Ciao, San Jose

Fairmont treats
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

It was a short show, so I'll be home tonight, oh joy. As I type, I'm basking in the glow of being the conference "queen"--my boss and another senior manager left a little early, and I'm in charge! For a few hours only, but still, it's the principle, right? I have 75 minutes to get through, disaster-free. Wish me luck. OK, back to the conference program…

Ah, the DINK* Life

M and I agreed to take the day off yesterday, he from studies, me from work. And what a fine day it was: sleeping in, breakfast at the Pine Cone, one of our favorite old-timey greasy spoons, a visit to the flea market (not well attended on this holiday weekend), a tour of the heritage rose garden that's only open weekends in May, a nap, dinner out, and a movie (Pirates 3 was sold out, so we settled for Shrek 3). The only hitch in the day was the oil changing guys hadn't tightened my coolant cap enough that morning, and it popped off while we were idling at a mini-mart. Thank goodness it happened there and not on my drive to San Jose tomorrow! M did the manly thing and went back to the oil changing place and had the tweakers** who work there make good. He's so good to me.

Smiling at the rose garden
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

Part of what made the day so wonderful was that M had received his grades for the prior semester on Friday, so he wasn't stressed anymore. He did well--even improved his GPA a little. The Bar exam results were also posted this weekend, and his friend didn't pass--again--so M's back at the books today with a vengence. Good motivation to keep at it. A Juris Doctor's life is in limbo until the Bar is passed, this is a lesson we have learned. He smiled more yesterday than he has in the past six weeks, and it's a genuine one, not the grimace he's been trying to pass off lately. We may have another week or so of sincere smiling until the stress for the current semester kicks in. If he fails the class he's retaking this summer that he failed last summer, that's the end of his law studies, so hey, no pressure.

It's a beautiful day today. I spent the morning on household chores--washing the Monster Mobile (it's going into valet parking at the Fairmont tomorrow, so gotta look luxe), tending the roses, a little house cleaning. And a little work. I had publicly stated that I would be working all day today, but surprise surprise, there are just too many other important things to do. And I haven't even run my errands yet, which includes spending some ducats at Borders and Whole Foods, so who know how long I'll be out and about.

Happy birthday season to my kitty girls! They're now old enough to vote, sign up for a tour in Iraq, and finally get those tramp stamps they've been bugging me for.

More from downtown San Jose in the next day or so…











*Dual Income No Kids, for those of you not living the DINK life
**M suspects almost everyone in Sonoma County is addicted to meth

Home from Portland

Got home late last night, in the office today (a little sympathy, please?), but with only half a brain or so. I've been bothered by headaches these last few days. The trip home was a little aggravating. The flight was a bit late taking off, which wasn't that bad. But combined with a luggage wait of over an hour--I guess there were so few of us on the flight that they just put our luggage by the baggage claim counter rather than sending it up to a carousel, but neglected to alert any of us--and a shortage of vans back to the parking lot made it a bit of a trial. I was home an hour later than I had planned. Thanks to my cell phone, M knew and had dinner waiting. I'm home, and that's the main thing. The iris have almost gone, and now the dahlias are taking over.

Pinots in PDX
Originally uploaded by suzipaw.

There were a couple of pleasant aspects to my trip home. A colleague and I paused in the airport wine bar to share a flight of pinots noir. I came to end of my book and have the next in the series to take up tonight. And while waiting for my suitcase to appear, I did observe several minute dramas that make people-watching so worthwhile: the couple walking by, she with an angry look and a scold to follow his appeasing offer to pull her bag; the young hard-looking woman with short shorts, stomach bulging out, ankle Ug boots, turning to flip off someone behind me accompanied by a ringing "Bitch!"--at least, I think she was talking to someone other than me; the young man, neatly dressed, waiting with one heart-red rose, looking hopefully at the exiting passengers…and still waiting as I left the terminal.

Extra Action Marching Band

Extra Action Marching Band at RailsConf
Originally uploaded by suzipaw.

I'm sure other conference-goers will have way better visuals than me, but we had a surprise lunchtime entertainment at the show today: The Extra Action Marching Band. Pretty subversive and funny--I can imagine they're all sort of getting back at the band geeks from high school. Home made costumes exposing lots of flesh and tattoos, rockin' drumming and horns, and Xrated tall flags moves added to a pretty spicy afternoon. (Well, they said we got the PG version of their show, but simulating self-gratification moved them up the rating scale in my book.) They were so loud that we had to shut them down after 15 minutes--they were disturbing the other participants in the convention center! Anyway, a welcome diversion to the usually stodgy event.

Portland So Far

With Jacque and Lloyd at Petite Provence for breakfast
Originally uploaded by suzipaw.

…has been lovely. A brief visit with my aunt and uncle involving good food, catching up on family news and my uncle's latest crafts, Portland sight seeing, and a tram ride. A smooth opening to our conference. Fine weather. Had dinner out last night with co-workers in the Pearl district--ah, the urban people watching! Missing husband and pets and roses.

I'm planning on a mellow evening tonight, early in bed, maybe a bit of TV. Ah….

*****

Suddenly, cousins are blogging! I don't know what astrological forces came together to make it happen, but I'm very happy about it.

*****

Happy birthday plus one day, bro'!

Off to Portland

Will write soon. I leave you with this photo of my dad and stepmom's new home in San Antonio, under construction!

Felting = Magic

So I got on a knitting tear over the weekend and finished a hat from a felting book I recently purchased. I think the excitement of the felting process was really motivating for me. I love how the knitting turns into a fabric, and so quickly! I have a lot to learn about shaping wet felt, and it became very thick, so hardly summertime wear. And would I really don something so quirky just to wear about? California is not really hat country. But still, a creative accomplishment, and I'm very pleased about that, at least.

Dawn's Bridal Lunch

Dawn's bridal lunch
Originally uploaded by suzipaw.

Some of us gals at work took Dawn (very back, dark red top) out to lunch yesterday to celebrate her impending wedding. So nice to get out of the office! Many fires have been burning there, and damn it's been hot.

Happy May Day!

Did I really only post once in April? Sigh. Well, life is full of cycles, and I'm trying to bolster my belief that my blogging energy will once again return. Though I'm reminded a bit of my days at my last job at NYU when I was on the phone constantly, and so when I left the office my home phone became an enemy--I've never really gotten over that itchy feeling when the phone rings (oh, pardon me while I plug my cell phone into its charger…there, that's better). And so it goes with my computer--after ten or so hours staring into its glowing face at the office, I have no desire to "reconnect" at home, despite the siren song/guilty haranguing I can hear skiving its way through the laptop bag.

So much time has gone by, and it's getting to be bed time, so a bullet point recap seems the best course of action, in no particular order:

-There's a fine rain outside, and I can feel the roses (oh spectacular pink and crimson and lavender creatures they are this year!) and hostas and pitcher plants embracing it. Two grand deep purple irises have unfurled in the past two days from their wine barrel throne off the back deck, and they are magnificent to behold.

-Two conferences also unfurled in April, and though they weren't quite as exquisite as the iris, it's a relief that they're over. Two more this month, and then we're halfway through the year. One of our main managers had an emergency appendectomy during the first April conference, which was frightening, but she's recovering and back at work now and we held it together without her, which was a good lesson. Also during that first conference in SF, my book mobile librarian friend met me at the end of the day and we partook of gabbing and excellent Thai food and had a coffee at a shop near the Chinatown gate. She stayed over with me at the hotel, and all in all it was just a welcome break in the work routine.

-Many glad tidings! M was offered a part time position supervising fellow students in the small claims clinic--an honor and good experience for his resume. It means a busier summer for him, but he's excited about it and I'm very happy for him.

-A lovely summer weekend began early last Saturday--an outdoor, convivial dinner with friends that culminated in a bit too much consumption of the fermented juice of the temperanillo grape on my part, which made it hard getting up for the boating outing the next day, but I persevered. This was the second double date with a particular couple--the first was after a long week at work that left me completely dumb and knackered, and for this one I presented a grim, tired, and hungover apparition…I'm sure I've left a terrible impression. They actually agreed to park the large boat into a small lot in order for me to purchase a latte on the way to the lake, so I must've looked like I *really* needed it…but it was a lovely day in my opinion after that.

-Many congrats are in order to the Redding clan--my niece was recently elected prom queen and my brother Employee of the Year! Ah, the reflected glory shines brightly upon me.

-I'm very much looking forward to my trip to Portland in two weeks--yes it's work, but I'll be seeing my aunt and uncle as well, however briefly.

-I have, happily, found time for, if not blogging, a knitting project: a hat to be felted (and it damn well better shrink down, or I'll have to follow M's jibe and grow dreadlocks); and become engrossed in the House of Niccolo series which my boss hooked me on, confound her!

-The Pointy Pals continue to be a source of inspiration and joy for me.

-My teeth were cleaned and jury duty fulfilled successfully last month. And M vacuumed the house, which will have to stand in as spring cleaning for us this year, methinks. (It's not as bad as it sounds, we're not home that much…)

And now, good night!