I wish I had...

I wish I had a keen observation on the day.

Florida is hot.

The air is humid.

I am exhausted.

Good night!

Time keeps on tickin'...

Into the future

There never seems to be enough time for all I want to do. And then suddenly I find days to just sit on my bum and eat popcorn and watch old shows. Well - TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY!

Today I have been non-stop since I woke up and am not even close to finishing everything I need to get done before I leave on two back-to-back out of town trips!

I have nearly completed my craft projects, however. Little wedding gifties to go along with cash-a-roo. Hopefully I can share pictures soon. To give you a little something to look forward to...they are jars of homemade Lemon Tea Sugar Scrub. I tried it out for myself first, of course, and my skin is SO SOFT! I don't even need to use lotion anymore. Only down side is that it is impracticably messy. Well, at least it's meant for shower use! AND it's all natural, so no weird chemicals being rubbed deep into your skin.

Off to finalize the crafts and pack the last of the luggage!

Making up for lost time...

First, let me apologize to myself for failing to post yesterday. I set a little reminder e-mail for myself to nudge me everyday at 5pm. Alas, I was not on the computer all night last night. In fact, I felt a bit like I was run over...that pre-flu feeling all heavy and exhausted. I went to bed early and had one of those "Oh no!" moments, but decided my health was more important.

So today I write two posts.


I realize the small pool of people who may (or may not) read my blog already know all this - but let's catch up anyway, shall we?

1. I moved to Boston, MA in November.
2. I transferred to a new role within my company from the CA office to the MA office.
3. I was laid off 3 weeks after my move.
4. Aside from the inherent mild depression and anger that comes from being laid off, I've really quite enjoyed my free time from the corporate world.
5. I've been crafting quite a bit when not searching for a job.
6. Andy & I got engaged! February 28, 2009! Happy Happy!
7. Many friends came to visit us February through April and we got to know a lot more about the city, including it's many places to buy and enjoy beer.
   
8. I recently got a job! I start June 2nd. Joy! Joy!
   
9. I feel very blessed to have found a job in this economy and cross my fingers that this is a sign that things are turning around. I hope my fellow unemployed friends find a job they love soon!
10. I started counting calories and have lost 16 lbs so far, most of them gained in California, where things are delicious (especially my sister's cookies) and you really don't need to walk anywhere.
11. Boston in the Spring is beautiful! I live walking distance from the library (which also loans DVDs woo-hoo) and I couldn't be happier!

Well, I believe that's the gist of it.

Perhaps tomorrow I will share with you my recent craft experiment. Until then...

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings...

It's amazing to me how many dresses I can own and still not have a dress in my closet that is appropriate for all weddings.

Guys, you may not understand this, because for you it's pants, button-down, tie - add jacket for more formal occasions, shine those shoes and if it's really fancy rent yourself a tux.

It's never that easy for a lady. There are all kinds of subtleties in attire. There's cut (oh, too low, skirts too high, too long, too cutesy), color (don't wear red, especially not white, it depends on the season), style (even the material can rat you out depending on the wedding) and not to mention accessories (don't get me started)!

In times like these, it's good to have fashion-forward friends.

It's also good to simply not care and don't wear anything with holes and put on your best SMILE.

Getting Back Into It...?

I keep telling myself to get back into the habit of blogging. Apparently I'm not much for listening to myself.

But here I am, making an effort. Finally.

I'm going to try a new approach and write once a day (even just a line). My hope is that it will become more habit than chore. More inspiration than expectation. There will be fun anecdotes amongst the laundry list of other information.

This blog began as and has always been an exercise in writing. The next exercise is discipline.

Wish me luck...

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!)

The California 4th

I was driving to work this morning (Yes, I said "work"...I have a job! Well, at least a temporary job - at Yahoo!) and noting the gray gray sky. To be expected after a night's worth of fireworks, sparklers and who-knows-what giving smoke to the air all over the United States!

I was looking at that smoke-filled sky and thinking that in Florida and New York it always seemed to rain on the 5th of July. I always thought it was the environment's way of cleaning up ... washing the smoke from the sky, the remnants of fireworks and the ash all being washed away.

And I wonder - will it rain today? in oh-so-sunny and dry California? Somehow I think it won't. It kind of saddens me. I rather liked the tradition of Earth cleaning up after hosting a big party. ;-)

Happy 5th of July, everyone! If it's raining in your State - Enjoy it!

Sunshine Sun on Me!

Although most everyone thought we had moved long ago...the truth is, we just arrived in California on Saturday, April 28th. The plane landed at 9:15pm PST.

I know, I know. I started packing in February! Well, when you move across the country, it takes a lot of forward thinking. A lot of planning ahead. AND, well, I was visiting my sister and her new baby boy at the end of February, so, of course, I was going to drop off some items when I visited California. One less thing to ship. But before I could drop anything off, I had to begin the packing process and decide what I actually wanted to keep and that I wouldn't need in the next two months.

So here we are two and a half months later. 22 boxes. 4 special care boxes. 2 plane trips and 8 bags. A spare bedroom in my brother's home. A bed and lots of family! California is going to be alright!!

Andy is already back to work. Working remotely.

I am commissioned to research and decided exactly what job I want BEFORE hunting. (Andy's orders. Wise orders.)

I'm rambling. I know. Just trying to update and give some answers to all the many questions people have asked.

For instance, No. We do not have a car. No apt. No job yet. I think that's fair enough, since it is day 3. However, perhaps eating and sleeping through the first couple of days was not really a way to get a car. I think all the stress and adrenaline leading up to the move has taken a toll. Now I am recovered and can begin the new stress cycles of starting life anew.

Lucky me that I have a VERY supportive, loving and helpful family (and friends) to help me along the way!

La la la PACKING...

And suddenly I'm FREE!!

It's an odd sensation the opposing emotions that come with packing for a big move. You are at once excited about the prospects of a new place, but saddened when you think of all that will be left behind. Especially friends.

But the thing that is striking me the most this weekend as I prepare for the westward move all the way across the country to California (!) is that as I work to shed at least 60% of my belongings, I'm at first overwhelmed and upset at all the things that I should leave behind. But, then, I reorganize my thoughts. I think about the possible uses someone else might get from that stuffed animal/book/picture frame/shirt/CD/pot/pan and I am excited for my belonging's new adventure that lies ahead. And, you know what, once I say "goodbye" it's such a FREEING feeling!

I mean, that's less weight I'm carrying around. The next time I move, I won't have to ponder whether or not to take that sentimental-yet-lives-in-a-box-stuffed-animal. I can remember the person who gave it to me, and when I run across a photo of me with that little stuffed lion, I can smile with fond memories, in a much lighter form. Really, how often do we sit down with our "stuff" and re-live memories in the course of our life time? Probably as often as we move, unless we are looking at pictures or the item(s) is out on display. So, my new rule is - if it's not functioning regularly or it's lived in a box since the last move...it's out the door.

Think of all the room I have for new stuff now!!! ;-)

(Okay, I admit...I'm stilling storing some sentimental items. I'm not that strong-willed! But I'm trying to scan most of the written goods! It's the hand-crafted items that are too good to part with, but too bulky to move across the nation!)

"I'm so lonely..."

Poor neglected, Blog.

Linda has been too busy (or too lazy) to keep up with you.

I bet you are lonesome over here. Or are you? Have people been stopping by to see you? and yet, you have nothing to say to them. I bet that is embarrassing.

Oh, pobresito, Blog. I'm so sorry to have let you down. After all this ambitious talk about not neglecting your readers...and here we go doing just that.

Well, maybe next year, things will be better.

The good news is...you have your health! You're still in tact!

Happy Holidays, Blog!

Oh Pooey!

Having a rough week. Tired, cranky. Just got over two colds back to back and now I feel like I might be coming down with another one. And I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the holidays.

I went for a relaxing lunch-walk and a bird pooed on me.

The worst part is, I felt it and heard it...then checked my scarf and forearms of my coat and didn't see anything and chalked it up to water - dew - soapy window-washer suds.

Later, as I brushed my hand across my shoulder to grab my bag - I instead grabbed a handful of poo. So, my nice walk to window-shop and unwind turned into a nice jaunt through Grand Central Station in search of a restroom. The restroom had water, but no paper towels. So in order to rid the shoulder of my coat of bird poo, I had to keep wadding up toilet paper as thickly and tightly as possible..wet it a bit...then try to clean up. This, of course, took several repeat attempts to get *mostly* clean and replaced the bird poo with toilet paper crumbs. Dee-lish!

It gets better.

I thought I got everything off but the toilet paper lint. I decided it was time to head back to the office, where it was safe. Or at least, I was accustomed to the trials and tribulations that would face me there. I stopped by Jamba Juice to get a Cold Buster, trying to forget the week and take a positive step for myself. When I went to brush the length of my coat back to reach the back pocket of my pants...I instead (yep, you guessed it!) had another brush with BIRD POO! Ugh.

I daintily paid for my cold busting immunity boosting smoothie and the kind people at Jamba gave me a wet napkin with which to partially clean my coat. I then received my delicious looking smoothie, but (for fear of spreading bird-poopy germs to the straw) left it untouched until I could get back to the office and properly wash my hands again.

The entirety of the walk back to the office was accompanied by orange sticky smoothie running down the side of the cup and all over my hand and the cuff of my coat. Good thing I was going to wash my hands anyway.

The good news...

Three good things came from this fun little episode.

1. It reminded me that I had a blouse and skirt to pick up at the dry cleaners. I will drop off my coat at that time.

2. My friend informed me that a bird pooping on you is a sign of good luck. (Hey! Look at that!)

3. I wrote this blog entry.

Happy Hump Day, ALL!!

I think I may have just experienced the top of the hump

...it's all down hill from here!

Weeeeee!

Sickies be damned!

Despite being sick all this last week...

Despite originally obsessing over and hating my haircut...

I have come out on top - with a cute do and time to finish this scarf!


AND, I get to keep the scarf guilt-free!

Turns out, Leslie no longer works with Laura. Her last day at Laura's office was Friday!

New do. New scarf. Happy girl.

I feel better already!

I know, I know....

Slackity, Slack, Slack.

I still can't shake this stinkin' hack-hack (cough)!


The good news is...I'm adjusting to my haircut. It relaxed a bit. I can sort of style it. I might even be inclined to say...I like it.

Hmmm...

Not love it. Like it.

But that's better than hate.

Picture soon.

Have a good stormy evening (if you are in New York...where it is stormy.)

Press PAUSE

I haven't abandoned you, Blog. I just need a break.

I have some draft entries saved...my head is getting more and more congested, though...and I can't seem to get the words in line.

So, I'm just taking a little pause to get better (hopefully) before it gets worse.

Bear with me...stay tuned...

We'll return with breaking news shortly!

Snip, Snip, Snip, SNIIIIP

Hair go bye-bye.

Too much this time.

Man, I LOVE the haircutting process. I love the sound of the scissors. The feel of the weight of your head grower lighter by the second. I love watching all the chopping and snipping and shaping of the hair.

But boy do I hate when they cut too much.

I made an appointment for 6:00pm on Friday. My hairstylist asked me to show up at 5:30pm. I asked my boss if I could leave early on Friday (it was a slow day, I had worked late earlier in the week....) she said "yes." I got to the hair salon at 5:35pm. I waited for an hour and a half to get my hair cut.

And, in the end - I waited to long for my hair to be cut too short!!!

Feeling very frustrated and down right now ... cause all that I can do is wait.

(Oh, and next week I get to meet a bunch of Andy's close long-time friends for the first time as I host his 30th birthday party. And my bangs (yeah, bangs) are doing this funny almost cowlick-like thing. Even Andy (for the first time) agrees it's not so great.)

Blegh. Maybe it'll relax and look better in a couple of days. Still...too short, I say! too short!

I want to be in high school...

...so that all my thoughts can become open and descript again. So that my words will leak from my fingertips without regard to how they sound to anyone but me. My words and thoughts will be my own and they will be so powerful and unique that they will grow from thoughts into poems from poems into prose and from prose into stories to be passed on for generations to come.

I want to take my observations of the people around me and knit together little stories of their lives from the thirty seconds that I observe them while I glance up from my crossword puzzle. I see them standing there, with a story. A history waiting and begging to be written. All I have to do is let myself imagine again.


Thank you, my fellow blogger, for the inspiration...whether you know it or not.


.

DON'T ASSUME YOU ARE AN ASS

Standing in the middle of The Yarn Connection, I called my friend Laura* at work.

She answers the phone in a very professional manner, "Good Afternoon, [Insert Company Name & Department Here]."

To which I reply, "God, sound a little happier."

We both start laughing a little at my sarcasm and friendly mean-ness and I ask, "What's your favorite color?"

To which she replies, "This isn't Laura. This is Leslie*"

"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. I...I...was just joking. You didn't sound unhappy..."

Leslie: "Can I put you on hold a moment?"

My stunned utterance, "Yes." (Oops! What did I just do?!)

Leslie quickly returns to say, "Laura stepped out to lunch. But, my favorite color is red."

Me: "I..You...What I was saying...Joking with Laura....You didn't sound ... You sounded professio...I thought...[insert more rambling and sticking foot in mouth]"



This has been a story about how you should never assume that the person who's number you have dialed, is the person who will answer that phone. (Even if they do sound remarkably similar in the first two seconds of spiel and you aren't really paying too much attention anyway...since you are distracted by all the pretty yarn you are going to buy in order to knit your friend a scarf.)

Lesson learned. Now I must publish this blog and go start on that lovely red scarf...



*Names changed to protect the innocent.

Tricky Treaters

I'm always puzzled...

of all the Halloweens spent in New York, I have never had any tricker treaters. And even though it happens every year, I'm still puzzled by the lack of knocks at my door. Those tricky treaters...they go all the way to Connecticut and New Jersey just to get the best sweet treats around (and maybe to avoid needles in their candy stack.)

Hm.

It's a little sad not to see all the adorable costumed children smiling so brightly for a bit of sugar...but at least now I have nephews and nieces to hear stories about and receive silly pictures from!

Happy Halloween, Everyone! May you be treated, not tricked!

File Making, Heart Breaking

I keep thinking how I need to educate myself more. I don't want to spend the rest of my life organizing files for Managers, Vice Presidents and Executives at different corporate offices

I need to take a course to expand my skills. I want to be able to dive deeper into areas that already interest me, but I don't know enough about. The problem here is that I have too many interests. Should I take a course in business? or English? Should I go back to school for theater? Maybe a directing course? stage management? I did print out a Screen Writing course that I found on-line. I followed the first lesson, and that was it. I never looked at the second lesson. I'm not for screen writing. I'd rather take basket weaving, it's nearly as precise. Perhaps I should try something almost totally new and foreign, like graphic design?

My co-worker suggested fashion design. "Fashion Design?!", says I, "Why fashion design?"

I don't really consider myself very fashion forward. So I get a bit of a rush whenever anyone compliments me on my attire or accessories. As you can imagine, when my co-worker, I'll call her "Rica", suggested I take some fashion design courses at FIT, I was rather blushed. She said I had a knack for throwing things together to make an outfit. This is the outfit I wore that prompted Rica to compliment me:

I took the belt from the skirt, tied it around the t-shirt and added a decorative floral hair-pin for flair. I have to give credit to my friend Robyn for the using a belt as an accent idea. Therefore, could I really go to design school? I mean, truly it may be that I am just inspired by those around me. But then I began thinking and I did design a new shirt in my head that I believe, had I actually sewn it together, could be a really nice, curvaceous top for some woman...maybe even me.

Maybe I do have a knack? With the right training...some focus and discipline...could I be the next "Project Runway" winner?

Then I think, nah. I can't believe the hype. If dressing funky turned into an expectation, rather than a surprise and delight. It would cease to be enjoyable to me. I like to experiment with clothing to shake things up and put a little skip in my step. I don't want to have a near heart attack every morning because I can't decide what to wear and the whole world is watching.

Nah, I guess that's why I've stuck to file making. It's helpful to others. It's all neat and pretty. And, for the most part, my creativity stays out of it. My creativity remains my own. It remains personal.

Winter approaches...

The one thing I actually love about the approach of winter

... is the smell of wood burning.

Something about the smell of a

toasty fire

in the winter is just such a happy thing!

Distracty mind

Oi vey! Planning a party is hard work. I'm all distracty and tired and keep back-tracking on things I've already decided on. It's a full time job. I don't have time to be at work! I need to get planning!

It was so much easier when we were in middle school and a party consisted of $1 store prizes and decorations and left-over halloween candy.