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04 April 2013

What's going on in your life? Multi-point update, please.[More:]*Going on a family vacation next week to El Paso, TX; have a friend stationed at Fort Bliss. She told me yesterday she can take me to the PX and I am PUMPED. Haven't been to a PX since my Dad was stationed in Okinawa in the late 80s.
*Applying for grad school (part-time MPH program); almost ready to press the button on my application. I never want to read this stinkin' essay again.
*My little buddy is growing so nicely! He's just started clapping, and waving. So funny to watch him react to stuff; he'll hear people clap on TV and start clapping, too!
*Got the "night off" tonight (Stynx and O are having a boys night); I am going shopping and may get some lady business taken care of (nails, hair, waxing, not sure what).
* Back into the swing of things after our lovely vacation in Florida. Beach, family, baseball, Disneyworld. It doesn't really get much better than that.

* Upcoming trips: to PA to visit friends, to Baltimore for my husband's 40th birthday celebrations, to Vermont for family lake resort vacation, and to an as-yet undecided city for an Orioles game. We try to knock a new baseball stadium off the list every year. This year it will probably be Toronto or Minneapolis. If we don't want to see an O's game it could also be Kansas City, St. Louis or Cleveland.

* Running the Scotland race in Central Park on Saturday with a few mefites. Should be fun.
posted by gaspode 04 April | 13:55
* I stumbled across the website "get off my internet" this morning and have been browsing their archives. I am once again astonished that people can be so goddamn mean with astonishing regularity.

* I am happy that Pinks is going back to school for her MPH, go Pinks!

* I am happy Gaspode is running the Scotland race on Saturday, go Podey!

* Fuck cancer. No seriously, fuck it.

* I will probably get Chinese takeout for dinner tonight.
posted by msali 04 April | 14:36
* Kicked ass at my job interview this morning, but I still suspect the whole thing is fake and therefore I haven't a hope of getting it. Still, it's always nice to perform well under the lights.

* I won a drawing for cheap tickets to a sold-out opera for Saturday night. Very excited.

* Got a bit of a headache, so taking it easy after work.
posted by JanetLand 04 April | 15:03
- team meeting at work today revealed new work practices for the next year which could play to my strengths.

- looking forward to dinner with a friend tomorrow, then the piano bar.

- also meeting another friend for coffee tomorrow afternoon.

- I might be getting an iPad next week - someone at work is selling a 6-month-old iPad 3 for a great price.

- it snowed all day today in east London. Un-fucking-believable. Where is spring?

- so great to see Specklet, TheDonF and their baby last weekend.
posted by Senyar 04 April | 15:56
*My passion for music, which has been gone for a long time, is back. All I want to do is play and write and record. And I found some old stuff on cassette which I figured out how to digitize.

*My wife is being sweet, leaving be little "retirement season" cards and gifts on the kitchen table.

*Have not done taxes yet because I will almost surely owe some, and I have been in denial about that.

*Echoing msali. . .fuck cancer hard.
posted by danf 04 April | 16:11
-Last day of a conference in Chicago, it's going ok but I am worn out and want to hide and be alone in my room

-I bought fleece-lined leggings and they are cozy and comfortable but they smell so weird and I'm wondering what the chemicals that make them smell so bad are doing to my body

-Wedding planning is getting a little better after having found invitations and a dress and writing down some huge lists of things to do

-Thinking of trying an aerial yoga class but I haven't done normal yoga or any gym stuff for about 2 years so I'm a little worried that it is a bad idea

-I want to find some type of exercise I enjoy. I've been doing a little bit of ballet balance stuff that I found on demand on tv but it's not that great.

-My sister is in India for a month for work and I miss her already.

-Seriously what is in these leggings and will they make me go blind or something?
posted by rmless2 04 April | 16:36
* Just got back in from my week 5 workout 3 slow jog with Zombies Run 5k. I had a secret mission to a craft store for yarn with Runner 4.

* Broke the chain lock on my door today. I thought I had unlocked it and when I opened the door, realized that I hadn't and yanked the little thing off the wall. I can probably fix it, but there's a big chip out of the molding and I've lost one of the screws. (I have a deadbolt and a normal door lock on that door as well, but I'll still put a chair in front of it tonight.)

* Very nervous about my pathworking meeting on Wednesday. I'm meeting with the High Priestess of the local coven that we've partied with many times as she is my North pillar. Eep!

* Chair dancing is hilarious and this week starts a new session of it and there's going to be zumba beforehand. No idea if I'll go to zumba and then chair or what. My Fri/Sat bellydance classes are cancelled this week due to spring break.

* I currently have 4 sewing projects that are in progress. I want to cut fabric for 2 dance circle skirts this Sunday so I need to hurry up and finish those other projects quickly.

* Anubis just did his whole 'I puts my teeth on you' thing where he doesn't bite, he just puts his teeth on your hand but keeps his mouth closed. Obviously he wants the rest of his dinner (I gave him some of it before I went for a very slow jog.)

* There are 3 bottles of wine plus a bunch of prepared food in my fridge and I am so ready to just start pounding it all down. But I need to drink some ginger ale first otherwise I will feel super shitty in the morning.

* My right eye is a little bit swollen again. It randomly swells a little bit every so often but it went down since I went slow jogging.

* And my downstairs neighbor just yelled with delight, so I'm guessing [insert sports team here] is doing well.
posted by sperose 04 April | 18:39
* I bought a membership at the Seattle Art Museum. Free admission for a year. Went to their European Masters exhibit today and saw Rembrandt's self-portrait.

* I bought a personal smoothie blender last week, one meant to drink from the blender jar. It is small and defeats my urge to throw in many ingredients. Thus, I make reasonable size smoothies rather than a half gallon.

* As always, coffee.
posted by Ardiril 04 April | 20:11
* Roadtripping back to California. I have now been in Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona for the first time and Texas for the second, I think.

* Gained two hours today, as I crossed into Mountain Daylight Time and then into Arizona, which doesn't use Daylight Saving Time. It's early-ish, but I am wiped out.

* I am not having good luck with main courses at dinner during this trip, but I am having excellent luck with drinks and side dishes, so I'm going to say it evens out.

* Stopped in Albuquerque for lunch with a college friend today. He let my cat run loose in his house while we went to lunch and toured the town. It was nice to have a break from the car, the lunch was excellent (yay, green chili!), and the cat seemed to enjoy having a break from hurtling along at 80mph.
posted by occhiblu 04 April | 23:40
*Social card is alllll full up for the week. Meeting people, doing things, awesome.
*Terrifying chilling revelation that I have been outlining this book for THREE YEARS and don't have a cohesive draft yet.
*Totally fixed up the house, installed shelves, changed over from the winter wardrobe to the summer wardrobe.
*Need Need Need to get back to Boxing class.
*Currently fretting over payment for a large job I actually got via Metafilter that I hope pans out
*Insomnia...still a problem after Our Disastrous Ambien Trial (retrograde amnesia IS A THING).
posted by The Whelk 05 April | 00:18
*Seriously tired of my cold, which kept me out of work all week. It is going, but I fear the plane trip tomorrow . . .

*Tomorrow we leave for the UK to visit friends in Yorkshire and for me to run the Edinburgh half marathon. My state of training is so bad that I wonder just how awful my time will be. See starred item above.

*My employee and wife produced their first baby, a son, today. That really is woo hoo news.

*I am going to miss you bunnies. Will try to see what is up here in bunnyland when I have wifi.

*New shower is finally finished and I feel seriously spoiled. Will look forward to returning to it.

And I join the cancer haters!
posted by bearwife 05 April | 00:19
Have fun with the marathon!
posted by Ardiril 05 April | 06:47
My life is pretty devoid of anything going on outside of my daughter and her mother planning my daughter's upcoming wedding. I'm kind of removed from the planning, though, outside of having to get fitted for the first suit I've owned in twenty years and showing up for the rehearsal and ceremony.

Other than that...um...I have to make the bed sometime this morning?
posted by Thorzdad 05 April | 09:08
*Little lettuce and pea and spinach sprouts coming up.
*Divorce stuff is moving along, getting things finalized and signed and paid and put away.
*DAUGHTER'S COLLEGE IS PAID FOR! I think I mentioned that already, but it really is something that's on my mind a lot these days.
*Work is going well. I have to work tomorrow, which is rare, but I got a great yearly evaluation and lots of positive feedback. I was just now interviewed about the site, which meant I got to talk for an hour about how much I love working here, pretty much.
*Camping season is ramping up. Trying to coordinate with the soon-to-be-ex so that we don't attend the same events, and she's not cooperating.
posted by mrmoonpie 05 April | 10:16
† going to the opera with JL. Suck it, people who didn't win tickets!
† had my first shift as a theater tech (technically an intern) Tuesday night, rocked at it.
posted by Eideteker 05 April | 10:40
*Yesterday I was informed that I had passed my six-month probationary period. (Technically it ended on April Fools' Day, a fact which did not go unnoticed.) I have worked here for eight years in four positions with three separate classifications/pay systems. I am now employed in a permanent, full-time position in the field of my training for the first time in my life.

*Don't quote me on this, but I think spring is actually here. Now I want to do stuff! Of course the stuff is probably a lot of cleaning which I HAVEN'T wanted to do, but whatever.

*Mad Men starts on Sunday! Excellent reason to clean -- have some people over.

*We are so very very very close to officially trying to conceive (with all the schedules and stuff). It's an interesting frame of mind. IT MAY HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED! NO MAN CAN SAY! Now I keep thinking about how we could really use a house, and that is just nothing good.
posted by Madamina 05 April | 12:49
Truely crap week:

- Trying to train for a 1/2 marathon but managed to pull my back at the gym on Wednesday and have been barely able to walk.

- Got reprimanded by my manager for not handling the office politics correctly.

- One of my favorite co-workers just got fired for very bullshit political reasons. I feel so great working for a company that would fire a 55 year old women who has chronic medical issues that almost killed her last fall. I have not fucking idea what they're thinking. She was doing really good work and we don't have anyone else to do that work now. She was late with a plan but that's because she was trying to get it right. Now, no one is going to finish it.

- Upset about Ebert. Never met him directly but saw him three times at EbertFest and will be going back there in two weeks which will be very weird. Been a fan of his writing for years.

- Lost a neighbor who was not a very close friend but he was very close to a lot of my neighbors who have lived here longer. Super nice guy and a pioneer in a lot of ways. Moved in to this part of the city back in the early sixties when it was a war zone and about to get torn down. My house and street might not exist if it weren't for him. Also he was also an out gay man living with his partner fifty years ago.

- At least it's finally looking like Spring here.
posted by octothorpe 05 April | 13:53
(((octothorpe)))

# My immediate manager is on vacation and surprisingly things ran pretty smooth this week. I didn't murder the new guy (trust me, it was hard not to do) and things got done and look good. Score one for me.

# I have my grand-niece's first birthday party tomorrow followed by a belated Easter/my brother's birthday with that side of my family in the evening. It's nice to have a social life.

# Finally able to have windows open today, with gorgeous sunshine. The bad side is now realizing how much work I need to do around the house. Pfft.

# Watching various neighborhood dramas unfolding and realizing I am one nosy bee-atch. For which I make no apologies. Life is interesting.
posted by redvixen 05 April | 22:22
1. It got really hot in here today (San Francisco) but I was doing laundry all day (yes slumlord dryer takes like 1.5 hours), so I had to do many functional things in undies and a short kimono-style robe (like get the a lot of deliveries and trash and recycling bins from outside). But total nudity is legal so my brief thong glimpses were A-OK plus I live in the Castro so NO ONE CARES.

2. Took down all the ex-bf's art and posters and shit. Ordered some temporary replacements. Ordered new noren (which he would hate) because in a studio it's nice to cover the bathroom a bit.

3. Sorry for profanity, but ex-bf just textd that his 93 year old grandpa had been told and was sorry to hear it. Mindfuck. That family needs to leave me the fuck alone.

I am going to make a 4. Sorry for all the negativity. Life is mostly good. I did a good thing. I am proud of me.
posted by Twiggy 06 April | 00:28
also, occhiblu, the question is red, green, or christmas (both). the only thing left is whether their chilies come from Hatch. I have just told you everything you need to know ordering in a New Mexico restaurant. I grew up there, we are snobby as fuck about chilies. Also order the sopa pias in case the chilies are way too hot.
posted by Twiggy 06 April | 00:39
Not sleeping well at all lately - can't get to sleep and, when I do, keep waking up every hour or so. This leaves me in a constant state of exaustion, which isn't helping with either of my other two points.

Work pretty much sucks at the moment - had to tell my team yesterday that senior management is unhappy with their performance, even though I know the data they are using to make such judgements is completely and utterly wrong. When I analyse the data myself, my team is meetng or exceeding all performance benchmarks and is by far the highest performing team nationally. The data being 'officially' reported shows that, not only are we not meeting benchmarks but are performing well below the average. Have presented my data to my supervisor who agrees with me but doesn't seem interested in pointing it out to the management team.

My ex and our kids are moving out next weekend (we've been separated but under the same room for 9 months or so). I knew it was coming, but the reality of it has hit me hard now that it's actually here. My mood is not helped by her intention to take pretty much all our furniture and other stuff with her, but I just can't dredge up the energy to argue about fucking furniture.

On the plus side, things could be worse, I guess, even though it's hard to see how sometimes.
posted by dg 06 April | 00:55
I'm house sitting at the moment, looking after 3 lovely dogs and 2 lovely cats. The house is huge and luxurious, if a little isolated. I'm on day 8 of 16 before the sit finishes and I go home.

My Dad died of cancer in August 2012. A close friend's Mum died of cancer a couple of weeks ago. And oh yeah, one of the dogs I'm looking after also has cancer, and probably has less than 8 months to live. So yeah, fuck cancer. Fuck. Cancer. Seriously.

I'm still pretty new on MeFi, but I'm glad I joined. Some great, intelligent discussion to be had over there. Still kinda getting the feel of the place, but yeah. It's pretty sweet.
posted by Broseph 06 April | 03:26
Welcome, Broseph.

dg, I'm doing the moving-stuff-out this weekend, so I feel you. *hugs*

Twiggy, I really don't need any advice from you, thanks.
posted by occhiblu 06 April | 10:15
~Back to work this past Wednesday after a week and a half spring break. Didn't go anywhere, barely moved, in fact. Pretty much collapsed from exhaustion. Kept making lists of things to do and then not doing them. Looking back, I didn't even get dressed for a week. Maybe I should see a doctor.

~I read this book, Around the Writer's Block, by Rosanne Bane, which sounds cheesy, I know, but I'm desperate, and it talks about committing to just fifteen minutes of writing time five days a week, which seems so piddly it hardly seems worth it, but apparently that's the point -- it's a way around the resistance, something easy and very nonthreatening. I have tons of projects I've been wanting to work on for ages, no shortage of material, truly, but I've been unable to even start. Overwhelming, I think. And some of it difficult material, emotionally (though most of the projects -- several novels, a play -- are not about me). But as Ms. Bane rightly says, I think, you don't have to know why you're not writing to start writing. She says to make a schedule with just the fifteen minute "commitment" time for however many days a week and a "target" time, and insists I celebrate meeting just the fifteen minute commitments even if I don't make my target time, which for me would be an hour five days a week. I could do a lot of writing in that time. Sadly it's been over ten years since I completed my MFA, and nothing. I guess the only thing sadder would be going another ten years.

~Jon and I picked up some yummy filet mignon on special for $6.99 a pound last week. What's better than a freezer full of filet mignon? Got some defrosting for supper tonight or tomorrow. I was thinking of wrapping it in bacon.

(dg: so sorry to hear... please forgive me for overstepping boundaries for a moment -- as it is, I have few friends because of this terrible habit of speaking when I shouldn't -- but are you sure? Not prying, honest, and I of course don't know the circumstances, if there are true "deal breakers" at work, but is there still a chance to keep your family together? I will say, from experience, things can get so much better, even coming back from the brink... they say if there's still a lot of pain going on, maybe things aren't really done, that maybe there's still a chance. Again, overstepping, I know, but if you don't want her to go, tell her. Worst thing that happens is you're where you are now. Of course, if that's not how you feel, ignore this. Hugs to you, in either case.)
posted by Pips 06 April | 10:17
Octothorpe, if you can communicate with your former co-worker in a way that's not going to get you fired, you might tell her to threaten an age-discrimination suit. They very well may have just been looking for an excuse to get her off their health insurance coverage.
posted by occhiblu 06 April | 10:18
dg: I remember packing my belongings in a trailer and driving away from the house where I lived with my baby daughter and newly ex. For me it broke my heart to give up on the dream of being a family. So I think I know what you're going through. Stay strong.

Pips: yes, doing just a little, let's say 5 minutes, is a wonderful counter to procrastiation. Have fun writing.

Twiggy: going around the Castro in undies and a short kimono sounds very.. cosmopolitan. I'm impressed.

So what about me? I visited my 4 yr old daughter last week. I gave her an orange cowboy hat. Orange is our national colour; on April 30 the whole nation will be dressed up in a riot of bright orange on the occasion of the crowning of our KING! (queens are great. But after 120 yrs it's nice to have a king for a change)
So for a dutcho-american like my daughter an orange cowboyhat seemed a perfect blend of both nationalities to me. My ex strongly disliked the hat though. Maybe being of jewish West-Village stock one doesn't feel a connection with the american strata that wear cowboy hats. I don't know. But having grown up without any real experience with americans and an omnipresence of cowboy movies I'm clinging to my stereotype and just think it's great.
ps I hope you will indulge me about posting pics of my daughter again. I know others peoples kids are not that interesting. But unfortunately pictures are all I have. So they're a big part of what's up with me.
≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by jouke 06 April | 11:13
jouke: ohhhh, my oh my, she's a cutey... and that orange hat is AWESOME.
posted by Pips 06 April | 11:24
"I was thinking of wrapping it in bacon." - I like how you think.
posted by Ardiril 06 April | 13:16
*New friend who is a mefite and has browsed this site came over and helped me take measurements for the corset I'm ordering to go under my wedding dress. We had a brief lunch at a nearby bar/restaurant, too. And she wants to hang out again sometime! I told her that I will, after I help my husband prepare for the bar exam again.

*We have a venue! Now I have to work on the wedding website!

*But first, relaxing with World of Warcraft.

*There are so many things to learn about with the new job and I don't think I'm learning it as fast as I should be or could be doing. Like, three time-sensitive things all had to happen before 4:00 pm yesterday and none of them were finished adequately, and I'll have to explain to my boss why not on Monday. But it's not my fault!
posted by TrishaLynn 06 April | 14:19
Pips, you're not overstepping at all and thanks for your thoughts (as well as others). Our relationship has been, shall we say, sub-optimal for some years and, while she has initiated the separation, I don't have the energy any more to fight for 'us'. In any case, some of the things she has said and done since our separation have hurt me so much that I could never 'forgive and move on' - I think my store of forgiveness for her has well and truly run dry. Of course, I have my own faults as well and I would never claim to be blameless in this situation. I won't even miss her being around, to be honest. I will, though, horribly miss seeing my kids every day.
posted by dg 06 April | 17:59
Now, that's a cute kid, and I will people they have ugly babies. I do make quite the effort not to, though.

dg: while you have my sympathies, I'm, possibly inappropriately, happy for you. My metachat reading has been, at best, sporadic for the last few years, but I don't remember ever reading anything happy about you talking about your marriage. Not talking about the kids, I did always hope you could be, well, happier, and seeing one's parents happy is really important for kids.
And so I hope you every happiness.

Yays and boos and as a note: don't fuck cancer. Many forms of sex are not advised for those with people undergoing treatment. We can surely find a better way to blaspheme cancer.

Second side note: all probation, periods, eras, changes both in starts and ending, should be marked somehow, hopefully with optimism and appropriate sobriety in thoughtfulness if not other else.

1. It's a balmy spring day where I live. Of course, it is chilly where I am.

2. I think it says something that I cradle/calm with my nominally dominant side, forcing my more brutish side to make do, such as in typing this.

3. Ok, I'm finally too uncomfortable in this place and configuration. Gotta move.

posted by ethylene 06 April | 18:33
Thanks, dg, and I wish you all the best.
posted by Pips 06 April | 19:28
The opera was quite wonderful. Placido Domingo is in his seventies and still performing at the highest level. The man is amazing.
posted by JanetLand 06 April | 23:05
Pips, I'm glad you like the hat. :-)
Crowning here we come.
posted by jouke 07 April | 02:43
Photo Friday Advance: || Photo Friday: High

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