BashUp

I’M GLAD FOR:

Much greater responsibilities at work: I get very frustrated if I’m not using my full range of skills in a work situation. In the last three months, my responsibilities have tripled, and even though I grumbled about being swamped during holiday, I’ve also never felt more accomplished. Now, if the company will do right by me and formalize the situation come review time, all will be perfect. If not, hey, I’ve got a ton more to put on the old CV…

My two beautiful furkids: They’re purrfect!

My family: They are some cool, kooky folks…

Roadtrip: My once-in-a-lifetime experience with Janet and the boys this summer. We were a party and profit machine!

Fastball: Barry Zito crossing the bridge to play at SBC Park. Add him to Noah Lowry on the Giants’ pitching staff, and I’ll forget we don’t have JT Snow to drool over. Zito is one nice-looking boy. And once he gets going, he can sure pitch, too.

LOL: The laughs I enjoy courtesy my UK pal. He’s a one-off.

Great sistah-friends: Janet, Deb, Rani, Dyna and Plum are the best!

Dr. Marilyn Milkman: She’s been my doc for 10 years, and just happens to specialize in various surgical approaches to treating the condition I developed. She and her staff at UCSF Mount Zion took excellent care of me - things could not have gone better. She played a very big role in my life this year.

Much improved health: (see above) Can’t wait to see how I’ll feel when fully recovered.

A blue Congress.

Nyquil: It got me through the work hell that was December, 2006.

Gavin Newsom: San Francisco is a very liberal town, and I love that, but sometimes it loses sight of what is truly practical. Not Newsom. Instead of handing $500 a month to any homeless person who shows up here (and they came from everywhere for the handout), the mayor has taken that money and partnered with non-profit and faith-based organizations to greatly extend the amount of services offered to the homeless. People are being fed, housed and treated for their additctions instead of handed cash to further their addictions, keep them on the streets, etc. Also, I’m not huge on marriage - it’s not for me - but it should be for any two people who are adults and want it. Newsom stood up for gays and lesbians who want the same rights and benefits as straight people. And those are just two good things out of many he’s done for our city. Too bad the press’ constant digging into who he’s dating, etc., has him considering NOT running for re-election.

Girlie Stuff: Champagne Snow Showers, Karma, Sunny Side, Big, Eggsnog and all my other Lush addictions; Almond bath bubbles and Sea Results skin care line (and JASON - you’re the best!) at H2O+; lavender shea butter, Mattifying Lotion and lavender bath foam from L’Occitane. I should live in a spa…

I WON’T MISS:

Saddam Hussein: I don’t support the death penalty (nor the war), but I can imagine there are a lot of Iraqis who will be glad to know he can never terrorize them again. Sadly, they still have so much else to worry about…

Invaders: The golfball- to grapefruit-sized tumors removed from my abdomen in June. Good riddance! Also happy to miss feeling 8.5 months pregnant due to the pressure those tumors caused.

Soap suds: Sitting with the dopey ex-date while he cries over the torments of the road. A certain person travels great distances just to see him and really pressures him for his time and company, etc. Apparently he caved in, and I got the “honor” of sitting through his regretful torrents of tears (several times!) while swallowing the instinct to smack the boy upside his fool head. But no more of that - he can be just as pathetic without me.

A Republican-controlled Congress.

Jason Schmidt: You go pitch for the Dodgers, boy. We’ll see what happens your first start AGAINST the Giants.

Going Mobile: This software is really cool - I have set it up so I can make posts via email. So long as I can get a signal on my Treo, I can post to my blog. Trains, beaches, ski lifts…

Momma’s Day: Happy Birthday, mom - I love you!

Pippi’s Home: She made it to South Carolina today, safe and sound. Four days coast (almost) to coast (almost)…rest well, sister!

PDC Squared: Or doubled. Rode the shuttle a.m. and p.m. with Particularly Delicious Coworker. Poor thing was in Hawaii for Christmas (his parents live there) and caught a cold due to all the flying. He sounds awfully snuffly (but still looks fab).

Brrrr: The wild storm blew through, and now it’s cold again.

Pippi’s Caper, Day 3: She made it to Mississippi, almost to Alabama, and plans to reach South Carolina tomorrow. Sail away, sweet sister, but sail safely!

Crapulent: The perfect word for how I’m feeling. Woke congested, with cough and sore throat. I’ve been stuck on several packed transit buses and trains with coughing, sneezing peoples, so there’s little wonder where I got it this time. Restocked the Nyquil, so it’s back to that drill…

Sloooooooow: Man, work was a drag today. The 3rd floor was nearly empty - just a few poor souls stuck at the wheel, grinding away. My boss sent me home at noon. I got a lot done in the three hours I was in, mainly because there was no one there to interrupt me. Finished a draft copy deck for one project and got 1/3 of the way through another one. Debra, aka My Favorite Producer (don’ttellMike), dropped me at the train station on her way to lunch. I ran a bunch of errands on my way home and arrived here just in time to duck a huge rainstorm. Been catching up on chores and email, and playing with my Webkinz cat a bit. (They have a few games on that site that are fun - I’m not a big gamer, but they have card games and quizzes that I rack up the Kinz Bucks on. Gotta earn the cash to feed my kitty and build on to her house!)

Pippi’s Caper, Day 2: She made it to just inside Oklahoma last night. Norad will track her as she heads toward Memphis today…

New Views: Central City, Kentucky, Lafayette, IN, and Boston again. Hope 2006 is ending well for you all.

Esplodin’!: Avery made his Christmas lasagna. We ate. And ate. And I’m esplodin’! We had a delicious Spanish cuvee from the Codorniu vineyard and tiny bundt cakes soaked in liqueurs. Funny how there’s always so much food involved when I hang with Rani and Avery…

Pippi’s Caper: She’s sailing along I-40 East, on her way to her new life in SoCarolina. Last word is she’s stopped for the night in central Arizona. Drive safely, my sister!

Quiet: Christmas isn’t a religious or particularly big holiday for me (I go all out for Halloween and enjoy New Year’s Eve, instead), so it’s really kind of quiet. Just what the doc ordered after the last few months of mayhem. A little later today, I’ll head the four blocks to Rani and Avery’s place for a little while. Until then, I’m just chillin’ with the cats, playing a little with the Webkinz thing, and trying to stay warm (it’s pretty cold here today).

Janet: She’s pulling out today, leaving southern California for South Carolina to reunite with the love of her life. She’s driving cross country this week, and I look forward to hearing her adventures. I sure will miss having her an hour’s plane ride away, though…

Lovely Day: Went for a long walk through Chinatown on my way to do errands. Before I left, I heard on KCBS news that the fire department needed 5000 more toys for the holidays, so I got two bags full during my errands - little things - and dropped them off. Bought a replacement for my infamous guitar backpack, which is falling apart. The new one is a sort of brownish-pewter metallic color with a hot pink foiled pick guard. The whole afternoon was lovely - and I had selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas playing on my iPod to make it even better. I enjoy the lilting then giddy “Skating”, and the anticipatory air of “Christmas is Coming.” And of course, the classic “Linus and Lucy” theme and the sweet melancholy of “Christmastime is Here.” Nothing brought my childhood home to a stop like a Peanuts broadcast, and the volume always got turned up a bit - dad said it was just about the best kind of music on earth. West Coast is my favorite subgenre of jazz to this day. Got home to a holiday email greeting from one of my UK musical pals to help cap the day. Egg nog with Jameson is the perfect end to it.

Webkinz: My nephews in Indiana have stuffed animal dogs that have cyber counterparts online. They’re called Webkinz, and they sent me a Webkinz cat for Christmas. She’s a little white and orange cutie I named Satsuma. When we can, the boys and I will arrange a time to be online together - our pets can play together and participate in games and quizzes. Looks like a lot of fun!

Outing: I managed to leave my house, and to hit Macy’s of all places…it was a madhouse. But I was with my friend Rani, and we always have fun together. I got a $20 tub of Christmas Snow Showers shower jelly at Lush, some Frango mints at Macy’s (hadn’t had those in a couple of decades!) and then we met up with her husband and little boy for dinner at Korea House, a favorite of ours. Loads of bulgogi (aka pul-kogi) and other tasty treats. SO much food - I could have rolled right down the hill.

Rani and I stopped in the newest location of BevMo afterwards, agreeing that it was far too close to our homes. (Beverages and More is a liquor warehouse-type chain. Only Trader Joe’s has better prices, but TJ’s doesn’t always have all my favorites in stock.) My entire liquor cabinet had been transported to our annual party at Santa Cruz this past summer, and then it continued on a two-week tour with my British musician friends who are most excellent drinkers. By Mission Viejo, it was wiped out. I’d restocked the Chambord, but tonight I came home with di Sarrono Amaretto and Jameson, plus an Israeli favorite, Sabra. It’s a chocolate and orange liqueur that proved quite popular with the Loire-dweller amongst the traveling band of merrical music makers this summer. He usually had a healthy serving of it as a nightcap. It was “Ghost like Swayze” by the end of the road. Nice to have it back on my shelf. Slightly chilled, you get more orange. Slightly warmed, the chocolate comes to the fore. Tasty!

Noggy Girl: The aforementioned Jameson blends quite well with egg nog… 

TGIFoLHW (Thank G-d it’s Friday of Long Holiday Weekend): Two short weeks in a row are coming up. Timing could NOT be better…I’ve completely run out of reserves. Still really congested and just can’t shake this cold. Three days in a row of not waking up until I wake up will be a great help.

Mayhem: Getting ANYthing done this time of the year is such a chore. My shopping’s been complete for a week, but I must be an early bird compared to the mobs I’m encountering on my way home from work each night. Fighting through the aisles at Walgreens just to get toothpaste and cotton swabs turned into a 20-minute ordeal tonight. I may not leave my house for the next three days…

New York, New York: A reader from the center of the known universe stopped by yesterday. Plus the usual readers. Hope you’re all having good holidays.

Seriously?: This is straight out of the “You Gotta Be Kidding Me” department. We got an email from our Facilities folks at work today, reminding us that some foods we microwave are “more fragrant” than others and could we please consider not packing them for lunch. Now, we’re almost 600 employees in 3 different buildings, and from all over the globe. We have large contingents from South Asia, from the Far East, from Russia. Add in the fact that this is the health-conscious Bay Area, northern California, where everyone has a serving of broccoli a day, and you can imagine the disbelief ringing through the cubicles here. Haiku verses have been flying, laughter has rolled all through the Creative Department, and several of us are concocting a recipe for catfish broccoli curry (super spicy) to microwave right outside the Facilities offices for the duration of the year. (No one really wants to eat it…) Oh, and there will be plenty of burnt popcorn, too.

Shortly after this email went out, another one informed us that the little cafe in our main building (purveyor of fine bland sandwiches and salads) will be closed between Christmas and the New Year…I guess we’re all packing PBJs and fruitcake next week.

PDC: Particulary Delicious Coworker (PDC) was on my shuttle again tonight. Poor dear is visiting family in Hawaii for Christmas. (It’s still FREEZING here…) *sigh* That’s sounds delightful.

NYE: Still debating whether I should try to ring in the new year in Miami (my musical pals are playing a big gig there). I hate flying this time of year - always end up sick. That’s about the last thing I need. But to be somewhere warm…(it’s still FREEZING here…). We’ll see.

Santa, Baby: Someone asked what would be a perfect holiday gift for me this year. I said “a week at the Spa in Ojai sounds perfect!” (That’s outside everyone’s budget in a GOOD year…) I think I need a vacation. Did I mention, it’s still FREEZING here? Okay. Well, it is.

I’m Here: Never fear…just so much going on. The holiday rush is over. No more writing lines like “Save on the things Santa forgot to bring.” Now it’s back to naming buttons, writing in-line instructions and writing (and hopefully re-writing, eventually) help pages for the site. I have five projects like this that have to be done by the end of January. Usually I’d have two. Guess who’s still gonna be busy after the new year? Wheee.

New Readers: California and New Jersey, welcome to BashUp! You must be really bored to be reading this blog.

Joke: What’s the difference between an onion and a bagpipe? No one cries when you cut up a bagpipe. (A nod to my Scottish ancestors…)

Whew!: Some of the “put-offable” chores (mainly, the laundry) had really been put off lately, since I’ve been so swamped and battling that bug. So, today, I did 12 loads of laundry (up and down three flights of stairs, three loads at a time - a morning-long workout!). Took some unwanted furniture to the laundry room (a chair and small table, which we can use while waiting), dragged out all the recycling, moved some living room furniture, put away all the laundry and changed the linens on my big, huge, enormous bed. I’m exhausted!

Holiday: Finished my shopping yesterday. Also sent out all my cards yesterday - here’s hoping a full week is long enough. Can’t count on the 3 days coast-to-coast promise for a first class letter this time of year. If we usually exchange cards, please know yours is on the way!

Addicted: Lush’s Christmas Snow Showers shower jelly. Bought the last bit of it at the SF Union Square store yesterday. Smells like a mimosa (Buck’s Fizz, to you Brits who read me). I’m about to set sail for the SF Union STREET store to see if they have any in stock. Will load my refrigerator with the stuff if they do - amazing lather, moisture and scent.

Adapting?: Or maybe today was just easier. Even though I was as busy as always, it seemed to go along with less stress and bumps. Perhaps I’m getting better at keeping all these balls in the air. Crazy stuff, and yet I cranked out a project and got final approvals on it a full week ahead of schedule.

Goodbye: One of the best producers I’ve ever worked with has left us for Seattle and Microsoft. Keith, you are The Producer(TM) and we’ll miss you dearly…

New Views: Speaking of Seattle, someone up there was poking around my site today. Then there are the usual readers here at BashUp. A small, cozy crowd has gathered. Thanks to family/friends who are indulging me in this form of “keeping in touch” - it really is the best way for me right now. Keep those emails and texts coming!

An Odd Place: Work just gets stranger all the time. In addition to writing everything under the sun lately, I’ve been planning resources - going to meetings, determining how long it will likely take a writer to do the work proposed in a project, and then assigning a writer to the project. It takes up a good bit of time every week, keeping track of the small items that pop up ad hoc, estimating the level of effort they will take, and finding a way to wedge them into either my schedule or my coworker’s. (There are just two permanent writers in my division.) And recently, I received permission to start assigning some of the work to an offsite contractor who has been a tremendous help during our redesign and holiday times. I have to coordinate some things for the offsite writer and also attend meetings (he’ll dial in) so I can help facilitate the project. Until now, I have not been tasked with reviewing the WORK of these writers. I am not their manager and they do not report to me. But today, my boss asked me if I would start reviewing some of the work of my in-house coworker. In addition to not being quite sure when I will have time for this extra work, it’s awkward because he outranks me - he’s the senior UIW, I’m just at the staff level. The boss insists that *I’m* the person to do all these tasks and keeps piling more things on that are traditionally part of a manager’s role. It’s an odd place to be in, and it also makes me a bit angry that the company saw fit to pass on my promotion last March, when the boss already knew then that she wanted me to take on all this stuff and pushed very hard to get me promoted. More than one person has commented to my boss that they couldn’t understand why I’m not ranked at least at the senior level. Promotions come again in March. There’d damn well better be something for me in that pot…

Meh: Back to work today - had a mountain of small fires to put out - hardly a moment to breathe. Not that I CAN breathe, with this crappy cold. Cracked open a fresh bottle of Nyquil just now. CHUG!

Cards: Heavens - got my first two holiday cards today. Better get mine sealed and sailing…

E.T. Phoned Home!: Heard from one of my favorite former coworkers today, Eric Thomas (aka E.T.), who suggested a gathering soon. Should be fun!

Ugh: Stayed home from work - the nasty bug finally floored me. Dragged myself to my computer a time or two today. Heard from my buddy Wingo and another one of my British musical pals - two nice spots in an otherwise completely crappy day. Off to do a lavendar bubble bath and belt down some Nyquil in hopes of sleeping…really can’t breathe.

Howdy, Readers: Views from LaFayette, IN, and my regulars in Ireland and Kentucky, in addition to the family and friends who asked for this blog. Salute!

Revisions: Went back today and added some silly detail into some of my summer entries. Remembered more tidbits when I was reentering the items in an attempt to clean up the formatting, so now they’re included.

My SoCal-dwelling sister-in-arms, cohost of parties and fellow merchandise seller is being taken away from me! We see each other whenever our musical friends tour Our Fair State (that’s California), but an old flame has reconnected with her and it appears she’ll be moving to South Carolina. I’m really happy for her, but that’s just too damned far away!

Arrrgggh!: Been putting in 10-12 hour days with a nasty bug. This insanity has just got to STOP. More Nyquil and off to bed (as soon as I do some work writing).

No Man Land, Revisited: The particularly delicious coworker (PDC?) squeezed in next to me on the last seat on the shuttle to BART tonight. (He’s a very slim guy - and a lovely creature.) It’s a small thing, but it does end a hectic day nicely when I get to chat with him.

TGI(A)F: This week has been SO exhausting. And the weekend looks just as busy. Been coming home and dropping into bed after doing 2-3 hours’ worth of work writing. Nothing else is getting done, and cats aren’t much for housework, so I have a week’s worth of that to cram in with the usual weekend chores (and more writing). I really need a break…

New Views: Recently, I’ve added regular readers in the Boston area and in Kentucky. Welcome!

Don’tcha Just Hate It When: You catch everything that goes around the office? A nasty, but brief bug is going through my team, and I started getting aches and chills this afternoon. Going to do a bubble bath, some Nyquil, and turn in early. Maybe just once, I’ll get lucky.
Cavalry: I think the boss is trying to arrange for our illustrious contractor John Fall to come to UIW’s rescue for the next cycle of projects. I truly hope so - we’re going to be drowning in work soon, and it’s my responsibility to handle the resources to get everything covered and written.

No Man Land: Riding home on the cable car tonight, I was reminded of a conversation I had recently with a female friend. We talked about how it seems men our age and up to 10 years older all want women younger than we are. And younger men - well, it’s a given. They do too. We’re caught in No Man Land (aka our mid-40s). She spoke of the difficulty of finding someone who wanted to share more than an occasional conversation. I’m much less focused on the issue, being contentedly single, but I do occasionally regret the phenomenon. Like tonight on the cable car, sitting next to a particularly delicious coworker who’s about 10 years my junior. *sigh*
Rock On: A good friend shared a link to Wolfgang’s Vault, a site with tons of live concert recordings. I’ll have happy ears for weeks unend. Check it out - find the link in the right column!

Party!: Happy birthday to two of my favorite co-workers, Audrey and Kevin. You both ROCK!
Frozen: Toes and fingers still missing. I’ve had my place shut up tight for days, and in such an old building (1910) the air gets musty quickly when you do that. So this morning I have on three layers of clothes and have tossed all the windows wide open to change out the air. I can almost see my breath. Brrrrrrrrr!
Health: I have felt GREAT for well over a week now. It seems I’ve turned a corner on my road to recovery. It’s about time…

Woo Hoo!: After trying to get pregnant for two years, a friend of mine is finally with child, through her first trimester and all is going well. Can’t WAIT to be an Auntie again! Love ya, Plum!
Woo Hoo 2!: Happy birthday, Deb! Tons o’ hugs, me2
Blog Peeps: Welcome to readers in Lafayette, IN, my regulars in Chicago and Atlanta, and ‘ellllo, Wiltshire, UK! (Plus the folks I made this blog for…)
2007: Want to ring the new year in somewhere different - maybe somewhere warmer than San Francisco. Hmmmm…wherever should I go?

30 November 2006
From My Journal: Strangest thing a guy ever said to me - from someone I saw occasionally while on the road the last couple of years (we both travel a lot). After having awakened together several mornings, he dopily muttered, “Bash, it’s nice that you don’t make a scene in the morning.” Completely out of the blue, with no context. Huh? I didn’t pursue clarification, but couldn’t help but conclude that he hadn’t been keeping good, sane company elsewhere. Some boys are so DUMB!

STILL Brrrr: I haven’t felt my fingers and toes for days…

Work: INSANE. Twice as much work this week as any time I can remember in my three years at the current post. So much meeting, strategizing and decision-making that the only time I have to WRITE (it’s what they pay me for) is when I log back on after I get home at night.

More New Views: Poland, Hungary and France have stopped by. Still have regular readers in Atlanta and Chicago. If I know you, leave a comment! (Comments from new friends also welcome.)

29 November 2006
Brrrrrrrrrrrrr: Tonight it may hit freezing in San Francisco - the coldest in the 10 years I’ve been here. Thank goodness my cats LOVE to crawl under the blankets with me!

Bubbles: I have a great old claw foot tub in my apartment, and there’s nothing better than a bubble bath on such a nippy night. Currently in stock are Christmas Day, Karma and Sunny Day bubble bars from Lush, Lavender bubble bath from L’Occitane and Almond bubbles from H2O+.

Addicted: Trader Joe’s truffles. Heavenly smooth, dark but not bitter, and $3 for a box of 25.

28 November 2006
Time Flies: Where’d November go? In fact, where have the last two years gone? I remember ringing in 2005 in Phoenix with a bunch of friends, some great music, parties and an hours-long romp in bed (how else would Miss L. Toe properly start a new year?). Since then, time seems to have kicked into hyperdrive. And the two years have morphed into a single unit - I have to stop and sort out during which year certain things happened. Folks assure me this is all a part of the aging process, but I really don’t want to accept that just yet. Let me continue to think there’s some other phenomenon driving the acceleration of time. Maybe someone threw kryptonite in the universe’s chronograph. Or some speed. We can’t be getting OLD…

Brrrr+: It’s still FREEZING. Here in San Francisco, many apartment buildings don’t have central heating units. They’re rarely needed. It stays warm enough here that most places are built with small electric heat fans in the wall or with steam radiators. That’s just not enough power for days like these - it’s just impossible to get this place warm.

New Views: New readers from various parts of Germany and all over the US Midwest, including St. Louis and Chicago for numerous visits. Also, a particularly faithful reader in Ireland the past few days - maybe you’ll share this blog with family and friends?

Currently on Nob Hill
Now Eating: Yoplait Light Key Lime yogurt
Now Playing: Blue Wonder Power Milk - Hooverphonic
Now Watching: Nothing. Waiting for 24 to resume in January.
Now Reading: My Life - Bill Clinton. Beneath a Vedic Sky - William Levacy.
Now Missing: San Francisco Giants baseball. Can’t wait for spring training!
Now REALLY Missing: My sister-in-arms Janet - wish you lived here.
Now Feeling: Grrrrrrrrreat! It’ been about a week that my energy levels have been close to normal. Woo Hoo!

27 November 2006
Blog: Yup, yer awake. It DOES look way different today. I like the look of the first one better, but it had no flexibility for longer messages, different categories or password-protected posts (which I hope not to have to use too often). So I installed some software (WordPress) and threw my old posts in. I’m not completely happy with the look but decided I needed these capabilities sooner rather than later. I’ll have more time next month to tinker with the layout and look, so please bear with me.

Brrr: Dag blast it, it’s COLD here! San Francisco doesn’t normally get so cold - a real oatmeal and hot chocolate kind of day.

26 November 2006
WTF?: Heard today that someone with whom I’ve had something of a misunderstanding thinks this blog is about her. (I thort it was about ME! ) Here’s the deal, dearie: There was one reference to you (now removed) that merely stated you appeared to be reading my blog. (And really, is there nothing else to read?) If you see anything else that you think pertains to you, then it does so beyond my ken. It’s not pleasing (but also not surprising) to find that others are being involved in your misperception regards this.

(For everyone else out there, sorry for wandering into such vague territory. I guess I could expound on it in a password-protected post for you, but I’d rather move along to other topics.)

24 November 2006
Wow: I started this blog so I could keep two friends back east, some family and a couple of fellow music fans up to date without emailing, PMing, IMing and texting the same thing to all these different folks while I’m off-the-grid busy. Been blogging for a couple weeks now, and thought I’d check my webstats to see if anyone’s reading. Although I posted a link on a small music board, little did I imagine so much traffic! Folks at Pentland Brands/Brandon Loadtite in Willesden UK. Someone reading my oldest blog page from a link in a Yahoo email in the St. Louis area. A potpourri of one-off viewers from around the world - different every day. Since word’s getting around and I seem to be getting broader readership than I imagined, perhaps I’ll develop a theme over time and give ya’ll more interesting stuff to read. Please bear with me, and welcome to BashUp!

Fun: UK pal called today. He was in good spirits. They played Toronto - a large, sold out venue, and a great vibe for them. Only downer was the loss of their merchandise - they were pretty steamed about that. He shared some gossip and news and made me laugh as usual.

Health: Four days in a row, I’ve felt great!

Food: Turkey. Turkey sammiches. More turkey. It was my best bird yet - I’m lovin’ it!

23 November 2006
Turkey Bash Awards 2006

Flighty Birds: Paris Hilton and her ilk. Mental featherweights. What’s attractive about such vapidity?

Musical Bird Droppings: Kelly Clarkson, et al. All these much better unsigned bands on MySpace and we’re stuck hearing “Since U Been Gone” at every turn. Why?

Tom Turkey: Former date - alternately inept, clueless, crying. Skip diving for “attention” from others (can’t lose face by retiring for the night arm in arm with THEM, can ya?)

What the Flock: Since when it is okay to take and use other people’s creative work without their knowledge or consent, and without even crediting them?

Goose Egg: Results of the Republican campaign strategies this time out. (Halleluia-it’s time for a change!) Perhaps a little less greed and fearmongerin’ next time?

22 November 2006
Thanksgiving: Thankful for great sisterfriends - Deb, Rani, Janet, Dyna and Plum. Health. Family. Amazing, soft, gorgeous feline-kids. Great co-workers. The opportunity to live in San Francisco. The cable cars that run past my place. Being single and loving it. Unique experiences with musical friends and the opportunity to help and host them on occasion.

Interesting: UK pal texted to say he and cohorts got a full hour instead of 50 minutes to play last night. They’ve traveled all the way across the pond to work less than 3 hours…

Health: Two days in a row, I’ve felt great!

Food: Brining the turkey, baking the pie. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow to feast, relax and enjoy.

CritterCheck: They’ve been sniffing around the refrigerator since I put the bird in to brine. They’ll be two happy puds tomorrow!

19 November 2006
Family: Happy birthday Dori!!! 11 more years and you’ll be old enough to marry Lightning McQueen, just like you want.

Food: Turkey - check. Bread for dressing - check. Pumpkin for pie - check. I’m ready - is it Thanksgiving yet?

18 November 2006
Fun: UK pal called today. He’s on the east coast for business next week - his cohorts, including various forms of madness and Mr. Kicked-to-the-Curb, will follow in due time. Pal flew over early to visit friends and was doing a bit of thrift shop trolling when he called. His descriptions of some of his findings were quite amusing…

Sad: Some dear friends lost their Mom/grandmom. There’s never a good time for this sort of thing, but just as the holidays are starting is the worst timing possible. My heart’s hurtin’ for them.

13 November 2006
Work: Lots of marketing writing lately, which is new for me. It’s hard - headlines and taglines have to be super-brief, but also deliver an impact. I have to ask more questions and write more drafts, but it’s fun! I’m also handling all the assignments for the UIW staff and planning our workload and helping schedule deadlines and milestones. It keeps me busier than ever and the boss is happy she doesn’t have to do it.

Personal: Still suffering some long-term effects of the surgery. Really tired compared to normal.

Weather: Cue Bette Midler/Bob Dylan, “Buckets of Rain”

11 November 2006
Work: Nope (it’s Saturday)

Personal: It’s that time of the year - the doldrums (in San Francisco it rains from November to March).

Survival Plan: Bubble baths, full spectrum natural light bulbs, oatmeal, yogurt and yoga.

Critter Check: Same story, different day (see 10 Nov 06 Critter Check for details).

10 November 2006
Work: Slowly recovering from our site redesign.

Personal: Birthday - survived another year on planet erff.

Critter Check: Sebastian and Sabrina are doing the Cat Thing - sleeping in a pile on the bed.

PoliCheck: Both house and senate are blue, and our next president should be, too (Obama 2008).

Joke: A duck walks into a bar and quacks its head…

Work: My team at work is morphing into a more final form - all except for the part of the team I’m on. I and my fellow UIW (User Interface Writer) are sort of drifting along while the merchandise/marketing writers are getting settled into their new verticals with their new bosses. Final preparation for the redesign launch took us up to the October 24th unveiling of the new site, which has been a real success.
Fun: Moving to the third floor with the rest of my teammates at work (we all got moved in phases, and my phase was delayed 6 weeks). Being assigned the task of investigating how UIW can better work with the rest of the User Experience team and then making recommendations as to how to proceed.

Work: More of it, all the time. The redesign will be worth it if it all goes off well.
Health: Still extremely exhausted, and late in the month the “shedding” began - loads of acne, hair falling out, etc. Was told to expect it!
Fun: Fun is a day when I feel sorta decent. Few and far between. This too shall pass!

Work: Chaos continued, long-form.
Health: So, it began. Nerve regeneration, pain and total exhaustion.
Fun: Well, sorta. Re-convened with Janet and a group of folks for a short stop in Las Vegas late in August. The pool at the Hard Rock was a fantastic experience and I met some nice new folks. But I was so tired that I couldn’t join folks for evening activities most of the time I was there. Still enjoyed what I could of it. Soap suds (they are always present when this group convenes) prevailed in the form of “kicked-to-the-curb” former date, who seemed bewildered by the lack of interest I showed in him - see, they just don’t get it, do they?

17 July 2006
Work: Back to work for the first time since late May. Total chaos as the site redesign was in full swing and I had to find a way to reintegrate myself into radically different processes. So much had changed in seven weeks.
Health: Feeling fairly well - still without pain and possessing more energy than I thought I would.

10 July 2006
Melancholy: Flew home today. Janet and I were both weepy as she dropped me off at the airport. Home was good, I had missed my cats, but it was so strange not having Janet and “the boys” around.
Joke: What do you call someone who always hangs around musicians? The drummer.

09 July 2006
Fun/Drama: Soapy, soppy goodbyes today, as our pals all disbanded to return to their homes. My date recommended we act like we didn’t know each other in front of the rest, even though they’ve known of our doings for a couple of years, saw us retire for the night together, etc. (Date has been kicked to the curb for good.) Ah, soap suds! Janet and I had played host and den mom to this troupe for almost two weeks and we’d melded into this strange but lovely social unit. We drove to her home in nearby SoCal, took a swim (I finally had medical clearance to get into a pool!), ate some great pizza with her family, and then spent the evening sipping red wine (yes! I could finally drink!), sifting through the mountain of photos we took and laughing about the myriad memories we’d made.

08 July 2006
Fun: Janet let me drive her brand new car half the trip from the Bay Area to Orange County. I flew 95 mph, and we arrived earlier than planned to our event on a lakeside beach. Oh, so many augmented breasts, botoxed brows, sun-damage wrinkles and silver spoons! Janet and I have one laugh after another at “new” noses, “exploding Jolies” (collagened lips), and snotty attitudes. The hotel corridor displayed a mad full moon that night. (That mad full moon turns up often in this crowd. Something about The Queen’s fetish…) The party afterward was nice, but I soon wandered off to a much smaller party with my date.

07 July 2006
Fun: Next stop on the road, next stop for some fun. The lot of us picked up a few more pals and had a lovely evening outdoors, with food, great music and fireworks during a small town event. The old girlfriend of one of our pals showed up again with her new boyfriend and continued her quest to make the old one jealous and to stir up trouble. Pushing 50 and acting 12. More soap suds, with more to come! Everyone turned in early this evening - a long drive to SoCal awaited the next day.

06 July 2006
Fun: Along with Roger, I rejoined Janet and the crew in upstate CA for more work/fun. I survived this road trip by napping whenever I could – in the car, while folks were prepping for work, anytime I could grab some Zs. Was really surprised I was able to keep up just a month after major surgery. The human body is an amazing thing. More lovely work/play time in Eureka with Janet, my recently un-estranged “date”, our UK pals, our extended road troupe, etc.

04 July 2006
Fun: First words I heard today were “Happy Fourth of July, Bash!” This greeting from one of the Brits in our traveling troupe. I said, “Yeah, good thing we kicked those dirty British bastards out of our country, innit?” Doh! This was a day off for all the revelers, so I journeyed back to SF to look in on my cats and repack my suitcase for the rest of the trip. Janet went to a barbeque with the rest of the gang at the home of an old friend. We kept in touch via text. Her phone plays a Depeche tune when I text her, and a certain someone kept asking her to play “Bash’s song” on her phone.
Joke: How do you light up a guitar player’s eyes? Shine a flashlight in his ear!

03 July 2006
Fun: Travel to Redding. First visit here - it’s gorgeous. Had a nice time with the travelers. Dinner at the casino was nice - laughter, food sharing and world-record amounts of black pepper applied to yet more soup by The Matchstick Boy. Janet gently lectured me that I’d punished the inconsiderate one long enough - the poor thing was acting all lost and bewildered. Ended up sitting up late and ironing out (well, temporarily - sometimes they just never learn) a couple of the issues I’d had with the lost soul, who was experiencing some emotional turmoil in the process. So there was a bit of drama in the mix - lots of soppy male tears, soap suds (and beer suds).
Running Joke: This day saw the beginning of the conversation about my athletic feats - as I left the party room, I hopped off the bed I’d been sitting on and landed with a solid bounce. I learned later that the move had been declared a full-twisting double back dismount and given an overall score of 8.6. Later, it morphed into a double axel (me being a huge figure skating fan and all.) Later still, it became a bit of legend recalled by one of the UK crowd, who delighted onlookers with his slow-motion, Bionic Man-type description of the event.

02 July 2006
Fun: Road trip to scorching Sacramento. Janet and I had gotten involved with our UK friends’ business doings and went along to continue helping. Once the day was done, we hosted a party for them and a few others who traveled with us. Still didn’t have much to do with inconsiderate one, but did manage to get a little message across about some OTHER selfish behavior that had been exhibited before. (Always, there are soap suds with this one.) Janet and I were to return to SF the next day and hang out, but our UK pals invited us to continue on the road to far Northern California with them.

01 July 2006
Fun: We were due to travel to Central CA coast with UK pals and associates, but their engagement was canceled. We remained in Santa Cruz for a brilliant day with friends and all that booze from the night before. Still couldn’t drink, but it was fun watching them. Was feeling all right, but was a bit angry at someone who’d displayed some very inconsiderate behavior the night before. Decided to keep my distance for a bit and see if the lesson might sink in…
Joke: What do you call a guitar player without a girlfriend? Homeless.

30 June 2006
Fun: Lots more friends arrive in Santa Cruz for an annual gathering that includes sun, sand, the beach, great music, food and drink - an ocean of booze (not for me)! The usual mayhem ensued, the usual trollop got drunk and hung all over guys just trying to make a former boyfriend in attendance jealous, plenty of soap suds in the beer suds.

29 June 2006
Fun: Drove to Santa Cruz with UK pal. Met up with dear Janet -hadn’t seen her in a year. She, pal Roger and I joined UK friend and two of his associates for a lovely seafood dinner on the Pier. The debut of “Pippi’s Capers.” World-record amounts of black pepper applied to clam chowder consumed by The Matchstick Boy. 80s music in the background prompted much hilarious commentary and the renaming of Prince as “FingerPrints” due to his diminutive size!¦

27 June 2006
Fun: UK friend a barrel of laughs - and brought me a Battenberg cake - yum! We wandered (slowly) around my neighborhood in search of items he needed for his US business travels due to start end of the week.

26 June 2006
Personal: Dying to get out of the house.
Fun: A friend from the UK will crash at my house a day or two, starting tonight.

22 June 2006
Personal: Recovery continuing well.
Fun: Off with Deb and Tory to see the Joe Jackson Trio. Incredible evening, amazing talent and brilliant songs. And luckily, a seated show!

Mid-June 2006
Personal: Many days of waking every 3 hours to take drugs (vicodin, mainly), lounging in bed, listening to XM Chill, Giants’ baseball on KNBR 680, working crosswords, coloring, and trying to read (and dozing off).

04 June 2006
Personal: Home from hospital; all went extremely smoothly. Abdomen cleared of the worst of the interloping growths and all is well.

01 June 2006
Work: Off until July 17.
Personal: Checked in to UCSF Mount Zion for major open abdominal surgery.

Work: Preparing for medical leave.
Personal: Preparing for surgery and post-op time at home.
Sport: “Month of May,” Indianapolis 500 kept me company; amazing 90th running of the race.

Work: Never-ending chaos.

Personal: Doctor visits, research, preparing for surgery.

Work: Relegated to clean-up crew on site redesign when it was to be my project (third-party issues).

Personal: Exhausted due to lack of time off and exasperated by the turmoil.

Weather: Rain for 30 days.

Survival Plan: Vacation in Orlando.

Detour: Trip cut short due to medical emergency.