I rolled around in my bed this morning, feeling so rested and so lazy too. And laughed at myself when I realized it was 10:30am! What a lazy butt I can be.
Reflecting on this past week...I have a lot to be thankful for. I feel happy, energized, confident...not that I wasn't before but I'm feeling that inner surge and whooshing around that just makes me feel, well, happy! I DID start taking vitamins more regularly - is that one of the reasons, or just a coincidence?
I usually take a couple of fish oil capsules every morning - they say those extra Omega 3s are good for your brain and digestion so it couldn't hurt. I like the unscented ones because while I love fish I don't need to start off my day with my breath smelling like it.
And when cleaning out a drawer in my bathroom I discovered a jar of Vitamin D that I'd forgotten about. Expiration date's still aways in the future so into the routine she goes too. Where else do we get Vitamin D besides some daily sun exposure? Milk? And mushrooms I think (sounds strange though)? Well, around here daily sun exposure is non-existent and laughable to attempt, especially this time of year. I don't drink milk either (though I never met a cheese I did not love, but does cheese have vitamin D in it? It must if it's made with milk, right?).
And...good ol' Vitamin C. Doesn't hurt to pop a couple of those every day as we head into the winter flu season. I've already had a cold since starting this new job and earlier this year I had that cough that lingered easily two months. No more of that, thankyouverymuch.
What else did I find in that bathroom drawer? Some multi-vitamins. Jar half empty and expiration date still OK (I am VERY anal about pull dates on food/vitamins/you name it. They're there for a reason!)
NOW I remember why I stopped taking those. They upset my stomach no matter how much extra water I'd drink after taking them. I'd feel like I was going to puke on my drive to work. Not fun. But I decided to try eating a little bit more in the morning (I'm usually so rushed I have a quick wedge of cheese and that's it till lunch time). Anyway as I ramble here, I'm trying to allow just a few extra minutes in my morning routine to take these vitamins with a ton of water...and I feel great! Is it just psychological? On the other hand, the stupid bruise on my knee is finally going away (don't ever bump into your dishwasher when it's open - just sayin), and some of the sharp knee pain I've experienced occasionally - recently - going up or down stairs has vanished. I slowly, carefully, knock on wood about that. I figured the knee pain was a reminder that I need to lose weight AND that I am not getting any younger.
So we'll leave that alone for now. I rolled out of bed yesterday and headed to my favorite spa for a little, ummm, maintenance. And I actually got there early enough to head into the Starbucks across the street and relax a little. Lo and behold I had a Starbucks gift card hiding deep in my wallet I'd completely forgotten about! Bonus!
I tried my first ever salted caramel mocha. With half the usual chocolate as someone suggested. Delicious! I sat outside at one of the small tables, browsed Facebook on my phone and just savored my coffee. This is freakin' late October, people, and it's sunny and I'm sitting outside enjoying the changing leaves, slight breeze, and a beautiful view of Lake Washington. Amazing!
I've known my esthetician, M, for probably 10 years and she is wonderful to chat with. As we were waiting for the eyebrow tint to work its magic she said you HAVE to come check out the knitware we have in the front of the spa. It's flying off the shelves and the prices are amazing (amazing as in low, ha ha).
Sure enough...a few minutes later I picked up a black infinity scarf and a medium grey toque with a fleur de lis design in grey bling on one side. LOVE IT! I loved it so much I immediately cut off the tags and wore it running errands the rest of the afternoon. Perfect new fall accessories! And they were $40 total - yes for both! If you haven't tried an infinity scarf, check them out. It's a scarf that's in one continuous loop - so easy to just plop on and it always looks great! And doesn't fall off either. I actually have this one on its way in the silvery knit from the nice people at Nordstrom. It will go perfect with my new toque!
Now it's time to get caught up on reading, cook up some chicken for an early dinner and get ready for hockey later tonight. Best way ever to wrap up a weekend!
Finally. Sweet, glorious summer. REAL summer.
Excuse my 5th generation Seattle bias, but when the sun shines here, there's nowhere on Earth more beautiful. I snapped this picture with my phone killing time before my pedicure yesterday. One of those blissfully indulgent Saturdays where that was the only thing on my to-do list. Rough life, right?
And look at that view. This is the marina at Carillon Point in Kirkland, WA, just about a 10 minute drive from my house. It was a postcard-perfect day...and while it's hard to see in the picture, you can barely see the outline of the Olympic Mountains along the horizon toward the right. If it was a little less hazy they would have been out and proud, sprinkled in snow. That's Lake Washington, looking west toward Seattle. All glisten-y.
My pedicure was not until 4pm so I had about an hour to walk around and drink in the sun and the view. Carillon Point is a wonderful collection of shops and restaurants along the marina, and there's a very nice hotel and spa too. I grabbed an iced coffee at the Starbucks and just let myself mentally unwind. And remember.
This place is so deeply steeped in memories. How many hairstyles did I go through over the 10 years the hair salon was here? I remember my brother and sister-in-law's rehearsal dinner in 1997, in a gorgeous room with a view just like that picture. And I was chosen to participate in a Neiman Marcus focus group here a few years ago - a bunch of us met in a conference room in one of the office buildings.
I walked out onto the dock as far as I could, looking out over the water, feeling the warm breeze wash over me. Huge boats. This is where I had a first kiss with my then-boyfriend in 2000. Wow...ten years ago! I thought back on all of that, my mind floating, then suddenly heard a large whooping and cheering back on the marina steps. What was it? Oh, there was a wedding going on too - this place is hugely popular for that!
Later I strolled back to the marina steps and watched kayackers paddling along. For all gorgeous the weather was, the lake was pretty choppy. I giggled to myself, remembering probably one of the most original first dates I've ever been on. This was around 2005ish I think. I met D online and after some emailing and talking on the phone he asked me to dinner. But no meeting at the restaurant for us, oh no no no...we met at a boat launch ramp where he was waiting with two kayaks. Yep, we kayaked to Carillon Point, tied up along the dock right near the Beach Cafe and had dinner! Oh, and paddled back too, with a gorgeous sunset behind the mountains as backdrop. It was kind of fun making an entrance to the restaurant via the water. Looking back on it, was I crazy? I mean, a first date...on the water? If I'd been the least bit worried he could have been psycho, meaning that I could have ended up at the bottom of the lake, I wouldn't have agreed to it of course. My gut was right - and he and I did go on a few more dates after that. Nice guy, but the chemistry wasn't quite clicking for us. But I gotta hand it to him for being a perfect gentleman and very funny. And creative!
So I headed into the spa, dizzy with memories and sunshine. This was my second pedicure with S in about two months and I think I will stick with her. That's pretty huge in my book because I probably get pedicures two or three times a year at the most. Not really a priority for me, or I just do my toes myself. But S is amazing. She is absolutely meticulous with her work and it shows. No complaints here. A 90 minute pedicure? Ahhh. Who knew there was topcoat with UV protection in it?
S has a whimsical sense of humor - she just cracks me up. And we can talk hockey too - she's from Vancouver originally (go Canucks!). Too funny how I sit here trying to remember some things we talked and laughed about. My mind is blank, but trust me, we were giggling the entire time.
Oh wait, I do remember one thing. We were talking about travel and I remembered oh yeah, I've got to get my passport renewed. She said oh yes, you better get right on that! Why? She is convinced I'm going to fall in love with and marry a handsome, Swedish billionaire. Named Sven. And a girl's gotta have a passport ready for those spur of the moment trips!
Ummm, I'm OK with this. Really and truly.
And, frankly, some of the most important work I have to do - take care of myself...look out for Numero Uno. Selfish? Nope - essential.
I love, love, love to write. And yet the writing I do at work, while I'm proud of it and I think I've got a good style, doesn't really feed my soul. Hence, this blog and other outlets.
It's Sunday and the air is full of sunshine, warmth and delicious smells. Cut grass. Barbecues. Does sunshine have a smell? If so, it smells great outside. I even heard the ice cream truck's clankety music earlier today.
A long, soggy and cold spring it has been...maybe, just maybe we've gotten past most of that, but on the other hand most of us know that summer doesn't officially start until after the 4th of July around here. We'll take these warm days meanwhile.
So what's the work today? Polishing up my resume. And networking. How time flies. Yes, it's time for me to get back out there and network again, as my current job assignment wraps up at the end of June. Am I surprised? Nope. The writing was on the wall in tons of ways two months ago, plus the end of June is end of fiscal year at this particular client, so it's definitely nothing personal; I am one of many who will be finishing up here in the next few weeks. This engagement - 13 months - has actually been my longest ever since I pulled the plug on longterm employment and began doing consulting gigs.
I'm definitely feeling a lot more confident this time around. Hell, it's not 2009 anymore. The job market is improving, and it seems overall there's a happier vibe out there - not sure how to pinpoint it. Perhaps some of that is ME being happier too. Choose your attitude, right??
And what a fun kickoff to the weekend...tiptoed out of the office a tad early to head over to my friend M's new law offices for a housewarming - and a jewelry show too! We had a fabulous combo of a sunny late afternoon - her conference room has a deck right off of it, a wonderful wine and munchies spread from M, and time playing with jewelry! I made about $200 in commission too - not too shabby getting paid to party, frankly!
I had a glorious sunny Saturday with my dear friend J, who treated me to a belated birthday lunch at Purple, a wonderful wine bar not far from our famous wineries in the deep Seattle suburbs. And they have fantastic food too. We then hit the Burke Gilman trail for a walk in the sunshine - yay that I remembered to plop on some sunscreen ahead of time. She and I chat on IM quite a bit so it's always fun to reconnect in person!
I woke up today - Sunday - knowing it was time to get to work. Time to get that resume up to date and circulated. So I spent a few hours today here in the home office doing that plus getting on the phone and calling a bunch of colleagues/friends to let them know my status and availability.
And then I got 'gripped' down in my office chair here. STAY AND WORK. Wha??? I had a hockey game tonight, but something deep within me said DON'T GO, you NEED to stay here and network. Call me crazy, but I do realize these instincts deep in my core need my full attention. So I opted not to skate tonight. Why would my instincts tell me not to skate tonight when I'm feeling perfectly healthy and ready to work off some muscle soreness from walking by...well...playing hockey? One of my favorite outlets ever?
I don't know. And I have learned to not question these strong pulls, as crazy as they sound written in words here. Maybe in some dark, warped way I wasn't supposed to be driving to that rink tonight because there would have been some horrible accident. I know, I know, that's a little 'out there.'
I do know that everything happens as it's supposed to. We don't always know it at the time, but it's so incredibly true.
And now I must get back to my contact spreadsheet updating - going on nearly 20 outreaches tonight and I'm just getting started!
