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…