Desert Magnolia

I thought my days of being sappy, hormone-ridden Mama were kind of over. But I was wrong. Yesterday Daughter arrived for her holiday stay. Exhausted, but happy. It was a good first semester. And she loves Providence. We had a fun dinner, relaxed a little, then she went to visit her boyfrien'. Who misses her a lot. And ditto her him. We joked about being home by 3 if possible...because once your college kid returns you don't apply the same curfew pressure anymore, you just hope they make good decisions and get their butts home before the bars close and all the idiot drunks are out in force. So when the doorbell rang around 115 a.m., I was a little afraid. A little miffed (to be awakened from a sound, sound sleep.) A bit perplexed. After all, Daughter was driving my car, and my car has a garage door opener in it meaning she wouldn't need to come to the front door to get in unless she had forgotten where I keep that opener..which she wouldn't. See what I mean? ...

Dear SmartBargains.com, Thank you for your most cordial notification this week that you'd employed quality control processes in your organization, processes that revealed a less than perfect product, and which resulted in your canceling an order. Mine. It would have been nice if you could have notified me when you actually canceled it, instead of a whole week later. I'm just sayin'... If it had been about me ordering yet another kitchen gadget or household item or even personal clothing and this had happened, I'd be ok with it. I'm flexible that way. In principle I am ok with what you did, but because you decided to do what you did, my son is not getting the one thing he actually asked for for Xmas this year on Christmas. Fortunately, my husband is a champion shopper and just happened to be out and about and found a most amazing replacement today. Which means our son may get it by New Years. May. [ crossed fingers] See, SmartBargains, the person we pu...

May I just say what a PITA the whole wearing/adjusting to contacts thing is? They're not uncomfortable at all. They're very comfortable, but my brain is taking its everloving time adjusting to the whole monovision thing. Seriously. So nothing is in real focus, everything is kinda sorta in focus. I'm getting a little tired of that but am assured it's temporary. Also, being visually challenged is expensivo . Thank goodness for vision insurance and a cafeteria plan reimbursement at Hubby's work, or this would be a full on holiday bummer of a cash drain. But, last night I ordered some very cool glasses that will act as backups to my contacts. Same prescrip, with a progressive lens (which means I'm just plain old and my eyes aren't as flexible as they used to be which makes me want to do eye yoga or stand on my head to encourage said flexibility..). That'll 'take a little while to get used to.' My new glasses...not quite black, and simple de...

Not that I want/need a break from the office or anything... Clearly, I'm perceiving two days off as a way to regroup, gather my thoughts (ie get my ever lovin' act together with regard to sending Son a holiday package ASAP and sending Daughter a 'study for finals kit' and generally planning planning planning for the holiday to come sooner than I'm prepared for..) and get control of my life. Right. Two days is soooo not enough to accomplish a task of this magnitude. But I may be able to make some progress. Anyway, having now recovered from the disappointment of Grey's Anatomy being preempted by holiday programming (Frosty the Snowman. Really?? What about Meredith and Yang and Mc Steamy and Lexi and Bailey and the hottie?? What about them??) I'm now looking forward to an evening which will include Kathleen Madigan's In Other Words performance. She's hilarious, in a wry, smartassy way. Which is part of her appeal, of course. On the boards for ...

Bones. Grey's Anatomy. DVR'd The Office and Thirty Rock. I just love Thursdays. Maybe because I was born on a Thursday? Or maybe I'm just a junkie for a few shows that happen to be on Thursdays. Also because my friend JL and I text incessantly during Grey's, which feels kind of sorority with a glass of wine (instead of spiked punch) and pjs (instead of togas.)

I can't lie, I was kind of looking forward to a little beefcake with my lunch yesterday. Don't judge me, please. I don't get out much, and when I do, it's not usually with a partying crowd. Anyway, Ming Dynasty not Minx Chinese restaurant aka Minx Gentleman's Club, is closed on Tuesdays. Really. On Tuesdays. Go figure. So, I gave Grandma Gin a quick call on her cell, who then stopped the van o' blue hairs from trekking all the way up and across town. Knowing the hubub that would ensue should a new restaurant need to be agreed upon, I threw one in the hat, a Vietnamese favorite, May Cafe. Of the many many meals we've had with many many people there, everyone has always been very happy, so it was a good bet. Grandma suggested May Cafe, which turned out to be unanimously accepted as next best option (and I really think would have trumped Ming/Minx anyway based on what I saw of the exterior of the wanna be Gentleman's Club posing as a Chinese eatery ...

Grandma Gin: We're meeting at Minx Chinese restaurant this month for lunch. I think it's Minx, up at Eubank and Candelaria. Me: Minx? Hmm. I've never heard of that one, but of course I'll meet you guys there, Gran. Grandma Gin: Just keep looking if you don't see it right away. If it's not that, just look for one that starts with an 'M' and is in that area, ok? You can find it. You're good at this stuff. Me: Thanks, Gran. I'll find it. Same time as always? Grandma Gin: Yep. We leave our place right at noon, so we should be there by 1215ish. So, I do the online search for Minx Chinese restaurant in Albuquerque and find a Minx Gentleman's Club in Phoenix. Now, these ladies are adventurous, have seen just about all there is to see, so maybe they're taking it up a notch this month and combining a road trip with lunchtime entertainment? But if that was the case wouldn't we be going to a Chippendale's type establishment? And I...

Months have personalities, don't you think? The deep winter months are heavy and in spite of one of them having less days than others and also containing an obligatory love-focused holiday, they drag on and on and on... The spring months bring the winds and the surprise snows, but we expect that, and have learned to roll with the windy punches. Summer months...make us want to stretch out by a cool pool and enjoy jogs in the mountains and bbqs on the patio and late nights under the stars enjoying the balminess of it all. And then there's an acceleration that begins in late August and increases through the end of October and slingshots through November...the speed with which these months pass always amazes and exhausts me. And then December lands, full of activities, full of food, full of people and friends and shopping and shipping and the occasional snowfall and the holiday bustle and the first really heavy deep cold weather of the year. We're there now. And it...

There was no darkness, just good food, giggles and warmth, and the togetherness we clearly all needed so very much. There was also dessert deliciousness. Daughter did an absolutely amazing job creating a pumpkin pie from Heaven. And she and I collaborated on a chocolate cheesecake, which also came out great! She believes her work with the Oreo crust is the reason, because we all know how important a great crust is on a cheesecake. Post Turkey snarf there was...relaxing by the fire, then shopping like maniacs on Friday, then more relaxing and eating and then putting up the Christmas tree..with a houseful of Daughter's friends to assist, which they did, and it was lovely. There was..Hubby's pork red chili, green chili turkey enchiladas, queso and chips..and toppings, of course..to fuel the tree trimming team. And now, now we resume life. Daughter is back at school, forging ahead through her first college final prep/finals. She'll be fine, this we know, but it has been...

Our Thanksgivings have been very traditional, and continue to be this year as well per a specific request from Daughter who really really wanted us to do the whole thing one more time. So we agreed. My friend KS and her fam were on the beach last year at a mini family reunion. They all rented a big place, then made a turkey dinner, then played on the beach. Bikinis and turkey? Not really designed to go together, but they made it work, and it turned out to be their best Thanksgiving ever. Hubby and I have been yearning for that type of experience, and will most likely work toward that next year. A house, on the beach, cooking a nice but simpler feast, then hanging out on the beach afterwards. We'll import both of our offspring and simply enjoy the gathering as a smaller unit, on our terms. But this year we're going traditional. What that looks like? Dinner at our house. We invite fam and any friends who'd like to join us. I get up very early to prepare the bird...

Shellac is an awesome word, isn't it? It can mean precisely what you wish to it mean at any given point. If your team loses badly in a competition, you've been shellacked. Or drubbed. Or wiped out. If you're finishing wood, you may choose shellac as a curative agent. Or, if you're me, and you want to try this cool new way of polishing your nails that lasts longer than regular polish (I kill polish. I love manicures, but I cook way too much and apparently abuse my hands beyond all rational bounds so I simply destroy a nice polish job in just a few days. It's annoying at best), you can get Shellac-ed. There are a few nail salons that offer this in our area, so I had to try it out once I learned more at the recent event I attended. The process (one my friend KG first brought to my attention a couple of months ago) involves using a polish that's been infused with a gel-like substance that's better for your nails than artificial nails because they don...

Seriously. For the past 11 years I have been a serious business traveler. At my peak travel frequency I was on the road at least twice a month for a week at a time. It was brutal. It was a test in personal and professional endurance. It was part of my job. Travel is a part of what I still do, but usually it's not back to back to back to back like it has been this last few months. And it's never accompanied the hellish professional and emotional year that has unfolded. I'm setting you up to feel some sympathy for me, but really, it is what it is. I'm a grown up, and I screwed up. See, a couple of weeks ago we did a big shuffle on who was coming on this trip, and I rearranged the itineraries, rooms, etc., since I had made the original reservations. In the process, I actually traveled to another destination, was there for five days, did the song and dance that event required/deserved, then returned to home base...for less than a week, and now I'm on this ja...

Never accuse me of being deep. I am capable of superficiality of stupendous proportions and manage to derive intense satisfaction from focusing on issues NOT of substance whenever possible. Life is intense; finding joy in simplicity requires skill. Kind of like meditating and learning how to steer your brain back to your heart energy when it veers off on some random tangent again. And again. And again. It's a discipline, really. So I found an amazingly beautiful deep winey garnet polish, Stop Whining, by Sonia Kashuk, that will become the icing on my toesies' cake this weekend. Now that I have my pedi plan in place, I need to focus on wrapping things up here at the office, then head out and wrap up things in my personal life before I head out once more. DC weather forecast seems reasonable, mid 50-60's with a chance of rain a couple of the days I'll be there. So I'll pack an umbrella. And take my favorite black bomber jacket and a fun scarf. Checklist bef...

Our trip to Ft. Lauderdale for a business event was a resounding success on many levels. My colleague KG and I worked hard, discovered an even greater tolerance in ourselves than we'd documented before for really nice, well-meaning practitioners in the industry who simply don't track very well, and generally made the best of a business trip involving a full day of travel on both ends. That's a little rugged, but we did fine. Except yesterday the head cold I'd been holding off for the entire five days and general angst set in big time, so I was pretty much down for the count. But I'm back, and feeling mostly human again... Anyway, KG and I were at dinner one night, sipping a deep red wine and enjoying some decent food, when we forayed into a conversation about relationships, and how interesting and funny they can be, particularly after a long time with someone. At some point, inevitably I suppose, we got to the 'silly conversations we've had with our m...

I find the concept of terroir particularly compelling. Perhaps it's the hedonist in me. Perhaps it's the elemental tie to the earth. Perhaps I love this concept because it feels so antithetical to so much of what is happening today. It means, 'of the earth.' The longer definition, per terroir.france.com, ' A " terroir " is a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine. I love this definition. If you really know wines, then, you can taste not just the type of wine that you're sampling, but the terroir from which it originates. I, alas, do not pos...

Like a sunbeam shining in my office, warming me, bathing my desk in a beautiful yellow glow. Like a London Fog with Blue Eyes, hot, sitting by my laptop. Like the knowledge that this is Friday eve. Like knowing tonight is Bones and Gray's Anatomy, and I'm going to watch them while wearing my flannel pjs. Like knowing that hubby is making Mahi Mahi, garlic green beans and rice for dinner. Like knowing that I bought a cool new nail polish today, Sonia Kashuk, Taupe...it's an interesting color, and I'm going to try it when I give myself my Sunday afternoon pedi. (Which, on a good Sunday, is accompanied by one of Hubby's signature lemon drop, or as in the case last week, fresh pomegranate martinis. Of course I have to be pretty much done with the detail work before partaking since they tend to be, rather stiff, ahem, but oh so delicious and now permanently part of my self-pedi routine.) Simple stuff, right? The key to life.

If you've ever spent any time in NYC, you know what I'm talking about here. The most wonderful bakery in probably the entire universe. Specializing in cupcakes, though strong in the cakes and other sweet treats arena. Between meetings, late one afternoon, Erin and I decided we needed a little boost, and what do you know, right around the corner from the Time Warner building (where we'd experienced a signin process that rivaled the best airport security I've encountered, complete with the bag search/scan...), there was a Magnolia Bakery. It was kismet. Our choice? Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. And a milk. Because really, that or a big coffee are the only way to wash the creamy red velvet yumminess down in our humble opins. Red velvet cupcakes. Picture from Food Network.com We chose to indulge in said cupcakes in Rockefeller Center. By the fountain, which, at that moment, was full of cranberries and Ocean Spray workers dressed in chest wader...

Someone teased me about it, so I just want to clarify. When I went to pack for this last trip I did NOT use Ziplocs for my clothes or shoes, after all. The effort seemed...ludicrous and like overkill when I seriously thought about it. I did roll my clothes up, though. And that worked fabulously. I only had to iron once, and it was really a touchup that was prompted by pre-media meeting nerves. I probably could have worn that blouse a little wrinkly and nobody would have noticed because they were focusing on my energy and what was coming out of my mouth and the essence of our meeting, right? Which is why I decided to touch that baby up. So, Ziplocs 0, Ironing 1. That I can live with. Can you? :-)

The saddle, being the office. Back, being from the East Coast. And now, it's about following up with the media. About putting details around the end of the year planning for work. About preparing to be in Ft. Lauderdale at the end of next week for a business tradeshow. JL and I are going to this, and if last year is any indicator, will have a great time and kick butt, which is so fun. Then, we get back, and the week after that I'm in DC for another conference, this time as an attendee. Never been to DC. Heard it's awesome. Great food. Movers and shakers. History. The capital. Stuff like that. Then, once we're back from DC, Daughter comes home for Thanksgiving. Yay! Lots on the near horizon, then blissful holidays beginning with a big old roasted bird, savory stuffing, yams, sauteed green beans, gravy, and the fixings.... Personally, I think I'm ready this year. For the togetherness piece. For the backgammon games in front of a crackling fire. For snuggli...

Don't expect cohesive, coherent thoughts here, it's been a long day after a long weekend and I'm kind of maxed out but still felt compelled to..write about things. Daughter, is doing well. She's adjusting. She's...a college Freshman, and is experiencing all that entails plus the being an athlete thing, which is a lot. I'm not sure which of us benefited more from my whirlwind visit, her or me. I know for sure that my heart filled and I breathed a deep deep breath when we hugged at the airport...she smiled and we hugged and I felt a deep little nagging ache ebb a bit with that. She's focused...on finishing healing, on exploding as the player she knows she is but hasn't been able to express this last year. She's working hard in hard classes and figuring out how to study..effectively...well..at that level. It's not easy, but we all have to figure it out that Freshman year or sink..and she's a swimmer. She's dreading the Providence w...

The day after tomorrow, I'm outta here! Of course, in spite of having waaaaaay too many shoes (if you ask Hubby), I decided I needed to update my collection for this trip, and picked up these (yes I know they're basics, that's the point): My very favorite Bandolinos ever... Technically, these are replacing my Nine West pumps of the same look/feel, but which have many many miles on them and are ready to retire to the place where well worn pumps go to rest. I also found a really cute platformy Aerosole sandals, in patent black, with a retro look and feel..they're a sling back with a peep toe..super cute, and if I could find a photo of them I'd show you but I don't have one and don't have more time to devote to finding one. Anyway, I woke up. Early. Like 3 a.m. early, going over my packing list. I've already created my outfit list, appended with my misc. extra stuff list (note to self, take an umbrella and Hubby's cool rain jacket he wor...

A year since Daughter hurt her knee. A year since Mama went cold inside, from fear, from worry, from anger and mostly from not knowing what the hell was next for her girl. What came next I chronicled on my blog, sometimes with a positive spin, sometimes, in darker days, with more weight than not. But now we're a year out. Not quite eleven months since her surgery. And she is nearly, almost, approaching, some semblance of normal again. A fucking YEAR. But she is fine. And is getting stronger, and sassier, and loves Providence, and loves being in college (except for the fact that it is HARD and requires LOTS of studying which seriously steps on her social life). And she's stretching her brain, finding her way far far away from her familiar ground. I get to see her this next weekend. I'm headed to NYC for a conference and then some meetings with media, and I get to fly into Providence and hug my sweet girl and take her to dinner and look into her eyes and see f...

A text from Son yesterday: "I'm sipping a martini, enjoying wonderful food, looking out my window at the world's tallest building." Today's e-missive string: 'How cool does this sound; "I'm on a business trip in Dubai." "Oh, working for NYU!"   "I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty cool right now." Ya think???  I don't know where he gets the attitude, I really don't.

Tipper Ann is quite the feline. She's white, with a gray blaze on her forehead and a gray tip on her tail. She grooms incessantly, is a creature of habit, and has perfected the art of owning a human being. I, as it turns out, am her human. Make no mistake, I buy her Science Diet and organic kitty treats, see that she's well and cared for and has a clean litter box at all times and knows she's well and truly adored, but in the end, I am her subject. Her pet. Her hers hers. The cool thing about a very distinguished cat? They're goofy too. Like the time when she was draped over the ironing board, espied her own tail, and played keep away with herself for about twenty minutes. Or the time when she decided that it was waaaay fun to run full speed down the hall, across the entryway, through the kitchen, then do a ninety degree turn into the breakfast nook, losing traction in her backend and skidding like crazy before she regained her footing then accelerated again, this...

You know how when stuff just kind of falls out your mouth as you think it? No passing Go, no thinking through it, it just exits in a stream of consciousness way? Happens to me a lot, more since I've begun looking at 45 in the rear view mirror, for some reason. I take vitamins. Exercise. Stimulate my brain with new information. Do crossword puzzles. Encourage my creativity in both culinary and other ways. But still, the words tumble with no apparent plan behind them. This weekend, while enjoying our new buddha garden, Hubby and I were chatting, enjoying our glass of wine, the serenity of the garden, the evening. Me: [Wiggling my toes as I'm sitting in my Adirondack] , 'What do you think of my flower, honey?' Hubby: 'What flower? Oh, pretty. Nice toes. Did you paint that on yourself?' Me: 'Um, no. I'm not that talented. ' Hubby:  [Wiggling his eyebrows] 'Oh, I wouldn't say that...' Me: [Flustered] 'Geesh.  But thanks...

Something is amiss in the universe this year. Today, well into fall, is supposed to reach 89 degrees. 89 degrees, people. Really? Bonuses of extended summers refusing to turn over into the next season thereby prompting wardrobe shifts as well? Getting to wear fun summer stuff for just a little bit longer...For example, I'm wearing my new favorite summer dress. With high heeled sandals. Hell yeah. That's not a bad thing, no siree. Also, my pedi from last week is holding up very very well thank.you.very.much.most.detail.oriented.pedimen.at.my.new.favorite.pedi.place. So showing off toesies in sandals is fun. But the weather, well it's about to change. How do I know this? The Balloon Fiesta starts this weekend. While La Nina and other scientifically supported weather effects are in existence, we all know that when it's time for those hot air balloons all hell breaks loose from a weather standpoint. Rain. Wind. Cold. Eclipses. You name it. It's never pretty. So en...

My friend JG introduced me to a fabulous new pedi place last week. Way nice staff, comfy setting, and a top notch pedi. I got a super deep purple w/a teeny bit of shimmer/metallic in it, which is interesting for me, but which JL suggested and looks awesome. Love it!   My toe color this week Fall is in the air..the leaves are beginning to change, the air is crisp in the mornings, and it's dark when it used to be light early and late....we've bought one bag of chili, but need to get another one while the roasters are still in motion. It's a little hot this year, which means lots of flavor and heat enough to warm us up in the cool months ahead. Monday...it was hard to get up today, harder to come into work, but now things are smoothing out and I'm feeling a sense of early productivity and accomplishment, though I don't want to jinx myself with this...we'll  know later on, but some big projects seem to be moving along very very well..yay! Everything else no...

House .   Was pretty good, but not incredibly uplifting. House and Cuddy, well, that's going to be a rocky road under the best of circumstances and their circumstances are anything but that. Tonight... Grey's Anatomy . Yay! I cannot wait to see how they sort out the mess they created at the end of last season. We have wounded Derek, Meredith sans child, Alex and Lexi and McSteamy.. and oh my.  It's going to be a good one, I can already feel it in my answer seeking bones. Private Practice . Ok, I know I've complained about this show being too New Agey and stuff, but ..I do like it. So I'm committing to watching at the least the first few episodes of this new season to give it a chance. To prepare for tonight I've proposed a sushi dinner to Hubby, preferably out, so we can get that pesky eating stuff out of the way and get ready for some fun TV! Then after dinner, comfy pjs', kitty nearby, a remote, and possibly an adult beverage or maybe hot tea. Not ...

With fall seems to arrive a sense of deceleration, of regrouping for the cooler months to come, of bounty and slow closure of the relentless summer that's been. This year I'm feeling a greater heaviness than usual, and am assuming it's part and parcel of the whole empty nestness.... It's akin to a large housecat sitting on my chest most of the time. A not quite freedom, a slightly breathless though not inordinately uncomfortable feeling. It just seems to be right now... The long runs, they help. Photo borrowed from LucieG-Stock images The meditation, it helps too. The creativity channeled into crocheting, drawing and other pursuits aids as well. But it's there, making its presence known, this gray malaise of the spirit, though knowing better than to try to overwhelm and completely incapacitate. It's a tricky, sticky, strange and, ideally, temporary angst, but I think ignoring it would be as bad an idea as immersing in it. It's here, but...

Disclaimer : Stream of consciousness rules today, so leave now if you're not in the mood for it. Life is made up of little moments...moments where you're acutely aware of your surroundings, moments where you're distracted and just cruise through them on your way to another place, moments where your breath whooshes out and you're struck by the coolness of a given snapshot in time. We amass these millions of moments, remember some, forget others, but it's the moments that add up to the big banana of life. These moments are often punctuated, reinforced or highlighted by smells, sounds, sights, sensations, that originate from any number of places. My favorite things add to my memorable moments, and in honor of the stream of consciousness approach I'm taking to this post, I'm going to shut my eyes and create the list, in no particular order. Early morning. The light, the freshness, the potential. The aroma of fresh ground coffee. The scent of fresh co...

You know how when it's time to light a fire under it to get a whole lot done in a short amount of time? And how it's really kind of an adrenaline rush, and that when you look back and go, 'Shoot, we really kicked butt with that! Made our deadline, did awesome work, and now hopefully we can enjoy the fruits of our toils!'? Me too. But when that's pretty much the m/o, and all you do is add to a suffocating project list and endeavor to do your very best work at all times and do it in an efficient, effective manner and keep your team excited in the process and prevent burnout across the board, it gets a little tiring. I'm just saying. Does every single project have to be hair on fire with absolutely perfect results/reaction from intended audience? Some days that just feels like a lot. Welcome to the new reality, right? It's kind of like wearing a little black dress, pearls, 4" heels and lipgloss every day of your life, having to look hot, sexy a...

Today Hubby and I celebrate 23 years of wedded bliss. 23. Good lord. We plan to celebrate with a nice dinner of marinated ribeyes, steamed artichokes, and a carb I have yet to conjure. And a bottle of nice wine, of course. And maybe candles and jazz. Cuz that's what you do... Before that happens, though, the day holds the following: Wrapping up work stuff for the day. Heading home, stopping at store for carb for dinner if needed. Go for a run. Shower, cuz ewww, gotta. Fold laundry. Prep dinner. Set table. Pop in latest DVD of TrueBlood. Watch it 'til Hub gets home from soccer game. Commence with the celebration.

Look around you. I'll bet you'll be amazed at how much there is to be thankful for. Your friends. Your family. Your job. Your comforts, whatever they look like. The freedom to believe how you wish, and to share that with  others without fear of persecution or bodily harm. Fresh air and natural beauty. The sky, the mountains, the desert, sunrise, sunset, moonrise, birdsong on the patio, hummingbirds in flight, the explosive, tomato-laden garden, the smell of wet pine trees and freshly mown grass, dewdrops on roses and the smell of the rosemary bush as you brush it while walking by. When you start to inventory the goodness in life, it soon becomes absolutely overwhelmingly clear that it will always, always, outweigh any badness out there. Always.

I love Grandma Gin. You all know this. But here's what I noticed while attending the monthly Lunch with the Girls from the Retirement Home..at a really lovely Northern Italian restaurant that's been around for decades and serves us deliciousness on a plate. But I digress. I got excited about the food again and forgot my own point. Sigh. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the one to get loopy first in my old age, but Hubby announced the other day that wouldn't be fair because I'm a handful with some lucidity and if I go loopy..he might just be in over his head. Whatever. Anyway, so at lunch today with the girls....(and their 'Lifestyles Director', a very tiny, middle aged, mild mannered man who used to be a teacher but now prefers to direct the lifestyles of the retired, it seems)...I noticed my Gran, who generally delivers her opinion under her breath, which means most of her friends don't hear what she says but I have perfectly good hearing and...

Ok, so this hurricane has me spooked. The biggest, meanest storm in 20 years is headed for my girl. Fortunately, my girl is on an away trip with the soccer team that's taking her inland a bit, which makes me feel moderately better about things but not completely at ease. These storms are tricky, and fickle by nature. I don't trust 'em for a minute. JL and I finally took time to have lunch together today, to catch up on life, and to just relax in the midst of the chaos that characterizes our workplace. It was lovely. A vaca in the middle of a work day. And we decided we needed to bring additional fortification back with us in the form of London Fogs. Umm. Very very good choice and a great source of calcium for those of us who need it. Ahem. A long weekend awaits just hours from now, and I for one cannot wait. The frenzy of the summer, the emotions of the fall, all have caught up with this girl and I'm done. Put a fork in me, I'm medium rare. Looking forward to ...

Hi, my name is Stevie, and I'm a dork. While on my recent foray to Rhode Island, I had occasion to visit Providence Place, a ginormous mall boasting some pretty cool stores like Tiffany's, Lord and Taylor, etc. We were there for Bed, Bath & Beyond, but that's ok. We'll be going back for other stuff. One of the things I noticed when I was in RI was that everything, in terms of freeway signs, parks, streets, etc., seem very well...organized and neat and tidy. They've kind of figured out how to get a whole lot done in a teeny little bitty state, and they do it well. Providence Place, then is a gorgeous mall, well organized, with great lighting, a lovely orange blossom scent in the air that reminds me of none other than the Palazzo in Vegas, and a plethora of stores in which to meander. That their parking structure would also be organized and efficient follows. That for some reason, while in the frenzy of finding a $1 bill (I had a $20, but that would have...

Daughter is settled. Mama is adjusting to the new reality. Hubby is exhibiting signs of missing the girl, too, which is to be expected. They were joined at the hip from very early on. Share a love for soccer, a similar sense of humor, and pretty much no patience for BS. It's cool, their relationship. A girl with a strong bond with her dad is in a good place, in my mind. I loved my dad fiercely, and there was never any doubt he felt the same about me. It made my decisions early in life easier knowing no matter how badly I botched things, Daddy would be there with a hug, a smile, and some good advice for me while I brushed my skinned knees off. While there, I stayed in a hotel in Sekonk, Mass. Daughter goes to school in Providence. It's really not that far, just about 20 minutes on the freeway, but a state line is crossed. And recrossed, and crossed again on the late night trip back. Daughter has a really sweet roommate, who also plays soccer, and honestly seems to be t...

For some reason I've always assumed I have no accent, that I'm a sort of civilian version of the newscasters 'round the country who also lack discernible accents. But I've been recently told that I'm mistaken. And that I talk way too slowly to try to get by in Rhode Island without raising an eyebrow or two as people try to figure out where I'm from. They know for sure I'm not from there because: A. I use more than four words to answer questions most of the time. Locals don't. Ever. B. I fully enunciate words. Locals clip and skip. Always. C. I speak very slowly compared to the locals. Very. Enough so that they look at me like we might be operating on different time planes. Seriously. Nobody actually held their hands out and wiggled their fingers in a 'hurry up already' motion, but they were tempted. I could tell. It's good to know these things about oneself, yes?

It's time for me to fly, literally. To RI. To visit/settle in the Daughter. Time has flown, and I am totally jazzed to be headed her way. Miss her. Want to see for myself that she's well.  All that. I confirmed my hotel reservation  just now and am already impressed. Very nice lady answered with an accent you could cut with a knife..that made me immediately feel like a drawler...:-) This has happened before, when I lived in California, which was most unexpected as I'd always assumed my speech was kind of newscaster neutral, but I was wrong. Kind lady with bracing accent gave me some good practical advice re: which exit NOT to take...apparently many many people get confused when the exit #'s reset going from RI to Mass. I would have done this as well, of this I'm certain. Take care, all, and know I'm thinkin' about ya as I learn about RI and where my girl will be hanging out getting her horizons broadened over the next four years. Stevie

Lunch today was inspired by our garden's bounty. On the menu? Edamame. Greek salad with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, avocado, red onion, kalamata olives and mozzarella. Dressed with a lemon and olive oil dressing, which, as it turns out, contains a fair amount of garlic. Because early this morning when I was assembling said salad, I must have been in a garlic mood. Take a sip of the lovely, deep Guatemalan blend coffee, add a little garlic. Take another sip of java, add a little more, and so on. I've been known to do this while sipping wine and making dinner, too, so it just must be how I roll when I cook, a.m. or p.m. It's safe to assume that our building is, and will continue for at least the duration of the afternoon to be, vamp free.

Friday was clearly, as I've addressed, a dark day for me. But by late Friday evening, after an evening out on the quad at Hubby's school enjoying Rudy's BBQ at a Welcome Back faculty dinner, things began to lighten and brighten a bit. Thank goodness for this, for with the lightness and brightness came the ability to breathe deeply once more and move forward. By Saturday morning, my energy had risen, and I'd decided the only course of action was action itself. Which I followed, and which resulted in a long, hard run with lots of hill work. In the heat. After lunch and a long shower, I opted to head out to take care of a few errands, to cross some things off my list, and then to return home to nap and nest. I felt the cumulative emotional fatigue coupling with the post-run exhaustion, and knew my nap would be lovely. In a cool house, with the kitty curled up next to me. If I'd stuck to my grass roots plan, the day would have been perfect, really, but I veered ...

Things that contributed to my mood on Friday? Hair ambiguity. I'm in the process of growing out my layers, and while it still feels short short, it's actually grown a bit, and looks pretty good due to Sweet Melissa's trim and highlight ministrations last week. The crux of my problem stems from the bigger, 'should I really grow it out at my age, or just keep it short?' question. I haven't really worked that out, though am practicing envisioning myself with a slightly longer than chin-length do, very chic, that will, when we finally get there, make me glad I stuck with it. In the meantime, every time I walk by a mirror I go, 'Ugh, how long is it going to take until I actually like my hair again????' My emotions, on Friday, courtesy of www.stuffintheair.com PMS . I'm not going to blame my emotional, mental state, and screwed up cycle on the obvious, but isn't it strange that this summer, one in which Son graduated from college and just depa...