tamara

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Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:30:08 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

14:57 Catching up on Friday Night Lights. Gutting, man.

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Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:30:12 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

09:07 Plan for the day: Sherlock Holmes -> Chinese food -> Avatar #fb
12:54 Sherlock Holmes good times #fb

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Celebrations

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:03:02 GMT

Merry christmas to everyone who celebrates Christmas and Happy Friday to everyone who celebrates Fridays!

Good day yesterday. I slept in a bit, had a nice soak in the tub (I meant to use a Bubble Melt but by the time I got the box o' Lush goodies unpacked enough to find the Melt, the tub was full, puttered around the house, and watched Death at a Funeral. What a strange little movie. Funny, but odd.

Headed over to my parents' in the afternoon and helped my mom finish up making dinner. We had a vegetarian "Winter Solstice Pie", which was delicious - a wintry mix of vegetables (turnips, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, I think some other things) in what turned ot to be a tasty vegan crust. Said crust didn't really have any structural integrity, but it sure tasted good, and we ended up just using it for the bottom of the pie so by the time we were scooping out the slices and eating it the lack of structural integrity did not matter at all. Also a fruit salad (didn't notice when we were discussing the menu beforehand that we were having veggie pie and fruit salad...) that my mom always makes for occasions - simple but yummy. Then my dad made a fire since it was NOT a Spare the Air day quite yet (today is), and we sat in front of the fire and chatted and they gave me some little gifts and my mom opened one of hers that was a collection of blooming teas - those ones that open up into a flower shape when you add hot water. So she got out a see-through teapot and we made a pot of that - white tea with peach flavor, mostly tastes like peaches but by the bottom of the pot got some tannins and tea-flavor. I had previously given my mom a train-shaped muffin tin, so she had used that to make a chocolate cupcake train, which was very cute and also tasty. Also lime pudding, made of the limes from her backyard, so good.

Henry's flight was delayed a bit by weather, not as bad as it might have been, but we had some extra time before I needed to leave to pick him up. So we played a few rounds of Geographic Pursuit, which sounded cumbersome and comlicated when we read through the rules, but was actually quite fun. Mom won by a lot.

I went and picked up Henry, leaving the airport with him and his bags around 11:30. Traffic was not bad getting home, but we were both hungry so we went in search of an open fast-food restaurant. Poor guy at Jack-in-the-Box was still working and provided us with sustenance, which we brought home and ate while watching the season premiere of Scrubs (my DVR is quite full...), and then blessed sleep.

We'll be off to see Sherlock Holmes pretty soon, and then Avatar the IMAX 3D Adventure this afternoon. With luck, there will be someplace handy to the theater to have lunch at in between (how's that for ending with prepositions?)

It is nice to have the Henry home. Now I have to adjust to sharing the comforter again, but my breakfast and coffee just appeared for me this morning, and that's always nice. I've gotten some good leads on working through our Stuff - Behavioral Couples Therapy and Interpersonal Neurobiology both sound excellent. I hope we can find practitioners that are not too far away. After the holidays, no doubt.

Walter is very happy to have both his monkeys back. The cats seem pleased as well, though they are less demonstrative about it.

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Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:30:12 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

11:15 Dear dishwasher: if I have to take you completely apart every 3 days, we will not have a good relationship. Love, -t #fb

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Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:30:09 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

10:53 Rats. I was sure Avatar wasn't coming out until after DH gets home, now I have to decide if I want to wait to see it...
12:55 ♫ For our 12th anniversary my true love gave to me..the Saints going 13 and 0 #fb

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Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:30:22 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

18:42 The fancy emory board I thought I bought turns out to be a nail buffer. The words "nail buffer" on the packaging should have given me a clue
18:43 Now my nails are all irregularly shaped and raggedy, but shiny.

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Yesterday was apparently Cry for No Reason Day. The manicure business didn't set me off, but I went by George's Feed & Seed after signing the paperwork to get the Toyota fixed (not totalled! So happy!) and found that it mostly doesn't meet my needs but I thought I would pick up some dog food since I was there, got up to where you pay and asked if they take debit cards. "No," he says "there was a sign". "Oh, I didn't see it," I say as I check through my purse looking for my checkbook, which I don't have. "Right by the door as ayou came in. Big sign," he repeats. I apologize and leave and burst into tears on the drive home.

Yeah, I don't understand it.

Then I went to see Hats! with my folks (we have season tickets to the theater putting it on) and on the drive over for some reason I got to thinking about Spike Lee movies and why I haven't watched When the Levees Broke (I have complicated feelings about it) and once again with the crying, so I had to sit and pull myself together for a couple of minutes in the car when I got to the theater. Making me weepy again typing it up. Weird.

But dinner was great and the show was okay - very earnest and a little uneven (in the writing, the performances were quite good) with a couple of really cute numbers. The thin thread of plot that held the whole thing together was not really up my alley, but not terrible.

Gym Assessment

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:15:51 GMT

Had my bimonthly assessment at the gym - got an all new weightlifting regimen to keep me nice and sore and got all measured up. Since I started the gym I'm down 21 pounds, 4.5% body fat, and an inch or two everywhere they measure (bunches of measurements, I couldn't keep track, really and they add all the inches off together for some reason, which doesn't mean anything to me so I don't remember it, but each one was lower than when I started). I'm not hydrated enough, at least I wasn't today. No surprise there, I accidentally left my water bottle at home and only had coffee before, but I'm trying to remember to drink more often. That's something I was much better about when I was working.

And that's after a month of not really exercising, certainly not as much as I want to. So, yay, progress!

Christmas at the Waterfront

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:55:46 GMT

Had a lovely day yesterday. Spent the morning puttering around the house, including steam mopping the bathroom which is always hugely satisfying (the floor gets so clean, and there's no bucket to deal with! Makes me happy). My folks came over after lunch so we could go to the outlet sale at Meyers - they mostly do online and catalog sales, but their two warehouses are in Vallejo and right over here by me and they have warehouse sales annually, 30% off already discounted cookware, basically. Mom and Dad stumbled across the one in Vallejo over 10 years ago when they were coming back from a less than stellar visit to Babushka's. They were both ind of grumpy and didn't feel like going straight home, so when they saw the huge sale banner, they went to check it out. The salespeople and everyone else shopping were very friendly and they got some great deals and they've gone back every year ever since. It's always a good source of Xmas presents, and a good way to get the latest Anonlon nonstick whatevers, which since they cook using virtually no oil is vey useful for them.

Since I moved back to California, I've been going with them, and since I moved to Suisun we've been going to the warehouse over here and then out to dinner. Got myself a dutch oven that I don't strictly need but that will work on the induction cooker, a set of three cast iron frying pans that were extremely cheap, a muffin pan that I actually need, and a set of hot chocolate mugs shaped like penguins with a battery powered mixer and little hat like things that keep the hot chocolate from splashing out while you're mixing it up but you can pop off to drink direct from the mug. Mostly because they are penguins and they are cute, but also because my hot chocolate mixing technique with a tiny whisk and a measuring cup is not great, so why not try this?

Yesterday was also the big day of Christmas at the Waterfront - merchant stalls, an "ice" skating rink (ice skates on some sort of plastic surface) in the plaza, the lit up boat parade, lighting the city Xmas tree, fireworks and I think a bonfire. The merchants and skating will be there next weekend, too. I always enjoy the boat parade, it's just fun. Got some Sutter Buttes Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Peach Balsamic Vinegar because they had set up a little tasting bar and OMG SO DELICIOUS. I could drink that vinegar. Or use it as a salad dressing with no oil, that's probably more practical. And the lemon olive oil is, mm, so good. t will be drizzled on many things, I'm sure.

There's a fundraiser thing where various groups put together fully decorated trees complete with packages under them that are auctioned off, with the money raised going to whatever cause the group designated. It's pretty neat, and the trees are pretty, so we browsed among those. It's pretty neat to be able to be among a couple dozen decorated trees at once. If I ever decide to have a tree, I'll get one of those, I think. Good causes, extra goodies, I think I could probably fit my few personal ornaments onto an already decorated tree.

After the parade we had a few more stalls to visit and as we wound up with that the fireworks started. Right over our heads. It was pretty sweet, I must say. In the summertime, fireworks don't start until 9:30, so I watch them from my porch, which is still pretty good, but being right under them was kind of incredible. And it wasn't super crowded, which I have always assumed it would be.

Then dinner at Main Street Bar and Grill, who have changed and simplified their menu a bit, but it was still absolutely delicious. For once I didn't get dessert. I have half a grilled pork loin special to munch on for lunch today, yum.

Got home between 7 and 8 and it felt like the middle of the night. I don't think I even got through a whole episode of anything on the DVR before I went to sleep. Did chat a bit with DH, who sounds like he is doing pretty well right now

Clothes! Yay!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:27:51 GMT

So, somebody somewhere mentioned myshape.com, and I went and looked at it and entered my measurements, for I am truly a sucker for measurements of all kinds. And Cyber Monday came and the helpful e-mail fairies sent me the information that myshape was having a crazy sale, 50% off anything already on sale, so I went and picked out a few things that my wardrobe might be lacking. The first item arrived today - a pink dress. It's pretty and fits perfectly and is flattering, so, so far myshape is a win.

Now to be able to afford to buy the many many pretty things it taunts me with. Haven't figured that part out...

Hey, Look, it's the First Again

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:27:58 GMT

And I've lost another 5 lbs. How, I don't rightly know. I have been reasonable diet-wise, but I haven't exercised at all the last couple of weeks. Possibly the weight was all gone by that time and I've just been maintaining, I don't know. In any case, it's fine if surprising.

The not fine thing is that after losing 25 lbs since this summer, my body fat % (according to my home scale that purports to measure it) hasn't changed at all, and my measurements haven't changed very much. I don't quite know what to do with that. I need to make an appointment for my assessment at the gym, which may clarify matters as no doubt their measurements are more accurate.

But, as soon as these dang cramps go away in a couple of days, I feel a renewed commitment to my exercise routine. I figure, after an unscheduled break, what better time to go ahead and change things up: do my weightlifting 3 times a week like I know I should rather than the 2 I've been coming kinda close to; take a yoga class that I've been thinking of trying; swim once a week, goddammit we aren't paying those dues for nothing (that is, we kind of have been, but I don't want to be!); bike at least a little every day until the distance to the grocery store is easy; walk the dog every day - he'll be happier, I'll be happier. So, that's the plan. I don't think it's too much. If it is, I'll adjust, but it's what I want to aim for. It adds up to a lot of time once you include all of the putting shoes on and getting to the gym and other ancillary times, but I've already made the decision that if other things (ie housecleaning) have to suffer in favor of me exercising, that is okay.

I've gotten little better about breakfast. I have pancakes and waffles in the freezer, ready to be toasted, so that gives me another easy option besides yogurt&granola and oatmeal. Next week I will bake some muffins.

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Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:30:08 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

13:45 I thought I got a lot of catalogs the rest of the year. It just doesn't even compare.

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Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:30:09 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

07:02 Oooh. Under a Wind Advisory until this evening.
10:44 Canoe got blown off the sawhorses it was resting on. I don't think it's damaged, but I also don't think I can put it back by myself. #fb

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Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:30:05 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

10:34 Pumpkin sourdough pancakes came out pretty tasty. Goes well with this damn good cup of coffee #fb

12:32 Finished carving the turkey so as to free up the bones for stock. Still have over 2lbs of meat.

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Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:30:04 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

08:08 Watching Cook's Country to get in the mood for some quality time in the kitchen. #fb

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Brought the butterflied turkey and stuffing over to my folks' place. Roasted up nicely, though something went wonky in the timing - when we put it in the oven, we figured on eating about 2. Once I had turned the turkey around in the oven and started checking the temperature for doneness, it seemed to get forever to get up to the right reading, but somehow we still ate at about 2. Weird.

Mm had made the sweet potatoes in advance, we steamed the brussel sprouts while the turkey rested, and put togetehr a salad at the same time. Mom had a jar of cranberry relish from the farmer's market, and we opened a bottle of green certified chardonnay that was quite delightful.

Actually had the salad a few hours after we ate the main meal, as none of us had room on our plates for it on the first pass. Then tea and pumpkin cheesecake, which came out very nice.

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Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:30:07 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

09:16 Sourdough starter is officially revived! Hooray!
17:20 Oho, this is NOT a no-bake cheesecake recipe.

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Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:05 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

08:03 Stumptown House Blend, black, one Splenda. Goooood. #fb

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Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:30:08 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

20:36 Forgot to have coffee today. Waaaay too late to fix that now. #fb

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Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:08 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

06:43 To airport. Gronk. Verbs later, maybe. #fb
09:52 Home in time to catch a little pregame show. Hooray for drive-thru coffee #fb

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First Day of the Rest of Blah Blah Blah

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:45:38 GMT

Have dropped off H at the airport. Fairly certain he actually got on the plane.

I kind of put my life on hold for the past week, just dealing with stuff that needed doing immediately. Of which there was plenty, as H got into a car accident on Wednesday and the toilet overflowed last night (just before my parents dropped by, so my dad ended up helping with that because that's just the kind of guy he is) and there were myriad important conversations we had to have every time I turned around.

He'll be staying with his mom. The guy she's been seeing for a while has actually moved in with her - not only did she not tell us this, she barely told us she was dating someone. H was more upset about that than I would have guessed - when she dated Alan it didn't seem to bother him so much, but this is actually impacting his plans, so maybe that's some of it. His mom is having a hard time with all this, also, she's been laboring under the misapprehension that H is "fixed" since New Bridge.

Anyway, I've got some time now to figure out what my life looks like when it isn't accommodating H. I'm looking forward to that

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Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:11 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

09:27 Scooping the catbox always reminds me of panning for gold. Only, you know, disgusting.

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Loudtwitter summary - Car Accident Edition

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:30:09 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

11:07 Making use of that collision coverage. Premiums may go up, but State Farm is taking care of stuff for us.

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So, DH was in an accident on Wednesday down in Fremont. Another car stopped entirely on the freeway in front of him, he couldn't swerve around it, hood and fender are all bashed up. He's fine, his passenger is fine, the other car was driven away so it couldn't have been too badly messed up. State Farm found us a body shop near us who arranged for towing is rolling that initial towing charge into the repair bill so we didn't have to go take care of all that ourselves like I was braced for.

The car is at a body shop, we haven't heard anything about an estimate yet. Insurance agent called today and said they've determined DH is responsible for the accident, which bummed him out but I don't think will make too much of a difference to us in a practical sense.

Tiresome, but the timing is not bad, this is a pretty good time for us to have only one car for a while. And the body shop is next to George's Feed & Seed which I have been meaning to check out but is in a part of town I have no other reason to get to, so at least I know exactly where it is, now. It's weird, that part of Suisun that is away from the water is very much like Metairie. But with occasional sheep and I think vineyards, which improves it quite a bit, but I'm glad I decided early on that if we were gonna live in Suisun it would have to be downtown.

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Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:30:06 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

12:55 Made an appointment to get my hair cut next Wednesday. It's been over 5 years since my last cut...

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Poor Toyota

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:06:17 GMT

Loyal readers may remember that we had to put a new engine in the Toyota last month after it threw a rod. Did I even write about that here? I don't remember. Anyway. We were just about to take it back to the garage for its 1000 mile checkup on fluids, etc., tomorrow.

Except H got into an accident this afternoon. He and a co-worker had to go down to Fremont for the unending hell that the lab down there generates, and H drove. On the way back (presumably, I couldn't hear him that well, I will explain why when I get to that part), the car in front of him on the highway came to a complete stop, he couldn't slow down enough to avoid it and was too hemmed in by other traffic to swerve. Bashed up fender, he says. No ticket, so that's something, maybe the other guy was at fault, I don't know. CHP called a tow truck, who brought the car to some sort of storage facility in Fremont and gave H a ride to BART. He's in Richmond right now, waiting for Capital Corridor train 544 to bring him the rest of the way home. Of course, his phone was basically out of juice when the accident happened, so he couldn't call me until he got to an outlet, which was at the train station but that, unfortunately, was right under the speaker so I could hear the PA announcing delays and whatnot a lot better than I could hear H. His train should get in at 8, I might go pick him up if I am feeling benevolent (it's not a long walk to our house, but it is dark and chilly).

I guess we'll call our insurance agent tomorrow morning, and presumably go deal with the car after that. So not what I planned to do tomorrow. Oh well.

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Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:05 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

14:49 I have a financial calculator and I'm not afraid to use it.

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That's right, I can estimate monthly payments for loans given their interest rates and terms before I apply for them. Fear me.

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Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:30:06 GMT

What was happening with me yesterday? Oh, right:

16:40 Henrry convinced me that it is too early for dinner, but a snack of samosas would be fine. Yum.

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