Last Trip or First?

Dear Friends and Family,

The closing went without a hitch. (It took about an hour.) And, the new owner seems like a really nice guy.

While we were walking to our gate last night, I asked Mr. mouse if this was our last trip out as residents or our first trip out as non-residents. Hmm... Not sure where I stand on that one. Guess it doesn't matter what it ultimately is. Our next trip will definitely be as visitors.

It's an official close to one chapter. Onto the next.


Cheers!
mouse

Farewell, Mouse House

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Thursday morning. It's closing day. Odds and ends to accomplish this morning. And, then, we must bid farewell to the mouse house. All good things must come to an end.

Mr. mouse woke up last night as the last log was burning in the fireplace. We sat and enjoyed it together for a little bit, and then I went up to sleep while he hung out in the basement. He offered to bring the airbed downstairs, but it felt right to sleep in WBR, it's the room we slept in the first night in the house. It's only fitting it's the room we sleep in the last night in the house.

I had a small epiphany while fire watching last night. I'm a very different person from the person who moved up here four and a half years ago. When I left my former employer, I had lost faith in a lot of things... in people, in religion, in life, in a lot of things. In my time here, I've found my faith again. Most importantly, I've found faith in me and in life. It's weird I didn't even notice it while it was all happening. I just realized it lat night. I'm leaving a much stronger and more confident a person than the person who came here.

For this, I am thankful.

We'll come back often enough to see my friends. In fact, we're slated for a trip out in a couple of days for a New Year's Eve party. It'll be our first trip back as guest/visitors instead of as residents. I hope the next residents enjoy the house as much as we did and show it the care and love it needs to make it a home.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: I'm glad I have this blog. It started as an experiment from work. And, now it's a chance for all of my friends here to keep up to date on me.

PPS: Timer just went off. Time to wake Mr. mouse.

'Twas the Night before Closing

Dear Friends and Family,

'Twas the night before Closing, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

Well, almost... I'm in the basement with a roaring fire going. Mr. mouse is asleep on the airbed. We had a busy busy day today, but we got ALL of the errands we had on the list for today done. Good job, team! We:

1. changed all of the addresses on our utilities, bills, etc.
2. cancelled insurance
3. re-confirmed close details with our agent
4. picked up a couple of gifts and cards
5. got a quote on fixing the bumper
6. picked up firewood
7. ate lunch
8. forwarded our mail
9. hit the bank
10. picked up dry cleaning
11. picked up our Christmas ornament for the year (better late than never)
12. picked up contacts
13. un-assembled and reassembled some shelving
14. moved some stuff to our neighbors for storage until this weekend
15. swept the garage and tossed some stuff
16. met with our neighbors for pizza and wine
17. transferred two tables over to my neighbors' place
18. made a fire to enjoy the rest of the evening...

which is exactly what I am doing right now.... Mr. mouse fell asleep as soon as he got the fire going... And, that's okay. It would have been nice to have his company, but the time alone is good too. Kinda free flowing on the thoughts and memories and just enjoying the quiet time.

Tomorrow will be a hectic day, we have a couple of errands left to run. And, it'll be an emotional day. I'll miss the house here. It was a good home. And, with all of the work we did to it, it's in pretty much perfect condition. Seeing it empty, it reminds me of when we first moved in... brings a smile to my face... we were SO excited and happy to have gotten the place, it immediately felt like home. The basement was our favorite spot, we loved the built-ins, the fireplace and the newness of it. I spent a lot of my time down here, watching TV, talking to Mr. mouse, sleeping. It was my morning spot and my after work spot.

And, there's the brand new kitchen - with the built-in sink and all the extra counter space. And, the bathroom we re-did, with the new vanity, the tile my friend helped me pick out, the awesome tile job Brandon did with the diagonal tile and the clever spliced border... And, the new garage door and front door. And, the two bedrooms we rediscovered in staging the house... And, once all the furniture came up from the prior house, having it around felt like home. The four years here went so quickly. Time of reflection are good. They make you grow and mature.

For now, just enjoying the quiet time by the fire. Will write more in the morning.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse House Wrap Up

Dear Friends and Family,

It's our last full day at the mouse house and like always there's a ton to be done, mostly odds and ends like drop off clothing donations and things like that. I wish we had one more day. But, I know, no matter how many days we have, I'd wish we had one more, so I'll have to accept it is what it is. After all, I had yesterday afternoon to myself here.

I'll miss the mouse house. But, it's different from the first home we sold. I think I was more emotionally vested in that house... it was our first house, we did a LOT of work on it, we fell in love in it, we both lived in it full time... mouse house is different... I'll miss the easy access to everything I want and need, the short commute, and most of all, the sense of community... So, very different things, but I'll miss it nonetheless. It was a good home for us.

We have an early close tomorrow morning. So, I'll be posting early again tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Quick Trips Home

Dear Friends and Family,

Just got up. Mr. mouse is snoozing one more time before we start getting ready for our trip back... Rental cars turned out to be in short supply so we got a one day rental from the airport. That means we need to return it by 8AM. Yeah!

So many funny things happened yesterday. We got home. And, my Dad showed us a proclamation he has gotten from the city for some volunteer work he's been doing for the past 20 years. Get this... He has an official appreciation day. I was joking that next year, we need to plan for a parade. How cool would that be? I could drive a float. Mr. mouse could do an inflatable balloon like in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. My Mom and Dad could end the parade waving from a carriage. OMG, I crack myself up.

My parents somehow had the time and energy this year to get a tree. It's a little tree with a little tilt. But, it's cute.

We headed out to pick up my Sister. Then, we headed out to my Mom's church to meet the priest. He's younger than priest I've met before. We had a quick lunch in the church basement and headed off to the nursing home to see my Grandma. She's doing so well! I'm so glad! Her eye sight's gotten a lot better since the operation. And, she's got her wit about her. We opened presents with her and kept her company for the afternoon.

Afterwards, we came back to the house for a couple of hours before meeting up with my Uncle and Aunt for dinner. They're doing well as well. Came home to exchange gifts and spent the rest of the time roasting chestnuts and catching up with my Sister and Mom.

Holidays are good.


Cheers!
mouse

12.25.06: Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family,

There's nothing like holiday tradition to ground you. Every year, we fly back to see Mr. mouse's folks and my parents for the Christmas holidays. Normally, we're in town for 4 days, 3 nights with ~2 days with each set. This time, we're only in for two days. We figured with the move and new job and house closing and everything, this is what we could make work for the year. Next year, we'll have more time.

Saturday, we spent in the mouse pad. Mr. mouse napped in the morning while I worked on blog maintenance. We hung a couple more pictures, opened and unpacked a couple more boxes and tried a new barbecue joint for dinner.

Sunday, we flew out to see Mr. mouse's folks. We had lunch at a little Vietnamese shop with his dad and step-mom. Then, we broke off on our own for the afternoon. We went to see Mr. mouse's mom (at the cemetery), hit Target to pick up gift boxes and then the local pizza joint for a pie to bring back. Mr. mouse's step-brother and his girlfriend took the train in from their apartment and we all sat down for the traditional Christmas dinner. Big smile.

Gift exchange followed by a call to his other step-brother finished off the evening.


Cheers!
mouse

Smoque BBQ

Dear Friends and Family,

After reading about Smoque BBQ on Daily Candy, we decided to give the place a try. Now, sometimes you feel like living life on the edge and sometimes you just like safe and sound. Smoque BBQ is one of those safe and sound places. Specializing in barbecue in general, it's still a little schizophrenic. It offers Texas brisket, Carolina pulled pork, St. Louis ribs and generic baby back ribs and chicken.

We ordered the St. Louis ribs and Texas brisket. It comes with four sides - corn bread, french fries, baked beans, and peach cobbler - and cole slaw and pickles. The brisket was fork tender, fatty brisket. Nice texture, but it was a little salty compared to the brisket we've grown used to. The ribs were nicely smoked with a decent, but generic rub. Each came with its own barbecue sauce to use as desired.

The corn bread, moist with good corn flavor, wasn't overly buttery or cakey. It was my favorite part of the meal. The french fries came in their own bag. Fried twice, they were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside without being too greasy. I didn't have either the baked beans or the peach cobbler, but Mr. mouse thought the beans were a classic Midwest baked beans - sweet with an overture of onions with some nice chunks of pork. His take on the cobbler? A little tart in a good way, they were individually baked which was a unique touch.

It's BYOB. Some people brought wine to have with their barbecue. Uh, we're guilty of barbecue with champagne, so pot here isn't going to call the kettle black...

The funniest part of the whole experience was the people watching. To begin with, no less than an even dozen of Chicago's finest came to partake of the barbecue - four detectives, and three different groups of police officers. You never felt more protected. And, then, there was the guy who ordered the pulled pork sandwich - obviously he doesn't keep strict kosher! We had a good time...

Overall rating: 7/10

Smoque BBQ
3800 North Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 545-RIBS
http://www.smoquebbq.com/


Cheers!
mouse

Happy Belated Winter Solstice

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse is napping on the couch, so I've been updating labels on ye olde blog.

Well, I just realized, winter solstice has come and gone. The days are now getting longer :)


Cheers!
mouse


PS: post #200 - it feels right to commemorate the start of longer days...

Adding Value

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday was a good day. Granted I got a late start so I missed my bus, but, there's something to be learned in that...

My cube neighbor is cool. He's West Coast. I'm East Coast. We've got an agreement that we're both okay with that. We spent a piece of the morning just chatting since we're both relatively new to the department.

I had a couple of meetings in the afternoon where I started to kick off my project and I got to work with some people I had met earlier in the week. I finally felt "normal" and I felt like I was "adding value." So, four days into it, I will, ala our great and fearless leader, prematurely declare victory. I feel like this will work. If before I was glass is neither half empty nor half full, now I am glass is half full. It's the little things that make life worthwhile.

Now, you're probably wondering what's up with the late post this morning. Well, I have the flexibility to work from home as warranted. And, being I have zero meetings and four inches of reading, I figured today was as good a day as any to work from home. To top it off, my entire department is out today, so reading in the office yields only the benefit of practicing my commute. Thanks, but no thanks.

Happy Friday, everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

Commuting Options

Dear Friends and Family,

I hate to say it, but this is what my life has been reduced to... My excitement for the day yesterday was, big drum roll please, I tried taking the bus to work. Or, rather, I took the train to the bus to work.

On the positive, I slept in both directions, which means more sleep for me overall. I've been dragging this week with getting up at 4 every morning after two weeks of sleeping in. And, it's cheaper than gas. I think I can save on auto insurance by making my car a leisure vehicle. And, to ease my sleep even more, it's more environmentally responsible. The icing on the cake? I get at least 10-15 minutes of walking in just getting to the train station.

On the negative, I'm on a schedule. I need to come and go on the bus schedule which I'm not sure is going to work with the new job. Working out will be tough, since the last bus leaves pretty early. Time wise, I think it's break even in the evening, but, I think it takes ~30 minutes more in the morning. Not sure, exactly, but, that's what I think, based on my three data points at three different times during a very non-standard week... in other words, lots of room for data error. And, so far the weather has cooperated - dry and warm. Not sure how much I'll like it in the cold.

As insurance, we bought the Jetta, warts and all. It's still at the mouse house, but we'll be driving it back Jan 1. It'll be my other commuting option.

What are my options? And combination of the following:

1. public transportation: bus and train
2. carpool: with Mr. mouse, we drop him off at work and I take the car from there
3. carpool: with Mr. mouse, he drops me off and doubles back to work (exception based at best, probably)
4. hybrid: semi-public: train to car left at park and ride
5. private: car

I guess we'll have to see how the schedule and options evolve over time. Keep in mind, you can choose a variety from the above on any given day. Once you have two cars here, there's no commitment to one or the other. So, I can do option #4 in the morning and #1 on the way home and do #2 the next morning and #5 in the evening. The permutations can make your head spin... Well, at least I know I have flexibility, if nothing else.


Cheers!
mouse

Made the Switch to "New" Blogger

Dear Friends and Family,

Sometime between yesterday morning and this morning Blogger announced new blogger, formerly known as blogger beta. Okay, maybe it's a good time to switch.

I know there are a lot of good reasons for making you create a google account, which Mr. mouse got for me awhile ago, but, I can't say I like account consolidation. More importantly, now, it requires you to turn on cookies to use blogger. This, I am not happy about. Not sure if I'll stay on blogger for my tiny audience or move to another service. We'll see.

For now, I'm curious to see what the post looks like and see what the other capabilities are. So, short post for this morning. Will be working on looking at infrastructure instead.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: word of advice to the smart people at google, maybe you should include the words blogger and google in the default dictionary for this service, no?

So Far, So Good

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning. Sorry, no food posting today.

So, I know you're dying to know... how'd it go?!?!

Yesterday was a typical first day in the office. We had group orientation in the morning where we covered paperwork - make sure you're legal to work in the country, taxes withholding, direct deposit, etc.; company history; mission, values, etc.; benefits, policies, getting started, etc.

Then, we were met at lunch by our buddy and left to fend for ourselves in the afternoon. I got my badge, so it's official now. And, I spent the afternoon doing a lot of reading. I have a 1:1 with my manager this afternoon and my first meeting this morning. I have a new cubicle mate; he's funny, but I miss Frenchie. And, it's very quiet in the office, so it's not as lively as the old office environment - you get a lot more done, but it takes a little getting used to. So far, so good.

The gym is okay, it's not as large or as new as the old gym and it has a little gym odor, but for now, it's serviceable. It's $25/month, so I'll probably join regardless... use it for a couple of months and see how it goes from there. If the odor/age bothers me, I'll find a new gym at a later point. If not, then we'll call it good.

The cafeteria, on the other hand, is going to be a tougher sell. Granted, the old cafeteria set a high bar... I had sushi options, a great sandwich bar with house roasted turkey, four yogurt options and a full suite of fruit and vegetable salads all at reasonable prices. This one is a lot pricier for lower quality food. My sandwich yesterday - the wheat bread was a cheap fluffy bread with no flavor and/or texture, the turkey bland, watery and flavorless, the yogurt was a carb-control option - never again, and the price - 25% more than my old lunch. Hmm... Might be just the incentive I need to pack my lunch on an ongoing basis... Today, I'll try carvery and see how that goes. If that works, I'll be okay. Like the gym, I'll give it a couple months of use, see if I adjust or if it's really an issue. Unlike the gym, I have an easy contingency plan, bring my own lunch, which I'll probably do 60% of the time.

Well, off have my tea.


Cheers!
mouse

12.18.06: First Weekend Together

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning!

As you can see, I'm out of transition and back to the routine. Good to know someone's feeling optimistic this morning.

So, what happened over the weekend? I picked up Mr. mouse at the airport Friday night and we headed out for dinner. We went to a local seafood place and had the cold platter - raw oysters, peel and eat shrimp, seared ahi, half a lobster tail and cerviche. Very yummy. I ordered a cup of soup to start with and we shared a dessert. It felt like a celebration. We headed over to our neighbors for a glass of wine after dinner and then hit the sack (aka the airbed).

Saturday, Mr. mouse packed the last of our stuff while I slept in. I'd been battling the sniffles for a week under the assumption it was dust, but Mr. mouse wanted me to work it out of my system either way before Monday. We flew back Saturday night with the last of the clothes/shoes, the last of the plush friends, the two back-up hard drives and the computer. The mouse house is pretty empty now.

Sunday, I woke up super early with some pretty odd dreams about the upcoming new gig - it was Devil Wears Prada meets I. M. Pei. Weird. Had breakfast and napped for two or three more hours. We hung a couple more pictures and went grocery shopping. Seven o'clock sharp, I tuned in for three hours of Survivor Finale plus Reunion. I miss my TiVo. Ask me, why I'm addicted? It's the organizational behavior major in me that's fascinated by the people aspect of it all. Afterwards, we turned in early so I could get some Zzz's.

And, here I am bright and early, Monday morning. I have time for tea and this entry and then need to be ready to go by 6:15 am. Yep, that's the glorious commute I signed up for. Actually, Mr. mouse is driving me this week, so I can't complain. That way I don't have to tackle new job and new commute in one fell swoop. He's such a trooper.

Happy Monday, everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

Day 10, Reality Sinks In

Dear Friends and Family,

Met Trixie for lunch yesterday. Wow. Just what the doctor ordered. I felt so much more relaxed just sitting down with her and chatting. You need good friends.

Shopping on the other hand was a bust. They were out of the blush I needed. And, I shook myself free from the grasp of a cake pan I've been eyeing. Cake pan? Seriously? I don't need a cake pan! I don't make cakes. It's just so cute, and I think it'd be perfect for Baby mouse, who isn't even born yet. And, I've resolved Baby mouse isn't going to have a Wisteria Lane childhood. So, this cake pan, pure 100% clutter.

We then went to drop my car off at the dealer. Lights have been flashing on the dash like they're Christmas lights - first coolant and now oil pressure. What gives?!?! So, they're going to have a look at it. We chatted with my sales guy there who really is a good guy. And, we left to go pick up the rental. I got upgraded to a full size for free. Whee!

Off to happy hour. Not as many people as I first expected, but close friends, so I'm glad. I ended up staying until 10:30 watching two friends play pool. Much better than coming home to the empty house...

So, I get home and all of the furniture is gone, as expected. And, it finally sunk in. I'm leaving. Not sure what's on the agenda for today. But, wow, I start a new job on Monday.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Trixie gave me the sweetest card: to a new year, a new house, a new job and a new you. That really captured what's going on in my head right now.

Day 9, Winding Down

Dear Friends and Family,

Back at the mouse house. Meeting a friend for lunch today and some shopping. Then, headed back home for a quick meal with the neighbors and then headed out to my happy hour. While I'm out, my neighbors are coming over to take the rest of my furniture. It's going to their parents' cabin.

Tomorrow, I've got a list of errands and lunch with another friend. The two weeks have gone really quickly, but it's been time well spent. I have a small case of the sniffles, but overall, am feeling a lot better than last week this time.

Mr. mouse met me yesterday for lunch. And, I headed back to the mouse house on a mid-day flight with... get this... the other half of the dishwasher rack! Nice to know I was able to provide entertainment for 100+ people in the middle of their Wednesday. The one thing I forgot? The camera... Trixie has me covered for tonight so I should be fine, just feel a little lost without it.

Last night, our neighbors came over to keep me company. It would have been pretty barren at home. It was good to have the company. I feel like I know so many people here and very few people at the mouse pad. Sigh.

Sorry so scattered this morning. Need to compose myself and organize before heading out. Happy Thursday, everyone!


Cheers!
mouse

Day 8, Learning by Doing

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday was a productive day. We arranged all of the furniture in the guest room. We hauled all of our books in there and found a home for most of them. And, we set up the guest bed (my bed from the mouse house). Then, we unpacked half of the kitchen boxes and most of our clothes. I got a little frustrated because the closet isn't big enough for two and went on a donation rampage. Mr. mouse told me to go to sleep and finished up the rest. All in all, a very productive day.

Today is another story all together. I had the option of going back for a volunteer event with my old department or spending the day here with Mr. mouse. I knew he had a morning meeting that he was trying to reschedule and I didn't nag him about it. I should have been more clear as to my options in communicating with him. Why? He's at work and I am here. The plan? Spend the day together. The back up plan? He goes to work and I go hang out with my old department. The sign of communication failure? He goes to work, I do nothing. How the @#$!? does that happen? No use crying over spilt milk, but guess I need to think about how to prevent future communication breakdown. Maybe I should have just planned on going to the volunteer event and made that plan A? Maybe I needed to be more explicit? But how to do that with sounding like a nag? Maybe I need to be okay with spending another quiet day at the mouse pad? No. Yes. No. Okay, how to communicate better? Something to think about during this transition.

I'm flying back to the house tonight to have dinner with my neighbors. I'm very excited about seeing them again.

Off to tea and to contemplate having the "talk" with Mr. mouse. What a waste of a morning.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Mr. mouse is headed home for brunch and to drive me to the airport. All is better.

Day 7, Settling In

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I are unpacking today. We started moving some furniture around last night, and, in a ritualistic ceremony, we will probably hang our first art work today. We had dinner in the house together last night. I guess it counts as our first real meal here together. We had salmon with pasta (the noodles that are hollow on the inside) and zucchini. I'm thinking about making the switch to the Weight Watchers core plan from the flex plan that I am on. It involves less counting and more managing food types - there's a core list you can eat from. I'll see how eating with Mr. mouse every day works for my wellness plan. That's part of the transition. I'm just taking it one day at a time.

I'm a little congested. Not sure if it's a cold, the stress from last week or just plain dust. Off to tea and then unpacking.


Cheers!
mouse

Day 6, At Peace

Dear Friends and Family,

Just woke up and am having the morning tea. Mr. mouse is working this morning and I'm enjoying the feeling of the mouse pad. We've been struggling with naming the place. We've had The Ranch, The Winter Cabin, and now... The Flat? The Walk Up? The Loft? The Brownstone? The Park? None of them fit yet. But, The Winter Cabin took awhile to name too.

Not sure what's on the agenda for the rest of the day and week. I know I'm going back to the mouse house for at least a couple of days. Will dwell on figuring out the schedule after tea, later this morning. For now, just sitting and absorbing.

Oh, and need to find my scale so I can weigh in tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Day 5, Home Again

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I finished packing and loading the truck this morning. And, in the still of the night, we pulled out of the driveway and headed out to our new adventure. The drive went smoothly. And, we arrived at the mouse pad by 2:10 in the afternoon. The movers showed up and by 5:30 everything was in the new house. We even lucked out on a parking spot right in front of the house for easy unloading.

We returned the truck and headed out to dinner. I way overate, but figured it wasn't just dinner. It's a celebration - we're living together again. Yeah! Mr. mouse is relaxing upstairs. This living together thing is going to take some getting used to. Even with all the boxes, it feels like home.

Tomorrow, I sleep in :)


Cheers!
mouse

Day 4, Moving Day

Dear Friends and Family,

Didn't have time to post this morning. We flew in on the red eye from Vegas. It was a great trip. Sometime in the morning, I found my inner peace. I've turned the corner on all of this and it feels real again.

I accidentally stumbled upon a "spa" treatment Mr. mouse and I partook of while in Orlando. It involved switching back and forth between a really hot pool and a really cold one - kinda like sauna. Well, I drew water for a bath Friday morning and it was scalding hot. Did that stop me? Absolutely not. When I jumped into the shower, I turned the water cold to cool off, and it was like voila. I remember doing this before! So, I spent some time in the cold shower. Jumped back into the hot bath, repeat as necessary. It was so relaxing. I finished it off with yoga relaxation poses. Nice way to start the day.

I went to lunch at Canyon Ranch Cafe. The food is very well composed. I had the crab cakes which tasted delicious without the heavy mayo/greasy taste. Then, I had the portabella mushroom sandwich - another winner in my book. The mushroom was grilled with roasted red peppers which added contrast to the meatiness of the mushroom. And, I finished it off with two oatmeal cookies. $27 for the meal, 9 Weight Watchers points. Would repeat in a heart beat.

I took my walk and then met Mr. mouse for dinner. I'll write more about that at a later date. We went to Nobu. Another place I'd repeat in a heart beat.

We got the truck today. And loaded all of our stuff in it. There's a couple more boxes to pack and we need to load the picture frames. Mr. mouse is napping on the couch for one last time before we sell it. So, I'll give him another half hour before nudging him.

We had dinner with our neighbors again. I'm going to miss them SO much. I wish I could take them with me to our new place. We don't know many of our neighbors there yet, so it's another thing that's changing in my life.

Tomorrow we do the drive and then unload the truck. Fortunately, we hired unloaders, so we won't have to do the heavy lifting. But, we are doing the long drive. I'd better go finish up more stuff...


Cheers!
mouse

Day 3, From the Venetian

Dear Friends and Family,

After a couple of false starts, I made it out to Vegas yesterday compliments of US Airways. They had a $100 ticket available, so Mr. mouse booked me a flight out.

I've got ten days between my two jobs, and today is Day 3. Mr. mouse just left for his conference and I have the day in Vegas to myself. What's on the docket? A bunch of things. I might take a long, hot bath. I might not. I might hit Canyon Ranch Cafe for a nice healthy lunch. I might not. I might go for a walk along the Strip, a loop is about five miles, I think. I might not. I might go to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I might not. I meet up with Mr. mouse sometime around five for a cocktail hour. If I'm late, no biggie.

As you can see, not really sure where the day will lead, but I'm okay with that. Vegas is packed with memories from past conventions and conferences and visits. And, it's a high of 70 today, and I'm definitely okay with that.

Hope your day turns out as beautiful as mine.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: We went to Lotus of Siam for dinner last night. The food is to die for. If you're ever in Vegas, you must try it. Another chowhound winner.

PPS: (9:43 am) Bath water drawing, plans for an absolutely divine lunch at the Cafe (will write a review tomorrow) and then a long walk afterwards, life is good.

Day 2, Another Day

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday, I had to drop off my receipts from my trip for our admin to do my expense report. It was weird coming in through the visitor entrance, but it was even weirder how disassociated the place felt. It was like a place I knew from a recurring dream where I knew where everything was, but it felt like a place I had never been to before. How weird is that? The last four years have somehow been relegated to a Dali like dreamscape.

So, I know you're dying to know. What's the plan? I finally got a hold of my grandfather yesterday, and decided not to go visit him. He really didn't seem up for it. So, I'm off to Vegas with Mr. mouse for a two day conference. I'm back Sat and Sun for the big move. Then, we're going to do something "productive, but relaxing" for three days. I'll head back here for Thu and Fri wrap up. And, then, head out Sat for my new adventures. It'll happen that quickly.

Don't know what the Mon to Wed thing will be yet. We have five days between now and then to figure it out. I'm glad Mr. mouse is taking the time off with me. It closes the loop on the summer of '99 and the fiasco we had about taking time off from work. We've come a long way in the past seven years and I am very proud of him and us.

Gotta do some quick packing before I head out.


Cheers!
mouse

Day 1, A New Chapter

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning. In case you're wondering why I'm up so early on my first day off, I had to drop Mr. mouse off this morning. He came over last night to keep me company, see how I'm doing and be the generally supportive person that he is.

I feel a lot better today. A lot of the shock has worn off. I have a list of stuff I want to do over the next week and half. And, I'm 90% of the way towards planning out a little trip over the next couple days. And, we got our New Year's invite out so people can start planning.

Overall, it feels good.

Being up, having my tea and blogging is strangely comforting.


Cheers!
mouse

The Big Day, Part II

Dear Friends and Family,

Today started out as an ordinary enough day, give the circumstances, but ended up taking an unexpected turn for the different. I went into to work, had my personal training session, stopped by a friend's desk and walked to my desk...

My boss was on the phone and motioned me over. Long story short, HR thought it best if they walk me since I am going to a competitor. At least, in their eyes it's a competitor. How archaic. So, I have the next two weeks off with pay while I prepare for the upcoming transition.

Still in a bit of shellshock. Not sure what to do next. There's a piece of me that's tempted to get on a plane to Hawaii or to go see my grandfather or something. And, there's a piece of me that just wants to chill at home. And, there's a piece of me thinking about going to see Mr. mouse tonight.

Deep breath. One day at a time. Better yet, one hour at a time or one minute at a time might be the way to go here.


Cheers!
mouse

The Big Day

Dear Mouse Manager:

Please accept this letter as my formal notice of resignation. My last day at work will be Friday, December 15, 2006. The associations I have made during my career here will be memorable for years to come. Thank you for the opportunity to work for such an outstanding organization.

Sincerely,
mouse


Yesterday was the day. Surprisingly, no big brouhaha. Just a good discussion with my manager, who I really do like and respect, and a quiet announcement to the team. It felt good. What a relief. I wasn't sure what to expect so I had to manage my own expectations... Still waiting for a response from HR, but until then, I can continue to contribute to the team and finalize good-byes.


Cheers!
mouse

12.04.06: Last...

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a weekend of lasts. We spent most of the weekend doing the last of the packing. Most everything is done. I'll do a couple more boxes this week, but 95% of it is done.

Friday night, I picked Mr. mouse up at the airport for the last time. And, this morning, I dropped him off for the last time. In between, we had our last home cooked supper together. And, I did one last back-up of the computer hard drive.

We went over to our neighbors house on Saturday, but fortunately, that wasn't a last get together. We'll still be coming back for lots of those. And, we're on for this upcoming weekend and again for New Year's Eve. And, we built a fire in the fireplace Sunday; I've got one more of those to look forward to, the night before we close.

It's all coming together so quickly. It's a little scary. Deep breath. I can do it!


Cheers!
mouse

Silicon Valley, Day 4

Dear Friends and Family,

Last day of meetings yesterday. Headed to the airport today for our flights home. Wow, what a week. I'm glad I had the chance to come on this trip.

Last night was the toughest. We went out for beer, burgers and trash talk. It was a good way to unwind and to get to know each other better. Other groups I had worked with did happy hour on a regular basis and it was a great outlet to create bonds that wouldn't form in the normal course of business interaction. I guess it's fitting that I had the chance to do that last night.

All in all, this past week has been a great learning opportunity and an excellent time to reflect on what I truly enjoy doing and where I get my energy. Good for me.

Back to boxes and the real world when I get home.


Cheers!
mouse

Silicon Valley, Day 3

Dear Friends and Family,

Help! I've been bitten by the bug and caught the disease. I can't help but be excited by and enamored with the start-up atmosphere here in the Valley. What do I like? The small group atmosphere, the innovation, the humility, the smartness, the scrappiness, the sheer persistence, the openness to new ideas... The list seems endless.

I was telling Mr. mouse about it all. And, maybe, after another couple of years with a large corporation, I might be willing to do the start-up thing. Mentally, I'm trying to balance being a good corporate citizen and being selfishly self-centered. The traditional model, you know, have a steady job, get a smaller but steady paycheck, save for a modest but comfortable retirement. The job is just a job. And, then there's the new model... Job hop, go big, take risks... The job is life enrichment. Not sure where I land on this. Actually, I know exactly where I land on this.

I'm moving in with Mr. mouse. I'm trying out a new job and seeing if I enjoy it or not. I'm going to save some $$$ by going down to a single mortgage and all that it entails. This will buy me LOTS of flexibility... Maybe more flexibility than I really want or need, but, hey, I'm not complaining. I'm going to see how the next 2-3 years go. And, we'll go from there.


Cheers!
mouse

Silicon Valley, Day 2

Dear Friends and Family,

Not sure what's going on back at the home front. Got two separate calls from two separate girlfriends. Not enough to create mass panic, but enough to make you go hmm... Since I'm in a vanful of colleagues all day, I'm hoping I can touch base with them somehow today. Feel free to email me. The syntax is myfirstinitialmylastname@yahoo.com. Don't leave me hanging, please. Tonight, I might panic.

More geek speak. Another day, another three blogs. Actually, make that six. Three on tech/the valley in general. Three on new gadgets. Not sure if I'll begin following all of these, but I might. The problem with blogs is few are updated daily. Most of the ones I read are updated 1-2 times a week. More content in the morning while I have my tea is a good thing. But, how to find good blogs? And, what's the format to organize them all? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Technology news:

• GigaOM
• Techcrunch
• alarm:clock

Gadgets:

• Engadget
• CrunchGear
• Gizmodo

Happy reading.


Cheers!
mouse

Silicon Valley, Day 1

Dear Friends and Family,

Less stressed than yesterday. Thank goodness. In addition to being less stressed, my cold seems like it was a passing thing. So, all in all, feeling much better than yesterday morning. Seven hours sound sleep will do that to you :)

Flew out yesterday to San Francisco for my business trip. The weather is cold and damp as can be expected for this time of year. Had a great conversation over dinner last night with one of my colleagues. He mentioned three blogs to read if you're really into the VC thing which I'm not, but in case you are:

• VentureBlog
• How to Change the World
• Allen's Blog

No tea in this hotel. Time for decaf coffee. BTW, OMG, the food here is so good! I don't think I'll be losing my two pounds this week. Staying net neutral will be an accomplishment. Hopefully, today is better than yesterday in that regards.


Cheers!
mouse

11.27.06: Let the Stress Begin

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry to drag you on the roller coaster I call life. It's 3:18 and I've been up for the past hour. You do the math...

We spent the weekend packing the mouse house and it's finally sinking in. There's a LOT of change on the horizon over the next month and I'm not quite sure if I can handle it all. I'm taking the take-a-deep-breath-and-jump approach. I'm sure it'll all be good in the end, but, today, I'm stressed.

How do I know I'm stressed? I'm sick. I'm headed out of town today for work. I'll be back on Friday, and over the weekend we'll complete the final pack. Wow. It's going so quickly!

So what'd we do the rest of the weekend? Friday, we flew out for Mr. mouse's high school reunion. Reunions are like proms, gotta do them, but rarely do they turn out as eventful as you think. Either way, we did it, and it wasn't bad.

Saturday, we flew back to the mouse house and spent all day Saturday and Sunday packing. I think we have all of the non-essentials packed. Mr. mouse is coming this week to pack up the garage. That leaves next weekend for the final pack.

Boy, I sound like a broken record. I'm going to go get some tea. Hopefully, this cold doesn't settle in. Being sick not really on the agenda for the upcoming week. BTW - up two pounds from all the turkey and sides. Hope to get back to normal this week... Stress not going to help in that department.

Happy Monday! May the stress begin!


Cheers!
mouse

Thanksgiving Day

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Thanksgiving Day. And, in addition to turkey, parade, Christmas shopping and catching up with family, it's important to take a moment to be thankful for what you have. Ready?

In no particular order...

I'm thankful for the continued health and happiness of my grandparents, parents, Mr. mouse's folks, my sister, my brother-in-law, my brother, Mr. mouse, my friends, and extended family. I'm thankful for the support that everyone provides as I travel on life's journey, Mr. mouse and his companionship. My job and the financial resources to make life not a worry. Selling the mouse house. Finding a new job. The prospect of being together with Mr. mouse in a single household. I'm thankful for all of the learnings I've had this year, my health - the weight loss, the good heart, the clean bill of health, the wart non-mole, the balanced thyroid, the balanced life. Surviving psycho boss. The sunsets in Kauai. Giving blood. My blog and how it's helped me capture my life's small stories. My neighbors and how much I'll miss them once I move. My friend in Jordan who offered me more than a roof, a place I could call home. I'm thankful for my faith and how it's helped me through a tough/long year while keeping my head up. And, how it'll be a continual piece giving me support through the upcoming year.

Oh, and I'm thankful for a Democratic Congress and the balance it'll bring to our government.


Cheers!
mouse

Time with Family

Dear Friends and Family,

At the mouse pad now. Came over last night with a boxful of kitchen implements for the Thanksgiving Day tradition. My flight was delayed so I was the last one getting in. But, in the end it all worked out okay.

My brother flew in. My sister and brother-in-law drove in. We went out for dinner last night - deep dish pizza, chicken wings, garlic bread and beer. Yummy yummy on the tummy tummy. Actually, I didn't have garlic bread or beer. I had a chicken wing, half a slice of deep dish and diet soda. Still a huge treat for me.

I had a chance to catch up with my brother and sister last night. There's nothing quite like family for laughing until you cry. We had so much fun trading stories about my mom and her church group and the stuff she asks us to do for them.

Well, everyone's waking up, so better get going.


Cheers!
mouse

Ry Krisp RyKrisp Rye Crackers

Dear Friends and Family,

Apologies in advance for the old tech photo. It's the best the website had.


These are my cracker of choice these days. Made from rye, I originally bought them for their wheat-free ingredient list. Now, I they're a staple in my pantry.

The first two crackers are "free" in Weight Watchers. Every two after that are one point a pair. This has to do with the fiber cap Weight Watchers adds to its points system. I love them with my Han's cheese spread. Two crackers + 1 tbs spread makes for a nice one point snack. I'll also have two plain ones for zero points when I'm not hungry but in a nibble/graze mood.

Off to get ready for the long weekend. I'll try to get online to post as usual, but no guarantees.


Cheers!
mouse

11.20.06: End of Year Countdown

Dear Friends and Family,

42 days left in 2006. Where did the year go?

It's that time of year when there's a ton of stuff to do. Add to that all of the house transition, car shopping and other miscellaneous holiday to-do and the weekend disappeared in a flurry of activity.

Saturday, we spent the morning packing boxes. We headed out to shop for Christmas gifts. Then, we went to pick up clothes for me since my current batch is already too loose. We finished off the day with more packing.

Sunday, was basically a repeat of Saturday. We spent the morning packing again. We headed out for more shopping and clothes. And, finished the weekend with, you guessed it, more packing. We're so predictable.

We've finished a lot of the non-essentials. What's left? The garage, which is not that bad. The family room, which will be maybe three boxes. And then the "last minute" stuff, the kitchen essentials, the master bathroom essentials and clothes/shoes essentials.

It's gone quickly. So far, we've invested 6 days to it, but it hasn't been six whole days, it's been partial days, so I guess we've invested three person-days to the packing so far.

This week will be a hectic week. Today, I've got to run an errand over lunch and then a friend is coming over for dinner. Tomorrow, dropping off a box at the airport over lunch and flying out in the evening. Wednesday and Thursday, my sister, brother-in-law and brother are coming over for Thanksgiving. Then, Mr. mouse and I are headed to his 20th high school reunion. Saturday, we're hopping back to the mouse house for more packing and stuff.


Cheers!
mouse

Yahoo! Avatars

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm going to try updating my profile to show my yahoo avatar. Let's see if it works.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Eh. It's okay. It's not in the box. But, more importantly, the resolution on it isn't too impressive. I'll probably remove it on Monday, but it was a fun attempt for the day.

Quiet Thursday

Dear Friends and Family,

Not a lot new today...

Contemplating having a toss session today. This is where I throw out things that really have no place, in my opinion, in our home. I feel so much better afterwards, like a physical weight has been lifted. Mr. mouse is a pack rat, so I don't think he understands how much better I feel after one of these sessions. I know this because he's gone dumpster diving to retrieve items. It drives me crazy! This is going to be the toughest part about living together once we do.

What should I throw out?

1. my pillow, doesn't give me a good night's sleep anymore
2. some old button down shirts, they don't fit anymore
3. my alarm clock, I've been using my cell phone lately
4. muesli, a failed test, I don't care for it
5. ???, there's tons more once I get started

I feel better already.


Cheers!
mouse

Boston Gal's Open Wallet

Dear Friends and Family,

I haven't had the time to write about this is awhile. In October, the NY Times ran an article titled What Do Women Want? Just Ask. Like I said, I'm behind.

There is a blog (bostongalsopenwallet.blogspot.com) where a woman tracks all of her financial information online.

Her first blog entry?

Speaking publicly about your personal finances has always been a no-no in my family. The result of this is that I often felt unprepared and uneducated about financial matters. I am now in my mid-30's, single, with a fairly well established professional career. Because I live alone, I make all the financial decisions in my life -- good or bad. If your parents and peers can't or won't show you the way, hopefully sites like this on the Web will.

I read it every couple of days and find it fascinating that someone else is struggling with the same questions I struggle with. Women need to get their heads smart about money. For the same job, we get paid less than men. Frequently, we opt for a "less than same" job to balance work and life or because that's where our passions are. We compound all that by generally living longer. And, it's a recipe for disaster if we're not smart about our money.

I'm excited about planning out our windfall from the house sale. Need to do more research before we make a decision.


Cheers!
mouse

Han's All Natural Cheese Spread

Dear Friends and Family,

I miss cheese. At three points an ounce, it's an expensive treat to be had once in a rare while. Mozzarella cheese, I can squeeze in. A quarter cup of the generic bagged shredded kind is two points. I refuse to even try the Laughing Cow light that comes up all the time in the Weight Watchers message boards.

Recently, I've found a cheese treat I can fit into my new lifestyle. Han's All Natural Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread:


I found it at the local Whole Foods in the produce section, oddly enough. It's all natural, but not organic. And, at two points for two tablespoons, it's something I can have every day if I want. I usually have one tablespoon on two rye crackers for a nice one point treat. I'll write about the crackers next week.

Ahh... time to enjoy my tea as I bask in the warmth of the mouse house this morning.


Cheers!
mouse

Loaded for Bear

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm home and I'm prepared for the worst.

This morning, we woke to a cold house. Mr. mouse looked at it briefly and decided it would take more time than he had this morning. So, he was going to come over tonight to look at it. It was 64 degrees inside when I left for work. Keep in mind, I keep the house at a balmy 78 degrees, so we're talking COLD by my standards. Yes, 78 degrees year round.

Well, they cancelled the flight Mr. mouse was planning on taking back. So, we called our utility people with whom we have a service plan, and much to our surprise, they're going to be here tonight between 4 and 10 pm. I guess there's something about leaving people without heat that's a bad thing. So, I'm home, waiting for them to show up.

I have on two pairs of socks, my thermals, my sweat pants and two extra long-sleeved t-shirts. It's currently 68 degrees in the house. If it gets colder, I'll put on more clothes and grab a blanket. It'll be an adventure.

Keep your fingers crossed that it's a simple repair.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: (5:15 pm) 64 degrees: added another pair of socks

PPS: (7:20 pm) repairman just finished - he replaced the igniter... the service plan is the best deal ever

11.13.06: Countdown Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

I've got a song stuck in my head:

There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too.
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say cook-coo cook-coo, cook-coo
Regretfully they tell us cook-coo
But firmly they compel us cook-coo
To say goodbye cook-coo...
To you...

So long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long farewell, auf weidersehen adieu
Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you

So long farewell, au revior auf weidersehen
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne

So long farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight
I leave and heave a sigh and say good bye - goodbyyyyyyeeeee!

I'm glad... to go.... I cannot tell a lie
I fleet, I float, I fleetly flee I fly...

The sun... has gone... to bed and so must I...
So long...farewell...auf weidersehen goodbye...
Goodbye...Goodbye....Goodbye....

We spent the weekend packing. We also took some video footage of the place and our commemorative photo in front of the mouse house. The two spare bedrooms, the dining room and half of the basement are done, 23 boxes so far. It's both exciting and sad to be packing up. I had so many grand hopes and ambitions when we moved here and bought the place.

This morning we woke to a very cold house. Mr. mouse played with the mechanicals for a little bit but had to run. He's coming back tonight for a closer look. Fun and games... Things like this make me glad we're consolidating into a single household. Fewer things to go wrong, and when they do there's two of us around to take care of it.

Hope you're week is starting smoother than ours.


Cheers!
mouse

No Diet Coke, but Drying Racks are Fine

Dear Friends and Family,

Okay, we all need a good laugh now and again. Now, if you haven't figured it out yet, Mr. mouse is somewhat of an appliance freak. He just bought a new dishwasher for the mouse pad to go with the new double wall oven and new cooktop. So far, so good.

The dishwasher rack, however, is not quite the same as the current dishwasher rack at the mouse house. I jokingly tell him to switch it out with the one at the mouse house if he likes that one more. Okay, you might be able to see where this is headed... He wants to see if the dishwasher rack in the new dishwasher is interchangeable with the one at the mouse house that he likes more... So, he takes the rack with him to work, in the trunk of his car... He takes it into his office... He takes it onto the shuttle bus to the airport... OK, if you're not laughing yet you'll be laughing soon...

He takes it through security to his gate! Flight's delayed. He takes it with him through the other terminal to the other flight to see if he can get on another flight. No dice. He takes the dishwasher rack back with him to the original gate. A dishwasher rack, boys and girls... Flight's really delayed. He takes the rack, which almost deserves a name at this point, with him on the train to go eat dinner. Mr. mouse and the dishwasher rack have a nice dinner, get back on the train, head back to the airport. Back through security and they are waiting at the gate together for their flight.

So, if you're at the airport tonight and you saw a person with a dishwasher rack keeping him company, odds are you saw Mr. mouse... or some other appliance freak.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Special Treat

Dear Friends and Family,

I ordered a special treat for myself yesterday.


The Special Edition (Product)Red ipod was originally available only in the 4GB model. Now, it's available in the 8GB model. Mr. mouse and I have learned, with Apple, if you really want something, get it. They change their line up too frequently to give you the luxury of waiting.

So, I ordered one last night and it should get here in the next couple of weeks. I am SO excited! I can't wait!


Cheers!
mouse

Talking

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I discovered a new communication tool last night. I can't say it's the most time efficient, but it gets the job done. We were discussing the job offer, again, and we were getting lost in the discussion. We both had the feeling - do you understand me? do you hear the words coming out of my mouth? what is so difficult about this?

Now, this isn't going to be the easiest to follow...

• mouse: statement A
• Mr. mouse: What I heard was...
• mouse: What I meant was...
• Mr. mouse: What I heard was...
• mouse: What I meant was...
• Mr. mouse: What I heard was...
• mouse: Yep. You got it.

• Mr. mouse: reply to statement A
• mouse: What I heard was...
• Mr. mouse: What I meant was...
• mouse: What I heard was...

Repeat as needed.

For example. When are you finishing work today? What I heard was you want me done now since it's late. What I meant was there's something I want to talk to you about and I want to plan time for it this evening. What I heard was there's something important you want to discuss, why don't we do it now, work can wait.

Get the idea? Like I said, it's time consuming, but eventually you're both crystal clear. Last night, it was a life saver.


Cheers!
mouse

Dry Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

It seems, for the moment, the stars are aligned for me to give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. I've always wanted to attempt it, but have never had any success with it.

I've been a light drinker since starting Weight Watchers since the points add up pretty quickly:

• wine: 2 points per glass
• hard liquor: 2 points per shot + mixer liquids
• beer: 3 points per bottle

I had scaled back on the consumption, opting for club soda at social gatherings. Eight months and forty pounds later, it's become a somewhat amusing conundrum. I've attempted on two evenings to add a glass of wine back into my daily routine. It's one of the options in attempting to raise the HDL. But, neither attempt has been successful. I've tried it after dinner where it feels like a chore after drinking my milk. I've tried it before dinner where it gets me light-headed. So, for now, I'm thinking no more trying. If the occasion comes up, I'll have a drink, but for now, I think I'm pretty much done.


Cheers!
mouse

11.07.06: Emerald City

Dear Friends and Family,

So, what'd we do this weekend? We spent some time seeing what it'd be like to be a traditional extended (multi-generational) family with a relatively simple life.

Mr. mouse's best friend: married, 2 kids, parents close by. It could be us, except, no kids, no parents near by, two houses... Wait, okay, so not really. But, it was fun playing house for the weekend.

We got in Saturday lunchtime, picked up some lunch, and hung out the rest of the day at home. Parents/grandparents came over for dinner and then chatted the night away. Sunday found us at the Science Museum then at home for some Vietnamese sandwiches. We went to the Pet Shop Boys concert Sunday night and took our respective red eyes home.

We brought our friend, Babo, with us. And, TL couldn't get over asking, "Where's Babo?." It was SO funny. They really bonded. We picked up some blocks at Target for them. So cute, I almost want them for myself too. Unfortunately, no pictures online of them. And, for the second time, SD card and computer don't want to play nice. WTF?!?! Will need to spend some time, some time in the future, figuring this out. When I have time. Sorry so technology challenged.

Set list to come.


Cheers!
mouse

Red Eye Recovery

Dear Friends and Family,

We headed out to Seattle for Mr. mouse's birthday. His best friend and former college roommate shares the same birthday so we get together each year to celebrate. Still figuring out up from down from the red eye. Will write the weekend update this evening.


Cheers!
mouse

Thanks, but No Thanks

Dear Friends and Family,

After lots of weighing the pros and cons of the job offer, I've decided not to take it. On the positive, it got me together with Mr. mouse, it paid for relocation and it was a 25% increase in compensation. On the negative, it didn't move my career in the direction I want it to go, it was a lateral move and I had doubts about career development/advancement since they seem to be recruiting pretty heavily from a particular management consulting firm.

So, all in all, I wasn't jazzed about it and I was leaning towards not taking it. That was on Monday. Now that we have the house offer, I feel I have even more flexibility in figuring this out and even less inclination to take it. I don't think I can give it my "all." If I feel that way, now, before I'm at the job, that's not a good sign.

I got some good advice from good friends. They all support me on my decision. Mr. mouse does as well. Most importantly, my gut tells me it's the right decision. So, my answer today will be thanks, but no thanks.

Onto the next adventure.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse House Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Well...

I can't deny I am excited, sad, but nonetheless excited.

We have an offer on the mouse house.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will be transferring ownership of it in late December. This gives us about two months to pack, move and party extra hard with our neighbors. The time will go so quickly.

It's a load off my mental psyche. I felt tied to my job because of my mortgage. I also felt tied to my job because we were still paying off the dibs and dabs we invested in fixing the house to put it onto the market. And, I felt tied to staying local to do all of the "maintenance" associated with the mouse house. Now, I can evaluate where I really am. Well, not now, now, I'm too busy laying out the next eight weeks, but soon.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it's getting brighter. Just hope it all goes smoothly. For me, there's always anxiety associated with the time in between offer and close. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed just in case.


Cheers!
mouse

Name Voyager

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse forwarded me this link. He's not a big ooh-aah-look-what's-on-the-internet kind of guy. That's more me. But we both had so much fun with the Name Voyager, it was strangely addicting. It lets you enter in a name and see how its popularity has risen and fallen with the times. You can find it at http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html. You can see how fashion forward (or not) your parents were.

Enjoy!


Cheers!
mouse

Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Butter Mini Bags Microwave Popcorn

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Halloween!

So, why the popcorn, today? It's not the healthiest food, nor the tastiest. It's microwave popcorn, after all. But, if you happen to stop by the mouse house this afternoon incognito, it's what we'll be handing out as treats...

Last year, we did full size candy bars (score!) but had ~12 trick-or-treaters so I had a bunch of bars left over. This year, I didn't want the temptation of candy lying around the house so we scoured the local Target for trick-or-treat ideas that wouldn't be sitting around the house for a year gathering dust if we didn't get enough trick-or-treaters. It's lower in fat than candy and you don't have to worry about kids with nuts allergies. Mr. mouse wanted to hand out stickers or some other trinket. Maybe next year we'll do that. Although, by next year, we should be at the mouse pad which is not Halloween friendly.

Weight Watchers info? 1 point per mini bag. I had one last night. It's a good alternative to chips if you MUST have something in hand while watching TV. It's also got the benefit of being pre-portioned out, so you know when to stop. I'll eat through the leftovers, but I don't think it'll become a staple in the mouse household.


Cheers!
mouse

10.30.06: Offerama

Dear Friends and Family,

Ahh, I love Indian summers. This weekend was another glorious fall weekend.

We raked the leaves, went over to our neighbors for dinner, picked up Mr. mouse's clogs, met with our financial advisor, and ran a bunch of little errands.

I got a call early Saturday morning from the company I had interviewed with. They want to extend me an offer. I should get it in writing this week. On the surface, it's a great offer. There's only two small problems... title and work. It's a lateral position AND it doesn't move the ball forward in terms of the type of work I want to get into. So, I'm not certain how I'll respond. We'll see how this week plays out.

Will keep you posted.


Cheers!
mouse

Orlando Trip, Day 3

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm home now.

Yesterday was the last day of our Orlando trip/meeting. We had the afternoon with our Miami team to work on women's leadership. I am finally beginning to be able to sort through names and faces on the team and getting to know personalities. I missed our September meeting because I was at my interviews and now I'm really bummed I did because this meeting would have been even better (for me) if I hadn't missed the last one. Everyone is so energetic and overflowing with ideas... It's inspiring.

I also had the chance one night to do a little shopping. Normally, I'm not a shopper, but I'm beginning to enjoy it more and more. They had a Lucky Brand Jeans at the outlet and I decided to try a couple of pairs on (great prices, so I didn't feel guilty about it). Now, don't laugh, but I have much better success with men's pants than women's. My complete lack of hips and/or butt might have something to do with it. So, I ended up with a pair of new jeans this week. I think I'll wear them to work today.

TGIF, everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

Orlando Trip, Day 2

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow. Yesterday was a long day. We had meetings straight through to 6 o'clock. What was tough was the afternoon break-out sessions were geared toward our team members, but we had to slough through them as best we could.

We went out for dinner last night with everyone and then three of us decided to go for a walk rather than going out for the drinking and dancing. I was glad since I'm not much of a drinker anymore and was never much of a dancer. I really got to know both of my colleagues so much better. They're really cool people. We spoke a lot about what it means to be a woman in the workforce and how to balance family and work. I got a lot of perspective from the both of them.

We've got more sessions this morning before we meet with our smaller team this afternoon. I'm looking forward to the afternoon meeting.

Sorry the posts have been short yesterday and today. I don't have as much time in the morning to capture my thoughts on "paper" while I'm down here.


Cheers!
mouse

Sunny, but Cold

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm in Florida. It's sunny but cold here.

We've got a holiday leadership meeting over the next two days. Yesterday was a cultural immersion and the business case on diversity. Today is department-specific strategies. Thursday, I meet with my Miami team for one last time before the holidays. Uh, how the #$%@! did the year go so quickly?

I love these inspirational moments. Times like these, the company is a great company. Maybe it's just my department. That's probably the case. If you asked me if I would recommend the company to others, I think I can honestly say I can. It's just if you get caught in an odd loop like Trixie, Frenchie or me, it's just tough finding a niche and a career path. But, the company overall, I can recommend it. It's the best I've worked at so far.

I was tempted to take Friday as a vacation day and stay in Florida for a long weekend. But, as I mentioned before, I opted not to, and take another quiet weekend at home instead. Still, it's good to be down here for work, again.


Cheers!
mouse

In Da Club

Dear Friends and Family,

:)

Had my weigh in yesterday... and...

I'm, now, in the healthy BMI range.

It hardly seems like something to brag about or be proud of, but, it is and I am. It's been seven months of sloughing through it, but it's been worth it. Currently, 65% of Americans aged 20 and over are overweight or obese. I've joined the 35% who are not. Good of me! I'm not sure what my eventual end goal will be, but whatever it is, it'll be me.

I've still got a wellness journey to continue. I want to improve my body fat percentage. I want to lose a little more weight, although if I don't, it'll be fine with me. I want to figure out how to get my dairy in each day without it being a chore. I want to reduce my LDL and increase my HDL. I want to start getting more cardiovascular exercise into my routine. I want, I want, I want... I guess it's a never-ending cycle of continuous improvement.

Oh, most importantly, I want to figure out how this will work once Mr. mouse and I are together and my whole routine gets a little jumbled up. It'll be a couple of weeks of learning, but, like everything less, I'm sure it'll work out fine.

For today, I'm simply glad to be considered healthy again.


Cheers!
mouse

10.23.06: Little Sweden

Dear Friends and Family,

Quiet weekend before the holiday madness begins.

Saturday, our neighbors came over for a wok potluck. As one of them put it, "an American potluck is usually created in a Lutheran church basement and involves lots of hamburger, potatoes and cheese in a casserole to feed 24."

Well, it's a good thing we went the wok route since there was only seven of us. We had guacamole and chips, Vietnamese spring rolls, fried rice, stir-fried chicken with peppers, mushrooms and cashews, asparagus in a sesame dressing, baby bok choy with mushrooms, steamed snapper and jalapeno shrimp. For dessert we had wine, angel food cake with peaches, moon cake, amarula, wine and more wine. Everything was so yummy. It was worth the extra 10 points of flex. We had a fun moment when Mr. mouse tossed the jalapenos into the oil, the capsaicin got airborne and all of our sinuses were seared instantaneously clear.

I showed one of my neighbors the blog :)

We had another fun moment when one of them brought up the classic Monty Hall problem. They had a variant of it on Deal or No Deal. Of course, the answer is if given the option to switch at the end, always switch. Probability says you're better off switching. Well, we set out to try to explain the whole thing with three clear tupperware and a yam. Omigod, was it ever so funny. Lots of wine and club soda made for much merriment. Can you get drunk on club soda?

Sunday, we drove up to Little Sweden and got clogs. I bought two pairs; Mr. mouse special ordered one. I like them in the kitchen, the extra two inches makes a huge difference in shoulder strain when you're as short as I am.





The red ones actually have a leaf pattern punched into them, but I couldn't find a picture... Here's a pair in fawn, with the leaf pattern:


Eventually, the black pair will be for outdoor use and the red for indoor use. For now, the black pair are for the mouse house and the red pair for the mouse pad. I love them. They have boots too. I'm so tempted. Stop me now...


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Like gorgeous pictures of food? Read this article on Fall's Most Fattening Foods.

RECOVE(RED)?

Dear Friends and Family,

Slept well last night. Chest pains seem to be getting better. The frequency is way down and so is the intensity. Will take it easy this weekend. I have a follow-up appointment on 11/6.


Cheers!
mouse

PRODUCT(RED)

Dear Friends and Family,

Warning: Politics and religion ahead. You've been warned.

Need to rewind the story to one of the last times we were in London... Not sure if it was last year on our way back from the Brugge (also spelled Bruges) or on our way back from the Maldives or from Scotland. The exact time and location matters not... Suffice it to say, awhile ago...

It's when I first saw the Motorola MOTOSLVR Red. I wanted one BADLY. First, it's red, which is so cool. Second, it's an ipod, which is so cool. Third, even more important, it supports a cause I feel passionately about... AIDS relief in Africa.

The (RED) Manifesto

We were in Africa a couple of years ago, on safari. The absolute sheer raw beauty of the place takes your breath away. It's the birthplace of the world as we know it. I'm not a outright religious person, but to see Africa is to see beauty in creation and in Mother Nature's creatures.

Africa, for being so rich and bountiful, is also so poor. The people, it brings tears to my eyes. They live with so little. We live with so much. It seems so unfair. Politicians have long been big on the Middle East, there's easy oil there after all. What's the reward for being big in Africa? Well, maybe there's no real reward. A de-stabilized Africa doesn't scare our politicians the way a de-stabilized Middle East does...

That's why I SO look up to Bono for taking up the cause of Africa. AIDS relief isn't glamorous, it isn't about self-enrichment. It's about giving back to people who need it so desperately. All the other celebrities getting involved. It makes me glad because people need to be aware!

The phone... Well, buying it in Europe would be a boatload of money because phones there aren't subsidized. Then, there would be the tricky business of unlocking it. Then, the tricky business of porting my cell phone number to a GSM network. Then, if all the stars aligned, I'd be in business. Decided at the time to wait and not get lost in the complexities.

Well, now, it's here. Well, not MOTOSLVR, but MOTORAZR is and the ipod is and I'm nearly giddy trying to decide which products to buy to show my support of the cause. I am so excited! I can hardly wait.


Cheers!
mouse

Bargain Hunter Strikes Again

Dear Friends and Family,

We went to Best Buy Sunday night to pick up an ipod charger for Mr. mouse. He left his at the mouse pad. Ah, I can't wait to not have to organize my life around "I forgot to bring over."

It's Sunday night, probably about an hour before they close. We get the charger. Mr. mouse wants to look at cameras. Okay. I've been contemplating an addition to our camera family for awhile now. Point and shoot and pocket camera need a big brother or sister to do the heavy lifting when we travel. We look. We play. We're just in shopping mode.

Mr. mouse wants to look at appliances next. Just because. He loves appliances. It took him three hours of fun and games to decide between the "final two" when we bought our dishwasher. So, we're in the appliance section when he spots the close-out deals of the century. Apparently, they're discontinuing a line of kitchen appliances or at the very least not carrying them anymore. They were marked over 50% off and had instant gift cards to boot. Score!

We're now the proud owners of a double wall oven and a cooktop for a kitchen remodel in the mouse pad that is still in the most preliminary of planning stages. We're talking, it's on the list with a bunch of potential other projects like new closet organization system and painting the living room.

Well, when it comes time, the appliances will be waiting for us. They'll look awesome once we install them. And, the double wall oven will be FABULOUS for Thanksgiving, just not Thanksgiving this year. I can't wait.


Cheers!
mouse

Life with a Holter Monitor

Dear Friends and Family,

Post #2 for this morning...

I got outfitted with the Holter monitor yesterday. It's not hugely uncomfortable, but there is a constant checking to make sure everything looks like it's still attached. Last night's sleep, one of the worst I've had in a long time. Lots of trying to find a comfortable position with all of the wires.

When I got "installed", the technician had problems with the orange probe. She moved it and then re-attached it with a second adhesive dot. I was a little skeptical but figured she knew what she was doing. Like as not last night, the sucker fell off. So, I re-attached it this morning with a new dot. I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! #$%@!, I knew it! I should have re-did it yesterday afternoon.

Hopefully, there wasn't a ton of information from when I was sleeping. Still, it's 6 of my precious recorded 48 hours...


Cheers!
mouse

Disappointment

Dear Friends and Family,

I got a phone call yesterday from the recruiter. The company I had interviewed with decided thanks, but no thanks. I asked for feedback from the recruiter on what the process.

For now, it's back to the drawing board.


Cheers!
mouse

Health Update II

Dear Friends and Family,

Went to the hospital yesterday for a follow-up with the doctor on all of the tests they've been running. They've pretty much ruled out heart attack and heart disease which is a good thing. And, all of the different blood work looks normal. Thyroid is doing it's job. Salts in balance. Okay...

Overall, should be feeling fine. But, obviously, I'm not. The pain is intermittent now. And, the intensity has gone down. But, it still occurs a couple of times each day. I go in today for a Holter monitor. It's essentially a portable monitor you wear 24/7 that monitors your heart rhythms. I wear it for 48 hours and they see what they can find. If nothing shows up, I get the "rest until the symptoms go away" treatment. If something shows up, then, we go from there. Follow-up in three weeks to see how I'm doing overall.

I do have the option of just finding a cardiologist if I want the extra piece of mind. I'll see how this week progresses...

There was one interesting blip in my otherwise beautiful blood work. Cholesterol... Total number low which is great, but the HDL was low too. HDL is the "good" cholesterol. The doctor didn't seem worried. She recommended regular cardiovascular exercise once I get the all clear to go to the gym again. But, I've been trying to do some reading on how else to boost it.

1. How to boost your "good" cholesterol
2. 10 Ways to Help Boost Your 'Good' Cholesterol

Maybe now is a good time to incorporate two more changes to my Weight Watchers routine. Good health guideline #4 is Have some healthy oil (olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, or flaxseed) each day. "Some" equates to 2 tsp a day. I've got little to lose by adding it in (besides 2 points a day) so I'll give it a try. And, the other change is swapping out beef for fish. Now, beef is part of my culinary heritage, and I'm not going to give it up altogether, it's just a balance thing.

I'll keep you posted.


Cheers!
mouse

Leaves Begone!

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend went by in a flurry.

Friday night I went over to see Mr. mouse. Saturday morning haircut. Nice clean, sharp interview haircut just in case. And, Saturday afternoon we came back so Mr. mouse could rake. We had a showing Saturday afternoon :)

Slept in Sunday. Mr. mouse raked the back while I tried a new recipe for tortilla soup. The raking turned out fabulous, the soup not so much. It was too bland and salty. Mr. mouse added a chipotle pepper and some cumin. Much better.

Here's a sneak peek of what's to come this week. I'm tempted to write about it all now, but, then, it becomes tough to categorize. I've become a slave to my own structure. What have I done to myself?!?!

• Tuesday: Health Update II
• Wednesday: (Red)
• Thursday: Bargain Hunter Strikes Again
• Friday: TBD

Running behind. Mr. mouse set the alarm for 4:21 pm vs. 4:21 am by accident. Happy Monday!


Cheers!
mouse

Plateau?

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning.

I'm a little frustrated with Weight Watchers. Or rather, I'm frustrated with my lack patience. When I dropped from 24 points a day to 22, the weight came off like mad for a couple of weeks before I steadied out to a pound a week. Now, going from 22 points a day to 20, nada. I've been the same weight for three weeks running...

I've got a couple of hypotheses. First, since I am now in the "less to lose" category, it will be a slower game and I need to adjust my expectations accordingly. Second, I've been sick and being sick always throws everything off and once I feel better things will hit their stride. Third, there was a plateau I hit about 10 pounds ago where my weight didn't change, but my body did, and this is what's going on again and I just need to be patient. Fourth theory, too much processed foods and I need to start eating more natural foods. Fifth theory, I had a couple of weeks of eating all of my points (regular, activity, flex) and I need to going back to just eating what my body needs. And, last but not least, sixth theory, I am not eating enough and I need to "shake it up a bit" with something like the Wendie Plan where you use a very jagged distribution of the flex points. Oh, and just thought of one more. Seventh theory, I need to do a better job of following the 8 Good Health Guidelines, not just about dairy but all of them.

So, how to test these hypotheses? Lord knows. A proper design of experiment using, say four weeks per effect, would take 20,160 weeks or about 380 years. A totally different issue might arise between now and year 2386... I guess there is no way of knowing for sure which of these theories holds true. Maybe I just need to be patient and as long as I'm not gaining, take each week as it comes...

C'est la vie.


Cheers!
mouse

Test

Dear Friends and Family,

Just a test as my blog is currently showing up as someone else's chess blog...


mouse

PS: Hmm... Posting fixed the problem. Weird.

Health Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning.

Still taking it nice and easy. My heart/chest is feeling a little better. Still some discomfort, but the intensity is down from Saturday. And, yesterday, it went from a constant dull ache to an intermittent dull ache. I feel it this morning, but we'll see if it continues throughout the day.

On a positive note, it definitely hasn't gotten any worse.

Last night, I conquered a food quandry. I had five points left for dinner... I had lunch and then found out we were having lunch brought in for our meeting... I was intending on skipping lunch at the meeting, but our admin, bless her heart, knowing I am on Weight Watchers brought a special lunch just for me. So, being socially correct, I thanked her and had my two point soup. How sweet is she?

Which brings me to dinner... Five points and nothing coming to mind... Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle soup and a slice of toast? Lean Cuisine? Would work, but sounded too processed. Inspiration hit as I was walking to the car. Supermarket sushi. I got 6 pieces of sushi and 8 pieces of sashimi for dinner. Nice.

Good article in the New York Times on snacking. Trixie, any chance of convincing you to order the book for me from Amazon with your free shipping?

This morning, no caffeine after 6:30 and no food after 8:30 to prepare for my stress EKG. I find out all of the results next Monday, hopefully.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Yesterday marked the end of our Indian Summer. We had our first snow flakes and the wind shook a lot of trees bare.

Clutter Control, Simplicity Part II

Dear Friends and Family,

Not a lot to write today. Still feeling the same. Sleeping more. Waiting on test results. Waiting on interview feedback.

Today is a good day to take stock of more ways to simplify my life. What's on this week's docket to make life less complex for Mr. mouse and me?

1. I have a business trip to Orlando later this month. Was seriously toying with taking the Friday after the trip off and making a long weekend in the theme parks with Mr. mouse and a couple of my friends from Atlanta. But, decided not to. That's one more weekend of activities to plan, hotel and theme park tickets to purchase, travel arrangements for Mr. mouse, and too much at this point. The icing on the cake is Mr. mouse pointed out I can't ride and rides now with ye olde heart condition anyway. Done and done.
2. I need to return the rest of my baseball playoff tickets. Total outlay, $35 + shipping and handling. Not bad for the real option value of the tickets. Still, good to be done with sweating those details.
3. Old Navy... I went on a shopping expedition to Old Navy with a colleague at work. And, we bought a bunch of new clothes for me. Some of it isn't my style, but I bought it anyway. I am seriously tempted to return it. Why spend money on clothes I'm not going to wear? Time to return the stuff and be done with it.
4. Hangers. I have a pile of plastic hangers from my recent shopping excursions and I don't use plastic hangers... A girlfriend told me she is short on plastic hangers. So, I need to dump those puppies all is a paper bag and bring them to work. Out of my life and into hers. Sounds like a good exchange of karma.
5. Food. Need to simplify what I eat. Less packaged foods, more simple ingredients. The fake food needs to leave the house. After all, why should I have pre-made spaghetti sauce when I can make my own just as easily? How did a craving for Jell-O pudding get past my vigilant guard? Working on getting it all back under control. Must break this recent plateau, although I'm not really sweating the plateau yet. Just want to get the food back to the core food groups.

Hopefully, all of these things will, in the long run, make life less complex for me. Small steps, but progress nonetheless.


Cheers!
mouse

Stonyfield Farm Organic Fat Free Milk

Dear Friends and Family,

With all of the heart scares I've been having, I'm taking a back to the basics approach - less prepared foods, more natural ingredients.

Looking at Weight Watchers' Eight Good Health Guidelines, #3 is include two servings of milk products each day.


There have been articles about how consuming dairy MAY aid in weight loss. (e.g. French Women's Diet Secret: Yogurt)

The question on dairy is what and what brand. I inherently think organic has to be better. Ideally, I'd like grass fed cows vs. grain fed cows. No antibiotics, no steroids, no growth hormones. I want that old school ideal - cows let out to pasture every day to graze on naturally growing grass come back to the barn each night to be milked by hand...

For now, I'll stick with Stonyfield Farm, even if Business Week wrote about the Organic Myth using them as an example of what can go wrong with organic. They're sold at my local food co-op. I'll do more research once I have the time.

In addition to my daily yogurt, I've added a cup of skim milk with dinner every night.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: going in this morning for more lab work - two more vials of blood... probably won't know anything new until next Monday when I go in for my follow-up appointment.