two weeks in

Back into the normal routine, and it's like I never left. New things to work on, plus the usual stuff, plus the usual unusual stuff. It's good to feel useful and needed, and it's good to have had a break. Here's hoping the feeling lasts...

yes new york

Work meetings went better than expected, no jet lag, lots of walking and people watching and friends and ice cream. Today, a day to read and recover before a night of games. Tomorrow, one last brunch and some terrace drinks, and then it's back to real life and all of its messes and stresses, but which also includes my dog.

almost back

Two weeks in Africa: sunrises and sunsets, long drives, elephants for days, but also lions and leopards and cheetahs and impalas, plane after plane, cold mornings and warm duvets, big bathtubs, huge skies, infinite stars, Cheshire moons, no underwires or makeup, sunglasses tan, passport stamps.

Now, a few days in New York, just as big and wondrous and strange, with just as much pull on my restless heart.

rolling with it

The utterly busy relaxation, the mindless plans, and the class excitement of safari are so awesome. More stars in Botswana than even Namibia, and lots of big cats eating their kills. My camera has decided it only wants to work intermittently with a lot of fussing, so I won't get as many great shots, but the theme of this trip, what with its last minute genesis, Boyfriend's passport issues, and my camera, seems to be "roll with it," and it seems to be something I'm getting better at with time. Simple pleasures like a cozy bed on a cold desert night, hot porridge with honey before the sun comes up, a lazy afternoon nap in between game drives, and the unexpected click of the shutter when my camera decides it's willing to take a photo, all of these are delightful bits of each day.

journeys and destinations

Spent the last week frantically seeing friends, running errands, and getting everything ready for our big trip. It was productive in a ton of small but satisfying ways (I made my first shirt and dyed another! Organized my bathroom! Pranked a friend with birthday donuts! Got dog care lined up for the trip! Bought tickets to go see Jesus Christ Superstar!)

We embarked on our journey: a ten hour redeye to London, an eleven hour layover, an eleven hour redeye to Johannesburg (and an initial sigh of relief that Boyfriend's self-inflicted passport emergency didn't blow up yet, fingers crossed that it works out for the rest of the trip). We have a day in Johannesburg -- visited the consulate a couple times, then I fell asleep getting a massage, and expect to make friends with the bathtub tonight.

Tomorrow, Botswana!

fam

There's the family you're born with and the family you choose, and if you're lucky, the two overlap.

Tuesday, grabbed lunch with a college friend (after already getting properly soused with her and another friend over wine and cheese on Sunday).

Spent Wednesday afternoon in the city with the friend visiting from Switzerland, and I'd forgotten how he's just sunshine for the soul. It was good to catch up and just bask in that for a bit.

Thursday late night hang with work friends, talking and eating bad pizza over wine.

Friday afternoon hot tubbing with my sister turned into Friday night dinner with her family, complete with YouTube gems, BIL guitar jams, and just general reminders that when your blood family overlaps with your chosen family, there is nothing safer or more secure.

spaaaah

Spent five hours at the spa today, part of it with a friend who had found out it was my birthday and surprised me with flowers and a gift. Had lunch with two other friends earlier, during which time flowers from my office got delivered to my house. Altogether a relaxing birthday and a great cure for the hangover I had after drinking three bottles of wine with two girlfriends last night over copious quantities of cheese and bread, while sitting on one of our decks and watching the changing light on the hills.

rich

How did I get so lucky, to love and be loved by wonderful friends?

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.

amazon

Vacation time is play time! Big order of games and sewing supplies coming in, plus a swim vest for Henry!

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.

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.

to do

Watch more sunsets.

africa awaits

And just like that, we're going to go on safari in southern Africa. Actual countries still TBD, but it's going to be great.

wat

When your big boss and your boss both think you are smarter and more capable than you do, and want you to try scary, new things, and you realize that almost every good decision you've made started out as a scary, new thing, you've got a lot to think about.

good people

No matter what, surround yourself with good people who will help you figure your shit out by listening, giving you options, giving you feedback, and giving you the time and space to think about it all.

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.

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.

random new skill

Spots opened up in a class at work today, and I'm now certified in CPR/AED.

second life

Unsuccessfully tried to lighten a very expensive cream-colored slow fashion shirt to white, because I just don't look good in cream. Then threw caution to the wind, and used shibori dyeing techniques, and it turned into a fun shirt that I'll actually wear!

date day

Took the day off with Boyfriend, slept in, went to a nearly empty matinee showing of a fun movie.

greatest hits

When you wear one of your favorite old t-shirts and remember why it's a favorite.

throwback week

Lunch with cousins. Mending and gossip with a couple of girl friends. Visit from a former coworker who lives in New York, dinner with old girls' night crew, dinner with old with team, concert in the city with my sister's work wife, seeing one of my favorite bands. Can it get better than that? Yes, it can: dinner and cards tomorrow!!

happy dogs

Boss is on vacation, so I get his dog! I drop the dogs off at his house in the morning, they play all day, and then they come home with me at night, ready to snuggle and sleep.

playtime

Friends invited us to join their weekly board game night!!

pride

Favorite shoes coming out in a limited edition for Pride, and a friend went to the store this morning and waited in line to grab me a pair ☺️

nailed it

Got into the office by 7:30, cranked through a bunch of work, got out early to do an escape with friends, getting ready for a weekend with Boyfriend away at a bachelor party. I have crazy plans to do laundry, mend and alter some clothes, clean out my closet, and read.

that extra day

The extra day in a three day weekend makes so much difference. I should take some random three day weekends even when there isn't a holiday...

matchmaker

When you introduce two of your friends and the signs are promising.

eat no more

When the Iron Chef competition finale at work is so good that you eat until you can't breathe, and are still waddling at 6 pm.

porchetta

When your coworker brings you your favorite porchetta sandwich from a food truck that only serves in the city <3

gathering wool

Finally got around to hand washing and conditioning thirteen wool garments. My forearms will never be the same, but maybe the moths will be deterred and the wool less scratchy.

dog days

Boyfriend's in Boston with family, and we're having freak rain in May, which means two whole days of lounging around in bed with the dog (with one break to go drink wine and eat Ethiopian food with girl friends).

hump day

Whiskey Wednesday turned into Jackbox games night, and then boss dog came home with me for a one night sleepover.

get fancy

Working in tech, I dress pretty casually all the time, so it's fun when a co-worker gets married and we all get to see each other dressed up.

say cheese

It bears repeating: cheesy toast is the perfect snack.

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.

gifted

That college friend who visited brought me nine hilarious chicken-themed lightswitch covers that I had admired when I visited her house a couple years ago 🤣

visitor

College friend visited for a few days, and because she had met people at camp, we were able to do things with different people, which was super fun. Much wine and food were consumed.

noods

Spent a week in Singapore earlier this month, mostly working in the hotel room, but we got a lot of good meals in, ranging from amazing handmade noodles from vendors to to Michelin star restaurants, and it was good to get lots of work done (even though it was supposed to be vacation) and eat lots of great food. Especially noodles.

birks weather

Hello, Birks, I've missed you!!

oh hi again

Renewed a work friendship that has been on the back burner a bit and remembered why we're friends in the first place...

all about me

Today's agenda was all about me: massage while finishing the Theranos podcast, facial, pedicure. Tomorrow will be reading, laundry, and packing, and Monday, we head to Singapore!

busy busy

When work gets busy and you feel useful even as you're getting battered on all sides, it's actually kind of awesome...

what's that smell

When you find not one, but two new perfumes that you love, in addition to getting a new bottle of one that you already loved, every day is a delicious choice.

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).

personally invested

I haven't bought any fast fashion clothes since July, and have only bought slow fashion pieces after a lot of agonizing and deliberation, often with a lot of back and forth with individual makers, often for sizing advice and sometimes for customization or even custom pieces. This sense of connection with the makers is so cool, because it makes each garment so personal and special. It's hard giving up fast fashion, but so far, it's worth it.

ahh

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

what to eat

Singapore is around the corner, and we're researching food and making reservations! We've decided to skip diving in Indonesia, which gives us a leisurely week in one place with good food and internet.

surround sound

When there's rain hitting the roof, have your Google Home play rain sounds inside.

lighter later

The switch to Daylight Saving Time is always such a relief, signaling the end of winter and the beginning of longer days.

worth waiting for

In this world of instant gratification, I'm trying to appreciate things that are worth waiting for. Clothes that are made to order (with a month or two of lead time), and experiences, as well. We went with a couple friends to our favorite restaurant in the city last night (reservations that I made on 1/1), and I bought tickets earlier in the week for a small venue concert for one of my favorite artists, three months out. Good things are worth the wait.

lol

I'm Sorry is such a good show. I just laughed until I cried at the second season premiere.

hamilton

Hamilton and dinner with friends is as good a reason as you can find to leave the house after losing a dog.

to dogs

We said goodbye to Boyfriend's dog yesterday, and it brought back all the feelings from Fiver dying almost six years. Mercifully, Jersey had a peaceful end, but even then, the loss reminds me of how lucky we are to have dogs. We don't deserve them.

to friendship

Lots on the social calendar these days: going to the city most weekends, out of town guest for a few days, and while my lazy side suffers a bit, my extroverted side loves it.

spring

The trees started blooming a week or two ago, right on schedule, and as always, it makes me grateful for California seasons. It may be colder and rainier than usual this year, but spring and summer are almost here...

it's been years

Slept without earplugs for the first time in decades. It only worked because Boyfriend was sleeping in the living room with his dog and there was rain on the roof all night, but it was pretty cool.

surprise rainbow

Giant rainbow over the wing of the plane as we descended into SFO. I've never seen that before, and it was really cool.

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.

first world emergency

When you're in Santa Barbara for a presentation (and you got upgraded to first class for the 40 minute flight down, thanks to a friend with lots of expiring vouchers), and there's a mandatory evacuation, forcing you to leave the Four Seasons for the Ritz Carlton.

free stuff

Boyfriend still works at my old company, and came home with a ton of free hardware. New computers, new WiFi, new home devices, lots of new toys!!

tfw

That feeling when your morning call gets cancelled!!

city life

Spent the weekend settling back and forth to the city: Friday dinner with a friend and his date, Saturday trampoline park, dinner, champagne party, and sleepover with my sister's work wife, lazy Sunday TV and coffee before heading back down for a massage and lazy TV at home.

hack

Snake print sneakers + reflective spray paint = no more FOMO over missing out on reflective sneakers

moderate

Added some organization to a BST FB group my friends and I are running, and it's already been useful!!

approval rights

One of my best friends told a girl he's interested in that my approval is a prerequisite 🥰 It's nice to feel valued.

new year

Lazy break with the dogs, and now we're easing back into real life, first with a short and slow week at work, then with a quiet, rainy weekend, broken up only with a facial, a pedicure and baking pretzels with a friend, and playing a psychological prank on another friend who had previously proclaimed himself immune to such trickery.

guitar lessons

I'm doing it. I'm taking guitar lessons with the guitar my co-workers bought me for my birthday.

heaven on earth

Lying on a giant beanbag with two more days of downtime ahead of me, belly full of Korean food, and a sleeping dog cuddled under each arm.

important meeting

The dogs were all about the meeting with our main relationship partner from outside counsel last week.

getaway

Law firm wants to pay for me to spend three nights in February at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara in exchange for a 90-minute panel discussion about the best way to work with clients. Sounds like a good deal to me!

holiday visitors

Boss dog is staying with us for a little over two weeks, which means more cuddles for me! Mentee staying with us for a few days next week.

custom

This talented designer and seamstress has offered to customize some of her designs to suit my taste, with special colors or lengths... I feel so fancy and special!

winter

I'm not a fan of winter, but at least California winter has a lot of days with temperatures in the 60s.

fresh start

When you use a new lip balm for the first time, and you almost don't want to, because it is so pristine.

oh what fun

Company holiday outing to go ice skating (my first time in maybe 25 years?) was a lot of silly fun, although it used muscles I don't recall having.

drunk painting

Wine and painting cartoon pigs with women at work today. No great masterpieces, but fun nevertheless.

happy feet

Who knew that I'd become such a shoe addict? Comfortable shoes that make me happy every time I look at my feet (and also randomly resulted in new girl friends), yes, please! Now to convince myself to sell some off to keep my collection to a sane size...

meat up

Korean BBQ, sake, and white elephant gift exchange with fifteen coworkers last night. My hair still smelled this morning. Yum.

december

When the maple trees turn red and the hills start to turn green.

dinner redux

Best work friend started his new job this week, but that didn't stop us from getting dinner twice. Miss him at work, but it's good to still see him.

gimme some love

I couldn't stop laughing when Boss Dog couldn't get close enough at work today.

well rested

Over ten hours of sleep last night, the first long sleep in a while. Also, appreciating more than ever the value of keeping old and making new female friendships. Also also, the wonder of breathing through both nostrils still gets me at least once a week.

missed him

My work wife (who doesn't work with me anymore, and whom I text every day and see a couple times a month) came into work today for lunch and to hang out, and I just couldn't stop smiling, because we just laugh at all the same things. I miss him in the office, but it was good to see him there and remember our work vibe.

rain

First rain I've seen since the spring, and it came with thunder and a brilliant rainbow, plus I got to wear my new rain boots, so it's worth it.

make me laugh

When Boyfriend makes me laugh, he really makes me laugh, whether it's through absurd IM conversations about a fake company we could start, or through violent dancing to Journey songs, he fully understands my love of everything absurd.

exceeds expectations

Persimmon tree produced about 50 persimmons this year, much more than usual.

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.

i <3 ny

Ten friends in two days so far. Ethiopian food, Google visit, hot chocolate, wine bar, Warhol at the Whitney, public transportation, walking, and people who aren't bubbled away in cars.

maybe next time

Work friend last minute invited us on a spur of the moment Thanksgiving in Mexico to escape the smoke, but we're both going to the east coast to freeze, instead. Pretty awesome idea, though, and hoping it works out another time.

out of dodge

This last month+ has been rough, to say the least. With Boyfriend going to Boston and my usual family Thanksgiving cancelled, I was debating what to do with myself, and when two friends said they'd take Henry, I decided to go to New York for a few days. Greatest city in the world, I'll see you soon, it's been over two years, and I miss you.

boss dog

A four-day playdate with the boss dog!! When in doubt, dog is almost always the answer.

what you need

Sometimes, a few group texts are what you need to stay sane in the face of insanity.

Sometimes, an unexpected heart-to-heart with your CEO about your non-work lives, your future work lives, and your current work lives is what you need to recommit yourself to doing whatever needs to be done, even in the face of setbacks both at work and in the real world.

nice save

Solo Saturdays in the office can be tough, mostly because the lights (and my monitor) turn off every ten minutes unless there is motion detected. Cue a young engineer who came in to do some work at just the right time, and when asked, promptly moved his workstation near my desk and walked around frequently, keeping the lights on while I was in the zone.

sunday funday

Sushi, friends, sun, sky, ocean, seals, tide pools, trees, and pizza. California doesn't give in to winter without a fight.

good friend

You know you're good friends when they decide to come over in an hour and you decide not to shower or change out of your pajamas.