Office Move

I just said farewell to my desk at work. It's been a good desk.  I've enjoyed my neighbors Denis and Glenn. I've enjoyed the wonderful sunlight. The quiet location. The plentiful space. The easy walk up three flights in the morning. 

The office is getting a furniture upgrade - long overdue. We're all being shuffled around and will be moved up to the fifth floor over the holidays. I just checked in on my new spot. I'm wondering what it will be like on Monday when I come in. Nothing like a deadline. 

By the way - tons if free office furniture. Anyone need a filing cabinet?  Let me know and I can hook you up. 

Commute Change

Another change greeted me this morning on my commute in. A brand new bus!  This is a welcome change from some of the buses I take which have "slipping breaking". Basically the bus would be coming to a stop and then stutter forward. Very disconcerting. 

And this one seems to be "healthier". Not sure if it's a hybrid but it shuts off when at a stop and rides differently than a conventional vehicle.  Exciting times!

Christmas Craziness

This year I was in the mood to decorate the house a bit more than usual. Could be the Christmas board I've been pining to all year on Pinterest. I didn't get everything done but did add a few more things. In the living room I was trying to decorate the bookcase with the extra boughs from the tree. We grew up with the mantle decorated at Christmas. This is the time of year I wish I had a fireplace - for the mantle. 

And in the sunroom I hung boughs at each window. I started to do bows but the cats thought they were fun so am waiting until next year to include the bows. 

Speaking of cats, I just saw the extent of damage to my bag. I had some cookies zipped up in it friday night and I think Webster was ruthless trying to get to them. Crazy!  The handles are almost gone anyways but i was going to get a little more life out of the bag. 

Luckily I'm not too annoyed as I've been looking for a new bag anyways. Plus they are so cute.  I have been a bit more annoyed this year though around the festivities. I'm trying not to let it turn into a chore. But this year  it's gotten more annoying with everyone wanting the wish lists spelled out. On one list I had put a general description of something I wanted (along with several other choices) and linked an example from LL Bean. I get both emails and texts telling me it's sold out. Frankly I don't have the time this time of year to hunt down alternatives, especially since I'm not the one retired. I'm literally one step short of just buying the gift, wrapping it and handing it over to the person so they can turn around and give it to me. What's the point?  And then on top of that I get to look forward to the family festivities in VT where half the people don't want to be celebrating Christmas there. It's probably the fact that this will be the last Christmas in VT (the plan is to sell the place in the spring) that I've lost my patience with the usual holiday antics. Being a sentimental traditionalist that I am. And on top of that I had the best laid plans for gifts and thought I was ahead only to find myself scrambling in the eleventh hour. I ordered something online about three weeks ago and after enquiring about it find out the order was lost in the shuffle and some of the items are sold out and the others are coming after Christmas. Ugh. End of rant. 

Last night I was trying to get the last of my shopping done. Unfortunately a bunch of stores closed early on Sunday. While waiting in line at Macy's, I saw this 'sale'. Apparently they really want to off load the 10" but not the other sizes. So I'm not the only one feeling the craziness of Christmas. 

Shortest Commute

Just finishing up work at our Atlanta office. I walk down to the lobby and realize I have the shortest commute. I just run across the street and  I'm "home". 

You can see the Hyatt sign through the lobby doors. I'm in the tower portion which is kind of cool. 

You get off the elevator and instead of hallways there's little nooks with doors on all sides. The room is smaller but a cooler design. From my window you can see where I took the picture between the ground skylights. 

I was checking out the adjacent "mall" and got a little lost. But all good. 

Delta

This morning I was having déjà vu as I entered terminal A at the airport. And then I realized I've gone through the same set of doors on thursday (going to Ny), Friday (coming back from NY), Sunday (picking up nick from his trip to Rio via Atlanta) and now Monday morning as I fly down to Atlanta. 

While waiting for Nick's arrival the luggage started arriving. I went over to see if I could spot nicks luggage. Didn't see his but saw this piece of luggage that went through an extra TSA check. 

You gotta wonder what they did to warrant wrapping the bag up like this!  Another reason to skip checking bags.   

Christmas Tree

 The Sunday after thanksgiving I joined my friends to go cut down a Christmas tree. It's a bit of a tradition. I think this is the third time we've gone together and I was reminiscing that the first time we went to a tree farm that had gone to seed (you cut down your tree and then cut the top half off to get your tree but priceswere good   for the metro area) my god son, Cam, was just starting to walk and Maggie was still being carried. And now they're helping me pick out which tree to cut and carry it back to the car. 

Other years I've also cut trees down in VT. There's a place north of dads which charges $20, any size. That was the timeI got the biggest tree to date. It ended up having to sit in the middle of the room due to the breadth of the branches. I was thinking this year I might get two smaller trees and Maggie and I were scoping things out. Then I learned they were all priced $55 so went for one of the bigger/regular size trees.  It was a nice old couple running it on their land so that helped knowing it funded their retirement. 

This year, I trimmed the back so I could tuck the tree into a corner. Plus it was a little bald in the back and I wanted some boughs for decorating. I was wondering how this year would be with the "kittens". They were good Sunday and Monday and Tuesday. I did only put non-fragile ornaments up and the cats soon discovered the new water supply. It was Friday that I came home to this. 

When the tree fell it took a floor lamp down and busted the shade. Frustrating since I got the lamp at a designer store that was moving so it was super discounted. I wouldn't be surprised if the shade was $100. But otherwise no other damage. I mopped up the water and put the tree back up. And hoped for the best.  And then Tuesday, just as I was about to leave for work down it goes again!  And I had just put water in. I think it might be the stand since it didn't seem like the cats were doing anything outrageous. 

I kind of tied it to the window curtain rod but think I should run to the hardware store and get an anchor to put in the wall. Something for this weekend! 

Heywood Wakefield

I'm still planning on posting about the family thanksgiving and getting my Christmas tree. But realize it won't be until this weekend. 

In the meantime I just got an email from Retro Craft. They are two quasi-retired sisters that buy mid-century pieces from estate sales, Craig's list, etc and give the a little TLC and sometimes paint or reupholstering. 4 years ago, to celebrate my new job (the current one) I bought one of my favorite pieces - a mid-century bureau. I fell in love with the organizational function.  It had all these sliding shelves to lay out your sweaters so they are easier to access. 

I signed up for their newsletter and sometime find a piece I like but often it is too expensive. I feel like their prices went up as they got more established. 

Anyways, reading my email today I see they have a coffee table that is just like mine.  I stumbled upon a trove of blond mid-century pieces one summer at moms in Ohio. The antique store didn't even have them out on the main floor since that style didn't sell in Ohio. And this is the origin story of how I have so many tables. I loved the wishbone legs of a Heywood Wakefield table, the multi-ply of another and the compact form of the drop leaf. In the end I got all three tables, the 14 chairs that went with them and this coffee table. 

I've been coming to terms that although I still love the pieces they don't necessarily fit my current space needs (constraints) and design style. And that I should start thinking about what to let go of and not hold onto future scenarios (when I have a bigger place and a home for all the pieces). So this is promising to see, even taking into condition the wear and tear of my piece. Especially since I've since learned how to better negotiate what to pay. I think I got a reasonable deal but probably could have gotten a slightly better bargain after watching one of my favorite shows - Market Warriors on PBS. 

I Won!

I just got up and was feeding the cats.  I'm still at the stage where I have to oversee who is eating whose food.  Ten seconds in and Wallace and Winston want to switch up.  Anyways, I'm on my ipad, hanging out and policing everything, and I'm checking out new movie trailers (Jurasic World looks good).  I go to check out something on the internet and the new page shows me options based on recent visits and ESPN shows up.  I remember there were the football games last night.  I was tied for first place with two others.  And there were two Monday games due to having to reschedule Buffalo due to the snow so there really are a lot more in the running. For a moment I'm tempted to check right away, but am good and finish out the task I was working on.

A moment later I'm trying to load up the football page to see who won and hoping it was me or Dan since neither of us had won yet.  I had swung by his desk yesterday to introduce myself and wish him well.  And jokingly find out if he was a ravens or saints fan. I had decided to forgo my new system and go back to the basics - just picking teams based on the geographic location.  There was only one other person who got Thursday nights game - I lived next to Oakland and don't know anyone in Kansas City. Looks like the old system is golden!  I ended up picking Baltimore over New Orleans since I really don't know anyone in the south and we would sometimes fly into Baltimore to visit my grandparents and I've been there a bunch for work - several Baltimore projects in the office. 

I'm so excited I won.  I can sit pretty knowing I came out ahead this year. Of course the other thing now, is that I'm a little closer to third spot overall for the season.  I had started off strong and was first for several weeks, dropped to second and stayed there for awhile and then quickly jumped down to third and then fourth and then fifth. But now, I'm back up to fourth. 

Five games left to gain three points and be back in the running.  It seems so simple on paper. Not likely in reality.  But from here on out I'm just going to play my old way. There's really no rhyme or reason but I've learned that's the case with these games, especially with all the upsets this season.  

Anyways, great way to start the day! And today's my last day of work this week - I'm taking the rest of the week off to celebrate Thanksgiving with mom and nick.

Monday Round-Up

This was a home weekend for me.  Nothing too excited and I spent the weekend catching up on sleep, getting things in order for my mom’s visit today and general life stuff.

1.     Style.  As I’ve been slowly weeding out my closet and tracking what I wear and what I don’t really touch, I’ve been forced to figure out what my style is.  I’ve been trying to figure it out anyways as I move into the next chapter of my life.  With my upcoming Paris trip, I’ve been planning and figuring out what to see and do.  One common thread is what not to wear when in Paris.  Parisians are always stylish and you stick out like a sore thumb when you dress with some of our American habits.   I’ve been searching through the internet to figure out what shoes to wear in winter that are both comfy and warm while staying stylish. On a side note, I stumbled upon Coach shoes.  They are a bit pricier but I have a pair of ballet flats I wore almost all summer and a pair of wine red loafers I’ve been wearing this past month that are just really really comfortable.  They are the most comfortable shoes in my closet and well worth the little extra cost.

 Searching for the winter Parisian style, I stumbled upon a larger area of Parisian style.  I’ve been reading up on different approaches and came across a common theme, “une femme d’un certain age”.  It’s frustratingly non-specific other than keep to classic neutrals and have a pop of style through accessories, shoes or piece of clothing.  I’ve figured I just need to stalk some stylish women on pinterest.  I’m also planning on taking note on my Paris trip.

This weekend, I was making a run to return something to TJ Maxx and ended up walking out the door with a few elements for the closet.  Near the end of the shopping visit, I stumbled upon The navy blazer.  I had been looking for one for ages - something that can be worn with jeans but is dressy enough for work.  I couldn’t believe I found the perfect one - it fits exactly right, the fabric is better than I could imagine, and the color is just right.  It’s from Theory which is one of my go-to stores.  I also picked up a classic white shirt from Theory, that is a little quirky, a pair of Coach loafers for the spring and a cream silk blouse from Marc Jacobs.  What was interesting was that I found I was already editing when perusing the racks.  I would find pieces I liked, but then realized they didn’t fit in with my over all image I was building.  I was happy to see I’ve started heading in the right direction.

This morning, I was putting together the basics and was trying to figure out how to make it more Parisian.  I ended up adding the red wine loafers and keep my accessories to some larger, funky earrings.  Everything else is well tailored and kept simple and clean.  Next up is taking the critical eye to the closet and not only axing favorites that don’t really fit, but also identifying the gaps.

 

2.     Water.  Following on the Parisian style theme, one item that is consistent is that it’s not just about the clothes but also how you take care of yourself.  Reading up on different blogs and articles, I found one that really fit my gut instinct (strange pun since I’m consciously wanting to keep my gut in check).  It mentioned to drink a lot of water.  Which I already knew, but it put it into perspective.  Basically, you should drink half your weight in water.  That equates to about 65 oz for me (130 lbs).  Which is equal to just under 6 glasses of water.  So at work today, I started a new system to track what glass I’m on.  On one of my monitors, I have 6 tabs, and as I finish each glass, I move a tab over to the other screen.  I try to get half way through (or more) before lunch.  As I work, I’m noticing the tab and I am reminded to drink some more water.  So far so good, but I’m not quite through one day yet, so a little too early to tell.  Plus I’m not wild about having to run to the bathroom more frequently.  Ugh.

3.     Nesting.  As I edit my wardrobe, I’ve been editing my house and belongings too.  Everything is slow going as I slowly come to terms that some items, although nice, aren’t really part of my core love.  This weekend I spent some more time on the endless picture project.  I have art and other items that I’ve slowly been framing.  The idea is that if I don’t have the art on the walls, I really shouldn’t be keeping it and out it goes.  This weekend I spent some time cutting out the frame boards and matching up art with frames.  Some are just absolutely lovely and a perfect framing job (the Mongolian huts Nick brought back from China works great with the silver frame I got at the VT dump for free).  Others are almost there, but something is off - not quite the right frame, or backing frame board.  Figured this is something I can have mom help with - figuring out the framing and then also the hanging of the art.  Of course, I’m getting to the point where I have a lot of art up on the walls already so need to make sure I’m editing and not having things too crowded.  Always a challenge! 

4.     Cleaning.  I do say I have gotten a lot better with cleaning.  I was very close to getting a cleaning lady once a month and then it dawned on me that all my cleaning woes are associated with things that require cleaning more often than weekly.  Mainly due to the cats.  So a cleaning lady would be nice but not address the route issue and I’d be in the same predicament.  I think I stumbled upon some tips on pinterest and between the tips and a change in mindset, it’s a lot better.  Something from my time management book is that you should take things to the end.  For instance, if you are done with dinner, clear the dishes, and instead of just leaving them in the sink/counter, take the extra few seconds to put them in the dishwasher.  This goes across all topics and really makes a difference.  I’ve been keeping things pretty tidy.  And then cleaning, the biggest tip, is the 4 minute clean.  During the evening while you’re watching TV, when the commercials come on, go do a quick clean, like wipe down the bathroom, or sweep, or vacuum.  It’s amazing that the chores are really so short on their own and can be done in such a short period.  It also keeps you from going into the deep vortex of wanting to clean everything to the nth degree which is completely unnecessary.  I will periodically tackle a bigger cleaning chore on the weekend.  A few weekends ago, I went through the house and while putting in the storm windows, I washed the windows.  I had set a time so when I realized I was going to run out of time, I only washed the windows I would notice (skipped the bedrooms and study).  It’s been great!

 

 

 

And that's me.  As I was downloading pictures, I forgot about a lunch I had on friday with work colleagues.  I ordered the french onion soup and it tasted as deliscious as it looked!

Candy

A few months ago I heard a study linking sugar and cholesterol.  I’ve always had a sweet tooth and know it contributes to my dental woes, weight gain and now looks like it might hurt my cholesterol numbers.  I’ve been good at cutting out simple carbs but have trouble with sugar.  So after hearing this “new” study (I did a search and found an article on it, from a few years ago), I decided to start reducing my sugar intake - starting with candy.  I was brought up eating minimal candy.  However, I’ve enjoyed my freedom as an adult.  If I want to indulge in one or two or four Cadbury cream eggs at Easter, you know what, I can, and have.  Last month I made a conscious decision to not eat candy.  I don’t buy it often, but every once in awhile I will indulge.  I have found that sugar begets sugar.  Over the holidays I’ll end up eating a lot of sweets - pies, cookies, etc. And come January I crave dessert after dinner. 

I can’t remember what day I stopped, but I’ve been good.  Halloween candy sales were bombarding me - super good deals on really good candy.  And I passed it by.  I come into work after Halloween, and everyone has their extra Halloween candy on their desks and in the kitchens.  And I pass it by.  I pop into the store after Halloween and everything is on super sale, including the candy corn which I love.  No deal.  Today, I’m craving chocolate after my lunch, so I went to the fridge at work to get my chocolate tapioca I brought in and I see this:

 

We got a new coffee machine on our floor - they kind of just pushed it into the coat rack section awkwardly.  And to entice people, there is candy strewn on the counters.  Man - right when I’m at my weakest, craving chocolate sweetness.  I was so tempted and started making the case.  “They’re mini-size. I’ll only eat one.  It’s just as much sugar as in my tapioca”.  But I held strong and grabbed my tapioca and headed back to my desk.

I still eat a lot of sugar.  I’m just much more conscious of the amounts and try to only eat sugar that I put into my food - so no processed food with sugar.  I’ve experimented with my breakfast - reducing sugar amounts in my pancakes, no more sugar on my grapefruits.  And experimenting with sweet alternatives.  I’ve made these energybites a few times which is really good.  And I stumbled upon Gluten Free Bites, coconut cashew crunch that are so good - they’re like candy, but healthy and no refined sugar.  I think Stop and Shop sells them, otherwise I’m ordering some from their website.

Slow but surely, I’m planning on reducing my sugar intake, one category at a time.  I’m hoping my cravings will dissipate slowly. 

Kitten update

I keep thinking Webster and Wallace are full grown and then they grow some more. I was folding laundry this weekend in the sun room and they wanted to be part of it all. Winston was off napping in the sun spot on the guest bed. 

They were playing with each other at first. Webster's on the chair in both photos.  

And then Webster had his fill and left Wallace. 

She usually is last man standing during playtime. The boys tire out before she does. But that doesn't matter, she makes new friends to play with. 

Like a chair. She loves gnawing on things. (No chairs were damaged during this photo shoot). 

Webster just observes and waits and wonders if he's really related to his crazy sister. But Wallace just keeps playing. 

Her goal is to catch the sheets as I fold - making it a little tricky and reminding me I need to trim her nails again. 

Eventually she tires and the two of them curl up together and doze while I finish with laundry. Webster is on the right, Wallace on the left. Strange photo angle since Webster is noticeably bigger than his sister in real life. 

A little while later while I'm in the kitchen Webster is relentlessly trying to get at something under the oven. I finally pull it out to see what was caught underneath and found this:

All the mice toys - 8 in total, my sink scouring pad that went missing and the bottle cap that Webster had just been playing with. Now I know to check here first before going to the pet store to buy more toys!

Morning commute race

I'm getting ready this morning and check my phone app to see when the next bus is coming and it says 1 minute with the next buses not coming for 15-20 minutes.  So I run out the door grabbing my jacket, bag, keys and sunglasses. I'm dashing down my street and see the bus but I'm in luck because it's stopped at the red light on the Main Street. I round the corner and am running to the end of the block thinking I'll make it. 

As I'm running I see two other guys coming from the opposite direction also running. It's like the Amazing Race on an early Tuesday morning. Who will get to the stop first. I'm the farthest away but I also notice something is different. Like a tree was cut down. And then it clicks - the bus stop sign pole is gone. A moment later the guys get to where the pole used to be and realize it's gone too and are looking all around. By then, still running, I've spotted the new location of the bus stop a little further down on the corner across the street. 

As I'm running up to the old stop we all comment that the bus stop is gone and I point out the new location and as I'm running by they join up but I've got momentum on my side. And I get to the new stop first a split second before the bus pulls up. I win!

As we're boarding we're wondering when it happened. One guy said he saw the old stop just last week. I swear I boarded the bus yesterday at the old stop. And I think I saw it last night as I was coming home - but it was dark and I wasn't really paying attention to the bus stop but think I remember someone waiting there. Or was that a different night? 

As we board the young lady driving the bus is just as surprised as we are and comments, "they moved the bus stop - when did this happen?"

A fun little moment this morning a la Amazing Race style. It means I'll need a little more time or I need to get faster for my morning dash.

Shopping

One of the things that have shifted for me this year are my shopping habits. The fun shopping - non essentials.  One thing has been I've been going through and trying to do a deep cleaning of my stuff based on the project 33 premise. Basically you wear 10% of your wardrobe 90% of the time.  As I've been more critical of what I buy for clothes same goes for the rest. The other thing, is that I've slowly been recovering from TJ Maxx syndrome.  I still shop there but it's taken time to learn how to pass up the great deals on stuff I don't exactly need or doesn't exactly fit.   It's been about 6 months since my last visit where I left the store spending $8. 

This weekend I had my errands to run that included searching for items on the eternal list.  Basically stuff I'd like to get but can take my time to find just the right one like a new bathrobe since my current one is still functional but has seen better days.  So it was time to hit TJ Maxx/Home Goods store and hope I didn't leave empty handed with nothing crossed off the list.   

By days end, I had spent a good chunk of change, regressed on one my secret pleasures (bedding) and stumbled upon a bunch of goodies.

1. Accidentally went to KMart since I forgot Home Goods doesn't open until 11 am. I found the vacuum I was wanting to buy and on sale for $20 less then Best Buy.  And one less store to visit.  I got my first stick vacuum in the hopes that if I don't have to lug out and plug in a vacuum I'll be more likely to vacuum frequently. I'm not a big fan of the colors but from research it looked like the best one for my needs and seems promising from my quick vacuum this morning before it was fully charged. 

2. While at KMart I looked for storage bags for my trunk to corral all the emergency gear. Found something that was cheap and would work brilliantly but they only had one left in black and I wanted three. So visited a second store later in day and while heading to the check out see a lady with cat stuff and figure I can get cat toys here and cross off having to visit Petco. Not only did I find the cats' new favorite toys, they had the perfect cat carriers - right size, color, price and sturdiness!  Another thing to cross off the eternal list. I had been looking everywhere and not finding anything.

3. On to Marshals which opens at 10 am. I was doing good, having already crossed a few things off the list.  And this is where I go a little rogue. I enjoyed a leisurely perusal of the aisles and was using my new system - no cart and just making note in my head of things to come back and get at the end of the shopping.  If I didn't remember it, likely I don't really need it. And studies show that you are 90% more likely to buy something you pick up and carry around.  About half way through I had to break down and get a cart. I got a lovely Calphone saucepan - not on the list, but useful and already used it today.  I got some clinique skin care goodies - not on the list specifically although on the general list - "look into better skin care products for my older skin".  A few other kitchen and beauty products made it into the cart - but nothing too bad. And then I hit the linens section.

4. A little bit about me and linens. I don't know why but I love linens like some women love shoes. I can have more than I really use, but can't resist the beauty. I'm speaking bedding really.  Ever since my twenties my heart skips a beat when I spy a beautiful set of sheets. So much so, I put a self imposed ban a few years back.  This fall I went through my stash and put together "outfits". Sometimes I get individual sheets (flat only) and I've got tens one beautiful blankets and duvet covers.  I weeded out the pieces I wasn't in love with anymore or couldn't find an outfit for.  I got it down to a good dozen sets/outfits. I noted the gaps I still had - a duvet color in x color to go with three sheet sets.   So when I stumbled upon some wonderful pieces in clearance, I started to revisit the gap list. On it was a set of new white crisp sheets since I no longer had a set - that justified the first bag to go into the cart. The beautiful red duvet cover went in since I knew I had a gap in my duvet covers - in it goes (although I couldn't quite think of what sheet outfits would go with this particular duvet.  Part of me definitely looked the other way.)

Accolades

I don't usually write about the specifics of work because I believe there is a professional responsibility of confidentiality - don't air your dirty laundry online for all to see. But I wanted to record a moment of today. As my boss says, it's always good to end the week with good news. 

As a preface, I've been working on my leadership role. Both pushing for the position but also learning and observing those around me as I refine my "executive presence". I have one project I was managing that wrapped up earlier this year with a study of our findings. Today, We were presenting to the team we had been working with but also, more importantly, to a new team working on another project that is being done in parallel. 

We are sub-contracted to another firm who is prime.  "Niall", from the prime firm, and I prepped last week for the presentation for today. I had thought it was what it seemed at face value - presenting our findings and hopefully moving to the next stage of the project. 

But as the meeting progressed there was a lot of discussion about this other project that is happening in parallel. A lot of the issues and questions that were being raised were right in my area of expertise. Not only was I able to speak knowledgeably, I was also able to weave in the bigger picture and indirect marketing. As a result we were asked to come back and continue our efforts, not only for the project we initially did the study for but also for this other project. And in a role we don't usually get asked to the table - informing team selection and other up front work.  It's really exciting. 

As I was walking back to the office I knew I had done a good job, leading the discussions and shining. But I didn't realize how well until I get the following message from the fellow who heads up the existing project we had been working on:

"I thought you did an excellent job today. "Louis" is very tough to win over and he would not have asked to have you come back if he was not impressed."

I quickly did some research online and found out "Louis" is one of the top guys.  So even more of a compliment. As I said before - a great way to end the work week. 

Subway Sighting

Looks like tall, no heel, brown boots are the fashion at the moment. At least in the subway car I'm in. 

Four pairs in my eye line! And if I look to my right a few more. 

Voting

This morning I woke up at 3 am with a good idea for a work issue but then was wide awake. Ugh. With the little ones, once I'm up they are up and are content to play around in my bedroom. Wallace likes to jump on top of my bureau and play with curtains. Sometimes I swear she's hanging from them by her claws like something out of a cartoon (not really - no harm done to the curtains).  Webster discovered the trim of one of the antique chairs I plan to reupholster and likes to tug at it, slowly pulling it off and giving me a head start. 

Unfortunately it's right above my neighbors bed and has woken Cathy up. So I've been trying to be good and not lounge in bed if I'm not going back to sleep. So this morning was a relaxing morning of puttering and catching up on chores. Before I knew it the morning had flown by and time to catch the bus. 

As I was leaving I realized the polls might be open and thought I'd try voting in the morning instead of after work since my first meeting isn't until later in the morning. 

I'd like to think I'm a good citizen and would vote every year regardless. But it doesn't hurt having your polling station a block away, right next to your bus stop. 

The line was out the door and moved slowly. I had my suspicions it was a case of the LOL - little old ladies. They've become friendly faces each year as I vote. And in the evening the line is minimal and no rush to get anywhere so they were quite endearing. This time, not so much, so I took my book out and distracted myself from the slowest line ever. Both when checking in and checking out I had to point my name out on the page, once they got to the right page. I saw a few others do the same. 

I love my voting location. It's in town hall and this year they strung up some lights. It was quite festive and New Englandy. 

Well I get to check one thing off my to-do list. On a different note, I was very good yesterday. It's like a mini Halloween at work where people bring in extra candy and you can go trick or treating on each floor - the kitchens are full of goodies. I've been scaling back on refined sugars in the diet. It's been hard fighting the sweet tooth but I have a feeling they contribute to the love handles. Plus I swear I saw an article on a recent study starting to link sugar and high cholesterol. Can't find it now. Anyways, I've been good with all the temptation. Maybe I'll bake myself a cake as a reward!  JK! 

Winona Ryder

Today has been a long day. I was about to start on the project I was trying to get to all day when I saw it was close to 7 pm. I decided to take a break and chat with a colleague on my floor also staying late. We're both juggling too much and it was good to chat. He appreciated having someone to talk to that cares. So that was good deed of the day. 

On the flip side he gave me a nice compliment. He said he liked my new hair cut which is about two weeks old. We've both been traveling for work hence the delayed compliment. He said, "I like the haircut. You look like that actress from Reality Bites."  That was really sweet. 

I've just found a way to finally style the cut. I had tried using the straight iron and doing the tousled curl. But the cut was hitting some of my natural waves in a strange way. And then I remembered the blow dryer brush and not only does it style the best it's super fast. Win win!

I've been meaning to take a picture to post but forget. But realize I shouldn't post without a picture. So while I'm waiting for my bus in the cold, I pulled my hat off and took a horrible picture of my new hair cut with hat head. Anyways, you can see the length. The back is a bit shorter than the front. Actually you can't see it that well. The front is hitting my jaw line. It's very flat in this picture. The dry weather is doing me in!

After our conversation I realized I was coming up to 12 hours at work so said enough and headed home. It's not the end of the world if something is late. 

Travel Part 2

I finally pulled the trigger!  My New Years resolution was to go on a proper vacation this year. At the beginning of the year I had picked out Rio. I've never been to South America and nick has a conference down there in December. But as I started shopping around I had second thoughts. 

The flight is super long - I forget the earth is not flat like shown on maps - deceptive distances when traveling longitudinally. And I've gotten soft flying business on my international trips for work. And the flight isn't cheap and I can't find any good deals. 

I was looking into traveling around Rio and realized traveling alone as a woman isn't the same as in Europe. Doable but requires more heightened awareness. I realized that although Rio is on the list it's not near the top, especially under the category of relaxing and recharging. 

So I reevaluated and was wavering back and forth between Paris (my first trip was on my 15th birthday) and seeing the northern lights. 

I took hours and hours hunting and researching and reading reviews and figuring out logistics and going around inindecisive  circles. This morning, I thought I had figured it all out and started booking. I got as far as my flight and then ran into a hiccup and also realized I was late for work. So I'm only part way done but it's locked in since my flight is booked. What's the plan?  which did I decide to go with? Paris or the northern lights?

I'm doing both!  I cheated a little. Although this is my 2014 vacation I booked it for 2015 for my birthday. The cheap flight is through icelandair (only $650) which has an easy stopover structure. I'm spending three nights in Reykjavik with the hopes one night will be clear enough to witness the aurora borealis. The idea is day one to recover from red eye and jet lag, one day to see the city and one day to go hiking on the glaciers and see the amazing landscapes. Plus it breaks up the flight to Europe. 

Then off to Paris with six full days and two half days. I'm thinking of two day trips - one to see a chateau and the other to visit a Normandy town. And of course a day at the louvre. Last visit, which I think was five years ago, I only spent a few hours in the museum which is way too skimpy. 

And I learned from my second London trip last year to focus on the second and third tier museums. Some real gems. I still wish I had stumbled upon the historic house (name?) earlier in the day instead of rushing through in the last twenty minutes before closing. 

Packing will be interesting between being stylish in February for Paris and packing hiking boots and snow gear for Iceland outings. Good news is this flight has two free checked bags so no issue there. 

I love that I booked two trips to Europe for less than the cost of a normal flight. Pretty good bargain hunting. 

Can't wait!  Just need to finish booking hotels and day trips. And then more fun planning what to see and pack. 

Weird commuter moment

I'm on my way into work and am typing away at emails and reading articles, half paying attention to my surroundings.  I've done this same commute over 2,500 times so the general commute fades to the background - the people getting on and off, the start and stop of the train, the general subway announcements, the occasional platform music performances you hear bits of when the doors open. 

I'm half paying attention, glancing up to see what stop we're at when I'm startled into the moment.  I'm looking at a giant mouse that's six feet tall, with a keyboard slung across it's chest (guitar style) playing with one hand and waving at me with the other, across the subway platform. I'm stunned and while my brain slowly processes this strange reality, the subway doors shut and we pull away.  End scene. Gotta love city living. 

Travel

- Yesterday, flew to NYC and was uncharacteristically early for my flight. For no reason.  It seemed strange, like something was off.

- Found out during security why it felt strange - I left my fluids at home.  It was the one time I was hoping the screening would find the fluids and pull me aside.  But no luck. Luckily there is a CVS by my hotel and I picked up most of what I needed. I do have to say I prefer my clinique foundation to the drug store version. 

- Taxi driver from the airport was a pakistanian man who was very talkative.  Learned about how we went through training and careening for the pakistanian Air Force and then deserted right when they let him in.  And he then went to the US, but then went back 36 years later and turned himself in, because the payments his dad were making to pay off the police were getting too expensive.  And they tried to convince him to join again and then locked him up for 15 days and beat a lot of people in the cell with him - but not him because he new one the officers. And then after 15 days, they unlocked the cell, gave him a check and cleared his record. It was a very strange tale and it was interspersed with a lot of America being the best country in huge world. He also refused to marry any first cousins - that was a big point for him and he wasn't going to let any of his children marry first cousins.  Apparently very common - keeping things in the family.

- This morning I got an email from a colleague about a good airfare deal.  He'll send them periodically but this one was too good to pass up.  I was trying to decide between London or Copenhagen nod decided to go to Copenhagen since I haven't been before.  The flight cost me $360 round trip!  It's with the airline WOWAir. I think it's like a Ryan Air - budget traveling, but I'm up for trying it out if it saves me $700.   The really good prices are for a ways out - next fall, which works for me.  They get you with the add on fees so I went with a 20 lb piece of carry on.  I have no idea what that is.  I'll need to weigh my suitcase when I'm on my way home this week.  I have a feeling I may be wearing a lot of layers on the plane.  I'm excited, and look forward to the planning.

- I got my mouth guard yesterday. I haven't tried it yet - didn't want to bring it on the trip, and allocated this weekend to start using it.  Fingers crossed it works especially since I ended up having two fillings redone yesterday that were cracked. Ended up having to go with the metal instead of resin but if I understand it right, I think my dentist did it for free.  Well, at least no cost to me, just my insurance which never covers everything.  I'm waiting for the paperwork before I believe it. But if so, isn't that nice?

Chat noir update

This never published 9/24/14. 

Picked up the guys last night and got some interesting feedback. 

One, they were the darlings of the day in the office. One technician said that she thinks they are her favorite kittens of the season. They were so friendly and happy and super sweet. Ever since I got them they start purring after two seconds of petting. Of course Wallace is the one full of the most energy. They said she had been chirping away and full recovery. 

Second, they went over the discharge instructions. Wallace had the more invasive surgery so is the one that needs to stay quiet for the next couple of weeks while her stitches heal. Same for Webster but not as long a healing time. No rough housing. Not usually a problem but with these two together I'm stumped. They acknowledged it would be challenging. And the minute I got home they were tussling with each other. I've kind of kept them distracted from each other. 

Last night Webster was all frenzied after dinner. He was bouncing off the walls looking for something - I think food - while the other two watched from their chairs where they had settled down for the night. 

This morning as I was leaving it was Wallace's turn to be crazy. She was all over the place. I tried to snap a picture of them together but Wallace wouldn't stay still. 

And Webster was like "I'd never act like that". 

So safe to say full recovery just need to keep an eye on the healing. And a weight lifted knowing no one can get pregnant. 

Pictures

M I finally uploaded the pic of Wallis in the cupboard in the last post. 

And I took a picture of the crew the other day when we were all snuggled up together. Winston is usually always in the middle and the others will come over and flank him. All at my feet.  I'm loving their personalities as they grow.

Sunday I had brunch with an old friend, Kyra.  We were best friends in high school and hadn't seen each other in over a decade. She was in town with her husband and two daughters to see the sites.  As we were catching up on our lives since high school really we also did a little reminencing and came to the conclusion we were really good kids in our teen years. I had totally forgotten that I didn't start drinking until college (when I turned 21 of course;) and didn't touch the stuff in high school. I think that is what really brought us together.  In a sea of boozing teens exploring their limits across all subjects we were less so and had our own mischievous "clean" fun. 

She reminded me of one time I was in tears. We were heading back from Montreal after a night at the dance clubs and on the desolate highway driving home I hit a bird. I had pulled over and that had woken all my passengers. And John pulled over driving the other car. It didn't do any damage and I think no one understood why I was so upset. I remember the night and feeling really really bad that I had hit bird but forgot I had cried. 

After brunch we went up to the observatory deck at their hotel, the Marriott Custom House, in the heart of the city. It used to be the custom house for banking and was turned into hotels. The views are amazing and I was mentally adding it to my list of places to bring visitors until I learned you could only access it with a hotel key card. Bummer. 

Beautiful day and beautiful views. 

 

Daily Struggles

It's funny how my daily struggles span the gamut. I started the day with a home issue. As mentioned before, I had a mouse (singular) invasion. This morning as I was doing dishes I was conscious of a sound in my cupboards -very faint. I would stop and turn off the water and listen. And there it was. I would open the lower cabinets thinking it was a cat who got in but nothing and go back to cleaning only to hear the noise again. 

I would stop and listen more attentively and that's where the imagination would take over. When I was investigating I noticed yet another hole cut in the wall inside the cabinet to allow for wires but also to allow for mice from the basement. I started imagining more and moreover taking residence and I opened the cupboard doors again to search. But nothing and the mouse would stop making noises. 

Finally a noise catches my attention - it's higher up and I open the cupboard door next to my head. And what am I greeted with?  Wallace!  Rather I should say Wallis which is the feminine spelling. I have no idea not only how she got up there but also closed the door behind her. I was just relieved it wasn't another rodent to deal with. That's my morning home life struggle - worrying about mice. 

Then I go to the dentist for my semi annual cleaning only to find out I'm grinding my teeth even more these days (at night since I've worked on the issue during the day) and have cracked another filling. I had been looking into a night guard but was struck by the price at the drugstore. Well this morning I pulled the trigger and got the full custom version at the dentist for mucho $$. Figures it pays for itself after two replacement fillings. But hate shelling that much money out to deal with stress. 

And then tonight, I end the night with drinks with an old colleague. Over a fancy drink and some steak tartar (with brioche my favorite) we catch up and come to the same conclusions of injustices in our market. I'm going through a professional battle up the corporate ladder currently and it's exhausting but has to be done. And that is my biggest work struggle currently. It's exhausting. 

On a side note I had lunch with a former staff from a previous company and it was great to see how well she has grown and maneuvered through the corporate world. 

And I should be meeting up with an old high school friend I haven't seen since the 90s. We were bestirs in high school and then went different directions in college. It will be fun to catch up and I always find it intriguing what paths people take. I think she went the home route versus the career route. It's just a matter of finding a time that works for both of us this weekend - busy schedules. 

Today has been interesting since I was dealing with home and personal health and career and networking and old friends. The whole spectrum of life!

Travel Alignment

Yet again, I'm amazed about my good luck traveling - at least this time. I'm on a flight from Boston to NYC that I thought I was going to miss. I had driven into work this morning for some meetings and to get work done before my 1 PM flight. My plan was to leave at 11:30 to give me travel time and give me some contigency for what ifs. The weather is rainy and poor, I was leaving during lunchtime traffic, parking headaches at Logan (they've been running out of spaces in central garage and you get kicked to satellite lots which adds a half hour), security lines, and after last time, incomplete ticket bookings. 

I'm giving direction to some staff when I glance at the clock and see it's 11:45!  I hoof it to my desk and scramble to grab necessary papers and shut my computer down since IT has to work on it - and I have a lot of things open. I fly out the door, hoping no one parked behind me in the temporary work spot we have (tandem parking), which would block me in and take time to hunt them down to move their car. 

I race to the airport, minimal traffic, but tons of rain.  So far so good.

I get to central parking and there are signs that it is full and you will be redirected. Oops

I follow the half dozen attendants directing us through the maze set up in the garage and end up parking in the central garage.  So far so good.

I jog to terminal A and get my ticket.  No problem

Security line doesn't exist and I breeze through. Looking good.

I swing by a Legal Seafood and have time to order some lunch to go.  Looking good.

I'm sitting down for a breather at my gate to enjoy my lunch before my flight. Life is good.

And it's only 12:15!  I really love having the airport so close to work. 

And then the desk attendant announces the option for people on the 1 PM flight of boarding the earlier flight.  How sweet is that?!  I walk straight on and grab a seat. 

And that was where I was going to end my story.  Of course mentioning how I was dubious how long I could keep this good streak up considering I'm catching the last flight back to boston tonight and 1) that has never gone well for me when flying out of laguardia and 2) it's a rainy, foggy day that will probably delay flights even more. And I have an 8 am tomorrow so no sleeping in. Ugh. 

Well it looks like the run is done as I sit here on runway waiting to take off. The announcement said there is a line and we're scheduled to take off at 1:05. Which is in 30 minutes. Not looking promising, especially for tonight's flight. 

But I'm good for now. I've got my lunch, a good book, a bunch of work and my meeting isn't until 6 PM (I'm literally flying to NYC for dinner - crazy! - it's a work thing), so no rush on my end.  I can relax and enjoy my afternoon. And hope for the best tonight. 

UPDATE:

You won't believe this. So I booked the last flight back in the evening which was at 9 PM.  It was a bit on the early side and might cut my discussions over dinner short. So when I got a message mid-afternoon that my flight was delayed until 9:50 PM I thought this will work out.  I don't have to rush out at dinner and I'll still get in before midnight- barring any further delays. We wrap up dinner a little after 8:30 and I grab a cab to head to Laguardia. 

Fingers crossed the traffic would be good and it was fairly smooth sailing. As an added bonus the driver was listening to WNYC and the Moth was on. It was a very enjoyable ride and I figured I had a little cushion of time and could finally enjoy the luxurious waiting area that Terminal A Delta has - big leather comfy chairs, papers and magazines, etc. No line at security which is just for the three shuttle gates. As I'm putting my shoes on I hear, "Boston!?  You better run."  Now I'm a bit confused since I thought I was all good and I'm booking it to the gate in heels.  Turns out that with the weather things have been delayed all afternoon and it was the 8 PM shuttle they were closing the doors on as I board at 9 PM. 

 I literally run on (they let me board the earlier flight). And grab a seat as they shut the door behind me. Isn't that crazy good?  No waiting around for 50 minutes at the gate. No matter how comfy the waiting chairs are, I'll take it. I think this is my third time flying through this terminal and I have yet to sit in one of the seats - always walking straight onto the plane - talk about timing. 

And now I'm experiencing a little déjà vu as I sit and write this. The captain just announced there is a 30 minute wait to take off due to limited runways at Logan - there is a backup. Sounds like I wouldn't make it home to my comfy bed before midnight with my original scheduled flight. 

Not quite done with the day, but all in all a good day and worth the tiredness I'll have tomorrow.  I got into our NY office and spent my entire afternoon in impromptu meetings with key staff. I didn't even have a moment to check email before heading off to my dinner meeting and didn't make it through all the people I should have touched base with. The dinner meeting went well and fingers crossed results in my desired outcome.  

Signing off to enjoy a short nap and hoping I'm in bed in about and hour and a half - we should be taking off soon. And fingers crossed my good luck continues on future trips. 

Grammar

Most of us don't have a great command of the English language and our grammar is far from impeccable. And yet whenever we notice a grammatical error it sticks out like a sore thumb. Just check out any comments on social media and a good chunk is spent correcting basic level grammar (there vs. their). 

This is just a long winded way to say I know my grammar is weak before I go on to point out grammatical mysteries. On my bus, I often see this sign by the window and always puzzle why "do not drill here" is in quotes. 

Do they know that no one would ever be drilling anyways but some governmental rule makes them have to post the sign (like coffee lids now state: contents may be hot after McDonald's was sued for hot coffee in the 90s). 

Or they know that no matter how many signs they post, someone will drill anyways and that it's all pointless?

Or is it code for something?  Like, this is where we stashed all the extra bolts that came with the bus but couldn't figure out where they went after we finished assembling it and don't want any questions. Plus we may need them later. 

It will always remain a mystery and I will continue to wonder every time I see the sign. 

Tuesday Update

I meant to snap a 'before' picture of my little guys this morning. Not only have they grown so much, today was The Day. The day a visit to the vet is no longer a nice lady poking and prodding and getting a quick shot. But a visit to the vet means one moment you're being poked and prodded and the next moment you wake up groggy and find that your manhood (or womanhood) has been taken away and things are sore. Yes today my little babies got fixed. I'm on my way to pick them up and hope Winston provides a nicer welcome then he did Saturday when they went in for blood work. It took a full day before he would stop hissing and batting at them. Apparently they had the smell of the vet on them. And he's had enough of the vet. Not a big fan. 

After dropping of the cats at the vet this morning, first thing I get asked at work is "who's helping you on your football picks?"  Week one I used my old method of picking teams based on where I've lived or where my family is from or currently lives. Week one I was tied for first place but then lost Mondays game. Week two I did the same thing and did horrible. So I realized I had to do something otherwise it would be a frustrating season and a loss of money. 

First I tried to get my brother to help me. No luck - he doesn't really follow football anymore. 

Next I tried to get Nick to wrangle the help of his old friend, Pat. He was my magic weapon in my 20s and first work football pool. Nick would talk to Pat at lunch at school and then that night on the phone we'd discuss the picks. I won a bunch of games. However, Nick and Pat have grown up and moved away. They don't see each other every day at lunch. They don't even speak every year. 

For week three I tried something new - data. I played this last week on pure numbers and ended up tied in first place the night before Mondays game. I'm keeping mum on what numbers until after the season is over. 

I have yet to pick Mondays game correctly but even so I'm tied for first for the overall season. We get to drop our worst week and considering I've had two great weeks I'm doing well. But it's early. 

What I love is that the two guys who were talking smack and got me to play again this season are going crazy trying to figure out how I'm doing so well. I spent ten minutes being pop quizzed on football stuff. I could generally name cities of teams and guessed correctly what team Peyton Manley plays for. Honestly it was a wild guess but I'm on a roll. I had no idea about the rest - names of players and stats. And it drives them nuts that I'm doing so well and know almost nothing about football. And it's so much fun.

They think I have someone helping me which wasn't that far off considering that was my original plan. So it's really nice to be able to swear that I'm not talking to anyone and no one is helping me. That I have my system. 

I'm dubious how well I'll do throughout the season so am milking it while I can. Which I blatantly told them. Fingers crossed I can keep up my good luck streak for awhile and maybe even win a week and recoup my money. Or rather "points" since you can't play for money for some reason. State law maybe?

It sure makes it fun coming into work on a Monday and Tuesday morning. I can't wait for next week to if my system is a fluke or there is something to it. I do need to cover my tracks since there was talk of hacking into my system to see where I was getting my picks from. I might have to do them at home now. It's a nice refreshing change as I'm deeply engulfed in climbing the corporate ladder which takes a lot physically and mentally.