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Is the world wide web down today? There are at least 20 sites I have tried to visit today that are unavailable. (I have time since I'm sick at home and have a wireless network.) What's up with that? Annoyance is building. I will just have to read a book or take a nap. Sheesh.
I have completed half of the scarf I am knitting - yay for me! And, perhaps more importantly, I am enjoying every minute of it. I have finally found a way to make sitting and watching football/basketball/hockey games with my hubbie seriously fun! Double yay for me!!
When I finish my first project I will take a picture of it and post it - meaning that I will FINALLY learn to post photos (which I am sure is ridiculously easy anyway) to my blog. Watch out.
Top five things that are frequently seen (and seemingly acceptable) in public in North Carolina:
1. Carolina Blue (that lovely shade of light blue only a true tarheel could love)
2. WWJD bumper stickers
3. Social courtesy (people who, as they drive by you, wave hello - very neighborly)
4. Golf cart dealerships
5. Yup, you guessed it - mullets!
Seriously, I have nothing against personal expression, but could we please remove ourselves from the 80's and step into the new millennium with some decent haircuts?!?? I counted 16 mullets today. Wow. Check out <a href="http://www.mulletmadness.com">Mullet Madness </a>if you have a moment. Hilarious.
Top five things people said to me today:
1. What did you do for Christmas? I was working. (Insert annoyed sideways glance at boss here.)
2. Have a happy new year!
3. Would you like fries with that?
4. He should have gotten the bigger TV.
5. Y'all have a great day.
And the top five bad-for-me-to-eat-but-taste-too-good-to-pass-up foods I have eaten in the past week are:
1. Chicken parmesan
2. Whopper (no cheese, for a change) with fries
3. Quesadillas
4. Spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chips
5. Chinese buffet food
The oil alone has added five pounds or so to my weight, delicately undoing any progress I had made toward my physical goals. Sigh.
I cannot wait to get back to the gym on Monday!!! Yipee!
So far, so good. We have been on vacation for 6 days and the world is still intact for the most part. At least it hasn't drastically gone under as I subconsciously fear it might. My work will still be there when I return. Friends and family will still be fine. Everything goes on as it should. Phew.
<a href="http://lay-c.com/mahsa">Mahsa</a> had a similar realization the other day. Yay for us.
And I have gotten through a few things on my vacation list already. Sad, isn't it, that even on vacation I have a list? Sigh.
I have been sleeping a fair amount (albeit to the not-so-soothing sounds of Paulie snoring), I am blogging at the moment (I feel the need to state the obvious), I have been reading the most hilarious book by Allison Pearson (who is my new literary hero for her witty and detailed style of writing) called "I Don't Know How She Does It" and must say I don't know either, and I have been most successful in my knitting endeavor. My first project (a scarf, what else?!) is coming along quite well. Today I baked three loaves of bread (cranberry and zucchini) and I also baked the cranberry for my cousin and family in Virginia Beach. I am loving this activity. We shopped like the world was going to end Monday and Tuesday, and amazingly we didn't overspend. I don't know how I did that either!
I failed miserably, however, at eating good-for-me foods (pigged out on severely dairy-rich food the other night - what was THAT all about?) and resisting the urge to check work email. Again, sigh. However, at least I won't have 200 messages waiting for me on Monday.
But the joy of it all has been the time we've spent with family. First, my cousin Sussan and her family in VA Beach and now with my fabulous father-in-law. It's really nice. And relaxed. And that's always a good thing.
A week and a half of restful relaxation and REM is in sight. In fact, it will start in two days. I can hardly stand the suspense! Yipee!
Things I will do while on vacation:
1. Sleep
2. Read
3. Eat good-for-me food
4. Bake
5. Knit
6. Write
7. Blog
8. Sleep some more
9. Shop
10. Read
11. Drink egg nog (which is not good-for-me, incidentally)
12. Spend time with family
13. Make a financial plan with Paulie
14. Resist the urge to check email so that I don't have 200 messages waiting for me on the 29th when I'm back at work
Oh wait, we're on vacation, right? Maybe we'll skip 13. Duh.
I was angry today. There are many reasons and yet no good reason why. But I tell you, it felt like frustration and annoyance on steroids. And in stereo. What am I writing?
Seriously though, I wish I had my own personal punching bag, because on days like this nothing gets me beyond the anger until it has passed or has been squelched by someone considerate, loving and humble who can say "I'm sorry for being such a jerk." Short of that, I need a punching bag. Even praying doesn't really help. And the something-short-of-rage that festers beneath the surface is intense. It needs an outlet. And a punching bag certainly would do the trick. I'm glad I didn't hurt anyone today.
Insert expletive here.
I had a decent weekend. I am in for a crazy week!
First, the weekend:
Friday was great. Stayed at the hotel in Evanston this weekend since the committee was meeting there. I usually don't since I live so close and it seems like wasted resources. But between the early mornings and Paulie's snoring I opted for quiet sleep this time. It's a nice option to have. I probably will not make a habit of it.
The day before yesterday was even greater. Our meetings were good, and the memorial service for Mr. Furutan was very touching. I had a fun time sitting with Kai, my friend's oldest son. I just adore him!
Yesterday was cool - hung out with <a href="http://www.mossayeb.org">Sina</a>, had some fascinatingly deep conversations, went shopping and bought two adorable tops at Banana Republic for less than $20 total, and topped it off with dinner at Kai's parents' home (Mark and Hoda's). We enjoyed a few concerts by the boys showing off their amazing musical talents. Misha, Victor and Leila were there too - supah fun!
Now, the week ahead:
Today includes a lot of work and a little of fun with <a href="http://mojansami.com">Moj</a> and Eric. (Actually, Moj and Eric will be a lot of fun, but it wouldn't have made the sentence as interesting.) Tomorrow will be jam-packed at work with a staff meeting, deepening on Building Momentum as an office, errands with CM, LSA meeting and then dinner out. I'm tired just thinking about it. Wednesday will be an all-day trip into DC for a meeting - will arrive back home at about 9:00 PM. Thursday is our field trip and a doctor's appointment. Yipee. And Friday we leave for Virginia Beach for a fabulous weekend with family. Then on to NC with Paulie's dad.
Can I just crawl under the covers and sleep for the next month or so?!??
I really do love New York City. There is something unique and way cool about the vibe. It's probably just a bit too hectic for me to live there long-term, but I just love being there! And thanks to my little trip yesterday and today I have some new places and people to visit!
I traveled with the lovely Gwen, whom I think I wore out! (Sorry Gwen! I should have been more sensitive about the hustle and bustle.) In addition to meeting with some of the <a href="http://www.bahainyc.org/">New York Baha'is</a>, which was inspiring and wonderful, we took in Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza, Chelsea, and the Village. We stayed at a GREAT little inn in Chelsea (the <a href="http://www.chelsealodge.com">Chelsea Lodge </a>was fabulous - I highly recommend staying there!) and visited some great restaurants. Of course, thanks to my detox (which feels really good, by the way) I wasn't eating anything, but Gwen enjoyed her meals.
I also got to see Marc, which is always such a gift for me. (And let's not forget Miss Tessera!)
All very cool. Made me want to live there and go to grad school. And now, time for a short nap.
1. see some snow
2. go sledding
3. ice skating at an outdoor arena
4. take in the xmas lights in Sauganash - over the top!
5. go downtown to soak up the "holiday season" and watch people
6. bake cranberry bread (new addition to the repertiore) and other goodies
7. drink hot cocoa with vanilla ice cream added
8. snuggle with Paulie in front of the fireplace
9. bundle up and take a walk at night, during a full moon, just after it has snowed
10. smell roasted nuts and other goodies on the streets of NYC
11. sing "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow"
12. stay warm
13. host a candlelit prayer circle
14. look at the Marshall Field's animated story windows
15. be with my family and friends
Going to the big apple tomorrow morning, and feeling oh so excited. Doubly excited, in fact. Not only do I get to hang out with the super cool <a href="http://www.bahainyc.org/">New York Baha'i community</a>, but I also get to see my fabulous brotha <a href="http://www.itsokaytobesingle.com/">Marc</a>. It doesn't get much better than this.
We shall see some sights in the city, but I really just want to see some snow. Really! Enough with the pseudo-winter already!
I'm sure I'll pay for that comment later.
<a href="http://mojansami.com">Mojan's</a> surprise party was just too fun! The expression on her face when we came rolling out her bedroom door yelling "Surprise!!" was truly priceless. Go Moj! You rock!
Between the "pin the trans fatty acids on Mojan" game, the absolutely divine chocolate mousse cake (yes, the detox really went out the window) and the wall blogs, much fun was had by all.
Kudos to Eric, Kari and <a href="http://lay-c.com">Lacey</a> who schemed and plotted and almost let the cat out of the bag but quickly diverted and blocked.
Tonight was our monthly women's gathering, and was it ever FUN! We had an Asian cooking night, and learned how to prepare sushi and also how to cook egg rolls. Vegetarian and meat. Wow! It was yummilicious!
Not only was the food amazing, but the conversation was super too. We shared news about our lives, talked about upcoming weddings, like Amanda's (woo hoo!), and just generally gabbed to fabulous background music, courtesy of Buddha Bar IV.
My attempt at detoxing went out the window, though. There's always Monday, right?
(Warning - potentially sappy writing ahead.)
I love my Paulie. And sometimes I absolutely adore him! I suppose you're thinking, well duh, that's a good thing considering you're married to him! Yes, well, there are those ups and downs, you know. But he is simply divine when I stop to think about it for a moment. Like yesterday, for example, he was an absolute angel in not overreacting to a potentially annoying situation. And he continued the wonderfulness by being positive and nice all evening. It was a good night.
So, this morning I was reflecting on our evening together and I realized, although he made it look somewhat effortless, he was working at being supportive, positive and loving. And that was amazing. Not because I don't think he had it in him - but because he cared and chose to do so.
Sigh...
So, tomorrow begins a looooong 30-day journey towards better health. We hope. I am in the swing of working out this week, which rocks. So we are going to kick it up a notch tomorrow by preparing for a detox, which takes three days, lots of lemons and healthy herbs.
I'm not looking forward to the MANY capsules I'll have to ingest every day. At least 10 at each meal. I'm also not looking forward to the meal replacement "shakes" made with protein powder and soymilk. Chalky isn't even the word.
I am, however, VERY MUCH looking forward to not feeling uncomfortable every time I eat. I'm also looking forward to feeling well overall. Well is good. Not well is bad. And I'm SO looking forward to losing some of this excess weight and chub. That's my loving word for it. And really what I want to do is transform it into lean, sleek muscles that do their job well and feel happy. It's a good dream.
So, here's to my health! And a fabulous month ahead!
Oh yes - and we finally did go see Matrix Revolutions Sunday night. Farren and Paulie quipped afterwards about the fourth and final installment - Matrix Regurgitated.
Revolutions had the potential to be so much more than it was. Disappointing. Great visuals and glimpses into meaningful undertones. A bit too heavy on the graphic depiction of the sentinels' attacks. But overall - not quite what I had hoped for.
All the leaves outside my window are bare now. Not one single leaf left. No colors. Boo...
However, this means we may soon see light dustings of snow delicately covering the bare branches. I love that.
In fact, winter in Chicago is generally wonderful to me, much as I do not like freezing weather. As usual, I connect what I love now with my rosy childhood memories. Every winter, specifically in December, mom would take us downtown to look at the story-windows at the State Street Marshall Field's. This year is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - very cute! We would then enjoy roasted chestnuts, one of my mom's favorite things, while watching the snow lightly fall among the sparkly light-covered trees. Beautiful! We often went into Marshall Field's and delighted in the pink frosted sugar cookies mom got for us, along with some Frango mints. YUM! On our way home, we would drive through Sauganash, a Chicago neighborhood known for its over-the-top Christmas light decorations. I can't imagine what their electricity bills are like, but it sure is pretty!
Mixed in was usually some kind of sledding or ice skating at an indoor rink where I took lessons. I loved it all and am quite nostalgic about it now, especially looking ahead as we plan for children.
I do not, however, love the frigid temperatures that come with the snow. But you gotta give and take, right?