncertainty between the question and the answer adds a certain something to everything.

not so bad

First week back was totally hectic, but not the losing battle I expected. Marketing person said I was a superstar, and partner call about indemnities only took 25% of the scheduled time, with everyone coming away happy. I'll take it.

6.6

That's how many pounds of gummy candy came today, hand carried from Switzerland then shipped by mail :)

giftbot

Awesome present on my desk from an awesome work friend I don't even work with!

year in review

I did my annual personal self review and overall gave myself an average grade of B+ on my goals from last year. My high points outnumbered my low points. I think that's a pretty good year.

ring any bells

On Friday, Henry was afraid of the bells. Since then, we've moved through several stages. Friday he started associated the sound of bells with treats. Then he started gently nudging muffled bells in my hand. Then unmuffled bells in my hand. Then bells hanging from the doorknob with me right there. Then a few feet away. Just now, he did his first "ding dong" with me just out of sight. All of this for treats, dog likes to get paid.

Next up, ringing before the door opens, and then, some tough leaps, taking the initiative to ask to go out, and finally, ringing to ask to go out when I'm not in the room or waving a treat around.

I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll make it there this month.

going fast

More adoptions than I've ever seen in one day at the shelter today. Six dogs out the door by the time I left, and there were still two hours to go.

no sh!t

Not sure how we didn't realize this, but there is a new Sherlock that just recorded to TiVo today. We are saving it for after we finish the Potter-thon (3 down, 5 to go).

jingle bells

The bells for Henry's potty bell training were 80% off after Christmas. The ribbon was $1 in Vietnam. Now all I have to do is figure out how to teach him to use them.

tally ho

Final count for the year: 101

Not bad, considering that I was taking it a bit easy on the reading and spending some more time with friends and on volunteer work.