Staycation

So it’s been awhile since I had a proper vacation. I travel a bunch for work, but that doesn’t count if you don’t take time off. I’ve been pretty good about making it overseas once a year…except recently. This is what my log of trips should have been.

2012 Greece
2011 Northern Italy
2010 Paris
2009 Sweden/Frankfurt
2008 Spain/Portugal
2007 India
2006 Moved to Boston

But 2012 and 2011 are fictional. I had the opportunity to go since my brother was doing some academic work for a month each summer. He was renting a house and I could have had a place to crash. But in 2011, I had just started my new job so didn’t have the vacation time accrued, nor was it a smart professional move. And in 2012, I was all gung-ho to go when I was suddenly faced with purchasing my place which meant my savings were redirected for the down payment. No regrets, but I am in desperate need of a break.

I still want to plan a trip and am trying to figure out how to back-end a vacation on a work trip. I did that with the Paris and Sweden trips. I was traveling for work, business class, to Abu Dhabi with layovers in Europe. Much more economical since you could expense most of the travel to the project. But I don’t have anything concrete planned yet and am needing a break.

Works been very successful. But with success comes more demands and higher expectations (both internally placed and externally). I’ve come up with solutions, but unfortunately, my major solution - getting approval to hire some key positions, has not come to fruition yet - challenging to find the right person. Basically, I’m getting burnt out. My day is basically arriving at work in the morning, starting to tackle emails - interruptions with phone calls, meetings and walk bys with people and me trying to keep projects on task. By 5 pm I finally have some time to tackle some of my work accumulated from those phone calls, meetings and walk bys. It’s not a good long term approach to work. I could be more efficient with handling everything if I could get some work done on the foundation items. Develop my repertoire of tools.

About a month ago, my body was yelling at me and I had to come up with a short term solution until my grand plan fell into place. All I could come up with was blocking off the first week I didn’t have any commitments scheduled. And low and behold, I’ve been able to hold that week free of meetings, trips, calls, etc. And that week is next week.

I’m already counting down the days. My plan is to not take a complete week of vacation, but rather the appearance of vacation. Allowing me to crank on some fundamentals that need attention. The only challenging thing is I work most effectively on my computer at work. But I think I have a work around for that. This morning I wrote up two lists. All the projects I’d like to tackle for work. And all the projects I’d like to tackle for home (painting, sewing, etc). It’s at least a month’s worth of work! I’m thinking that I can work on discrete projects, focused without the million little things that interrupt me in the day to day. I’ll be able to catch up on sleep, not be exhausted from work demands, get refocused and be completely offline. I can work on a home project and then switch over to a work project - keeping a nice balance. And the great thing is that I can turn it all into vacation time if that’s what the body/mind needs. It’s a pretty good plan all things considered with what I was working with.

The challenging part is this last haul. Trying to wrap up key items this week before I head off. Getting everything prepped for when I’m gone. I was torn on canceling my “staycation” since I have new staff starting on Monday. But I was good and worked out a solution where I’m not needed in person. I’m important, but not that important!

I really can’t wait. I’m almost more excited about this “vacation” than I was about those others. I’ve set one main goal - to get rid of my grey hair. They start popping up when I’m stressed and tired. But go away once I’m rejuvenated. Let’s see if I can achieve my goal!

Old Haunts

It's such a beautiful day and I didn't make it to the grocery store last night. Which means I have to buy lunch. I took the opportunity to walk over to Chinatown and picked up Vietnamese sandwiches and Chinese pastries.

I used to go to this place all the time when I was working a block away. Now it's a good 15 minutes away walking. I miss the old Chinese men who hang out drinking coffee.  And you can't beat a $3 sandwich!  And $0.80 pastries!  I picked up a bunch of pastries from a neighboring shop for my group.  They only had one red bean paste bun left which I selfishly kept for myself.  They're so good!

Friday

Work week was crazy.My body is crying for a break. And I've escaped! With my BFF and two god kids. Not sure how much rest there will be but it's gorgeous and a nice distraction from work.

New England Cold

I almost escaped, having a winter without succumbing to the classic New England cold. But nope - I just used the last tissue in the house and downed the last of the cold medicine.

I remember when I moved back to the east coast after years of being away and that first winter I got a cold. A New England cold. I had completely forgotten what they could be like and it brought flash backs to my youth. I don't know what it is with the east coast but the colds here are powerful. Best way to avoid them are rest, stress free life and good food. Works some years, others not so much. I'm finally feeling like I can hold me head up without the aid of something to lean it against. Yesterday it felt like I was a cartoon character where you could see my head was a bowl full of snot. It was just chocked full and congested.

There is something a bit comforting having a head cold. You want it gone but at the same time it feels like home. Something familiar that's been with you since birth. I'm optimistic that I'll make it into work this morning and try to play a frantic catch up day. I'd rather just stay home, but that little pesky thing called work is upset it's been unattended.

i can run by the store on my way home for more supplies. i used up both the regular scratchy tissues and the super soft special tissues. i don't know how much the cold medicine really does so will hold off on buying more since the season should be over.

I kept thinking I should get some chores done while home sick. Catch up on ironing, at least clean the dirty bathroom since I'm in there every 10 minutes as I try to flush the virus out by drinking copious amounts of water. But every time I got up, I was reminded why I was home - I was home sick!

Now if I can just get my head to understand it's a work day. I'm a little worried how much sense I'll make since it still feels like cotton up in the old noggin. This post was fairly coherent, right? Thank goodness it's Friday!

Added 20 minutes later:
Well, that was interesting. I just finished posting this when I get an email from my brother writing something cryptic about being safe and getting into work with public transportation being down. I love that my brother on the other side of the world in India knew about the lock down before I did. Let's see if I actually make it into work today.

Commute Next Day

When I arrived at my subway station this morning I was greeted by a line of about a dozen armed personnel in camouflage stationed about three feet apart. They formed a line in front of the ticket gates and were checking bags.

Again very surreal. In the picture you can kind of make them out in the distance.

And then when I got off at South Station, as I exited the subway I was greeted by more armed military stationed at strategic corners just watching us deboard the train.

It was a quiet commute without about half the normal amount of commuters.

Commute Home

It's about 6:30 pm and I'm on my way home. It's a bright sunny evening and as I approach the post office there is extra personnel directing, first auto traffic, and then once I'm inside, people traffic, as everyone rushes to get their taxes filed and post marked on time. It's nice having the main post office located a block away. It stays open until midnight everyday so I have no excuse for not getting something mailed.

After finding out I needed an extra 20 cents to mail my federal, glad I checked, I walked through the hallways to the back connection the post office has to South Station, the big train station for Boston, and come out on the tracks. A train was just boarding and along the line of pedestrians, there was about four police. When I walk in, and stop for a quick snack to hold me over, I start noticing more and more police... And a lot of police dogs on duty roaming around smelling bags. I must have seen about a half dozen in less than five minutes.

I make my way down to the subway entrance and more police, and more dogs, and additional men in military gear with semi-automatic guns slung over their shoulder. All the armed personnel are fairly casual, in relaxed stances. But it is unmistakable that something has changed.

I heard about the explosions at the marathon race just as I was hopping onto a conference call at work. It was a little unbalancing, but I just put it aside and carry on for the moment. Twenty minutes later, when I'm back at my desk I google to find out what happened. Everyone at work was a little apprehensive traveling home, some debating whether it was wise to take the subway after such an incident.

It's very strange and although nowhere close to 9-11 it hits closer to home quite literally. In 2011, I was with my mom in a small town in middle America. Although devastating and I knew people in NYC, it was far enough removed. There was very little likelihood the next attack would target where I was. There was no concern for safety. In fact, we were in the place where people would exodus towards, leaving the big cities if this turned into some apocalyptic thing.

Now, it's real. It's surreal, especially since I vaguely remember years ago someone hypothesizing about future targets and the Boston marathon was on the list. I'm sure this will quickly go from this surrealness to an over saturation of the same news getting hashed and rehashed to the point I leave off listening/watching/reading the news. It's strange how the news industry can take something so raw and desensitize you to the event.

Thank you all for your emails of concern. Just know that I'm safe and sound writing this and so far know no one who was effected by this terrible event.

Facebook Friends

I'm a bit of a ludlite. I didn't get Facebook when it was all the rage and would cancel my account now if it weren't for one friend who posts a ton about her kids which I love seeing.

I was just popping on to see what's happened recently while riding home from work and the two minute scan before my train hit the tunnel, and I lost the connection, revealed that... I'm a hick.

I've traveled extensively, been schooled extensively, rub elbows with some elites, but no matter what, I can't deny where I came from and those people I grew up with.

Apparently this spring weather brings out.... the guns. Most of my circles over the decades have been composed of educated liberals. Not big on guns.

One guy I went to school with just got a new Glock and the husband of another friend is excited to go shooting with this spring weather. Not what I usually hear as a city girl these days.

I guess I can claim a diversified portfolio of friends, right? Still strange.

Celebrity Siting

I met up with friends for lunch today and while we were enjoying good food and good conversation I look up and see .....Ming Tsai!

I admit I'm a PBS kid and so was introduced to his cooking show when I was younger. And now there he was in person. I was the only one excited. It might have been the PBS thing. And the fact we were in his new restaurant, Blue Dragon, might have factored in too.

I snapped this picture and was going to ask for a picture but he wasn't in the restaurant very long. Plus I got all nervous. Still, pretty cool.

Vermont Rock Monster

I made him with Cam and Maggie when we were up in Vermont last month. A huge success. We made a bunch and gave some to their parents and Aaron made a great remark upon receiving them - about these were coming into work. I decided to copy his example. So now Max lives on my shelf, smiling down on me while I work.

April Fools Day

I wasn't quite sure what to expect today since I work with some jokers. Myself included. I was going to put a walkie talkie in someone's desktop and talk to them through the computer except the walkie talkies I got make this sound that clearly gives them away. Plus today was non stop go from the moment I walked through the door.

Anyways, I'm finally leaving and get to safely say this was all that greeted me:

How awesome is that? I've got my own maple syrup dealer who hooks me up! If I wasn't hooked before I am now. I think I was doomed since my mom used the stuff (real maple syrup, so we're clear) when I was in her belly. I didn't stand a chance!