1. We had a couple grey days with some rain, but we're back to sunny and warm-ish, yay!

2. The local Renaissance Faire is this weekend, but I think I'm going to pass. The Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire is in three weeks and I think we'll go to that instead.

3. I'm really working on getting my day turned around (up during the day, sleeping at night) and am doing okay-ish. It's really a pain because I feel so much more awake in the evening and later.

1. We are under contract on the sale of our house as well as on the purchase of another. Now we just need to make it through all the hurdles (inspections, financing) and close on both so we can move in August and be settled before the baby is born. Incredibly nerve wracking!!

2. Slept terribly last night, felt gross all day, and planning to leave work a little early.

3. I wish it was cold here! It is 90F today and forecasted to be 99F the next two days.

1. A bit nervous about financial things. I'm well aware that I've managed to rack up a few hundred bucks on my credit card (eek!) and that it is indeed my own damn fault, but I need to rein in my impulse spending. I'm not saving nearly enough money. I need to get off my ass and sell my non-fitting dance costumes in the hopes that those will bring in some money.

2. It doesn't help that pops was talking to me about moving into the townhouse my brother and him recently renovated. I thought about it and told him that I didn't think it was a good decision at this time because it doesn't really solve any problems for me (still no garage, about .2 miles further from work, would have to move) and it doesn't lower my monthly expenses. In fact, it would probably bump them up a smidge since my electric would likely be higher. But since I told him no, I've been thinking about how it might be nicer to have more room. (I currently live in a 1 bedroom condo.)

3. Nervous and excited for things coming up in the near future. I've submitted a letter of petition for the local coven and that is in the process of being reviewed and I have Fires of Venus (witchy sexy camping) at the beginning of August. September is going to be a crazy pants month.

It is 99 degrees here... again... and tonight is the annual baseball outing with my husband's company. We have an AWESOME minor league team, which pretty much negates the fact that I don't like baseball, and they're renting out the ginormous club level with awesome food and beer, but still. A couple innings wouldn't be TOO bad... maybe...

Struggling with a thorny point in my writing.

Anxiously awaiting a phone call with possible job offer. Could happen ANY! MINUTE! NOW! Kind of killing me.

New job is still exciting and new. Loveley new offices with lots of shiny new equipment and fancy furniture. Having fun playing with video-conference equipment and other toys. Miss my free iPad from old job, though. Miss my free car even more, even though it's great to be back catching the train and having two hours 'me time' every day. Having to ride to and from the train station until I can organise another car is not so hot, though.

Proud of myself for having finished the Kokoda Challenge on the weekend, particularly because drop-outs were so high this year. Now I can feel confident in having got it out of my system and never doing it again, although I offered to act as support crew for someone next year.

Relationship. Yeah, next question?

Hot here too. I'd start wishing for fall but that would mean winter is around the corner and I dislike cold weather as much as I do the hot weather.

1. Today I gave a presentation to our CTO/Senior VP (boss-4x-removed) and our Managing VP (boss-3x-removed). Even though my manager & boss-2x-removed attended, it was rather nerve wracking. But it went fine. Now I need to rewrite the presentation so the IT Powers-That-Be can make the final decision.

2. Pup baths were not on today's to-do list but someone had a crate accident and required one. And if I was doing one pup, I mind as well do the other. Of course I now have no interest in yoga so I'll have to do Level 1 class tomorrow instead of Level 2 today.

3. I'm going to Orlando in October for a conference and my manager and boss-2x-removed are now planning to go to part of it. I'm rather happy about this as otherwise I'd be stuck down there by myself with boss-once-removed (who, while a nice lady, annoys the living crap out of me most of the time).

1. Yes. Cold. Rainy. Brrr. You guys can keep your 99 degrees, though, that's just crazy. 24 Celsius would be perfect - think it'll happen this year, Senyar?

2. Just finished a huge contract. Day off tomorrow!!!!!!! Then on to the next project.

3. Feeling stale and tired and in need of a rest and a change. Starting to come up with plans for that, though.

1. I had a baby! Ahhhhhh! Everyone at the hospital was very nice, I received great care and rest, but we are glad to be home (came home yesterday). Baby is healthy and vibrant and I am recovering well. Stynxno is home for much of my maternity leave, so we are just one big happy family :)
2. Big week ahead of us- pregnant couple from church comes to dinner tomorrow, 1st doctor's visit Wednesday, and Granny, my Mom, arrives on Thursday for a 5-night stay. What fun, what fun.
3. Next assignment: get really good at swaddling. My current technique leaves much to be desired; all his limbs come out! I'm watching him kick around in the bassinet as we speak!

1. Went to 4 concerts of the Oregon Bach Festival. It was magnificent, and I feel lucky that my little burg has such a world class thing every year. St. Matthew Passion yesterday was really long but SO much in it that is truly great. Even for a non-Christian like me.

2. A letter to the editor in the daily here about me. (The second one down.) Felt good to read but I am getting kidded a bit at work.

3. Prostate appt. Wednesday. I am sort of meh about it. I have a feeling that they will just choose (or advise me so) to keep an eye on it (the tiny bit of cancer in there). And another biopsy in a year, which will again allow me to audition for some vampire porn, if you get my drift and if you do I'm sorry. :-)

1. Back from very wonderful weekend on Orcas Island where our 22 yr old UK guest and I went kayaking Saturday afternoon. All of us ate lots, spotted mondo wildlife, and slept deeply. It was great.

2. Work is dull this week. Forcing myself to read and catch up and clean up old piles.

3. Thrilled about the new TPS family baby! Mazel tov!!

1. I had a phone interview today. I thought it went well. I emailed the HR recruiter afterwards to say so and ask about next steps and he replied 2mins later with "It went well" and then went on to say I'll be coming in for a physical interview. Cool, because my (2 hr. commute, each way) job has just revoked telecommute privileges, so I'm ready to be out of there.

2. I pick up my CPAP machine on Thursday, so I can start getting treated for my sleep apnea. Looking forward to not being tired all the time, relief from my depression, and probably a much improved immune system.

3. I finally sent out the casting (?) email for the show I'm putting together. I have *almost* enough responses to start practicing. And a wonderful actress/improviser who's been on 30 Rock and Louie and a whole bunch of other cool shit (Colbert? etc.) talked to me after her show last Friday and said she had received my message and was indeed very interested in my show idea. Which is a nice validation boost. And goodness, is she ever the nicest lady. So improv is going well for me, too.

1. Been horribly crankypants lately. Tired of Summer already. Things looking up though. I should finish my Independent Study course on Friday. Two more writing assignments and an exam to go and then I can at least take that off of my plate.

2. Related to 1, trying to organize a quick road trip up to Kansas City here in a couple of weeks with a buddy to go catch a couple of Rangers/Royals games and just get out of town for a weekend before the fall semester starts. Really hoping it works out. Should know here in a couple of days.

3. Related to road trips: recently found out that X is playing in Dallas the first weekend of November. I've never seen them before and *really* want to go. Have already informed close friend/former roommate that there's a 95% chance I'm coming down for it and he'd best be keeping an eye out for ticket sales.

1. Spending time with my father in the midwest, which is lovely in the abstract but way-the-hell-too-hot in the concrete. Seriously? 100 degrees is not a normal average temperature.

2. Trying to re-accustom myself to hot evenings, after a lot of years in California. There is something nice about sitting outside after sunset without a sweater.

3. F'ed up my father's stove top while making dinner tonight, to the point where GE needs to come in tomorrow to fix it. Sigh. I feel like not only a bad daughter but also a bad cook.

1. Haven't been on MetaChat at ALL lately and I miss you guys! Hi hi hi hi!

2. Cooing over pictures of Teeps' and Stynxno's baby and getting ready to have my own! 8 more weeks to go.

3. Love love loving summer in Portland this year. Hot and sunny and breezy during the day, cools off deliciously at night.

1. Between the shoulder pain and the scratchy head, I'm crankypants too. I might post an Askme about the itchy head (mostly the back of my neck), two doctors have not been able to figure out what's wrong!

2. Love the 90°F+ weather, as always. The guys at work, who generally admire physical prowess, are impressed by my ability to walk outside in this weather without batting an eyelash (and only sweating a little). Good thing they're impressed by that, because I'm a lousy athlete otherwise.

3. Tired, tired of doing all the work. I wish someone else would help out once in a while.

I think pinky wins! : ) (Congratulations again!)

1. Laundry day today. Lots and lots of laundry. Jon, bless his heart (and strength), did the rock banging at the laundromat, and I put it all away. It is nice to have lots of clean clothes. I get to wear all my favorite t-shirts again.

2. I booked a cruise! 8 day Caribbean cruise with Carnival. I can't wait. We leave in a couple of weeks! Weeeeeeeeee!!!

3. Watching Hawaii Five-O (the new one). What a beautiful place. I wonder if they need any high school English teachers in Hawaii.

I wonder if they need any high school English teachers in Hawaii.

It is not an impossible dream. . .there is a big downside to living there (island fever. . .a lot less culture. . .prejudice against haoles, etc.).

But my best friend got hired to teach Jr. college there, from CA.

So if you want to go for it, it could (but not for sure) happen!

(So nice to see ya round here, Specklet... 8 weeks, wow, that's so great... Hope you got some VooDoo! ; )

On preview: Thanks, danf... I have thought about it actually. For now, though, I wouldn't want to be that far from my mom. I was thinking Jon and I might be able to spend a summer there some year. Jon would love to learn to surf. A good friend of ours and his brother are cops in Honolulu (though we've lost touch over the years). In terms of the haoles issue, t'aint no thang. I teach in the Bronx. Besides, I'm not really white. I'm Jewish, the minority of minorities. I just look white.

TPS, some babies are just escape artists. My daughter would never take swaddling, although my son loved it.

Also, Specklet... Woohoo! Hope it all goes well.

To both of you, all babies are individuals from the outset. Some love the swaddling or slings and some don't.

I'm sure you'll both be great moms. Much love and happy wishes to all.

1. Tuesday! Because I'm on vacation I've lost all sense of time.

CONGRATS Teeps & Styxno! Good luck, Specklet!

2. Slept outside for the first time in decades and loved it. BFF paid for a week at a cabin in the woods. I sent the kids to bed inside and slept by the fire. I heard the animals in the night but nothing scary.

3. Going to see the glassworks demonstration today.

Congratulations, TPS and Stynxno! Welcome to the world, baby!

1. The Fella and I celebrated our third anniversary by staying in and watching an absolutely terrible show he had to review for his new gig. Tonight, we'll go out for dinner and champagne at our favorite fancy neighborhood spot.

2. Family is visiting (staying with Gramma, not us) from out of the country. I love em, but OH MY GOD THE YELLING. Little kids yelling either cheerfully or shrieking in outrage. Parents yelling at them to STOP IT. Gramma A) yelling "NO YELLING IN THE HOUSE!" or B) yelling complex questions from the other room even though she knows I can't understand yelling from the other room: either come in like a civilized person to ask me your question OR ask me to come to you. THEY ARE DAMAGING MY CALM.

3. It is kinda an out-of-control mess in here. Nothing a brief tidy won't fix; it's just the accumulated stuff of a few days doing nothing much but lounging around in the heat.

And good luck, Amro, the third of our MeCha ladies to be with bunny child this summer.

Specklet! Whee, I am so looking forward to your new arrival, as well as amro's baby, too. And congratulations again to TPS and stynxno on Oliver's arrival!

1. Spending much of my day off tomorrow with both sons at the dentists office. Poor kids, but better to get this done (fillings) both at once.

2. Shattered my glass patio table on Sunday. I love my shopvac! I never before thought of using it outdoors, and it worked beautifully.

3. Looking forward to a vacation week next week. I'm taking my youngest to the family farm, and spending some time there myself. I miss my relatives there, so I really can't wait!

The only new thing is after I became diuretic resistant (I had gained 12 pounds in 3 days), the doc prescribed a super diuretic. This thing is so high powered, he recommends I drink fluids normally (yay, beer!) and keep a bag of pretzels handy in case I deplete my sodium levels again.

Also, I am writing a theme song for Trilby.

That is all.