Time for an update
It has been quite some time since I posted anything of substance.
It has been a beautiful summer here. I am not ready for fall yet. I don't yet want to talk about or think about curling - but I have to start soon. The first open house is just a month away.
....which also means that my break from alcohol is a month away. I decided that I want to take a break from the booze. I'm going to stop drinking after the first open house (Sept 26) and not have anything until New Year's Eve. I do not think I have a problem, but with a family history of alcoholism, I think it is a good idea to make sure I have no trouble taking a break.
Steve's parents came to visit in early July and we had a great visit. Maria is very smart - she had them go home on Thursday, instead of staying the full week they could have. We never experienced a 'fish and guests tend to smell' moment. Maria let me take care of them, too, so there was no power struggle there. We took them out to Salty's for brunch, and we laughed and laughed, because Steve and his dad ordered a bottle of red wine - at 10:30 am! :-) We also took them to Steve's favourite steakhouse for dinner on Steve's birthday. I think it was a bit overwhelming for Manuel at first, but our server was very nice and helped to put Manuel at ease - as did the bottle of red wine he and Steve drank. :-) We also took one day and drove around Mount Rainier. That was a very fun day and Maria really loved it.
I went to New Jersey last week to negotiate a contract with one of our vendors. It was mostly a good trip. I got voluntarily bumped on Monday morning and went out Monday afternoon instead. I sat in the lounge all day and worked and watched airplanes, and then got to fly first class and got a free ticket anywhere Alaska flies. Works for me! :-) Only problem was that then I got to NJ at 11:30 pm and to the hotel around 12:30, but I can never get to sleep that first night anyway. Then I got bumped up again on the way home! That was very nice. The week at work was pretty good, and it was nice to see my team - I hadn't been to NJ since February. I went over to Dixon and Catherine's, my curling friends, and visited with their kids. Natalie is 3 and I really like her. I don't like many kids but I like her. Henry is about 1.5 and he's in that drunken little man toddling stage. He's a hoot. I also went into Newark with my friend Debbie for Portuguese food. I ducked out of work a bit early and we did some shopping in the Ironbound before dinner. I got another two pieces of Portuguese pottery for my little collection. I have to go back to NJ in a week, right after Labour Day.
I have had a very interesting work development. Toni, who was one of the people who caused me to be hired at my current company, and who is now quite high up, asked me to get involved with a UK project, which is eventually intended to expand to the rest of Europe and the Middle East, and on to Asia. This is going to be very interesting! I'm very pleased to be asked because at some point my team's US work will be greatly reduced, and we'll have to have something to move on to. Global work is our next path, so this starts us down it. I get to work with my best work friend, Michelle, on this UK project so that's good. I think I will have to go to London in late September. Toni's talking about taking her global group to Singapore as well - that might include me - that would be amazing!! This UK project has to be added on top of my usual work, but that's okay - I was not working at capacity by any means. It's going to make me much more busy though.
Walker continues to do very well. He still gains weight between every vet visit. He's energetic and affectionate - he's himself. It is wonderful. We are trying not take this time for granted. He had an abdominal ultrasound in July so his sides are shaved, and because of the prednisone, I suspect, the fur is not growing back fast at all. I think we may have to get him a little sweater for the winter!
Furssy just climbed on my lap and is kneading my belly and pawing at my arm. What he really wants is boobs - there he goes! I hate it when he does that. He's my boob-man cat for sure! Emily is her own self as usual, trying to kill us every day, although she usually has a loving time too.
Steve is doing pretty well - he seems to be well-appreciated for his hard work. He will be getting a new camera soon, I think. I love him. :-)
Apparently I have lost a bit of weight. Steve commented on it recently, and so did my coworkers in NJ. I also fit into a skirt I could not get done up last year, so I must have lost some. I have been doing yoga a couple of times a week, and walking, and doing a lot of yard work, so probably that has something to do with it.
We are going to Hawaii for a quick trip in December. We got an offer to stay at a Marriott timeshare resort for cheap if we would listen to a sales presentation. We took them up on it. Won't be buying, but it's $700 for five nights, and this includes a car. Not bad at all.
I think that is about it!
It has been a beautiful summer here. I am not ready for fall yet. I don't yet want to talk about or think about curling - but I have to start soon. The first open house is just a month away.
....which also means that my break from alcohol is a month away. I decided that I want to take a break from the booze. I'm going to stop drinking after the first open house (Sept 26) and not have anything until New Year's Eve. I do not think I have a problem, but with a family history of alcoholism, I think it is a good idea to make sure I have no trouble taking a break.
Steve's parents came to visit in early July and we had a great visit. Maria is very smart - she had them go home on Thursday, instead of staying the full week they could have. We never experienced a 'fish and guests tend to smell' moment. Maria let me take care of them, too, so there was no power struggle there. We took them out to Salty's for brunch, and we laughed and laughed, because Steve and his dad ordered a bottle of red wine - at 10:30 am! :-) We also took them to Steve's favourite steakhouse for dinner on Steve's birthday. I think it was a bit overwhelming for Manuel at first, but our server was very nice and helped to put Manuel at ease - as did the bottle of red wine he and Steve drank. :-) We also took one day and drove around Mount Rainier. That was a very fun day and Maria really loved it.
I went to New Jersey last week to negotiate a contract with one of our vendors. It was mostly a good trip. I got voluntarily bumped on Monday morning and went out Monday afternoon instead. I sat in the lounge all day and worked and watched airplanes, and then got to fly first class and got a free ticket anywhere Alaska flies. Works for me! :-) Only problem was that then I got to NJ at 11:30 pm and to the hotel around 12:30, but I can never get to sleep that first night anyway. Then I got bumped up again on the way home! That was very nice. The week at work was pretty good, and it was nice to see my team - I hadn't been to NJ since February. I went over to Dixon and Catherine's, my curling friends, and visited with their kids. Natalie is 3 and I really like her. I don't like many kids but I like her. Henry is about 1.5 and he's in that drunken little man toddling stage. He's a hoot. I also went into Newark with my friend Debbie for Portuguese food. I ducked out of work a bit early and we did some shopping in the Ironbound before dinner. I got another two pieces of Portuguese pottery for my little collection. I have to go back to NJ in a week, right after Labour Day.
I have had a very interesting work development. Toni, who was one of the people who caused me to be hired at my current company, and who is now quite high up, asked me to get involved with a UK project, which is eventually intended to expand to the rest of Europe and the Middle East, and on to Asia. This is going to be very interesting! I'm very pleased to be asked because at some point my team's US work will be greatly reduced, and we'll have to have something to move on to. Global work is our next path, so this starts us down it. I get to work with my best work friend, Michelle, on this UK project so that's good. I think I will have to go to London in late September. Toni's talking about taking her global group to Singapore as well - that might include me - that would be amazing!! This UK project has to be added on top of my usual work, but that's okay - I was not working at capacity by any means. It's going to make me much more busy though.
Walker continues to do very well. He still gains weight between every vet visit. He's energetic and affectionate - he's himself. It is wonderful. We are trying not take this time for granted. He had an abdominal ultrasound in July so his sides are shaved, and because of the prednisone, I suspect, the fur is not growing back fast at all. I think we may have to get him a little sweater for the winter!
Furssy just climbed on my lap and is kneading my belly and pawing at my arm. What he really wants is boobs - there he goes! I hate it when he does that. He's my boob-man cat for sure! Emily is her own self as usual, trying to kill us every day, although she usually has a loving time too.
Steve is doing pretty well - he seems to be well-appreciated for his hard work. He will be getting a new camera soon, I think. I love him. :-)
Apparently I have lost a bit of weight. Steve commented on it recently, and so did my coworkers in NJ. I also fit into a skirt I could not get done up last year, so I must have lost some. I have been doing yoga a couple of times a week, and walking, and doing a lot of yard work, so probably that has something to do with it.
We are going to Hawaii for a quick trip in December. We got an offer to stay at a Marriott timeshare resort for cheap if we would listen to a sales presentation. We took them up on it. Won't be buying, but it's $700 for five nights, and this includes a car. Not bad at all.
I think that is about it!