Trying to ease into the day without espresso or a second cup of coffee. Not going well. Yesterday I was depressed…I am going to visit my mother Friday-Monday, which means instead of a weekend, I will have travel fatigue and listing to my mother talk fatigue. I am so lonely at work. I was just in this “nothing to look forward to” state of mind. The Jordanian pilot being burned alive and the politicians saying it’s okay not to vaccinate didn’t help. What also doesn’t help is that I"m reading Lolita. It was on some list of 50 Books to Read (or Reread) at 50. Icky. I’m pretty near the end of it and just want to finish it. Next book has to be uplifting or at least funny!
This Isis thing is out of control. How cruel really getting to me. My H’s friend was close to james Foley. Such a stellar guy, the reason he was there to begin with.
MP, hard to not know people but you will. Looking forward to seeing a depressed mom, and no chance of change would make me depressed too
Watching the duckboats for the PATRIOTS MAKES ME HAPPY.! Go Pats!
Glad you’re glad for the Pats!
I am well aware not many people outside NE are
I apply Bush-the-Elder’s approach to broccoli (“I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. I’m president of the United States and I am not going to eat any more broccoli,”) to my reading. I had to read plenty of books that I did not like, but these days, I’m the president of my own house, and if a book is a bummer, out it goes. (Gone Girl being the most recent on that stack for me. Not gonna see the movie, either.)
arabrab…what kind of books do you like?
missy…I am saddened that you are not happy in your new position. I know we all would be friends IRL. Take care of yourself. They have no idea what they are missing.
dte…I am horrified and sickened by ISIS. 
I think I need eddieo’s light about now!
I love nonfiction, though not so much biographies. Two recent reads I enjoyed a lot: The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger, and Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream. Maybe I just like books with colons in the title? 
I also like mysteries, and science fiction of the space opera variety.
MP: I hope that the visit with your mom goes better than you expect, and that you can come back to better books, better work, and better time with friends.
Spent the day down in Denver for meetings at the Capitol – and in a two hour break snuck in a trip to the Denver Art Museum. The two paintings I really enjoyed this afternoon were both of the made-me-think variety. One was a huge Western landscape in the Thomas Moran spirit – but featuring Custer’s men (and Col. Custer himself) naked & gamboling about the edge of the majestic lake while a tall Native American in red thigh-high boots paints them*. How many paintings have I seen featuring either Native Americans or women in the nude? This one just turned it around. The other one was somewhat similar – instead of a Madonna figure holding babies or cherubs, it was a panicked-looking guy trying to figure out what to do with all these babies. I’m going to see the Cartier Jewelry exhibit in a couple of weeks, and so skipped that one today. Nice break.
- History is Painted by the Victors, Kent Monkman
I could use some light right now. Some positions (not mine) were eliminated at work yesterday. I am sad and angry.
Could use the bus.
MP- I hope the visit with your mom goes well. I’m sure she appreciates spending tome with you.
arabrab- I read a lot and have a 100 page rule. If it doesn’t get me in that, I move on to another book.
I am constantly reading something. Typically for me it’s all fiction. Very fairly will I find something that interests me that is non-fiction. I am currently reading a trilogy kind of sci fi; adventure that I am really enjoying although not my typical type of thing. I’m usually into horror or mystery but will read other stuff as well if something catches my eye.
All day meeting today – I hate these days.
FG - I know what you are going through. I am wondering if we will be going through it ourselves again shortly. We just had to rate all our people. I can only think that is due to something not good going on but maybe I’m just paranoid. We do this every year but in the summer just before we give out the reviews. Doing it now just doesn’t feel right so I’m assuming that there is something going on.
FallGirl, sorry about the work situation. You too, missypie.
Our nephew is going to come and live with us, moving in at the end of the month. S will be leaving for study abroad just before this. Nephew’s current lease is up at the end of the month, and their rent has been raised a huge amount. He’s likely to be traveling this summer for work, so this will be short-term. In fact, both his current roommates are gone traveling (musical theater performers doing shows) and he currently is living with subletters. Since I’m gone 3/4 of the time I think it will be nice for H and the dog to have someone else around. It’s been nice to have S here for a while.
Sounds like a great solution, CQ.
Sending the bus for fall girl, rm, missy and anyone else who wants to climb aboard. A client of mine emailed me pics of her and her partner on a yacht in the Caribbean last night while she awaited a connection home from Chicago. It is sub-zero here even before windchill today. I predict said client will be in a state of shock about now 
But it got me thinking that if we cranked the heat up on the bus, put an inflatable hot tub aboard, and had enough margaritas in us, we might all feel better today
Yes, please come take me where it is warm and sunny. Sorry to be such a downer lately. Work is not bad per se…it’s just how I feel about it. I am so tired of not feeling competent. I want to do something I know how to do, but it’s not happening. Every day it’s new acronyms and new issues and things I’ve never heard of before in my life. The nagging thing is wondering if they are disappointed in me here, if they think I am picking up things too slowly, am I too old to pick up new things quickly?
DTE, I’m not among the Pats haters. It actually made me happy when Deflategate was the top story in the news…with all the horrible things that happen in the world(e.g.ISIS!), I think it’s been a pretty good day when football trivia is in the headlines.
You are not too old to pick up new things @missypie. I Ann undoubtedly around the same age and show up at new companies and have to figure out what they do, what they think they are doing, and what the politics are internally several times a year.
Well, since most here are not having a happy day I will report in. We arrived in Palm Springs last Saturday and within hours H was in an ambulance headed to the hospital for surgery. He had a twisted small intestine. He is doing very well and came to the hotel after a few days. I was up all night as the surgery was at 1-3 a.m. Caught up with me the next day.
This is when being a night owl comes in handy.
Am happy H is healing however this could have been caught 2 yrs ago when the local ER failed to do a CT on H.
It is quite likely that both his gallbladder and problem intestine would have been caught.
MP–I fully intend to pursue this for some answers. Not sure where H is on this.
How to I find a lawyer to get advice???
It is sunny and loving the adult only pool. Just so pleasant. Would stay a few more days but the airline is not giving any kind of a break. The hotel has been wonderful and comp this and that to the tune of more than $500.
Let’s all try to enjoy our day… Returning to grey and rain on tomorrow.
Oh, no, oregon101! I’m glad he’s healing. That is very scary. Enjoy the warmth and sunshine today.
Enjoy the last bit of warmth, @oregon101. Very sorry to hear about your husband’s health care debacle. Not clear suing is worth the effort unless there are significant damages. It is just emotionally and possibly financially draining.
Had an easy day in London today. Relative to Boston, it is warm here. Fascinating work yesterday – it is very satisfying when I come up with alternative ways of doing things that really change the game and I think I may have done so again for this client. The first one saved the client $100 MM.
I had to shop for a tie today as I hadn’t brought one – my client is informal. But an exec at a former client is very well-connected here and set up a meeting with the CEO of a big company who might need our help. So, I need a tie for the meeting tomorrow.
Didn’t schedule dinner with anyone tonight. So, I’m trying to decide whether to eat hotel food or head to a higher class restaurant.
Oregon, how terrible. I will see if any of our folks know anyone up your way. But I agree with Shaw that litigation is simply terrible.
Happy Birthday to RM! Hope everyone has a good day today.
Oregon, sending healing mojo to your H. Glad he is on the mend.
T-Minus one week til we sail…I’m looking forward to a wee break from winter, but still a bit worried how mch will do in the boot He’s determined to snorkel one-legged, which he jokes will mean he just spins in circles…
Oh my, oregon. Sending thoughts your way.
c_q having your nephew stay with you sounds like a win-win.
Happy Birthday, RM!