Sorry about the water sevmom and glad it wasn’t worse.
cbb- glad you were able to have your family dinner and the passport issue was averted.Whew! But so sorry to hear about your D’s classmate.
mp-that must be so frustrating for your D and for you. You would think a big 4 would be better organized than that.
I am looking forward to Thursday as we should be done with year end close (for the most part) then. Learned yesterday that I am too old to work a 13 1/2 hour day. My brain can’t do it.
Fallgirl, the other day I wanted to get a document done and out before I left for the day but there was one thing that just confounded me. I had by no means worked a 13 1/2 hour day but I had been there a long time. I finally just left. The next morning I looked at the document and figured out the solution immediately. There’s something to be said for a rested brain.
Rested brain? What is this thing of which you speak? 
hello happy fall. I don’t do it everyday but work more than 13 hours a day. with the commute it can be 17. I am working three in a row of those this weekend. I think I am used to it. I find my brain shuts off when I study like right now. I cant remember"is that parametric or non parametric, and then go to bed obsessing about it. D2 is still in south Africa she is having a good time and getting many insights. she writes a blog that is interesting and well written. D1 is still in DC.
I have switch my meds for BC and having trouble adjusting to itl will try another. My H is bearing the brunt but he made the mistake of making a comment he shouldn’t have…
FG enjoy the wedding.
Mp I call my mom and she talks about her FB friends all the time…I guess I shouldn’t be saying that in this forum but its a little different.
I hope you are feeling better NM
Good morning! My brain is now rested…enought to have caught up and read those fascinating articles, Shaw. Thanks for the thought-porovoking read!
Sending happy wedding mojo to you, Fall Girl.
DTE, hope the med switch settles out AND that hubby is more judicious in his comments
MP, sending fast resolution mojo for your D…
Let’s see, skunk-free air is also on order, any anything rise any of you need
So, brain is rested because in a highly unusual move considering the source, McH booked us a cooking class last night. This man does not come NEAR me in the kitchen. Early in our dating years I asked him to zest a lemon for me and he stood there looking baffled, lemon in hand, studying it intently, as if it would give up its zest by the pure power of scrutiny I think he thought I was asking him to do something obscene!
I don’t miss much about my first husband and I love mch for all the world, but I was accustomed to “couples cooking” in earlier times where you had a cohort and a bottle of wine in the kitchen. So it took some adjustment to the new world order on the food prep front
So the odds of ever ending up in a cooking class with mch were, to my mind, approximately nil.
However, a business group to which he belongs has a new member who is a personal chef. Essentially, she will go to your house for a dinner party, teach you all how to cook the meal you’ve requested to learn, involve everyone in the act, then serve the dinner, clean up, and disappear. Fun thing.
So she hosted a sample party, which is how I got to witness mch studying his mortal enemy, the mushroom, with a Ginsu knife. It was awesome on a number of levels, because in addition to his new appreciation for trendy kitchen gear e should by me for Christmas, he was also forced to admit that he LIKED the flavor of properly prepared (and very finely chopped) mushrooms.
A triumph on so many fronts! Plus a bottle of wine on a weeknight! Woohoo!
Hi dte, it’s good to hear from you. You are one strong woman, much more than I am.
dte, I am so lazy compared to you. I have no focus expect to exist it seems! Good for you and we all know you are doing an amazing job!
Does anyone here find it hard to accept invitations to do things that they do not want to do? I think I am perhaps too intolerant–I just turned down dinner with 2 friends for tonight and a concert with H for tomorrow. I see D going to many activities and but I say no more than yes when asked. I get bored so easily. That and I think I need to find more stimulating friends. I am living vicariously through kmc I think :)>-
Getting ready for our Bryce and Zion trip–hope we do not hit snow!
When is your trip oregon? H and I leave for Palm Springs in 3.5 weeks.
kmc…my H is clueless in the kitchen. I have always loved to cook but I am starting to feel like I may need to take some time off and find my joy/peace in the kitchen again.
Love Bryce and Zion. Why is it bad to say no to things you don’t want to do? People should do that more often. I sense the real question is whether you are prematurely saying no to things that you would like if you tried them.
I frequently say yes to things. Last night it was to joining ShawWife and three or four female artist friends (could have been boring, but we talked politics and artist real estate). Tonight, dinner with a Harvard professor and landscape architect (both long-time friends). Over the weekend, I am attending some meetings of a friend’s NGO. He’s asked me to join the board. Worthy organization and I’m going to say yes, but time is tight. And I’m also doing a favor to a professor at MIT by giving a talk to a couple of hundred grad students and post-docs. Then off to London and back to DC to work on polarization in Congress.
I think age gives us the ability to pick and choose. I am an introvert and just cant muster the energy for volunteering for things I don’t want to do. Why should I? My cousin moved to this state to work. I asked him if he wanted to come to the lake, he invited his girlfriend of 2 weeks. I found out he likes to party really hard, (like in college). I bailed said I was working. we did stay at home and it rained felt bad, but couldn’t do it. I haven’t seen him since he was like 15, let alone some woman I never met. I thought it would be quiet, we could hike or he could fish., no fuss no muss. I could not manage his lifestyle. First for me but I felt it was self preservation.0i checked with my family and they agreed.
I could/would not keep up with Shaw. I admire his energy.
My H will do a cooking class . he needs direction. we did one in New Hampsphire and in South Africa/ it was fun.
So it’s YOU who has been polarizing Washington! That explains everything 
– just kidding. But seriously, have you considered giving them time outs and making em write “I will not use sophist arguments” a thousand times?
Oregon, I’m sure that living vicariously through me would most times be much more boring than Bryce and Zion
While i admit that i did manage to over-achieve on the entertainment front last weekend after inventing a new drink and doing hot-cold Therapy between the hot tub and 64-degree pool, It wore me out for the ensuing 48 hours I’m afraid.
Work on polarization in Congress? That is a tall order.
I read recently that sometimes you need to say no and sometimes you need to say yes. Makes a lot of sense to me.
There are times I say yes, even if it’s not my first choice of how to spend my time, in order to be with someone I care about. For example, H wanted to attend a college football game a couple of weeks ago. His alma mater was playing within an hour’s drive of where we live. It ended up being a gorgeous day and we had fun. Not really into football, but we had a nice day together.
We leave for Bryce this Thursday. So of course this has led to cleaning my closet and washing every piece of hiking clothes I own --which is most of my wardrobe (it’s Oregon). Also, sadly, seperating the ones that are too tight in the waist .
I have done an inventory of my friends and the ones I say no to or have let go of over the years are a lot the same.
They are educated and good people but seem very immature to me. Such as they would laugh at a male stripper --out of discomfort perhaps-- they would hoot and cackle and I would think it was sad and dumb. They repeat themselves, telling the same details 2-3-4 times in one hour. I make sure they get feedback and that I am really listening but it is like they cannot stop once they start. We became friends through the kids in elementary school or younger. I am happy for a coffee or a phone call and do not want to lose touch but a whole evening is too much.
Anyway, I am going to make an effort to meet some new people and reach out to those I do enjoy.
H went to his concert and was happy and I had a flu shot and felt bad so all in all it worked out.
FallGirl–the count down! Fill us in --how large? formal? band? food?
Wedding details: over 200 invited but we are expecting 140 (several out of town can’t make it and very few singles bringing a “plus one” although we did give the option). The venue is an historic house. H and I as well as several members of both families are staying in the house. The 3 large cabins on the property will house the wedding party and other family members. Rehearsal and dinner on Friday then a very casual meet and greet around the fire pit with beer/wine/soft drinks and dessert for wedding party, anyone else staying there and anyone invited who wants to attend. Wedding is outside late Sat. afternoon (can be moved inside if it rains) then a cocktail hour. Reception is in a separate building on the property and adjoining terrace. Dinner is buffet style, dance floor DJ and open bar.
The wedding is “somewhat” traditional. The priest from our (Episcopal) church will officiate.D will not be “given away”, she will be escorted by H and me and her fiance will be escorted by his parents. I believe that this is a traditional Jewish procession, it is what H and I did 35 years ago (in a Catholic church). D is wearing a long white gown but no veil (again like me). No bouquet or garter toss.
The bridal attendants will wear dark red dresses and the guys in traditional black tuxes. There are also touches of gold as well as navy in linens, etc.
I will post pictures in the FB group!
FallGirl, it sounds lovely.
Got home very late last night, have been recuperating and doing exciting stuff like laundry and cleaning today. My flight home was delayed, and then once I arrived over 2 hours later than planned, an accident closed a bridge and it took me 2 hours to get home from the airport.
Love it.
FallGirl, enjoy the wedding!
My fall travels are over. I have traveled for various reasons 6 out of the last 7 weekends. I’m tired and my house and yard show the lack of attention.
We got younger D moved into her apartment (the one with lengthy construction delays.) The amenities are still not finished (including some parking lots), causing a lot of anger among residents and their parents. The drive to her college town is 5 hours one way without stops. The drive there on Friday was actually 6 hours, 20 minutes, thanks to the “short cut” that H took. … The 6th hour of a 5 hour drive is always the most difficult.
Older D started training for her new job, last night. The corporate training center is close to our house, so D flew in on Saturday. A week of “team building” will be stressful for her, but she’ll be fine. She got to fly First Class on the way here because the flight wasn’t booked until the day before.
Yesterday I was part of a group that hosted clients at our suite at the football stadium. It’s definitely work for the hosts, as our job is networking, chatting with the clients, etc., for many hours. The only one who disappointed me was the most junior person on our team, who arrived very late and left very early.
Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! We had good friends visit here at the beach – we had glorious weather. Last year they also visited over Columbus Day Weekend and I remember we built a fire after they left. Yesterday after they left H and I went to the beach! Incredible!!
But, we are in “end of season” mode. H took the power boat to the marina for winter service and the sailboat will be hauled soon. Next weekend will be our last one here as we head back to Cambridge to get ready for our trip to Spain. I need to do a final clothes sorting/cleaning a la oregon, and I’m still trying to decide between 2 pairs of walking shoes – I keep trying them out around the house.
Sooooooo, S is traveling around Europe (Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague) before flying from Copenhagen to South Korea to start his 1 year assignment. He emailed me on Friday that his phone “managed to get stolen” on his way to Vienna. So now he’s depending on internet cafes and computers at the various hostels he’s staying at. I didn’t bother asking for details – what’s done is done and the phone is gone. He thinks Verizon (our cell carrier) will send me a US SIM card to send to him to put into the new phone he’ll buy once he gets to Korea. I have to call them today. (His original plan had been to get a Korean SIM card once he got there, and swap the cards out based on how he was using the phone.) I have no idea how any of this works – all I know is it’s going to cost him a pretty penny for a new phone!
Can’t wait to see wedding pix, FallGirl! And shaw – good luck with Congress! (But honestly, is there ANY hope at all?)
CBB…we also took our boats out of the water this past weekend. Docks come out this week. I am hosting a mother/daughter weekend at the lake this weekend but unfortunately there won’t be any boat rides. We will be doing some hiking on the Gandy Dancer Trail and then attending the Oktoberfest festivities at a local winery. Should be fun!
The big news around here is that D1 got engaged on Sunday.