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