Oh man ohmanohmanohman...I am sitting here grinning ear to ear, sunshine streaming into the home office...and...
It's. Only. 11am!! Not noon!
Seriously, people, our flip back to Standard Time (clocks go back one hour) is my most FAVORITE time of the year. Payback...we balance the books. It's no secret DST kicks my ass when we lose that hour in the spring. I feel jetlagged that entire week, and perpetually stressed that I am constantly running late. Tired + late = bad combination.
But now, time to chill. I woke up Saturday just knowing this morning was coming. Kinda poked around the house and later, fueled by a salted caramel mocha from a Starbucks drive thru (which I RARELY do even though there is one just 5 seconds from my house), I drove out to visit my dear friend T in Sammamish. She's going to do a Silpada party later in December - an absolutely perfect time to host a party as it's prime time shopping season! Blue sky, leaves turning - ahhh anytime I need to whip out sunglasses in November I am a happy girl.
I had a major sushi craving as I was driving home, and swung by the Metropolitan Market to pick up some other groceries too. I used to commute through the Houghton neighborhood a couple of years ago when I briefly worked in Kirkland and I miss it. The Metropolitan Market is absolutely amazing, and the people who work there have their shit together. Nice, knowledgeable, energetic. You can just "feel" it when you walk in.
So I grabbed some pre-made sushi (it's actually pretty decent as they make it fresh right there in the store), got home and added an extra blob of wasabi and a few shakes of Nama Shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce as recommended in my raw food cookbooks). Even found my chopsticks too! Bliss.
...almost as blissful as sleeping in today until 10am (which really was 11am but I remembered to turn the clocks back tonight - oops, well most of them). Funny how my cell phone didn't make the automatic change (booo) but the old, crappy laptop here sure did.
So that's about it. Just enjoying a nice, lazy weekend - hockey is the big exclamation point later tonight. Can't wait!
And the nice people at amazon.com are sending me a book that was very highly recommended by my new friend D. I'll leave it at that for now - it's on it way and I will likely have my first ever book review post in here soon!
I'm really feeling the passion and energy from this new job now even more! The team is one of the most collaborative I have worked with in years, and I've just turned that mental corner where you "click" and REALLY jump into another layer of understanding of just what exactly we're going to do and when we want to get everything finished. This is a natural part of my ramp-up with new a consulting gig...I KNOW there's a ton of stuff to do but don't know the subject matter indepth...yet.
So I came home on Friday after a mentally fulfilling and yet exhausting week too. I was ready to relax, heat up some leftover pasta and just veg. But first, as I always do when I get home, I went upstairs to check email here in the home office. Rather than seeing my usual, soothing aquarium-themed screen saver, I saw IT. The loathed, despised...BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH!
Duhn duhn duhnnnnnnnnnnn....or maybe wahn wahn wahnnnnn sad trombone sound. Pick your dramatic music of choice.
Thankfully I haven't seen a BSOD in years. I looked closer at this new screen booger, skimmed over a bunch of gobbledeegook and then this jumped out at me: Bad Pool Caller.
Now, I appreciate technology and all even though I'm no coding expert. A bad pool caller? Sounds like a crappy judge in a swim or dive meet. Flashbacks to our neighborhood pool when I was a kid - all those swimming and diving competitions.
So, after restarting the laptop and praying it boots up alright (whew, it does), I go online and search on this strange error. Turns out there's a ton of stuff out there about it. What's true and what's not? Well, the windowstalk blog seems to sum it up pretty well in plain English: "The 'bad pool caller' error is shown when Windows is not able to access the data-pool that it requires to run. The data pool is the technical term used to describe all the settings and options that your computer may require whenever it’s running, and as you may have guessed, it’s constantly being 'called' to help your computer run as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, there are many occasions where Windows will try and call a setting from the data pool, only to have it show an error."
What's one of the recommended fixes? Try using a registry cleaner. Hmmm...for years I did use one. I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but I ran it every few days or so, it would call out errors and fix them and I'd pay my $30 subscription fee every year. And never had any problems or issues with it nor with this laptop in general come to think of it.
But a couple of months ago I got hit with a bad computer virus, which took over 4 hours of phone time with Dell to troubleshoot and clean. Viruses suck. And there's no way to tell when or how your computer got infected. I learned that viruses can lie dormant for long periods of time and then suddenly spring to life. Hell, when you're on the phone with a tech all those hours you might as well ask and learn.
Part of that troubleshooting was to remove any sort of accessory type thingy. The tech was convinced my registry cleaner, among other things, was no good so I agreed to have him removed it (over the phone remote connectivity stuff is pretty cool). We removed pretty much everything...he even was convinced my Google Desktop search agent had been downloaded from an unauthorized source. So I felt like I was getting a mega computer antibiotic that cleared out the good stuff as well as the bad. Bottom line, no more virus.
And (but?) now, this blue screen. Anyway I poked around and found a different registry cleaner to try. And it seems to have good reviews. Do I dare dive into this again?
I signed up with it for a year. A tad reluctant, but also a little relieved that this might just be one way to bandaid any problems with this ancient laptop before I pull the trigger on a new one. Why reluctant? Yeah, well, earlier this year I had to cancel my debit card because I thought it might have been compromised online. Better safe than sorry, so I got a new one issued. I used a credit card I hardly ever use for this new registry cleaning program, so if for some reason it's a problem they don't have my bank account number.
So, after a few 'cleans,' no more blue screens and we *seem* to be alright. Dodged a boulder...maybe.
I also got some great girl-time in this weekend too...nothing is both more energizing and relaxing to me all at the same time. Love it. L and I went on a long-overdue walk around our neighborhood to reconnect yesterday. I'm feeling a little sore today too which is a good sign! And I drove down to S's place this afternoon for a mini spa and facial party.
Most of you who tune in here regularly probably know I'm a makeup junkie. I have zero brand loyalty...I do have my favorites but will try just about anything meanwhile.
At S's party we had fun playing around with a product line she represents - Artistry. It's part of Amway Global. Yes, Amway Global! Surprised they have a makeup line? Don't be...and it's top notch stuff. We had fun pampering ourselves with some cleansing and exfoliating products, hot towels and all. Sipping on wine and enjoying fabulous munchies meanwhile.
After we did our mini facials we played with makeup and got matched for our colors in foundations and tinted moisturizers. WOW, I'm very impressed with the foundation S recommended for me and can't wait to get it! I've tried just about every brand out there over 30+ years and this one really did a great job evening out my ruddiness and giving good overall coverage without being too cakey or grippy. Even now it still looks fresh after a few hours...with no primer underneath (I swear by primer, always). Nice. I also love how it comes in a pump-style dispenser...much more sanitary than a jar and lid.
I also fell in love with the light-up lip gloss. This is stuff of genius...a lipgloss that has a small mirror on one side of the tube, and tiny lights that light up at the base of the wand when you pull it out. So, you can easily touch up your lips and do the good ol' teeth check in the tiny mirror...love it!
Rounding out my mini-haul today...a green tea-scented lotion and body wash (two huge containers for just $15 total? Unreal.) and a liquid facial cleanser I tried out today. While I'm picky about skincare, I am open to trying just about anything that is not too drying and not overly-scented. This cleanser has a very light outdoorsy and citrusy scent...so subtle it's hard to pin down...perfect in my book.
Four great products for $95 including shipping and tax? Oh yeahhhh...
And we're going on almost 72 hours here with no BSOD. Yep it's a great weekend alright.
I can now just about count on one hand the number of people I know where the first part of March truly is...a march. An emotional, gut-wrenching march. Is it the battle of Fledgling Spring vs. Late Winter out there? Is it the lingering end of the February "blahs" (see my last post). What IS it about this time of year? And the whole 'in like a Lion' thingy too, with a nod way back to elementary school years. Yep, in like a lion - out like a lamb. Guess we'll see how Lamb-y the month wraps up.
This stupid cold morphed into an even more stupid hacking, lingering cough. Billions and billions of hackhackhacks and seemingly gallons of phlegm. Good lordy already I've felt like ripping my sinuses out. And I actually took a true "sick day" from work on Tuesday, where I pretty much shut off my laptop and phone and said hey kids, sorry, this shop's closed. And went through a bottle of cough syrup in about 2 days too. The next day I had an early morning presentation to finish up and preview with my manager, plus some hard finger crossing that I could get through it without a major coughing fit.
I did and it went well. The major coughing fit actually happened later at the end of the day, when I stepped out of the office to meet up with my Director at the consulting firm who placed me in this current work assignment. After about an hour of talking and white boarding with him, I suddenly burst into a coughing fit, one where I had to bolt to the ladies room and just hack until it subsided. Hilarious! OK, it is now but at the time extremely embarrassing. No, I'm not crying...really. My throat and voice are just shot. And when that happens, my eyes water. Yay me.
And evening conversation. G's father passed away two years ago on March 2. He came by and we talked about this and other things and you know, I really don't want to elaborate in here. Not that the whole friggin' world reads this blog, but some things need to stay deliciously private. And they will.
Can you feel even closer to someone while learning at the very same time that there's so much more to that special someone that you don't yet know? But (and?) as you listen with every fiber of your being, saying something like "Man, I know how you feel," rings fake and hollow. Because I can't possibly know. I can't possibly. But my Care is bottomless.
I do know the feeling of deep, deep feelings woven in with our lifelong memories...like one's life as a big lake or ocean where some parts are calm while others are chock full of weeds or logjams. And there are cool, sexy waterfalls, swirling currents...and in some places dangerous undertow. Old patterns that we all have and we are so seductively drawn to, however destructive they might be. But they're familiar, right? Do we get sucked in, tugged and pulled back under again, or do we learn how to manage the deep tides, rhythms and storms that wax and wane inside us...when can you get close to your undertow? When do you steer far clear? And when do we learn how to swim through it all? Or how to tread water? Perhaps it's a lifelong Learning Swim.
B passed away 3 years ago on the 3rd. She was a dear friend from the hockey league and just an absolute joy. She had a game late in the evening of March 2nd. I'd seen her a couple nights prior at a Silvertips game with K, the guy who I was dating at the time - she was working one of the raffle tables in the arena. I gave her a huge hug and introduced her to K. And that was the last time I ever saw her. For during the last period of her team game two nights later on the 2nd, she suddenly was having trouble breathing on the bench. Game stopped, paramedics called. They did everything they possibly could but we lost her early that next morning. An aortic aneurism they said.
And I sobbed and sobbed. Sobbed so much I was sobbing that next morning while plumbers were at my house trying to fix a massive, unexpected overnight water leak in my garage. Hey guys, a friend of mine died last night, but carry on with what you're doing.
I'll never forget B. Her laugh, smile and warm heart. I have her initials and her beloved (jersey) #8 on my helmet in tribute.
On Friday I was chugging away at work - I share a large cubicle now with a co-worker - we've all just moved to a different building. And I sensed something a little 'off.' When I turned to glance over my shoulder, she was crying. Whaaa? L'd just found out a good friend lost a hardfought cancer battle. And my heart broke.
I fell into the weekend physically and mentally exhausted. G invited me over for dinner and for dessert-making for his Supper Club gathering which was the following evening. We had a relaxing evening combined with cooking projects, and were both so spent when we were done that 10pm felt like 2am. Sleeeeeeeeep.
G's Supper Club rotates hosting between 5 different couples - the theme changes each time too. Plus, the hosting couple gets to invite a sixth Guest couple of their choosing. Food themes? Well, sometimes No Theme is the theme and that's what Saturday's dinner was. Exquisite food, warm company and conversation. From potato leek soup with creme fraiche, parlsey and bacon...to arugula, pine nuts and goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto, to a mixed green salad with shallots, an incredible vinegar dressing plus small puffs of fried, breaded goat cheese nestled on top...to homemade duck sausage corn dogs with hand-crafted curry mustard, lamb sliders with aoli, lettuce and tomato on homemade brioche buns (and fingerling potato chips)...to dessert.
When I passed out pint glasses partially filled with Guiness for 'dessert', the table went abuzz. Just what in the heck were G and I going to serve up? Then, shot glasses filled with a mix of Jameson and Baileys. And beautifully-plated homemade vanilla bean ice cream with (homemade) chocolate dipping sauce and chocolate chip cookies with hazlenuts and cacao nibs. Yep, you drop that shot glass into your pint glass and Bottoms Up, my friend. That's an Irish Immigrant Car Bomb, by the way...a nod to G, Sr.
It felt good to reconnect with G by spending a good chunk of the weekend together. Let's face it, he'd been in Australia for two weeks and then he and I were each some sort of Sick for a week or two following that. Quarantined from eachother and tired for so many different reasons emotionally and physically. Perhaps now things will resume some sort of 'normal,' whatever that might be. I feel happy and relaxed with him and am enjoying this still-new journey we're on together. With emphasis on new, of course. What's yet to become we don't know. We talk about future things we want to do together - plans which make me smile in anticipation of experiencing more things together...and yet I can't help but stick the cautious card in there too. Is that OK, I have to wonder? Or this me trying to go full speed with the brakes on, my old self-protecting patterns? I don't know what about that is healthy or what is not. I just know I have to be true to myself, honest and open-hearted. And not self-doubt or second guess.
My eyes sparkle and my heart flutters when I'm with him. There's much, much more beyond that, but I think that's a great place to start.
And March marches on.
