surprise yays

Last minute invitation to a fancy work dinner where we ate good food and told all the old stories. And an unexpected trade of a pair of shoes I don't love for a pair of shoes I've been eyeing for a while.

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.

double happiness

And my work wife got me flowers, too!

happy monday

My coworker got me birthday flowers 🥰

melted

I have melted into a puddle of contentment. I'll never turn my nose up at summertime sauna time again.

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.

that feeling when

TFW you unknowingly buy the most comfortable bra ever.

simple and delicious

Gazpacho, charcuterie, and cheese toast (finished with a broil) is the easiest delicious summer lunch.

try try again

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

oddly satisfying

Just look at this picture of my "things with long sleeves" drawer.

dog days

Picked up the CEO's dog (Henry's favorite work friend) this morning, headed straight to a dog party where there were eleven dogs (and Henry did really well), and getting ready for a nice afternoon nap and lots of good doggo time for the next few days.

purge

Lots of new things from summer sales and a free Saturday, so it's time to do a full closet evaluation and purge with a 90s playlist blasting in the background. Oddly satisfying.

crushing it

Second time this week that I've gotten my work inbox under ten!

zzz

Nine hours of good sleep punctuated with vivid dreams and ending with intervals of waking up and sinking back into unconsciousness. Bliss.

free

When the shoe company you're obsessed with slides into your DMs to ask if they can use your comment as a post, and you're flattered and happy, AND THEN they offer you a free pair of shoes as a thank you 😍

Seriously, everyone should try these ($20 off here).

sunday surprise

Out of town cousin texted this morning that he's in town, and the stars aligned so that he, my sister and her girls, Boyfriend, and I were able to go eat lots of soup dumplings and then talk for a few hours. Then older niece took a bunch of my clothes and shoes that I had just culled from my closet this week, giving some of my old faves a second life.

raid the pantry

Lunch today was made using what I had handy: mac and cheese with buttermilk and sriracha. Possibly better than normal milk, but I think I'll stick with cayenne for spice.

bacon lettuce tomato

Nothing says summer like a BLT with fresh California produce. Throw in some ripe avocado and the sriracha mayo that my mentee in prison made and gave me last time I was there, and it's a perfect summer dinner.

many happy returns

Returned a ton of stuff today, so satisfying.

nice choppers

At his physical last week, Henry's vet complimented his six year old teeth, saying they were as clean as a puppy's.

summer party

Summer party at the boss's house with my sister. And a baboon. Followed by burgers with coworkers at home.

can't beat 'em

Ten years into my Californian era, I've caved and bought a pair of Birkenstocks. But they're not the ugliest ones. And I will not wear them with socks.

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.

summer lovin'

A roasting hot day in the suburbs means a sunny, gorgeous day in the city, timed just right to meet up with a childhood friend for boba, return and exchange some shoes, meet up with my sister, go over to her place for hand rolls, give my niece some funky sneakers, and get back home once it had cooled down. The perfect city Saturday.

dog days

Yesterday was Henry's five year adoptaversary, and his sixth birthday (observed), so he got some extra sunbathing, an extremely foul-smelling salmon skin treat, and Vietnamese pork chopped up into his dinner. There is nothing easier than pleasing a dog.

catch and release

Having such a good time buying lots of things and returning most of them. Except for my new shoe obsession, which I'm mostly keeping..

tastes like summer

Safeway unexpectedly had saltwater taffy when I dropped by this weekend, which was a fun treat after an extremely efficient set of errands.

seeing the sun

After almost a year and a half of nonstop crazy hours at work, we're suddenly in a quiet spell, and I've seen the sun on weekdays more in the last month than I had in all the time before. The craziness can be fun, but so is seeing the sun.

magic

As a TiVo user for almost 17 years, I've always loved the UX, but it's gotten even better now that they've added a button to perfectly skip entire commercial breaks with one press (as opposed to the secret 30-second skip Easter egg). Somewhere out there is a team of commercial lawyers who negotiated this with the networks, and for that I am so grateful.

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).

stroopwafel

Mini chocolate covered stroopwafels are so much better than the original, full sized variety. And when you walk in to find one on your desk... That's just perfection.

what to wear

A few of us at work who often accidentally dress the same have now mapped out simple criteria for each day (today is hoodie day, bonus points for featuring the color maroon), and it is so simple and dorky, but it makes getting dressed in the morning so much easier and faster.

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...

effortless

Remembering our dives in Fiji last fall... I've felt that my time underwater has been easy and effortless for some time, but it was only on this trip, some 300+ dives in, that the time above water, getting geared up or down, that the rest of it has felt just as easy and effortless.

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.

good boy

Fiver made an appearance in my dreams last night, for the first time in a long time. He was sweet and happy and it was good to see him again.

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.

back

Had a 1.75 hour massage today, always a good thing on a Sunday evening after running some errands on a Sunday afternoon. And I realized that somehow, some time in the last year, this one part of my lower left back that could never seem to let go, despite all the efforts of my massage therapists and chiropractor, started cracking and releasing for no apparent reason.

xlb

Found an unexpectedly good place for xiaolongbao nearby, on my manager's recommendation. I see a lot of weekend soup dumplings in my future.

rbg

Mid-day legal team outing to watch RBG!!

me time

Boyfriend is doing family stuff on the East Coast, which means I get the whole bed and complete latitude on the social calendar. Korean BBQ with coworkers last night, Eurovision/lunch/dinner/Super Nintendo with friends today, reading/shopping/dinner with family tomorrow... Lots of selfish fun.

going out

With warmer weather and longer days comes a decreased urge to hibernate, resulting in a night out with coworkers in the city last night, dinner with old coworkers tonight, and plans for next weekend already in the works.

best fried rice

I'm not usually a big fried rice fan, but they had the best fried rice at work yesterday: duck, shrimp, pork, and plenty of cilantro.

yuzu

Yuzu gummies from the store, and a yuzu tree from the nursery!

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.

happy dog

Bought a replacement for boss dog's favorite toy, which was getting pretty ratty. It pretty much made his day, if the amount of slobber, tug, and fetch were any indication.

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...

world on fire

It's been a while since I've had this, the feeling of invincibility, that the world is burning with a secret fire that only I can see, that everything will work out because I want it to. I know it's a trick of the mind, but I love this trick so much.

oh yeah

I've gotten so accustomed to massage being a standalone indulgence that I forgot the additional perks of getting one in a spa: the steam room, the fluffy robe, the essential oils, the hot towels, the shower afterwards.

good choice

When your friend's new boyfriend fits right in with the group.

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.

lunch

Smoked bacon udon, sashimi, and strawberry mochi for lunch? Yes, please.

so fetching

When your dog, after almost five years of not caring, suddenly decides he really likes playing fetch, and runs himself ragged playing at work until he collapses into a long and cuddly nap.

last minute dinner

A college friend was in town for meetings today, and we scored a good reservation on short notice and got to catch up for a couple hours.

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...

just desserts

When you identified some shady behavior and flagged it to your former employer, and then find out the shady individual got fired. Stay Googley, Googlers.

fool

The key to a great prank is to have enough detail and backstops that you can push it past the point of disbelief until the person is so bought into the alternate reality you've created that they might not believe anything ever again.

mensch

When you suggest to your manager that he request approval for a title bump for your teammate, and a few hours later, he tells you it was approved, and he got one for you, as well.

jesus christ

Jesus Christ Superstar on TV, and Judas rocked it. Love that show, and loved seeing all my music and theatre geek friends nerding out about it on Facebook, too. A nice break from the usual politics and inspirational quotes and awful recipes.

chicken skin

Boyfriend has started saving chicken skin and broiling it into delicious chips for me.

badass

When you go guest lecture for your law school friend's seminar, and feel like you had no business doing so, but your friend tells you afterwards that one of the students met you last summer when he worked for your outside counsel, and both he and they thought you were a badass.

orange you lovely

My favorite flowers are back in season!

easily impressed

Just blew Boyfriend's mind by using a Tide pen to erase blood stains that the dog tracked all over the couch.

friday night

Impromptu raid on a coworker's house, bringing six people, dinner, and drinks for an evening of cards and video games. That's my kind of Friday.

dumpling dog

Henry has a hard life at work.

pranks a lot

After a few months hiatus, just couldn't resist a few little goofs at work, and it just gives me life.

like butter

When you hit all the lights right so that even during rush hour, you make it into work in record time.

first day back

Back at work, and the first thing I see is a new snuggly dog bed that the CEO bought Henry because he's such a dog guy. Second thing I see is a mocha on my desk from my work wife. Third thing I see is my new manager, who ten years ago first hired me into Google. It's good to be back.

nappy

We've been home 26 hours and I've already had two naps and a full night of sleep. Getting home from vacation on a Friday is the best.

exuberance

I don't think my dog has ever been as excited to see me as he was when I picked him up yesterday.

three years later

Reservation tonight for what was our favorite place in Tokyo last time, and I'm all anticipation to see if it lives up to the memory.

tubthumping

Vacation is a king size bed, blackout shades, and a lovely bathtub.

glorious tokyo

Secret little seven person cocktail bar, uni soba, schoolchildren in tiny hats with giant backpacks, truffle rice, red bean pancakes, lotus root wrapped in bacon and fresh off the grill, seasonal pickles, tonkatsu with a choice of pig and cut, rich slurpy ramen... And we're only halfway through the trip.

small world

Flew halfway around the world (in an almost empty first class cabin), only to run into a friend at the Tokyo airport. Weekend plans will ensue!

nihon

Time to go eat things in Japan!!

we got this

After a few hours of controlled panic, my co-worker and I realized that despite a bare bones transition, we've got this. We're not half bad, and with my favorite manager ever coming in, we're going to be awesome.

one year in

Hung out with two girl friends that I met a year ago and had a hilarious four hours of wine, cheese, and immaturity.

best week

Two amazing things happened at work this week. One is a blast from the past, and one is a reward for the future. I'm so damn lucky.

amazing

Just slept fourteen hours for the first time in I don't know how long, and it was amazing.

aww shucks

Creative director stopped me in the hallway and said that when he was interviewing, he looked at or team photos in the website and said that he had never seen a lawyer wearing a leather jacket in an official photo before, and that he thought it must be a different kind of company with the coolest legal team.

bye

Trees are starting to bloom, and the ten day forecast breaks 70° every day, so winter is definitely on its way out.

friends in town

Friends in town for the next few days, lots of old jokes and catching up to do on recent developments. Good times.

got my back

When your CEO trusts your judgment on some pretty big stuff, then offhandedly mentions a bunch of things he's doing to make your life better because he wants you to stick around.

young people

Cambodian mentee stayed with us for a few days, and two girls who currently sing in my college choir stayed for the long weekend. Went to a concert with another choir friend, and got pulled up on stage to sing the signature song of the a cappella group and the Radcliffe alma mater and fight song. The nostalgia for college days was strong this month.

there is nothing

There is nothing quite like really liking the people you work with, especially when you like them enough to stay late to get some work and a lot of talking done.

sent

Finally got the first wave of invitations sent out for our crazy summer camp, and it's fun to see the RSVPs coming in. Can't wait!

warmth

All of the feathers in our down comforter shifted to Boyfriend's side, and last night, we flipped it to my side, and it was so warm and amazing.

it's people

When your coworker in Ops brings you boba one day, your HR BFF brings you a morning hot chocolate another day, and you can have a whole range of serious and silly conversations with your other work friends, you know you're working with good people.

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.

contentment

Tell a dog he's a good boy, put his bed in a sunny spot, and he will teach you the meaning of contentment.

it gets better

Every day for the next six months will be brighter than the last.

overdue

A fresh pedicure never fails to please.

good friday

Lunch at Google with a friend, Star Wars with coworkers, a gorgeous sunset (I never see sunsets anymore), a drink with my two work BFFs, a prank gift for one of them, a few rounds of our favorite video game, and a quick dinner out. A pretty good Friday.

cavalry

Reinforcements have arrived, and my new teammate is great. She knows all kinds of things I don't, and is fresh and ready to work. It's nice to have a peer, and I'm so glad she's joined.

scent hound

Last week, I suddenly had the illusion of a scent that I hadn't smelled in years. It smelled exactly like Fiver after he'd had a bath. I breathed it deeply and felt all the memories come back just like that. I haven't smelled him since he died, and I don't know why I thought I smelled it last week, but it was wonderful.

do gooders

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

roll tide

Huge sigh of relief as Alabama elects a Democratic senator instead of the pedophile the Republicans ran. After a couple Dem governors were voted in last month, I'm starting to feel a little bit of hope after the debacle of last year.

a good book

Finally, after months of book drought, I've hit a streak of a few good books, including the great one I'm reading right now. Quiet house, sunny afternoon, couch, dog, blanket, book. I could do this every day.