resolving.

I think my "New Year's Resolution" (I don't usually make any whatsoever, so take this with a grain of salt!) is going to be to post more on my blog...especially about my return to Connecticut, and what it's taken for me to settle back in here. For quite some time I was loath to even admit that I was back here, a state I never really wanted to end up in, and newly single again after four (long) years. However, I've decided to start 2009 with a clean breast and a fresh slate and all that jazz (did I mix up those metaphors? hmm). It's been really a very difficult year for me, but I'm growing used to being here, and really giving it my all. I'm trying to find a niche for myself here. I don't plan to stay here for good, certainly, but for the time being it's been nice to be able to save a little bit of money and slow my life's pace down a bit (sometimes too much for me, though!). It's been a time of self-discovery, as I try to figure out Big Questions, such as where I want to live next (fun) and what I ultimately want to do be when I grow up (librarian, perhaps?). Everything is still seriously up in the air; maybe I should have started documenting all of this sooner, but oh well. Here I am now. And you all will get the exciting opportunity to watch me make big decisions (eep) and, hopefully metamorphosize into much more of the woman that I want to be.

Wish me luck??

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Duty AUTHOR: Bob Greene
	TITLE: I Want That!: How We All Became Shoppers AUTHOR: Thomas Hine
	TITLE: Bleak House AUTHOR: Charles Dickens

ghost parking lot

Spurred into curiosity by villagecharm, who recently posted about Connecticut, er, curiosities, I was doing a bit of reading up on such things, and stumbled across this gem, which I am so upset that I never got a chance to see:


Ghost Parking Lot
(photo courtesy of: wonderland of awesome)

Boy, that must've been a sight to see...even if it doesn't appear to have been kept up very well....

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid AUTHOR: Bill Bryson
	TITLE: Bleak House AUTHOR: Charles Dickens
	TITLE: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde AUTHOR: Robert Louis Stevenson

whoops...

...look what I did:



No, that's not some sort of optical illusion - we have mug hooks under our cabinets, and while putting dishes into the dish drain this morning, I accidentally hit one of the hanging mugs and knocked it down. It did some impressive falling and cracking, such that it split evenly into two almost precisely-halved pieces. I'm more impressed with myself and my "breaking skills" than anything else, especially because I don't much care about those mugs - they were passed on from my mother's overstock, so they weren't particularly close to anyone's heart.

I'm just glad I won't be cleaning up pottery shards for the next several days! xo

up all night

Thanks, coffee.

I definitely learned a valuable lesson this weekend. On Friday, Augie & Luke had a really interesting discussion about Augie's plans to go home (it was already into the wee hours of the morning, so I suppose I should say "Saturday" instead) and drink some coffee before going to bed, so that when he woke up a few hours later, he'd be good and awake to drive to NY to pick up his friend. I was shocked - drink coffee before going to bed?!

But, I understood it all too well tonight.

After watching Music Within (really good!) at Sarah's, then stopping at Target to pick up a gift for Frosty's Friends (my sisters & I have made this a yearly tradition), I headed to Borders for the Central CT Knitting for the Greater Good meeting (wow, it was such a giving evening...), for which I am working on this blanket. I stopped at the coffee counter to get a gingerbread latte (I love seasonal drinks), as I normally do. I didn't even make it through half of the drink throughout the course of the evening, so I was not surprised while on my way home to find myself yawning. I was pleased by this, though, because I was feeling slightly run down, and I was hoping to get to bed early. My evening company had postponed to Monday night, so I finished watching Akira and then read a few pages before turning off the light to go to sleep. It was quite early for me - around 9:30 or so. I had a bit of trouble nodding off, but that's not abnormal for me no matter what time it is.

What was out of the ordinary was waking up at 3:45...and not being able to go back to sleep! I finished a book, I played around on my phone, I read more of another book, I caught up on my blog reading, I lay around thinking about all the things I should be doing while I was so awake and alert...and finally, I gave up the battle for sleep. My upstairs neighbor, who works construction and usually gets up around 4:30 or 5, was up after I was. Ugh.

I don't feel tired, and my body doesn't feel exhausted, but...I do feel like my eyes could close, if I were able to get my body to want to sleep. Blah. I just had a little snack (bad, I know, if I'm planning to try to catch another few minutes, but I was hungry!), and now I'm contemplating getting back in bed with a book. I probably won't sleep again (unfortunately - or fortunately? - all of the books I'm reading now are quite engaging), but at least I'll be "resting".

Bah. Coffee. Now I get why people drink decaf. I mean, I'm not going to anytime soon - I largely drink coffee for the caffeine, not for the taste (although it's certainly grown on me - but I'm more apt to pick up an energy drink if it comes down to that) - but, I can understand it now. Haha!

Hope everyone else out there is well-rested for the start of another week...xo

toothbrush, toothbrush, you've come back to me!

(Thanks to The State for the unforgettable title reference....)

Okay, so: I have purchased three new toothbrushes in the past month. Unbelievable, right? And this coming from a girl who buys once once every...maybe year? (Sorry, Liam.) It appears to be due to some odd mental block of mine - well, the first one, I bought because I needed a new toothbrush and actually thought to buy one. Okay, good start. The second one, I purchased because while I remembered every single other thing I needed to pack to house-sit for my sister, I managed to somehow forget a toothbrush. --Have I mentioned that my brother-in-law in a dentist? I don't know how I didn't think "dentist...toothbrush". But also, you'd think a dentist would have extra toothbrushes all over his house, right? My theory is that he hoards them all for himself.

In any case, the third I had to buy today, because I once again packed everything but the toothbrush. I guess it kind of makes sense; when I go through my bathroom gathering all the things I'll need - shampoo, conditioner, razor, face cleaner, moisturizer, etc. - I don't generally look at the toothbrush holder, since it's in its own separate place. But it's frustrating, because clean teeth is the one thing I absolutely must have. So, now I'm totally stocked up on toothbrushes for the next...3 years? :)

xo

busy week

This week has been so busy that I feel like my head is swimming from everything I need to remember to get done! I love it, though, in my own masochistic way; I'd missed that feeling from my days in Boston, when I'd have a meeting or rendezvous of some sort every night, and would find the nights when I got to stay in the rare - and cherished - occasion. I'm still working on finding a good balance here - unfortunately, there are very few groups that I can or want to get involved with in CT - but, it's getting better. I am keeping an eye out and certainly trying to be more social; I had needed that, too. Mostly right now I'm connecting with old friends, but it's been nice to come across the occasional very interesting new person, too.

A look back at my week thus far:

Friday: Birthday celebrations for Sarah K, at our group's favorite It's Only Natural! Complete with pumpkin ale and a sweet potato tart entree, so delicious.

Saturday: I cleaned Sarah & Liam's house before their arrival back from Spain, stopped at Mom & Dad's, then met up with Ant for what was supposed to be an On the Drop show, but ended up being pizza and watching a movie (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) at home. Following that, it was Girls Night at Tanya's with her, Adrienne, and Kirsten - we drank wine & watched Baby Mama. Both of this day's movies were...eh. But, I guess I hadn't expected anything more.

Sunday: A visit to the Atheneum with Renee, which was great! And FREE, thanks to the monthly Bank of America program. We parked a few blocks away in Hartford and ended up walking through a biker's festival (yes, motorcycles), which was kinda neat, too. It's interesting to see Hartford events, compared to those that take place in Boston or New York. Much quieter and low-key, although always there are those enthusiastic about their subject, no matter where it is. It was cute. And, the museum was lovely - I had forgotten some of the amazing pieces that are on display there. Plus, there was a special exhibit on quilts, which was really neat! A nice, cultured afternoon - and it was good to remind myself what depths of culture Hartford can have, as well. I'd like to take more advantage of that as I continue on here. (And later that evening, some wine and catching up with my housemate, which was lovely.)

Monday: Dinner, a quick stop at the craft store, and shoe-shopping with Sarah. An early night, but fun nonetheless.

Tuesday: Dinner at Aunt Yvonne & Alan's, in order to learn what was necessary to know for house-, dog-, and cat-sitting this Columbus Day weekend. We ordered delicious takeout Chinese and Aunt Yvonne and I had a lively discussion about books, which I always love. I am looking forward to spending time with Molly (the dog) and Corky (the cat). Great animals. I left around 9:30, which unfortunately was too late for meeting up for wine & sushi-making at Adrienne's, so we decided to reschedule. That worked out okay, though, because I got to catch some of the presidential debate when I got home.

Wednesday: I took Jen out for her birthday to our favorite Thai place, in West Hartford. Yum! We both ordered our favorite, pad thai with shrimp. Then we picked up a bit of ice cream and hung around at her house with her dogs, talking knitting and (of course) boys.

And, coming up:

Today: It's going to be kind of crazy: I have to go check on the pets all the way in West Hartford before I can return to Bristol for our first spinning group meeting...I'm talking wheels, not stationary bikes (and yes, I am an old woman at heart, I fully realize this). Then I plan to race over to Sarah's for our weekly The Office viewing...and I hope to catch a bit of the SNL prime time presidential special right afterwards, as well. That will be followed perhaps by some mah jongg, as per usual on Thursday nights (yes, I already told you, I know I'm an old lady). So, essentially, I have to hit the ground running the minute I'm done with work at 5 tonight. Oy.

Oh, did I mention I still also have to pack for staying at my aunt's? Yeah.

Tomorrow, I'll work at my aunt's and then a small group of us are thinking Dessert Night (live music & delicious cakes) at Sweet Harmony in Middletown...we'll see if we actually get up the energy for that, haha. Otherwise, I'm looking at a pretty quiet weekend compared to this week, which is unusual, but I'll definitely enjoy. I am looking forward to cozying up with the pets and some knitting or a book in my aunt's beautiful house.

For now, though, I've got to finish up work & then figure everything out for tonight! xo

p.s. Also, I know it looks like I'm reading a ton of books at once, but you have to understand my system: one is for reading at home, and that's usually a dense and or huge book that I don't feel like carrying around (right now, that'd be Anathem); one is for carrying with me everywhere in my bag, so I can read snippets of it here and there (in this case, Class Matters just replaced Consuming Kids); one I am audiobooking (Bleak House, which is beautifully read); and the fourth is my first experience with DailyLit, which I'm really enjoying thus far...especially with this current pick (Beowulf).

p.p.s. Sorry, I realize this was kind of a boring entry interesting to perhaps no one but myself...I'll try to post more interesting stuff soon. I have been getting better about posting, though, right?? :)

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Anathem AUTHOR: Neal Stephenson
	TITLE: Class Matters AUTHOR: The New York Times
	TITLE: Bleak House AUTHOR: Charles Dickens
	TITLE: Beowulf AUTHOR: Gummere

potpourri

I don't really know why I'm posting today, as I don't have much to say, I don't think. But, knowing me, I'll write a lot anyway.

I'm currently housesitting for my oldest sister, while she and her husband and brother-in-law are adventuring in Spain. (I'm jealous. Need to plan a vacation soon. SOON!) The house is very pretty and I'm quickly getting the hang of all of its little quirks. Mostly my jobs are small: empty the dehumidifier, take in the paper and mail, water a couple of plants. There are no pets, so this is very easy. I think they figured I'd enjoy the time in a real house instead of an apartment, rather than that they actually needed someone here, haha. I'm taking advantage of the big screen TV to watch movies (last night it was - finally! - Shaun of the Dead, which was hilariously awesome) and a very little bit of cable, although I'm (only a little) surprised to find how uninterested in most of it I am. I watched several episodes of The Cosby Show one evening, and The Simpsons and Family Guy on Sunday night (interspersed with 21 when shows I didn't want to watch were on), but other than that, I haven't even been watching much. I was hoping to get a lot more reading done this week because I thought it'd be a quiet one, but I've been surprisingly busy. Unfortunately, some events were less pleasant than others (a friend lost a loved one, which makes me tear up every time I think of it), but there were some lovely nights spent with Tanya (crafting & drinking together) and with my parents (we watched I, Robot). On Sunday, we celebrated my grandparents' 61st anniversary (I can't even fathom that...61 years of anything). And I baked up a batch of Rice Krispie treats last night on a whim. And um...what else? I think that's mostly everything. No wonder I'm tired right now.

Oh, and I am well on my way to becoming a professional house-sitter! Haha. In August it was my parents' house, this week it's my sister's, and my aunt wants me to housesit for her condo and pets (yay!) over the long Columbus Day weekend. Score - now, to just get the word out that I'm trustworthy & leave everything as I found it, so other people will think to ask me. I love these "mini vacations". It certainly does help that I can work from anywhere.

I've gotten a lot of knitting done here; I had brought over this huge bag of various projects, and the bag is almost empty! Crazy. I usually worry too much and bring way too many things to work on (same with books when I go anywhere), but this time I seem to have been justified in my overzealous preparations. I finished up a felted bag (all except for the felting) and have just a little bit left on an adorable baby vest - maybe I'll make that tonight's goal, as I will actually be alone in the house for the entire evening for only the second time, I think. I've also whipped up a ton more squares (maybe 20?) for our blanket project. And, I'm also working on a top for which I've got most of the back done. I'm here until Saturday; I'm thinking I may have to either go purchase more yarn, or stop back at home to pick up some replacement projects!

Hmm. What else? This week holds the weird honor of containing 4 of my good friends' birthdays, all in a row: October 1-4. So happy birthday to Jen, Julia, Sarah, and Abby! Best wishes for 27 and 28! :)

On that happy note, I'm going to leave y'all here. Sorry for the ramblings; I felt the urge to post today, but I suppose there wasn't really a point. I hope everyone is well & enjoying the lovely fall weather (if they are getting any where they are). xoxo

hip to hike

I went to the Bristol dog park yesterday night to meet up with Amber, Aaron, Kyle, and Joe, and I was surprised to find that we were going hiking through trails in the woods instead of just standing around while the dogs ran around in circles. Surprised when it was too late to go back and get my cane, which worried me briefly, but then I just gamely traveled on. And, to my great surprise, my hip didn't bother me at all! Not during the hike, not afterward, and not even this morning when I woke up. I hadn't even remembered to take my normal 600mg of ibuprofen yesterday, either, so I was expecting some misery. But things are good. Which is strange, because a few days before, I'd gone on a couple of walks around my parents' neighborhood with my mother and sisters, and my leg did hurt me then. I am wondering if the difference truly is between the impact of concrete on my joints compared to the relative "softness" of packed earth. Just something I've been thinking about....

In any case, last night was a lot of fun. I hadn't seen Amber or Aaron in something like 4 years, but they are fabulously easy to pick back up with like no time has passed at all. They're good people. We took a nice long hike (it felt so good to be exercising), then Aaron & I went grocery shopping together, and we all cooked dinner together back at Amber's apartment. I'm really disappointed that Amber is moving to FL next month, just when we've finally gotten back in touch! Things like this seem to happen all too often in my life. Blah.

In other news, work told us yesterday that we're no longer going to develop the product that I've been working on since January! But, luckily, I'm able to transfer to another product within the same group, so it'll be a bit of a transition, but hopefully not too difficult to get used to. I'm looking forward to seeing what this change'll be like.

Speaking of which, I should go back to reading the manual to familiarize myself with the new software.

Have a good Wednesday! xo