Feed me!

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I’m picking John up from the airport in about two hours, so this has to be quick (’cause I’m starving and I’m running out of time to eat dinner).  Very excited that he’ll be here tonight.  I still have to work tomorrow, but I’m sure the day will fly by.  (Except it won’t now that I’ve said that.  I should know better than to jinx myself like that.)

So hungry!  So rather than write something funny, pithy, or otherwise interesting, I’ll leave you with a couple of links to other places.  If you haven’t visited The Bloggess in a couple of days, go now.  She just became the craziest person in the shrink’s office, and once again, she had me laughing my head off.  Also, Desire to Inspire posted some pictures of this really cool loft I’d like to live in, if I were ever living in a major city again.

That’s all I’ve got for now ’cause I’m HUNGRY and I’m going out.  (Did I mention I’m hungry?)  Later!

What a coincidence

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As I waited at the stoplight at Bellevue and Memorial on my way home from work today, I heard someone call my name.  I looked over and, oddly enough, it was the guy from last night (the one who wouldn’t stop talking) in the car in the next lane over.  I know Newport’s a small town, but what are the odds?  Which is pretty much what we talked about for the 30 seconds before the light changed, through our open windows.

When I got back to the inn, I changed clothes and came downstairs to head out for dinner.  I’d planned to wander a little and then eat a light dinner and come back early so I could get a normal night’s sleep.  (Last night was not normal, and not long enough.)  I ducked into the parlor to grab a cookie (they set out tea and they have the BEST cookies), and I met two women who had just checked in.  We chatted a little, then a little more, and before I knew it, it had been an hour.  I decided not to keep them any longer, since I knew they wanted to head out for dinner, and they invited me along, so we continued chatting for the next three hours.  They’re staying in one of the other houses here, so I’ll probably see them again.  Hope I do.  I liked them.  🙂

(We had dinner at Puerini’s, and I had garlic sauteed with garlic, shallots, garlic, butter, garlic, herbs, and garlic in a white wine sauce.  With clams.  And garlic.  That’s how it feels (and tastes) now, anyway.  But it was good.)

The guessing game continues

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My run was too short this morning (I needed to make sure I’d have plenty of time to find the place I’m working at this week), but it was really nice.  Right around 60 degrees and overcast, with a breeze, so it was nice and cool, and I headed to the Cliff Walk to run.  Until I got there, I hadn’t noticed the ocean sounds, and then all of a sudden, I was looking down at a beach (waves and sand and everything!) and I could hear the surf hitting the rocks at the base of the cliff.  SO pleasant.  So it was a nice run.

On my way back from work, I drove in the way we used to come in, came down Broadway and around Washington Square, and then across Division Street to see our old apartment.  Looks exactly the same, even after nine years.  It could use a coat of paint, but I think it needed that when we lived there.  I climbed the stairs to my room (did I mention I’m on the 3rd floor of a bed and breakfast?), changed clothes, and went out for a walk.  I found myself on Spring Street (the wine store is still there, but I couldn’t find the breakfast place) and I got stopped by some guy on the sidewalk who asked me about my shirt.  I really need to stop wearing this one in public.  It says “Ask me about sustainability” across the front.  People do.  But this guy wouldn’t stop talking.  Forty-five minutes later, I continued my walk.  I ended up at The Black Pearl (the tavern side) for dinner, where I had one of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten.  Scallops with bacon, mushrooms, and cream.  I don’t ever need to eat again.  I’m full up.  No more food needed.  After that, I was really glad I was walking.  And going uphill.  Exercise is good.  And when I made it to the top of the hill, my shirt (the “ask me about” part, anyway) prompted a couple to ask me for directions to The Red Parrot.  It was nice to be able to help them out.   (It helps that it’s kinda hard to miss AND I had just walked past it.)

Anyway, I’m back in my room and I want to go to bed.  The biggest decision I have to make is where I’m going to run tomorrow.

Where am I?

Guess where I am!

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I won’t really make you guess, although I could start a weekly contest.  Guess where Zannah is this week and win a prize!

I’m going to keep this short since I have to work tomorrow morning and it’s already later than I’m comfortable with, but I have to say I’m glad I’m here.  I caught my first glimpse of the bridge and I felt like I was home.  Seems a little ridiculous to feel that strongly about a place I only spent six months in, and that was  nine years ago, but we were very happy here.

I had an okay dinner at a new pasta place just around the corner from Bellevue.  It’s right next to Dunkin Donuts, where I’ll most likely be picking up breakfast in the morning.  Tomorrow, anyway.  Hopefully after that, I can delay leaving long enough to manage breakfast here.  I am staying at a bed and breakfast.

Good night!

World Cup – you’d think I wouldn’t care, right?

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We have had the nicest day.  We got up a little on the early side, went for a run – that reminds me.  I had just started the last mile, I was on my way home, I’d been enjoying my run and the beautiful morning, and then I ran into my old boss.  NOT someone I wanted to see.  We were fake-polite to each other for a few minutes, but that was long enough to really irritate me and put a damper on the rest of my run.  I got over it, though.  We took care of the lawn and the weeding, went out to lunch, spent a few minutes browsing in Best Buy, and then we came home and started watching the USA-England World Cup match.  We stopped about an hour in to go to the movies (Get Him to the Greek – very funny), and now we’re back and we’re watching the rest of the game.  The noise in the stadium is kinda weird.  Like it’s a crowd of angry bees, not people.  Maybe a swarm of irritated kazoos.

They’re all so cute.  Must be a requirement.  Part of the tryout.  You can run, you can kick, you can do whatever else it is soccer players have to do, and you’re good-looking.  You’re in.  Have you seen these guys?  Particularly Bocanegra (captain of the US team) and Green (goalie for England).  Very attractive guys.

Fighting exhaustion

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I’m home (yay), and I’m so glad, ’cause if I have to be this tired, I prefer to be home to deal with it.  My flight left Raleigh-Durham at 6:10 this morning.  Which meant I had to be at the airport at 5am.  Which means I had to have already returned my rental car, and that means I had to leave my hotel by 4:30.  So I got up at 3:30.  AM.  The very definition of the middle of the night.  And because I’m not all that bright, I didn’t go to bed until almost 10 last night.  I slept like a rock who didn’t want to wake up when the alarm went off.  But the low-level anxiety I always feel about getting to the airport on time forced me to be alert enough to make sure I didn’t leave anything in the hotel, drive to the airport (which was only 5 exits away), and return the car.  Once I got to the terminal, though, I started to fade.  I got an iced vanilla chai (my favorite) and a croissant at Starbucks and read my book until boarding.  Fun fact about Raleigh-Durham International: there’s a used bookstore right next to the Starbucks!  Great idea for an airport concourse.

I got my second wind (sort of) once I got on the plane, and I had a pleasant conversation with the guy sitting next to me for about half the flight, mostly about TV shows.

Him: Did you watch Lost?

Me: Yeah.  Do you think about that every time you get on a plane?

Him: Yup.  And we’re in the tail section.  We’re doomed.

From there we covered The Unusuals (should never have been canceled), which led to Firefly (tragically canceled), which led to everything Nathan Fillion has ever been in, which led to Castle, which is his new favorite show now that Lost is over.  And I may have to agree.  I love Castle.  Anyway, he was a nice guy, and it was a pleasant flight.

My third wind (I napped a little on the plane) got me home and to the dry cleaners, and then through my run and my shower, but when I tried to leave the house (around 1:30) to get my car inspected and renew the dogs’ licenses, I had to turn the car around and go back home (I made that decision at the bottom of the hill – not far from the house).  I napped for an hour (and woke up feeling like seven more would be a good idea) and then took care of the dogs and the licenses.  Now I’m home, fighting to stay awake so I’ll sleep normally tonight.  Looks like I don’t get a fourth wind.  But this is helping.

I went to Duke

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No, that doesn’t have the same ring to it.  Besides, it’d be more accurate to say I drove around Duke and went to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.  Which were gorgeous.  And huge.  I think I’d need three full days, with nothing else going on, to get through the whole place.  And a map.  I got lost in one section and still didn’t manage to see that whole part.  Some of it is landscaped and manicured and tidily beautiful.  Some of it (the part I got lost in) looks more like wilderness, like you’re out hiking on a trail far from anywhere, and not mere yards away from a main road crossing Duke’s campus.  Everything is labeled, and there are areas with signs that talk about endangered plant life.  Very educational.  I’d come back here (to Durham) just to explore the gardens a little more.  I guess I could have done that this evening, but I’m leaving ridiculously early tomorrow morning, and I feel better knowing I’m mostly packed already.  I need to leave the hotel around 4:30 tomorrow morning, maybe a little earlier, so I think staying in tonight was a good call to make.

Pictures?  Okay.

While I was lost (but before I knew I was lost), I went over that bridge, down some stone steps, and then nearly ran into a tree. But I got a nice picture out of it.

These steps. I didn't take a picture of the tree I almost ran into.

How awesome is that? There were benches everywhere, in all sorts of wonderful nooks and crannies, and if I lived anywhere near here, I'd spend lots of lazy afternoons reading in the shade.

I half-expected to see swans glide across this pond.

This little cottage (not accurate, but sounds nicer than shelter) overlooks the pond.

Seriously?  I want this place in my backyard.  Then there was the manicured part. With paths…

…and families.

Bridges…

…and a bride.

And flowers…

Lots of flowers.  And I didn’t even see a third of the place.

Why am I still here?

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Call me lazy (and it would be true), but I don’t have the energy to write a real post, so here’s one full of links to other things.  I did do something today, and I took lots of pictures, and frankly, it’s the thought of posting pictures that’s wearing me out, so that will have to wait.

So go visit Tricia (who’s engaged!) as she writes about not rushing through life, and Tokenblogger, who’s stuck on the night shift (I feel her pain – night watches were always the worst).

Oh, I haven’t mentioned my rental car this time, although maybe that’s because it’s hardly worth mentioning.  I’m driving a Pontiac G6 (power everything – yay!) and there are two things it does that bug me a little.

  1. When I slow down or come to a stop, the volume of the radio turns down.  On its own.  Like it’s possessed.  What if I didn’t want it to get quieter?  On the other hand, it gets louder when I go faster, and I don’t have a problem with that…
  2. When I shut off the engine, the doors unlock.  On their own.  ALL of them.  What if I’m in a bad neighborhood?  Maybe I’m worried that someone will jump in the car and force me to drive somewhere at gunpoint.  But really, what if that happened?  I really think I should be in charge of the locks.  On the other hand (there’s always another hand), I like that all the doors lock automatically when I put the car in gear.

Can’t I have it exactly the way I want it?

I’ll just be wrinkled

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I bought a shirt that is impossible to iron.  I love it, but I’m going to have to be careful with it.  It’s a navy blue cotton button down (sort of a camp shirt, but not exactly) from Ann Taylor, and I love how it fits.  I asked John to iron it before I left on Sunday ’cause I ran out of time and I wanted to travel in it.  He brought it back, mostly unwrinkled, and asked me to never ever ask him to iron that shirt again.  It was a pain in the ass.  And he’s a good ironer.  So tonight, I was ironing a different shirt (one that was easy to iron, thank goodness), and I figured I’d try to get the wrinkles out of the navy blue one again in case I want to wear it on my flight home on Friday.  Impossible!  I totally understand why John never wants to iron it again.  I don’t want to either.  Can’t get the wrinkles out.  Poor shirt.  And the iron in my hotel room SUCKS.  Leaks water everywhere, so I ended up half soaking the shirt in the process.

Wouldn’t it be nice if I wrote something interesting once in a while?

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I watched City Hall tonight, a political thriller from the mid-90s with Al Pacino and John Cusack.  It was…okay.  I think it might be better than that, but I couldn’t get past John Cusack’s bad accent.  I love John Cusack, I really do, but he can’t do accents.  His Louisiana drawl was in and out and when it was in, it sounded ridiculous.  Really distracting.

I’m going to bed extremely early tonight (like in half an hour), hoping to sleep well and get up early.  Two alarms.  And maybe a wake-up call.

“Googley-elmo” totally made watching two hours of John Cusack’s bad accent worth it.  (Yes, I know they’re not related.)  Can’t. Stop. Laughing.

Doesn’t this make you want to go to Iceland?  (I’m being sincere, I promise.)

Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.

I found that video here and here.  You should visit them.

Not a great start

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Today didn’t start as planned.  For one thing, my alarm didn’t go off.  This wasn’t the disaster it could have been.  I’d set it absurdly early because I planned to run.  I woke up when the sun came up, about an hour later.  No time to run, but I still had plenty of time to get ready.  Ate breakfast, showered, dressed, and I was out the door about 8 minutes before I was supposed to be there to meet the guy who would let me in the building.  My hotel is only about three minutes from the place, so I got there with plenty of time.  Except it didn’t look like the right place.  The building had the right address on it, and it had a sign for the right agency, but it looked more like a warehouse than an office building.  And nobody was there.  I called my boss to make sure I had the right address.  I had the same one she did.  I called the guy who was supposed to meet me to let him know I was outside, but I only got his voicemail.  After about ten minutes, a couple of guys showed up, and I asked them if they knew anything about a training class.  One of them remembered the books being delivered and told me the class was being held at another site.  He was going there anyway, so I followed him.  Turns out the warehouse is where everything is shipped, which explains why we had that address, but all the office, all the classes, all the nice pretty landscaped grounds are a couple of miles away.  I still don’t know where I am (by address, anyway), but I’m pretty sure I can find my way here tomorrow morning.  It was about 8am when I got here (I was supposed to meet the guy at 7:30), but class didn’t start until 8:30, so everything turned out fine.  Except for my exceptionally slow internet connection.  That was a little annoying.  It’s hard to demonstrate things when your screen won’t load. 

Anyway, it’s lunch time and I’m hungry.  I need fuel to get me through an afternoon full of unhappy users.  (The types of users in this next session are notorious for hating this system.)

Welcome to Raleigh

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Or Durham.  Or Chapel Hill.  Or wherever the hell I am.  It’s not any better where I live, but I know my way around there.  I found dinner, I found Kroger, and I found my way back to my hotel.  I haven’t yet found where I can run around here, but that can wait until tomorrow.  I’ll start out in the hotel fitness center and then ask people who live around here.  When I meet them.  Which will happen in class tomorrow.

It’s entirely too quiet here, so I’m going to turn on the radio, read my book, and try to settle down and sleep.  The class I’m teaching tomorrow has a focus I haven’t really taught yet, so I’m not as comfortable with it.  Meaning I’m not as relaxed as I’d like to be.  A bath may be in my future.  Once I find a radio station I like.

The traveling part of this trip was totally uneventful (aside from some turbulence during the flight), no talkative seatmates, and it was surprisingly easy to find my hotel, so I’ve got nothing good to share tonight.  But I’m wireless!  Yay!  Here’s to posting from bed!  Maybe tomorrow.  🙂

Traveling Eve

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There should be a name for the night before you go on a trip.  We’ve got Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, Erev all kinds of things for Jewish holidays, and I think there should be a word for the night before other big events.  First Day of School Eve.  First Day of New Job Eve.  Wedding Eve.  And Traveling Eve.  Or maybe Trip Eve.  With subsets for Vacation Eve and Business Trip Eve.  There’s always so much to do, and I think those nights should be recognized.  Maybe it’ll catch on.

So I’m traveling tomorrow (I bet you’re totally surprised by that), and I’m not actually doing anything right now to prepare for the trip.  Except for laundry.  But I feel like I’m always doing laundry.  I have everything I need, so I can pack tomorrow and not worry about it for now.

In the meantime, I want to finish my book (it’s a hardcover, and I’d rather not carry it on the plane, but it’s good and I don’t want to start something else yet) and mope around with John for the evening.  We’ve decided that’s what we feel like doing.  Moping can be fun when you don’t have to do it alone.

If massages were free, I’d be happier

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My relaxing day has put me in the mood for a nap.  I’m resisting the urge.  My too leisurely morning didn’t leave me enough time for a manicure and a pedicure, so I skipped the manicure.  My toes (and poor callused feet) are more important to me, and I have a tendency to ruin my nails within two hours of a manicure anyway.  But my pedicure was quite nice.  From there I bought a suitcase and barely made it to my massage appointment on time.  Which was…interesting.  I think I like the idea of a spa (soft relaxing music, sounds of running water, quiet and peaceful rooms) more than I care about the actual services.  The massage was nice, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t feel the effects of it anymore (and didn’t, really, once i got up from the table).  A pedicure is so much more satisfying.  (Look at my pretty toes!)  And much less expensive.

Oh the bun-anity!

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My neighborhood was Grand Central Station for bunnies this morning.  I’d forgotten about that aspect of spring, so when I took the dogs for a run this morning (for the first time in more than two months, I think), I wasn’t prepared for their reaction.  Nearly got my arms yanked off.  Over and over and over again.

I am looking forward to tomorrow.  Very much.  I asked for the day off a couple of weeks ago, just because (and also because I thought I’d need the escape since I was convinced I would be less than a month from unemployment by this week), and earlier this week I thought about not taking the day off and just going to work anyway, but then my boss reminded me that this was meant to be an easy week for us trainers (to give us a break from all the stressful traveling) and I don’t have anything to do, so why not take it?  I saw her point.  So now I have plans for tomorrow.  Plans to run, to get a mani/pedi, to get my very first ever massage, and to buy a new suitcase.  Almost in that order.  I need a new suitcase…do I?  Well, yeah, I do.  The one I’ve been using (big, rectangular, purple, on wheels) is coming apart at the seams.  I have another rolling bag, but it’s more of a rolling duffel and I have to travel with some stuff for work that wouldn’t fit very well in that.  I could borrow John’s (and I will if I don’t find something pretty easily tomorrow), but eventually, I’ll need one of my own.  I’m putting too much thought into this.

Hamburgers tonight!

What a difference a day makes

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Will it be all sunshine and flowers from now on?  Let’s go with yes.  Why be realistic when I can be optimistic? Seriously, that weight on my shoulders?  Gone.  I’m not saying I love my job or anything now, but holy hand grenade of Antioch, do I feel better.

I don’t ever want to go here.  I had nightmares after Jurassic Park and I was half-convinced raptors were going to leap through my bedroom window and kill me, so a forest full of dinosaurs and GIANT SNAKES is not the place for me.

Curiosity blames her absence on Nicholas Cage.  Lots of things can be blamed on him.  I’m just glad she’s back.

One last thing: the last paragraph of this review of the new Robin Hood movie made me laugh.  Twice.

Now I’m going to bed.  Sorry for the choppy post.  (I tried to call it a chippy post.  Not sure what that means, exactly, but my spellcheck thinks it’s a word.)

Think happy thoughts

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For real.  It might work.  Wait – bad title.  That’s not what I did.  Well, kinda…never mind.  Starting over.

I had an emotional day.  I saw my doctor and sobbed incoherently while I tried to explain what’s been going on (with the help of my notes – yes, I brought notes).  She basically told me that this anxiety is situational (and all related to work) and I should feel better once I can get myself out of that situation.  That’s pretty much what I thought, too, but it was good to hear it from someone who should know.  So that was Emotional Event #1.

Emotional Event #2 happened this afternoon at three when I met with my boss.  I managed not to cry, but I was close, and she could tell.  I explained how the travel and the commute were causing problems for me, promised to stay through June, and suggested we work together to figure out the best way for me to leave after June without causing any big problems for them.  Her response?  To figure out how to keep me.  (And, of course, to sympathize, ’cause she’s gone through similar situations in the past.)  She asked me if leaving the company was what I wanted and I said no, but I was prepared to do that if necessary.  She said she’d find out if there was anything else I could do, and then she sent me home for the rest of the afternoon (which almost made me cry again).  And then, less than two hours later, she called me at home to suggest another position for me, same project, no commute, no travel, that will get me at least through the end of the summer, and after that, something else at the company.

Moral of the story?  Ask for what you want.  I feel better already.

Truant

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I’m skipping today.  (Even though by posting this, I’m technically not skipping.)  I had a good weekend, but I’m worn out and trying not to worry about this week.  I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow about that panic attack I had a month or so ago and other general anxiety issues.  And there’s a conversation I have to have this week that I’m not looking forward to having.

Anyway, I’m heading to bed.  Sleep is important.  See you tomorrow.

It’s finally over

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Okay, we finished Lost.  The whole thing was worth it for Sun/Jin and Sawyer/Juliet.  I cried at both.  We also saw the new Robin Hood movie today (stupid, but fun).  And we started catching up on Glee.  Lots of TV today.  But that’s not all we did.  We mowed, weeded, mulched, and pruned, and after that, we went to Borders.  Busy day.

I gave the dogs a little bit of leftover turkey from my sandwich (Wegman’s sub – SO good), and they’re drooling at (and on) my heels now.  They’re not letting me out of their sight in case I have more goodies in my pockets.  Smart dogs.

Please don’t mention Lost to me

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I thought we were only two episodes behind on Lost, but we checked the DVR today and found out we’re THREE behind.  So we started watching.  And now we’re one and a half behind.  We might finish tonight, might finish tomorrow, so until I say it’s clear, don’t talk about it where I can hear.  Or read.  Pretty please?  I’ve avoided every article, every show, every website that even hints at being about Lost, so I really don’t know anything about how it ends.

My wacky neighbor with the electric lawn mower is at it again, mowing his backyard in long khaki pants, with what looks like 50 feet of extension cord connecting him to the house.  At least he’s wearing a t-shirt this time instead of a button-down.

Roxy had another seizure last night around 9:40, her third in less than 36 hours, but nothing since then.  An appointment with a doggie neurologist is probably in our future, but we’re not completely convinced it’ll be worth the $275 fee.

Later:

We didn’t finish Lost.  Probably will tomorrow.  We did finish The Pacific, though.  John wants to buy the books by Sledge and Leckie tomorrow.