Away for the Weekend

Yeah, it has been a Sideways kinda fortnight.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of flying to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. I actually tried to catch the bouquet---but didn't hehehe---my kid sis (the Lawyer) got it instead.

Anyway, won't really post till I get back in town.

Hope your weekend was great.

Seeker---y do u want to meet IRL? To teach me some more wine skills?

Things I've Learned This Fortnight

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts/words:) As my stint comes to an end, I've a moment for reflection. I'm making this list of things that I learned---I'm actually surprised that there are soooo much stuff that I didn't do/know.

I've Learned:

• How to use a corkscrew to open wine bottles
• That cocktail hour before dinner is fabulous & relaxing
• That watching the sunrise every morning from the lazy comfort of my bed is a blessing
• How to use a grill.
  
• The difference between pinot grigio/chardonnay, merlot/cabernet and other sundry wines.
• The different glasses that you use with which and what.
  
• That a vodka tonic is absolutely refreshing on a hot day.
  
• Numerous recipes and stuff to cook.
  
• That hordeuves can actually be pretty good.
• What my perfect kitchen will look like!
  
• That I've missed cooking and eating chicken, fish & turkey with every dinner meal.
  
• That I have the capabilities of driving like an old lady.
• That if I ever get to the point that I have to be in a nursing home for a protracted period of time, where there is NO INTERNET and noone knows how to PLAY SPADES, then please....someone please put me down & out.
  
• That I'm a pretty damn good cook! (Even better than I originally thought I was)
  
• That I actually can get tired of driving around.
• That without the internet/my cellphone, I'm living in a shell.
  
• That my preloaded Ipod is a lifesaver!

Ok, so most of these revolved around food & drink....but I've been avoiding the scale all fortnight. However, I did make it a point to take a jaunt with the doggies every evening so I shouldn't be that bad.

Heat Waves

If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back? ~ Steven Wright

I know everyone got a little bit of this heat wave over the past weekend. Unless of course you were fortunate enough to be right on the coast, in which case, I don't want to hear about your lovely 70-degree temperatures.

Contrary to popular complaints, I actually have enjoyed the long, hot summer days. I got to prattle around in skimpy shorts and a wifebeater, taking hour long siestas, trailing icecubes on my chest and sipping vodka tonics in the guise of keeping...cool. It was quite lovely.

For those of you wondering, I'm really enjoying this new job, although I don't get as much internet time as I would like.

The Boyfriend is away on the East Coast this week, there was a death in his family and he's pretty torn up about it. I'm trying to be as supportive as I can, to be strong for him like he's being for his parents, but I feel so limited in what I can do from 3000 miles away. The funeral is on Tuesday and he should be back into town sometime after that.

That's all in my neck of the woods. Hope your weekends were quite lovely.

Weekend Meme

As ordered by her royal Blogging Queen Chris, here's my weekend meme. Feel free to do it if you want:)---PS, let me know if you do!

1. If you had to set your own work schedule; 8 hours per day; 5 days per week. Which days and hours would you choose? Actually, I would prefer a 12 hr/3 times a week schedule thank you very much. But if not, I'll do the 1pm-9pm gig.

2. What Reality Show would you be on and why? None. Maybe America's Next Top Model, just so I could win:)

3. What is the last book you read? Man Camp. it sucked.

4. There are many songs that bring us back to a certain memory. What song(s) do you HATE to hear for that very reason? Can't think of any right now.

5. If you could go back in time to be any place in world history, what time would you choose and what country/place? Renaissance Italy. Preferably Venice. (that would be 1400s for those of u who aren't in the know)

6. Do you know more than one language? Which one(s). Yep. Spanglish, Yoruba and smatterings of Italian.

7. What is your favorite blog? Please link it. One only.
Lordy. That's a really tough call! I read way too many blogs for that. Well, it's going to be the newest blog I just started reading, my kid sister's high school best friend in Nigeria's blog. Yeah, long connection, but she's new to the blogosphere. Show her some love---HERE.

8. What is your favorite web site? Google Reader. All my blog feeds in one place. What's not to love?

9. Your house is on fire, the people and pets you love are safe and you can grab one other "thing", what are you taking? Aw crap. My computer. Can't live without it.

10. You have $100 to spend in the next hour. How are you spending it? (Saving it or giving it away not permitted.) Buying up a bunch of stuff on Amazon. Mostly books probably.

Peaceful

Goodness is something that makes us serene and content; it is magnificent. Those who are not good are evil. ~ Bhumibol Adulyadej

I have the most unbelievable view from my room. I get to watch the sunrise right from my bed. The loft house is built in the shade, so there are lots of trees and a lovely breeze through the large French windows even though it's 90+ degrees outsides, we're in as cool as a cucumber. Tres magnifique. In addition, I can cook to my heart's content, the house comes with the best, fully stocked kitchen that is so convenient and fun. There's an island in the middle, and every thing is just state-of-the-art. I think I'm in love with the kitchen.

In other news, it's the Italian's birthday today. But I won't be able to see him until tomorrow because that's my first time off. I don't think I've seen him since I've been out here---hard to believe but true.

Sorry for those trying to reach me---my cell doesn't really work out here. However, leave a message and I'll call you from the patio where I've found that I do get reception. So much for Cingular's claim that they have the best coverage in the Bay Area.

Hope you are all having a nice week. And please--- NO MORE FORWARDS! I can't wade through it all in my alloted hour of 'net time.

The Job

For the next couple of weeks, I'm house-sitting for this lovely couple I met off the 'net. They are on vacation on a cruise to Alaska. I'm watching her mother, (83 year old lady) and driving her around on errands, making sure she takes her meds, stuff like that.

Nothing major, nothing really drastic, just someone to be there in case anything should go wrong.

Get this: the pay is $2500. Flat out. They offered that to me and said, "is this ok?" Ummmm, hells yeah!!! I wanted to scream but managed to say, "It's acceptable."

There are a few drawbacks with this though. For starters, the timing eats into the Wedding Week I was going to go for in Chi-town. But they get back soon enough that I can still make it there for the real wedding.

Then, it's about an hour from my current place of abode, so i won't see my friends and family for the duration. In addition, I'll probably spend only very limited time with the Italian. My cell phone doesn't work up here at all (it's in the hills), and I have to wake up at 8am (so no more late nights for me!). Plus, I don't get that much time on the internet, probably an hour or two, so that will cut down on blog reading/blogging for me.

But it's something different, something productive, and something that landed so unsurprisingly at my door that it's got to be a gift from above.

Anyway, I'm off to bed. Duty calls:)

Great News!

I got a job!

Sure, it's for now just a temporary 12-day stint, but for those 12 days I'll be a viable member of the society.

So far, I'm totally loving it.

I'll dish all about it later....but I have to go to work now.

I have to go to work now...so surreal!

Road Trip!

Modern travelling is not travelling at all; it is merely being sent to a place, and very little different from becoming a parcel. ~ John Ruskin

I'm taking a road trip this weekend to visit my mom for a couple of days before heading back out here and dropping her off at the airport. It's a long and winding road from Saulsalito (where I have a job interview) to Angwin, past Napa valley. It's a shame that none of my girls have the day off, it would have been lovely to enjoy it with a friend or two.

Meanwhile I think I have my Ipod to keep me company. In addition to a ton of snacks in the front seat, my cell phone (which I must charge) and a map that hopefully won't get me lost.

Have a great weekend, whatever you all end up doing.

Meet My Mom

The Italian is such a charmer! I don't know why I was worried, within minutes he had gotten himself into my mom's good graces. Thanks for the tips everyone---it's a shame that I couldn't break out the booze....mommy dearest doesn't drink at all, and Daniel becomes very quiet when he drinks. Not a good combo.

Anyway, he arrived looking utterly scrumptious and smelling great. He brought some lovely day lilies for my mom and she was all a twitter putting them in a vase. The flowers smelled really lovely, reminscent of the same lilies he brought me back last year. They sat on the couch and started talking, and she was quizzing him about his life.

I'm not sure what really impressed her, but it must have been something about him speaking 5 languages, growing up all over the world, her teaching him some Yoruba phrases and him repeating them flawlessly, the really interesting poem he recited on Politricks that totally blew her mind, or his charm and effusive nature...but later she told me that she totally thinks he's great. "I can see why you are into him. He reminds me alot of your dad," she stated.

That's a load off my mind. She even told me that she has no compunctions raving about him to daddy dearest. Hopefully when he meets Daniel, they will hit it off as well.

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone:)

Trepidation

The Italian is meeting my mom this evening for the very first time. I'm cooking dinner and inviting my aunt & uncle as buffers.

I spent several minutes (ok, it was over an hour) rhapsodizing about him and really amping him up. However, I can see that all my talking is barely doing anything, she's still very skeptical. I don't have any qualms on Danny's end--I know that he'll be great. It's a shame my dad isn't here. He's great at thawing arctic social situations.

Being that my meeting his dad went along pretty well, I should be all cool about this, right? Wrong. I'm a mass of nerves. I'm trying not to balk and call it off at the last minute.

We'll see how THAT goes.

Wish me luck.

Mom

Mothers are the people who love us for no good reason. And those of us who are mothers know it's the most exquisite love of all. ~ Maggie Gallagher

My best friend left today. Two hours later I picked my mom up from the airport. Guess my place is becoming a really nice B&B.

I didn't realise until I saw her how much I actually have missed her. She looks exactly the same, all sunny smiles and warm hugs. She still smells the same, like....mom.

This is going to be one lovely weekend.

To the sisters---I got to see her first. Nanananabooboo!

Control

Man is by nature competitive, combative, ambitious, jealous, envious, and vengeful. ~ Arthur Keith

First comes love
Then comes control
Followed by envy
Mixed with a dash of pride
A spoonful of selfishness
A cup of arrogance
And a gallon of impulsiveness.
Mix it all together
And you get my night tonight.

It's in my nature to be a peace-maker, to try and keep everyone happy. To walk the tightrope between what I really want and what everyone else wants. To give a little, compromise alot, all in the guise of keeping the peace. But even so, despite my best efforts, the house of cards came crumbling down. Because honestly, it's hard enough to please one person, let alone 2....or 5.

So at the end of the day---maybe I should make my new mantra, fuck everyone and just do me. Maybe that way, becoming a totally selfish person, uncaring of what others feel or think, I can find some semblance of the peace that my heart truly wants. Maybe that way I can actually be happy....joyfully, ecstastically happy. Or maybe not. After all, life is about finding a fine balance. Perhaps I should go half on the Fuck You and half on the Please You. Perhaps that might be the magic formula.

Right now, I'm honestly in the fuck everyone zone. Honestly.