End of the year potpourri
Belated happy birthday to swsa, and _jems_, and sugargroupie!
I'm back from the family visit, which featured lots and lots of sleep but very little computer time, and trying to work through a mile-long to-do list before going back to work. It turns out that sleep deficits pack a bigger wallop at 35 than 25--who knew? The proper family holiday traditions were observed: the Snarking, the Mocking, the Exchanging of Gift Cards, the Same Meal We've Been Eating for Christmas and Thanksgiving for the Past 30 Years, and the Watching of the Lord of the Rings, Extended Editions. My brother is waaaaaaay too invested in Gondor politics from the books.
Also, he's dating a woman named Alyson, which is just creepy. For some reason, he is not enthusiastic about passing along my request for her to change her name. She doesn't even spell it right!
D. was supposed to pick me up from the airport, but we both knew that wasn't going to happen. Last year, he was unable to make it because Mrs. D. had the baby the night before. Since she was really, really tired of being pregnant, we decided to arrange for him to pick me up from the airport so that she'd go into labor the night before this time too. I sent the email with my flight information on Wednesday, and she went into labor Thursday night, and they have a baby boy now.
I'm happy for them, and also terrified for what they're dealing with, with a newborn and a one-year old. Hopefully the lack of sleep will make it all a big blur. I was all set to make a big pot of chicken and andouille gumbo to freeze in single-serving containers for them, but alas, there is no okra to be found in any of the shops in my area, and since I'd already thawed the andouille, I had to make emergency backup jambalaya, which I don't think is going to freeze nearly as well.
* * * * *
I can't say I'm sorry to see the end of 2007, and I know a lot of y'all feel the same. I spent the first part of 2007 in an unholy work situation, and the second part of 2007 trying to achieve a better work-life balance--which I was actually doing pretty well on until December. Hopefully, December was an aberration; if not, at least it was a finite situation.
One thing I really wanted to do, and that was a big part of that balance, was start exercising regularly, and I did that; even with the craziness in December, I managed to keep running. Not coincidentally, I've lost 15 pounds and a dress size and developed an unholy obsession with bento lunches. (Exhibit A: there are very few good bento cookbooks in English; I just bought a Japanese one, and translating it is going to be interesting since my Japanese is so rusty the gears have frozen.)
I also worked on a super-secret project this year that I don't talk about here because there is very little chance of it seeing the light of day; but after a month's hiatus and a fresh reading, I think parts of it might not completely suck. As opposed to the parts of it that definitely do. It's been a tremendous learning experience so far, and I've only begun.
Fannishly, I've felt kind of disconnected this year, especially when it comes to reading fic. It's not you; it's me; there was a long stretch where I was having trouble engaging a number of different things on a number of different levels. I've been doing better about that lately, though most of what I was engaging with most recently was work, and for 2008 I'd like to be more fannishly engaged, a more active participant, less of a passive consumer.
I would also like to do something about the disgraceful jungle that is my back yard. We'll see!
Okay, off to get ready for what is hopefully going to be a low-key celebration.
Happy New Year!
I'm back from the family visit, which featured lots and lots of sleep but very little computer time, and trying to work through a mile-long to-do list before going back to work. It turns out that sleep deficits pack a bigger wallop at 35 than 25--who knew? The proper family holiday traditions were observed: the Snarking, the Mocking, the Exchanging of Gift Cards, the Same Meal We've Been Eating for Christmas and Thanksgiving for the Past 30 Years, and the Watching of the Lord of the Rings, Extended Editions. My brother is waaaaaaay too invested in Gondor politics from the books.
Also, he's dating a woman named Alyson, which is just creepy. For some reason, he is not enthusiastic about passing along my request for her to change her name. She doesn't even spell it right!
D. was supposed to pick me up from the airport, but we both knew that wasn't going to happen. Last year, he was unable to make it because Mrs. D. had the baby the night before. Since she was really, really tired of being pregnant, we decided to arrange for him to pick me up from the airport so that she'd go into labor the night before this time too. I sent the email with my flight information on Wednesday, and she went into labor Thursday night, and they have a baby boy now.
I'm happy for them, and also terrified for what they're dealing with, with a newborn and a one-year old. Hopefully the lack of sleep will make it all a big blur. I was all set to make a big pot of chicken and andouille gumbo to freeze in single-serving containers for them, but alas, there is no okra to be found in any of the shops in my area, and since I'd already thawed the andouille, I had to make emergency backup jambalaya, which I don't think is going to freeze nearly as well.
* * * * *
I can't say I'm sorry to see the end of 2007, and I know a lot of y'all feel the same. I spent the first part of 2007 in an unholy work situation, and the second part of 2007 trying to achieve a better work-life balance--which I was actually doing pretty well on until December. Hopefully, December was an aberration; if not, at least it was a finite situation.
One thing I really wanted to do, and that was a big part of that balance, was start exercising regularly, and I did that; even with the craziness in December, I managed to keep running. Not coincidentally, I've lost 15 pounds and a dress size and developed an unholy obsession with bento lunches. (Exhibit A: there are very few good bento cookbooks in English; I just bought a Japanese one, and translating it is going to be interesting since my Japanese is so rusty the gears have frozen.)
I also worked on a super-secret project this year that I don't talk about here because there is very little chance of it seeing the light of day; but after a month's hiatus and a fresh reading, I think parts of it might not completely suck. As opposed to the parts of it that definitely do. It's been a tremendous learning experience so far, and I've only begun.
Fannishly, I've felt kind of disconnected this year, especially when it comes to reading fic. It's not you; it's me; there was a long stretch where I was having trouble engaging a number of different things on a number of different levels. I've been doing better about that lately, though most of what I was engaging with most recently was work, and for 2008 I'd like to be more fannishly engaged, a more active participant, less of a passive consumer.
I would also like to do something about the disgraceful jungle that is my back yard. We'll see!
Okay, off to get ready for what is hopefully going to be a low-key celebration.
Happy New Year!