Off to Maine!
I was worried I'd miss the train as I hoofed it over to North station. And I didn't even know how to say the name of the train if I needed to ask for directions. It's Haverhill but the middle letters morph so it's just a single syllabel world. Go figure.

We were going to stay at the retreat but the idea of a small unheated room with bunkbeds didn't sound great since there will be two young kids with us.

Instead we're staying at a friends weekend house 20 minutes away. She's in Vegas right now but can unlock the house remotely for us. How cool is that?! Looks like sunny weather so am looking forward to a relatively relaxing weekend away.

How about green?

Thanks for the feedback guys about the web page. I was going a little nutty trying to remember. So I looked it up and:

“Screen colors: Black letters on a white or light gray background offer the highest level of contrast and are the easiest to read on a computer monitor.”

I went in and tweaked the colors of the blog so hopefully I’m not doing as much harm to my dedicated readers. It’s funny how wonky your eyes can get. My biggest trouble is when I’m playing a fast game like Pounce or something. And you don’t have time to blink. My eyes start drying up really quickly especially with the contacts. It’s a weird feeling, but, must, win.

O What a Day Part 2

Who knew what a day today would be! I’m sitting at work, head phones on, cranking away when my officemate comments about the sirens. Now, I work downtown and we get our fair share of sirens going by. Usually when I’m on an international call with a client of course. So I’ve just learned to phase them out. She and several others in the office head out to investigate and that leaves me to hold down the fort. I open up the window and look out and low and behold the fire trucks have stopped right on my door step. There’s even a rather handsome young firefighter on the ladder truck making his way up towards me it appears.

It was funny watching the traffic from my bird eye point of view. I’m at a classic Boston intersection and several trucks had already arrived blocking traffic on some of the streets. On another side street, there was a line of cars trying to figure out where to go as the only options were up a one way street the wrong way as the other streets are blocked by firetrucks. But there’s a truck behind them trying to get through and the street is narrow. 

This is no little event that can be ignored. There’s tons of trucks and people congregating on the sidewalk. They’re all looking at something below my window but I can’t tell what. I’m curious, so decide to lock up the office and head down to see what’s going on. It appears there was a fire in the basement of the building next to ours. I’m in the building on the corner and the burrito restaurant seems to have had a fire inside. They’re ripping up the metal delivery doors in the sidewalk and there’s a dozen firefighters swarmed around the whole. It was crazy how many fire departments showed up. I think there was something like 7 different big fire trucks. Two ladders were raised.

There were two cars that were stuck in the middle of the firetrucks. They looked so awkward there. It was weird as no traffic could get by, but since it was a fairly contained fire, pedestrians were crossing through the middle of everything. I crossed over to the opposite of the street – just barely, the wind was so fierce I could almost not walk against it. Needless to say it was not unpleasent watching all the fire fighters – there must have been at least 30 or more. And there is just something about a cute guy in the fireman uniform. After awhile the wind got to us and my colleagues and I decided to make it over to the other corner and enjoy the scene from the comfort of a table inside over a drink.  The last picture is taken from our window.  The sun was out, there was excitement in the air, the view was quite pleasant and all while enjoying a mid-afternoon drink. Who could ask for anything more?! So now it’s 3 pm and I still have an event in Cambridge to check out tonight so who knows what the rest of the day will be like. I can only wonder, for now.

4 Years – You’d think I’d Remember

Looking at the archives I’ve been posting since 2006, and just now I was playing around with some new blog features and changed the template. I didn’t like the new one I picked so I went to put it back and…. Well, I couldn’t remember which one it was. I knew it was blue but a few I selected didn’t look quite right. This one I think is the old one, but I can’t really tell. And you’d think I’d know after staring at it almost weekly for four years. You’d think. And, surprise, surprise, I found some of the basic things that I knew existed from talking with folks, but just never got around to checking. I’ve always written a little code for each post – adding some
otherwise my paragraphs would all run into each other. Turns out I had something turned off, so now all my old posts have double the space between paragraphs. Oh well – the end of an era I guess. Also, was looking for the calendar widget that tracks frequency of posts. More for me than anything. Couldn’t find it but did find a sudoko widget. So plopped that on, for now. Probably will take it off in awhile – maybe when I find the calendar tracking widget. So let me know if you noticed the template changed or I did actually remember and set it back correctly. I have to admit it's driving me nuts not knowing.

O What a Day

And it’s not even lunch time yet! First, note to self, no matter if the scary movie isn’t really that scary, or that you’re only half watching it – switching between shows, don’t watch a scary movie right before going to bed. Last night I had the weirdest dreams including having bits of a friend’s brains all over me and not being able to dial 911 (the town I was in used a different number – kind of like how countries have their own version). So a little tired this morning.



Then on my rush into work, where the train kept breaking down, I started to stress a bit about a speech I was to give at the MassDEP. Ten years ago, I would have had the thing written and practiced a week ago. Now, I left it to the last minute, trying to think of what I should be saying and realizing I was missing information that I needed to look up and really needed my train to not be broken down because I only had a half of an hour to make it to the office, look things up, print, and run over to the event.



The train goes out of service a stop before my stop. So I hoof it through downtown and see not only one person, but two people I know. I think. I said hello to an architect I’ve worked with over the years who was biking in and hadn’t seen for ages. And then half a block later I pass a gentleman who is looking at me peculiarly and I realize I know him – but can’t recall from where.



Anyways, fast forward. I’m sitting up front before an audience of 50 or so folks and the commissioner is saying her opening remarks. And her speech is all nicely printed out and well prepared. Internally, I’m wishing I had maybe planned a little better. But in the end it all works out wonderfully. They laughed at the right moments and were plenty of questions at the end – some a little tricky. Could I have done better? Yes. Was I a bit rusty? Absolutely. But did it go well ? Check.



I walk briskly back to the office – still with the energy spike from the event (I ducked out after I was done). And get back to the office where I have to immediately hop on a call with a colleague in our Dublin office before they close for the day. I had been working on some business development that they were running with but it turns out, after the call with the potential client, they want to fly me over to Scotland for a meeting. I’m the in-house guru. Weird, as I don’t see myself as that role, but there you have it, and it’s flattering. I’ve been thinking I’d like to make it back to the UK and trying to think of some compelling reasons to put in front of my higher ups. And this works out nicely. Granted, not a done deal as we have to work up the quote but still, I get off the call and think – wow, what a day.

Vanderbilt

Yesterday I was walking down the stairs to the subway platform and when I turned the corner, I realized there was a train just about to close the doors and head off. So I made a dash for it and was able to squeeze myself into an already fully car without the doors slamming shut on me. Luckily I was only pressed up to the door for one stop. Some people left, more came in and I was able to move to a better spot, further in the car. I was even able to pull out my book and read while hanging on - all while wearing heels. Needless to say, my full attention was not on the book (even though I had just gotten to the part where Thomas Beckett is murdered by some of Henry II’s vassals and the western world is in an uproar). My attention would wonder to people watching – especially through the reflections on the windows while we were underground. The guy to my right was scrolling through apps on his iphone - one handed. The guy on my left was hanging on too but what struck me was the leather bracelet he was wearing. I did a double take because it had simply written one word – Vanderbilt. What did it mean? Did it mean he was a Vanderbilt? I looked at him sideways and he had nice clothes on, but then again would a Vanderbilt be taking the crowded subway during rush hour? Was there a Vanderbilt brand I wasn’t aware of? Kind of like Chanel or something. I guess more like Abercrombie & Fitch based on the style. It was a weird moment. I knew there must be a better explanation. I was tempted to ask but, well I didn’t. Even with my recent “encounters” on the subway I’ve posted previously (BTW, I added to the previous post because I realized I completely forgot about the graffiti art part). I looked it up today to see if google could shed some more light. And it did. And it was obvious. And you all are probably yelling at your screens (ok not yelling, because why would you be that invested in this). But it turns out there’s a school in Nashville – Vanderbilt University. Which, once I found this out, realized I knew about but just didn’t think of. I’m not really into sports and I think that’s what it’s best known for. So there is that puzzle solved. Or was it? I checked out the online store for the University to see if I could find the leather bracelet so I could include the picture in this post. But it wasn’t there. Which made me wonder, why didn’t it say “Vanderbilt University”? So maybe, just maybe, it was an actual Vanderbilt I was standing next to on the subway during Monday’s crowded rush hour home. (and who was so cool he wore a bracelet with his name on it).

Music, procrastinating, 100th, porches and a little sugar

Ah Monday. Monday’s I’ve come to accept that I get into work later than normal. The benefits of having a flexible job. I find that Monday morning is when I get my chores done. It feels good coming to accept this and not fighting trying to get everything done and still get to work early. So I clean up the kitchen, do the dishes, clean out the kitty litter, tidy the living room, make the bed and put away the clothes. And I have a pretty presentable place. The “to do” list is still a mile long, but the place is nice to come home to.As I was walking into work I started ramping up in my head – thinking of the tasks to tackles for the day. And I open the email and bang – some major project changes. Gotta love that you never know what to expect and life keeps throwing you curve balls from left field. (I like that – great title – curve balls from left field).This weekend was me in the car driving up to VT for an event and driving back – not a long visit and I felt like the music I played during the drives set the tone. I thought I’d listen to PHC but the radio stations don’t last as I enter the wilderness. So it was an Andrew Bird CD on the ride up and random music stations on the ride back. And now, at work I found a new sound track to listen while I crank on work. It’s called “Radio Awesome” from live 365.com. Pretty decent. I’ll listen to NPR sometimes but have been doing more writing so need something with no talking to listen to. I’ve worn out my music library and need new music. Unfortunately work blocks a lot of the sights like Pandora.I got mail from Scotland today – new business card proofs to consider. In the package included an info card about the company who made the cards. Interestingly enough they had a procrastination puzzle – top ten procrastination techniques word find. It surprised me a little, one that they had that to begin with, and that the top ten included 8 things I do almost daily. I don’t drink coffee and we don’t have solitaire on our computers. But googling – yup, emailing, yup, facebook – sometimes, lists – yup recently this has been added, doodling – occasionally. But the last three I was surprised. Part of me knew they were procrastination techniques but they resulted in an end product and spoke to my love of organization – there in the puzzle was filing, sorting and tidying. Darn it.In other news, I was going to write that I’m sitting at 99 in my LinkedIn and the suspense is building on who will be my 100th. But as I take all day to write this, I received my 100th – Colleen. Unfortunately she was out of context so it took a moment for me to figure out who it was – a friend of a friend – more from the craft/baby world. But congratulations to her for being my 100th. And it turns our Cece was my 101th - so close. I’m triple digits now. 100 down, only 400 more to go. Still need to raid the Outlook address book.In the meantime, I raid the old folder of photos downloaded from my defunct blackberry. These pictures, as you may have figured out, have nothing to do with this post but are of my trip to Phoenix last year (I take that back, it was in 2008 - yikes) and my uncle's porche that I got to drive last year when we had our family reunion on my mom’s side. I just love the image of my not so small uncle fitting into this wee car. It was great opening it up though out on the desert land near phoenix. I learned to pop the clutch and I think I hit over 120. I’ve been tempted to see what my car can do, but finding the flat land with clear site lines is a bit tricky. So am playing it safe (and legal) for now.
And on that note I leave you with a slightly unfortunate sugar high. I made an afternoon run to the drug store and couldn’t remember if I liked Sugar Babies or Milk Duds. Turns out I like them both but don’t they don’t sit well on an empty stomach. Will I never learn…

Thankful Friday

I’m not a schmoozer – I’ve never been comfortable networking. I can do it but I’d rather just chill and chat with the folks I know in the quiet corner of the room. I am a feeler though so if there is someone awkwardly standing there I’ll step it up and talk with them. Well yesterday I had a wicked headache by mid-afternoon – yes I’ve found the wicked adjective enticing to use and very appropriate at times. I was torn about going to this Earth Day event, but knew it was good for me professionally to make a showing. I got there early and chowed down on some food and gulped down some ginger ale – steering clear of the open bar. But no dice – still a bad headache, so I ended up just sitting at an empty table. Back in the day I’d feel self conscious, but this time round, not at all. And the reason, well I felt comfortable in this environment. I’ve been in this professional community for what, three or four years now. And as people trickled in, folks came up to me rather than me going up to them. It was really great as I had old friends come up and give me hugs, business acquaintances come over and chat and even had the shy out of place person come up and ask to sit with me. I had the whole spectrum while still maintaining my love of sitting. How great is that? I realized that while still suffering the headache, I didn’t suffer the event. I met some new people, reconnected with folks I hadn’t seen for years, joked around with old friends and even got a few leads for potential business development as well as for my love life – ran into my old boss who had a guy she thought might work out. He’s an architect but I won’t hold that against him.
Could I have done better networking? Absolutely. But it’s nice to know that little investment with a big return is possible from building relationships over the years. And so that’s what I’m thankful for this week. I still may not have hit 100 in my LinkedIn connections yet, but I realized that I underestimate the connections I have built. It’s much broader and stronger then I give it credit.



On the topic of headaches, someone offered up the headache could be a symptom of the flour allergy. I was thinking about that this morning and really really hope that’s not the case. I’m going to put it down to the recent weather (pressure changes) or perhaps a slight case of anemia this month.



Happy Belated Earth Day!

LinkedIn = 96
So close to hitting my first milestone!

Encounters

I’m pretty much settled in my life and daily routines. Sometimes I’ll do the chit chat with the cashier while checking out or have someone ask me for directions. But those are in their own way within the contexts of my expected daily life and encounters. But I’ve had some funny encounters that are worth noting, if for nothing other than that they were outside the normal types I come across.





Two weeks ago I was heading home on the subway after an evening meeting. I was checking emails on my blackberry pearl and the guy standing in front of me commented on the size. He had a blackberry too, but the larger type. He was with his girlfriend, who was sitting next to me, and were heading back home to Fitchburg after a night in the north end – as evidence by a box of Mike’s pastries (yum). Anyways, had a fun conversation on the ride. He’s a graphic student and we talked about the sustainable field emerging. It was a nice encounter – meeting someone who would never otherwise be in my social sphere. Plus I loved the accent – working class Boston is the best way I know how to describe it. I realized I don’t really talk much on my commute. Only if I know the person – which happens occasionally.





And then last night, again, I was on the subway on my way home, playing a new app I had just downloaded called Unblock Me. It’s basically the Traffic Jam game but with wooden blocks instead of cars. I like the thinking puzzle type games and like to think it plays to my strength in logic games. Well, I was just getting started, listening to the two guys talking next to me. They were self-admittedly a little drunk coming home from a sports event most likely. The guy sitting next to me asks me about the game and what the goal is. I explain it and the younger guy standing in front of him says he has figured it out. I told them to go ahead and move the pieces on the phone and by golly he got it. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. These guys were working class Boston – thick accents and all. We got talking and the younger guy said that when he was a freshman in high school he asked to sit for the remedial class and ended up getting a 140 on the test. It turns out they gave him an IQ test and instead of testing down to a lower and easier level like he wanted he got placed in AP courses with hours of homework. He said he just liked those type of puzzle like questions. His father wasn’t happy with his results. It makes you wonder about the whole nature versus nurture debate. Anyways it was a fun interaction and passed the time quickly on my crowded commute home. (Oh and I totally forgot, the younger guy showed me all this wonderful graffiti art he's done around Boston. He kept the pictures on his phone which I thought was a bit self incriminating if he got caught. But great work).





And finally, this morning, I was rushing to get something out for work. I had been working through our marketing department to get the graphic layout done up properly. We sub this work out to a graphic design firm in Glasgow. And since my work contact at our Glasgow office was in meetings I just went ahead and called the guy at the graphic company to discuss the latest iteration and the final revision needed. I get transferred to him and introduce myself and he was amazed he was getting a call from the US. I forget how cool that can be when you don’t work with people outside of your country. That was me until this job. It was just a nice little pure moment of wonder. And he was a great guy – enjoyed working with him – could even understand his accent.





So I guess the lesson learned is that I need to start calling more people in other countries and using my phone on the subway and then I’ll meet new people. But perhaps not at the same time.

Patriots Day
= weekend bus schedule
= me stuck waiting for my bus for 30 minutes!
Good thing I just downloaded a bunch of new apps.

Hungry Hippo

I can’t even tell you about this weekend because I’m so hungry! I don’t know what’s happening, but I’ve apparently all of a sudden hit a huge development milestone, here in my mid-30s. It’s a little disconcerting since it’s happening all of a sudden instead of just sneaking up on me. If I didn’t know better I’d think I was eating for two. Perhaps I have some symbiotic creature in my stomach that I don’t know about.
I used to pack a sandwich for lunch and that would get me through the day pretty much. I’d drink a couple of glasses of water while working at the desk, eat my lunch at noon and by quitting time I’d be hungry for dinner. But not starving. And now…



I just had two sandwiches, a bowl of sweet potato soup and a bowl of tabouli as an extended lunch. And I’m still hungry! I’ve been drinking some tea to distract me and am about to put another pot on to have with some graham crackers I just found while rummaging in the bottom of a drawer. It’s crazy. And I still have about 3 more hours to go before dinner, at the earliest. Is it because of spring? Does it have to do with a particular time of the month? I don’t know.



And of course, this morning, while rushing to get ready for work, I had to change my outfit a few times as I found some of my clothes didn’t fit anymore. A pair of favorite pants I couldn’t even get on. It wasn’t that I couldn’t get them buttoned, I still wear those pants with a long shirt – it works for now. But these, no matter how I twisted, I couldn’t get them over my thighs. And I had some shirts that were a little too tight. Tighter then I remembered. I’m going to have to start weed my closet of the clothes that are too small for “now”, and set them aside for “later”. I’m not planning on dieting or exercising specifically to lose this weight. I’ve had friends say that I look healthy, so don’t mind that part. It’s just so weird that it’s happening without my influence in the matter, so who knows what will happen next, maybe I’ll drastically lose weight. So I’ll just box up the “small” clothes for now and put a date on them and see what life throws my way next. I hope this won’t affect my shoe collection!



And in case you were curious, this weekend my dad was in town and we saw the Jim Henson exhibit at the National Heritage Museum, along with the other 5 exhibits there which lasted until closing time when they kicked us out just in time for us to catch the reenactment down on Mass Ave of the militia and minute men pushing the red coats back to Boston. There were cannons and horses and dead bodies on the damp ground. It lasted a good while too. Also caught a Patriot’s Day parade, checked out the new Trader Joes and made beef stew. I was wiped by the end and went to bed at 9:30 pm and didn’t get up until 7:30 am this morning. And I ate a lot – I was hungry most of the time. Crazy new body – it’ll take some getting used to.

iphone

I have been dragging my feet on several things lately. Besides the bike, I’ve also waffled about getting a new phone. Work is switching everyone over to iphones now and I was up for an upgrade last month. But I love my little Pearl although it’s starting to freeze up on me and be a little finicky.
It was my first and only blackberry so far. On an international flight awhile back, the airline magazine had an article on the different types of blackberry and compared them to types of cars. Mine was a Jaguar! I was won over immediately, being that the Jaguar is my all time favorite car ever (in case you forgot). I forget what they compared the iphone to but I wasn’t impressed.
Now the iphone is great. I’ve got friends up the whazoo who like to remind me of that fact. And I agree that it does have some wonderful features, but…



1. The pearl is smaller and fits so much better in the hand (and the suit jacket pocket).

2. The texting still seems easier and faster on the pearl, especially one handed.

3. And now, I’ve discovered the iphone doesn’t have a light to signal when you’ve got new mail or messages. You have to slide it on.



Conclusion: I’m not wild about change, no matter how great the new thing. And the guy at the AT&T store thought it was a funny question when I asked if I could bring back the phone and swap it back for a blackberry. Which reminds me, this morning, I went to the AT&T store downtown to get the new iphone. I made my spiel to the guy there and he looked at me funny and replied, “This is the T-Mobile store. The AT&T store is next door.” Opps – and I’d been to the AT&T store before. I thought they had just moved things around. TGIF!

Little People!
I,ll watch TLC sometimes and enjoy the two shows they have that follow the lives of little people. But can,t remember the last time I saw a LP in person...until now.

There was a LP working at Whole Foods this weekend. Which is nice to see, especially now that I,m better educated.

And then just now as I was heading home I saw a LP buying a subway ticket. And then a moment later down on the platform I see another LP!

It,s been years and then 3 citings in one week. what are the odds?

The benefits of living and working in the city. Love that there,s all types of diversity. In my town there seems to be a higher number of blind people which I really like. Although it,s been awhile since I last saw one. I think it,s because I,m going into work later. Another reason to get up earlier!

Thursday Update

Figured I go list today:



1. I'm up to 88 connections on LinkedIn (yay!) It's been great reconnecting with folks. Just heard from the brother of the friend of a friend that I stayed with in Madrid a few summers back. Now I just have to find time to send the requests individually to people I've worked with in the past. Goal to crack 100 before the summer. Funny how my 500+ dream has dropped.



2. I finally found a commiserating friend to discuss my weight gain. Had a great weekend visiting an old highschool friend up in New Hampshire and her family. Played a ton of video games on their wii and at Chucky Cheese - strange place but love the Fast and the Furious driving game. Had to remind myself that there was no do-overs the next day driving the "New England" route home. Reegan and I are same height, body type, everything. I was her maid of honor at her wedding and everyone thought I was one of her sisters. She's going through exactly the same thing - thighs/butt gain. Not a bad thing but does mess up things when you outgrow your favorites.



3. I'm seriously considering buying a Wii, PS3 or XBox. Not because I want to play video games but I found out you can stream Netflix through these devices. And I think Hulu on some of them too. Any opinions on which one I should get? I think Wii gives me the best streaming options.



4. Dad's coming to visit this weekend to enjoy in the Patriot Day festivities. We were planning on biking down to Lexington to see the reenactments, but unfortunately I've stalled on my bike purchase. I keep waffling between buying a new bike on the cheap side, a used bike off of craigslist or just bringing in my bike to get new tires and a tune-up. Plus the fact that these stores don't have great week day hours, I've gotten no where. Think we'll have to drive instead this weekend - bummer.



5. My wonderful glass tupperware killed my wonderful Marc O'Polo bag that I bought last summer in the Frankfurt International Airport when I was killing time before flying off to Stockholm. How can a sentence sound so wonderful and sad at the same time?



6. My landlords are gone on vacation right now which means I get to do laundry tonight. Normally there's a curfew since they go to bed early. It's weird not hearing them below me. They're not loud, but they do effect my morning schedule I realized when getting ready today. If I hear them moving around, I know it's after 7 am and I should get moving. I was a bit late to work - opps.



7. I've been off PB&J for awhile now, almost a year. Which makes lunch harder and I wimp out sometimes. But through the wimping out I discovered a great new sandwich - it's made with good fresh bread (whole grain), wicked sharp cheddar and fresh grapes (cut in half so they don't pop out). Mmmm mmmm good.



8. I woke up this morning thinking today was Friday. I was excited. It's actually Thursday. Now I'm a little disappointed.

SITC 2!

Do you ever have your worlds collide? There are so many that we occupy between different groups of friends, family, work, professional development, committees, neighbors, the list goes on and on! And yes, they occasionally overlap, but I’m always surprised when two worlds you thought would never have anything in common do. Well apparently, I categorize my TV viewing “family” as a world, because I was surprised when I saw the latest Sex in the City trailer on TV last night.


I had just settled down for a four course dinner* to watch the latest episode in the saga that is Lost. I have to admit here that watching the episodes of previous seasons on Netflix was so much better. There was continuity that wasn’t interrupted by commercial breaks and I was more into the story line. Right now I just feel like I’m watching a chess game as the players are moved around the board right before the final show down.
Anyways, surprise, surprise, the SITC2 preview came up and I was admiring their latest outfits when realized they were dropping the name Abu Dhabi a bunch. It really seems awfully familiar to the Bridget Jones sequel. First movie is set in big western city (NYC or London), second movie brings heroine (funny how leaving off the ‘e’ really changes the meaning of that word), to foreign lands and the danger associated with a female in such lands. It was just strange as I go over to Abu Dhabi a bunch for work. Of course, didn’t recognize anything and have since learned that it was filmed in Morocco (which I’d love to visit). But from the few clips I did see, the extravagant hotel they stay at is similar to what I get to stay at. Strange thing in the Middle East, the majority of the hotels are 5 stars. My brother had a hard time finding affordable accommodation when he was laying over awhile back.
I wonder if I’ll see the effect of the movie on the tourist trade in Abu Dhabi. I was thinking I would go see the movie in the theaters with girlfriends, but with the Abu Dhabi element, I’m definitely going. I mean, that’s practically my story there. Ok, not even remotely close to it, but it overlaps a little. Funny how I think Abu Dhabi is mine. I guess it’s because I don’t really know anyone else who goes there periodically.






*fresh artichoke with butter and lemon, followed by haddock provincial style with mushrooms, parsley and bread crumbs in white wine, followed by a boston lettuce salad with scallions and avocado in a light (ok heavy) olive oil and balsamic dressing. I like my salads at the end of the meal – they’re a light way to end the meal. And then had a little tapioca pudding I had just made with coconut milk. And a big glass of milk. Isn’t it strange how good and different milk tastes when eating artichokes?

Language!

I was on the phone this morning with a consultant out of our Dublin office and we had a little bit of "lost in translation" issues. And we were both speaking English!

Turns out he thought I meant storage when speaking of 'stores'. I had to start saying shops instead which was hard to remember but critical for our work. Usually I'm good about self editing but this one slipped through.

Technology!

I think I can now post on this blog from my blackberry by just sending a text. Who knew?

$$$

I thought yesterday I spent a lot of money, dropping over $100 at my local Whole Foods (the perils of shopping on a hungry stomach at a place I don’t often visit), but today I spent $5,000! Yikes. I’ve been meaning to buy my IRA for 2009 and all of a sudden I realized the deadline was fast approaching. But it’s for a good cause (old me) and I had it saved away.

Thankful Friday - Thursday

Decided today was a good day to act as a stand in for my thankful Friday – thought I’d describe my morning and the goodness in it. I woke up this morning tired as I’ve had some guilt issues weighing on me. I’ve been doing good with shifting my mindset, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Thank goodness for therapy to keep me on task – it’s like having my own personal trainer – especially needed when you hit that wall part way through.



So I wake up and am tired. But as I lay there for a moment, I’m enjoying the sunlight streaming in – yay spring! And enjoy my crisp new sheets (I’m a sheet-a-holic) that are just absolutely gorgeous and feel great too! And I’ve got my little love muffins snuggled up in bed with me. Although once I wake up, Winston is on me to feed him (and this after having an enema yesterday – him not me, and yes he’s a cat – go figure). Up I get and the being-a-morning-person kicks in. I’m still an hour off my schedule (waking up at 7 instead of 6 – damn daylight savings), but still take my time getting ready, tidying the living room, getting the recycling ready for pick up and finishing up my taxes. I even enjoyed a lounge on the couch watching an episode of Chuck while eating my cranberry-corn pancakes.



My wait for the bus was enjoyable as it was sunny and dry and no standing in the rain waiting and getting soaked. Yay sun! And then on the bus I get back into a new book I started about Eleanor of Aquitaine, little knowing that my “tv show” was about to start. Half reading, half looking out the window, and half listening to the conversations on the bus (don’t check my math), my attention is drawn to the latter. There is an old man with a cane on one side of the bus facing a raggedy man on the other side of the bus. They kind of know each other. The raggedy man is 3 years sober, as of March 5th. And the old man I can’t tell whether he is playing dumb really well, or is just ignorant of certain things. Driving up Mass Ave, and the bus suddenly lurches and the driver slams on the horn. There’s a bicyclist that cut in front and at the sound of the horn, he turns in his seat and gives the driver the finger and starts yelling at him. And then proceeds to go through a red light. Well the conversation between the driver, the old guy, and the 3-years sober guy was entertaining. The funniest part was the old man saying that the bicyclist waived at the driver, but only with the middle finger so what does that mean? The three of them were just characters. The old man even asked the bus driver if heard an irish rogue.



And then the calm waiting at the subway stop and the cello player is there again. Sitting in the dark underground, with no conversations around me, reading my book and listening to some sonata – just a great way to start the day.



Sometimes my commute can seem long and I wish I worked closer to home, but other times I do really enjoy the journey. And after all these years, there are the regulars you start recognizing on the trip – from the drivers to the fellow passengers. Needless to say, bus tv beats car radio any day in my book.

Linked

I’ve caved. Social networking has got me, at least for the moment. I finally joined facebook last year after my own family started harassing me (my sibilings). And it was, well, not really my cup of tea. I try to get on once a month, but usually it’s longer and I haven’t updated my profile.
But LinkedIn is another story. Again, didn’t really want to engage but had to set up an account a few months back so that I could post a comment to another comment on a blog posting I had at work. Follow all that? Long story short, my name was there but no info. And I’d get a few people who would find me and ask to be linked. I was up to 17 yesterday.



And then I realized that it’s beneficial for me to network better and this is an easy forum. So I took a breather from other work and started asking folks to be linked. Not my favorite thing to do – I’m horrible at hailing cabs. Well, this morning I’m up to 59. And I have to say I’m much more interested in my colleagues (LinkedIn) than old friends and acquaintances (facebook). Don’t know why, maybe because after one or two folks I check to see what they’re up to, I really don’t need to know what someone had for breakfast that day who I can barely remember from high school. Although I do have to say I just stumbled onto messages on my wall the other day of folks wishing me a Happy Birthday – from over a month ago. That was nice.



But LinkedIn is like snooping in a friends medicine cabinet while you’re over for dinner. You break bead with them but you wonder about the other stuff. Turns out that, one, more people remember me than I give them credit for – shouldn’t project there. Just because I have a horrible memory doesn’t mean others do, even if it’s been a few years since we’ve worked together. And two, my goal of targeted connections may have been too high. I was thinking, 500 friends, I don’t think I have 500 friends (I probably do if I really sit down and remember all the different chapters of my life), but 500 colleagues, piece of cake. I mean, look how many emails I’ll get in a given day. My old boss, who is very good at networking and knows everyone, she has “500+” listed. I thought, I can do that. Well, I think I can, but it’ll take more work. I already went through the easy connections from old jobs and school. Now I have to search each person. A little more time intensive. I think for now I’ll just work on cracking three digits for now.



And I even found out that one of the engineers I’m working with on a project went to the same undergrad as I did. I can’t remember if we already figured this out before – slight déjà vous.



Also, I have to post, at lunch today, I was walking back from having lunch on the common with a friend. We were both kefeltzing about our lives but the sun helped put it all in perspective, at least for me. On my way back I’m stuck behind this group of young kids strolling along in front of Macy’s. There’s a new twist on an old style. I really wish I had my cell phone on me, I would have snapped a picture. All the guys were wearing their pants belted below the bum, but above the knees. I really don’t understand the physics of how those things stay on. But you could really tell where the pants were because they were all wearing shorter t-shirts. Regular style instead of the super big, baggy type that would go down to their knees almost. So I got to stare at all these butts in front of me. The layers they had on while working your way up was jeans, belt, about 6” of boxers covering the bum and then the t-shirt started. It took me aback after I realized what I was looking at. Gotta love spring in Beantown!

Stalking Lessons?

I’ve been known to take my time with projects, some may even call it procrastinating. I’d like to think it’s a long gestation period. What am I talking about? Back in my undergrad years I had a professor who said that he knew I would start my own business one day. That was when I was studying engineering. And then in grad school I had a professor who thought I should start my own business. That was for a business class. I half believed them and half scoffed at the idea. As I’ve shifted careers and employers, I would mull the idea around but always put it back on the shelf. Frankly, I’m not a big fan of business development (ironic as that’s what my job has started to morph into), and yet without customers, there is no business. No income. No health insurance. No security. So that’s where I always got stuck.
Well, last fall a business idea popped into my head. It was so brilliant I was afraid someone would beat me to the market and I remember having a sleepless night about what to do next. Except it was just a rough idea – I was missing a few key components that would make it work. I couldn’t quite figure it out. It was still a blurry idea at best, kind of all over the place. So I pondered it some. And then someone else executed my idea! I had missed the boat. The repercussions (oh google, how I love that you know what word I’m trying to spell) of waiting too long.But I kept thinking about the idea. I realized that the new business that started up was in the same ball park but over in left field. My idea was a different approach to the market and frankly ballparks are really big, right? I knew I had something, potentially better. I’d run ideas by my brother while we waited for our plane home after visiting mom. I’d jot notes in the margins of my calendar on my commutes. I even googled possible company names out of curiosity. I’ve talked, vaguely, with friends in the industry about the idea. And time after time, I’ve had the idea reinforced by demands from clients and work.


And yet I’ve been dragging my feet this last week. Why? Well, three things:

1. Ownership. I need to start this up on the side, hobby style, as it won’t be profitable for awhile (actually that’s part of what I’m still trying to figure out). But I just reread my paperwork I signed for my job and they get to own everything I create. It’s really geared towards the software side of things since that’s what we do, but it’s broad enough I think my idea would fall under it. I’m not competing with them for business so have no worries about working on the side (plus I won’t be bringing in revenue at first).
2. New skill. I have the bulk of the knowledge but need to either learn a new skill or hire/bring someone on that does. More likely I’ll learn it. Which means a lot of learning. Not sure if I’m up for that. Old dog/new tricks kicks in here.

3. Timing. Second to the market is a harder position than first to the market. I think this could be better, but it will take more work to bring customers. Maybe I have missed the boat. If not, the window left has got to be small. Pressure is on and if I go fully after this idea, it will be a time sink.


But the thing is, this is the business for me. As well as I can tell of the unknown that is ahead of me. Now’s the time. And I’d hate to disappoint those old professors. So I’m not giving up on the idea yet. And that’s where the stalking comes in. I’ve been mulling and thinking and sleeping on the idea and it’s gone left and right and zig-zagged all over the place. But I realize that there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. I know of a great business model in a different field. And I think the person who created the business lives in the Boston area. So there are a few things I can work on for this wonderful idea before I run into the first two obstacles listed above. One is flushing out a business plan and understanding what challenges truly lay ahead. What the best approach is and learning the missteps of others. I just need to get a meeting with this person. I’ve never met her, our circles don’t overlap in any way professionally. I do have a way to email her, but haven’t figured out a way to distinguish my email from the thousands of others she gets weekly. In a way it kind of feels like I’m at the beginning of a potential relationship with a guy. You know, when you do that quasi-virtual stalking hoping to stumble on a new photo or something. Writing this, I think the best idea is just polite persistence – for the meeting, not the boy.
So my homework – buy domain names and get an interview. Not expensive although a bit challenging. Apologies for the vagueness, but the idea is so brilliant I’m worried someone will lift the idea off this post. I just know my readers are malicious like that! We’ll see where I am in a month. Hopefully my stalking will pay off. And I do think this is more than just this month’s flavor. Maybe it’s spring talking.
Cartoons courtesy of www.toothpastefordinner.com. One of the guys I dated got me hooked on the site. And then I forgot about it (and can’t remember which guy)!

Isopod

Did anyone catch the latest This American Life, #404 Enemy Camp? I was listening to the podcast this afternoon at work and Act II moved me to look up the image of an isopod parasite. It looks like a little pill bug and lives in the water. It swims into the mouth of a snapper and when in there eats the fish’s tongue but just the tongue. And then it turns around, facing front, and hunkers down where the tongue used to be. So if you open up the mouth of the fish you now see a “tongue” with eyes. The snapper and the isopod go on with a symbiotic relationship sharing the meals caught. It’s so strange and yet so familiar. Like something on the sci fi channel. But it’s really over on the nature channel. It puts you in your place. “Parasites are the most successful life form on earth.”Needless to say, I'm keeping my mouth shut when swimming in natural water ways from here on. Unfortunately I can’t get iTunes to download more than two Radiolab podcasts (see Act III which is really clever too).

Ode to Red Line

Oh red line how I love your service. Your frequency and cleanliness surpass all your siblings. You may be crowded at times but you offer up the best chance of a seat over all the others. And the ambiance you provide at your stations does not go unnoticed. From the blind banjo player with his seeing eye dog at Porter to the crazy electric guitar player with his stocking hat at Alewife to the occasional klezmer at Harvard. A quiet crazy.I rode the orange line last night and it paled in comparison. I would have thought I was stuck in a little corner of hell if I had to take orange every day instead of you, oh glorious red. But instead, I found it funny. The harmonica player who at first glance was providing a pleasant accompaniment while waiting for the train that would just not arrive. Pleasant until you realize he’s looping and it was a two stanza loop. Over and over, the same two lines. But the train arrived and a seat was found. And just as the doors shut on the crowd packed in, a last minute addition arrived. An addition that could not be seen through the huddled masses hanging on to the subway bars. But could be heard. Over and over, screaming the same thing. The little boy was insistent.
And he did not wear out after a few stops like the Cambridge kids will on your wonderful red line. He kept on going and going. What he was saying, I do not know. I do not speak orange line speak. At first it sounded like “I wanna go back” which then morphed into sounding like “I wanna go bed” (which might have been me projecting what I thought he really needed during this melt down). In the end I think he was saying “I want the gun back”. Which I would never think of on you, safe red line, but on orange…
And, oh glorious red, that was funny on its own. But what topped it was that the young gentleman standing in front of me who was trying to read caught my eye. On you, quiet red, the commuters respect the silence and there may be the occasional eye contact. But on orange, the awkward conversations pop up and he says, “This reminds me of that German commercial for condoms.” What do you say to that? For me, the first thing that popped into my head was, “How does it end?” It ends with a tired father and toddler having a tantrum with a caption that says, “don’t you wish you used acme condoms?”
Oh red line, how I missed you last night. And although I enjoyed the dinner with friends, and the old camaraderie. The late night of girl talk before my sleep over, I missed your smooth ride in this morning. The green line may be young and hip, but you are old and wise. And I greatly prefer the slow and steady type that gets you there faster than the stop-go jerkiness of the young. My empty stomach missed your soft ride.
I look forward to our reunion tonight. Your familiar riders and the familiar crazies. Thank you for getting me home safely and quietly each night. And for getting me into work without demanding my attention. I appreciate your understated grace. Thank you red line for being my line.

Kittens!

Last night, I swung by Andrea’s quickly before going over to Marie’s for dinner.

Andrea’s fostering three baby kittens and the mommy. OMG! I forget how cute they can be and they were just bundles of energy running around and tussling.

Sooo cute and tiny. Only 3 weeks old.
The mama looked very much like Walter (but completely different personality) and she was a baby herself – only 9 months.

I almost left with a few tucked in a pocket, except Walter and Winston would be so mad! I think they would eat a kitten out of spite.