Happy New Year.

Yes, I know it is not for a few days. Still, one should prepare for these things. I plan on taking tomorrow off of work, sleeping in, and then driving to WI for my cousin's wedding (the 30th). The gift opening is the 31st, and I have no idea how I'll count down the seconds to a new day.

I do desire to do the Polar Bear Plunge this year. I know, I'm crazy. Trevor said he would too, though, and it's the first time I'll have someone to be crazy with me.

Happy B-day

I thought I'd be better at posting if I revamped the website. Then holiday season happened and I've been behind on that too!

So, just a quick post to say Happy Birthday to Trevor. That is all. I'll get better after the new year. I'll make a resolution!

Bummed.

I hate it when I think something will happen, and then it doesn't, and then I'm disappointed. Even when the something wasn't concrete. Now I'm all depressed and I can't figure out if I have the right to be cranky or not. Maybe I was supposed to so something else, but should I have had to? I don't know. After all, there was nothing concrete. It's like being depressed and cranky cause the weatherman said it might snow and then it doesn't.

I need to learn not to get my hopes up. I need to remember my mantra of, don't expect it to happen and you won't be disappointed. Be happy when it does happen, but don't count on it.

I'm going to go back to working...lot to do today, and try to force myself to be in a better frame of mind. Maybe if I just forget it and think positive thoughts I'll go back to being in a good mood?

I'm hungry.

Still Here

I am still among the living. I redid this nice site, and I promised to post more, and I will. It's just that I've become distracted by a few new toys. I'll update soon, and maybe have a new toy to share, promise.

New Look

I got bored with the old look of this blog. I thought a new look might help me renew my posting consistancy.

Also, I think I'm fighting an infection. So far today I have drank 1.5 gallons of water, and my goal is 2 gallons before I leave work in less than 2 hrs. I'm hoping that if I drown said infection, I'll not get sick(er), and will not have to take antibiotics. I do not want to be sick for the Holiday, I have not been sick now in a very long time, and I'm liking this. Thus, I'll continue to drown my body in water. Of course, this has necessitate many, many, many trips to the ladies today. One every 15 minutes is not really an exageration. I try to stretch that to once/30 mintues, but...eep. Such is the cost of staying healthy, I guess.

1000+ miles in one weekend.

I can’t believe how tired I am today. Yet here I sit, taking my lunch break. I have been plugging away at work, though I got in a little later than I usually do. I have tonight’s plans all squared away, dinner, a couple of TV shows (House and Jericho from last week, recorded), and the book I’m going to pick up at the library tonight. I know the meal and recreation plan for tomorrow, and have a general idea about Wednesday. Thursday is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year. I have a 4 day weekend, and am able to sleep in on Thursday!!! I can’t wait.

This weekend I drove. Let me restate that, this weekend I rode along with Trevor as he drove to MO and we dropped his sister and niece off at their home. We left Saturday morning at 10:30 AM, drove the 500ish miles, spent the night, woke up Sunday and went to a few wineries and then drove the 500ish miles back to the cities. When we returned, we hung out with some of Trevor’s friends and I got to bed at midnightish.

This morning it was back to work. It was extremely hard to drag myself out of my warm, dark bed and into the harsh, cold light of dawn as I drove to work, but I did. I have the fact that this is a 3 days week to motivate me. I’ll be into work even earlier Tuesday, and at an insane hour on Wednesday so I can leave and go enjoy the 60 degree day. Golf or the Zoo, not sure which I’ll do, but I’m sure I’m going to have fun.

Happy Thanksgiving, and see some of you in GB

Turkeys on the Horizon

It's been a while since I blogged. It can't be helped. In all honesty it could have, but I spend enough time in front of the computer at work that I don't usually feel like blogging when I come home. That is part of the reason. Another part of the reason for not blogging is: I'll feel this great urge to blog, sit down at the computer, and...nothing. It's like the keyboard has become a sieve and my creativity and thoughts drain away. I don't want to write whats happened. A lot has. Most of it mundane. Some of it crazy, some scary, some wonderful. Most of you probably know most of it. Some of it is so personal I'm not sharing (even with myself sometimes, which is scarier yet). Some of it, the rest of it, is that stuff that I want to write about and then sit here and nothing happens. Again, here I go. An entire paragraph on nothing but my inability to write down anything interesting to read.

I'm not going to try to sum up the entire last month of my life here in this one entry. Suffice it to say, I'm alive, I'm mostly happy, and I'm about this " " close to moving out of my apartment in disgust. My downstairs neighbor seemed pretty cool when he moved in back at the beginning of the year. Yeah, he smoked, but he promised to do so only outside. The first day FIRST DAY he moved in, he smoked inside. I called him on it, and he apologized in what I felt was a sincere manner, saying he thought that if he snuck a smoke in the bathroom, noone would be the wiser. I told him, no, his fan vents to our bathroom and really, I am hypersensitive to smoke, I can tell when someone is smoking within 100 yards of me. The second and third – 100 times were mostly coming from outside though open windows, or whatever, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve smelled smoke in the apartment, in the hallway, outside his door, in the basement, etc. Still, he’s a nice guy. Then his son moved in. He plays his guitar, the same riff, over and over and over and over and over – or used to. Really, annoying but not such a huge problem and it was never loud. He’s a nice guy too. Now his daughter and her kid(s??) and possibly her boyfriend/husband?? are living there too. The daughter and some male scream at each other practically every day. The “F you!’ ‘F-you!” slaming door kind of domestic dispute. I had finally told the landlord, and he talked to them; hopefully that gets better. The smoking in the house seems to be getting worse, though. Maybe I’m psycho, maybe their burning babyt food, but in the few hours I’ve been working at home and now working on this post, I’ve smelled it for an hour, and now my eyes are burning and itchy and I’ve got some hives. Each time it happens it makes me want to move. I’m beginning to think it’s not cigarettes they are smoking….

I’ve started looking at houses. I’ve found a few I really like. I’m waiting on them though, I really need two or three more months’ salary before I’ll feel comfortable with the amount I’m going to put down and the amount I’ll have in savings. Still, if the right house at the right price comes along, I’m going to jump on it. I told my landlord I’d be here until Spring, early summer, but I’m not sure now. I’d hate a winter move, and I’d like to stay here though at least February, but each bloody time I have to deal with this it makes me want a place of my own that much more.

Next week is the annual eat to much and watch football all afternoon holiday. My favorite of the year, holiday wise. It's all about food and family, and hasn't been taken over by Comercial America as much as some of the others. I'll try to be better at posting, maybe even once a week :P I'll try to stop bitching about things I don't have much control over - other than to 'tattle' to my landlord (which I did earlier today), and I'll try to love all creatures, even the mice...(who by the way have not yet moved back into their winter hotel, as far as I can tell. Maybe the smoking is keeping them away? I sure wouldn't want to winter over in a carbon monoxide and poison infested environment.)

Dream Adventures

Last night I spent time doing something I haven’t done in a while; chillin with Katie, waching InuYasha, drinking spiked hot cocoa, and relaxing. One, it’s cold out now, so a hot cocoa treat now and again is so very nice. Two, it’s been a while since I had the time to sit and watch anime. I need to organize myself better (or maybe my life, as biologically my fingers and toes are all exactly where they are supposed to be). Three, I needed a night off. I should have been cleaning up my messes in the house, cleaning the bathroom, dusting, and preparing a load of laundry to have clean stuff for my trip this weekend. I didn’t want to do any of that. I rested, relaxed, gossiped and watched, and then I went to bed early.

This morning my brain tricked me into sleeping in. It’s not my fault. I woke up, looked at the clock and my brain whispered, “you have work you should do at home, so you are not distracted by things in the office.” I thought back at it, “ok, that sounds like a good plan, I’ll sleep a little longer, get up, make tea, and work.” And back to sleep I went. I dreamed.

I dreamt that in downtown Minneapolis there was a narrow, tall door covered with Egyptian Hieroglyphs. It was painted bright red, and in a wall of dark grey stone. Not everyone could see it, or if they could, they paid it no mind – it was like they thought it was a decorative part of the wall rather than a door. I knew however, that it opened, and there were stairs that went down into the catacombs. I knew the way to open the door was to look at it and imagine it as not being there. Imagine, like the Road Runner in all the Warner Brothers cartoons, that I could go through the door even though it was solid. So with that thought in mind, I went to the seam, and pushed. The doors opened, and down I went. Down the stairs was a large room, lit by lights from the ceiling that I couldn’t see – natural light perhaps? It was bright, warm, yellow light. Through the walls by the stairs and through parts of the upper walls I saw flexible piping (like that which connects the back of one’s dryer to the outside) and copper piping, as though the city’s sewer and piping systems ran though the catacombs. I commented on them to those I was with – suddenly Erin and Katie had appeared. We walked further into the room, wondering how no one knew this place was there. I turned to the wall directly to the left of the bottom of the stairs, and there was the English Language Alphabet laid out on tiles that moved up and down. Some tiles had one letter, some two. I briefly wondered how the English letters ended up in a catacomb full of hieroglyphs, but knew that they were the key to opening the next door, which was down a few more stairs and on my left as I faced the letters. I knew the letters had to be moved in the order of the alphabet, and if there were two letters on a tile, it had to be moved twice, in order. So an A-B tile would go up, then down, but an A-D tile should not be touched. I also knew (somehow) that there was a ratio between the two move tiles and the one move tiles. I began the puzzle (there were a lot of tiles to choose from, and in no particular order) to make the alphabet so I could open the door and go to the next room. Erin was helping me, we were on K, L, M and she was moving them, when I began to wake up. I had just determined the solution for the rest of the tiles when I was snatched from sleep.

Upon looking at the clock, my brain reminded me that I couldn’t work from home because my computer for work was at work, and I had really better get a move on to make it to work. The only thing I can think of to relate this dream to what happened yesterday is seeing a hieroglyph from Egypt showing a pictograph of a man with a withered leg. I was in a microorganism lecture, and the instructor was discussing polio, it’s long history, and how people related to it even when they didn’t know about micro-organisms and their functions. My hours of InuYasha may have added the adventure element to the dream. I was grumpy when I woke up though, I wanted to see what was in that next room. Perhaps tonight.

Restless

I'm restless. I sit down, five minutes later I get back up. I try to concentrate on a book or my knitting. I can't. I don't know what it is, but something is nagging on me. I can feel it, deep in my brain. It manifests in my back - it's all knotted up, in my stomach - it's been upset or full of butterflies (and sometimes both) all day, in my head - I can't keep my thoughts from running at a million miles an hour and I have a slight headache, and in my feet - they have the restless feet syndrome. I was going to climb when I finished work today, but I feel ill, so I went to the grocery and came home. I decided to try baking, sometimes that works. I made a pan of chocolate - chocolate chip cookie bars and a pan of peanut butter rice krispie treats. Still restless. (And no, I don't intend to eat them all myself, they are for a meeting at work tomorrow.)

I don't think it's my job, I'm doing well now that I understand what is expected of me, and I'm enjoying the challenges. I don't think it's the Packers or the Twins, though the Twins could have won a game during the less to day s to make me less anxious. I don't think it's my 'home' life either. I'm caught up on bills, I do have laundry to do, but laundry has never before placed me in such a state. Right now I'm to a point where my tummy feels OK again, so I think I'm going to get my running things on and stretch quick and then head out for a 30 min jog. Even typing this didn't help bring to the surface the root of my restlessness, so maybe running will. If that doesn't help, maybe simply the fresh air of the gorgeous day we're having will do the trick. I have to figure something out though, it's driving me nuts!

Cleaning - Completed

I feel so accomplished. I finished my huge list of cleaning and also managed to finish a scarf I was knitting. It is green and longerish. I know, really descriptive, but it looks nice and I like it. Also, it's just in time because I think next week is the final hurrah for the warm weather. It is supposed to be almost 80 here on Monday, and then they are predicting the major storms. As long as it doesn't tornado my house down, I'm Ok.

My parents are going to be here for the weekend. They just called to tell me they made it to their hotel ok, and tell me their room number. I have a swimming suit and towel contraption all packed ready to soak in the hot tub tonight! I am going to need it too. I worked out hard this week. Lots of squats and lunges and running - on a treadmill instead of the elliptical. I feel pretty ok right now, some sore back and legs, but Wednesday I was so sore. I would look at the flight of stairs I have to climb to get to my desk at work, and they would do the dreamscape become a mile long thing in my mind. I had to pysch myself up to go up (and down) them. I really planned my trips for a two days. That was from Tuesday's workout. Thursday I worked out as well, and that whole theory on the 'hair of the dog that bit you' really does work.

Tomorrow is Karate, so any lingering soreness may go away then. Sunday is supposed to be so nice, I'll probably play softball in the park and go to the batting cages once my parent's leave. It will be a fun weekend having them here! Hm, speaking of... I should really go pick up Trevor from the airport and then go pick up food and meet my parents at the hotel for the aforementioned hot tub.

Crazy Cleaning Frenzy

I told myself that today was a cleaning day. I could sleep in, but not past noon, and then I had to begin the cleaning on my list. It has been six hours, and I haven't accomplished as much as I wished I had, but I have attacked a lot. I have dusted the house and cleaned the bathroom. I have organized the garbage and recycling to go out tonight. I have organized the pantry, kitchen, and linen closet. Left on my list, you ask?

• put away summer clothes and take out winter ones
• make bags of clothes not worn this summer to take to goodwill
• repack the closet (part of the above two, but also some minor maintenence of boxes contained within
• organize bookshelves (have decided I require a third bookshelf. May head out to purchase tonight, but more likely will go on list of things to do tomorrow

The big thing that goes on that list is to organize the back porch and basement storage areas, including the storage I have under my bed. I plan on buying a house sometime next year, probably before August, and I don't want to take shit with me that I dont' need. I think I can start the process of culling now. Then, if I don't use it between then and now, it goes when I move. Harsh, but true. I'm a bit sentimental when it comes to my material things. "Oh, this is the ticket to the concert that I went to with so and so..." I could keep it, but unless I get good at scrap booking sometime soon, why? No one gets to see it, it's packed in a box creating a space and fire hazard. I must get through these things while I am still in the apathetic, throw things away, stage. If I hit the boxes in a sentimental mood, we're doomed. I'm trying to decide how much energy I have left tonight. I'd like to get the clothes switched yet tonight. I think I'll leave the boxes and storage and organizing for the nights I have this week.

The problem with the 'leave it' theory? Tuesday I think I may go golfing. Wednesday perhaps to the Twins game. Thursday is happy hour, and Friday my parent's are coming to visit. That leaves the rest of today and perhaps tomorrow night. I think I'm going to go find a small snack and then attack my room.

Birthday Fun

Last night, a bunch of people went out to help me celebrate my birthday. We went to the Wild Onion, which if you have not been there for birthdays, you are missing out! If it is the day of your birthday, they give you a free t-shirt, a pound of chicken wings, free alcohol in a huge mug (until 9PM), and balloons. I forgot the balloons at the restaurant, but they would have been a pain to drive home with anyway. (No, I was not driving. That would have been silly considering the size of the mug and the fact I drank 3 of them.) After the Wild Onion, most people came to my place to eat ice cream cake and chill for a bit. I was quite squiffy by the end of the night, but had a great time.

Jenni is in town for the long weekend, and tonight we are going to go climbing, and tomorrow I may go climbing, I think others are going to the Ren Fest. Saturday night we might go dancing, and the Sunday is sleep and football. In that order :P

A pictoral history of Labor Day



First stop, the packer game. Even though my Packers were trounced, it was still a great time. Plus, our beer man rocked! He made a special trip to get me and mine some Mike's Hard Lemonade, even though they usually make you go get it yourself. Beer man, you rock.

Second stop, Door County. First Karin, Trevor, and I made a really large pile of wood w/ my dad. Dad and Mom had started the pile the week before. Then, we burned it. This is after the fire had been going for a while. The pile was quite a big, so big infact we started our reserve pile (on the left, the chiken looking fire) on fire too. Oops.

No, I didn't really start Dad's tractor on fire, but it did take a fun picture.

Sunday Trevor and I went to the corn maze. We didn't get lost, and managed to find all 18 little stamps. We decided it would be great fun to go back in w/ the map in our pocket, get ourselves lost for 30 minutes and then try to get back out (without map of course).

From the bridge of the corn maze (the picture above is the map on that bridge) one can see a cow excreting an ice cream cone. That's how fresh the ice cream was at this place. No doubt.

We also went to some wineries, and cave point, and mini putting. Lots of fun packed into one weekend! Whee.

Quick Post

I'm going to work, then off to Green Bay to watch the Packers play at Lambeau Friday afternoon. Then it's up to Door County for a bonfire and fun. A weekend away from the State Fair, yay!

Nic e Suprise

Have I mentioned how much I dislike the fair? At least, I dislike living by it. I do like it. I enjoy the all you can drink milk, for example. Oh, and the baby animal barn. But living by the fair, that can suck. You get people parking in your lot (ie the two twits down there now), you get people littering on your lawn, you get to listen to the music - whether you want to or not, and it's dirty.

Still, there are good things. Fireworks everynight, seen from the balcony. The grandstand does have good shows. I went to one last Thursday. Great show - The Magic Numbers (who only got to play two songs because it monsooned adn their equipment was drenched), Sonic Youth, and the Flaming Lips. I would have enjoyed the show more, however, had I not lost my ID and bankcard right before the show. They fell out of my pocket while I was running through said monsoon. I thought they were gone forever, but I had a nice suprise.

I wonderful Minnesotan, or perhaps just a wonderful person, found my idea floating down the river/street, picked it up, and brought it to the gate. They contacted me, and I have it back. That is the extremely short version of the story, but hits the main point...someone brought it back. How great is that? I have to get a new bankcard, because the company put a hold on this one as I'd reported it had gone missing, but that is a minor inconvienence. Whee.

Busy busy

I thought when I finished school things would calm down. After all, I wasn't doing homework all night long, working as many hours as I could, and doing homework. Apparently not though. I seem to have less hours in the day, not more. Some of it is my fault. I need to designate days where I stay home and work on things there. I keep going out and having fun. I've picked up golf again with a vengence, and even bought new clubs this weekend. I've started climbing again, though grant it...I could do more. I'm doing moring aerobics/spin classes before work. This week is odd though as I have training Wed/Thurs all day on campus. Back to school. :)

After work is golfing, or canning foods with Karin (lately anyway), or any number of other random things. This week I went to Trevor's softball game last night, golfing tonight, wednesday I'm setting aside to clean, Thursday I am going to the Fair - and that's a post for a different day..., and Friday either happy hour or to makeovers or to some yet unannounced third thing. Or all three. I never get to read anymore :(

I've been working at my job for a month. It's starting to become easier. Not necessarily the material I do, but understanding what they want me to do. As I get into my routine, I'm sure hours will open up here or there. I miss chilling with all my friends whenever I want. It does suck when you get up at 5, because the nights all of a sudden are so much shorter. (Or they should be if you want to be somewhat aware of what is going on at work.)

I'm taking a personal holiday over Labor Day weekend to go to Door County. Hopefully that is nice and relaxing.

DONE!

I’m done! I finished Grad School! Yesterday, I defended my thesis, and passed my oral exam. Thus completes 7 years at university and two degrees. I feel…

I’m not sure what I feel. I know it hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m elated, and sad and happy and tired. Mostly tired. Drained I think would be a more accurate verb. I am scholarly drained. I have so much to do at home, and I look at the messes I have to clean up and think…tomorrow, or the next day, not now. I will get to the dishes, and to the messes. But right now I’m spent.

Part of me is thinking what next. I have my Bachelor’s and my Master’s. PhD? Maybe. Not yet. I need more time to learn things. Right now I have my job and I am VERY SLOWLY integrating into my work there. Very slowly learning all I need to learn, going through hours and hours of training. I have more days where I feel comfortable, but some still where I feel like I know nothing, I’m behind, and I’m lost. Those feelings will fade I think, or at least diminish into the background as I catch up to the others, but eep.

It will feel very strange not going to school after Labor Day. For 23 years I have gone to school every fall. This will be the first time I haven’t. Ever. I don’t know what I’m going to do on September 5. I may morn, I may jump for joy. I may plan a happy hour to celebrate. We’ll see.

Speaking of happy hour, that’s what I did last night with my coworkers. Go out and celebrate my ability to continue working my job (because it was contingent on finishing my degree in 6 months).

Now I just hope that the rain stays away long enough to go golfing tonight.

I have returned, I hope...

I really need to get back into blogging on a regular basis. I was doing so well before I started my job. Now I spend 9 hrs/day in front of my computer, so I really don’t even look at it at home. I guess that’s normal. Part of the problem stems from my doing training 8 hrs a day – internet based training. Really don’t want anything to do with the internet by the time I’m done for the day. Plus, I’ve been busy after work, and before work too.

I joined the fitness center at work, so I’ve been going to work for 5:45 to do fitness classes from 6 to 6:45 and then showering and going to work for 7:15ish. That’s Tuesday – Thursday. Mondays and Friday’s I’m going in at the normal times (for 7 or 7:30). The last few weeks I’ve gotten back into golf. Yes, I’m a yuppie. I golf. What’s more, I can golf at a Country Club should I desire. I admit it. However, I’ve always enjoyed golf. I know some people think golf courses are abomination, and perhaps they are…but I like walking around in the sun. Concentrating on hitting a wee ball from one place to another with the ultimate goal of getting it into a small hole keeps my attention and gives me respite from the rest of my worries. I don’t usually drive a cart, so I get my exercise. Also, it gives me 1-4 hours (depending on how much and how fast I play) of time to chat with whomever I’m playing with. So there! Anyway, I bought a new golf bag this weekend and I’m going to play 9 holes with a girl from work tonight to try it out. Friday’s I have been trying to get back into climbing. I’ll buy myself a membership again in September. Right now I’m paying by the time and Friday’s are half off for ladies. So, the only things athletic that I’m missing are my rollerblading, and running. I really do have to work on both. I’m not sure I’m going to skate the marathon this year. I’m just not sure I’ll be ready in a month to skate it. I certainly hope so, but eep. Maybe I’ll do the half marathon instead? Could be fun. Running is good for me, but I suck so badly at it that I just don’t do it.

After work I’ve been either golfing, or chillin with friends, or going places. I think life is going to settle down after this week though. This week I defend my Master’s Thesis – on Wednesday. After that I’ll be done (hopefully) with my requirements to graduate and I’ll be able to just concentrate on work and home and fun. This weekend was nice, it was the first weekend in a month or more that I got to relax. Sunday I slept in past 2PM. I haven’t done that in so many ages it’s not funny. I’m not going to make a habit of it, don’t get me wrong, but once in a blue moon it’s good to do. It rained all day here, which truly helped the sleeping. I woke up and had breakfast at 4PM, then made strawberry-rhubarb pie, and then watched movies.

Still this morning I was tired. Not sure how that happened. Oh well. I am slowly getting used to going to bed by 11 at the latest as I get up at 5 most mornings. I should get to bed by 10, but one step at a time, right?

Damn

I suck. I have been meaning to post, but have been stupid. So much has happened, I'll have to reread what I've read to figure out what I have to update. I can say that work is good. It's still crazy and I get overwhelmed occasionally. All my coworkers are great about helping me out when I have no idea if I'm coming or going. It's actually quite amazing how quickly I've figured out parts of my job. Did I really start only 3.5 weeks ago? Eep. The time is flying though. Soon I'll blink and I'll have been there 40 years, like the guy who's aniversary (to the company) party I attended this afternoon.

OK, would write more, and will - promise, but right now I'm hungry and need to not be on the computer anymore...

Oops

I've been so good lately about posting, and now I've waited 10 days again. Two weekends ago was a family reunion back home. It was a fun time, but very hot - 102 degrees. There was some shade to be had, but ich. Still, it was good to see people and meet some I didn't know. Before we headed over there, my cousin Jill and I went swimming for a few hours. She is 7 mo. pregnant, and the water feels nice, less weight on the body. I'll be headed back that way in two weeks for her baby shower.

This past week was my first week of actual work. There is a lot to learn, and I feel I'm not learning it quickly enough. I have a LOT of training to do...at least 40 - 50 hours, and that's without retention time added in. With that, and out of house trainings, and meetings, and etc. I'd say I have another month or so of hard learning. Still, it feels good to be challenged, and my supervisor is really understanding about it all. Monday of last week I met some people at Blarney's pub for 6 dollar pitchers, pool, darts, and karaoke. Katie and I rocked the house with "I Will Survive" and gave "Shoop" our best effort. It was cool to go celebrate, even if it was a weeknight :)

This weekend was uber busy as well. Friday night I went to a house party, Saturday I volunteered at the Raptor Center, which may become a semi-normal thing, the went shopping with Katie for pretties, and then went out dancing. I only made it til 1:15 out though, too hot and tired. Then yesterday I went outdoor climbing, climbed three routes all the way to the top (I've not been outdoor climbing in ages and ages!) , and bruised my toes really really badly. They are black and blue under my toe nails. Ouch. After that I came back here, had dinner out, and went for a walk. Poof! Weekend gone.

Now it's back to the grindstone. All weekend I was like, "shit! Have I done my homework? What am I forgetting??!" It's going to take a while to get used to the ole 9-5. Or, in my case either 7-4 or more likely 7:30 to 4:30...