The Last 24 Hours

I had one of those killer headaches yesterday, you know the kind, 800mg of ibuprofen and a 1.5 hour nap wouldn't touch.

I found my card reader, the one I've been looking for for months! Now I can get around to posting those promised pictures. I found it when I was looking for my work ID in the car. So, there's the good news with the bad. Getting through security here at the "reservation" is a royal pain without the ID. First you have to get a Temporary Employee Pass at the guard's shack. But that's just a sticker you're supposed to wear. Then you have to stop at the badge office to get an activated card that'll let you ride the elevators to your floor for that day. The next day, it's the same deal. Bless my husband for waiting for me while I stopped at the guard's shack these mornings.

I have no idea where the work ID is. None. I may have forgotten to take it off Friday, then it fell off somewhere while I was at the mall with the kids Friday night. I hate losing things!

But, now I'm pleased to find my card reader. I've started unloading pictures from my camera cards. I won't overload you with things to look at all at once so I'll just post this time-lapse movie of our recent little snowfall to start with.




 

Weekend Plans

I am very thankful for my husband. I love him tremendously. One of his shining qualities: he gives awesome gifts, unexpected, but spot-on. I don't need any non-birthday gifts, though I wouldn't turn them down. I don't need them to validate me. In other words, I don't need chocolate for Valentine's Day. I love getting flowers, but I'm not crushed when I don't get the over-sized bouquet delivered to the office for all to see, either. Sure, what girl doesn't dream of getting a diamond tennis bracelet, but I'm never mad if I don't receive one. After being married for almost 19 years, making a big deal about Valentine's Day is just silly. There are other places, times, and ways to be romantic. I don't need to cram them all into one day. I'd be too exhausted. A Hallmark card stating the obvious is just about right. [Note to self: go buy a card.]

So, I am taking off tomorrow and going away for the weekend. It's time for our guild's annual quilt retreat weekend, a weekend of sewing and relaxing, of working on projects you only work on at retreats, of staying up past your bedtime, and of going to breakfast in slippers. I have a many projects packed, knowing I'll probably get bored and want to rotate among them often. [Note to self: pack ADD meds!] I might even finish some of them. One of the projects I'll be working on is this quilt, a baby quilt for a co-worker.

Stay tuned, I might post pictures on the fly from the phone. [Note to self: take phone charger.]

I'll then stretch a 4-day weekend into a 5-day weekend. I'm staying home Tuesday because we are scheduled for our window installation. I was surprised when they called today to let me know they were ready. They initially said 4-6 weeks for production, it'll've been less than three. I'll definitely post pictures of that.

Have a good weekend, everybody!
 

Work-Week Round-up

I can't round up the weekend yet, it's barely gotten underway. Dan and Fern left at 4:30 this morning for Richmond, she had ice time for compulsories at 8:15. Kevin is at swim-n-gym and I'm supposed to be packing to go down as soon as he's done. She's got a program competition at 4:20 this afternoon, then two more things tomorrow.

I got back from San Francisco around midnight Thursday and went into work on Friday. I was so tired. I would have skipped work altogether, but my boss didn't want me gone all week on travel in the first place, so I dragged my butt in. Man, there was a lot of work to do, (real work got in the way of blogging—I hate that) but I did cut out two hours early anyway to try to catch some time with Dan since it was his birthday. I remembered to buy the gift before I left town, but didn't remember to get a card. I got him a bluetooth gizzy for his phone so he can shift gears and drive and talk at the same time. Next year is his milestone birthday so I need to start concocting a cool present plan now, he's used up all the good ideas on me, so it'll take me a while to work it all out for next year. Maybe with the new administration next year, the dollar will be stronger and a European cruise will work out. That, or a new lawn mower.

On This Day...

Today is my birthday. I used to hate my birthday when I was young and single and alone. I'd be very anxious about it, would anybody remember? Would anybody care?

Now, I'm not anxious about them at all, I kinda even would forget about it until the week before. I think having a husband and family and friends makes all the difference.

I'm typing this from my new iPhone. My husband surprised me with it this morning when I got back from my walk with AM, who is doing fantastically, by the way. I walk most of the route by myself then pick her up for the last bit. Her pace and stamina are increasing. But I digress. My husband gives the greatest gifts. A couple years ago, sit down for this Lorraine, he flew me and my mom to New York and my friend B came too. He booked an appointment for me to have my hair cut and colored by Nick from "What Not to Wear" at his studio in SoHo.

Today I get this shiny new iPhone. OK, I quit typing on it and I'm back on the laptop, it's much too hard for a lot of typing and the keypad is small, but it's cool. It picks up the WiFi network in the house so I can surf the 'net when the other computers in the house are occupied. I've had Nokia phones for years so I am facing a new learning curve with all this new technology in my palm.

Thanks Honey! But I'm not looking forward to moving over all my phone numbers, I'll do a few at a time. Anyone want their number in my new phone?

PS, check out my husbands blog for my song of the day!

Friday was our 16th anniversary. My husband and I celebrated on Saturday by playing golf and having dinner. We chose the 9-hole White Course at East Potomac Park in Washington DC. We both played horribly because the course was in such bad condition. Standing water everywhere, the bunkers doubled as ponds. In dry conditions you'd expect a bounce and a nice roll, but the ground as wet as it was, the balls just stuck in the muck.

On to dinner. We ate at Zola at 8th and F street. The food was very good. And the bathroom scale is still telling me I ate too much. That the and 4 pairs of pants I tried on this morning before I found one that fit.