Tyler Florence and a house (not together) -> Week in Review, Day 224-230

~ joined the planning committee for the Leukemia & Lymphona Society's Light the Night event

~ stalled in my car. My reliable 1996 Honda that has barely given me a problem in its 14 years of service.

~ got an oil change at Oil Can Henry's but still have annoying "check engine" light staring at me.

~ flew to Reno. It was 25 minutes.

~ had dinner with Tyler Florence. OK, really, we had dinner in his new restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, and our table happened to be near the kitchen. So it was almost like eating with him the whole night.

~ talked to Tyler Florence. OK, really, he said goodbye to us as we were leaving.

~ went house shopping with a real estate agent. Exciting!

~ put a bid on a house - and got accepted!!!!!!!

Day 123 - Broke my style rules

I believe that if you are not working out or doing yard work, sweatpants do not have a place in public. Jeans are pretty dang comfortable so use them as an alternative to sweatpants.

There are few other things I believe: leggings are NOT pants, and a dress should NOT be worn over pants.

I wear sweatpants/yoga pants in the house and since I work from home, that's a lot. Today I was wearing my black straight-leg ones with a long red tank dress over it. It actually looked cute and I was comfy.

To beat tiredness, I decided to head to the local library for a change of scenery while I worked. Nothing else in my closet sounded remotely good to wear so I *gasp!* wore out what I had on. So that's (A) sweatpants plus (B) a dress over pants. I felt a bit awkward but got over it quickly. Half the people in the library were wearing sweatpants, and due to sitting, no one could see me anyways. So my perspective is changed a bit, but the important message about clothing still is: don't be lazy.

Day 118 - Celebrated

The response we received from our newsletter was overwhelming. Just such nice responses of support and congratulations. We are blessed to have these fabulous people in our lives. My ridiculously sweet friend Diana took me out for a glass of champagne in the early afternoon. I hadn't planned to do anything. Friends remind you that it's important to celebrate these moments and acceptable to toot your own horn sometimes. Take a break from routine and acknowledge these firsts, since they are rare and fleeting. Thank you, Diana, for treating me to more than just some good prosecco!

Day 109 - Ignored social media

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter – just couldn’t bring myself to look at them today. Too much to do to distract myself with those time sucks (as fun as they are).

Day 102 - Stumbled into stereotypes

My neighborhood is ripe with stereotypes. I'm sure your city/village/shire is like that, as well. People who just fit too perfectly into a mold that sprouted from the surroundings. I crossed into two today.

In downtown San Francisco, there is a Starbucks every block. I am not exaggerating. Sometimes, there is even two on one block which leads me to conclude that when it comes to 25 feet, people are really tired or think themselves too busy. The first group is a band of legitimate coffee drinkers, armed with a very, very large coffee to get them through the first hour of the day. I commiserate - I am not a morning person. The second group, however, are just poseurs. These people are always off to VERY important meetings, catching a sec with the VP of Whatever, on conference calls through lunch. They only way they could possibly survive such a day, such a week, is to get a coffee. And only the expensive kind because, you know, they get such a nice salary for being so important, they can only have the expensive stuff.

I don't know where I'm going with this - I just got fired up by poseurs and lost all direction.

Anyways, I did go to Starbucks today. In all my time working from cafes, I have come to appreciate and prefer the smaller shops, for both the handcrafted coffee and the support of mom-and-pop establishments. There I was, walking around the Financial District with my Starbucks, like I belonged there. I did for many years, but no longer. A poseur of a different kind, I guess.

By the time I got off the bus in my neighborhood, I was feeling ready for a snack. I returned to my newly-discovered frozen yogurt shop at 4th-grader rush hour. Never have I seen such chaos and a gaggle of moms who could not care any less. Boys were climbing on ledges. Girls were undecided and trying to out-do each other with toppings. One enterprising young girl was trying to convince the cashier to add a few extra punches to her frequent buyer card. I buy my yogurt, give my sympathies and thanks to the cashier, and stroll down the road.

About a block into my walk, I realize I have now crept into another role so rampant in this area. My neighborhood is filled with young 20-something girls walking around in workout clothes eating fro-yo. They are never sitting eating, they are never in normal clothing, and they never use full words where they can help it. So I found the nearest stoop, sat down in my jeans, and ate my frozen yogurt with no hurry. No stereotype, no poseur, just me.

Day 98 - Had a European lunch

Today I found myself on an outdoor patio on a beautiful day. I had been in the same spot for about an hour earlier, chatting with a friend. Unfortunately for her, she had to run off for another appointment, leaving me alone with the sunshine and a growling stomach. My plan to kill time before my next meeting was sidetracked by this luck. I had lunch here, which was actually not the unusual thing.

No, the strange part was that it felt strangely like sitting in a different country. The man across from me was reading the newspaper with reckless disregard for time. The business meeting next to him lasted for four hours. The tourists fresh from the conference center were excited and speaking French. I was eating quiche.

We were surrounded by beautiful flowers and fragrance. The courtyard seemed to fend off the tall buildings around us and the serious business they held. The sun seemed to be shining only here, the blue skies floating only over our heads.

These things never seem to happen and here they were, all happening at one time. It was a vacation in downtown San Francisco, and one I will not soon forget.

Day 91 - Became a concierge

My friend Tina runs a concierge business. Her jobs span from the mundane errands to the exciting wine tour. Out on vacation, she asked if I could fill in on one of her more routine (yes, mundane) jobs. I'm in. It included dry cleaning and waiting around for a food delivery. I found out I have no patience for this kind of thing - hence, why I'm not in her industry. But I'm thankful for the chance to walk an hour in her shoes and glimpse at what she works with every day. Any job you might be interested in? Give it a try for a day, see how it fits, and let me know how it goes.

Day 89 - Skipped the story

The institution locked its doors at night so no one would learn all the secrets stacked inside. The blinds were drawn, the lights shut off. The people were gone but the machine was still whirling. Once the clock changed to 12:00, the machine showed no sympathy. Good people were marked, their crime - and penalty - growing larger with each minute. There was no return.

It seems three weeks is just not enough for me to finish a book and return it to the library on time. With three days left, I was only half way through a 400-page book. I read books cover to cover but in my panic to finish, I started skimming paragraphs. Then skipping paragraphs. Then avoiding full pages. Gasp!

Day 82 - Realized how lame this is

Not the idea. I still think doing something new every day is spectacular. I just think a lot of mine are less than stellar. I hope you've been entertained anyways, even on the slow days. I'm sticking to this all year, but will try t step up my game and be more proactive. Any suggestions?

Day 81 - Lost myself in sleep

I woke up feeling tired - not a good sign. A few hours later, my body proclaimed it nap time. I don't think 4 hours is a "nap" - that's more like a night's sleep. And it was a mighty deep sleep, complete with weird dreams. By the time I felt fully awake six hours later, it was time to go to bed. ? ? ?

Day 77 - Had an appointment in New York

As great technology as it is, the phone and I have a long-standing feud. I have never liked talking on the phone, as I would just rather be face-to-face with someone. When possible, I skip the phone in favor of an email or letter. But I am slowly learning how stupid that is, and working to get over my aversion.

After many back-and-forth attempts to get in touch with my friend Trish in NY, we finally booked each other to talk tonight. On our calendars. It's easy to get busy and let weeks go by without catching up. And talk we did, for two and a half hours. I am now officially caught up on her life. It is so much better to hear someone's voice - the nuances, the laughter. Email just isn't the same.

Day 75 - Took a day off

I woke up feeling tired. Kissed Mr. Sound goodbye and went back to bed. So add two hours to my original eight. When I woke up the second time, I still felt really tired but dragged myself out of bed on the principle of it. The rest of the day was foggy, though the weather was the complete opposite of my situation. Ah, that's what it it. I have spring fever! Already, huh? It was the most gorgeous, warm, sunny day, making it hard to do anything. Except for a few obligations, I did not accomplish much today. Took a nap, because, you know, obviously I did not get enough sleep last night. It's OK - I'll be back bigger and better tomorrow.

Day 70 - Checked out a book

My SF library card was collecting dust. I remember how excited I was to get it, then threw it in a drawer. It has been resurrected to save myself from buying books. My friend Rebecca, through her own efforts, has inspired me to rethink my spending habits.

The book of honor? The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. I really wanted to read something by him on recommendation, and Bonfire of the Vanities was checked out. Have you read any Tom Wolfe books? What did you think?

Day 66 - Listened to silence

The drive from Tahoe to San Francisco is about 3.5 hours. As you begin the trek out of the resort, high in the mountains, radio stations are hard to come by. The two we have discovered and actually enjoy are a dance one and a 90s station. But after too much Akon and Milli Vanilli, silence was preferable. Mr. Sound's preference? I don't know because he was asleep. Just me and myself, with barely any thoughts in that bubble under my hair. Hmm, must be a result of the beer the night before. Oh, and the wine. Oh, yeah, and those three shots. It's amazing I remembered how to turn the car on.

Day 64 - Ruined my dinner

Not sure why I'm eating like a kid lately - popcorn, peanut butter and jelly, now this. I consciously ate about 30 minutes before dinner. Know what I had? A donut. Someone get Richard Simmons on the phone, NOW.

Day 63 - Made popcorn for breakfast

The old-fashioned way - cooking kernels in a big pot of hot oil, adding your own toppings. I just felt like it. I'm an adult - I'm not part of your system.

Day 58 - Avoided the computer

Writing in my job and also a hobby I really enjoy. So I find myself in front of the computer almost all the time. Even on Saturdays, I write here and there, for work or myself. Not today. Had a nice lunch with my friend Diana, sitting and chatting for a while. Then we had some beers outside in a blizzard. (That actually is not the first time we've done that.) What a great day. It was freeing and something I don't do often enough.

Day 22 - Used the telephone over email

I really dislike the telephone. It's ridiculous, I know. No, I do know. I recall a traumatic experience when I was younger, answering it and getting bad-mouthed by a gruff adult. Who would do that to a child? So anyways, not sure if it was that or the fact that I'm much better with words once I've had time to think and add facial expressions. SO I avoid the phone when I can.

But I'm trying to get over that because I know how foolish it is. It's much more personal than email and sometimes is just necessary. And I have wasted numerous hours writing emails and waiting for answers instead of just conducting a quick phone call. So as a positive step, I called five people I needed to talk to about work matters today. Five people! Stop laughing, that's really good for me. Really. Everything went well, no one yelled at me, it was all actually pretty nice. So expect to hear my voice coming down your line soon...

Day 17 - Chose TV above reality

Past Saturday morning cartoons as a kid, and a CSI marathon, I'm not a huge TV watcher. My husband Mr. Sound* usually likes to have it on in the background when he's working, which never works for me. If a TV is on in the room, I am drawn to it and cannot turn away. So in order to be productive, I avoid it when I can. Except for tonight. I walk in and immediately turn on the TV. Mr. Sound asks, "Who are you?" I sit riveted for the next hour and a half, ignoring him and all the things I was supposed to do.

The show was on the local PBS station, entitled Young@Heart. It's about a group of singers aged 73-89 in Northampton, MA and their interactions as part of this chorus. Please check it out. Inspiring, and never again will you say you're too old for anything.


P.S. - Repeatedly saying "my husband" sounds smug, like this Seinfeld episode. Look for him as Mr. Sound, since he's logical, solid and snores.

Day 4 – Shook a nap

Every day without fail, I get sleepy around 3:00. Since I work from home, there has been more than a few times that I lay down for a little nap. Sometimes it is a refreshing 30 minutes, but other times I accidentally wake up a few hours later. Not very productive. I am trying to break the cycle so went for a little walk right about the time I felt sleepy. Success! So that's one day...