Prairie Maze INSTALLED!

So my Prairie Maze project is drawing to a close. The new entry sign was installed today and the guides have been printed and installed as well. The first time I went to see, there were a few families already using the guide!! I'm so pleased.

mawrige

They're MARRIED!! It was a great weekend, capped of by a beautiful wedding. I had a great time (so thanks to everyone I had a great time with).

Looks like the cat's forgiven me for leaving her this weekend. Let's see how she feels after I leave her all next week. And I got one set of new neighbors while I was gone. They moved in to the apartment behind me. I haven't met them yet, but I plan to make brownies tonight and take them over to share.

Much work to do to prepare for being gone again next week.

Har Mar Superstar*

Veni, Vidi, Vici Har Mar Mall. I managed to find the mall last night and make my way back home, all on the bus. I still want a car, since the bus still takes forever to get me from point A to point B, but it's good to remind myself that I can get beyond my usual circle.

I did not find a dress, which was my original reason for seeking out a mall, but a conversation with Jane has convinced me that fancy is not the way to go. So I'll raid my closet tonight to find something more appropriately festive. What I did find while I was out was a waterproof coat with a hood for cheap. Score.

When I moved to MN, I came woefully unprepared for the winter. Luckily the winter was unseasonably mild (just like this summer has been unseasonable warm and unseasonably short on mosquitoes - I think I'm getting spoiled). I was able to make do with a couple of pairs of regular boots and a dressy wool coat that is also very warm. But I knew that what I had would not cut it for the next winter. I'll need actual snow boots and a real snow jacket. But with this new mid-weight coat, I can continue to ignore this problem and hope it goes away. That works, right?


*Har Mar Superstar is the name of a local Twin Cities Musician. I just like the way it sounds.

A play's the thing

It worked. I felt much improved by the end of Friday. Of course, a large portion of that may be due to Sara and Brian (her husband). We had a lovely dinner at their place with lots of tasty things picked fresh from their garden. I picked and ate green beans and a whole cherry tomato, not to mention a stuffed pepper. I really get this whole delicious, fresh-picked vegetable thing. I'm just not usually able to pick my food and eat it minutes to seconds later.

The play was charming. All about infidelity, which is always a fun subject in a comedy. It was The Constant Wife by Somerset Maugham. Then we went out for beers afterwards. Made me feel all normal.

Of course, my allergies ate my Saturday so I felt back to weird me by Sunday. But now I've got trip anticipation bubbling through me. It's like I've got two separate tickles of happiness that catch me up all the time. One is just getting back to see friends (yay!) and then I remember the reason for the trip and I get goofy grinned all over again. Couldn't happen to a better couple.

Change in outlook

I've gone from funky to grumpy. I'm not sure that's better.

On a brighter note, I'm going to a play tonight. And as a bonus, I'm having dinner with my friend Sara and her husband before (plus they are my ride to and from the play). Maybe a little art will turn my frown upside down.

bleh

Feeling crappy today. It's raining and I started the day with a 2 hour bus journey so I could pick up some labels for the musuem. (could not borrow the car this time). It's not that far away, but I had to take 3 different buses to get from home to the vendor to work. Now I'm here and I just feel bleh. Oh well. Might as well feel bleh at work as feel bleh at home. Maybe things will perk up.

Foiled again

Turns out I lack the key ingredient for three different meals. I had grand plans to make a fabulous dinner last night but was foiled in my attempts due to missing ingredients. So it was chinese noodles instead. Tasty, but not the same as a real meal. Just did ordinary things. Returned a movie to the video store (I had already returned the box, oops). Picked up a bubble tea as a joyful little pick me up. I adore bubble tea. And I saw too late that they are offering thai tea with bubbles. I'll be back for that.

Today I get to run errands for work via the bus. Whoo hoo. We had a deluge of rain last night so its very humid today.
The rain was beautiful, but tricky. I was initially able to leave the windows open to listen to the rain, but when I would stop looking out the window, the rain would change direction and come straight in. Happened to me twice before I gave up and closed the window. Lovely sound to fall asleep to.

honorary cat

Yesterday I was bestowed the title of honorary cat for a day. I called in sick to work and the rest of my day progressed as such; sleep to 2pm - get up for glass of water, back to bed - sleep to 6pm - get up, eat leftover mashed potatoes, back to bed - wake up at 9pm, read for a hour - sleep.

Tempest stayed comatose and snuggled next to me the whole day. I think she was impressed.

Today - just the niggling remainder of a headache.

feeling nostalgic

I feel buffeted by the winds of nostalgia. It's a crisp, cool day, a good preview of what fall will bring. The air is alive with scents, all of which are triggering memories. It's overwhelming.

Cali time

I spent three days last week in LA for a client meeting. It was much more real than I expected. Granted my previous expectations were crafted by Hollywood and so not very trustworthy, but other than a noticeable predominance of large breasts, the people were pretty normal. Of course, we spend most of our time downtown, near the airport, in East La or in South Central rather than Beverly Hills or Hollywood. We did drive through, or rather by, Beverly Hills. It was the first night there, I was exhausted and had the backseat of the car all to myself. So I struggled to keep my eyes open.

It seems to me that there is not one LA, there are many, each with its own character. And for a place seemingly obsessed with body image, there are junkfood places galore. There's an eating holiday waiting there. Tamales, chilidogs, fish tacos...

We could not stay at the museum's usual hotel (apparently very quirky with the best breakfast in town). So we stayed at the Biltmore (THE Biltmore - steeped in history, it is ). There was another conference in town so the desk attendant upgraded the two guys I was traveling with to a suite so that he could gain an extra room. They were moved to the Music Suite. Name on the door, grand piano in the sitting room, ugly dog sculpture and everything. We were wowed at first but the bloom came off the rose after the first morning when it was discovered that the suite was not actually comfortable for hanging around. I got upgraded, too. I named it the Ottoman Princess room. It was really two rooms and one wall had been partially removed in order to frame The Bed. It was huge, comfy and beautiful. There was a partial canopy. I only wish I had gotten a picture.

Paul is very into super tasty hole in the wall food, so we ate very well. Including stopping at Maria's Tortillas right before we got on the plane to eat some melt in your mouth tamales. Sooo good.

the flaw in my brilliant plan

My hair was yucky this morning, so I decided to walkt to work in the rain (downpour) thereby obliterating any previous wonky bits. The rain was sweet and warm (if also, somewhat dense) and I got flashbacks to Susan and I playing in rainshowers at the Virginia Beach apartment. Nice and sweet. Got lots of sympathetic looks upon arriving looking like a drowned rat, also nice. Had to paper towel myself off significantly in the bathroom to take the drippy edge off my new look but the hair was thoroughly ruined, just as I was hoping for.

Except now it's two hours later and I'm still damp. Blech. I need a mini dryer at my desk to just dry my top. Hmmm - maybe I can use the air handdryers in the guest bathrooms.