Thursday Travel

Remember how I mentioned I had a lot of travel coming up? Well today was the first trip which almost didn't happen. Last night I started getting a wicked headache. No problem, my "medicine" for headaches is sleep so I crawled into bed after arranging for a cab to pick me up at 6 am the next morning.

But then I woke up with the headache not only still there but getting worse, verging on migraine level. In classic style, I ignored it and went running about getting ready. It wasn't until I was sitting in the cab on my way to Logan airport that by pausing the headache just slammed into the foreground.

By the time we arrive at my terminal, I'm barely holding onto not being sick in the cab. I slowly walk through the door and make a bee line to the row of seats just inside. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to master this headache that's descended on me. I've been popping pills, drinking fluids and spent the time slowly eating the English muffin I had brought with me. It wasn't looking good. I had a few more minutes before I had to make the executive decision whether to shakily make my way to the gate or call it quits and call Nick to come get me - no way I could make it through another cab ride.

I make one last try to force mind over matter and muster my last bit of focus and stand up and start walking to my gate. Interestingly the more I walked the better I started feeling. This might be doable. I make it through security, pick up another bottle of water and walk right onto the plane - no waiting. I settle in and proceed to take 10 minute cat naps throughout my flight.

By the time I land, I'm much better. Something did the trick - water, food, drugs (baby aspirin mind you) or sleep. The headache is no longer front and center. Throughout the day it hovers in the background. And I've been worried it will jump front and center but I'm almost home - just one more cab ride.

And the best thing - not only was my meeting a success and I was able to catch up with staff in our DC office, I was able to snag an earlier flight! I was scheduled to get home after 11 pm - long day. Very long day when you've been wrestling with a headache.

Travel Notes

This week marked the second week in a row of traveling for work where they weren't just day trips but multiple destinations back to back. You can tell I've been traveling a bit more than usual when:
1. I run into a coworker in one of those snaking lines to get through security. We traded notes on recent projects we've both been traveling for when we'd pass each other. A fun way to make it through security.
2. I forget to write down my destination address but find when I get in the taxi at the airport I spit it out without thinking - apparently I have it memorized.
3. I realize I should get a taxi to Reagan Airport when an alert pops up on my email while I'm on a conference call saying I'm departing in an hour and a half. Time to hussle!
4. I go to check-in at the airport by swiping the credit card at one of the self check-in kiosks and I'm stumped when it asks me to put in the first three letters of my destination city. Got it on the second try and apparently I'm heading to Newark (Philli was my first guess).
5. I don't politely wait at the end of a ridiculously long and poorly managed security line at Terminal B (mental note - don't fly out of this terminal, stick with JetBlue). It's shear chaos since the number of people goes half way down the terminal way beyond the ribbons that keep people in queue. Half the people are keeping the four lines and the other half of the people just ignore the lines and butt in at the official entry of the lines. I realize the line I'm in isn't moving partly because of everyone cutting so pop over and cut in the next line which was brilliant - it was the only line that moved. It allowed me time to pop into the bathroom which I was dying to do since I was on the conference call back at the office.
6. I have no idea where I'm going when I land but the great thing is I have all this technology that allows me to get away with preparing properly. Or so I think!
7. And I pack 10 minutes before I head out the door this morning. Threw a bunch of stuff into my weekend bag and cross the fingers I didn't forget anything.

Weeken Leftovers

• Strained a muscle in my neck a week ago. Initially it was splitting migraines anytime I moved my head. Slowly it’s gotten better/I’ve learned to live with the headaches. Almost healed now!
• Self diagnosed that the strain must be a result of: stress, sleeping weird, my heavy bag I carry everyday (with the ipad), and/or my long hair.
• I chopped off a foot of my hair - I now I have a shoulder length bob and bought a flat iron this last weekend in my attempt to keep the look I left the salon with. After the first cut it felt like my neck grew - such a weight was lifted.
• Traveled to Princeton Thursday. Here’s how it went: Packed the night before. Woke up, got ready and drove to the airport, didn’t hit any major traffic. Found a good parking spot (one of the last). Waited through security. Walked to my gate and onto my plane. Sat down and off we went. Perfect timing! Landed in Newark and made my way to NJTransit. Chatted with the attendant while waiting for my train - swapping deals we’ve found on shoes, clothes and bras at TJ Maxx - gotta love NYC. The rest is boring work stuff.
• Then on my way back up to NYC Thursday after my meetings, I got thinking, what should I do for dinner. Called Noah and caught him a moment before he was heading back home to Brooklyn - perfect timing! Got out at Penn Station at 6 pm - the que for taxis was ridiculous so walked the 15 blocks to my hotel - which looked out onto Time Square, up on the 36th floor. Result - blistered feet and an annoyance with people on the sidewalks - it was crowded. Ended up dining at ABC Kitchen - fabulous meal attained after hovering by the bar for seats to clear up. Started with a marvelous melon salad - sweet and light and salty and hot and minty - perfect combos. Followed by a squash blossom three cheese gourmet pizza - love fresh ricotta on pizzas - I always forget. Then for the main, had a “suckling pig” where every bite just melted on your mouth - done to perfection - this is the stuff you can’t come close to making at home. Topped off with a specialty donut plate. Perfect amount and a meal to remember - great food, great company and great ambiance.
• Friday, after my morning meeting, lunch at the famous Les Halles (home base of chef Anthony Bourdain - I don’t watch cable but if I did I’d know this guy), I took a cab to the airport. Luckily I double checked - almost went to Newark instead of LaGuardia - opps. Showed up at the counter and they were able to bump me to the earlier flight that was just leaving. Waited through security. Brisker walk to the gate this time and directly onto my plan. Sat down, off we went, I nodded off, and next thing I know we’ve landed and I’m home!
• Except, it took me another half hour to find my car. Flew out on US Air, flew back on United. One is terminal A the other terminal B. Wish I could whistle and my car would come running to me. Instead I made one last treck and sunk into the warm embrace of my air-conditioned car. The dogs were barking but it was Friday afternoon and I was getting home early! No complaints.
• Slept for almost 12 hours Friday night!
• Laid low recharging the battery this weekend and only got half the chores done, but splurged on a shopping trip to TJ Maxx - the NJ Transit got me missing the place.
• Now I’m back at work wearing my new Escada grey wool turtleneck sweater celebrating this little window of fall before the high heat returns later this week and getting freaked out watching this video of this guy who photographed himself every day for 12 years. It’s like a staring contest you can’t win.

Bachelor LIfe

It’s been two full weeks with Nick as a house guest and all’s well! We’ve gotten a fairly regular pattern going and I have to admit I’ll miss having him around once he leaves. That being said, I do have to add the latest of my observations that gives me a glimpse into his bachelor lifestyle.

Saturday morning, I was working on chores while Nick was doing his thing. At one point I went into the bathroom after he’d taken a shower. The floor was sopping wet. Nothing damaging, just wet and slippery. The first time I noticed it, I let it pass, thinking he might have forgotten and didn’t see the bath mat. The second time he wasn’t around and I forgot to mention it, etc. So this time was perfect, I come out of the bathroom and casually mention that it looks like he forgot to use the bath mat. He was very good and apologized saying that he’d totally use it next time. Where was it again? I reminded him it was just below his towel on the rack - same navy blue color. And then… then, he followed up after a slight pause, and asked, What’s the bathmat for?

You gotta love it! And I’ll attest to the fact that we grew up using bathmats, so it’s not a new concept, it just disappeared for a bit.

Friday Leftovers

Friday Night Leftovers
(combined from several Fridays)

 

Older

• I pulled some late nights working on a project for my dad’s 75th. The beginning of the week was rough during the days and I look at the situation and sigh. When I say “late night” it was nothing past 1 am. That used to be nothing, I’m really starting to feel my age.
• Side note, I can stay up to 1 am socially and have no problem. Add the stress of meeting a deadline and I’m drained. No more grad schools for me.
• I just booked my last free weekend of the summer. I’m touring New England this month - northern Mass, Maine, Connecticut and Vermont. I couldn’t squeeze in New Hampshire and am worried I might have missed blueberry season in Maine. And I just used up the last of my frozen blueberries from last year’s picking.
• My car’s check engine light came on and I brought it in last week. While I was there they fixed the other light that’s been on forever - low tire pressure. The light was on not because of the tires but because the sensors on the tires - the batteries were dead. Driving my car with no lights on the dashboard is a breath of fresh air. It’s like it’s a new and improved car!
• I’ve started setting small goals at work that will improve my state of mind. First up was email management. I hunkered down in my free time and cleared out the 800+ emails in the inbox that accumulated. I’m down to 50 and my goal is to keep it at that number. I feel like a weight has been lifted. No more remembering in the middle of the night that I didn’t respond to someone. Baby steps.

 

Newer

• Finally paid my first mortgage payment. It’s starting to feel real, that I really own my place now. It was so long in the making it’s still not fully sunk in.
• Note to self, new place + pinterest = danger. I’ve been perusing the site for ideas - decorating, remodeling, painting. Many hours have been spent.
• While in Vermont I got some blueberry picking in. Not as big a haul since the berries got baked on the bushes after the recent heat waves. Still, I feel better knowing that I’ve got berries in the freezer again.
• Besides bringing back berries, I brought back my brother who has been staying with me. Total of three weeks. Wednesday this week marked the half way point and I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised how it’s gone. We usually get along great but then again, we haven’t spent more than a week together in a long time. To keep it real, Nick “tortures” me by not always cleaning up, and I “torture” him by watching Big Brother. It took him awhile to realize the show is on three times a week! We’ve found ways to coexist - I clean up and he goes reads a book when the show is on.
• Nick and I made special buttons/pins to acknowledge my cousin in his third Oliver production, down in CT. And his first professional production. I’m pretty sure I’m maxed out on Oliver now. My pin read “Tyler Glorious Tyler”, Nick’s was “Consider Yourself… Tylered” and we realized that the pin we made Tyler’s mom was inadequate, it should have read “Oliver’s Mom!” She was very proud.
• My car light came back on - tire pressure issues again. That lasted all of a week or two.
• Current inbox email count - 19! I’m doing good. It’s taken a lot of diligence, but the peace of mind is worth the extra work. I missed a day this week and was over 200, but buckled down.
• Due to having a house guest, I’ve been a bit better with chores and cooking and cranking on the to-do lists. I’ve got an ambitious list of tasks for Saturday before heading over to visit my god-son and his sister.
• Big task accomplished this week - financials are almost all in order. I rolled over my old 401Ks, paid off some loans, including my student loan (yay!), and adjusted the budget for the new expenses associated with going from renting to owning. It feels good, especially since I had been holding off on all this stuff until the house stuff cleared.

Crazy Travel

Normally I don’t like to write about my travel until afterwards. You know, in case the burglars are checking out my blog and making plans to break into my place while I’m away. But I feel compelled to share what’s ahead of me the next several weeks.

Week 1: DC

Week 2: Princeton, NYC

Week 3: DC, NJ

Week 4: week off from traveling

Week 5: NJ

Week 6: DC

Week 7: NY

Some of the trips are just popping down for the day, others are back to back. There’s trains and planes and rental cars. By the end, I’ll have a new appreciation for home sweet home!

Subway upgrades

This week there are new signs on the subway stations that now tell you how many minutes until the next train arrives.

Also this week the amount of people on the subway platforms quadrupled.

Conclusion - I'd rather not know when the next train arrives and instead have less people to fight against to get on the subway. Already gave up boarding the first train that arrived. Crazy crowds - wish they put the money to running more trains. And summer's not over yet - after labor day the crowds will be back.