Wednesday

So yesterday was “Dance Monkey Dance” day (yes, I’m the Monkey in this scenario), and I wake up to the sound of rain….which is a good thing.  In my mind, I’m thinking the following:

·       It’s my favorite day (always loved Wednesdays)

·       It’s raining – I love listening to the sound of it and smelling it in the air

·       I’ve exercised and feel awesome

·       I know what I’m wearing for the “Dance” with Management and our CalTech Reps

I totally got this, right?  Not necessarily. I shower, I do my hair, I get my skivvies on and I go to close the windows in the bedroom.  I have no idea what the heck I did, but I end up slamming my double paned window on my middle finger.  Normally, I’d be swearing a blue streak, but I deep breathe and think to myself…hey, you’re maturing. Good for you for not swearing.  Then the pain hits and I grab my finger with my other hand and bend over sweating.  Did I break it? No…I can move it. Ok, let’s finished getting dressed.  I take my hand off my finger and there’s blood everywhere.  WTF??? I go rinse it off and hold tissue to it.  I head over to the band aids and fumble for one.  I take the tissue away and realize…I have a damned two-sided cut.  One on each side of the finger.  Ok…Hmmm…how do I do this?  I finally engineer a double band aid that doesn’t look geeky and go finished getting dressed. 

I’m wearing ankle boots so I pull out the bootie socks, get one on, and can’t seem to find the other one I just had.  I’m searching everywhere and I know it was just there.  Well, how was I supposed to know that if you sit on it, it’ll stick to your butt?  Peel it off my panties and realize, hey…you have blood from your finger on these panties…go get another pair. I do, and we’re about ready to roll.  Unfortunately…it will not look cool flipping someone off with my middle finger all bandaged up.

It did turn out to be a warning of the day ahead.  I received an email from "D's" wife "H" informing me that he had passed away the night before.  I knew that I couldn't cry because of my meeting with the bigwigs...so I held it together.  I left an hour early and met a couple of peeps at the bar to celebrate "D's" life.  Once I got home, it was ON!  I decided to stay home today and just enjoy the moments.

The finger is turning out worse than I thought. It's right at the point where I hold my pencil/pen, eating utensils, etc...and every time something presses on it, it sent a shock of pain up my hand.  When I go...I go BIG!

Weekend

It was quite a weekend.  I did some BBQing for my Ladies of the 80's and their men. It's been awhile since I've hosted a group that large. I did the chicken and steak, and they brought the sides.  We all chipped in on the drinks and it made for a really nice evening.

When I woke up, it was nice and cool in the bedroom, but toasty warm in my bed.  I love those mornings when I can stay in the bed and just snuggle with my Winnie the Pooh and just be.  It seems like I'm always rushing around and keeping busy, so it was just heaven to enjoy my awesome bed. You have to be thankful for the little things...cuz they could be gone in a second.

After I got up, I headed to the farmers market and picked up my green onions, yellow onions, celery, poblano peppers, tomatoes, onions, beans, kale, limes, chai and breakfast tea, smoked paprika, granulated garlic and pepper spices.  I like that I can get all of that for around $25 and eat healthy.  I already picked up some smoked ham hocks, so I'll be chopping up celery, onions and throwing them into the crock pot with the beans and ham hocks.  An inexpensive meal with great properties to lower cholesterol.  I think I'll bring some to the timeshare this weekend when I take my Mother to Napa.

The kale, I'll use for breakfast shakes, but I also want to try my hand at Kale chips. A little olive oil, salt and pepper tossed on the kale and bake in the oven.  It always looks so good, but I've never eaten it. Green onions I eat on everything.

I love going to the farmer's market.  I actually like to go early to beat the crowd, but today, I lollygagged a bit so it was crowded. It always amazes me how people will stop right in the middle of the aisle and you can't help it when you plow into them, cuz you don't expect them to stop.  Ah well. The vibe out there is so fun, and I love that I'm getting fresh vegetables that are less likely to have all that crap on them, i.e. pesticides and chemicals to make them last longer...that you find in a regular store. There's something satisfying about bringing home your haul and filling up the sink with vinegar water and washing your veggies.

Then I downloaded Microsoft Office for MAC on my laptop.  Got it from work, which is really cool. Made some dinner, with some wine..and here we are.  All in all, a thoroughly satisfying weekend.

The Lake House

You know...that movie with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves?  Yeah, I admit that it isn't the greatest movie...but for some reason, when it's on TV, I'm compelled to watch it.  I know about the improbability of it all.

Woman lives in the future, leaves mail for a man in the past. They develop a relationship and try to meet.  yada yada yada.  But that is what compels me to watch it.  The magic of it all.  I need to believe in magic.  Yes, I know it's rare, and it dies.  

I got the news yesterday that my friend "D" from work is dying.  Unfortunately his cancer is unbeatable, so his family is rallying around him. He tried so hard. And he has magic.  His wonderful wife whom, when he met her, he just knew she was the one. He's got two boys.  He has a rich life and its running out on him so fast.

I need to believe in magic and live my life.  What is the point of having wonderful people touch my soul and leave me, if not to teach me something. Teach me about life and love and magic.

So I watch these pathetic love stories because, for a moment, I can feel the magic and forget about the crappy stuff that's going on.

Yeah....I know.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Singing

Everything about my Boy and Niece

Love and all the crap that comes with it

My Besties

Spicy popcorn

Any kind of seafood

A challenge

Heights

Rollercoasters

Flying

Trying new things

Cooking

Very fast cars

The moon

The beach

A frosty cold margarita with lime

The accomplishment of sweating

A really good scent on a man's neck

Anticipation

My Weber Grill

All things Apple

The warmth of my bed with cool air kissing my face

My Pooh Bear

A hot tub on a cold day with a glass of wine and candles

Mexico (not the politics), it's people and the food

I know there's more.  Sometime's you have to take time out to appreciate the things you have.

SF

I've been largely silent. A lot going on...not just in my life, but inside my head too.  It's Friday night and I'm in San Francisco.  Yeah, maybe at 8:18 p.m. I should be out partying, but I'm a smart single traveler.  I try not to put myself in situations that may be difficult to extract myself from.

However, I did take the trolley to and from Fisherman's Wharf today.  What a fracking blast!!!  I met some people and the really cool thing is that if they're not from SF, they're friendly as hell.  A nice Italian guy took my picture on the trolley and then I had some fun walking and visiting shops on the Wharf.  I visited a knife shop (need to replace my knife that I gave up) and I think I found a suitable replacement.

Also found a hot sauce shop that carried my "Ring of Fire"...Oh yeah Baby!!!  After that, it was checking out the sea lions, and having some serious seafood fix.  I've been good on my budget, but I knew I'd have some fun on the Wharf.

After that, it was some fun riding on the Trolley car home (back to the resort) and FaeeTiming with my buddy D.

All and all, this was a great trip.  I have so many exciting things to bring back to work and to use in the future.  I had fun in the City of SF..Love to visit...never want to live here.  Met some cool people. Did a lot of walking. Yes, I have firm buttocks! And the wheel keeps turning round and round.  I think I'll head home tomorrow.  I have my room until Sunday, but what's the point? I've done what I've wanted to do, eaten what I've wanted to eat and seen what I wanted to see.

I'm getting pretty good at doing things on my own. Not sure what the future will bring and who it will bring, but life is short.  No matter what, I'll take it as it comes and deal with it on a "case by case" basis. I think I handled myself pretty well, and no one Effed with me, so by my count..I'm doing great! G'nite peeps.